http://www.yardbarker.com/content/player/3686 Recent articles about Marcus Trufant en-us So I thought I'd take a look at my dynasty Individual Defensive Players (IDP's) this week. I've noticed a big trend in more fantasy footballers trying IDP leagues - they really are awesome and encourage you all to give it a try. I think my ideal defensive set up for a fantasy football league would be to take one team D/ST and maybe 3 to 4 IDPs. This way, you get the best of both worlds. Now click on the link below to check out how some IDP's will stack up in 2008... Wed, 30 Jul 2008 22:08:57 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/298409 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/298409 With the trade of DeAngelo Hall and the signing of Asante Samuel, cornerbacks have been heavily talked about during the offseason. With the growing number of high-octane offenses throwing the ball at will, the league has started to place a premium on having two (and sometimes three) quality cornerbacks to match up with receivers. With the new rules in place, we will most likely never see a complete shutdown corner in the likes of Mel Blount, Night Train Lane, and Deion Sanders but these are the best combos out there today. Honorable mentions go to Marcus Trufant and Kelly Jennings of the Seattle Seahawks, as well as Walt Harris and Nate Clements of the San Francisco 49ers. No. 5: Asante Samuel and Sheldon Brown, PHI Asante Samuel is a smaller corner but plays bigger than he is, often trying for the big hit against bigger-bodied wideouts. Samuel is not a corner with tremendous speed, but he does well in zone or man-to-man coverage. Developing with the Patriots has given him a strong sense of awareness of the ball and the field. Without the blazing speed, he occasionally gets beat in coverage by faster receivers, but usually makes up with it on cuts and angles. Another area of attack for opposing offenses is his size. At 5-foot-10, quarterbacks sometimes toss up the jump ball against him and he can be had on fade patterns, but is very willing to fight for the ball. He does take chances to make a play on the ball, but has the closing burst to close well and is a great open field tackler. He also has good hands, allowing him to pick off passes and fend off receivers. Questions about Samuel usually revolve around how good he will be now that he is out of the Patriot fold. We all saw the decline in Ty Law once he left. However, the Eagles' scheme is very similar to the Patriots. It is a pass rush-heavy pass defense. Expecting Lito Sheppard to be traded, Sheldon Brown would be the likely pair with Samuel in the Eagles' secondary. Brown is also a smaller, physical player who is a good press-cover corner, and excels in man-to-man coverage over zone coverage. He is very strong and loves to play the bump-and-run. Once in coverage, Brown has learned to get in position and is quite adept at reading routes. Working in Jimmy Johnson's defense has really improved his technique. He has excellent ball skills and is a good tackler against the run. Brown's shortcomings are very similar to Samuel in that he also lacks the size to compete with the bigger wideouts and the speed to keep up with the burners, and that remains the biggest concern in this backfield. No. 4: Nnamdi Asomugha and DeAngelo Hall, OAK Nnamdi Asomugha was a slow study to start his career, but has really blossomed of late. He has excellent tools to work with; excellent size at 6-foot-2, 210 lbs to go along with top-end speed. Although, he is not as fluid as some of the other top corners, his foot quickness and agility are adequate but he has a little stiffness in his hips and knees. He is a better bump-and-run corner where he can trail the receiver instead of a cover corner. He looks a bit tight in transition and often loses a step on the receiver, but has enough explosive quickness and speed to make up the difference. Asomugha struggles a bit from man-off as he is not yet good at route recognition or reading the quarterback's eyes and getting a jump on the ball. This will all come with more playing time. He is strong and has long arms that allow him to jam receivers or re-route them when he is able to get a hand on them. He is also a strong tackler and is not afraid to come up and force the run. The 2006 season was a breakout for Asomugha as he came up with eight interceptions after being shutout his first three years in the league, and