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Strong Safety/Free Safety
Posted: Mon Sep 12, 2016 6:12 pm
by TodMaher
Is Strong Safety and Free Safety becoming a thing of the past? Seems like half the teams are not bothering with it on their depth charts this year. Even a third-party source like Ourlads doesn't designate the Eagles safeties as one or the other.
Re: Strong Safety/Free Safety
Posted: Tue Sep 13, 2016 2:21 am
by Reaser
I wouldn't say it is or is becoming a thing of the past. I would say more teams use their safeties interchangeably.
Haven't re-rechecked anything yet (week 1 just ended an hour ago) but on what I saw on the TV's this weekend:
Eagles: McLeod FS and Jenkins SS. Jenkins spent all game in the box, covering the slot and TE, blitzed at least once that I saw. McLeod spent all game in 'center field'.
Lots of teams use classic FS and SS (Seahawks and Redskins for example) ...
One team I noticed where the safeties were Interchangeable was the Dolphins.
Another thing on how DB's are listed is LCB and RCB. Some teams just list two CB's when they really play LCB and RCB.
Re: Strong Safety/Free Safety
Posted: Tue Sep 13, 2016 5:02 pm
by NWebster
Seems to be the case with a lot of non 1st level defenders, and even some of them. What position is Terrell Suggs, Deone Buchanan, etc. Interesting in the 70's there was this concept of a pass rusher as a Rover, like Jack Gregory, etc. Same with TE / WR, .any current TE's block less than Hines Ward or Larry Fitzgerald.
Also the same is happening in the NBA, a few teams have traditional 1 to 5 guys, but many seem to have a 1 a 4 and 3 - 2's or 3's. I think as coaching has become more sophisticated the desire to have positional flexibility is viewed as something that can confuse an opponent and create mismatches.
Re: Strong Safety/Free Safety
Posted: Wed Sep 14, 2016 10:16 am
by JWL
Some player duties are so interchangeable that maybe a true designation is not right. Many players maybe should be known as multi-positional.
Quincy Enunwa- wide receiver or tight end? Umm, I don't know and watch all his plays. How about WR/TE?
Deonne Bucannon- linebacker of safety? How about LB/S?
Jimmy Graham- wide receiver of tight end? WR/TE?
Muhammad Wilkerson, Leonard Williams, Sheldon Richardson? DE/DTs?
The problem is with the franchise players designations. This is why it is was so important that Graham had to argue what position he plays.
Look at the Rams starting lineup from Monday night-
left cornerback- Johnson
middle cornerback- Joyner
right cornerback- Sensabaugh
weak safety- Barron
free safety- Alexander
strong safety- McDonald
At least I think "MCB" means middle cornerback and "WS" means weak safety.