XXL Franchize Posted March 21, 2014 Share Posted March 21, 2014 This is not another Byrd thread. It was however from reading all the Byrd threads that got me thinking. I do not really see too much value in paying for a safety when the rest of the defense is not up to par, not just the Bills but any team. IMO I think the safety position is the least important position on the defense. I know this is a passing league but stopping the run still needs to be a priority. There are some rare occasions that safeties become household names like Polomalu and Reed, but that isn't a necessary component for playoff/championship football. I feel that when a safety is really able to shine is when the defense is complete. When the defense can stop the run consistently so the safety isn't always involved in stopping the run. Both of those players were the toppings to outstanding defenses. IDK, that's my take on it. While I understand the importance of having a savvy safety back there, I think that a safety is probably the worst position to invest in if you can't stop the run or get to the quarterback. So we are halfway there on that one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobobonators Posted March 21, 2014 Share Posted March 21, 2014 There are 2 cornerstones of a D that deserve top money: a great pass rusher and a great CB. You fill in what u can around that. That being said, we still shouldve franchised byrd. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheLynchTrain Posted March 21, 2014 Share Posted March 21, 2014 There are some rare occasions that safeties become household names like Polomalu and Reed, but that isn't a necessary component for playoff/championship football. So Polomalu and Reed weren't "necessary" when their teams won the Super Bowl three times in the last nine years??? These two guys are probably not where you want to start your argument that safeties don't matter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. WEO Posted March 21, 2014 Share Posted March 21, 2014 There are 2 cornerstones of a D that deserve top money: a great pass rusher and a great CB. You fill in what u can around that. That being said, we still shouldve franchised byrd. CBs who get "top money" end up bouncing around the league. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ramius Posted March 21, 2014 Share Posted March 21, 2014 CBs who get "top money" end up bouncing around the league. While i wouldn't pass on a Revis/Sherman-type of CB, i do agree that at the CB position, money is better spent having 3 above average CBs than 1 "lockdown" corner. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobobonators Posted March 21, 2014 Share Posted March 21, 2014 (edited) CBs who get "top money" end up bouncing around the league. If a CB performs at a top level in your system, pay him. Other than QB's, all positions are prone to bounce around the league.. Thats what happens when u have a cap. Edited March 21, 2014 by bobobonators Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobobonators Posted March 21, 2014 Share Posted March 21, 2014 (edited) While i wouldn't pass on a Revis/Sherman-type of CB, i do agree that at the CB position, money is better spent having 3 above average CBs than 1 "lockdown" corner. You give me one elite pass rusher and one elite corner and you have the infredients needed for a good defense. Theyre the two ingredients on D that have the capability to sinlgle-handedly affect the opposing offense - the CB locking down the O's #1 threat and the pass rusher disrupting the QB which by correlation, affects the other WR/passing game. I dont even mention run d bc no single player on D can stop the run by himself. Run D is a scheme/group effort. So yeah, IMO - corner and pass rusher (whether de or LB i dont care) Edited March 21, 2014 by bobobonators Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maury Ballstein Posted March 21, 2014 Share Posted March 21, 2014 (edited) Cam Chancellor and Earl Thomas types are worth every penny. Chancellor won the nfc title game by obliterating Gore and Davis. Edited March 21, 2014 by Ryan L Billz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boyst Posted March 21, 2014 Share Posted March 21, 2014 My quick hit response: In a game where fundamentals are consistently lacking you and highlights are all you see anymore when plays are made, well, you need to have play makers are positions that provide your team assurance to avoid the big play; to avoid the big run, the long pass, the large gains. There is a synonym for assurance and that is safety. There is a reason that the position became called a safety. It is the deepest man on the field who provides safety for your defense from the large gains. Not to further the reply but if you look in to the history of the game you'll see where and how the position came about. It was in a turning of the league and built upon the passing game and the new types of RB's that took over the league about the time Jim Brown, OJ and others came about. Thats when the safety became what we know today. Those guys stopped the RB's when no one else could and also go behind the WR's that became faster and faster. Safety is going to make a resurgence in this league and it is going to be in the next 5 years. Before that, in the next two years, though...that's when you be promised that RB's will be bowling over defenders and looking like Blount did against us time and time again. In 8 years we are going to have 350 lbs. OL again, too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr_Blizzard Posted March 21, 2014 Share Posted March 21, 2014 Ronnie Lott was a key ingredient to those SF defenses, and he played safety most of his career. Too bad we couldn't come up with enough Byrd food in 2013 to lock down Jairus for 5 years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kellyto83TD Posted March 21, 2014 Share Posted March 21, 2014 There are 2 cornerstones of a D that deserve top money: a great pass rusher and a great CB. You fill in what u can around that. That being said, we still shouldve franchised byrd. I thought we should have franchised him too, but teams now just aren't going to give up picks for guys that are higher priced then try to turn around and sign them to a long term contract. So I now agree with how Whaley handled it looking at the NFL landscape this offseason so far Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Posted March 21, 2014 Share Posted March 21, 2014 The middle of a defense is always key. Safeties are a part of that Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobobonators Posted March 21, 2014 Share Posted March 21, 2014 Another way of looking at it: there have been what? 48 super bowls? 