he built on that last year as well. He has come a long way in terms of playing the ball he is still a work in progress. Playing with DeAngelo Hall may help his development. Hall is a corner of polarizing opinions. He is an exceptional man-to-man defender but an ordinary zone defender who uses his incomparable 4.2 speed to compensate for bad decisions. In addition to his speed, Hall also has phenomenal quickness, closing speed, and agility, preferring to play off his man to try and jump the routes. While he is not the strongest of corners, he has some upper-body strength. He is able to jam receivers and can shed a block, providing some help on run support but it is not his strength. Hall also has great instincts with the ball in his hands, and combined with his speed is a threat to take it the distance any time he intercepts the ball. Hall's coverage skills start to break down when a receiver manages to get in his head. He is brash and arrogant and will over-commit. He also needs to work on his has sloppy footwork. Not the best in the film room, Hall hasn't taken the time to work on getting proper body position and has gotten used to solving all of his problems with just his speed; this causes him to gamble and is prone to giving up big plays. Overall, this tandem has amazing speed and can keep up with any of the receivers in the league. Given they are both better as man-to-man, expect them to play limited zone coverages. No. 3: Quentin Jammer and Antonio Cromartie, SD His development was slow, but Quentin Jammer has developed to the point where he's a Top 15 NFL corner, and one of the best pure cover corners. He is also a very physical corner (matching his name), excelling in run coverage and hits and tackles with the very best corners in the league. Now six years into the league, Jammer had to adjust to the significant rule changes that penalize corners for any intentional contact with receivers more than five yards off the line of scrimmage. In fact, Jammer led the league in flags for illegal contact in 2005, and was near the top again in 2006; last season he seemed to figure it out. The ongoing fault people find with Jammer, and what limits him from being a truly elite corner is his lack of interceptions. He has never had more than four interceptions in a season. However, with Antonio Cromartie on the other side, his team doesn't suffer from his lack of interceptions. His overall game is so rounded that his interception deficiency can be over looked. Dubbed "The Natural" by ESPN's John Clayton, he excels in man-to-man coverage and is still learning the zone schemes. At 6-foot-2, 200 pounds and possessing long arms, Cromartie is ideal for press coverage. Nearly as fast as Hall, he still clocks in with a 4.3 40 yard time, and his style is smooth. Cromartie uses his breakneck speed, can't-be-taught instincts, exceptional turn-and-go flexibility, and exceptional hands to control his game. Like Asomugha, he is still learning, and that is the scary part. Cromartie is an athletic freak, and his position coach, Bill Bradley, said he is becoming a student of the game. As is the knock on a lot of speed corners, Antonio isn't the most physical of cornerbacks. Working with one of the most physical in Jammer, he's improved his hitting and tackling. One AFC scout says that Cromartie will guess on some plays (going for the big play), which leaves him vulnerable to completions. He still can be beaten with some double moves, but he will improve in that area the more he plays. No. 2: Champ Bailey and Dre Bly, DEN Champ Bailey possesses the best combination of skill, instinct, and knowledge for a cornerback in the game and is the closest thing to a true shutdown corner we have today. He will blanket the other team's top receiver and will often take him completely out of the game. He is excellent in both bump-and-run coverage, as well as zone schemes. Bailey has always shown great quickness and technique, combined with excellent speed. With his talent and ball skills, Bailey could easily be a wide receiver and has been used in set offenses from time to time. He is very active in run support, and plays the run well. The biggest knocks on Bailey have been that he is eager to gamble, and will lose occasionally, like he did last year against Brett Favre for two 79-yard touchdowns. He is also not a big hitter, and once the receiver has the ball, rarely causes fumbles. Being paired with Bailey, Dre