The end of the strong safety

[upstater1]

There's no point anymore in the Rodney Harrison's, Troy Polamalu's, Bernard Pollard's, and yes Ryan Clark's even existing. Brandon Merriwether and Patrick Chung cost you more than hey help.

I'm glad Belichick has recognized that the new rules have eliminated the need for strong safeties. In fact, I would seriously think about finding smart cornerbacks who can tackle but who may be just a tad slow for CB speedwise.

A guy like Hightower, while I know many are down on him, is precisely what a defense needs these days. Without that strong safety cracking down in the run game, you need a fast and big LB out there.

 

[manxman2601]

There's no point anymore in the Rodney Harrison's, Troy Polamalu's, Bernard Pollard's, and yes Ryan Clark's even existing. Brandon Merriwether and Patrick Chung cost you more than hey help.

I'm glad Belichick has recognized that the new rules have eliminated the need for strong safeties. In fact, I would seriously think about finding smart cornerbacks who can tackle but who may be just a tad slow for CB speedwise.

A guy like Hightower, while I know many are down on him, is precisely what a defense needs these days. Without that strong safety cracking down in the run game, you need a fast and big LB out there.

I was impressed with Gregory yesterday. He's really stepped up this year. And I agree that the strictly strong safety role is a dying breed.

 

[DaBruinz]

Belichick has stated for about the last 5 years that they don't run a SS/FS group. They run a Left Safety/Right Safety group and they want both safeties to be able to do it all. Granted, we've not reached that point yet, but we are much closer with Gregory/McCourty than we have been in many years.

Anyone tell me who mentioned (other than me) Gregory in a cast? I am hoping he can play wearing it (as others have done in the past) because we really need him. If he's done, then that will be the 4th regular starter we've lost this year on defense.

 

[upstater1]

Belichick has stated for about the last 5 years that they don't run a SS/FS group. They run a Left Safety/Right Safety group and they want both safeties to be able to do it all. Granted, we've not reached that point yet, but we are much closer with Gregory/McCourty than we have been in many years.

Anyone tell me who mentioned (other than me) Gregory in a cast? I am hoping he can play wearing it (as others have done in the past) because we really need him. If he's done, then that will be the 4th regular starter we've lost this year on defense.

I hope Gregory comes back ASAP.

The thing that surprises me is that LeBeau didn't get the memo about the new rules. Maybe he's just loyal to Polamalu. That guy was incredibly instinctual and disruptive for many years, though he always got burned a few times.

I'd say Ed Reed is the new prototype. Fast, instinctual, and can tackle.

 

[DaBruinz]

I think that Ryan Clark is worse than Polomalu, in all honesty. Polomalu, though, sure was showing his age yesterday. I wouldn't be surprised if he was cut by the Steelers in the off-season.

 

[Luxusdk]

There's no point anymore in the Rodney Harrison's, Troy Polamalu's, Bernard Pollard's, and yes Ryan Clark's even existing. Brandon Merriwether and Patrick Chung cost you more than hey help.

I'm glad Belichick has recognized that the new rules have eliminated the need for strong safeties. In fact, I would seriously think about finding smart cornerbacks who can tackle but who may be just a tad slow for CB speedwise.

A guy like Hightower, while I know many are down on him, is precisely what a defense needs these days. Without that strong safety cracking down in the run game, you need a fast and big LB out there.

I couldn't agree more on it, but it do makes you wonder why BB picked up Adrian Wilson in FA last year. Same could be sayed about the other Wilson. Pretty sure BB prefer to have atleast 1 SS on the roster.

 

[Kontradiction]

I think that Ryan Clark is worse than Polomalu, in all honesty. Polomalu, though, sure was showing his age yesterday. I wouldn't be surprised if he was cut by the Steelers in the off-season.

