Washington Redskins: Norman and Breeland Shouldn’t Travel

Josh Norman and Bashaud Breeland, two quality cornerbacks, have the ability to become a great tandem for the Washington Redskins. It is my belief that each player should lock down one side of the field for the Burgundy and Gold.

The Washington Redskins shocked the NFL world by snagging the suddenly available Josh Norman in free agency last week, a move that will, hopefully, solidify their secondary for years to come. Before bringing the All-Pro cornerback aboard, Bashaud Breeland was their only stud at the position, but, with that no longer being the case, the Redskins now have a pair of reliable corners to lock down wideouts on the outside.

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Breeland and Norman are capable of limiting the production of opposing number one wide receivers on game day, a luxury that not all teams have. That being said, it is my belief that Washington shouldn’t force the corners to follow a particular wideout for the entirety of a game. Instead, the Redskins should take a page out of the Seattle Seahawks’ playbook and keep their cornerbacks locked on one side of the field.

While I believe both cornerbacks are capable of traveling the entirety of the field and locking down opposing receivers, I believe that the Washington Redskins would benefit by allowing them to learn and master a single position. By allowing them to stay on one side of the field, the defensive backs can become comfortable with their body movements and surroundings, something that Richard Sherman does with great success in Seattle.

With both corners being able to adequately cover number one receivers, the team wouldn’t have to worry about matchup exploits on either side of the field. Breeland can progress and master one side of the field, while Norman does the same thing opposite of him.

I truly believe this approach will benefit the team because it’s a lot easier to get comfortable with a position if you’re not always having to alter your stances and body movements in the opposite direction – it’s not all that different than a right tackle attempting to make the switch to left tackle, as all of your instincts and reactions are completely reversed.

This approach would make it easier for each player to produce strong seasons, and, in the process, also allow their nickel corner to solely focus on covering the underneath routes and slot receivers. If Quinton Dunbar is the team’s nickel corner, and I think he should be, he would have the chance to learn the position at a quicker rate because he wouldn’t have to worry about playing on the outside.

So, not only would it help Josh Norman and Bashaud Breeland become true technicians at their positions, but it would also allow Quinton Dunbar, a wide receiver turned cornerback, to do the same. It’s a strategy that would help the entirety of their cornerback stable, and, in my opinion, it’s the strategy they should take.

Mouthy wideouts and opposing teams will likely claim that doing such a thing is an indication that Norman and Breeland aren’t elite players at their position, but I believe that it would be purely a smart football decision. Learning and mastering one side of the field will ultimately make it harder for the opposition to succeed because the cornerbacks will be relaxed and comfortable, always knowing how to react to the situation at hand.

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By taking any and all doubt out of the equation, the Washington Redskins would gain a slight advantage on their opposition. And, in the NFL, any advantage, however small, is helpful. This is what would happen if Norman and Breeland each took care of one side of the field, they would be able to intelligently react without hesitation in every situation.