Coverage Skills Of Our Safeties

[mgteich]

We like to say that the patriots don't have strong a free safeties, that they are all equal. That being said, coverage skills are still important. After all, if Chung is going to provide run support or blitz, then someone needs to be able to play center field and cover. We can have 9-11 defensive backs. For now, I will guess at 5 corners and 5 safeties.

COVERAGE SKILLS
---------------------

CHUNG

GREGORY

BARRETT

BROWN

WILLIAMS (not really a safety, but it seems he could take a safety spot)
=====
Our corners are McCourty, Dowling, Arrington, Moore and one to be acquired. Some would put a different value on the degree of need.

 

[Ring 6]

We like to say that the patriots don't have strong a free safeties, that they are all equal. That being said, coverage skills are still important. After all, if Chung is going to provide run support or blitz, then someone needs to be able to play center field and cover. We can have 9-11 defensive backs. For now, I will guess at 5 corners and 5 safeties.

COVERAGE SKILLS
---------------------

CHUNG

GREGORY

BARRETT

BROWN

WILLIAMS (not really a safety, but it seems he could take a safety spot)
=====
Our corners are McCourty, Dowling, Arrington, Moore and one to be acquired. Some would put a different value on the degree of need.

I think that it would be great to avoid having Sergio Brown on the field for any defensive snaps.
I BELIEVE that Barrett is not a good safety, but I leave open the possibility that his play last year was hindered by injury.

We need another starting caliber safety.

 

[mgteich]

I strongly agree with all three of your points. With regard to Barrett, I think that Belichick sees some talent, probably enough for him to make the team as our #4 safety.

I think that it would be great to avoid having Sergio Brown on the field for any defensive snaps.
I BELIEVE that Barrett is not a good safety, but I leave open the possibility that his play last year was hindered by injury.

We need another starting caliber safety.

 

[Sicilian]

I don't see another S in FA that could really fill the role you're describing. Landry definitely won't. The Gregory signing was a good one I think, he'll contribute but I'd rather him rotate in rather than be the starter.

Seems like the draft is our best hope for an impact addition to the secondary. The good news here is it can be either a CB or S, since another good CB would give us flexibility to play McCourty more at S. He would be a good center fielder in those situations I bet.

 

[Ring 6]

I strongly agree with all three of your points. With regard to Barrett, I think that Belichick sees some talent, probably enough for him to make the team as our #4 safety.

Yeah, the way he played was not what I expected BB thought he had, so either he evaluated him wrong, or the injuries diminished his play. I think that BB had plenty of opportiunity to evaluate him so I leave the possibility of less than full strength as an explanation. We'll see.

 

[Ring 6]

I don't see another S in FA that could really fill the role you're describing. Landry definitely won't. The Gregory signing was a good one I think, he'll contribute but I'd rather him rotate in rather than be the starter.

Seems like the draft is our best hope for an impact addition to the secondary. The good news here is it can be either a CB or S, since another good CB would give us flexibility to play McCourty more at S. He would be a good center fielder in those situations I bet.

I think Landry would be a great addition, if healthy, but I think another team is going to break the bank for him, relatively speaking given his position.

 

[Armchair Quarterback]

Barrett looked pretty bad to me when he was in there. He's been on IR the majority of the last two years. I don't think he should be counted on for 2012 and should be easily replaced/upgraded.

I'm really not all that impressed with Chung either and would welcome some competition for his starting position too.

 

[dex13]

Barrett looked pretty bad to me when he was in there. He's been on IR the majority of the last two years. I don't think he should be counted on for 2012 and should be easily replaced/upgraded.

I'm really not all that impressed with Chung either and would welcome some competition for his starting position too.

Chung's coverage skills are good against most TEs but when a quality WR goes back there, the WR definitely has the advantage. The Pats could really use a good FS who could play deep and read the field. Unfortunately, there aren't any in FA or in the draft.

One big issue is that the Pats don't have a safety who is really good at reading the field. Harrison seemed to excel at this as he set the secondary on each snap. Hopefully Chung can develop this skill.

