What the heck happens at safety?
 

This is the biggest hole on the roster, sure there are a ton of free agents after this year but for just one day lets focus on the 2009 roster.

Merriweather has one spot, one starting position left and lots of room for improvement in the depth area.

Veteran FAs
WalterFootball.com: 2009 NFL Free Agents - Safeties


Draft
Mayock's top prospects at each position


My guess (as of 2/13/09) - Mid level / JAG veteran free agent signed:
James Sanders, James Butler, Giants , Sean Jones, Browns

Chip Vaughn drafted in round 3

Re: What the heck happens at Safety?
 

Meriweather is a free safety, stop moving him around.

Try to fix strong safety with a draft pick or Michael Huff is he's cut.

Re: What the heck happens at Safety?
 

WQell...Rdney COULD make it back...to fill in and give vet leadership...JSanders?? He is solid...and then there's Tank Williams...plus a draftee or two....Huff?? Possible as well...

Re: What the heck happens at Safety?
 

My personal guess:

- Rodney is done. One of my all-time favorites, but the tank is empty and he hasn't been able to play a full season in 3 years.
- Meriweather is solid. I worry that he's too frail to play SS and may get dinged up and injury prone, but he has been pretty solid at both FS and SS so far.
- Resigning James and Lewis Sanders would both be reasonable options if feasible and economical, and would at least give us 3/4 slots filled. If one of them cannot be resigned, then a FA signing is a must. Sean Jones and Michael Huff (if cut) look like the most attractive outside FA options at this time.
- Even if James and Lewis Sanders both get resigned, one of the outside FAs is still an option if they can be signed to a reasonable deal.
- Depending on what happens with all of the above, S is either a major or a moderate need in the draft. It's too up in the air to figure out how high a priority and exactly what we need to target. Sean Smith, Patrick Chung, Eugene ("Geno") Delmas, William Moore and Rashad Johnson are all prospects who will get a lot of attention as potential 1st day picks. There are a lot of mid-late round options as well.

Re: What the heck happens at Safety?
 

Huh? :confused:

Re: What the heck happens at Safety?
 

Meriweather is the returning SS; as the nickel/dime and SS last season he had 4 interceptions and 2 sacks, why would you want him playing deep at FS? I appreciate the people who are concerned with his durability for the role, but as a playmaker, keeping him down close to and in the box allows him to disrupt things and make plays much more often then if he's lined up deep.

Re: What the heck happens at Safety?
 

Meriweather isn't strong enough for strong safety. Unless he pops a receiver who doesn't see him, when he tackles at the line he gives up a few yards before finishing the tackle

Re: What the heck happens at Safety?
 

Two pretty sweet sacks at that. Meri looked great this year and I think we'll be stoked about the guy mid-nest season.

I think he's tough enough for the way he played safety this year. He's a good threat to cover or attack, where with Rodney lately you knew he was basically an LB much of the time.

If we had two Meri's (maybe one a little bigger) we'd be in good shape to keep QB's guessing.

Re: What the heck happens at Safety?
 

I concur with the notion that BB would like someone bigger at SS than meriweather, but if there's no good options in that regard, that I would be fine with him at SS.....the biggest liability is matching up against the dallas clarks of the world on the deeper routes

Re: What the heck happens at Safety?
 

I believe that we will draft a safety in this draft in the top 3 rounds; the youth movement at defense is on, so a younger stronger safety (SS) is probably the most ideal.