Do We Already Have the Safety We Need?

Putting DJ in a SS position is going to be a stretch. He is more of a roamer which is another reason why he rode the pine for a while but putting him in at safety is really trying to put a band-aid on a broken leg. Sure in the Baltimore game and this game his athletic ability has shown through in coverage but that was only within the first 5-7 yards of the line of scrimmage. Like it or not, DJ would be put in some major pass situations where he may be covering a Antonio Gates type TE or maybe a slot WR in some situations and teams will eat that up all day. Even if the coverage works, he STILL must improve in run support before anything else

a 240 lb SS

Makes me think of Tiger Tanks, Do you propose everydown SS or a some SS and LB mix. What do the other premier SS’s measure at the 6’3 is fine but 240 lbs?

We need to find that sweet spot for DJ to excel. Maybe occasionally at ROLB for pure Rush, Predator that should keep DJ concentrated.

on how he turned into a RB after the INT he had…Burned a couple guys…..240 LB converted to RB…least you know he wont shy away from contact…..

Im totally kidding BTW

I think he’ll improve as the NT upgrade (and LDE upgrade) ensues.

I think NT is the main thing that set him back. I think WOLB is a good spot for him, once the pieces are in place. He’s not playing the game under the conditions he was trained for in the offseason.

I think he was also set back by nagging, minor injuries throughout the offseason and early part of this season. Under Haley, unlike Schottenheimer, staying healthy is part of being a complete player. Being hurt isn’t a Golden Ticket back into the starting lineup. You have to earn your way back. Nobody’s keepin’ your spot warm for you. The guy who takes your place now has the inside track on your job.

DJ still needs to have a bettr grasp of where his help is and what his job is, but another solid coverage back and better pass rush will help his game immensely, giving him more of the clear-cut situations on which he thrives. NT and another coverage back will help the pass rush on 1st and 2nd and the coverage back, alone, will help on 3rd. Makes it a whole lot dicier for offenses to predict where the blitz is coming from and what to do when it does come.

if we signed K Dansby (very possible even with the CBA complications), draft T Cody in the 1st, draft Angerer (ILB, Iowa) in the 3rd, and trade back into the 3rd to get Rolle (SS, Florida St) it would solve all the problems you listed. We could use the 2nd rounders to improve the offense with an offensive lineman and a WR. Like Iupati and Gilyard. Hopefully, we can trade down.

I told you my answers might supprize you:

If we moved DJ to the safety position and then concentrated our high draft picks (through trades or spending them) on NT, LB’s, and OL would we be better off than we are now?

Yes, we would be better off than we are now, simply because we went after a true 34 NT that could better plug the center. That by itself isn’t enough to fix our run woes, but add to that taking DJ OUT of the picture in the run game would be enough to make us better.

Can DJ handle the safety position?

Not really. He certainly has the ball hawking skills to be in the right place. He does an ok job of reading the play when he can hide behind great big linemen and disappear in order to POP out make a play on the ball. BUT, he doesn’t really have the straight line speed to run in coverage with a slot receiver, and he doesn’t have the hip tackling ability to wrap up a big TE. He also really doesn’t specialize in ‘covering’ someone, so much as he just has the instincts to be in the right place to break things up. He is no more of a long term solution than Mike Brown is at safety.

Are we better off with DJ on the bench on running plays, another hole to fill because of it, and going after a safety early draft?

No, not really. Although we certainly do need a SPEEDY safety that can cover in space and make plays on the ball, a NT in the middle of the field would make a much bigger impact on our defense. If there is an anchor in the middle of the field that can plug up one of the A gaps and put pressure on the middle of the pocket then our remaining LB’s would be more ‘free’. It would actually allow us to play our two 34 ILB in a more traditional role, assuming that we replace ONE of them with a true run stopper.

What position do YOU think DJ’s natural talents are better suited for?