Bly had the first opportunity to be a No. 2 corner in a defense after being the top corner in Detroit and St. Louis. Bly maybe undersized at 5-foot-10, but he is a real playmaker. Seemingly in spite of his size, he is very confident and loves to challenge the bigger receivers. He gets good position on his receivers and plays tough, but he sometimes has trouble against the bigger receivers that he challenges, as they push off for separation. Another tremendous athlete, Bly doesn't waste much motion, and has very fluid hips, turning on a dime. He too will gamble, and lose more than he should because he has concentration lapses. He has a rare combination of quickness to cover the slot and top-end speed to play on the perimeter. As a contrast to Bailey, he isn't very physical and isn't much help in run support. His tackling can actually be a liability and he struggles to shed blocks while seeming a little indifferent to the play once it is out of the air. No. 1: Charles Woodson and Al Harris, GB The baby of the pairing at age 31, Charles Woodson has been a premier man-to-man cover cornerback in the NFL for about nine years, first with the Oakland Raiders and now with the Green Bay Packers. While age has caught up with Woodson. He no longer has the same speed that the 1997 Heisman Trophy winner showed, but he more than compensates for any slowdown with great instincts and awareness. He uses these skills to anticipate the receiver's route and breaks on the ball. Woodson continues to be a smart football player who combines that intelligence with a physical style and a love for the game that shows in his energetic play. The teamwork between Woodson and Al Harris is evident to each other when Woodson is quick to credit Harris' shutdown abilities for the playmaking opportunities that are coming his way with the Packers. Like Asomugha, Harris is one of the few bump-and-run specialists remaining in the game, and he can be extremely physical at the line of scrimmage. A tough, smart veteran, Harris regularly shadows the opposing team's top receiver and holds him in check. This role has led Harris to be a meticulous student in the film room to prepare. He is very quick to pick up on small signals in a receiver's game that hint at what is about to come. At age 33, speed is also a concern for Harris. Woodson and Harris face their biggest problems when faced with burner wideouts, and they resort to their bump-and-run to slow them down. Thu, 17 Jul 2008 13:40:05 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/291744 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/291744 CBS Sportsline's Pete Prisco is out with his annual Top 50 NFL Players list, and three Seahawks are on the list, starting with #16 tackle Walter Jones.  Also on the list is Lofa Tatupu and Marcus Trufant.  Here is the breakdown on the three: 16. Walter Jones, T, Seattle Seahawks: Jones is a rock on the left side of the Seattle line. He is a great pass protector who has improved as a run blocker. 40. Lofa Tatupu, LB, Seattle Seahawks: He's a fierce tackler in the middle of that Seattle defense. He's not big at 6-feet tall, but he plays big. You can tell he loves the game. 47. Marcus Trufant, CB, Seattle Seahawks: He led all NFC corners with seven interceptions. He also got credit for 22 passes defensed. He has emerged as a top-tier corner. Tue, 08 Jul 2008 18:27:49 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/287625 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/287625 I loved Prisco's top 50, but there were definite faults in it.  Even though he did a great job tackling the Brady v. Manning topic, some of his picks were, how do you say, questionable.  Here is my attempt at naming the top 50 players in the NFL.  With 1696 players on the active roster, cutting it down to 50 is tough, but here I go. 1. Tom Brady/QB/New England Patriots (Prisco Ranking-1): Ugh.  I hate this.  I hate putting Brady at number one.  50 touchdown passes does qualify him for this spot though.  This doesn't feel right.  Do I have to put Patriots players on my list? 2. Peyton Manning/QB/Indianapolis Colts (Prisco-2): Ah, this feels better.  Manning in his downyear through for more than 4,000 yards and 30 touchdowns, got his team a first-round bye while missing his top wide receiver for most of the year.  Scary to think of what he can do with the whole team in his "great" years. 