So, are the Pats now going to keep their SS 'in the box' like Seattle does?

Here's a brief description of Seattle's secondary from an article about them (good read):

Seahawks use safeties unlike any other NFL team
"...In a league where many teams use safeties that are essentially interchangeable, Seattle is different. It has one safety who's as big as a linebacker in Kam Chancellor and another with the coverage skills that would allow him to play cornerback, but the speed and instincts that make him an elite safety.


Thomas has one-of-a-kind range, a center fielder who can line up 25 yards off the line of scrimmage, cover sideline to sideline and come crashing forward to the line of scrimmage when the situation calls for it

He is unique, and not just because he is the only sub-6-foot starter in Seattle's secondary, but because of what his speed enables not just him to do, but Seattle's defense. Thomas is capable of being a single-high safety, meaning he's the one-man coverage policy at the back of the defense. It allows Seattle to put an extra defender in the box to defend the run if it wants or someone else underneath in coverage...."

Well, we got that coverage Safety in McCourtey, right? I'd also imagine that's why Belichick got man-coverage guys at CB like Revis and Browner; because Bill wants to play physical man-coverage and keep a (big) strong-safety in the box, right? So...who is that SS? I can't help but wonder if this is related to what Bill has tried to do with big, physical players like Adrian Wilson and Tavon Wilson in the past; could Tavon earn a starting role then? His biggest weakness is deep coverage, but he presumably won't be asked to do that very often...in the Pats can run that D as successful as Seattle.

Be careful what you say. Describing a safety as being an "in-the-box safety" is apparently a bad thing on this forum.

KontradictioN said:

Be careful what you say. Describing a safety as being an "in-the-box safety" is apparently a bad thing on this forum.

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All, that matters is that Seattle uses their SS like this....so, will the Pats now try to do so also?

no

KontradictioN said:

Be careful what you say. Describing a safety as being an "in-the-box safety" is apparently a bad thing on this forum.

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I'm wondering who of New England's Strong Safeties is the size of a Linebacker like Chancellor?

Shockt327 said:

All, that matters is that Seattle uses their SS like this....so, will the Pats now try to do so also?

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I don't think so. Not on a regular basis anyway. You'll probably see them play a lot of Cover-1 and single high safety looks but that's match-up based (I.E. - you probably won't see those looks against Detroit or Green Bay).

ausbacker said:

I'm wondering who of New England's Strong Safeties is the size of a Linebacker like Chancellor?

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None of them, but you have a couple of guys whose strengths play into run support. Not sure if that's what the OP is getting at since Chancellor is excellent in coverage as well.

If Belichick wants to do it, he's got the #1 CB and the FS to pull it off. That "in the box" safety would be about 40 pounds lighter than Chancellor and playing a different role, though.

KontradictioN said:

None of them, but you have a couple of guys whose strengths play into run support. Not sure if that's what the OP is getting at since Chancellor is excellent in coverage as well.

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There's one in particular who I won't ever want to see take the field as a Strong Safety for New England. Regarding Chancellor you're right. He's a fine all-round player.

4-4, 5-2 & 6-1 fronts are all pretty common sights in Seattle thanks to the versatility of the players they have.

With the players the Patriots have, only 1 stands out as a candidate to play the Chancellor role and that is Jamie Collins. He can run, cover and rush the passer, the problem is a lack of depth at LB to play with a 4-4 front (unless Smith, Armstead & Buchanan can all play at LDE well enough to allow Ninkovich to stand up).

So, a quick change up to my usual 5-2-4, how about a 4-3 with a twist:
With Collins as a pseudo-SS, playing the Chancellor role down in the box and 3 Corners on the field to help with pass coverage. There's some added flexibility in what can be done - such as Ninkovich stands up and you have a rush-heavy 3-4 front.

Nate Ebner starting SS baby!!!!

Sciz said:

If Belichick wants to do it, he's got the #1 CB and the FS to pull it off. That "in the box" safety would be about 40 pounds lighter than Chancellor and playing a different role, though.

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Not if it's Collins. He does have the speed to pull it off.

