The Stanford Routt Situation
by Luke. on Feb 12, 2012 10:10 PM CST
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PrintIt was pointed out to me in my 2012 Offseason Fanpost that a CB I had Dallas acquiring in Free Agency (William Middleton) was actually a restricted free agent and almost definitely not available. I lamented; Woe unto my offseason plans. Where was I when Middleton was restricted?
So I have to move on. Scouring through the FA CB's I'm either not that inspired or very concerned about price. This is problematic because we seriously could use a veteran upgrade at CB. There's one guy though who we've discussed here who just may be a good fit. Stanford Routt. I initially wasn't fond of the Routt idea as his overall Pro Football Focus rankings were fairly underwhelming and his penalties were off the charts. With hope in hand I decided to take more detailed look anyway.
2008 – 33rd ranked in Coverage, 2 penalties. This was his last year with Rob Ryan. A solid season. Notice that there's only 2 penalties (though he did play less snaps in 2008 [474] than 2010 & 2011 [1009 & 1133]).
Now let's look at his last two years;
2010 – 34th ranked in Coverage, 11 penalties.
2011 – 19th ranked in Coverage, 17 penalties.
He's been solid in coverage (in fact you'd say he was pretty darn good last year) but what stands out is the insane penalties. That's just crazy. Oakland is notorious for routinely being the most penalized team in the league and Routt played to type. If not for the penalties this guy is a very solid player. So the question is, can Rob Ryan get this guy to cut out the penalties? I think 2008, where Routt only had 2 penalties under Rob Ryan suggests that he can. If that's possible, then Routt's best days could still be in front of him and he'd be a good signing.
Now although those Coverage rankings the last 2 years may not sound very impressive consider this; the rank of 34 and 19 is vastly superior to the ranks of Newman (93, 97), Jenkins (83, 63) and Scandrick (68, 80) over the same period of time.
So Routt may not be the best CB in the league but if we signed him he does instantly become the best CB on our team.
Some other notes on Stanford Routt:
- The guy has very good size at 6'1" 195 pounds. Helpful against Nicks.
- Routt's a genuine speedster. He ran a 4.27 forty. That's crazy fast.
- Routt is used to and suited for playing the man coverage scheme Rob uses.
- Routt's Wonderlic of 23 is above the league average for his position (18). Nobody would accuse our secondary of being smart so adding a smart vet can only be a plus.
- This interview with Routt really is an excellent one. I wish more journalists who interviewed players could be this focused on the personal field and team performance and prepared with relevant, intelligent information and questions. Routt's obviously a serious student of the game. His intelligence and professionalism shines through in this interview when he's asked about his best game of the season and then "Stanford proceeds to walk through every game and detail every catch he gave up including the player, route, etc. for all over the course of the season in each game". Impressive.
- Another interesting note in the Routt interview: "in 2010 you led the league in penalties among corners with 12, while Asomugha and Chris Johnson each had eight". Routt had a lot of penalties but his teammates Aso and Johnson also did too. That is an enormous amount of penalties as a group. This suggests to me that Oakland was coaching these guys to be very, very, aggressive with little regard for penalties. Is that more evidence that back under Ryan's direction he could reduce the penalties again?
- Routt may also not be as expensive as he may first appear. He won't trump the top 5 players (Webb, Carr, Finnegan, Rogers, Grimes) already on top of the CB Free Agent list. His penalties and age aren't as appealing as some of those other guys. He's been available to be signed for a few days now and although he's had interest there's no bidding war erupting. A 4 or 5 year $25 million deal could be in the cards. That would be affordable for Dallas. Rob said he wants DB's, DB's, DB's and Routt knows Rob's schemes.
Some extra CB Comparison:
2010 Coverage rank, Completion percentage against CB, overall rank in NFL, QB rating against CB, overall rank in NFL:
Routt – 34th – 42.4% : 2nd – 68.9 / 13th
Scandrick – 68th – 68.8% : 86th – 113.0 / 92nd
Jenkins – 83rd – 67.4% : 83rd – 122.6 / 97th
Newman – 93rd – 65.3% : 70th – 91.1 / 58th
2011 Coverage rank, Completion percentage against CB, overall rank in NFL, QB rating against CB, overall rank in NFL:
Routt – 19th – 51.1% : 14th – 82.4 / 50th
Jenkins – 63rd – 51.9% : 20th – 88.5 / 64th
Scandrick – 80th – 69.4% : 96th – 100.2 / 82nd
Newman – 97th – 62.8% : 73rd – 88.5 / 64th
Once again, Routt may not be the best CB in the league but if we signed him he instantly becomes the best CB on our team I think and a big upgrade.