3. Randy Moss/WR/New England Patriots (Prisco-4): When he's not bumping traffic cops, he's pushing off of cornerbacks and safeties to break the receiving touchdowns in a season record (although that title is complete bogus).  He should do well again this year, but not 20+ touchdowns. 4. LaDanian Tomlinson/RB/San Diego Chargers (Prisco-3): LDT is a Hall of Fame running back, but there are other backs in the league that are catching up to him.  Tomlinson can do it all: run, catch, and even pass.  He's the definition of an all-around back. 5. Bob Sanders/S/Indianapolis Colts (Prisco-7): Sanders is definitely the best defender in the league.  No other defensive player changes a game in the way that Sanders does.  We've all seen what the Colts did on defense in 2007 as opposed to the Sanders-less 2006. 6. Jared Allen/DE/Minnesota Vikings (Prisco-12): Legal matters aside, Allen has moved into the category of a healthy Julius Peppers and Dwight Freeney as the game's premier pass rushers.  He got 15.5 sacks in 14 games last year.  It is crazy to put him out of the top 10. 7. Antonio Cromartie/CB/San Diego Chargers (Prisco-NR): I have no idea how Antonio Cromartie was not ranked by Prisco.  Cromartie led the league in interceptions, returned a missed field goal for a touchdown, and he recovered 2 fumbles.  He was definitely the best corner in the league last year. 8. Adrian Peterson/RB/Minnesota Vikings (Prisco-15): Peterson exploded onto the scene last season, running for over 1300 yards, leading the league in rushing yards per game, and taking home the Offensive Rookie of the Year award. 9. DeMarcus Ware/OLB/Dallas Cowboys (Prisco-9): Last season, Ware had the best season of his career.  He had career-highs in sacks and tackles, and he is only going to improve. 10. Walter Jones/OT/Seattle Seahawks (Prisco-16): Even though the Seahawks have no offensive weapons, the Seahawks have a top 10 offense.  How is it possible?  This man is the reason why. 11. Nnamdi Asomugha/CB/Oakland Raiders (Prisco-29) 12. Brian Westbrook/RB/Philadelphia Eagles (Prisco-20) 13. Reggie Wayne/WR/Indianapolis Colts (Prisco-22) 14. Steve Hutchinson/OG/Minnesota Vikings (Prisco-19) 15. Albert Haynesworth/DT/Tennessee Titans (Prisco-14) 16. Terrell Owens/WR/Dallas Cowboys (Prisco-13) 17. Jeff Saturday/C/Indianapolis Colts (Prisco-NR) 18. Champ Bailey/CB/Denver Broncos (Prisco-5) 19. Shawne Merriman/OLB/San Diego Chargers (Prisco-11) 20. Kevin Williams/DT/Minnesota Vikings (Prisco-10) 21. Dwight Freeney/DE/Indianapolis Colts (Prisco-25) 22. Ed Reed/S/Baltimore Ravens (Prisco-23) 23. Jason Peters/OT/Buffalo Bills (Prisco-27) 24. Richard Seymour/DE/New England Patriots (Prisco-30) 25. Braylon Edwards/WR/Cleveland Browns (Prisco-34) 26. Devin Hester/RS/Chicago Bears (Prisco-50) 27. Andre Johnson/WR/Houston Texans (Prisco-26) 28. Chad Johnson/WR/Cincinnati Bengals (Prisco-28) 29. Asante Samuel/CB/Philadelphia Eagles (Prisco-37) 30. Patrick Willis/MLB/San Francisco 49ers (Prisco-43) 31. Antonio Gates/TE/San Diego Chargers (Prisco-24) 32. Osi Umenyiora/DE/New York Giants (Prisco-42) 33. Tony Romo/QB/Dallas Cowboys (Prisco-NR) 34. Tony Gonzalez/TE/Kansas City Chiefs (Prisco-46) 35. Steven Jackson/RB/St. Louis Rams (Prisco-33) 36. Patrick Kerney/DE/Seattle Seahawks (Prisco-NR) 37. Mario Williams/DE/Houston Texans (Prisco-6) 38. Ernie Sims/OLB/Detroit Lions (Prisco-39) 39. Larry Fitzgerald/WR/Arizona Cardinals (Prisco-31) 40. Ben Roethlisberger/QB/Pittsburgh Steelers (Prisco-17) 41. Lofa Tatupa/MLB/Seattle Seahawks (Prisco-40) 42. Adrian Wilson/S/Arizona Cardinals (Prisco-NR) 43. Shawn Andrews/OG/Philadelphia Eagles (Prisco-38) 44. Tommie Harris/DT/Chicago Bears (Prisco-36) 45. Pat Williams/DT/Minnesota Vikings (Prisco-NR) 46. Aaron Kampman/DE/Green Bay Packers (Prisco-45) 47. Drew Brees/QB/New Orleans Saints (Prisco-35) 48. Brian Urlacher/MLB/Chicago Bears (Prisco-32) 49. Larry Johnson/RB/Kansas City Chiefs (Prisco-NR) 50. Plaxico Burress/WR/New York Giants (Prisco-NR) Unranked Players On My List That Are On Prisco's List: Carson Palmer (8) Charles Woodson (18) Steve Smith (21) Vince Wilfork (41) Kellen Winslow (44) Marcus Trufant (47) Wes Welker (48) Fred Taylor (49) Tue, 01 Jul 2008 22:49:48 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/284878 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/284878 This is another part of our best of players with dreads series. Enjoy! 