Is it Roy, or is it S depth?

[dwmyers]

I keep thinking about how we use Roy. He is a very busy man. We blitz him often, ask him to take the role of a 5th LB, ask him to disrupt passes, punts, outside runs. I'm surprised Parcells doesn't have him running back ice cream for him at halftime.

This team has 1 proven safety and 1 hopeful. No backups worth a damn either. So why is it, if Roy is a below average cover safety, that he isn't picked on from the beginning?

Ok, my thesis is simple. Roy isn't great but given a break or two, he probably isn't as horrible as the talking heads want to make him. The real killer is the lack of depth and the fact there aren't any adequate replacements for Roy, at any time in the game.

David.

 

[LaTunaNostra]

I keep thinking about how we use Roy. He is a very busy man. We blitz him often, ask him to take the role of a 5th LB, ask him to disrupt passes, punts, outside runs. I'm surprised Parcells doesn't have him running back ice cream for him at halftime.

This team has 1 proven safety and 1 hopeful. No backups worth a damn either. So why is it, if Roy is a below average cover safety, that he isn't picked on from the beginning?

Ok, my thesis is simple. Roy isn't great but given a break or two, he probably isn't as horrible as the talking heads want to make him. The real killer is the lack of depth and the fact there aren't any adequate replacements for Roy, at any time in the game.

David.

David, I can't forget the quote this offseason (but forget if it was by Jerry or Bill), that free safety was "our lowest priority" when it came to filling holes.

Now that is not to let our strong safety off the hook, (and I still think Roy is at least as dependable in deep coverage as a Lawyer Milloy is, or even a Rodney Harrison..they just aren't asked to do what they don't excel at as much....I can't EVER remember seeing these two excellent AFC strong safeties in primary coverage on Mr Moss...I don't care how many injuries to defensive backs Bellichick had last year...Harrison wasn't the last line of defense on Moss), but if it's the safety position on the whole that is responsible (or even partially responsible) for those crucial breakdowns....then shame on Bill and Jerry again.

 

[Chuck 54]

I keep thinking about how we use Roy. He is a very busy man. We blitz him often, ask him to take the role of a 5th LB, ask him to disrupt passes, punts, outside runs. I'm surprised Parcells doesn't have him running back ice cream for him at halftime.

This team has 1 proven safety and 1 hopeful. No backups worth a damn either. So why is it, if Roy is a below average cover safety, that he isn't picked on from the beginning?

Ok, my thesis is simple. Roy isn't great but given a break or two, he probably isn't as horrible as the talking heads want to make him. The real killer is the lack of depth and the fact there aren't any adequate replacements for Roy, at any time in the game.

David.

It's hard to pick on a guy when he's playing in the box...Roy can cover short patterns...he's tough on TE's, zone hookups, and RB's...he's a great blitzer and punisher....he's not horrible in coverage, but he's not great either...he'll get better, but in my opinion, he should never be the deep safety, not even in a 2 deep prevent.

 

[Cbz40]

That was my quesrion Monday Night.......Why was Roy in the coverage to begin with?

Someone had a major Brainburp.......

 

[dwmyers]

It's hard to pick on a guy when he's playing in the box...Roy can cover short patterns...he's tough on TE's, zone hookups, and RB's...he's a great blitzer and punisher....he's not horrible in coverage, but he's not great either...he'll get better, but in my opinion, he should never be the deep safety, not even in a 2 deep prevent.

I would amend this to say he shouldn't be the deep safety at the end of a long hard played game. But in a situation where we have, more or less, 1.5 safeties, who is going to spell him?

David.

 

[miamicowboy21]

David, I can't forget the quote this offseason (but forget if it was by Jerry or Bill), that free safety was "our lowest priority" when it came to filling holes.

Now that is not to let our strong safety off the hook, (and I still think Roy is at least as dependable in deep coverage as a Lawyer Milloy is, or even a Rodney Harrison..they just aren't asked to do what they don't excel at as much....I can't EVER remember seeing these two excellent AFC strong safeties in primary coverage on Mr Moss...I don't care how many injuries to defensive backs Bellichick had last year...Harrison wasn't the last line of defense on Moss), but if it's the safety position on the whole that is responsible (or even partially responsible) for those crucial breakdowns....then shame on Bill and Jerry again.

I think we tried to address the FS position. Dwight smith went to the saints. I know josh bullocks was high on our board but he was taken high in the second round, along with Pool from oklahoma. You cant fill every position. I dont think it was from a lack effort on jerry's part.

 

[Pointguard01]

If we can get a cover FS, I think Roy will be fine at SS.

Depth is always a +, espically on defense. We rotate the D-line so much, giving Roy a break or two would be helpful.

 

[dwmyers]

I think we tried to address the FS position. Dwight smith went to the saints. I know josh bullocks was high on our board but he was taken high in the second round, along with Pool from oklahoma. You cant fill every position. I dont think it was from a lack effort on jerry's part.

I don't think so either, you couldn't fill the sheer number of holes we had with #1s. But the mid-to-deep middle is something often attacked against Dallas. Seattle is the most blatant about it, with the way they handle their TEs. Seems to me Seattle TEs just run about 8-12 yards straight and then the QB throws to them.

 

[Nors]

This is an old topic.

We failed to address quality Safety depth and had more than ample cap. Its going to bite us again if we have Roy playing deep in centerfield.

 

[Mash]

Roy is a safety.....thats his position......a safety.....even a strong safety needs to cover.......thats why there is a two deep zone.

Roy just needs to do a better job.......he accepted his mistake even though Bill sugar coated it.

If all we ask is for him to be a blitzer....stuff the run and play close to the line of scimmage.....then make him a LB in our prevent defence.....just like years ago when Bill Bates use to do it.

Teams will expose it again.....all they need to do is throw a 3 wide set out on first down........

We can now fully appreciate the talent Mr Woodson had on our defence......or maybe we do so much that we raised the bar and expect to much from Roy.