More Important: a stud CB or FS?

[Nunchucks]

With the current mix of DBs on the team, obviously, McCourty's best spot is safety. However, that doesn't mean he should play safety next season. If the Patriots manage to pick up a safety, like Ed Reed, I think McCourty's best spot would be at CB.

McCourty and Dennard or Talib as the top two, along with a safety duo that is competent would be much better than asking McCourty to play safety and having a sub-par CB.

Patriots should franchise Talib, see who they can get in FA and depending on the quality of safety they pick up, they can drop the tag and start McCourty at CB.

They actually have quite a bit of flexibility.

 

[BTTA]

Another thought: what if the coaching staff believes that Dowling is healthy now and as good a bet to give them a full season as anyone, and that he replaces Talib (who walks), and that as the two first year guys become second year guys, the defensive backfield will improve without having to sign an FA's at all.

Scares me, but not wouldn't surprise me.

 

[signbabybrady]

With the current mix of DBs on the team, obviously, McCourty's best spot is safety. However, that doesn't mean he should play safety next season. If the Patriots manage to pick up a safety, like Ed Reed, I think McCourty's best spot would be at CB.

McCourty and Dennard or Talib as the top two, along with a safety duo that is competent would be much better than asking McCourty to play safety and having a sub-par CB.

Patriots should franchise Talib, see who they can get in FA and depending on the quality of safety they pick up, they can drop the tag and start McCourty at CB.

They actually have quite a bit of flexibility.

You can only remove the tag if he has not signed so you cant neccessarily take that plan.

Personally I think they should tag him because they need a good corner and while it is a steep price I think it is insurance against his other troubles. If he were willing to take short money and/or short years on a deal that is not worth as much as the tag than obviously that would be better but I dont want to see him walk.

 

[signbabybrady]

Another thought: what if the coaching staff believes that Dowling is healthy now and as good a bet to give them a full season as anyone, and that he replaces Talib (who walks), and that as the two first year guys become second year guys, the defensive backfield will improve without having to sign an FA's at all.

Scares me, but not wouldn't surprise me.

I dont think you can count on RAS-IR for anything. He has talent and will obviously get a chance to compete in camp but not sure how you could bank on him both from an injury and developement prospective (he hasnt played much in the two years he has been here). IMO he is 4 or 5 on the depth chart to start even without 2 or 3 even on the roster right now (Dennard as 1 until another CB better is resigned or signed).

My ideal situation at Corner would be to resign Talib and Arrington allowing you too start where you left off last year. You still need to add depth to this as I never want to see Arington anywhere except the slot.
So you still need a key back up Cornerback and I would slot this guy in at 4 on the depth chart this could be a low level FA or draft pick and that would leave Ras-IR fighting for a 5th corner spot that may or may not be there as it could be a safety instead and only 4 corners.
Given his skill if he could stay healthy I think he could threaten anyone ahead of him and that would add to the overall comeptition and depth but again you cant count on him you have to fill the spots in front of him and see how it shakes out.


If the above were to happen that would mean both Talib and a rookie CB or low level but solid back up status and the CB position would be full. By default that leaves McCourty at safety and means that you could get away with doing nothing and leave McCourty and Gregory as your starters and Wilson as the key back up. Or you could try and continue to improve the secondary by adding someone who could start over Gregory or even start over McCourty (but shifting him into the mix at CB maybe instead of that low level CB mentioned above).

 

[BTTA]

I dont think you can count on RAS-IR for anything.

I'm not. I'm suggesting that the coaching staff handicaps the health and durability of all of the players, and one of the dozens of permutations of the defensive backfield situation is that with insider knowledge that none of us has, it is possible that they don't see Dowling as a higher injury risk than the other guys at this point. I'm not talking about the way those of us on the Board would handicap it, I'm offering another possibility because much of the information about the health of these players is hidden to us here.

 

[Brady6]

More Important stud CB or FS?

McCourty's shown that McCourty is a better safety than a CB, particularly when the CBs are being asked to play press man coverage. That's pretty much it.

That being said, having an elite CB is a great thing, but it's the elite safeties that have been getting the Steelers and Ravens to the SBs.

Your confused? Me too you said McCourty proved to be a better safety than CB but yet his best pro season was 2010 as a CB.. Heads spinning..

 

[Deus Irae]

Your confused? Me too you said McCourty proved to be a better safety than CB but yet his best pro season was 2010 as a CB.. Heads spinning..

I suspect you'll spend most of your time here confused, if you don't read the full posts of people you're responding to (i.e. especially press man coverage), and if you assume that rookie seasons don't lead to adjustments by opponents in later seasons.

 

[Brady6]

More Important stud CB or FS?

I suspect you'll spend most of your time here confused, if you don't read the full posts of people you're responding to (i.e. especially press man coverage), and if you assume that rookie seasons don't lead to adjustments by opponents in later seasons.

He was good in both areas in 2012 at CB. He excelled when he had Merriweather, Sanders, Chung behind him in 2010 and struggled with Barrett, Ihedigbo, Brown and Chung behind him in 2011.

 

[Deus Irae]

He was good in both areas in 2012 at CB.

No, he wasn't.

He excelled when he had Merriweather, Sanders, Chung behind him in 2010 and struggled with Barrett, Ihedigbo, Brown and Chung behind him in 2011.

He excelled when teams didn't know that he struggles to turn and chase, and when he wasn't forced to play press man, as he's a zone guy who plays well facing the LOS, but doesn't get it done when he's not doing that.

 

[Brady6]

No, he wasn't.



He excelled when teams didn't know that he struggles to turn and chase, and when he wasn't forced to play press man, as he's a zone guy who plays well facing the LOS, but doesn't get it done when he's not doing that.

He was based on metrics and my view. If he wasn't in your opinion that is on you.

I think any CB would struggle with press man with no help over the top and terrible safeties missing assignments and taking bad angles.

 

[chasa]

im going with stud CB

A CB that can be left on an island with a receiver means you can double someone someplace else.

a good FS just means they can choose which person is going to get doubled, that leaves a lot of pressure still on the CB to not get beaten too badly.

 

[Deus Irae]

He was based on metrics and my view. If he wasn't in your opinion that is on you.

It's not just my opinon. He acknowledged his struggles. As for metrics, please...

I think any CB would struggle with press man with no help over the top and terrible safeties missing assignments and taking bad angles.

Ok, you're just trolling at this point, so I'll just end this here.

 

[Brady6]

It's not just my opinon. He acknowledged his struggles. As for metrics, please...



Ok, you're just trolling at this point, so I'll just end this here.

Trolling? Ok not sure what you mean I'm saying safety play has major impact on the performance of CB when playing press coverage.