My Kingdom for a Free Safety

[Phinsfan93]

they would have probably taken taco if harris wasn't there, both bad picks, they wanted taco too, they'll never wisen up, its like saying if this and that and this and that and this weren't available MAYBE we would have traded down which means never, its not how they draft. Safeties went late for how good they were in this draft, Qb, rb, and wr went way too early which pushed a lot of the safeties farther than they should have been.

You nor I know what would have happened. Rumor was that they were interested in LB Jarrad Davis before Detroit took him. That changes everything.

 

[dolphinlifer]

Shoulda' coulda' woulda'. The only thing that matters is what happened. Besides Hooker and M.Williams who were the projected, because nothing is absolute, "long-term" answers at FS?

def not saying they had to be picked first round, i woulda taken watt first round and a lot of the safeties in 3+, even king and elder were there later on which would have filled two starter spots alone for a while, this draft had a ton of talent, king and elder would probably be 3rd round picks or 2nd round picks in normal drafts, the refusal to trade down turned this from a possible amazing draft into an okay one.

 

[Avigatorx]

Before the draft, I wrote that Safety was not going to be a priority because the position is one of the least important on a defense. I'm going to stand by that, and write that the front office seems to agree.

The modern NFL is about pass rush and tight coverage. The Safety is a complimentary position, and we have a really good one in Jones... we can afford for the other to be average while we get our house in order.

I couldnt disagree more.

Particularly for our team.

Our D is built around press coverage in order to give the Dline time to get to the QB.

The problem is, we couldnt play press coverage last year for fear of getting beat deep. So we had our press corner, Maxwell, playing off coverage and giving huge cushions.

If we had reliable help over the top in the form of a sideline to sideline, ballhawking free safety with some serious wheels, then we could actually play press coverage and eliminate the 5 yard slant patterns that killed us last year.

You could argue that a true FS is actually the lynchpin that this wide 9 defense needs to work properly.

 

[Feverdream]

Alright. You've got my interest. Care to go into detail about your safety theory?

It's not so hard really... the game of football is won in the trenches. To win, you need to stop the run and generate a pass rush. Corners are important because they lock down WRs, so that the QB can be taken down.

Safety... the name describes the position. When all else fails, maybe he can bail you out... maybe.

Add in the salary cap and a need to Marshall your resources, and a Safety becomes a luxury position. Let's face it, if a Safety makes lots of plays, it is because those in front of him have failed... a lot.

Nate Allen and TJ are both players who've been successful, but have been injured or suspended recently. Both are excellent, low cost risks. Bringing these two in GUARANTEED Miami had no room for a highly drafted rook. Anyone who understood filling out a roster got this... in the same way that signing Timmons meant we'd draft a SAM rather than a Will.

This ain't rocket science.

 

[Feverdream]

I couldnt disagree more.

Particularly for our team.

Our D is built around press coverage in order to give the Dline time to get to the QB.

The problem is, we couldnt play press coverage last year for fear of getting beat deep. So we had our press corner, Maxwell, playing off coverage and giving huge cushions.

If we had reliable help over the top in the form of a sideline to sideline, ballhawking free safety with some serious wheels, then we could actually play press coverage and eliminate the 5 yard slant patterns that killed us last year.

You could argue that a true FS is actually the lynchpin that this wide 9 defense needs to work properly.

Clearly... the front office disagrees with you.

 

[Sons Of Shula]

It's not so hard really... the game of football is won in the trenches. To win, you need to stop the run and generate a pass rush. Corners are important because they lock down WRs, so that the QB can be taken down.

Safety... the name describes the position. When all else fails, maybe he can bail you out... maybe.

Add in the salary cap and a need to Marshall your resources, and a Safety becomes a luxury position. Let's face it, if a Safety makes lots of plays, it is because those in front of him have failed... a lot.

Nate Allen and TJ are both players who've been successful, but have been injured or suspended recently. Both are excellent, low cost risks. Bringing these two in GUARANTEED Miami had no room for a highly drafted rook. Anyone who understood filling out a roster got this... in the same way that signing Timmons meant we'd draft a SAM rather than a Will.

This ain't rocket science.

Since I know you wont take my word for it, here's someone you will.

What does Belichick look for in a safety?

