I'll love to hear what the wizened minds of this fine Forum think on this subject.
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I'll start off by admitting, straight out: I'm a little mystified by the notion.
What attributes of a prospective Corner recommend him for conversion to Free Safety?
I get the basics: Fluidity. Hips. Turn and Burn. Read and React. Lateral Agility. Range. SPEED.
I understand that a Strong Safety leans toward the Run Game, and a Free Safety towards the Pass Game, so the former needs to be Stronger, and the latter needs to be Faster.
And I understand ~ or think I do ~ that the Corners need to be more physical if they play Man, and quicker if they play Zone.
Seems to me that the Free Safety ought have exceptional Processing Speed and Diagnostic Skills, if he's the Secondary's Field General: Read + React Speed and Aptitude are essential.
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But I cannot for the LIFE of me distinguish what makes a guy a better Corner than Free Safety, or vice versa...or what makes a Corner a desirable Free Safety Conversion.
The reason for my inquiry is obvious, I'm sure.
Frankly Cousin, It is a combination or size and lack of specific talents in some fazes or deficiency of the player in the Cornerback position. The myth is that "quick twitch" smaller Cornerbacks are the NFL prototypical CB to date in the past but that in being rethought with players like Sean Smith, Bodden, Patrick Peterson etc. If you have to defend the big WR today such as Colson, Marshall, Moss, Fitzgerald, etc. guys like Hobbs (and I an not picking on him here) become ineffective. In years past we would Draft our 5'8" CBs for this very antiquated quick twitch talent and we simply got burned.
In the case of Peterson they say he might be too big to play corner. I believe that means because he can evolve into a Safety with superb skills for that position that might be slightly higher or more of value than CB. It's not that he doesn't have the skill to play CB. It is because he creates a better value on the defense as a Safety. It's more the talent to stop and start at CB but few big CBs have that ability other than a Asomugha or Revis. These are the traits of a small CB but rare in a bigger CB.
BB did this with Eugene Wilson and it worked well until Wilson began a list of injuries. He was a CB at Illinois. Ironically he is not that big by today's S. But he had 9 P.Def. and 4 Ints. in 2003 so he basically became the playmaker with CB skills as a Safety.
BB tried to do the opposite with Meriweather but that did not work. I think CB to Safety is easier. In fact that is what Shawn Springs did at Washington and perhaps a dual role here but he had lost a step. I think Champ Bailey would be an excellent Safety if we had made a play for him.
It is size, tacking ability, the ability to dislodge a ball, make up speed, good vision, smarts and playmaking and the fact that some guys are always around the ball like Ed Reed (and that is not taught. You can call it instinct) that you desire in a Safety, If he is born with speed and long arms all the better. Our Safeties have each some of those talents but not all inclusive, so we are lacking in that position. There actually is "O" for a playmaker at Safety on our roster at the present time. Chung might be the closest but the youngest.
Therefor the theory of having a Peterson or whom I think will make a great Safety, Dowling........ because they have great instinct as former CBs, good size and height to knock down passes, great playmaking talent, are good tacklers, and with these guys, speed would make them conversion possibilities. Think of the career of Ronnie Lott.
Safety Chart just for fun to rate our guys. Each talent is listed to potential ability. Half point for maybe they do. Barrett has really no past history and Brown very little.
Playmaking=
Smarts= Sanders, Chung (1/2)
Height= Page, Barrett, Brown
Weight= Sanders, Chung, Page, Barrett, Brown
Speed= Merriweather, Chung
Instinct= Merriweather (1/2), Chung (1/2)
Tackling= Chung, Page
Coverage= Chung (1/2), Page (I am giving him 1/2 because of his 2008 K.C. year. He showed he can do this with 12 P.Def and 4 Ints)
Angles=
Hard hitting to dislodge passes= Merriweather, Chung, Page, Barrett, Brown
Special Teams value=Sanders, Merriweather, Chung, Page, Barrett, Brown
Match up a Champ Bailey to this or a Peterson or Dowling.
DW Toys