Three Chiefs That Must Step Up In Carolina

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CB Ron Parker

Parker is a special teams ace and an all-around great grab off of waivers from Seattle last preseason. But, he did not look at all like a starting cornerback against the Bengals last Thursday. Only in for about a quarter, he let up a 53-yard pass, got beat on a touchdown against the Bengals’ backups and committed two penalties. Now, granted, the league has been totally over-emphasizing illegal contact penalties so far this preseason, but Parker needs to find a way to adjust.

Re-watching him, I was surprised by how much his body language and playing style resembles that of a safety, not a corner. He seemed to always backpedal tentatively with his eyes on the QB, frequently losing track of his receivers and having to catch up with the ball in the air. If he is going to be called for putting his hands on wideouts past five yards and that’s the only way he can follow their movement, then he is going to have serious problems.

By contrast, CB Philip Gaines showed some rawness out there, but he has the speed to keep up with anyone in the backfield. Parker doesn’t appear to have the physical tools to make up for his mistakes.