48 different ways to win it. Theres no super formula to win one. Next year we'll demonstrate everyone how to win it a 49th different way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Posted March 21, 2014 Share Posted March 21, 2014 Another way of looking at it: there have been what? 48 super bowls? 48 different ways to win it. Theres no super formula to win one. Next year we'll demonstrate everyone how to win it a 49th different way. Best way is to put together a roster with as many playmakers as possible and fit the rest into roles. Accentuate the strengths, hide the weaknesses. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillyBaroo Posted March 22, 2014 Share Posted March 22, 2014 This is not another Byrd thread. It was however from reading all the Byrd threads that got me thinking. I do not really see too much value in paying for a safety when the rest of the defense is not up to par, not just the Bills but any team. IMO I think the safety position is the least important position on the defense. I know this is a passing league but stopping the run still needs to be a priority. There are some rare occasions that safeties become household names like Polomalu and Reed, but that isn't a necessary component for playoff/championship football. I feel that when a safety is really able to shine is when the defense is complete. When the defense can stop the run consistently so the safety isn't always involved in stopping the run. Both of those players were the toppings to outstanding defenses. IDK, that's my take on it. While I understand the importance of having a savvy safety back there, I think that a safety is probably the worst position to invest in if you can't stop the run or get to the quarterback. So we are halfway there on that one. I agree - only to a certain point. A top safety can make a difference as alluded to earlier (Ronnie Lott) but Aaron Williams is definitely Exhibit A to prove your point. A subpar corner that really seemed pretty good at safety and I think this year will help us all forget about Byrd. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XXL Franchize Posted March 22, 2014 Author Share Posted March 22, 2014 So Polomalu and Reed weren't "necessary" when their teams won the Super Bowl three times in the last nine years??? These two guys are probably not where you want to start your argument that safeties don't matter. I'm not saying safeties don't matter, just that they should be the last pieces put in place. I use Reed and Polomalu only because they are the top 2 guys in the last 10 years and they were surrounded by talent. Both great and I'm a fan of them both. But if there was a list positional importance on defense, safety would be last. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boyst Posted March 22, 2014 Share Posted March 22, 2014 I'm not saying safeties don't matter, just that they should be the last pieces put in place. I use Reed and Polomalu only because they are the top 2 guys in the last 10 years and they were surrounded by talent. Both great and I'm a fan of them both. But if there was a list positional importance on defense, safety would be last. You sure about that? We are exhibit A for the blunders of defense. At one point we had the best tandem of CB's in the league and the worst LB's and we got destroyed in the passing game. Another time we had one of the best front 7's in the league and a sock puppet and lampshade at CB and didn't stop the run to save our life. In only one season of recent we fielded an actual safety unit - Byrd and AWilliams, and then a mixture of Leonhard, Searcy, AWilliams and Byrd, too. It is as much a measure of coaching, talent and having a unit that is built for success. Safety may not be the famous position you hear all about, or the guy that you've heard of on each team. But, on a good team you should not hear the jersey # or name of the safety unless they're getting a turnover. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Over 29 years of fanhood Posted March 22, 2014 Share Posted March 22, 2014 Another way of looking at it: there have been what? 48 super bowls? 48 different ways to win it. Theres no super formula to win one. Next year we'll demonstrate everyone how to win it a 49th different way. This is nice! Safety's also have different values in different schemes. Decent athletes (not elite) that are technically sound, who take good angles, form tackle correctly and watch enough film to understand where to be will do just fine as the deep guy in cover 1,2, 3 etc. (free safety) Strong safety needs to be all of the above with less range and better run stopping. In cover two these lines blur a bit more. Ed reed and Troy come up. I'd consider them all of the above respective to their position and elite athletes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alaska Darin Posted March 22, 2014 Share Posted March 22, 2014 Apparently you can go 6-10 with a Pro Bowler at the position. Is that the defining fact? Doubtful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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