Meriweather at FS?

[slash83]

I personally think that Meriweather will be the starting FS begining of the season. With all the focus of getting faster on defense I think Meriweather is the better option then Sanders. Meriweather brings more speed range and playmaking ability to the FS position then Sanders does. Sanders is a solid player but I see him splitting time with Rodney on early downs while Meriweather holds down the FS spot. What do you guys think, would you rather see Meriweather start at FS instead of Sanders?

 

[pats1]

Re: Meriweather at FS

You'll see Sanders starting at FS and Harrison at SS. Meriweather will "start" as sort of a hybrid NB/DB/3rd safety as he did in the Super Bowl.

 

[Ring 6]

We do not actually have a strong safety and free safety in our system, we have a left safety and a right safety, meaning that each safety is SS on some plays and FS on others.
I dont care so much about who starts. All 3 will play a lot.
My biggest concern is that Harrison isnt playing safety in nickel/dime, or especially 2 minute D. He needs to be in a LB position or on the sidelines in those situations. He is very good as a LB in nickel/dime, by the way.
They will all play a lot. Tank williams may also.
I would expect that Meriwhether will get easily the most snaps among the safeties. I would guess that Harrison will play a lot in the base, and Sanders will spell Meriwhether sometimes in the base, and sub in for Harrison in the nickel/dime/2 minute D.

I would not be surprised to see as many as 4 safeties playing in the sub package, because Meriwhether could easily be the 'nickel corner' with Harrison or Williams aligned as a 'LB' and the other plus sanders at the traditional safety spots.

I am not confident that we have 2 every down safeties that would be an excellent unit, but I am very confident that we have the versatility, different skill sets, experience and ability among the group that the way we use them will amount to an excellent unit.

 

[satz]

We are moving towards defensive back`s where we seem to have a few db`s with different skills coming in in various roll. we are not a tradinal defence by any chance.

 

[DW Toys]

I personally think that Meriweather will be the starting FS begining of the season. With all the focus of getting faster on defense I think Meriweather is the better option then Sanders. Meriweather brings more speed range and playmaking ability to the FS position then Sanders does. Sanders is a solid player but I see him splitting time with Rodney on early downs while Meriweather holds down the FS spot. What do you guys think, would you rather see Meriweather start at FS instead of Sanders?

I agree. Sanders maybe a decent backup but not a starter.
DW Toys

 

[AzPatsFan]

I think you guys are a year out of date. There are four Safeties on teh team now, all four of whom are starter capable players.

This is Rodneys' last year, and I would not be surprised to see his playing time dwindle to almost nothing.

Cleavon Wiliams is a big, good, Strong Safety, just like Rodney. Brandon and James are cureent equally good smaller safeties; but Brandon has a higher upside and can be a Star.

Do you remember Troy Brown's last seasaon. He was on the roster, still helped to provide leadership and lockerroom presence, but didn't play much.

This is the Rodney phase out scenario.

 

[Patjew]

I agree. Sanders maybe a decent backup but not a starter.
DW Toys

I clicked on this thread just to make sure you commented.

Your vitriol seems to have lessened. That's good to see.

I think all 3 of the guys will get alot of PT this year. I don't see Rodney playing an insignificant role on the field like Troy did last year.

 

[PatsFan24]

B Meriweather will rotate between S and CB i think

 

[JoeShmoe]

Where we struggled badly last year was over the middle where we were relying on Rodney, Bruschi and Seau to provide coverage in pass plays. Thats why we gave up so much over the middle last year and teams figured it out.

I think BB and Pees have seen this, addressed it in FA and the draft and will use younger inside LB's (Mayo and Hobson) and younger safety's (B, JS and TW). I see Rodney playing on running plays or as a psudo 3rd LB as he did last year to match up on TE's like Clark and Witten

 

[signbabybrady]

We do not actually have a strong safety and free safety in our system, we have a left safety and a right safety, meaning that each safety is SS on some plays and FS on others.
I dont care so much about who starts. All 3 will play a lot.
My biggest concern is that Harrison isnt playing safety in nickel/dime, or especially 2 minute D. He needs to be in a LB position or on the sidelines in those situations. He is very good as a LB in nickel/dime, by the way.
They will all play a lot. Tank williams may also.
I would expect that Meriwhether will get easily the most snaps among the safeties. I would guess that Harrison will play a lot in the base, and Sanders will spell Meriwhether sometimes in the base, and sub in for Harrison in the nickel/dime/2 minute D.

I would not be surprised to see as many as 4 safeties playing in the sub package, because Meriwhether could easily be the 'nickel corner' with Harrison or Williams aligned as a 'LB' and the other plus sanders at the traditional safety spots.

I am not confident that we have 2 every down safeties that would be an excellent unit, but I am very confident that we have the versatility, different skill sets, experience and ability among the group that the way we use them will amount to an excellent unit.

we may have 4 safeties on the filed at one time as you said....but also factor that the LBs in those situations may be Mayo, Thomas, Vrable. Meaning our 3-4 nickle will be that much faster than it used to be as Mayo increases speed as much as the Safeties will.