1.Bob Sanders Colts 2.Atari Bigby Packers 3. Al Harris Packers 4.Brandon Meriweather Patriots 5.Rashean Mathis Jaguars 6.Asante Samuel Eagles 7. Reggie Nelson Jaguars 8. Mike Mckenzie Saints 9.Greg Wesley Chiefs 10.Michael Griffin Titans 11.Usama Young Saints 12.Jack Williams Broncos 13.Terry Cousin Bears 14.Dunta Robinson Texans 15.Marcus Trufant Seahawks 16.Cedric Griffin Vikings 17.Adam Jones (when he had them) Cowboys 18.Leigh Bodden Lions 19.Chris Houston Falcons 20.Charles Tillman Bears Wed, 25 Jun 2008 07:01:52 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/282121 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/282121 There are actually more than five overrated players in the NFL. So coming up with just five isn't very difficult. How these players even get the attention they get is beyond me. But it usually has to do with either where they were drafted in the NFL draft or which team they play on. With that [...] Mon, 23 Jun 2008 21:18:32 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/281516 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/281516 Jeff Garcia doesnt have a new contract and he's sounds off..... TAMPA â€" For the first time in five years, Jeff Garcia was thrilled he did not have a change of uniform or address in the offseason. The grass has never grown under the cleats of the vagabond quarterback. And it's starting to look as if the Bucs do not want Garcia to put down too many roots in Tampa Bay. Garcia said Tuesday that he's disappointed the team hasn't been willing to tear up his contract and reward him with a new deal that would enable him to finish his career with the Bucs. Garcia, 38, has one year remaining on his contract that will pay him a base salary of $2-million in 2008. He went 8-6 as a starter for the Bucs last season, leading them to an NFC South title and being named to the Pro Bowl. Nonrookie starting quarterbacks average between $7-million and $15-million a year in the NFL, making Garcia among the league's lowest-paid quarterbacks. After Tuesday's workout â€" the first of the offseason â€" Garcia was asked if he was disappointed by the lack of progress toward a new deal. "You could say that," Garcia said. "Talks haven't necessarily gone all that good. "So in a way, it's disappointing. At this point in my career, I'm no longer 24 or 25 saying, 'I'm going to prove to you I deserve this.' I feel like I've proved throughout my career. And I feel like at this time, it's time to just work with me, and you know what I bring to the team. You know what I've done for the team, and you know how much more I can do. And now I have a year under my system." The Bucs declined to comment. There's another reason why Garcia might be unhappy with his contract. Because of the Bucs' decision to rest him for the final two weeks of the regular season, he fell just short of participating in 70 percent of their offensive snaps, preventing him from earning a seven-figure bonus. Coach Jon Gruden did not allow Garcia to play the second half of the Bucs' 21-19 loss at San Francisco on Dec. 23. Garcia also was benched for the regular-season finale at home against the Panthers on Dec. 30. As a result, Garcia did not get at least $1-million in bonus money. Garcia is not required to attend the offseason workout program, which is voluntary. But he participated in Tuesday's as an act of good faith. Whether he attends the rest of this week's workouts or future offseason workout programs remains to be seen, but he indicated his options are limited. "I'm committed to a second year the way my contract is drawn up," Garcia said. "Yes, I would like to rip it up and create a new one that allows me to finish off my career here. But we're not necessarily on the same page as far as that's concerned." Garcia, Luke McCown and Bruce Gradkowski were the only quarterbacks that attended practice Tuesday. Chris Simms is not participating in offseason workouts presumably because he wants to be traded. Brian Griese, acquired in a trade with the Bears in March, had a commitment to a charity event. Tuesday's practice with the Bucs marked the first time since 2003 with the 49ers that Garcia has begun an offseason with the team he played for in the previous season. After bouncing to the Browns, Lions and Eagles in consecutive seasons, he finally found a home under Gruden in Tampa Bay. In 2007, Garcia completed 209 of 307 passes for 2,440 yards with 13 touchdowns and four interceptions for a passer rating of 94.6. Garcia said he has a chance to build upon the success he