Rookies at the hot corners
Patriots will test McKelvin and Corner
The Buffalo Bills drafted Leodis McKelvin and Reggie Corner to fortify their depth at cornerback. That depth is about to be put to the test.
Strong safety Donte Whitner and nickel cornerback Ashton Youboty have not practiced this week and are unlikely to play Sunday at New England. Whitner has a separated shoulder, while Youboty has been sidelined the past three games with plantar fasciitis, an inflammatory condition in the foot.
If both can’t play this week, McKelvin and Corner will get their most extensive action of the season against the New England Patriots.
“I wish they had more experience certainly, but that’s where we are,” Bills coach Dick Jauron said. “We have a lot of confidence in them and they’ve got to step up and perform.”
The Bills used their first-round pick and 11th overall selection on McKelvin, the top-rated cornerback in this year’s draft. Corner was a fourth-rounder.
Initially, the Bills had the luxury of bringing McKelvin and Corner along slowly because they had veterans Terrence McGee, Jabari Greer and Youboty. But when injuries to McGee and Youboty thinned out the secondary, the Bills went with Whitner at cornerback in nickel situations instead of the rookies.
But if Whitner and Youboty are sidelined as expected, the Bills won’t have a choice but to play McKelvin and Corner.
“They’ve been practicing, they’ve been getting all the information,” defensive coordinator Perry Fewell said. “They have gotten some work. They haven’t gotten as much work as you would like for them to have against an opponent like the Patriots, but obviously they’ve gotten some work, so we’ll see how they respond.”
Most of McKelvin’s playing time on defense has come on the outside while filling in for McGee. But Corner got more snaps in the nickel defense in training camp, so he might be the choice to replace Youboty on Sunday.
Fewell declined to say who would line up in the nickel, but both rookies insist they are ready to go.
“I like where I am right now,” said McKelvin, who has nine defensive tackles. “I’ve been working hard in practice and studying in the meeting rooms and making sure I’m prepared when my number is called.”
“I feel like I’ve gotten better every day,” Corner added. “I’ve learned a lot from my coaches and just watching and talking to the older guys. Whenever my opportunity comes, I have to take advantage of it.”
McKelvin and Corner couldn’t ask for a bigger task than what’s in store Sunday.
The Patriots don’t have quarterback Tom Brady, but they still have a loaded receiving corps headed by Randy Moss and Wes Welker.
Moss terrorized the Bills’ secondary last season, catching 15 passes for 243 yards and six touchdowns in two games. Four of those TDs came in the first half of the Patriots’ 56-10 victory against the Bills at Ralph Wilson Stadium.
“I have been watching Randy Moss for a long time,” McKelvin said. “He’s a great player, and I’m excited about playing against him. It will be a great challenge.”
Depending on who plays the nickel, McKelvin or Corner will likely spend Sunday matched up against Welker, one of the best slot receivers in the NFL.
The Patriots’ leading receiver with 56 catches, Welker is a great security blanket for quarterback Matt Cassel. The Bills’ cornerbacks are fast enough to run with Welker, but he creates separation by getting in and out of his breaks quickly. He also runs clean routes and excels at locating soft spots in short and intermediate areas.
“It’s the same offense [without Brady], but this guy is a dimension in the offense that’s kind of like the Xfactor,” Fewell said of Welker, who could become the first player in NFL history to catch at least six passes in each of the first nine games of a season. “He gives you so many different looks from that slot position, not only in the pass game but also in the run game because if you’re not on your toes he’ll knock your head off.”
Corner feels good about the potential matchup with Welker after chasing Roscoe Parrish around in practice.
“Those guys are a lot alike,” Corner said. “They are quick and have great moves. Practicing against Roscoe every day has definitely prepared me for what I have to do on Sunday.”
McKelvin and Corner have outstanding physical skills, but they are raw. It takes time to adjust to the mental aspect of the game and how to react to situations that arise during a game.
Greer and McGee have certainly been there. But they agree that the only way for McKelvin and Corner to gain experience is by playing.
“When they get up there they’re going to have to take the bumps and bruises, but they know the only thing they have to do is be consistent,” Greer said. “Consistency is what pays dividends in this league and as long as they pay attention to their assignments and do their assignments and they do the little things right, they’ll be effective.”
McGee added, “I remember teams went after me a lot when I first started playing. But you have to go through those kinds of things. We’re going to need those guys to step up, and I think they’re up for it.”
