Vontae Davis -- 3rd best in the league

[ColtsFanMikeC]

http://www.indystar.com/story/sports/kravitz/2014/01/08/kravitz-high-risk-high-reward-vontae-davis-needs-to-be-at-his-best-vs-patriots/4374207/

 

This was a pretty good read -- not really shocked to see Vontae was PFF's #3 rated CB behind Revis and Brent Grimes.  Interesting to see that he prefers man over zone -- I don't have the time, but I'd like to go back and compare his plays in man vs. in zone to see how he did.

 

Here's to hoping we resign him for the long-term.

[Dustin]

I'd like to add that his high grade is because of his ridiculous game vs the Broncos where he graded at +7.5. Not to say he wasn't good in other games tho.

[Danfish98]

Wonder how often it is that their 3rd rated corner is so inconsistent.  I definitely think we need to keep him but sure would be nice if we'd always see the Vontae that played against the Broncos.

[CR91]

vontae is the closest thing we've had to a shut down corner in a long time. does he get beat at times? sure. no one said hes revis, but if you look at games where vontae was on point you'll see teams rarely threw to his side. second half of the chiefs game, I cant even recall one time the chiefs threw to him.

[CanuckColt]

Way, way, way too high...he is very inconsistent...sometimes looks like a shutdown corner, sometimes look like he should be on the bench.

[throwing BBZ]

http://www.indystar.com/story/sports/kravitz/2014/01/08/kravitz-high-risk-high-reward-vontae-davis-needs-to-be-at-his-best-vs-patriots/4374207/

 

This was a pretty good read -- not really shocked to see Vontae was PFF's #3 rated CB behind Revis and Brent Grimes.  Interesting to see that he prefers man over zone -- I don't have the time, but I'd like to go back and compare his plays in man vs. in zone to see how he did.

 

Here's to hoping we resign him for the long-term.

 

It has been awhile since we have been treated to really good CB play so Vontae`s solid play has been well worth that 2nd rd pick to me.

 PFF numbers might help cause you to have to/chose to make a decent RT the highest paid at his position. Ugh!

 In limited action Gordy has played much like Vontae. So if Toler can crawl on the field Chuck will start him?

[dudeski]

Way, way, way too high...he is very inconsistent...sometimes looks like a shutdown corner, sometimes look like he should be on the bench.

no he doesn't. He never looks that bad

[dudeski]

It has been awhile since we have been treated to really good CB play so Vontae`s solid play has been well worth that 2nd rd pick to me.

PFF numbers might help cause you to have to/chose to make a decent RT the highest paid at his position. Ugh!

In limited action Gordy has played much like Vontae. So if Toler can crawl on the field Chuck will start him?

toler is on ir.

So I doubt it

[Horse Shoe Heaven]

Way, way, way too high...he is very inconsistent...sometimes looks like a shutdown corner, sometimes look like he should be on the bench.

Agree

[Horse Shoe Heaven]

no he doesn't. He never looks that bad

Getting beat deep repeatedly in the middle of the season was good?

[CR91]

Way, way, way too high...he is very inconsistent...sometimes looks like a shutdown corner, sometimes look like he should be on the bench.

 

do you wanna go back to the days of powers and hayden because I dont

[Kimmi2487]

He only played like a #3 in the Bronco's game.  Outside of that he is hot/cold.  Can't rely on him for a constant strong performance.  Can't wait for Saturday.  :36dancing:   Hope Brady goes home crying because we handed him and his cheating coach a loss.

[dudeski]

Getting beat deep repeatedly in the middle of the season was good?

a couple times is no big deal.

[Guest TeamLoloJones]

I'd like to add that his high grade is because of his ridiculous game vs the Broncos where he graded at +7.5. Not to say he wasn't good in other games tho.

I think we had a best case scenario with Vontae this year.  He showed enough skill to convince us to lock him up long term (hopefully), but his inconsistent play should keep us from having to break the bank to keep him.

[Dustin]

I think we had a best case scenario with Vontae this year.  He showed enough skill to convince us to lock him up long term (hopefully), but his inconsistent play should keep us from having to break the bank to keep him.

 

i doubt it. Good corners are hard to come by and if he hits free agency he'll get top 7 money.

[Jason_]

He only played like a #3 in the Bronco's game.  Outside of that he is hot/cold.  Can't rely on him for a constant strong performance.  Can't wait for Saturday.  :36dancing:   Hope Brady goes home crying because we handed him and his cheating coach a loss.

