If there is a surprise cut, look at the starting safeties

[Vinnie2u]

I miss the GOAT Jeff Heath

 

[Pass2Run]

Eberflus scheme calls for basically two, coverage free safeties that possess good range and strong reaction skills. Wilson is more of your traditional box safety that struggles in coverage. Hooker just never around the football as his reaction skills are very limited.

For what they are paying both to be, they are going to need better production to justify their cost. I really don't think there would be a big drop off from them and their backups who make a fraction of their cost.

We've been developing Thomas and Bell a few years now for both. If I'm not mistaken, they came in the same year. I've liked Thomas since they signed him UDFA. Good player that didn't cost a whole lot because he played on teams while they developed him.

 

[Pass2Run]

I miss the GOAT Jeff Heath

Heath had some good games, but some bad ones too.

 

[Pass2Run]

When his back is turned to the QB, he is as bad as Roy Williams was in coverage.

Williams should have been a LB, imo.

But I really did like the hit he put on Emmitt.

 

[conner01]

These safeties support the changes in the current scheme well. Upgrade individually from there.

Agree. I think they fit the scheme but shouldn’t be worse be upgraded when you can

 

[gimmesix]

Our safety play last season took a big step back:

-Wilson was almost unplayable early in the season. Very undisciplined against the run was a liability in man coverage and missed a ton of tackles.

-Hooker wasn't much better. Him being the free safety, you rarely saw him around the football, seems always a tick slow to react. Like Wilson struggled taking the right angles and tackling in space.

Both players signed big extensions where there is an out in each contract this season. They did resign Bell and Thomas to lower extensions and even spent the most undrafted fa dollars at the position. Both starters aren't locks to remain with the team and are poor fits in Eberflus defensive scheme. This is something to keep our eyes on, perhaps one is used as trade bait.

I just don't see it. You've got to have depth and we've essentially got four safeties who can play. Mukuamu has never shown that he can be a starting safety.

This seems a lot like fans saying watch out for DJ Reader to be traded from Detroit because the Lions have three other quality defensive tackles.

Teams carry at least four at both those positions, so why would you want to unnecessarily weaken your depth? The return would have to make it worthwhile and I just don't see us getting much in return.

It also makes no sense financially to cut Hooker since it costs us $7.7 million to keep him and $9.5 million to cut him. An argument could be made for cutting Wilson if he falls to a backup role because it would save $5 million, but again, you end up with no depth in case of injury. There will be times we'll have three (possibly even four) safeties on the field together, so don't go throwing out our depth.

 

[gimmesix]

They did show interest with the Texas Safety so that could be a tell that they want to upgrade the position.

And we should do that next season. We can't do it now. All I want is an open competition where if Bell and Thomas are better, then they get the majority of the playing time.

Even if that happens, I think we'd still use Wilson as a dime linebacker or move Bell there and put Hooker in.

 

[gimmesix]

Not sure they would overhaul the position, but dealing one away would make sense, perhaps for a position of need to a team needing a safety

Who you going to play at safety if Bell gets hurt again? What about Thomas, he's missed some time, too? You really want to put Mukuamu out there if there's an injury?

I'm for mix and match at safety, so the more we have who can play, the better we can do that. And then if we have an injury, we don't have a steep fall-off.

 

[krs1bro]

It seems to me that there are players on this team are just rouge and disengaged from whatever game plan is in place for that week. Very easy to identify these players as the DC forum can call out. I would rather have a young "team" player that the staff can work with. Wilson will make a play occasionally, but they are few and far between as we have all witnessed. Time to identify and move on from these players that don't play as a unit. Offense included (T. Steal) comes to mind also.

 

[chagus]

I hope they cut Hooker and Wilson

Oh? Then what?

 

[Zekeats]

Both players play very well especially for us not having any true inside pocket pressure. These safeties are vastly underappreciated by the same fan base that tells us Dak is top 5.