How is THAT for a fucking clickbait headline?! Gotcha! Anyway, I was quite simply perusing the odds for Defensive Rookie of the Year in the NFL for the upcoming season at VegasInsider, and I just so happened to notice that bet365 has Tennessee Titans cornerback Roger McCreary on the board at +4000. Well, well, well – *rubs chin* – that is interesting.
The Titans just released their unofficial depth chart, and McCreary is listed as one of the starters at cornerback. I know that Mike Vrabel has talked about how useless the preseason depth charts are, but I think we have reason to believe that there’s a little nugget of truth in this. McCreary is a battle-tested and polished cornerback coming out of Auburn, and his skill set enables the Titans to play more man coverage on defense, which they want to do. It matches up with what we’ve seen this summer, which is that McCreary just keeps making the most of every opportunity he’s given.
And, that’s just what makes me like the value in this bet…the opportunity that McCreary has. This dude’s going to get significant playing time, and you need that in order to compile the stats and build the highlight reel it takes to win one of these Rookie of the Year awards. Now, it’s cornerback…and we know that cornerbacks rarely win this award. Only two cornerbacks have won it in the last 23 seasons (Marcus Peters in 2015 and Marshon Lattimore in 2017). It’s also the Titans…which means that nationally, McCreary probably isn’t going to get a lot of eyeballs on him. I know those things are working against him, but as much as he’s going to play, he’ll have every opportunity to stand out as a stud.
Then, you factor in the rest of the field. I’m not as high on Aidan Hutchinson as the rest of y’all are. He’s the favorite, but I don’t have as much faith in him as most people do. Travon Walker feels like a project that won’t reach his potential right away. The Quay Walker pick at +800 is a sneaky good one. I’d 100% bet Kayvon Thibodeaux if not for the injury concerns. In my opinion, this field is wide open. While there’s a ton of talent in this class, I don’t know how many guys are as NFL-ready as McCreary on the defensive side of the ball. That’s why I think this is a great throwaway bet.
I can’t wait to watch this guy develop in this particular defense. I’m not saying I think McCreary is the clear cut front runner for Defensive Rookie of the Year. I’m just saying that given the opportunity he has in front of him with the skillset he possesses, at +4000, it’s a good value bet assuming you have the money to just light on fire. That’s all.
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Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network, and a Dogs Playing Poker on velvet connoisseur. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD, #BeBetter, and ‘Minds right, asses tight.’ “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Nashville, Yankee Candle, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley.
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