Ranking The All-Time Bronco CBs

[SpiritOf77]

The Four Horsemen

- Champ is a first ballot lock for the Hall Of Fame, and an all-time great Bronco ... He had some unbelievably great years here, and as a leader he was second to none ..... His 2006 season was one for the ages, and he made one of the greatest plays in Bronco history with that INT of Brady in the 2005 playoffs ..

- During these first 2 games, Aqib Talib is playing the best I have seen him play - he is not quite the leader Champ is - but physically he can tackle just as well and move with the ball like an all-pro WR ...

- Chris Harris has been an all-time favorite of mine, basically from day one ... a selfless, team player who has elevated his game to one of the best in the NFL ...

Champ had the disadvantage of playing under about a dozen defensive coordinators, constantly having to fit into a new scheme or role ..

( Playing in Wade Phillips' defense has its advantages over a Bob Slowik defense )

- Louis Wright - I was very young when Wright was a part of the Orange Crush, but I can remember a CB who was probably one of the early "shutdown CBs" - he could tackle, cover and I'll never forget him returning that blocked FG attempt vs the Chargers to give the Bronco the miracle win

I think these 4 are probably the best to play at the position for the Broncos ... I love Tyrone Braxton, but these 4 guys I consider elite ..

How do you rank these four ??

Anybody want to put Talib over Bailey at this point ?

 

[cdumler7]

I'm not even close to ready to rank Talib over Champ. Talib can be a lot more of an up and down player. When he is locked in there are very few better in this league. Champ week in and week out though just shuts down just about everybody he has ever covered. His 2006 season was just down right ridiculous. He was thrown at I think under 40 times for the season and yet had 10 interceptions and 86 tackles. You don't see those type of tackling numbers unless they are completing a ton of passes on you yet for Bailey they were not completing passes yet he showed up all over the field. To me this was one of if not the best season by a Corner in NFL history. Throw in as you pointed out this was with an inferior DC calling the plays yet he played that well. He also didn't have the pass rush that we have today making it a little easier to cover.

I do like your list. I guess to me I am not ready to put Talib up on the list just quite yet. He has had a great start no doubt and a pretty darn good career but I have just seen too many times where he just decides to have a bad day in this league and has really hurt the team when he does.

Right now ranking the 4 I would go 1) Champ 2) Louis Wright (To me he was the first of the true shut down corners of the NFL) 3) Chris Harris 4) Aqib Talib.

Now I do expect at least Harris to move up on that list when it is all said and done but right now he just has too much career left to put him over what should be 2 HOF Corners.

 

[Draft Crazy]

Never got to see Louis Wright play but I hear he was pretty good . Matter of fact Mingo might even rank him #1.

I would not rank Talib over Champ.

I would actually say as good as Talib ie he may not even be our best CB on our roster (That is pretty amazing to say)

Talib has played basically 1 year for us so can't put him over Champ. Talib has some inconsistent play last year but still way better then most CB';s in this league. He's off to a great start this year.

Chris Harris has the quickest feet of any DB in the NFL or any Bronco CB for that matter. I still think Harris is the most underrated CB in today's game but after one more pro bowl this year that will probably change.

 

[Mingo]

Louis Wright

Champ Bailey

Chris Harris

Agib Talib

Willie Brown may have been the best, but got traded to the Raiders after 4 years - really the first Bronco to get into the HOF.

 

[Duffman]

Willie Middlebrooks

Darrien Gordon

Deltha O'Neal

 

[SpiritOf77]

Willie Middlebrooks

Darrien Gordon

Deltha O'Neal

What, no Lenny Walls ?

 

[CEH]

Champ and then everyone else. I'd then rank Louis Wright. Watching Champ in person for his whole career in Denver I would watch a whole games where they did not throw his side but maybe 1 or 2 times and Champ played every play like the ball was coming his way. His focus was unreal.

 

[Draft Crazy]

Willie Middlebrooks

Darrien Gordon

Deltha O'Neal

Darrien Gordon was actually pretty good here.

Playmaker. Just paid too much to keep after the 2nd SB.

