Buffalo’s No. 1 corner should succeed in ‘06

By Connor Byrne  |   Monday, May 08, 2006  |  Comments( 0 )

Buffalo Bills
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On Friday, Buffalo Bills cornerback Nate Clements finally signed his franchise tag one-year tender, which will earn him $7.2 million next season. Clements was tagged on February 23, but he refused to sign the offer for over two months. The Bills agreed not to tag Clements again after the upcoming season, so that was enough for the 26-year-old to remain with the team into 2006.

The Bills have until July 15th to sign Clements to a long-term contract. In the event that the two sides fail to reach an accord in the next two months, he will become a free agent after next season.

Last season, Clements totaled 99 tackles and two interceptions, but his year was a major disappointment overall. He struggled mightily nearly every week against No. 1 receivers, which came as a surprise, since he was tremendous in 2004, picking off six passes en route to a Pro Bowl appearance.

Even though Clements' play was a letdown last season, look for the former Ohio state product to make quite a rebound next season. The Bills just added a trio of defensive backs in the NFL Draft--Donte' Whitner, Ashton Youboty and Ko Simpson--which could take some pressure off Clements. No longer will he and Terrence McGee be the only defensive backs on the Bills capable of handling big-time receivers.

The fact that Whitner and Youboty both went to Ohio State should help Clements, too, since he'll have a couple of fellow Buckeyes to befriend in the locker room. Buffalo's locker room is currently filled with character players, and Clements could learn a lot from them. He's had some attitude problems in the past, so it's for the best that he remains in Buffalo to develop the same character traits as defensive veterans like Takeo Spikes, London Fletcher and Troy Vincent.

Now that Clements is fully committed to remaining with the Buffalo Bills next season, the team could have one of the top secondaries in the NFL. Even without Clements the Bills' secondary looks tremendous; when he's thrown in, it looks even more potent. Clements, McGee, Whitner and Vincent will likely be the starters, with Youboty and Simpson playing depth roles next season. Rashad Baker, Eric King and Matt Bowen highlight the remainder of the Bills' defensive backfield depth. Thus, if someone in a starting position gets injured, the Bills shouldn't miss a beat. Certainly, it's a good problem to have for head coach Dick Jauron, who was a successful defensive back in the league from 1973-1980.

In his career, Clements has picked off 20 passes. One of the league's best receivers, Chad Johnson, referred to him as the best corner in the league last season. However, that compliment was a major stretch. Still, if Clements can get back to his form of two years ago, the Bills will have an incredible defensive backfield on their hands.

Stopping division rival New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady twice a year is the secondary's number 1 agenda in Buffalo, and it just might happen with Clements back in the fold. Certainly, the Bills' defense stands a better chance with him on the roster.

--Connor Byrne can be reached at cbyrne@realfootball365.com
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