Antoine Cason Scouting Report for Baltimore Ravens
Oct 12, 2014; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Carolina Panthers cornerback Antoine Cason (20) looks on before the game at Paul Brown Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports
The Baltimore Ravens, never ones to sit on their thumbs, added veteran cornerback Antoine Cason to replace the injured Danny Gorrer today according to the Baltimore Sun. What Cason’s role will be remains to be seen. He could possibly be inserted right into the starting lineup, replacing Asa Jackson, or he could fall as far as the dime back behind Jackson and Rashaan Melvin.
Based solely on his film, Cason looks a bit like a better version of former Raven Chykie Brown. That will probably send shudders down fans’ spines.
Like Brown, Cason is an interesting case, as he is athletically above average but very slow to react to the action on the field.
The mental/instinctive side of the game seems to be a struggle for Cason. He was often slow to react with the ball in the air, resulting in him allowing a lot of yards after the catch.
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On one play against the Cincinnati Bengals, Andy Dalton targeted a slant pattern at Cason. Because of the coverage the Panthers were in, the pass was easily completed. Where Cason failed was in bringing down the receiver, as he allowed about eight yards after the catch. Because of his slow reaction, an eight-yard completion was turned into a 16-yard gain.
Taking the right angle also seemed to be a struggle for Cason. Unfortunately, that is an instincts thing that is difficult to teach. Cason just doesn’t seem to have the instinct to properly gauge a ball carriers speed and take the proper angle to bring him down. Specifically, Cason tended to overestimate his own speed against the Bengals.
There were definitely some positives to Cason’s game. He was rarely out of position in coverage against the Bengals, showing the athleticism to stick with guys like Mohamed Sanu and Brandon Tate.
Further, Cason is pretty good in run support, showing a willingness to stick his nose in to the fray and make a tackle.
Cason played primarily on the left side in Carolina, where he played a mixture of off man coverage, press man and zone. He did his best work in press man, showing a solid jam and the speed to make up for mistakes. He was at his worst in off man, when his slow reactions really hurt him.
Whether or not Cason is any kind of upgrade remains to be seen, but in a secondary starving for healthy bodies, Cason fits the bill. He may end up victimized at times, but a change of scenery could also do him some good. There is clearly ability here, and Dean Pees needs to find ways to maximize it.