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NFC focus: Ranking the safeties

ACSkins07

By ACSkins07
in The Stadium

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ACSkins07

ACSkins07

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I tried searching and didn't see this posted. This article says we have the 5th best tandem in the NFC. I think we should be higher, thoughts?

1: CARDINALS Adrian Wilson is one of the most versatile players in the league; he can cover slot receivers and play back in coverage or near the line of scrimmage. Terrence Holt should be adept at directing coverage from the free safety spot.

2: COWBOYS The team insists it will play Roy Williams close to the line of scrimmage to let him be a playmaker without having so many coverage responsibilities. In turn, Ken Hamlin will make sure everyone gets lined up properly.

3: VIKINGS Darren Sharper still is one of the NFL's smartest players and takes chances to make big plays. Dwight Smith plays with emotion and hits hard but must work on his tackling technique.

4: EAGLES Brian Dawkins still plays at an elite level. Sean Considine has put on weight in order to get better near the line of scrimmage.

5: REDSKINS Sean Taylor has elite speed and delivers massive hits but gambles too much. Rookie LaRon Landry also is a big hitter but will take time to adjust.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/sn/20070606/sp_sn/nfcfocusrankingthesafeties

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HitStickTaylor21

HitStickTaylor21

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Adrian Wilson is a stud, gotta give the Cards credit. The Cowboys at 2 is absurd. Have to respect the Eagles and Brian Dawkins as much as I hate it. The Bears should be on there with Brown and Manning. Taylor and Landry should be a slot or two higher, but this season will prove that, not a pre-season publication.

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Spartacus87

Spartacus87

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Are you kidding me? More hate from the media... How can you put the Cardinals safeties or the cowboys safeties ahead of the skins... Bad research.
The Cardinals actually have a decent pair of safeties. Wilson's one of the most underrated guys in the league, he's an incredible athlete. And Sharper still is one of the best coverage safeties in atleast the NFC, he's on the verge of hitting the wall age-wise though, but anyone doubting him just needs to remember that nasty hit he timed perfectly on Moss in the back of the endzone in our opener on MNF against Minnesota last season.

The only thing I'd really openly argue against is the Cowboys' ranking, that's based purely on the flash of the two big names. Williams stinks, everyone who actually watches football knows this, and Hamlin isn't the greatest at coverage either. If Pat Watkins mans up and takes on some more leadership, bulks up a little, and works on his ball-skills, I wouldn't be surprised to see him take Hamlin's place within a couple seasons. Seattle had one of the lesser pass defenses in the league last year, and they still let Hamlin walk.

Can't argue against the Skins' ranking too much- if Landry pans out like he's advertised, we'll undoubtedly be #1 by the end of the season, but until then it's Taylor coming off a mediocre year and an NFL unproven rookie. #5 ain't so bad when you look at it that way.

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TGI Jef

TGI Jef

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even moreso than reading these articles, i am more tired of reading posts that say 'even more disrespect form the media'

can we all just sit back and say 'who ****ing cares?' for once

i dont mean just say it - i mean really MEAN it

if they are wrong, which i believe/hope they are, the skins will prove them wrong

there is also a chance they are right

i, for one, really dont care if we get 'disrespected.' we shouldnt get respect. we were 5-11 and have shown absolutely no consistency throughout the past 15 years. every fan who has a team has reasons why the media is wrong about his team. we area ll homers. people are going to diss the skins. can we please just say no more ****ing about the media? if they really are wrong like we all know they are, give it time - the season will prove them wrong. but complaining about the media's treatment of the redskins is just nonsense. every fan thinks his team is underappreciated by The Man.

EDIT - I dont mean this just in terms of above posts in this thread. they seem to be very reasonable. this is more in response to future posts in this thread and just the attitude of ES in general

tgijef

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Thirtyfive2seven

Thirtyfive2seven

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I've got to make this list realistic:

1: CARDINALS Adrian Wilson is one of the most versatile players in the league; he can cover slot receivers and play back in coverage or near the line of scrimmage. Terrence Holt should be adept at directing coverage from the free safety spot.

2: EAGLES Brian Dawkins still plays at an elite level. Sean Considine has put on weight in order to get better near the line of scrimmage.

3: VIKINGS Darren Sharper still is one of the NFL's smartest players and takes chances to make big plays. Dwight Smith plays with emotion and hits hard but must work on his tackling technique.

4: REDSKINS Sean Taylor has elite speed and delivers massive hits but gambles too much. Rookie LaRon Landry also is a big hitter but will take time to adjust. I think they stay here until the defense gets back to form

5: COWBOYS The team insists it will play Roy Williams close to the line of scrimmage to let him be a playmaker without having so many coverage responsibilities. In turn, Ken Hamlin will make sure everyone gets lined up properly.

I just pasted them here because I'm too lazy to search for a better tandem. I'm sure another team has MUCH better safety play in the NFC. The bears come to mind.