Another user-created commentary provided by a BTB reader.
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So after not landing Nnamdi they go after his replacement that wasn't good enough to keep his job.
I’d take Janoris Jenkins.
Favorite Prospects: Martin, Burfict, Rainey, Curry
by bitterlyhonest on Feb 12, 2012 10:59 PM CST reply actions
Routt and Nnamdi both signed huge contracts last year.
Nnamdi a 5 year $60 million deal with $25 guaranteed.
Routt a 5 year $54.4 million deal.
Nnamdi 2011 – Rated 90th overall, 52nd coverage, 68th completion %, 67th QB rating.
Routt 2011 – Rated 89th overall, 19th coverage, 18th completion %, 50th QB rating.
I think the message here is both guys received contacts beyond their worth. Stanford got released. His next contract will be much closer to his actual value as a good but not elite CB. It could be half of what Oakland gave him. He played slightly better than Asomugha last year and will probably sign this year for half of the salary Asomugha will cost the Eagles. It could be a good value signing.
I don’t think Dallas has a huge desirability advantage for Free Agents over other teams any more because the luster is off the Star right now. But with the Bills and Chiefs being the guys interested in him so far I don’t think it’s a stretch to say Routt would be willing and happy to come to Dallas and Rob Ryan. For the right price he’d be a good signing I think.
He didn't play better than Asomugha...
Asomugha only got thrown at how many times during the season for how many yards and how many touchdowns.
Nnamdi didn’t get thrown at in 8 games he started.
Routt was okay. But he has way too many penalties. I think drafting a younger guy would be better.
Favorite Prospects: Martin, Burfict, Rainey, Curry
by bitterlyhonest on Feb 13, 2012 7:27 AM CST up reply actions
I did not check those numbers...
and that’s a great point bitterlyhonest. I should have checked the numbers more closely.
Still Routt wasn’t bad I don’t think, he was targeted twice as much as Nnamdi but gave up fewer yards per catch, had a lower completion % when targeted and a lower QB rating against him. So he handled the extra attention pretty well (except for the penalties!! Although Nnamdi had a few himself 7). Nnamdi also missed twice as many tackles as Routt.
Anyway, as I said before, I think they were both overpaid but Routt may now actually be had for a fair price. At that rate I’d be interested but I understand why some are not.
Yeah
If he came at a decent price because he is a decent player. If the cowboys splash on a player though I’d rather it be on the O-line or a pass rusher.
Favorite Prospects: Martin, Burfict, Rainey, Curry
by bitterlyhonest on Feb 13, 2012 3:11 PM CST up reply actions
I'd take both
check out my bands nanoSMASH and Day vs Night
by AustonianAggie on Feb 14, 2012 12:44 PM CST up reply actions
He's their best CB obviously
and most of their TDs seem to be thrown away from him… I just looked at a couple recent games but the stuff he did get beat on he played excellent coverage
I would be on board.
Whether it be him or Finnegan or Carr, Dallas needs to upgrade its secondary. Dallas is also apparently conscious of this based off of last years flirtation with Nnamdi and Rob Ryan’s recent proclamation that he is just focusing on DBs in the draft (please be only half-true!). I expect a move on that front and Routt could be a good one. I think Jenkins, if healthy, can rebound to 2009 form. Get another above-average guy and all of a sudden you are on to something.
If I had a nickel for every Super Bowl the Eagles have won, I would have zero nickels.
yes
I like Routt’s size and speed
reasonable contract, I am on board
Anthony Spencer is not the Egg McMuffin of 3-4 OLB's
by Archie Barberio on Feb 13, 2012 1:22 AM CST reply actions
I'd take him
He’s been better than Terence Newman the past two seasons:
Newman in 2010 & 2011: 30 Starts, 17 passes deflected, 9 INTs, 1 Pick6
Rout in 2010 & 2011: 30 Starts, 28 passes deflected, 6 INTs, 1 Pick 6.
