Why we need Rodney Back in '07

[maverick4]

In addition to his leadership and hard hitting ability, did anyone know that Rodney is the all-time sack leader among active DBs?

Rodney is a once in a lifetime safety. He has 28.5 career sacks and 30 interceptions all-time, which makes him the only defensive safety or cornerback with over 27/27, I believe.

 

[Rob0729]

Why do people keep talking about Wilson as a starting CB ? He hasn't played CB, other than training camp, for 4 years now. Hobbs looks like a good young CB, there's no reason to make him just a PR and put Wilson in his spot at CB.

Hobbs is a starting CB next year. The other one will be Samuel, Gay, a draft pick or a FA - it won't be Wilson.

The only reason I would consider moving Wilson is because there is a good crop of free agent safeties. Wilson is versatile enough to move back to CB and we can improve two positions in doing so.

I personally was against him moving to CB position in the preseason of this year feeling him at FS and Hobbs and Samuel at CB was the best combo. The problem is that we may lose Samuel and Clement may be out of our price range and the rest of the veteran CBs are slim. Going into the regular season with an injury prone Randall Gay or a rookie as our slated starter is a scary proposition. If we can get a Deon Grant or Ken Hamlin, it would improve our safety position and Wilson is a better bet at CB than Gay or a rookie at least in the short term.

 

[JackBauer]

What we need is to get more athletic at S (and LB, for that matter). If Rodney comes back, that's great, but we desperately need more speed.

Sanders had a good year, but I am not sold on him. He is not a great cover guy. He is very good at playing close to the line. Rodney isn't the best cover guy in the world either, but far superior to Sanders.

Did you seriously just try to claim that Harrison is far superior to Sanders in coverage? If so, please pass the bong.

Sanders is only 23. He may never be Rodney, but look how much he's improved since his rookie year. I think he'll be a solid ss for many years to come.

Thank you. There is little reason at this point to believe that Sanders is not capable of being the SS to succeed Rodney. If anything, we need another FS because I don't like Hawkins starting if Wilson goes down.

 

[BelichickFan]

The only reason I would consider moving Wilson is because there is a good crop of free agent safeties. Wilson is versatile enough to move back to CB and we can improve two positions in doing so.

Maybe I'm just too cynical and pessimistic. But the reality is that Belichick and Pioli know a good CB is a tougher skill set than a good Safety. So my assumption, which my not be valid, is they either think Wilson can't play CB in the NFL or is a better Safety - otherwise after he bailed them out at S in 2003 I would think they would have moved him back to CB in 2004 and gotten a better value at S.

I realize all that is conjecture, speculation and basically bull but I'm sticking with it

 

[ATippett56]

If we can get a Deon Grant or Ken Hamlin, it would improve our safety position.

Forget about overpaying for those clowns .......................... with the 28th selection in the 2007 NFL Draft, the New England Patriots select safety Michael Griffin from the University of Texas.

 

[maverick4]

Did you seriously just try to claim that Harrison is far superior to Sanders in coverage? If so, please pass the bong.

I know someone else said this, but I happen to agree. Harrison is a GREAT coverage safety and he gets far less credit for this skill than for his bone-jarring hits.

 

[JackBauer]

I know someone else said this, but I happen to agree. Harrison is a GREAT coverage safety and he gets far less credit for this skill than for his bone-jarring hits.

While I think Rodney's coverage issues have, in the past, been overblown, this is simply not true. Rodney circa 2004 was above-average in coverage, but calling him GREAT (!) is an overstatement.

To expect that Rodney will be even serviceable in coverage next season is about as ludicrous as expecting Bruschi to cover Dallas Clark again when we play the Colts.

We need more athleticism, not less.

 

[Rob0729]

What we need is to get more athletic at S (and LB, for that matter). If Rodney comes back, that's great, but we desperately need more speed.



Did you seriously just try to claim that Harrison is far superior to Sanders in coverage? If so, please pass the bong.



Thank you. There is little reason at this point to believe that Sanders is not capable of being the SS to succeed Rodney. If anything, we need another FS because I don't like Hawkins starting if Wilson goes down.

Yep. Sanders isn't very good in coverage. He has had a few good games recently, but he has been burnt quite a bit in spaces. Harrison isn't great, but he is more consistent.

 

[Rob0729]

Maybe I'm just too cynical and pessimistic. But the reality is that Belichick and Pioli know a good CB is a tougher skill set than a good Safety. So my assumption, which my not be valid, is they either think Wilson can't play CB in the NFL or is a better Safety - otherwise after he bailed them out at S in 2003 I would think they would have moved him back to CB in 2004 and gotten a better value at S.

I realize all that is conjecture, speculation and basically bull but I'm sticking with it

I think Wilson is playing safety for one reason. He was forced to play the position because of the loss of Milloy in 2003. He performed well in that position in 2003 and 2004 when we had Law and Poole and Gay and Samuel at CB and not a lot of depth at CB. He was drafted to be a CB though.

I think if they could find a better solution at safety, they would consider moving Wilson back to CB. In fact, Wilson has alway played CB in certain formations since his rookie year. It isn't like he hasn't played CB at the NFL level at all.

I am just floating out an option. I don't know if the Pats will go that way. But if the Pats are looking to upgrade our secondary through free agency, there are more options at saftey than CB. Personally, I would love us to get Nate Clement, but I think he will be too expensive.

 

[JackBauer]

Yep. Sanders isn't very good in coverage. He has had a few good games recently, but he has been burnt quite a bit in spaces. Harrison isn't great, but he is more consistent.

"Quite a bit"?

Perhaps you can give some recent examples of this occuring.