The need for safeties

[PATRIOTS-80]

In '07, we should be okay at the position. We will have Rodney, Wilson, Sanders and Hawkins. Plus, ST Mel Mitchell and Tebucky will be back in camp.

But here's the problem. Rodney is not guaranteed to play in '08, '07 could be his last year. '07 is Wilson's last year under contract. I believe Hawkins signed a 2 year deal last off-season, which means that '07 is his last year under contract.

As of now, James Sanders could be the only guy on the roster now who could be playing safety for us in '08. IMHO, Sanders did a good job this year (as good as or slightly better than Hawkins).

Thus, the safety position must be addressed 92 days from now in the '07 draft.

 

[makoute]

The Pats gives up way more big plays when Rodney Harrison doesn't play. I agree safety position should be address this year.

 

[patsfaninpa]

If Rodney and E.Wilson leave after 07. I don't want to start a rookie in 08. I'd like to draft someone this year. In the first we can probably get griffin or meriweather. Landry and Nelson will be gone. In the 2nd we can probably someone like Rouse,Wendling,Weddle or Pascitelli.

 

[makoute]

The Pats can always draft Merriweather or Griffin.

 

[notex]

In '07, we should be okay at the position. We will have Rodney, Wilson, Sanders and Hawkins. Plus, ST Mel Mitchell and Tebucky will be back in camp.

But here's the problem. Rodney is not guaranteed to play in '08, '07 could be his last year. '07 is Wilson's last year under contract. I believe Hawkins signed a 2 year deal last off-season, which means that '07 is his last year under contract.

As of now, James Sanders could be the only guy on the roster now who could be playing safety for us in '08. IMHO, Sanders did a good job this year (as good as or slightly better than Hawkins).

Thus, the safety position must be addressed 92 days from now in the '07 draft.

ugh forgot its that long

 

[patsfan55]

hawkins was a HUGE disapointment at the end of the yr and into postseason, the guy flat out stunk
allowed two big plays (cotcherys td and tomlinsons long catch and run) on horrible angle of pursuits
i used to be a fan, but the guy should not be in the starting lineup

 

[spacecrime]

hawkins was a HUGE disapointment at the end of the yr and into postseason, the guy flat out stunk
allowed two big plays (cotcherys td and tomlinsons long catch and run) on horrible angle of pursuits
i used to be a fan, but the guy should not be in the starting lineup

1. Tomlinson. You know, the other team earns their pay, also. There have been a lot of TDs scored this year, and every defensive player that "allowed" a TD does not stink. Tomlinson scored about 30 TDs besides the one that you are talking about. There is a reason he is MVP, and that is he can make people miss. If every team cut every defensive player that misjudged Tomlinson, there would be no one left on any team.

2. Cotchery. The same, except that youk don;'t know if he was burned or not. You only know he was in the area. Unless you know the defensive alignment, you don't know if someone else was suposed to be there. Remember when people ragged on Randall Gay for months about a catch he "allowed" Plaxico to make, and how he stunck, and then it came out that Harrison was in the wrong spot?

Except for Samuels, Hawkins was the one bright spot in our defensive backfield the past couple years

 

[BelichickFan]

We have 1 DB we can count on past this year. Hobbs. Harrison is close to finished. Wilson is a UFA after this year. Samuel will likely be Franchised and traded. The others are JAGs.

I'm not expecting it but I wouldn't be shocked if our two #1s and #2 are ALL DBs.

 

[patsfan55]

1. Tomlinson. You know, the other team earns their pay, also. There have been a lot of TDs scored this year, and every defensive player that "allowed" a TD does not stink. Tomlinson scored about 30 TDs besides the one that you are talking about. There is a reason he is MVP, and that is he can make people miss. If every team cut every defensive player that misjudged Tomlinson, there would be no one left on any team.

2. Cotchery. The same, except that youk don;'t know if he was burned or not. You only know he was in the area. Unless you know the defensive alignment, you don't know if someone else was suposed to be there. Remember when people ragged on Randall Gay for months about a catch he "allowed" Plaxico to make, and how he stunck, and then it came out that Harrison was in the wrong spot?

Except for Samuels, Hawkins was the one bright spot in our defensive backfield the past couple years

1 tomlinson
first off he didnt score a td on that play
and i know tomlinson is nasty, but hawkins didnt even slow him down
i dont give him as much blame on this as the next one

2 cotchery
im not talkin bout the coverage
i said, angle of pursuit
in other words i was talkin bout AFTER he made the catch
hawkins came up to where cotchery was
not to where he was gonna be
therefore, a terrible angle of pursuit
and instead of going for about twenty yards
it went for 77 and a td

 

[spacecrime]

1 tomlinson
first off he didnt score a td on that play
and i know tomlinson is nasty, but hawkins didnt even slow him down
i dont give him as much blame on this as the next one

Good of you. But I repeat that Hawkins is not the only guy who didn't slow Tomlinson down.

2 cotchery
im not talkin bout the coverage
i said, angle of pursuit
in other words i was talkin bout AFTER he made the catch
hawkins came up to where cotchery was
not to where he was gonna be
therefore, a terrible angle of pursuit
and instead of going for about twenty yards
it went for 77 and a td

Yeah? What's your point? You said he flat out stunck because he made two bad plays, and I say that he is a good CB who is playing good safety, and that even Ronnie Lott let guys get by him once in a while.

This business of guys "flat out stinking" because of a bad play is ridiculous.

Is he perfect? No. Is he an asset to the team? Most definately.

One of the problems we had in the SB was his having the flu and not playing. He plays more and maybe we get a stop on one of the two long Colts 3rd quarter drives.

The more I think about it, the more I believe that had Hawkins played the entire game, the Pats would be in Miami right now. One stop. One stop in two drives. That's what we needed.

 

[ayjackson]

good job policing the hyberbole, spacecrime....hawkins remains a good prospect for FS, despite a possible rough patch in his development....i'm not opposed to drafting more options going forward, though