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SkinsTillIDie

SkinsTillIDie

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People can argue all they want about the play of Sean Taylor last year, or about his previous off-the-field endeavors (which are really minuscule, especially in the NFL of 2007). But there is no team in the NFL, I repeat, NO TEAM in the league that has two safeties of such inordinate potential as the Redskins do.

No team in the league has two safeties as fast, as good in coverage, or as hard-hitting as the Taylor/Landry combination, and this will be proven in time. In a league that is more and more safety-driven, I look forward to the day when analysts look back and commend the Redskins for being innovators and trendsetters in having two safeties of such tremendous quality.

Safeties today such as Roy Williams, Donovin Darius, John Lynch etc. may excel in one aspect of the safety spot, and it is usually hitting and run defense. A top safety today is hardly a complete protype. As everyone here knows, Roy Williams is horrendous in coverage and a liability. In Taylor and Landry however, the Redskins will have two of the absolute best and complete safeties in the league, neither of which will be a liability in any situation. It gives us more options than any other team in the league with more versatility from our defensive backfield. It is the one advantage that we have that no one else in the league does.

Yes, Landry may have some growing pains, and we shouldn't expect too much too soon. But come crunch time, when it matters most, and come future seasons... The Redskins will have two pro-bowl talented safeties in a more safety-directed league, and that can only mean good things for the future of the franchise

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BurgundyMalaise

BurgundyMalaise

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^^^^^Responding to the above comment

I just really hope we can find a way to keep BOTH of these guys on the roster for a long time. IMO, I don't think we can afford both these guys long run AND give Cooley an extension AND continue to pay these ridiculous contracts to people who don't earn them first. Something's gonna have to give in time, so hopefully it's our irresponsible knack for dishing out contracts to people that dont play to their worth. I just hope we don't have to cut an expensive vet in a couple years like Portis or Washington because of contract obligations at one position or unit. But I'll try to be optimistic when Landry receives his contract and we see what happens with Cooley and Taylor's upcoming contract needs.

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SkinsTillIDie

SkinsTillIDie

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^^^^^Responding to the above comment

I just really hope we can find a way to keep BOTH of these guys on the roster for a long time. IMO, I don't think we can afford both these guys long run AND give Cooley an extension AND continue to pay these ridiculous contracts to people who don't earn them first. Something's gonna have to give in time, so hopefully it's our irresponsible knack for dishing out contracts to people that dont play to their worth. I just hope we don't have to cut an expensive vet in a couple years like Portis or Washington because of contract obligations at one position or unit. But I'll try to be optimistic when Landry receives his contract and we see what happens with Cooley and Taylor's upcoming contract needs.

I think in the end, we'll be able to keep our players, easily enough. Right now, we're $5 million under the cap. The cap goes up I think $7 million each year. We have vets like Brunell, Wynn, Daniels, and probably Springs coming off the cap after this year. Those four are some of our highest cap eaters.

Unfortunately, we have a number of players whose cap figures balloon for the 2008 year. Griffin makes $6 million plus this year and counts for $6.16 million again next year. Jon Jansen's cap hit balloons from $3.4 million this year to $8.8 million next year. Brandon Lloyd goes from $2.4 million this year to $4.2 million next year, and I'm sure that he'll be a prime candidate to get cut. Santana Moss goes from $3.2 million this year to $5.8 million, and Portis goes from $4 million to $8.9 million. Chris Samuels is set to count for $8.25 million against the cap, and Randy Thomas is set to count for $8.8 million against the cap (quite a crapload too our offensive line). And Marcus Washington is set to count for $6.4 million against the cap.

So, Griffin, Jansen, Lloyd, Moss, Portis, Samuels, Thomas, and Washington are set to amount for $57.3+ million of our cap next year (the number is actually higher because I rounded down on all of the figures). That being said, we have the best captologist in the league, and many have predicted "salary cap hell" for the Redskins for the past 5, 6, 7 years, and it's never come. Landry's contract and Cooley and Taylor's extensions will most likely be heavily backloaded, and I'm sure that there will be a good amount of negotiation and salary turned to bonuses so as to lower individual cap numbers.

However, the good news is that we have a lot of players who don't make a lot too. Jason Campbell, in terms of starting quarterback salary, makes a pittance, and he's signed on for a while. Key contributers like Rocky McIntosh, Kedrick Golston, and Taylor all make very little, and of course, our depth guys pretty much all make the vet min or thereabouts. And with the salary cap ballooning, I don't think that there will be very many top free agents available in future, as teams will all have the ability to sign their guys. And anyone that does hit the open market will command an extraordinary salary, i.e. Nate Clements. I think it's safe to say that our free agency dominance is at an end, in terms of signing the highest profile players. We'll probably see offseasons like the one we had this year, in which we signed a couple key guys for moderate salaries, keep our draft picks, and remain pretty quiet.

