The Browns secondary has been all over the news since Daven Holly's knee injury last week.a Proving that Northeast Ohio's luck is always just a bit short, the crop of available cornerbacks is a bit bare. General manager Phil Savage has proven he can work miracles with a disaster position, as shown by the trade to acquire Hank Fraley in 2006 after LeCharles Bentley's knee exploded on the first day of training camp. So can Savage find a gem in this group?

Ty Law, UFA, Kansas City Chiefs: This one seems to be the most logical fit, but truly isn't. Law is the best corner left on the market after his release from the Chiefs, and he has a history with Romeo Crennel heading back to their time together in New England. The problem is that Law hasn't been a lockdown corner since 2003, and he's coming up on his 14th season in the league. Law still has the smarts and ball skills, but not the quickness to make breaks on the ball. Plus, he's likely much too expensive.

Ashton Youboty, Buffalo Bills: Terry Pluto reported on Sunday that the Browns had interest in the third year corner from Buffalo. Youboty has not been a popular guy in Buffalo, after two injury riddled and low production seasons. He was knocked in 2006 for declaring early for the NFL Draft, and slid to the third round despite being labeled as having first round upside. He's a solid man to man corner with fluid hips and athleticism. Since he's so raw, it's hard to predict what could happen with him. Youboty is a favorite of defensive coordinator Mel Tucker, who was his defensive backs coach while at Ohio State. This trade seems most likely, but don't expect this to be a rush. Savage would be wise to late till cuts start rolling in training camp, and he can steal Youboty just like he did Fraley in 2006.

Lito Sheppard, Philadelphia Eagles: Another one to file in the unlikely column, Sheppard is talented but the Eagles are asking a lot for him (multiple picks), and more than that he's always hurt or playing at less than 100 percent. Why trade for an injury riddled player when you are trying to boost a position riddled by injuries?

Dominique Foxworth, Denver Broncos: The most likely trade candidate, after Youboty, is gearing up to be Foxworth. He is an experienced nickel back who plays well in man-to-man coverage. He has great recovery speed, though he isn't the most physical corner. The Broncos have listened to offers for him this offseason, so he could be had.

Mil'von James, UDFA, UNLV: James made the roster being a favorite of Savage. He caught Savage's eye in 2007 when the team was scouting eventual second round pick Eric Wright. James is a project, as he only played one season there after transferring from UCLA. James is thick, well-built and aggressive at the line. If you can get your hands on it, catch his September 2007 game against Utah where he broke up four passes.

Damon Jenkins, UDFA, Fresno State: If one of the two undrafted free agents make the team, it'll be James. Jenkins is more of a special teams ace, as he's pretty raw in coverage. He runs hot and cold, and gambles a bit too much. One other problem was that Jenkins struggled academically while at Fresno State.

Given the way the market has been, and with Terry Cousin being the last quality cornerback left on the market, the Browns have little wiggle room. Savage has had misses in the past on corners (Antonio Perkins), and the position was not addressed in the draft. The cornerback position was already a spot of need before Holly's injury, now it's a top priority. Let's hope a little luck comes Cleveland's way.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, May 28th, 2008 at 10:06 am and is filed under Injuries, defensive backs. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.