PP2 said:

Not if it's Collins. He does have the speed to pull it off.

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Yep, Collins beat Chancellor in every combine drill except the bench press if I remember rightly. So he could actually be more suited to the hybrid LB/SS role.

Big-T said:

Yep, Collins beat Chancellor in every combine drill except the bench press if I remember rightly. So he could actually be more suited to the hybrid LB/SS role.

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I think that Collins strength would be playing in space and with him playing in that role I am not so sure it would be wise to put him out on the TE in Man when that situation arose

We would still need to have someone play that more flexible cover role and could that be the J.Thomas pick? I know everyone wants the big safety but, I recall Bob sanders being pretty good at 5'8 and we just need that job done I could see the need for him to bigger for intimidation for some

Little dogs can pack a big bite too

Big-T said:

With the players the Patriots have, only 1 stands out as a candidate to play the Chancellor role and that is Jamie Collins. He can run, cover and rush the passer, the problem is a lack of depth at LB to play with a 4-4 front (unless Smith, Armstead & Buchanan can all play at LDE well enough to allow Ninkovich to stand up).

So, a quick change up to my usual 5-2-4, how about a 4-3 with a twist:

Ninkovich-Kelly-Wilfork-Cha. Jones
Mayo-Hightower
Collins
Browner-Dennard-McCourty-Revis
​

With Collins as a pseudo-SS, playing the Chancellor role down in the box and 3 Corners on the field to help with pass coverage. There's some added flexibility in what can be done - such as Ninkovich stands up and you have a rush-heavy 3-4 front.

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Of course, that's more of a heavy nickel than a safety-in-the-box alignment, although with Kelly and Wilfork inside, we'd still be pretty stout against the run. Your first point that we lack the depth at LB to do what Seattle does is spot on. I do think NE will use a line-up similar to what you show, only with Easley/Armstead pairing with Kelly/Wilfork up front, but it differs from Seattle's approach, because Chancellor puts them in closer to a 4-4 or a Buddy Ryan 46 alignment than the 4-2 with Collins as a rover, as you've set it up.

why is this looked at as something new for BB....Seems to me he has been looking for that hybrid LB/SS for years...

Folks enamored with the latest trendy winning combination usually overlook the unique or rare freakish atheletic attributes of the various role players. You go to war with the army you have.

When you tell me who the string safety is I can form an opinion.

Collins with his explosion n size needs to add 10lbs of muscle and do more blitzing. I still say browner play a lot of ss. His skill set screams ss. He lacks speed n it started showing to play corner. He is 6" 3 1/2 223 lbs and known for physical play n hard Tackling. Ss's specialize in man up on te's. How can that not fit. He has trouble with great speed as a corner. That won't b a prob at ss covering te's. He can cover better than chancellor cuz Noway chancellor could ever play corner. So in that regard he is better than chancellor. Chancellor is a harder hitter but Browner is a physical and sure tackler and can drop the hammer in his own right and is far superior in coverage than chancellor. Just cuz browner is the ss doesn't mean he can't b matched up with a big wr from the ss spot from time to time. I think Ryan is ready to step in as the #2 corner at nearly 6 feet and about 200 lbs. He is physical agile with very good makeup speed. Dennard in the slot with McCourt y and browner manning the safety spots. 2 safety's that can cover like corners n tackle with the best of them. Now only if we can get a qwik twitch passrusher. Let's hope Easley is healthy n can play up to the hype.
That is y bills drafting is so heavily criticized. In this passing league a playmaking wr n explosive edge rusher is more important than any single position outside qb. Bill has passed over future standouts in favor of complete busts. He has reached for de,wr"s that became complete busts. Tavon Wilson was the last straw. He should have known that with his recent track record that if the Wilson reach failed that he would be ripped into. His free passes were all used up. I like the fact we have reevis/browner but db has been his most heavily drafted position and needed to turn to free agency to fix the db"s from being poor and a glaring hole.

I do not see them keeping a safety in the box, I actually think often times they will run with 3 cornerback, 1 safety base.

CB – Revis
CB – Dennard
CB/LB – Browner (covers TE)
SAF – McCourty