Jump to content
  • Welcome!

    Register and log in easily with Twitter or Google accounts!

    Or simply create a new Huddle account. 

    Members receive fewer ads , access our dark theme, and the ability to join the discussion!

     

How do we address the secondary this offseason?


davos

Recommended Posts

Thought this could be a fun thread as we're moving into the early FA period in a few weeks. 

 

Now Boston played decent down the stretch but I wouldn't necessarily write him in as our starting FS in 2015.  Bene and Norman are the two that look really good moving forward.  Colin Jones is a great backup/Special Teamer ace.

 

So...outside of that, this offseason is giving us a decent shot (I think better than at WR or OT) bring some quality talent into the fold.  

 

So you can make a list, make your dream FA/Draft combos, a brief depth chart or whatnot...I'm curious to see what direction people think we could go.  (I have no idea about Harper, I can see him being kept but that shouldn't restrict us from finding a new starting SS)

 

In place starter/contributors: Norman, Bene, Boston, Jones

 

--

 

For me, I like the FA S market a lot.  First off: McCourty and Rahim Moore will probably get paid a good amount but I don't think they're necessarily out of the picture for us.  

 

But...let's look at some of the next SS tier $$ wise (All 27 & under):

 

Da'Norris Searcy -- Strong part of the Bills very good secondary

Ron Parker -- filled in very well for Eric Berry and was already a decent part of that defense

Jeromy Miles -- worked his way past Darian Stewart and Matt Elam by season's end in Baltimore

 

Also to note, Kendrick Lewis could be a really solid young add at FS to go with Boston. 

 

With CB, I'd go that route in the draft again.  I think this could be where a top talent falls to us in the first few rounds.  There is very good value at the top of this CB class.  The latter part of the draft class seems to be full of slot-duty types which we're comfortable at with Bene.  We need a tall, fast guy on the outside. Also, I'm thinking Shaq and Landon Collins are gone and there's a big drop there at S after them.

 

The CBs I'm thinking about:

 

Trae Waynes

Jalen Collins

PJ Williams

Quinten Rollins

Kevin Johnson

 

These are some names I think the board should get familiar with. 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Marcus Gilchrist and keep Boston as your starter beside him. I think he did a good job.

We're kidding ourselves though if we think Harper isn't starting this year though.

 

I'm not trying to forget we have Harper but...well I'm trying to forget we have Harper. 

 

I just don't see why he can't fill in as a rotational guy at SS though if we find a clear upgrade. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'd like to see Jones given a chance to supplant Harper as a starting safety and see another CB added to either play nickel or start opposite Norman and allow Bene to slide back to nickel.  Nickelback is essentially a starter in today's NFL.  For those knocking Boston, don't forget that he missed essentially all of the OTAs and camp.  That is HUGE for a rookie.  I think he's likely penciled in to start next year.

 

I honestly don't see huge changes coming to the secondary.  I expect to see a pass rusher added, probably a depth OLB added, and then a lot of focus on the offensive side of the ball.

 

Now, with that said, we have been sniffing around a lot of top safeties in the last couple of drafts, so if the right guy is there it could definitely happen at #25.  I just don't think that right guy will be there.  This is a pretty weak safety class and that usually means that the top guys get overdrafted.  That ain't Gettleman's style and that's a good thing.  I think Gettleman is more likely to focus on areas where the draft is deep because those positions will likely offer better value picks and that's also a good thing.  It's another deep WR draft and I think we'll draft another one fairly early.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm not trying to forget we have Harper but...well I'm trying to forget we have Harper. 

 

I just don't see why he can't fill in as a rotational guy at SS though if we find a clear upgrade. 

 

I can't either, but this is the coaching staff that took half a season to take Godfrey out.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'd like to see Jones given a chance to supplant Harper as a starting safety and see another CB added to either play nickel or start opposite Norman and allow Bene to slide back to nickel.  Nickelback is essentially a starter in today's NFL.  For those knocking Boston, don't forget that he missed essentially all of the OTAs and camp.  That is HUGE for a rookie.  I think he's likely penciled in to start next year.

 

I honestly don't see huge changes coming to the secondary.  I expect to see a pass rusher added, probably a depth OLB added, and then a lot of focus on the offensive side of the ball.

 

Now, with that said, we have been sniffing around a lot of top safeties in the last couple of drafts, so if the right guy is there it could definitely happen at #25.  I just don't think that right guy will be there.  This is a pretty weak safety class and that usually means that the top guys get overdrafted.  That ain't Gettleman's style and that's a good thing.  I think Gettleman is more likely to focus on areas where the draft is deep because those positions will likely offer better value picks and that's also a good thing.  It's another deep WR draft and I think we'll draft another one fairly early.