"Production versus the run and pass, can't afford to mess up. You can dominate from this position; [Rodney Harrison] and Ed Reed dominate games.

"You have to be a smart player. Takes great angles. Not fooled by play action. You cannot win with a dumb safety. They have to make all the calls, they help the corners and linebackers.

"Have to be a tough player. There are no good soft safeties. You lose with dumb guys and soft guys."

In a pass heavy league, strong safety play is vital. Not the position of strong but the importance of one who plays well. Safeties, as mentioned by Belichick above, are responsible for the coverage calls and alignments and they're also responsible for it's disguises.

Why is that significant? "66% of (a defense's) success is pre-snap" - Michigan defensive coordinator, Don Brown, AFCA '17.

IOW, A safety is responsible for more than 2/3's of a defense's overall effectiveness. That type of impact is not a luxury, it's a must.

*And since when do CB's "lock down" receivers? You have more fingers on your hand (assuming all went well in woodshop) then there are lock down CB's in the NFL.

 

[Avigatorx]

Clearly... the front office disagrees with you.

Or they think that they already have that guy in house. Maybe they do. Maybe they think McDonald is that guy, or maybe they will convert one of our corners into a safety.

But if they think they can keep playing soft coverage and still get to the QB they are gonna get the same results as last year.

 

[Sirspud]

Clearly... the front office disagrees with you.

I wouldn't neccessarily say that's the case, it's just speaks to the true dearth of talent this defense had before the draft, combined with who was available in the draft, as well as the existence of some stopgaps available at that position compared to some others that may have influenced their moves.

 

[Feverdream]

I think it's instructive that when boardies argue for a Safety, they always mention Hall of Fame type guys... instead of just solid or even good players.

This is an apples and oranges comparison and is intellectually inaccurate. Sure... a HOF player is nice to have at any position, but this makes for a crappy argument. If you are gonna argue HOF vs. HOF, I'll take the sack artist... thanks.

 

[Sons Of Shula]

I think it's instructive that when boardies argue for a Safety, they always mention Hall of Fame type guys... instead of just solid or even good players.

This is an apples and oranges comparison and is intellectually inaccurate. Sure... a HOF player is nice to have at any position, but this makes for a crappy argument. If you are gonna argue HOF vs. HOF, I'll take the sack artist... thanks.

It wasn't the argument, it was an example. Watch Duron Harmon play for the Patriots now. He gives them very similar advantages and allows them to do the things with the other 10 defenders that isn't available to all teams. Same goes for Eric Berry of KC, Eric Weddle of Baltimore, and Earl Thomas for Seattle.

 

[Feverdream]

Again... the F.O. clearly does not share your enthusiasm for this position


Maybe next year... (but I hope not)

 

[insomnia411]

I'd really like to know if there is a good centerfielder at FS out there that might be available on the trade block for a 2018 draft pick.
As far as I can tell, after this draft we just had, the only position on our defense (and really the whole team) where there is a glaring hole that requires addreasing is free safety. If there is someone out there to be had, even it if it is for a high pick next year, that can come in and be a great immediate asset as a rangy, coverage/ single high free safety that can get his hands on a lot of passes then we should definitely pull the trigger. We should be in "go for it" mode right now. We have a squad that can make some ****in noise this year and a player like I just described could put us over the top.

 

[Gonzo]

Again... the F.O. clearly does not share your enthusiasm for this position


Maybe next year... (but I hope not)

Extraordinarily weak argument that you keep using, for some reason. Just screams, "I can't actually counter any of your argument." If they drafted purely for need rather than based on what was available at each pick, they should be fired. FS is a need, which is why they brought in two and no doubt considered some in the draft. Better players at their respective positions just happened to be available when we picked. That doesn't mean FS wasn't a need.

 

[finomenal]

Extraordinarily weak argument that you keep using, for some reason. Just screams, "I can't actually counter any of your argument." If they drafted purely for need rather than based on what was available at each pick, they should be fired. FS is a need, which is why they brought in two and no doubt considered some in the draft. Better players at their respective positions just happened to be available when we picked. That doesn't mean FS wasn't a need.

Nuh uh. Like, the FO totally disagrees with you. So, there's that.

 

[Phinatic8u]

Speaking of safety, I hope Miami trades the farm for Derwin James.

You think Hooker is good? ****.