Post by Guvmintcheeze on Jun 11, 2015 15:52:10 GMT
Falcons Desmond Trufant believes he's among elite corners
FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. -- Desmond Trufant is confident. No question about it.
His swagger is evident simply in his strut. His play on the football field screams, "Go ahead, try me again."
That being said, the third year Atlanta Falcons cornerback isn't one to run off at the mouth in the same fashion Antonio Cromartie did recently toward Richard Sherman. Trufant doesn't go around discrediting someone else's game to enhance his own.
However, Trufant is not ashamed to thrust himself into the conversation about the league's elite cornerbacks. Such was the topic of discussion this week when Trufant was told of ESPN analyst and former NFL executive Mark Dominik referring to him as "a good football player" but not a Top 5 cornerback. Dominik's assessment was on the heels of his 32-team free-agent list of players any team would want to have on its roster.
"I don't really look into all of what everybody is saying," Trufant said. "I feel like if they're not saying I'm the best, then it really doesn't matter. I know where my ceiling is. I know how far I can take this.
"I definitely feel like I'm up there with the elite. But I'm also getting better every day. I haven't reached my prime yet, but I'm close to it. So, it's coming. It's coming."
Trufant didn't hesitate when asked to name his list of elite cornerbacks.
"I'd say Sherm (Sherman), (Darrelle) Revis, (Joe) Haden," Trufant said. "I like Vontae Davis. But I feel like I'm right there with those guys. I know I definitely have more to prove, and I'm going to do that.
"It's all love. Like I said, my goal is to be the best. So that's what I'm working for every day."
Of the four cornerbacks he mentioned, there is one in particular Trufant tries to emulate more than the others.
"Just technically, I would say Revis," Trufant said. "His technique is off the charts. That's what makes him great. He's patient. He's strong at the line. ... And I watched Sherm for a long time. He played with my brother (Marcus), so I've seen him develop into what he is. I would say those two guys."
Trufant's relentless pursuit of perfection is reason to believe his ascent will continue. He was solid as a rookie in 2013 although he would be the first to admit he dropped a few interceptions. Then last year, Trufant was called upon to shadow top receivers such as Baltimore's Steve Smith, Cleveland's Josh Gordon, and Carolina's Kelvin Benjamin. He finished the season with 61 tackles, 16 passes defensed, three interceptions and a fumble recovery. Pro Football Focus had Trufant No. 6 in their final cornerback rankings.
So what is Trufant's primary focus under new coach Dan Quinn?
"Just patience," he said. "I know speed is one of my strengths, and sometimes I kind of play too fast. So I'm just trying to control my speed; be patient. I'm just trying to focus on the small details in my technique: footwork, hand placement, things like that. It's coming."
Assistant head coach Raheem Morris, the coordinator of the pass defense, would say Trufant has arrived, based on first impressions.
"I've got to be honest: I was pleasantly surprised by Trufant, and not because of his athletic ability," Morris said. "It's his in-the-classroom ability and his above-the-neck ability; how smart he is and what he brings to the game."
Quinn was asked about Trufant being a shut-down corner in this new defensive system, which will rely on a lot more press coverage.
"Yeah, we played a lot of three-deep in terms of a style and a scheme that we play, but really both Robert (Alford) and Tru and Jalen (Collins) and the (other) guys, it's a skill we play at corner," Quinn said. "The biggest thing for those guys is getting their hands on people where we can stay on top.
"The competitor in Robert and Tru is the thing probably that stands out the most to me. And I think with all top players, that's one of the common threads."
FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. -- Desmond Trufant is confident. No question about it.
His swagger is evident simply in his strut. His play on the football field screams, "Go ahead, try me again."
That being said, the third year Atlanta Falcons cornerback isn't one to run off at the mouth in the same fashion Antonio Cromartie did recently toward Richard Sherman. Trufant doesn't go around discrediting someone else's game to enhance his own.
However, Trufant is not ashamed to thrust himself into the conversation about the league's elite cornerbacks. Such was the topic of discussion this week when Trufant was told of ESPN analyst and former NFL executive Mark Dominik referring to him as "a good football player" but not a Top 5 cornerback. Dominik's assessment was on the heels of his 32-team free-agent list of players any team would want to have on its roster.
"I don't really look into all of what everybody is saying," Trufant said. "I feel like if they're not saying I'm the best, then it really doesn't matter. I know where my ceiling is. I know how far I can take this.
"I definitely feel like I'm up there with the elite. But I'm also getting better every day. I haven't reached my prime yet, but I'm close to it. So, it's coming. It's coming."
Trufant didn't hesitate when asked to name his list of elite cornerbacks.
"I'd say Sherm (Sherman), (Darrelle) Revis, (Joe) Haden," Trufant said. "I like Vontae Davis. But I feel like I'm right there with those guys. I know I definitely have more to prove, and I'm going to do that.
"It's all love. Like I said, my goal is to be the best. So that's what I'm working for every day."
Of the four cornerbacks he mentioned, there is one in particular Trufant tries to emulate more than the others.
"Just technically, I would say Revis," Trufant said. "His technique is off the charts. That's what makes him great. He's patient. He's strong at the line. ... And I watched Sherm for a long time. He played with my brother (Marcus), so I've seen him develop into what he is. I would say those two guys."
Trufant's relentless pursuit of perfection is reason to believe his ascent will continue. He was solid as a rookie in 2013 although he would be the first to admit he dropped a few interceptions. Then last year, Trufant was called upon to shadow top receivers such as Baltimore's Steve Smith, Cleveland's Josh Gordon, and Carolina's Kelvin Benjamin. He finished the season with 61 tackles, 16 passes defensed, three interceptions and a fumble recovery. Pro Football Focus had Trufant No. 6 in their final cornerback rankings.
So what is Trufant's primary focus under new coach Dan Quinn?
"Just patience," he said. "I know speed is one of my strengths, and sometimes I kind of play too fast. So I'm just trying to control my speed; be patient. I'm just trying to focus on the small details in my technique: footwork, hand placement, things like that. It's coming."
Assistant head coach Raheem Morris, the coordinator of the pass defense, would say Trufant has arrived, based on first impressions.
"I've got to be honest: I was pleasantly surprised by Trufant, and not because of his athletic ability," Morris said. "It's his in-the-classroom ability and his above-the-neck ability; how smart he is and what he brings to the game."
Quinn was asked about Trufant being a shut-down corner in this new defensive system, which will rely on a lot more press coverage.
"Yeah, we played a lot of three-deep in terms of a style and a scheme that we play, but really both Robert (Alford) and Tru and Jalen (Collins) and the (other) guys, it's a skill we play at corner," Quinn said. "The biggest thing for those guys is getting their hands on people where we can stay on top.
"The competitor in Robert and Tru is the thing probably that stands out the most to me. And I think with all top players, that's one of the common threads."