Lenny Walls was a good cover CB he just couldn't play the ball to save his life thus making him not a good cover corner.

Kelly Herndon was a great tackler.

Deltha had great ball skills but terrible in coverage. Got a lot of picks but was thrown at 100 times a game.

Terrell Buckley was decent his 1 year here.

Dre' Bly dissapointed but he also had the hardest job in the NFL... Playing opposite the best CB in the game at the time with ZERO pass rush. Our pass rush the two years Bly here was just brutal.

Andre Goodman was a pretty decent CB for us. Not a lot of speed. but good in coverage. Just don't ask him to cover in man deep. But he was pretty decent. Ill never forget the game I went to in Minnesota and he sealed it with a pick 6.

Denard Walker was ok. I'd put him about the same level as Goodman maybe a smidge below. Same with Goodman in terms of don't ask him to cover man to man deep, but decent overall.

Tracy Porter barely played here but I was excited when we drafted him. Pick 6 vs Steelers week 1 was his moment of fame here.

Alphonso Smith= AWFUL

Perrish Cox had his good and bad moments, but too many distractions for him while he was here.

I liked Wymon Henderson and Tyrone Braxton back in the day when Braxton was a CB for us.
Who else should we talk about?

 

[DenBronc]

Who else should we talk about?

Charles Dimry. He was a castoff from the Falcons that played here in the early-90's. They called him toast in Atlanta, but was solid in Denver.

Also, the Broncos had a guy named Le-Lo Lang that played with Dimry, Braxton, and Henderson. Not a bad nickel back, but only played there a few years.

 

[cdumler7]

One that was really coming into his own was that of Darrent Williams. He made the All-Rookie team his rookie year and then the next season really showed well opposite of Champ. He was one of the few opposite of Champ that I felt like could hold his own.

 

[Mingo]

Steve Foley - the Bronco's first Dback from Tulane - played both Safety and CB for the Broncos - very, very underrated.

 

[cdumler7]

So some sports writers after the game last night are claiming that the Jets have the best Corner duo in the game. While I do think they have a right to say that I would also say the Broncos have a bigger claim to that title. Our corner duo is allowing the league's lowest QB Rating by quite a bit. When you throw in they have 3 interceptions between the two of them against 2 guys that finished top half of the league in QB Rating this past year compared to going against Johnny Football for one of the games for the Jets and yet still having a worse grade I would say the Broncos have the early lead in top Corner duo.

 

[58crash]

You guys need Ray Crocket in this talk..

• Detroit Lions (1989–1993)
• Denver Broncos (1994–2000)
• Kansas City Chiefs (2001–2002)

Career highlights and awards

• 2× Super Bowl champion (XXXII, XXXIII),
• 1991 Mackey Award Winner
• 1991 2nd Team All Pro
• 3x Pro Bowl 1st Alternate.
• Detroit Lions 50th Anniversary Team
• Denver Broncos 50th Anniversary Team[1]

Career NFL statistics
Tackles: 879
Interceptions: 36
Sacks: 15.5
Stats at NFL.com
Donald Ray Crockett (born January 5, 1967) is a former American football player in the National Football League. He played for fourteen years in the NFL and earned two Super Bowl rings with the Denver Broncos as a cornerback. He played his high school football at Duncanville High School in Duncanville, Texas.[2] He played college football at Baylor from 1984 to 1988, and was inducted into the Baylor athletic hall of fame in 2008.[3]

In 2005, he co-starred (with Dick Butkus) in the ESPN reality show Bound for Glory, in which they both took on the task of coaching a high school football team.[4]

He appeared on the NBC game show Identity, as one of the twelve people whose identity the contestant had to guess. The contestant correctly identified him as a football player.

In 2008, he collaborated with Morgan Spurlock (creator of the show 30 Days and the popular film Super Size Me) to be on an episode of 30 Days. In the episode, Crockett spent 30 days using a wheelchair to get around.[5][6] He chose to be on the show after witnessing a paralyzing injury of former Detroit Lions teammate Mike Utley in 1991.[7] The rapper and producer Birdman is seen wearing his jersey in the music video of the song "I made it" by Kevin Rudolf featuring Lil' Wayne, Jaysean and Birdman.