34 ILB, but only in a traditional role. The majority of the time when you look at any 34 ILB team you will see a pattern emerge. ONE of the ILB is very strong at doing exactly what DJ does: spying the QB and making plays ont he ball. Playing a bit of mirror coverage and challenging receivers in the center shallows. The OTHER ILB is usually someone that is very very very diciplined to ‘gap protect’ run defense. As a team the 2 guys work together handing off their assignemnts to whoever is better suited for the role depending on the offensive alignment. This requires 2 things: 1) that the 2 players communicate WELL and play together long enough to know when to help each other, and 2) Each of the members of the ILB team to stay true to THEIR role. The ‘stay at home’ run stuffer cannot be a player that personal ego above team defense. He’s not going to get all the credit or the gaudy numbers, but without him staying in the gap the whole system falls apart.

With a better NT, a true MLB run stuffer, and a new C and RT are we a good enough team that we can afford a ‘struggling to learn’ DJ for 1/2 a season at safety?

Actually, yes. With a better NT and a true MLB run stuffer we don’t even need DJ to learn for 1/2 a season. We could just leave him right where he is as the ‘coverage spy’ member of the ILB team. What he would have to learn would be how best to work with his partner to hand off the responcibilites based on the offensive alignment. Even WITHOUT going out to get a top talent safety the defense would be markedly improved. Just adding a true NT and getting SOMEONE on the field that can play a ‘team defense stay at home’ LB role would , imo, result in a massive improvemnt to our defense. Page and McGraw/Brown could handle the safety duties assuming that we could stop the run and not give up everything shallow in the middle. An athletic safety wouldn’t hurt us any, but IMO it’s the least important of the 3 major holes we have up the middle of our defense.

So what the hell was the point of the safety post you ask?
— Well, to try and get a discussion going. Lately it seems to be a foregone conclusion that what we really need is a safety. I just don’t happen to agree with that assessment. In the past under a 43 alignment the thing we never had was an ‘all around’ MLB that could play the pass across 40 yards wide and 15 yards deep while ALSO playing the run stuffer up the middle. The BEST thing about shifting to the 34 is that you no longer NEED that player. The 43 cover 2 REQUIRES that ONE amazing player at MLB in order to function. The 34 does not. The 34 gives you the freedom to break up that responcibility and do it with 2 players. 1 a spy/pass player, and the other a run stuffer/pass rusher. However, the 34 REQUIRES that special guy at NT that can plug the gap and push the pocket.

6 on one hand, 1/2 dozen on the other. For better or worse we’ve switched to a 34 defense. Our biggest need is NOT at safety. A NT and a RUN STUFFING ILB that can play the opposite A gap + the B are the biggest needs. A playmaker safety would be a nice add on, but a play maker LB is just as good if the other pieces are in place and we already HAVE a playmaker LB on the roster. He just needs a true NT and Run stuffer to allow him to do his job. Williams/Mays have not shown that they fit the bill as a selfless gap protect run stuffer, and neither has Edwards.

Yes, He made two huge plays today, and one huge play in week one. He lacks discipline in his drops, & occasionally gets too deep. He gave up a TD against the Steelers when he dropped so deep he was in the safety’s way on an underneath pass to a RB. This has been his MO all his career so far. Since he WAS going to be a FA until CBA isssue, he’s now a RFA. I’d like to see us tender him a “soft” offer, which would call for a 3rd round pick as compensation. Hopefully, someone would decide he’s worth a #3. I agree w/ ILB, NT, & S. Shore up the middle. As for Carr, perhaps he’ll be pushed by Washington next yr.

I don’t know if he has the skills (actually, the speed) but I haven’t seen him improving at LB. He’s a good athlete – maybe it would be worth a look. I don’t think he has it in him to be a good LB because he doesn’t like taking on blockers. That was the knock on him coming out of college – that he shied away from contact. He evidently hasn’t changed in that. Interesting post – rec’d.

Rec’d, TC. Good to have you making posts again.