Prince Amukamara Says a Reunion with Vic Fangio Would be a 'No-Brainer'
Earlier this year, Broncos Country was eager for GM John Elway to kick the tires on free-agent cornerback Prince Amukamara. Amukamara was projected to be a welcomed addition in a thin Denver Broncos secondary because of his familiarity with head coach Vic Fangio.
Amukamara played in Fangio’s 2018 dynamic Chicago Bears defense, where he logged 66 tackles (57 solo), three tackles for a loss, two forced fumbles, 12 passes defensed, three interceptions, and scored a touchdown.
Originally selected by the New York Giants in the first-round of the 2011 NFL Draft, Amukamara played five seasons in the Big Apple and was a part of the Super Bowl XLVI-winning team in 2012. He later played in Jacksonville for one season as the starting nickelback before arriving in Chicago to play in Fangio’s defense.
This past spring, the Las Vegas Raiders signed Amukamara to bolster their young secondary. However, training camp revealed the success and potential of younger cornerbacks like Damon Arnette and Trayvon Mullen to start for the Silver and Black, and consequently, Amukamara was surprisingly released from the Raiders earlier this week.
In a conversation on Tuesday with Nick Ferguson and Cecil Lammey on 104.3 The FAN's Nick and Cecil show, Amukamara spoke about his untimely release from the Raiders.
“I was pretty shocked, but they have a great group of young guys. I understand the nature of the business,” Amukamara told Ferguson and Lammey.
The 6-foot, 205-pound defensive back has re-entered free agency for a second time this year as he looks towards his 10th NFL season. Amukamra was asked if he’d welcome a reunion with former defensive coach Fangio.
“Of course, that’s a no-brainer,” Amukamara said.
“Looking at their DB situation, I feel like they’re in great hands," he continued. "With what I bring to the table, I feel like I’d be a great addition. I know the playbook, and I’ve been around that coaching staff. I know what he wants, I know what he demands, and I think it’d be pretty seamless.”
Although Amukamara didn’t record an interception in 2019, he played a total of 891 snaps, of which 566 were coverage snaps vs. run defense snaps (324).
Examining his career, Amukamara undoubtedly saw his most successful season of his career with defensive mastermind Fangio in 2018. That season, Amukamara tied his career-best with three interceptions, two forced fumbles, and scored his only NFL touchdown.
“He’s like a mad scientist,” Amukamara said about Fangio. “That has to be one of the best systems that I’ve ever been in. I say that because it’s a system that is highly productive. One thing I love about Fangio is that usually players have to overcome coaching. We call it playing above the Xs and Os. With Fangio it was very rare that we were in a bad play. With Fangio, we never had to overcome coaching.”
As an NFL veteran, Amukamara brings a substantial amount of on-field experience as he’s played in 113 games, with 99 starts. He’s been required to learn a variety of defenses from his time with the Giants, Jags, Bears, and most recently the Raiders. While he is considered somewhat undersized as a man-to-man cornerback, he could thrive in a familiar zone defense.
Outside of veteran corners A.J. Bouye and Bryce Callahan, the Broncos have a host of young and inexperienced players. When teams are thin at the cornerback position, safeties are naturally relied on to make up for lost ground.
Amukamara understands the significance of having elite safeties.
“Those guys are your last line of defense, and those guys can get you out of tight situations," Amukamara said. "Kareem Jackson is an amazing tackler. Then, you have Justin Simmons who’s free-range. They’re like the quarterback’s giving the corner’s the plays.”
Surely, the Broncos are set at the safety position, at least for the 2020 season. But to think that Jackson and Simmons can cover the warts of multiple players is unrealistic.
Hope is not a strategy and opposing offenses will target and pick on players the likes of Michael Ojemudia, De’Vante Bausby, and Davontae Harris. Isaac Yiadom was removed from the equation on Wednesday afternoon after the Broncos traded him to the Giants, potentially opening up a spot in the room, although, undrafted rookie Essang Bassey could be the corner who benefits most short-term from Yiadom's departure.
One would think that a veteran player that is comfortable in Fangio’s defense, and has an abundance of experience would be sought after by the Broncos. But for now, it seems like the Broncos are content with their mix of youth at corner.
Amukamara would be an ideal fit for the Broncos' secondary and could probably be signed to a team-friendly deal. Callahan has never finished an NFL season healthy and has yet to play an official game in the Orange and Blue as he enters his second year in Denver.
Fangio has also been on record throughout training camp on his anticipation that a young guy will separate himself from the competition. That hasn't happened.
“Everyone throws the term veteran around, and I feel like it gets thrown around so loosely,” Amukamara explained. “It doesn’t name all the tangibles or characteristics that go with it. Like for me, I’m a guy who’s been in the playoffs, and won a Super Bowl. I get asked a lot, if I’ve lost a step. I don’t think you just go from a starter to not being a starter because you’ve had another birthday.”
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