Arkansas Bengal Posted August 4, 2015 Report Share Posted August 4, 2015 Bengals' Darqueze Dennard wants to be known as a complete cornerback CINCINNATI -- When he played at Michigan State, Darqueze Dennard had a one-track mind as a cornerback. All he cared about was playing up tight with receivers and smothering them from the line of scrimmage through the end of every route they ran. He wanted them to feel suffocated. That's the definition of a lockdown corner. In college, that's exactly what Dennard was. Cornerback Darqueze Dennard is working to sharpen his skills in off coverage. Aaron Doster/USA TODAY SportsBut in the NFL, Dennard's focus has started broadening. As he enters his second season, Dennard wants to be more than a lockdown, man-press cornerback. The rising Cincinnati Bengals standout wants to be a complete cornerback, and one of the best to have ever played his position. "Me personally, I don't want to be known as just a press corner," Dennard said. "God-willing I can be the type of player that I think I can be: that's one of the best corners to play the game. This offseason, that helped me to kind of round my whole game out." A function of the league's rules on offseason and early preseason physicality, Dennard hadn't been permitted much this spring and summer to revert to his old press coverage ways. All throughout organized team activities (OTAs) and minicamp, he was forced into regularly playing off receivers, and giving them cushions to make even bigger separation from him. Despite that, he still made his share of plays. It was during minicamp and late in OTAs when the interceptions and deflected passes really started coming for him. When they did, it was clear that although Dre Kirkpatrick might appear the favored player for the left starting cornerback job, Dennard was nipping at his heels. "It's going to be a tight battle," defensive coordinator Paul Guenther said. Even Kirkpatrick, who boldly pronounced himself the position's starter back in May, has softened his stance. He knows he's in the middle of competition right now, and he wants the best man to not only get the job he's competing for, but for the other potentially open spot in the slot. "Right now, I don't feel like nobody has a job," Kirkpatrick said. "At the end of the day, when the rosters come out, that's when everybody will know where you're at." Dennard's ability to hone his skills in off coverage could help position him well when the final rosters are unveiled. "If they can play off, they can certainly play on," co-defensive backs coach Vance Joseph said. "Playing off is difficult. It takes time to teach and learn, but if they can do that, it makes them a better player. It makes them a complete corner." By exposing himself to playing off the receiver more than he ever has, Dennard actually is learning the finer details of playing the position, Joseph said. His eyes are getting trained to better spot errant throws. He's getting a better feel for switches off receiver breaks. He's having to sneak more looks at the quarterback to figure out whether his receiver has a legitimate shot of being passed to. "Five components are involved when playing off coverage," Joseph said. "Playing press is just quickness, me and you playing basketball for the most part. But playing off, that's a good thing. I enjoy guys in the spring and the first part of camp, because it helps their eye discipline." Joseph and Guenther can see where the offseason work -- the Bengals reverted back to their normal hounding coverage when shoulder pads came on Sunday -- has helped Dennard. Guenther considered it a new weapon in the young cornerback's growing arsenal. http://espn.go.com/blog/cincinnati-bengals/post/_/id/18178/bengals-darqueze-dennard-complete-cornerback-lockdown-press Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HairOnFire Posted August 4, 2015 Report Share Posted August 4, 2015 Even Kirkpatrick, who boldly pronounced himself the position's starter back in May, has softened his stance. He knows he's in the middle of competition right now, and he wants the best man to not only get the job he's competing for, but for the other potentially open spot in the slot. The other potentially open spot in the slot? Well that didn't take long. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B.A.B. Posted August 4, 2015 Report Share Posted August 4, 2015 Potentially open? The coaches are high as shit if they don't make that slot an open competition with the way Leon looked last year. That is not his fucking spot to lose. Not anymore. He has to earn it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dautcom08 Posted August 4, 2015 Report Share Posted August 4, 2015 Potentially open? The coaches are high as shit if they don't make that slot an open competition with the way Leon looked last year. That is not his fucking spot to lose. Not anymore. He has to earn it. Totally agree, we should be seeing less and less of Leon this year for the Dre/Dennard/Pac show. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparky151 Posted August 5, 2015 Report Share Posted August 5, 2015 I wish we'd signed a cheap veteran with some experience to be our CB4 and replace Leon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
|SF2| Posted August 5, 2015 Report Share Posted August 5, 2015 I wish we'd signed a cheap veteran with some experience to be our CB4 and replace Leon. Lets wait and see if Leon is done yet. When healthy, he was our best defender on the field. We should know in a few weeks. Certainly would be nice to have depth at that position but at a discount to his current contract. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
|Harley| Posted August 6, 2015 Report Share Posted August 6, 2015 Hall has been playing safety. That might be the transition. I actually think Dennard will become better than Dre. It's great to be stacked at CB. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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