Ochmed Jones

Safety play is becoming more and more important in the NFL. Teams that lack a strong presence at this position tend to struggle in pass coverage. Most teams are scouring the college landscape looking for the next Ed Reed. Oakland overdrafted Huff a few years ago on the hope that he becomes the next Ed Reed.

Now that Wilson has excaped BB's doghouse and IF Merriweather is indeed moving to CB, that leaves us very thin at the safety position.

SS Rodney Harrison is not the player he was 3 years ago and is in steady decline. The jump ball he lost to the Giants WR still haunts me to this day. Three years ago, he lays out the Giants WR and we win.

FS Sanders is much better suited as a SS where he can get closer to the LOS.

SS tank Williams is JAG, and acts as insurance in case Rodney goes down.

I know BB likes to think of the safties as splitting the field instead of the traditional Free and Strong, but an analysis of the Pats season shows Sanders playing centerfield and acting like a FS for much of the season. And he really didn't get his hands on that many balls.

So what do we need, a thumper to replace Rodney after this season, or does Sanders move up to SS and we draft a ball hawking FS.

The best thumper of the SS class is Z-bit from Notre Dame. But he is under sized for the NFL and might break down fairly quickly.

The best ball hawking FS might be Phillips of Miami, but he is also the most likely to freelance and blow a coverage. Not to mention that in my opinion, he'll need at least a year and a half to learn the playbook.

Maybe we could package the #7 pick with a third rounder and send them to Oakland for Nnamdi and Huff. But somehow I can't see BB doing that even there was no salary cap.

I think we can pick up a quality ball hawking FS with a wart or two on day 2 and give him a year in the system to learn the playbook while contributing on special teams.

ALP

meriweather isnt moving to CB...it would be too stupid of a move....

rodney's time this year sees a big decline

sanders plays his natural SS role

and we have the next ed reed in an FS named meriweather

why weaken the safety play a lot, to improve the cb play a little?

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Last time I lived in New England the Pats became a Dynasty

Then I moved away and they haven't won since

...now I'm moving back, and a Lombardi I predict

dryheat44

What's that....that's....that's.....that's Patrick Lee music. I think he's in over his head at CB, but he seems to be an ideal FS for this team.

I'm also sure you've noticed I've been driving the Quentin Demps train.

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When it's third and 10, you can have the milk drinkers and I'll take the whiskey drinkers every time. -- R.I.P. Max McGee

BradyManny

Meriweather can't be moving to CB. It doesn't make sense on any level, least of all the fact that he is currently the ONLY free safety on the roster. He started at FS in the Super Bowl, and I expect the season will begin with him in the same situation.

So, IMO, the safety position is filled save for a backup FS.

ctpatsfan77

For the record, Bubba says hi.

Seriously, though, from PFW:

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"Momentum was quickly snatched away by New England, who once again proved that any Patriot, at any moment, can make a play." —Inside the NFL, Packers v. Patriots

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Jimke

Somewhere in the draft the Patriots will have to draft a safety

because Rodney Harrison, James Sanders, and Tank Williams become

free agents next year.

DW Toys

Sanders is awful. He cannot cover or tackle. We need a Rodney replacement in the wings and keep Merriweather back at FS. So at least go for a Tom Z or Josh Barrett who has 4.39 speed and is 224 lbs.
Love your idea of Aso and Huff. Do that swap and give them young James to boot. Look at Huffs' production. Like 87 tackles? What did Sanders? Half of that? Sanders is slow as well. Our biggest plays given up were passing over the middle.
DW Toys

DaBruinz

Would you just STOP with your hatred of Sanders? He's FASTER than Harrison (who ran a 4.8-40). He's a SOLID, but not spectacular tackler who is BETTER than Wilson and Samuel.

You might also want to go back the tapes and see that HARRISON was the one on the field for many of those big plays you are talking about.

VJCPatriot

This year's safety crop is pretty awful. I wouldn't spend earlier than a 3rd or 4th round pick on one.

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mgteich

The issue is value. Are you saying that their are no safeties who are values in the first two rounds, and that there are safeties who are values in the 3rd.

My suspicion is that there is no value at all.