enjoyed in the team's offense a year ago. "My head was swimming," Garcia said. "When I heard the terminology (last year), I was still trying to figure it all out. And I'm not at that point. "So now I can take off from where I am now and build upon that. And going into the season, I just feel I'll be so much more confident and secure as to how to run this system as opposed to where I was last year. And last year, things didn't go all that bad." Wed, 09 Apr 2008 11:50:44 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/233336 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/233336 With the Oakland Raiders' flurry of activity thus far this offseason, the biggest question on most Raider fans' minds has been "What is going to happen with Nnamdi Asomugha?" Al Davis made Asomugha an "exclusive rights" franchise player meaning that he gets a one year tender equal to the average of the top five players at his position for 2008 (approximately $10 million), but he can't even talk to another team. The Raiders have handed out big deal after bigger deal, and with each deal the question remain, what of Aso? L Dizzle has the answer, he believes that Aso's deal is right around the corner. Sat, 29 Mar 2008 03:13:34 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/223023 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/223023 Marcus Trufant has a career year, makes the pro bowl then is franchised by the Seahawks, then they overpay to lock up the local boy. Dont think so... 5 of his 7 Int's came against the two worst teams for Int's in the league the other two came against a back up QB, he got torched by GB in the playoffs Follow the link for the breakdown Thu, 27 Mar 2008 15:17:19 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/220635 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/220635 The Seattle Seahawks franchised CB Marcus Trufant earlier this offseason, and now they are rewarding him long-term. Trufant and the Seahawks have agreed to a $50.2 million, six-year contract that runs through 2013. Agent Doug Hendrickson said the deal includes $20 million in guarantees. A $3 million roster bonus due in 2010 effectively means Trufant is due $28 million over the first three years of the contract. Wed, 26 Mar 2008 23:53:32 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/219508 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/219508 He played well for the Seahawks and deserves to get paid, not quite D.Hall money, but the Raiders are morons so it doesnt matter. Wed, 26 Mar 2008 14:00:52 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/218971 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/218971 josh brown won many games for the seahawks over the last few years. i will miss him very much. i understand not being able to keep him and im glad that we kept trufant. his new contrance is a five-year, $14.2 million contract. The deal included a $4 million signing bonus, according to NFL Net's Adam Schefter. i hate losing a great player expessially to a division rival. Sun, 09 Mar 2008 23:06:12 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/188455 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/188455 Quick highlights of the article... - Rosenhaus says Kearse will be cut. - The Eagles had targetted Marcus Trufant as their #1 priority, but after he was franchised they may look to Asante Samuel. - Sports Illustrated says the Eagles may be a dark horse candidate for OL Alan Faneca. Mon, 25 Feb 2008 11:06:24 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/165642 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/165642 Here is FULL positional break down of what moves you can expect the Eagles to make in free agency. I cover DE, S, CB, and OL. Check out what free agents are realistic possibilities for the Eagles. Sun, 24 Feb 2008 14:44:46 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/164552 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/164552 The Seattle Seahawks' front office stated earlier in the week that the contract of cornerback Marcus Trufant has been voided due to lack of production. When the team reached a deal with the 27-year old cornerback, there was an added clause stating that if his playing time ever dipped below a set threshold, his contract would be voided. more... Sat, 19 Jan 2008 00:14:10 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/76912 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/76912