Position Preview: CB (Where did this depth come from?)

Despite a horrific performance by the defense in general, the Giants found a few bright spots at the corner position in '09.  Terrell Thomas filled in for the injured Aaron Ross, and played well enough to potentially permanently keep the starting job, and rookie free agent Bruce Johnson showed flashes of play making ability filling in at the nickel.  Corey Webster, who emerged during the 2007 playoff run, did not have as good of a year as he had in 2008, but still didn't play bad.  Ross's injury woes and ill-fated temporary move to safety made 2009 a wash for him.  Good news is he's back and healthy (for the time being).  Rounding out the roster headed to camp are DJ Johnson and Courtney Brown.  DJ Johnson, who was signed off the Broncos practice squad last November, probably does have a shot at making the roster, but Brown--who was drafted in 2007 by the Cowboys and spent all of 2009 out of football--is likely nothing more than a training camp practice dummy.

The return of Ross (if it lasts) immediately bolsters the depth of the unit.  CB coach Peter Giunta said of Ross's return, "[It] forces guys to be at their top all the time because they can't say no one is behind me."  He added that "everyone is competing for jobs."  Still, it seems as though Webster's job is pretty safe, and I get the sense from interviews I've heard and articles I've read that the other starting CB job is Thomas' to lose.  However, Giunta did say that Ross and Thomas may be used interchangeably on the outside and at nickel back based on game-plan and match-ups.  Ross has been in my doghouse for a longtime, but he is definitely the most athletic CB on the roster, and his presence and health certainly makes this a better unit.  The good news is Ross hasn't pulled "an Osi" and seems to understand that he will have to earn his playing time.

The Giants certainly lack a shot-down corner but with Webster, Thomas, Ross, and Bruce Johnson they have 4 guys that you can feel comfortable being on the field at any one time.  If this unit stays healthy (and the safety play improves), I expect the Giants' secondary to be much better than it was a year ago.