Corner market

Teams still needing CB help don't have many options left

On the fifth day of the NFL's free-agency period, cornerbacks were all the rage.

Three of the six top-rated cornerbacks left the market on Tuesday, when Tyrone Poole joined New England, Dexter McCleon signed with Kansas City and Corey Fuller agreed to terms with Baltimore.

That adds to the run on cornerbacks that began on Saturday, when Detroit signed the top-rated Dre' Bly to a mega-deal. Aeneas Williams then re-signed with St. Louis and Ashley Ambrose jumped from one NFC South team (Atlanta) to another (New Orleans).

What's left for teams like Minnesota and Cincinnati, which are still searching for a veteran corner? Former Raider Tory James visited the Vikings on Sunday and Monday and is scheduled to be in Cincinnati on Wednesday, and ex-Bronco Denard Walker is making the same trip, only in reverse. He is meeting with the Bengals Tuesday night and Wednesday, before traveling to Minnesota on Thursday. A third option is former Packer Tyrone Williams, who appears to be generating little if any interest.

The Vikings are believed to have had James atop their wish list from the outset, but at this point they can't be too choosy, as cornerback has quickly turned into the most popular position in the league's annual free-agency marketplace. Minnesota, which began free agency with more than $25 million of cap room and in need of two veteran corners, might have to settle for one. If that.

"We need one, we know that," said a Vikings official. "Maybe we won't get any, but we're not going to do anything stupid."

While none of the cornerback deals has rivaled the five-year, $24.5 million contract the Lions awarded Bly over the weekend, teams have not wasted any time in snapping up the pool of experienced secondary alternatives.

Poole received a four-year deal from the Patriots, with terms undisclosed. After sitting out the 2001 season, he returned to Denver this season and turned in a quietly strong season, playing in all 16 games and starting four.

The Chiefs, continuing their upgrade of their outmanned defense, threw a five-year deal at McCleon that averages $2.2 million per year and included $2 million to sign. In making the cross-state trek from St. Louis to Kansas City, McCleon rejoins his former Rams head coach, Dick Vermeil, the man who drafted him, and his former St. Louis secondary coach, Peter Giunta.

Minnesota thought it had an excellent chance of landing Fuller, the onetime Viking who was released by Cleveland last week in a cap-related move. But instead it was the Ravens who prevailed, giving Fuller, 31, a three-year deal that averaged $1.5 million.

The Vikings were said to be offering very similar money, but Fuller opted to play for Ravens head coach Brian Billick -- who was Minnesota's offensive coordinator during Fuller's Vikings tenure -- rather than return to playing on the artificial surface of the Metrodome.

Walker, McCleon, James, Ambrose and Fuller were all salary-cap casualties who were not expected to be part of this year's crop of free-agent cornerbacks. But their addition last week greatly deepened the cornerback market, which looked as if it would be led by the likes of Bly and Williams.

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