Is Eli Apple The Starting CB?

[*SHRacerX*]

(03-29-2022, 12:56 PM)Forever Spinning Vinyl Wrote: If he is, he's the weakest starter of the 22 and LG isn't filled yet. He was a backup plan last year, I don't see it being any different this year. CB in round 1 or 2.

For the season, Eli was ranked the 71st overall CB by PFF (spare me the PFF hate...it is just a frame of reference, and it seems to be a lot more accurate grading CBs than linemen).  That is with 32 teams having 3 starting CBs on average.  

What that number doesn't show is how he improved throughout the season.  He had a rough first five games, but then went on a streak where his overall grade was consistently in the 70s and his coverage grade was in the high 70s and even the 80s a couple times.  Most importantly, he showed consistency in his performance.  

He tapered off a little bit in the playoffs (MUCH tougher competition), but his PFF rankings in that late part of the season were very similar to what Jalen Ramsey was scoring, and Ramsey is the #1 overall CB according to PFF.

Give Apple a second year, and his first full offseason as the entrenched starter and I think he will continue to show performances like he did the second half of the season, which would be just fine and almost unheard of from a rookie starter, even a high first round pick.  

Fred had an excellent analogy with Reggie Nelson.  Jags fans HATED that he was such a high pick and was not a great player for them, but came to Cincy cheap and his career was resurrected.  Coaching matters and so does playing in your natural position and best scheme for your talents.  I am 100% behind Apple, but I want the Bengals to sign one more veteran (Flowers?) and draft one in the first couple rounds for depth.