Clark was never a good cover guy. It was the bone crunching hits that made him a welcome addition in their secondary when they were winning Super Bowls. Now he's not even able to get in the position to deliver those hits and what miniscule coverage skills he had before are eroding even faster with age. Clark is by far the worst of the two, but Polamalu isn't what he used to be either. Brady had both of them in his crosshairs all day.

 

[patsinthesnow]

How about the death of the 3rd LB? With average of 3.18 CBs per play yesterday, the nickel CB is the new starter on an NFL defense. In reality, all teams run a 3-3-5 or a 4-2-5, with the base defense used on only a couple of plays.

 

[ATippett56]

There's no point anymore in the Rodney Harrison's, Troy Polamalu's, Bernard Pollard's, and yes Ryan Clark's even existing. Brandon Merriwether and Patrick Chung cost you more than hey help.

The "traditional" strong safety has been practically eliminated in college football.

NFL Draft - 2014 NFL Draft Prospects - CBSSports.com - NFLDraftScout.com

 

[Boogs]

Yeah, you can tell Troy P. is getting older. I've always liked seeing him play. He's a very unique player. You'll probably never see another quite like him.

 

[Fencer]

Traditional strong safeties can replace LBs in certain packages, just as traditional free safeties are replacing strong. Hence the Adrian Wilson signing and so on.

Also, the best guys will always be able to play. E.g., Rodney took CB reps from time to time (slot CB I'm not sure when, plus that wonderful crazy-scheme Indianapolis game).

 

[AzPatsFan]

There's no point anymore in the Rodney Harrison's, Troy Polamalu's, Bernard Pollard's, and yes Ryan Clark's even existing. Brandon Merriwether and Patrick Chung cost you more than hey help.

I'm glad Belichick has recognized that the new rules have eliminated the need for strong safeties. In fact, I would seriously think about finding smart cornerbacks who can tackle but who may be just a tad slow for CB speedwise.

A guy like Hightower, while I know many are down on him, is precisely what a defense needs these days. Without that strong safety cracking down in the run game, you need a fast and big LB out there.

It seems BB is always ahead of the curve. He started it with a FA signing of a FS forced to play out of position in the SD backfield, He also drafted a CB/S with size to the general opprobrium of the Draftniks when he could have taken a shrimp like Shamarko Thomas instead who was regarded as a good college SS.

(How's that working out for the Steelers?)

Tavon has not been a success, and might never be anything other than a very good ST player, but he is the profile of a next generation SS. A bigger guy with marginal CB speed and CB coverage ability, and with a degree of maturity too, and not simply a head hunter.

Harmon was called on the replace Gregory when he went down But Harmon is slightly smaller than what you want as a SS. He was drafted as a FS and caddy for Devin. His two picks show that he excels at this, playing a rangy FS, playing the QB as much as the WRs.

 

[DarrylS]

Polamalu seems to have replaced his football smarts with football cheap shots..

Lost quite a bit of respect for him yesterday...

 

[BradyFTW!]

Belichick has stated for about the last 5 years that they don't run a SS/FS group. They run a Left Safety/Right Safety group and they want both safeties to be able to do it all. Granted, we've not reached that point yet, but we are much closer with Gregory/McCourty than we have been in many years.

Anyone tell me who mentioned (other than me) Gregory in a cast? I am hoping he can play wearing it (as others have done in the past) because we really need him. If he's done, then that will be the 4th regular starter we've lost this year on defense.

That injury looked bad, from what I saw. His hand was hanging limp, and the trainers put a towel over it as they walked him off the field. My immediate thought was that I can't imagine him missing less than a couple of weeks, although who knows. If I wake up tomorrow to the news that he's been placed on IR, I won't be shocked. I thought Harmon filled in pretty well, but if Gregory misses any time there will be basically no depth left at safety.

 

[Froob]

I've never really been a SS/FS guy, I've always thought you should play your two best safeties whatever they might be. But, Clark and Polamalu look old out there. Really liking Dmac/Gregory combo. If we somehow got the other McCourty that'd be my dream safety combo.