When the Seahawks signed cornerback Ken Lucas to an undisclosed deal yesterday, they were not only addressing a need at the right side of the field but were also acclimating to a trend of bigger and more powerful wide receivers.
At 6-foot, 205, he provides a balanced combination of strength and speed, with a strong ability to play press coverage.
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Lucas, originally drafted with the Seahawks, was the casualty of higher priorities during the 2004 offseason where the team needed to re-sign Matt Hasselbeck and Walter Jones among others. He wound up signing with the Panthers to a lucrative six-year $36.5 million deal.
Now he's back, presumably to step in place of the 5-9 192-pound Josh Wilson and 5-11, 180-pound Kelly Jennings on the right side of the field.
Lucas should provide the Seahawks with immediate results when playing teams with bigger receivers, such as the Arizona Cardinals with Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin.
To put the need for bigger receivers into perspective, check out this chart showing cornerback's success matched up with Larry Fitzgerald last year.
Red indicates shorter than 6-0.
As you can see, every 5-11 and shorter cornerback was torched for either more than 100 yards against Fitzgerald or multiple touchdowns. Not coincidentally, every 6-0 and taller cornerback held him to less than 100 yards except for Shawn Springs. After watching the tape, Springs gave up a 55-yard touchdown, but it was not his fault.
Faster WRs
Ken Lucas has lost a step in man coverage over the years, so it might be expected for him to struggle against the smaller, speedier wide receivers in the league.
However, don't forget the Seahawks still have the fast and opportunistic Josh Wilson on the team. While money may mean Lucas gets the majority of the starts, don't be surprised to see Wilson take a few of those if there are matchup problems.
Also, the 'Hawks are said to be using more of a zone scheme, making man coverage less important.
Reach Aaron Weinberg at nextseasonsports@gmail.com
