Chase Minnifield

Buccaneers Offseason Priority: fix the secondary

The Tampa Buccaneers have holes everywhere you look, but one glaring need stands above the rest.

Based on ProFootballFocus.com’s grading system, 11 of the 12 Buccaneers defensive backs to see the field in 2011 performed below average, the lone exception being former 1st-round pick Aqib Talib. But Talib has his own issues off the field, and who knows how long the new coaching staff will put up with his antics. Additionally, the two veterans of the group – Ronde Barber and Sean Jones – are set to become free agents.

If possible, the Bucs should wipe the slate clean and bring in a brand new batch of defensive backs. Realistically, they should aim to bring in at least one veteran free agent and add some prospects in the draft.

The best case scenario on draft day would be for Morris Claiborne to fall to them at No. 5. He would immediately give the Bucs a true No. 1 cornerback, allowing them to gradually fill in the holes around him.

If Claiborne is gone, things get more complicated. While there should be a number of quality prospects available at the beginning of Round 2, none would have a dramatic immediate impact. The Bucs would be left to chose one of two paths: select a guy with the upside to develop into a shutdown corner (Stephon Gilmore for example) or add a more polished product who can contribute immediately, but may have less long-term upside (such as Chase Minnifield).

Posted on February 27, 2012 by Ryan McCrystal in 2012 NFL Draft, Buccaneers Comments Off

Chase Minnifield scouting report

Chase Minnifield CB Virginia #13
	Ht: 6’0″ Wt: 185
Strengths:
Adequate height. Decent strength for his size. A physical corner; willing to play press coverage, even against bigger, more physically imposing receivers. A real asset in run support; consistently makes plays in the backfield and used on blitzes on occassion. A smart player who is rarely caught out of position. Elite athleticism; shows good body control and does a nice job playing the ball rather than strictly reacting to receiver. Good ball skills. NFL bloodlines; father Frank was a four-tme Pro Bowler with the Browns in late 1980s.
Weaknesses:
Slightly undersized; would benefit from adding some weight. Hasn’t faced much top competition; only a two-year starter in the ACC where he hasn’t been tested against many elite receivers. Has a tendancey to play too tall at times; will hurt his ability to stay with quicker receivers at the next level.
Comments:
Minnifield lacks the elite measurables (size, speed) but he has been a consistent playmaker over the past two years at Virginia. His upside may be somewhat limited, but he’s a fairly safe bet to develop into a quality nickel corner, at worst. He’s an intelligent player, and coming from a NFL family certainly helps in that regard. He should be able to contribute in some capacity from day one.
Videos:
2011 vs Miami 2011 vs Georgia Tech 2010 vs USC

Posted on December 13, 2011 by Ryan McCrystal in Scouting Reports - 2012 Comments Off

Chase Minnifield