SN Unit Analysis: Safeties

I don't think we'll notice much of a dropoff in the D this year, if anything they could be even better because of experience in the system and the return of some key guys like LaVar, Daniels, etc.

Even? Not quite. Potential for an upgrade sure. However Rogers is an unproven commodity thus far.

Agreed. Rogers still has a lot to prove at this level

I'm worried about MLB, our CBs (I could definitely see a time this year where Rogers and Harris are our starters. I hope it's not true, but Sean Springs isn't exactly known for his durability.).

I'm not sure why people keep saying Springs isn't exactly known for his durability. That's not true. He got hurt one year where he missed 8 games then the first four of the next season. But otherwise in his 9 year career he's played in just about every game

Springs definitely gets a bad rap for being "injury prone"

Here's his career starts

97: 10
98: 16
99: 16
00: 16
01: 8
02: 15
03: 12
04: 15

5 starts missed over the last 3 years, not really a huge concern. He's a physical corner, he's going to stick his nose in plays that other corners wouldn't.

Glad someone could point that out. Before I looked at sites like this, I only relied on my news from ESPN. I remember them saying he was injury-prone, but I guess that was only one season.

Our d this year may get the most help from our offense and special teams. They were forced into alot of bad situations last year from the lack of production in our offense. We had alot of three and outs given them no rest and our opponents good field position. They performed better than any other d in the league with what they were given. Our special teams should be alot better this year and that will also help with field position and help take some of the presure off the d.I feel we would have had the number one d last year if they had received any help at all from our offense and a little more help from special teams.

Very true. With all the signings of people just for special teams, hopefully we should have one of the top cover units in the league.

Yeah it's kind of pointless to sit and evaluate the changes we've had in personnel when you look at our defense. You can't really say that a Pierce for Holdman switch is going to be a good thing or a bad thing. And you can't really say a Smoot for Rogers switch is a good thing or a bad thing.

We went out and signed all kinds of depth. Gregg Williams says he doesn't have first and second string, he just has a team full of starters. He's right. He'll roll various combinations of personnel out there and the D can still be just as good, if not better than last year.

I'm not worried about our secondary one iota, especially if we land RW McQuarters. There's depth left and right in the secondary. I am slightly concerned about our ability to find another QB of the Defense. Don't evaluate Pierce for his speed or talent or any of that crap, it was his recognition and signal-calling that made our D so good last year. We need to find a good replacement for that, and if we do, our D will be better than last year.

When you look only at players, I guess a "B" is reasonable, though my guess is that if Taylor shows up (which I believe he will), he's a pro-bowler this year. Safety in the NFL requires some experience, and Taylor was a rookie last year.

But who really cares about individual talent (beyond a certain point, that is)? The real reason we should get an A is because of how Williams uses the DB's. His system makes great use of the safeties, puts pressure on the QB from a wide range of places, and puts the CBs in position to make palys when the QB unloads because of pressure. I'll take a great system over great individual talent any day (and I think we have A talent, for what it's worth...).

In other words, I completey agree with Schneed! (should really read the posts first...;) )

Last year our run D was supposedly dire (pre season pundit theory) and I don't think we've truly lost anything in any phase of the D for this season.

Still top three, challenging for number 1.