The reason they let him go probably has more to do with the fact they drafted DeMarcus Van Dyke in the 3rd Rd of 2011 draft. He’s a Stanford Routt clone-6’1 189, and ran a 4.28 40 at last year’s combine.
Al Davis gave Routt that contract and the new regime since he died is trying to build a younger team.
I’m guessing the contract they gave him had out for 2012-maybe no roster bonus &/or minimum cap hit.
"The tone is business," Garrett said. "Let's get to work. The Giants are going to be at the Meadowlands on Sunday at 4:15. They're an awfully good football team. We have to get ready for them."
by Rohpuri on Feb 13, 2012 1:57 AM CST via mobile reply actions
According to KD's latest post
The Raiders 23rd in salary cap flexibility with only $3million and change to spend. They had to let Routt go to save money. And like I said above, Van Dyke is a clone of Routt in terms of height, weight, and athleticism. Both ran sub 4.3 forties.
"The tone is business," Garrett said. "Let's get to work. The Giants are going to be at the Meadowlands on Sunday at 4:15. They're an awfully good football team. We have to get ready for them."
by Rohpuri on Feb 13, 2012 2:04 AM CST via mobile reply actions
If the Raiders didn't cut Routt this week, he would've counted at least $5 million against their salary cap this year.
"The tone is business," Garrett said. "Let's get to work. The Giants are going to be at the Meadowlands on Sunday at 4:15. They're an awfully good football team. We have to get ready for them."
Van Dyke is very similar
I wish we drafted him late
track guy, athletic, tall
same skill set as Routt
Anthony Spencer is not the Egg McMuffin of 3-4 OLB's
by Archie Barberio on Feb 13, 2012 12:21 PM CST up reply actions
I'd be down with Routt,looks like a good pick-up and fills a HUGE need.
40yr fan who loves his Lord and Savior,Beautiful Wife,kids and 2 Pits,America,and Americas Team.
Searching for at least 2 more Super Bowl wins and more kool-aid.
Totally excited about new coaches and this teams future.
On cost-benefit I'd take him
I’d really love Carr from KC, he’s good and only 25, but he’ll likely command top $ $9 mil/year), plus KC (a) has a lot of cap room and (b) might tag him.
Now if I knew I could draft DeCastro I might break the bank for Carr, but since I can’t know that …
If Routt will take 3 yrs at $4-5 mil per, go for it.
I really wonder if Routt might be interested in a 1 year deal....
He had a horrible year last year and he is 29, so he really has only one more big contract in his career. If he signs a 3 to 4 year contract for low money that’s it for him.
If he took a 1 year deal much like C.Rogers did with the 49ers, he could look to build back up his stock and will still be in line for a big deal at the age of 30.Dallas makes sense because of his connections to Ryan and the opening (or soon to be) starting CB spot.
It makes sense for Dallas because we are not risking our cap for a guy that played poorly last year, but is athletic and has the potential to rebound. It will also allow Dallas to select a CB in the first 3 rounds, but not the pressure of starting right away (tough for a rookie CB)
Now if we can just keep the other 31 idiots in the NFL from money whipping him with a long term deal.
by death of the cool on Feb 13, 2012 7:26 AM CST reply actions
yeah like a 1-2 year deal
Anthony Spencer is not the Egg McMuffin of 3-4 OLB's
by Archie Barberio on Feb 13, 2012 12:21 PM CST up reply actions
with the demand of CBs who can cover he wont need a 1 year deal
he’s proven enough to get a 2 or 3 year deal & i wouldn’t be surprised if someone desperate at CB didnt’t offer more.
Every team has a great gameplan until they get Punched in the Mouth. Sean Lee is a welcomed addition at ILB & Kegabear's prediction about Spencer looks spot on so far.
It can be structured to be effectively a deal worth only a few years
I think it was Rohpuri (but it could’ve been one of the other guys here) who looked into Sensi’s contract and it was essentially that. He won’t be here to see the end of his deal and if we get Routt I would expect a similar type of deal. It would look big to start with but when you break it down, it’s not that bad
by somebodyquiet on Feb 13, 2012 6:16 PM CST up reply actions
Raf was saying Routt drew some penalties but had a YPA of 6.1.
