It's far less of a statement to bench a former seventh-round than a recently signed $48 million free-agent addition, but that doesn't make it the correct decision.
The Green Bay Packers insist Nate Hobbs can line up across the secondary, but they are quickly learning what the Las Vegas Raiders already knew: he should play almost exclusively in the slot. Second-year Javon Bullard occupies that position, who has stepped up admirably after struggling in coverage as a rookie.
Bullard deservedly has a vice grip on the starting slot role, forcing the Packers to either leave Hobbs on the boundary or outright bench him. They have opted for the former, but it means Carrington Valentine, a better cover corner, is frozen out of the lineup.
Packers' stubbornness in the secondary continues to haunt them.
It shouldn't matter if you're a first-rounder, a major free-agent acquisition, or an undrafted rookie. All that matters is putting your best players on the field and giving your team a better chance to win.
Matt LaFleur adopts this mindset on offense. It's why Rasheed Walker, a former seventh-round pick, has remained the starting left tackle over Jordan Morgan, whom the Packers selected 25th overall a year ago. Performance and production should take priority over draft status or the number of millions on the contract.
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Yet the Packers don't sound ready to make a change, with defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley saying, "I believe he's gonna get out there and take a step forward this week."
But Valentine is outplaying Hobbs, and it's not even close.
The former seventh-rounder boasts Pro Football Focus' 16th-best coverage grade among cornerbacks. Quarterbacks have completed just 56.3 percent of passes against him, and they've only targeted him 16 times on 131 coverage snaps.
While Hobbs was out due to injury, the Packers trusted Valentine to hold up against anyone. And he delivered. In Week 1, it took an Odell Beckham-style one-handed catch in the end zone by Isaac TeSlaa to finally beat him. There's nothing Valentine could do — he had near-perfect coverage.
Four days later, he matched up with Terry McLaurin, limiting him to one catch for seven yards on four targets.
In a concerning contrast, Hobbs ranks 119th among cornerbacks in PFF's coverage grading, giving up 13 catches for 180 yards and two touchdowns, a passer rating of 127.1, in five games.
Quarterbacks are beginning to throw his way more often — he has been targeted 16 times in the past three games, allowing 173 of the 180 yards he has given up this season. Meanwhile, Valentine's snap counts have dropped from 76 in Week 1 to just three in Week 7. It's the most undeserved benching imaginable.
Hobbs looks out of his depth on the boundary — he has given up too many game-shifting plays, including a 35-yarder on 3rd-and-14 last week.
But he can play in the slot. According to PFF (h/t Zach Kruse of Packers Wire), Hobbs has allowed zero catches on one target in 25 slot snaps this season. But with Bullard playing so well on the inside (he ranks No. 3 in the NFL for yards allowed per target), the Packers remain committed to their big free agent addition on the boundary.
Forget the $48 million the Packers handed Hobbs in free agency, or that Valentine is a seventh-round pick. The Packers' best starting trio is Valentine and Keisean Nixon on the boundary, and either Hobbs or Bullard in the slot.
Playing Hobbs on the outside continues to hurt this secondary. While Green Bay could still look for reinforcements at the trade deadline, Hafley must first make Valentine a full-time starter.