The Cowboys are one of five teams jockeying to sign new free agent cornerback Stanford Routt. How large a contract would he command and what type of value would he represent?
I asked K.C Joyner for updated 2011 YPAs and got a near-complete number today of 6.1. That's very good, despite Routt's much-discussed 2011 penalty totals. Here are Routt's lines from 2010 and 2010, compared to one of last year's big-ticket cornerbacks:
Johnathan Joseph: 2010 - 7.2; 2011 -- 6.1
Stanford Routt: 2010 - 7.3; 2011 -- 6.1
Routt's numbers actually dropped last season, even though he lost cornerback partner Nnandi Asomugha to free agency, and saw his team's sack totals dip from 47 in 2010 to 38 last year. Routt has defended more than 50% of the passes thrown at him the last two season. No Cowboys corner has been close to 50% in either of the last two campaigns.
I did not see the Raiders very much last year, so I don't know what contributed to Routt's laundry pile. Was it the weaker rush? Was he targeted more? Was he injured? Did he show the early signs of aging?
Routt doesn't lack for suitors. The Texans, who signed Joseph to a 5-year, $48.75 million deal last spring, are one of the teams who will meet with Routt this week. Houston isn't swimming in cap space, so Routt may not command a Joseph-sized deal. If that's the case, Dallas should be in the running. If his price tag is smaller than a Brent Grimes or a Brent Carr's, he may fill the left corner spot and give Dallas greater positional flexibility come April.
I asked K.C Joyner for updated 2011 YPAs and got a near-complete number today of 6.1. That's very good, despite Routt's much-discussed 2011 penalty totals. Here are Routt's lines from 2010 and 2010, compared to one of last year's big-ticket cornerbacks:
Johnathan Joseph: 2010 - 7.2; 2011 -- 6.1
Stanford Routt: 2010 - 7.3; 2011 -- 6.1
Routt's numbers actually dropped last season, even though he lost cornerback partner Nnandi Asomugha to free agency, and saw his team's sack totals dip from 47 in 2010 to 38 last year. Routt has defended more than 50% of the passes thrown at him the last two season. No Cowboys corner has been close to 50% in either of the last two campaigns.
I did not see the Raiders very much last year, so I don't know what contributed to Routt's laundry pile. Was it the weaker rush? Was he targeted more? Was he injured? Did he show the early signs of aging?
Routt doesn't lack for suitors. The Texans, who signed Joseph to a 5-year, $48.75 million deal last spring, are one of the teams who will meet with Routt this week. Houston isn't swimming in cap space, so Routt may not command a Joseph-sized deal. If that's the case, Dallas should be in the running. If his price tag is smaller than a Brent Grimes or a Brent Carr's, he may fill the left corner spot and give Dallas greater positional flexibility come April.