He currently lives in Southlake, Texas, a suburb of Dallas.

 

[Draft Crazy]

Charles Dimry. He was a castoff from the Falcons that played here in the early-90's. They called him toast in Atlanta, but was solid in Denver.

Also, the Broncos had a guy named Le-Lo Lang that played with Dimry, Braxton, and Henderson. Not a bad nickel back, but only played there a few years.

Dimry's wife battled cancer while he was with the San Diego Chargers. I believe she passed away while he was playing. Like you said he was decent in Denver.

Le-Lo was one of our better special teamers.

Remember Muhammaed Oliver and Frank Robinson?

Robinson had a pick vs the Vikings.

Robinson a mid rd pick. Oliver a late rd pick. Didn't play long

2nd rd pick Alton Montgomery from Houston ended up as a bust of a CB, moved to S and became a decent KR though.

Darius Johnson- Guy I loved in college. Also moved from CB to S. Had a decent time here. Had a 4 pick season. Ended up playing one more year for the Chiefs but had some off field trouble.

Now I am starting to get into S territory but those last two started off as CB's.

Tim Mckyer was here 1 year, won a SB mostly played St's.

Jimmy Spencer served as a st's guy and nickel back for a bit.

Then there was Ray Crockett. Loved that guy. Was doing cart wheels as a kid when we signed him..

Lionel Washington, Dale Carter (ducks), Ronnie Bradford (another converted CB to S, plucked him off waivers from the Dolphins)...

Josh Bell (played the year Cutler choked the end of the season away) had a pick late in the year. Had to start a game off our PS. Didn't make the team the following year. Was beat out by Tony Carter.

Cassius Vaughan, Sy'dquan Thompson, Domonique Foxworth, Karl Paymah, Darrent Williams (RIP), Mark Haynes, Jeremiah Castille (hero).

Ty Law

Tyrone Poole

Eric Davis (most remembered playing for the 49ers and Panthers. Part of the Merton Hanks, Tim McDonald, Deion Sanders CB crew)

Jeff Shoate

Jeremy LeSeur (bust, moved to S)

Roc Alexander (Most remember him for the Colts playoff game) had a longer career then the two we drafted ahead of him above, went on to play for the Texans under Kubiak)

Jonathan Wilhite (1 year)

Ill think of more later.

Then we can get into S's another day!

 

[Draft Crazy]

Randy Fuller

Randy Hilliard

Tory James

Chris Watson

Jason Suttle

Charles Swann (Former WR moved to CB)

Butler By'not'e (former Ohio State RB moved to CB)

 

[Mingo]

What no Karl Paymah?

 

[Draft Crazy]

What no Karl Paymah?

I've got him listed. Reply #14 between Foxworth and Williams.

 

[Draft Crazy]

Curome Cox

Darryl Pounds

Eric Thomas

Ben Smith

Jack Williams

 

[SpiritOf77]

Curome Cox

Darryl Pounds

Eric Thomas

Ben Smith

Jack Williams

I remember liking Ben Smith - he was one of the many Eagle transfers over the years ( Vaughn Hebron, Brian Dawkins )

My Mom is a huge Eagles fan, and each time the Broncos landed a former Eagle, she was at least happy they were coming here

 

[Draft Crazy]

Ben Smith wasn't a bad player. He had knee issues which really impacted his career but he was still decent CB in the NFL. We traded for him at a time we were desperate for a CB (we are use to that in bronco history at this position. I think many have forgotten who Ben Smith is/was. A first rd pick by the Eagles out of Georgia. Had a few knee injuries early in his career. Was on a Philly team that had good CB's like Eric Allen and Mark McMillan. Traded to use before his FA year. Only played but started one year here before signing with the Cardinals and playing two more seasons.

I think the highlight people will remember Ben Smith by was the MNF game against the Chiefs. The back and fourth Elway vs Montana, where Elway hit Cedric Tillman for the good ahead TD and Montana then marched down the field and hit Willie Davis with Ben Smith (#26) in coverage for a heart breaking loss.