How many more times does Eli Apple have to get beaten before they take a look at Jalen Davis? Love your column and I really don't dislike Eli (Buckeye!) - just want to see the best secondary on the field. Tom Lambe, Fairborn, OH
TOM: Thanks for reading, but I have to defend Apple here. He's played the bulk of the snaps at cornerback for a defense that has the eighth best passer rating against them, is ranked 12th overall in NFL defense and he's allowed just one touchdown while getting three pass breakups.
Plus, Davis is pretty much a slot cornerback while Apple works the outside. Apple faces some competition from Tre Flowers, just picked off waivers from Seattle, a guy with 40 starts as well as three in the playoffs. To me that's another sign they think they can make a run here by claiming Flowers and his $2 million-plus salary to add depth at cornerback.
And, simply put, you can't have enough of these guys. Say what you want about Apple, the guy is a first-rounder who has produced and now that they're down a starting cornerback with the injury to Trae Waynes, they're better off than a lot of other teams that have had to go to their bench. I like Apple. He's big, he can run, he cares and he knows the game.
Just look at the Lions, the team they play Sunday. After losing their stud corner in the first half of the first game, Jeff Okudah, they lost this year's third-round cornerback, Ifeatu Melifonwu.
Now their starting cornerbacks listed on the depth chart are undrafted free-agent rookie Jerry Jacobs and Amani Oruwariye, a third-year fifth-rounder ranked 152 by Pro Football Focus. Behind them are undrafted rookie AJ Parker and Bobby Price, an undrafted second-year player with two NFL starts.
So, yeah, I'm good with Apple, Flowers and Darius Phillips. And Davis in the slot who has (you are right) played well.
Bengals must have a lot of money tied up in Trae Waynes to keep a guy that is a average CB at best, when he plays. Since he's been a Bengal has not been that much. Makenzie Alexander was better than Trae, should have kept him instead. Kirk Werner, Newtonsville, OH
KIRK: They certainly do have a lot of money tied up in Waynes after signing him to a three-year, $42 million deal. But since he's played just two games for them, it's hard to call him average or anything else. Can't judge a guy on two games. Waynes and Alexander play two different positions. Alexander is a slot guy and the consensus is the Bengals upgraded heavily when they signed Mike Hilton to play the slot as Alexander moved on. According to PFF, Hilton is allowing fewer yards per snap and target than Alexander and is rated 57 spots head of him in overall grades for cornerbacks. The addition of Flowers is an interesting factor, too.
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