 

[strngplyr]

Barrett seemed to be the fastest of our Safeties until injury, but he wasn't really around enough to see what we had. Don't recall seeing anything special outside of his speed.

 

[Marqui]

I'm really not all that impressed with Chung either and would welcome some competition for his starting position too.

Yeah...that's not happening.

 

[ATippett56]

With regard to Ihedigbo, Brown, Barrett, Lockett; to paraphrase the immortal words of Dean Vernon Wormer: "Has no grade point average!"

 

[Armchair Quarterback]

Yeah...that's not happening.

Right, unless they sign Landry....or draft someone.

 

[Marqui]

Right, unless they sign Landry....or draft someone.

Patrick Chung is starting for the New England Patriots in 2012 no matter who they sign or draft whether anyone likes it or not.

 

[NEboiTB]

Ihedigbo is absolutely awful in coverage and should not ever start at safety in the NFL again. If Sergio Brown wasn't good enough to beat him out for the starting spot then neither should he. Barrett is unreliable because of the injuries but if BB sees something in him then I trust that he can contribute in rotation until proven otherwise. Signing Landry could solve the problem because he has good instincts and can make big physical plays. However if we can't sign him, drafting Mark Barron would be another good option if he is there at 27.

 

[condon84]

I hope we sign Ihedigbo back. Chung hasn't shown that he can be healthy all season, and IMO Ihedigbo plays SS better than Chung. Take the names out of their jerseys and evaluate both of them for their play last season and Ihedigbo was a better performer.

We do need a coverage safety back there. Converting one of our corners into a FS full time might not be a bad idea.

 

[supafly]

I hope we sign Ihedigbo back. Chung hasn't shown that he can be healthy all season, and IMO Ihedigbo plays SS better than Chung. Take the names out of their jerseys and evaluate both of them for their play last season and Ihedigbo was a better performer.

We do need a coverage safety back there. Converting one of our corners into a FS full time might not be a bad idea.

I hear ya, on both accounts. Chung's strength is playing physical, it's certainly not in the coverage aspect. Ihedigbo may indeed have been at least as good as Chung in coverage.

I love the idea of using one of the CB's as a FS. I think it could be the start of a great thing back there. We need someone that can play the field, so to speak. We'll have to see what BB thinks about it.

It's certainly not out of the realm of possibilities that it may happen, especially at some point in the season.

Even if we do draft a safety with a high pick, what are the chances that he's going to be instantly thrown in there?

I can't remember all of the instances where this happened, going back to E.Wilson at CB in 2003, but I do remember Meriweather only coming in the dime package throughout most of the year. I believe that he was slowly blended into the equation more as the year progressed, but I don't know his overall snap percentage from 2007.

I think many or most are assuming that we'll pick a high round safety, and that he'll instantly be the starter from day one. While that's a possibility, there's also a possibility that will not happen; and it may be greater.

 

[dex13]

I really doubt that the Pats use a high pick on a safety as the quality just isn't there this year. In my wildest fantasy, Kirkpatrick falls low enough that the Pats can move up and get up without paying a huge ransom. This would allow McCorty to put some more time in at FS in certain packages (when the Pats play man2man) as Kirkpatrick and Dowling could man the CB position.

With a zone D, the Pats could probably get away with just an average FS.

 

[Armchair Quarterback]

Patrick Chung is starting for the New England Patriots in 2012 no matter who they sign or draft whether anyone likes it or not.

So if Landry does get signed and the Pats are clearly interested in him or they draft Barron, according to you they have no chance of starting over Chung. Care to explain your reason why? Is Chung so good he goes unchallenged and nobody could possibly beat him out?

 

[VrabelJr]

Similar to LaRon Landry, Josh Barrett is a physical freak that BB seems to covet at that position (at least one half of it anyway). Barrett is 6'2", 225lbs and ran a 4.35 at the combine. Unfortunately, staying healthy has been his issue just like Landry. Both of these guys have crazy high ceilings when healthy.

 

[JackBauer]

Chung hasn't shown that he can be healthy all season, and IMO Ihedigbo plays SS better than Chung.

The fact that the Patriots don't run FS/SS notwithstanding...

...no. Just no.