What the heck happens at safety?

[cstjohn17]

This is the biggest hole on the roster, sure there are a ton of free agents after this year but for just one day lets focus on the 2009 roster.

Merriweather has one spot, one starting position left and lots of room for improvement in the depth area.

Veteran FAs
WalterFootball.com: 2009 NFL Free Agents - Safeties


Draft
Mayock's top prospects at each position


My guess (as of 2/13/09) - Mid level / JAG veteran free agent signed:
James Sanders, James Butler, Giants , Sean Jones, Browns

Chip Vaughn drafted in round 3

 

[maverick4]

Meriweather is a free safety, stop moving him around.

Try to fix strong safety with a draft pick or Michael Huff is he's cut.

 

[Pats726]

WQell...Rdney COULD make it back...to fill in and give vet leadership...JSanders?? He is solid...and then there's Tank Williams...plus a draftee or two....Huff?? Possible as well...

 

[mayoclinic]

My personal guess:

- Rodney is done. One of my all-time favorites, but the tank is empty and he hasn't been able to play a full season in 3 years.
- Meriweather is solid. I worry that he's too frail to play SS and may get dinged up and injury prone, but he has been pretty solid at both FS and SS so far.
- Resigning James and Lewis Sanders would both be reasonable options if feasible and economical, and would at least give us 3/4 slots filled. If one of them cannot be resigned, then a FA signing is a must. Sean Jones and Michael Huff (if cut) look like the most attractive outside FA options at this time.
- Even if James and Lewis Sanders both get resigned, one of the outside FAs is still an option if they can be signed to a reasonable deal.
- Depending on what happens with all of the above, S is either a major or a moderate need in the draft. It's too up in the air to figure out how high a priority and exactly what we need to target. Sean Smith, Patrick Chung, Eugene ("Geno") Delmas, William Moore and Rashad Johnson are all prospects who will get a lot of attention as potential 1st day picks. There are a lot of mid-late round options as well.

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

Eugene ("Geno") Delmas

Huh?

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

Meriweather is a free safety, stop moving him around.

Try to fix strong safety with a draft pick or Michael Huff is he's cut.

Meriweather is the returning SS; as the nickel/dime and SS last season he had 4 interceptions and 2 sacks, why would you want him playing deep at FS? I appreciate the people who are concerned with his durability for the role, but as a playmaker, keeping him down close to and in the box allows him to disrupt things and make plays much more often then if he's lined up deep.

 

[maverick4]

Meriweather isn't strong enough for strong safety. Unless he pops a receiver who doesn't see him, when he tackles at the line he gives up a few yards before finishing the tackle

 

[JSn]

Meriweather is the returning SS; as the nickel/dime and SS last season he had 4 interceptions and 2 sacks, why would you want him playing deep at FS? I appreciate the people who are concerned with his durability for the role, but as a playmaker, keeping him down close to and in the box allows him to disrupt things and make plays much more often then if he's lined up deep.

Two pretty sweet sacks at that. Meri looked great this year and I think we'll be stoked about the guy mid-nest season.

I think he's tough enough for the way he played safety this year. He's a good threat to cover or attack, where with Rodney lately you knew he was basically an LB much of the time.

If we had two Meri's (maybe one a little bigger) we'd be in good shape to keep QB's guessing.

 

[tanked_as_usual]

I concur with the notion that BB would like someone bigger at SS than meriweather, but if there's no good options in that regard, that I would be fine with him at SS.....the biggest liability is matching up against the dallas clarks of the world on the deeper routes

 

[moss4ever]

I believe that we will draft a safety in this draft in the top 3 rounds; the youth movement at defense is on, so a younger stronger safety (SS) is probably the most ideal.

 

[BritPat]

Patrick Chung. Draft him. You've got an ST's ace straight away if nothing else.

 

[Ochmed Jones]

Meriweather is the returning SS; as the nickel/dime and SS last season he had 4 interceptions and 2 sacks, why would you want him playing deep at FS? I appreciate the people who are concerned with his durability for the role, but as a playmaker, keeping him down close to and in the box allows him to disrupt things and make plays much more often then if he's lined up deep.

I agree 100% with this assessment of Merriweather. Keep him close to the box and let him make plays.
If you are concerned about his durability, sign SS Bell of Miami to be a ST demon and backup SS.

By the end of the season, Merriweather was the closest thing to a playmaker we had in the secondary. Why mess with an emerging talent at a critical defensive position because of fear of injury???? Under that scenario, Brady never plays another down for fear of another season ending injury.

Hopefully this offsesason Woick will put another 5-10 pounds of muscle on Merriweather and he will be able to blow up more opposing RB's. An even better scenario is our front seven improves against the run so all that Merriweather has to do is clean up tackles and occasionally blitz.

Bigger point of enphasis: We desperately need a playmaker at CB and a FS with range in coverage.

PS: Stay away from Huff. As BB once said why do I want a defensive player that can't tackle??????

 

[PATSYLICIOUS]

Has anybody else heard anything about the Bears possibly releasing Mike Brown? I heard it mentioned, no links or anything, but I also saw some Bears fans a bit disappointed with it.

 

[moss4ever]

Let's try to get younger and stop collecting old players, though they might be great. We need to start developing talent instead.

 

[mayoclinic]

Huh?

Sorry, I had a brain fart ... I've been working too many hours this week and not sleeping much.

 

[CanadianPat'sFan]

Has anybody else heard anything about the Bears possibly releasing Mike Brown? I heard it mentioned, no links or anything, but I also saw some Bears fans a bit disappointed with it.

In Bears country I think they have already decided when they put him on IR. Here is a link;

Era over? Bears place Mike Brown on injured reserve - Inside the Bears

Just a rumor but something since the new year.

Will the Bears Dump Veteran FS Mike Brown? Bears Gab

 

[cstjohn17]

In Bears country I think they have already decided when they put him on IR. Here is a link;

Era over? Bears place Mike Brown on injured reserve - Inside the Bears

Just a rumor but something since the new year.

Will the Bears Dump Veteran FS Mike Brown? Bears Gab

He is a free agent, but can join the list of high injury risk platers that won't be the top choice (Harrison, Tank Williams and now Mike Brown).

Mike Brown

"Bears GM Jerry Angelo said he can't envision a scenario where impending free agent FS Mike Brown would return to the team."

 

[Kontradiction]

Meriweather isn't strong enough for strong safety. Unless he pops a receiver who doesn't see him, when he tackles at the line he gives up a few yards before finishing the tackle

I seem to remember him being a ballhawk and also blowing up Reggie Wayne. Credit to Wayne for absorbing that hit and still being able to hold onto the ball. That was, without a doubt, the biggest hit by a Patriot this past season.

 

[pats1]

Meriweather isn't strong enough for strong safety. Unless he pops a receiver who doesn't see him, when he tackles at the line he gives up a few yards before finishing the tackle

That's taking far too generic an approach to SS/FS. It doesn't work that way in the Pats' system.

 

[JSn]

That's taking far too generic an approach to SS/FS. It doesn't work that way in the Pats' system.

I just keep thinking about that strip sack to close the Seahawks game. Dang.