Green won’t be the savior of Dolphins’ secondary

By Brad Wilbricht  |   Thursday, March 12, 2009  |  Comments( 3 )

Miami Dolphins
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The recent signing of cornerback Eric Green should help boost the Miami Dolphins’ secondary, but by no means is he the lockdown corner fans in South Florida are craving. The acquisition of Green creates an even bigger logjam of average cornerbacks such as Andre’ Goodman, Jason Allen and Will Allen.

Green, a former third-round draft pick, spent four seasons in Arizona but failed to crack the starting lineup on a full-time basis. While he has sufficient size, speed and athleticism, his production was limited during his stint with the Cardinals. Green managed only two career interceptions and never played an entire 16-game season.

Green has an explosive first step and his fluid hips allow him to turn and run with most NFL receivers. However, he features average ball skills and is not particularly strong in run defense. In addition, his lack of focus and poor footwork have hampered him up to this point in his career.

After the emergence of rookie CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie last year, Green was demoted out of the starting lineup. He then dropped even further, losing his role in Arizona’s nickel package. Green was replaced by journeyman corner Ralph Brown and was then let go by the Cardinals.

Miami’s pass defense ranked 25th in the NFL last season, allowing 228 yards per game, and is in desperate need of capable cornerbacks. While the Dolphins are still likely to target a young corner in the draft, they can now focus on more pressing areas of need come April. This year’s cornerback class is extremely deep and Bill Parcells should be able to pluck a talented youngster outside of the first two rounds.

Despite the negatives that come with Green, a fresh start could do wonders for a player who has the ability to perform at a high level. However, Green will need to shed his reputation as a career underachiever in order to compete for a starting position with the Dolphins.
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About Brad Wilbricht

Brad Wilbricht covers numerous sporting events including the NFL, NFL Draft and college football. His analysis is simulcast through several media outlets across the country. Additionally, Brad is a regular guest on a variety of talk radio shows and can be frequently heard on the airwaves. To ...
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