 

I disagree.  I would easily say there were far more games that he played like a shutdown CB than those he didn't.

[Everyone]

The Colts need Davis and Verner.

[Horse Shoe Heaven]

a couple times is no big deal.

8 times he is in the top 3 of TD's allowed. Not saying I don't like him but his game is usually one of 3 ways, very good, very bad, or they don't throw at him at all, because the opponent feels whom ever is on the other side is not as good. May hope is we resign him, wise he was more consistent, I don't think he is a top 3 corner!

[Guest TeamLoloJones]

i doubt it. Good corners are hard to come by and if he hits free agency he'll get top 7 money.

I know.  But my point is if he had a pro bowl season, we would be paying more.

[Dustin]

8 times he is in the top 3 of TD's allowed. Not saying I don't like him but his game is usually one of 3 ways, very good, very bad, or they don't throw at him at all, because the opponent feels whom ever is on the other side is not as good. May hope is we resign him, wise he was more consistent, I don't think he is a top 3 corner!

 

TDs are a terrible way to judge DBs. If player A allows a slant pass that goes for 40 yards and the receiver is tackled by a safety there is no TD. If player B allows a slant that goes for 40 yards and the safety whiffs on the tackle, he scores a TD.  

 

On each play the same result occurred between the corners. Yet player B is looked at as worse because his safety couldn't make a tackle.

 

This is where the subjective grading becomes relevant IMO.

[dgambill]

I think he is really good...but not elite. I think other teams CHOOSE to go to the otherside of the field because it makes since to do so. Specifically because a lot of the time we were playing 2nd and 3rd string corners. Since Davis plays on one side of the field it is simple to move your best wide reciever into the slot or the other side and get a more favorable matchup. He is not a lock down corner...that is reserved for someone like Deion or Revis that will follow you all over the field and hold you down. Davis doesn't do that...and can't quite frankly...but he is one of the best corners we've had and I want him to stay around.

[lollygagger8]

Re-sign Davis!! 

 

Don't let the door hit Toler on the way out. 

[IndyTrav]

The problem is, in todays NFL, CB is a position meant to fail. There wont be anymore 'shut down' corners....I think Vontes grade reflects that....A guy who we all felt was inconsistent was graded as the 3rd best. What does that tell you about the position as a whole?

[Horse Shoe Heaven]

TDs are a terrible way to judge DBs. If player A allows a slant pass that goes for 40 yards and the receiver is tackled by a safety there is no TD. If player B allows a slant that goes for 40 yards and the safety whiffs on the tackle, he scores a TD.  

 

On each play the same result occurred between the corners. Yet player B is looked at as worse because his safety couldn't make a tackle.

 

This is where the subjective grading becomes relevant IMO.

 

Agreed, but some or most of the TD's allowed were IMO his fault. I played CB & Safety in college I feel I have a decent grasp of what was going on on certain plays. Don't get me wrong I think Davis is good, I wouldn't call him great until he is more consistent. And DIFFIDENTLY NOT the 3rd best corner in the league IMO. In your secnero your correct, I look at it more as what kind of coverage did the CB have on the slant,good /bad, & if caught should he had tackled him! What the safety does is another story.

[dudeski]

8 times he is in the top 3 of TD's allowed. Not saying I don't like him but his game is usually one of 3 ways, very good, very bad, or they don't throw at him at all, because the opponent feels whom ever is on the other side is not as good. May hope is we resign him, wise he was more consistent, I don't think he is a top 3 corner!

a cb can give up a td and still have good coverage. There were very few times I was upset with his play.

Just curious though, where high you get that stat?

[Horse Shoe Heaven]

a cb can give up a td and still have good coverage. There were very few times I was upset with his play.

Just curious though, where high you get that stat?

Its in the article. & yes a corner can give up a TD with good coverage most of Davis's were poor coverage.

[Larry Horseman]

When VD struggled most, we were playing way more zone. He is a man corner. Has issues with zone concepts...seems he needs to play with just instincts (man) instead of thinking about when to release, sit, etc. (zone). We have moved to pretty much man coverage all around over the last month. Case and point, Gordy on Bowe on the 4th and 11 play. I like the aggressiveness and sticking with what works best with our personnel. 

[coltsfanatic24]

Davis played great this year. He had a couple of games where he was inconsistent like vs Rams and Texans. Against Tavon Austin they ran a pick play to get him open and he was in zone on one of the 80 yard TD's. Andre Johnson is the one guy that really played great against him but the 2nd time he redeemed himself and shut him down. He's one of the top 3 press man coverage CB's in the entire league. He will get paid at least 7.5 mil a year and hopefully we can resign him. Then draft Toler's replacement in the 2nd or 3rd round.