Now mind you I am just parroting what Raf and KC Joyner were saying,but that is a good DB grade.Penalties can go away with coaching. 6.1 was the same grade Joseph(Hou) had last season. I for one would love to have this guy opposite of Jenkins. Plus I read somewhere that Routt runs a 4.29-40,can’t remember the link though. Love that speed!! IMHO,he would be a great FA pick-up.
40yr fan who loves his Lord and Savior,Beautiful Wife,kids and 2 Pits,America,and Americas Team.
Searching for at least 2 more Super Bowl wins and more kool-aid.
Totally excited about new coaches and this teams future.
by NVCowboy4Life on Feb 14, 2012 3:17 PM CST up reply actions
No Thanks
Routt is already 29 and will command too much money for a player of his caliber. This draft is deep in cbs. Get 2 cbs in the middle rounds and were good.
if he comes cheaper then Grimes does then its a no brainer to sign him.
obviously the market is limited at CB in FA but signing Routt would instantly upgrade this secondary & if the price isn’t unreasonable.
this allows Dallas not to press & draft a high risk player in the 1st round but it does allow them set up for the best choices in the 2nd-7th rounds. you can never have enough good DBs & Routt would be great insurnace bc the depth after Jenkins & Scandrick is like jumping off a cliff.
a 2 year deal would be a great
Every team has a great gameplan until they get Punched in the Mouth. Sean Lee is a welcomed addition at ILB & Kegabear's prediction about Spencer looks spot on so far.
I would take this
Let’s try and get Grimes too. Then draft Jamell Fleming. We will be set for years with that lineup at CB.
One could argue that the only reason his coverage ranking was good last year is because of all the penalties.
If a CB hacks the reciever every time he is getting beat, his coverage numbers should look pretty good, but that doesn’t mean he can cover. I would argue that 2008 was his best year and that he has steadily declined each year since.
If he has great size, speed, and intelligence, then why does he get beat so much that he has to commit that many penalties? If his penalties are for other reasons (ie. personal foul, offsides, etc.) then he has other serious issues.
If Rob Ryan really felt strongly about this guy, then he would be a Cowboy already.
"Rob [Ryan] is like Houdini with hella swag." -T. Newman
Yes, if
as many have said the contract is reasonable. Also he is a proven NFL player and will not have the rookie learning curve to overcome. Go get T. Thomas as well (price should be lower with the injury history) and draft another CB as well. Locking down 2 CBs in FA will increase the probability that we can get a good FS in the draft (rounds 2 or 3…or a round 1 trade down).
Personally, I think penalties are pure BS as league officials play favorites. Oakland gets a penalty for showing up on the field, and Dallas isn’t too far behind. DWare gets mugged on 50% of his plays and never draws a holding call, while half of Free’s holds were him simply pushing a defender past the pocket. The you have the Steelers and Patriots teams that get away with bloody murder.
On a final objective note, what kind of penalties did Routt draw (contact, holding, interference, facemask, etc) as the break-out may be of some value in determining whether he is a dirt bag, unlucky, or the calls are ticky-tacky.
We CBs that are afforable and proven, if we can get this guy for the prices above 4/5 years at $20/25 million, then do it! If he is 29 now, I can see him being excellent for at least the next 3 years…for 33 and 34, ehh, who knows, but by then he could be released for a minimum cap hit if needed.
by Through Thick And Thin on Feb 14, 2012 12:13 PM CST reply actions
Totally agree TTaT,I am sick of seeing Ware get dragged down by his ankles and the Refs acting like nothing happened!!!
40yr fan who loves his Lord and Savior,Beautiful Wife,kids and 2 Pits,America,and Americas Team.
Searching for at least 2 more Super Bowl wins and more kool-aid.
Totally excited about new coaches and this teams future.
by NVCowboy4Life on Feb 14, 2012 3:23 PM CST up reply actions
i'd love to get him
5 million a year sounds like dreaming. 8 million sounds more likely. I see him and all the other top CB options as equivalent.
check out my bands nanoSMASH and Day vs Night
by AustonianAggie on Feb 14, 2012 12:52 PM CST reply actions
Dallas signed Anthony Henry when he was 29
and he delivered several good seasons.
check out my bands nanoSMASH and Day vs Night
by AustonianAggie on Feb 14, 2012 12:56 PM CST reply actions
Sign him
At this point, the defense would be exactly the same if I suited up instead of Terence Newman, Alan Ball, or Orlando Scandrick. This guy is an upgrade over all three of them.
