Champ Bailey has been playing in the National Football League since Bill Clinton was president. He’s earned 12 trips to the Pro Bowl and is a sure fire first-ballot Hall of Famer. The fact that Bailey has played football in three different decades is a representation of how good we once was at football. Not so much anymore.Â
Despite earning a trip to the Pro Bowl in the four years preceding a disastrous 2013 campaign, Bailey quite simply hasn’t been the same player since he missed seven games due to injury in 2008. Sure he rebounded with a decent 2012 season, but that was overshadowed by a horrible stretch of games late in the season and in the playoffs.
Bailey may have the veteran savvy to help a defense. That’s not in question. He has, however, started to slow down a great deal as a decent starting cornerback on a good defense. The wheels just aren’t there to go up one-on-one against upper-echelon receivers in the NFL today.
According to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), Bailey finished with a negative overall grade for the first time in his career last season. In the five games that he suited up, Bailey average just over 35 snaps per.
Then why give him a two-year contract?
Bailey is well past his prime and simply cannot be counted on to be a starter in the NFL anymore. Much like we saw with Ed Reed last year, it might be all about name recognition here. Reed was a shell of his former self with the Houston Texans and New York Jets last season, and is likely out of football at this point in his career.
This isn’t a knock on Bailey. He’s among the best defensive players of the past 15 years. That’s not even in question. But at some point, it becomes apparent that the game of football has passed you by. That time is now for the future Hall of Famer, at least from the cornerback position. Then you have the injury he suffered last year and whether the soon-to-be 36-year-old defensive back can return to form at cornerback.
Unfortunately for the Saints, who inked him to a two-year deal, that’s exactly where he is going to be lining up in 2014. Bailey could have easily made the transition to safety, which would have extended his playing career by a couple years. Instead he goes to a team that’s going to rely on him to be a major contributor at a position he’s just too old to play.
Let’s hope safeties Jairus Byrd and Kenny Vaccaro are ready to help over the top with a cornerback rotation that now includes Corey White and Bailey. Not exactly something to write home about.
Photo: Noah K. Murray, USA Today