[NewEra]

To inconsistent. He's shown flashes though. Hopefully we don't pay him as top 3. More like a top 10 not to bad. I think they need to get paid on what you do on the field. Injured? Or slacking, you get injured or slacker pay!

[CanuckColt]

no he doesn't. He never looks that bad

He did last game when he was gimping around reaching and grabbing guys, but that was due to injury...but he has had a few games where he was burned 3 or 4 times and looked bad.

I sure hope Grigs does NOT give him Top-5 money...we will all be sorry.

Colts fans are so starved for a good CB for so long that ANY CB in blue and white who plays average-plus looks like the top CB in the league....it's an illusion.

[esmort]

When VD struggled most, we were playing way more zone. He is a man corner. Has issues with zone concepts...seems he needs to play with just instincts (man) instead of thinking about when to release, sit, etc. (zone). We have moved to pretty much man coverage all around over the last month. Case and point, Gordy on Bowe on the 4th and 11 play. I like the aggressiveness and sticking with what works best with our personnel. 

 

I agree; I think he has trouble when he is unsure what a team mate is going to do or if they are going to make a mistake, and it ends up hurting his personal play because he is worried about the overall coverage.  It seems he plays much better when they say "X is your man, shut him down".

[MaoBerry]

Way, way, way too high...he is very inconsistent...sometimes looks like a shutdown corner, sometimes look like he should be on the bench.

i agree. We should offer him 4/24 mil...any higher,then let him walk.

[Steamboat_Shaun]

 

"You know how hard it is to play that position?" coach Chuck Pagano asked.

No, I responded. More of a blocking tight-end type here.

 

"No, I didn't think so," Pagano said with a laugh. "It's extremely difficult to play that position in the National Football League, or at any level for that matter. The guys that you have to cover week-in and week-out, down after down. What we do on defense, our philosophy, we ask a lot of our corners. We put them in tough situations.

 

Based on what Pagano says, I feel like Davis does a pretty good job. And like some of you guys said above, he's way better in man than in zone. Isn't that what everyone wanted a few years ago when were running that lame Tampa 2 crap?

[GoColts8818]

He's the Lance Stephenson of the Colts.  If you are a Pacers fan you will get this.  You can love or hate him from one play to the next.  When Davis is on he is really good but he's going to have those head scratchers once in a while that just makes you go what on earth was he doing?

[Andy]

If you take away that Broncos game, he grades out at 6.1 for the season, which would put him right in the middle of the pack.

 

I'm extremely happy with Vontae and I'd like to see him as a Colt going forward, but he's not the 3rd best CB in the league, and this is why I take PFF with a grain of salt. Great site and I like to use it, but it has its flaws.

[Gavin]

I think some of his struggles can be attributed to the groin strain, he was playing well before that then went through a funk, Been an up and down year for him, Seriously dont think he is anywhere near 100 percent however, But he played well at times to plus he is still young

[Warhorse]

I see all the complaining about one of the best corners we have had in a while, and I feel like channeling my Jskinnz......

 

"Dear God"

[Indianapolis-Colts-Fan]

Good rating. Teams know it too, if you didn't notice he hasn't been targeted much. I believe he also is playing a bit hurt.

[SteelCityColt]

If you take away that Broncos game, he grades out at 6.1 for the season, which would put him right in the middle of the pack.

 

I'm extremely happy with Vontae and I'd like to see him as a Colt going forward, but he's not the 3rd best CB in the league, and this is why I take PFF with a grain of salt. Great site and I like to use it, but it has its flaws.

 

I think this is one of the more fair minded responses so far, I too agree he's not the 3rd best CB but I do think he's above average and more importantly (especially including his time at Miami) he's improved season on season despite niggling injuries. The future bodes well for the young man and if we can tie him up for decent money in the offseason we might have hit on a bargain if he continues to develop. 

 

Hindsight is making the 2nd round pick look like a pretty good deal for us.

[MakeItWayne]

Lets not forget the pass rush has been very mediocre to bad all year. I think the Colts were 27th in team sacks this year. Corners are going to get exposed when the quarterback has all day to throw, which was the case in several games. I really like Vontae and would be fine with him as the #1 corner going forward, but i think its crucial we bring in someone better to play on the other side of him. Probably wont happen though I doubt they cut Toler after one year.