 

[patsfaninpittsburgh]

Stop this discussion!!!!

Discussing topics like this is making the wait to September unbearable

 

[captain stone]

We do not actually have a strong safety and free safety in our system, we have a left safety and a right safety, meaning that each safety is SS on some plays and FS on others.
I dont care so much about who starts. All 3 will play a lot.
My biggest concern is that Harrison isnt playing safety in nickel/dime, or especially 2 minute D. He needs to be in a LB position or on the sidelines in those situations. He is very good as a LB in nickel/dime, by the way.
They will all play a lot. Tank williams may also.
I would expect that Meriwhether will get easily the most snaps among the safeties. I would guess that Harrison will play a lot in the base, and Sanders will spell Meriwhether sometimes in the base, and sub in for Harrison in the nickel/dime/2 minute D.

I would not be surprised to see as many as 4 safeties playing in the sub package, because Meriwhether could easily be the 'nickel corner' with Harrison or Williams aligned as a 'LB' and the other plus sanders at the traditional safety spots.

I am not confident that we have 2 every down safeties that would be an excellent unit, but I am very confident that we have the versatility, different skill sets, experience and ability among the group that the way we use them will amount to an excellent unit.

My opinion pretty much follows Andy's here. I can see Sanders & Stomper as our base duo; Rodney and/or Tank as short-yardage Ss & as long-yardage LBs with both coverage & blitzing duties. Stomper could also cover the slot WR on passing downs while Sanders plays CF. IDK if it's wise to have all 4 out there at the same time, however. My only wish would be to have an experienced vet as backup FS. Maybe Lewis Sanders could be that guy if the coaches feel that he doesn't possess the quickness for CB but does have the tackling ability for FS; he def. has the size.

 

[memento]

i'd like to see meriweather free safely catch the ball when it's between his hands. otherwise, i'm happy to have him on the field.

Rod Harrison is still a contributer to this team, whatever that means. If he can't play, he won't. In BB I trust.

 

[BelichickFan]

I can see Sanders & Stomper as our base duo;

So is this your new persona, making up nicknames to bring out the worst possible impression of our players ? Between this and your sh!t on Kaczur . . . it's sad.

 

[Kontradiction]

i'd like to see meriweather free safely catch the ball when it's between his hands. otherwise, i'm happy to have him on the field.

Rod Harrison is still a contributer to this team, whatever that means. If he can't play, he won't. In BB I trust.

Excellent post.

Anyway, Meriweather was really starting to catch on at the end of last season. The only exception, which is noted in this quotation, is that he could not hold on to an INT. Other than that, he was laying some wood out there and was starting to find his way into the "right place at the right time". After the Dolphin game, my friend and co-worker who is not a Patriot fan even mentioned BM by name for a big hit that he put on Ted "The Dancing Queen" Ginn. I don't think he'll start at the beginning of the season, but at the end of the season we should see him in on most downs with Rodney.

 

[BelichickFan]

i'd like to see meriweather free safely catch the ball when it's between his hands.

Supposedly he put a lot of work into his hands this offseason, hopefully it will show on the field.

 

[Kontradiction]

So is this your new persona, making up nicknames to bring out the worst possible impression of our players ? Between this and your sh!t on Kaczur . . . it's sad.

I thought it was funny to be honest with you.

 

[signbabybrady]

My only wish would be to have an experienced vet as backup FS.

I wouldn't worry about the lack of a veteran FS as Merriweather and Sanders are versatile and both could be either. So the lack of a vet FS only would hurt if both went down as Tank and Rodney at both Safety spots might be a little slow. But that is still better than every other team would field if they lost 2 of their top 3 safties.

 

[Ring 6]

we may have 4 safeties on the filed at one time as you said....but also factor that the LBs in those situations may be Mayo, Thomas, Vrable. Meaning our 3-4 nickle will be that much faster than it used to be as Mayo increases speed as much as the Safeties will.

Remember our OLBs are typically DEs in the nickel/dime.
So really what you are doing is removing 1 or 2 DL (we can use 3 or 4 man line in either) moving 2 LBs to DL, and adding 1 or 2 dbs (nickle or dime) and the remaining 2 LBs can either play a LB spot, or be replaced by an additional DB with one safety moving to a "LB" spot.
In the dime for example, we can have 3 or 4 DL (2 of which are LBs by trade) and as many as 7 DBs, with some of them aligned as 'LBs'.
that is one of the best parts of BBs system, is that he has versatile players who may be called a safety but are really an undersized great cover LB in those situations, or may be called an OLB but are really a pass rushing DE in those situaitons.
The point being that when you are in passing situations, the skillset required at many positions is different than what it is in a base D, and BB uses personell to adust to that.

 

[DW Toys]

I clicked on this thread just to make sure you commented.

Your vitriol seems to have lessened. That's good to see.

I think all 3 of the guys will get alot of PT this year. I don't see Rodney playing an insignificant role on the field like Troy did last year.

Thanks, I seem to be now preaching to the choir.
DW Toys