Football Fever is over...time to get going, Mavs.
This doesn't excuse them from drafting a CB in the first round though
Even if they do sign Routt.
Football Fever is over...time to get going, Mavs.
Sign Richard Marshall instead.
Much cheaper, better player, and more versatile.
by NUHuskyCowboyMinutemanCeltic on Feb 14, 2012 5:55 PM CST reply actions
Richard Marshall...
is an intriguing player not sure he’s a better player than Routt though.
Marshall’s 2010 in Carolina was awful. Terrible all around, particularly in coverage. It was Terence Newman 2011 level bad. But this year, starting the last 6 games for an injured starter for the Cardinals, was pretty good. He also has some versatility as he played some Safety in their Nickle and Dime packages. Is he on the upswing or was it an aberration?
Still, as you said, money is a factor and I wouldn’t want to break the bank for Routt because there are other, cheaper, options with potential.
I loosely follow the Panthers
and Marshall was solid in his time there. Adequate in coverage and great in run support. He has averaged 3 picks and 83 tackles a season and could play some safety.
Dallas Defense = Cowboys from Hell
I like the versatility
If they sign Marshall, depending on how the draft goes he could be either your starting FS or one of your top 3 CBs. Intriguing. He made $3.5 last year on a 1 year deal.
To be honest any DB we could get would be an upgrade and that just sad to say.
I for one would like Routt if the price is right. And the price would have to be right enough were we could be able to go after Safety or a guard/center if possblie. So when the draft comes around BPA approach is what we are doing instead of chasing to fill a need. I just hope that we can have a soild offseason all the way around from FA, the Draft, all the way to mini camp/camp. We haven’t had one in a while.
Billion dollar dream and hundred dollar nightmares
I like how you look for high upside relatively low cost low demand free agents to fill needs
It sets us up to go pure BPA in the draft
by Jonathan Stern on Feb 14, 2012 10:44 PM CST up reply actions
STATISTIC: Opposing #2 WR did the most damage against D last year
I was just looking at defensive statistics on football outsiders , and suprisingly our team D was middle of the pack except for one category and that category was #2 WR success against team. We were ranked #31 out of 32 teams in that category! Success against #1WR, #3-4 WR, TE, and RB were all about average. #2 WR killed us.
This would seem to indicate our weakest link on D was at our #2 CB position since logic says this is who would mostly cover the other team’s #2 WR. According to O-ring theory, fix the weakest link and overall success will greatly improve. That link is #2CB. Fix it 1st and go from there! MHO.
Interesting info dmagikwand thanks.
19th against #1 WR and 31st against #2. We really need some CB’s bad.
The 22nd against the TE’s is an issue of the Safety’s too I think. In 2010 the result against TE’s was very good at 4th but all the WR’s killed us. I think Sensabaugh is a much better Strong Safety in man coverage on the TE’s than Abe Elam is. Hopefully we can find a FS so Sensi can move back to SS.
I wonder what would happen if we drafted Kirkpatrick
and then signed, say, Finnegan, Carr (is he going to be available or sticking with the Chiefs?), or even a guy like Routt and then put Kirkpatrick af FS for one year. I really don’t wan’t a rookie corner that is going to have a 10-16 game learning curve. Each year we still have Romo, Rat, Ware, Witten becomes more valuable and I don’t want to blow one year at an important postion like CB for a guy to develop. I’d really prefer a vet that can step right in from Day 1.
From all the footage I’ve seen on Kirkpatrick, he seems very interested in making some contact and has speed and ball skills. Would his NFL inexperience be minimized at FS, assuming Sens and Lee could be lining guys up and directing traffic ? Is there a smaller learning curve at FS than CB? I’m not a coach so I don’t know but the above scenario would put more guys on the field at one time that can cover.
Plus, Jenkins is made of glass and I predict he will miss a minimum of 2 games next year with the over/under being 4 games, be it a hammy, quad, ankle, groin in that order. Kirpatrick could then slide in at CB and we could insert the next man up out to FS.
Just a thought.
Dammit...I meant to say success vs opposing TE wasn't great either at #22 but...
I think that can improve with Carter instead of James/Brooking and our safeties becoming more relevant and not playing so deep. They looked to be something like 25 to 30 yards deep in the first Philly game and the TE/RB killed us in coverage.
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