 

I can't disagree with a lot of that but having just Jones and Harper at SS would not be ideal unless you think Jones is a long term solution. 

 

Finding a long term solution on the outside to pair with Norman with Bene starting NB would be awesome.  Not to mention, the value at the top of this draft is there at CB.  

 

And it definitely seems we've been sniffing around for a safety the past few drafts.  The guys we have at safety right now are very solid in run support and know how to be at the right place at the right time, but can also be liabilities in pass defense.  That's what we need to seek out at the position IMO, a young instinctive safety with his strengths being against the pass or just a balanced playmaker (rarer find). 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I can't disagree with a lot of that but having just Jones and Harper at SS would not be ideal unless you think Jones is a long term solution. 

 

Finding a long term solution on the outside to pair with Norman with Bene starting NB would be awesome.  Not to mention, the value at the top of this draft is there at CB.  

 

And it definitely seems we've been sniffing around for a safety the past few drafts.  The guys we have at safety right now are very solid in run support and know how to be at the right place at the right time, but can also be liabilities in pass defense.  That's what we need to seek out at the position IMO, a young instinctive safety with his strengths being against the pass or just a balanced playmaker (rarer find). 

 

What you describe almost sounds like Gerod Holliman out of Louisville. The kid was a poor tackler, but was an absolute ball hawk with 14 ints in a year (more than 1 per game). He also had about 250 int return yards and a TD on those. Also, the kid will probably be there in the later rounds because of the concerns with his tackling.

 

If we want a playmaker in the passing game for our secondary, then Holliman is the best fit, but can we live with the potential liability in the run game, assuming his tackling problems couldn't be fixed?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.


  • PMH4OWPW7JD2TDGWZKTOYL2T3E.jpg

  • Topics

  • Posts

    • He’s overthrown WRs numerous times deep,I don’t think his arm strength there is a problem, def seems to be and issue in the 20-30 yard range, I don’t see a lot of outbreaking routes being completed, whether that’s due to his lack of ability to drive the ball to the outside hash or our WRs, especially XL cornering at the top of there routes. regardless of his weaknesses, the question is can a team be built around him to mask them, or can he overcome those weaknesses and adapt. I know it’s beating a dead horse, but something big is missing from Bryce’s qb play that’s leading to so many sub 200 yard passing games, all signs lead to a physical trait that’s the cause of this, wether it’s arm strength or his height  
    • That was fully intentional, because something people who engage in hyperbole can't stand is to be systematically told why and how they don't have a clue. It's the prevalence of this farcical idea that everyone's opinions are valid and the more impassioned they are about them, the more valid they are. And the point of the post wasn't merely to cut the knees of the exaggerators, but to illustrate why it shouldn't seem miraculous that someone like Mayfield and Darnold could come through Charlotte and fail and then suddenly seem much more successful elsewhere, when the reality is that there's far more to being successful at that position than one's own talent. It's also why young quarterbacks like Caleb Williams and Cam Ward deserve much longer leashes to determine their long-term viability and not be written off immediately, because the circumstances surrounding them are hardly conducive to success.
    • I think at some point you top out what God gave you.  He can use leverage via his mechanics to maximize what he has and When he pays attention to it the throws are better.    IMO as a layman a lot of it is what kind of ‘headroom’ you have. The guys who are gifted don’t have to use maximum effort to get good results and stay within themselves but they have it in reserve. They can do an arm throw for substantial distance without max effort.    I think what we may be seeing with these ‘lasers’ is a throw that Bryce puts the max effort into and does his mechanics right and has his base right and it works together.    To get to the payoff here, I think his best velocity throws take dall that whereas  a naturally gifted guy doesn’t need to go full effort to get that same velocity. I have said this three or four times over the years and it never gets picked up on but the accuracy is more consistent with an easier motion and max effort can produce less predictable location. It is a baseball pitcher thing but it applies to throwing a pass too. It isn’t that you can’t make an accurate throw with full effort it is just not as reliably accurate to the same degree. Someone said something about his pro day and that is where I saw it too. He took a little extra step on the deep throws. Some call it a hitch but I don’t see it that way because I don’t see it on shorter throws. He does it trying to get distance. I saw that and just wanted no part of it at 1.1 . That is not tne characteristic of a 1.1 passer.  He should have been at best, late first  I had him second day. Of course I am no one and certainly not a pro evaluator, it is just that he was so easy to suss out. It is kind of in your face obvious.  They must have thought they could fix him. Changing a lifelong throwing motion with the footwork tied into it is not fuging easy. Anyone that had decent success with ‘their’ way and tried to change it to get more, can tell you that.     
×
×
  • Create New...