I think we'll be fine in regards to the cap

also, all my cap figures came from thehogs.net's terrific compilation, which can be found here: http://www.thehogs.net/washington-redskins/salary.php

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SkinsTillIDie

SkinsTillIDie

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I didn't know that Landry went to the Pro Bowl already.

He could be great, but then again Taylor could have another bad year and Landry could never start. Who the **** knows?

That's the easy answer. "Who knows? anything can happen." And then you'll list players who have been busts in the past, with the same ol' schtick.

Landry will experience some rough patches in the beginning, and he'll probably take a little while to pick up some of Gregg Williams' scheme, just as any rookie would. But he's as much as a sure thing as there is in the draft, and I don't need to list for you his accomplishments, as a 4 year starter in the SEC (including of course starting right away as a freshman for LSU), etc. etc. And to add to the fact that Gregg Williams has gone on record stating that he has drastically simplified his defense, which will make it easier on Landry. Plus, he has a number of vets to smooth his transition.

And of course, Roy Williams could break his leg. Brian Dawkins could get in a car accident. No ****, anything can happen. It's probable, however, that Taylor will play up to his ability as he has proven in the past, and it is probable that Landry will fulfill his potential. And just so you know, I'm not talking about the first 5 or 6 games of the season, when Landry will undoubtedly face some obstacles. I'm talking about at the end of the season, when he has 6, 8, 10 games under his belt, and I'm talking about the 2008 season and beyond. You need to look at the bigger picture

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Spartacus87

Spartacus87

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I think in the end, we'll be able to keep our players, easily enough. Right now, we're $5 million under the cap. The cap goes up I think $7 million each year. We have vets like Brunell, Wynn, Daniels, and probably Springs coming off the cap after this year. Those four are some of our highest cap eaters.

Unfortunately, we have a number of players whose cap figures balloon for the 2008 year. Griffin makes $6 million plus this year and counts for $6.16 million again next year. Jon Jansen's cap hit balloons from $3.4 million this year to $8.8 million next year. Brandon Lloyd goes from $2.4 million this year to $4.2 million next year, and I'm sure that he'll be a prime candidate to get cut. Santana Moss goes from $3.2 million this year to $5.8 million, and Portis goes from $4 million to $8.9 million. Chris Samuels is set to count for $8.25 million against the cap, and Randy Thomas is set to count for $8.8 million against the cap (quite a crapload too our offensive line). And Marcus Washington is set to count for $6.4 million against the cap.

So, Griffin, Jansen, Lloyd, Moss, Portis, Samuels, Thomas, and Washington are set to amount for $57.3+ million of our cap next year (the number is actually higher because I rounded down on all of the figures).

I agree with a lot of this. I'm honestly not all that worried about our cap space for the immediate future. I'm gonna go out on a limb and say Brunell, Wynn/Daniels (I think we'll keep one of those guys), and Springs will be gone after next year. Factor in the cap jumping, and some restructures, and we'll have some decent cap space, probably more than we had this past offseason even. And if Lloyd stinks this year again, he'll be gone too, giving us even more room.

As for all those players who'll count against the cap- I really can't complain. Griffin's the biggest question (outside of the obvious Lloyd), since it all depends on his health. When healthy, he's worth every penny. It's just a question of how often that'll be. Jansen and Samuels when healthy make one of the best tackle tandems in the league, so I'm fine with paying them a lot, same with Randy Thomas. If Portis blows up in this system like he very well should, he'll deserve a decent yearly amount as well, and same goes for Moss (although he has injury bug questions as well I suppose). Overall, that's a lot of money in a few guys, but almost all of them continuously play at a Pro Bowl level, so I can deal with it. Lloyd's the only one that really has to earn his money this year.

As for Campbell- we might be paying him in pennies at the moment, but if he does pretty well like we hope he will for the next couple years, he'll probably start to look for some bigger cash in his bank account. I wouldn't be surprised to see Taylor get a pretty fat contract once his time comes (in a year or so I'd imagine) as well.

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Russell Shotgun

Russell Shotgun

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I don't have a huge problem with this ranking. I mean, Landry hasn't even played a down yet, so I think even having the 'Skins at #5 is a pretty good compliment - ranking us based on one superstar and a rookie's potential. I'll take it for now, and we'll see how this list would be read at the end of the year.

But Dallas? Come on, Hamlin is no superstar and I don't need to talk about Roy Williams. It's just another example of the media types giving praise to the cowboys because they have so many stupid fans who will read the article to make their sponsors happy. We'll see how the season turns out...

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Forever21

Forever21

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Us being number 5 is fine can be argued. However. Dallas being ranked number 2 is comical and laughable and funny. Although this is from Yahoo! so I can't take it too seriously.

Damn experts seem to be split. Those who are still blind and think that RW is good and the half who have a brain and realize that he is wildly overrated and brutal in coverage and thus he can't be called a good safety.

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