The flip side of trading disgruntled Pro Bowl cornerback DeAngelo Hall to the Oakland Raiders in March was finding someone to replace him.
For now, and possibly for later, the player manning the left cornerback position appears to be Brent Grimes. He's a small guy (5 feet 10, 180 pounds) from a small college (Shippensburg) who's barely played in two NFL seasons —- but he's rapidly becoming a practice legend.
His momentum on one play led him to easily jump over —- lengthwise —- an equipment vehicle, slightly longer than a golf cart. After getting caught up with wide receiver Laurent Robinson and falling backward at a recent offseason workout, he put one hand down, arched and executed a perfect back handspring, with other players buzzing by him.
Though his acrobatics might be suited for YouTube .com, Grimes is out to prove he's no circus act.
Grimes is working with the first-unit defense in offseason drills, taking over for veteran Von Hutchins, a free-agent acquisition who ideally will be used as the nickel back.
Assistant head coach Emmitt Thomas said Grimes is the best coverage defender on the team, which is why, when he took over as interim coach last season, he got Grimes on the field in two of the final three games.
"I know I have a chance to compete,"
Grimes said. "It's up to me to show them I can handle this. I know there are a lot of people doubting me. I'm from a small school. I'm small. I got a lot of stuff to have people doubt me. If they put me out there, I feel like I can make plays, and that's all I'm trying to do."
"He's a very athletic, undersized corner, but I don't think he plays little,"
coach Mike Smith said. "He plays with good size. He's got the speed and the quickness you're looking for."
The key for Grimes is how he performs in exhibition games, when the pads and lights are on. His most significant experience came in NFL Europa before last season, where he regained the chops that made him a two-time Division II All-American in college.
His confidence soared, but he was stuck behind Hall and other players with stronger pedigrees. And he currently is being challenged by players of such stock.
Third-round draft pick Chevis Jackson from LSU was drafted by the new coaching staff and new general manager Thomas Dimitroff. He has the skill-set and intangibles they're looking for, especially in a Cover 2 scheme. Jackson, whose innate ability to cover offsets less-than-blazing speed, has been working at both cornerback spots.
Hutchins also is very much in the mix, having started at cornerback and safety in his four NFL seasons. The scales aren't tipped in anyone's favor, Smith said.
All parties are learning a new system at the same time and pace. It could be easier for Grimes or Hutchins to digest because they've worked against NFL players before, but Jackson has drawn solid praise from the guys who suggest who should play when and where.
"He's swimming a little bit right now,"
Smith said of Jackson. "He's got great ball skills. He knows how to play the receiver and play proper leverage and that's something you don't teach. Both of them are going to have a great opportunity as we go through the preseason for us to see how they respond."
