Patriots changes by position: Safety

MaPatsFan — Wed, 06 May 2009 00:11:41 -0000

More photos » by Stephan Savoia - AP

7 months ago: New England Patriots' Patrick Chung (25) works a drill against defensive back Jamar Love, left, during football minicamp at the team's football facility in Foxborough, Mass., Friday morning, May 1, 2009 Chung was the Patriots' first pick in the 2009 rookie draft chosen in the second round as the 34th pick overall. (AP Photo/Stephan Savoia)

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Continuing our series examining changes to the Patriots' positions, we take a gander at Safety. Writing these can be a bit precarious; as hytholdaeus pointed out in his comments, we're adding players at a breakneck pace. Let's also keep in mind that the roster is VERY fluid right now. Many guys will turn into training camp fodder and won't have a locker come cut day.

2008 Roster: Rodney Harrison (IR'd 10/22 with a thigh injury), Brandon Meriweather, Tank Williams (IR'd in preseason), James Sanders, Raymond Ventrone, Antwain Spann

2009 Roster: Brandon Meriweather, Tank Williams, James Sanders, Patrick Chung, Brandon McGowan, Raymond Ventrone, Antwain Spann

Rodney Harrison - The $64,000 question is, "Will Rodney return?" He dabbled a bit in broadcasting with booth time at the Super Bowl and said he was "testing the waters", but has he successfully scratched the itch? Can he turn the motor off? Does Belichick think he can add value? Whether or not his body will do what his mind wants it to is the question and can only be answered by himself and Belichick, but I believe his greatest contribution would be a Bruschi-like role, an on-field mentor, if you will. Bring him back for a year just to tidy things up a bit. If he decides to stay away, I believe it'll be because of some of the rules changes that came about this year.
Brandon Meriweather - Having worked under the mentorship of Rodney for two years, Brandon has come along nicely. He also had to jump in right quick when Harrison went down. If Brandon can develop that prowler instinct that his teacher has, I believe he'll be the future of that position for a very long time.
Tank Williams - I was practically crying when Tank went down last season. I was sooooo stoked to see what he could do, this hybrid safety/linebacker dude. A player in this position with the instincts and football IQ to pull off coverage and pass rushing is VERY dangerous to the opposition. We suffered a great deal with the pass rush and if we don't end up with a pass rushing OLB, Tank could fill that gap as well as the "other" back on nickel and dime packages.
James Sanders - Whew, thank goodness we resigned Sanders. A super productive free safety, he's always making solo tackles as an FS or on special teams. In his fifth year as a Patriot, New England wisely signed him to a three year deal worth approximately $9 million. James' knowledge of the playbook is second to none, therefore considered a valuable asset. I'd love to see him grow as a playmaker as well.
Patrick Chung - The new kid on the block, Patrick was NE's #1 2009 draft choice at 34 (thank you Matt Cassel and KC Chiefs!!). How he plays at a pro level remains to be seen, but he reminds me of Tank in that he's more of an "in-the-box" kind of guy and could be used quite a bit on rushing/blitzing packages as well as dime/nickel formations. Not a deep coverage guy, he could do well roaming the middle ground between deep safety and linebacker.
Brandon McGowan - Acquired today (dang, I have a headache), has five years of experience and could potentially be another nail in the coffin for a Rodney Harrison return. A solid backup guy, he'll add depth, but will have to battle it out for a fourth spot; Meriweather, Sanders, and Chung are the most likely top three.
Raymond Ventrone - Classified as a safety, but primarily special teams, Ventrone won't vie for a top spot on the defense. He may be brought in every once in a while, but that's about it.
Antwain Spann - Like Ventrone, Antwain is a special teams guy. I consider stability at this position just as important as other positions; Belichick is a special teams hound and hates when mistakes are made. I say give guys like Raymond and Antwain credit. That and Antwain was willing to give up his #28 to Fred Taylor. Class begets class and Fred decided to wear his college #21. Cool.

Analysis

Is it the end of an era? Are we seeing the departure of fan favorite, Rodney Harrison? Given the current crop of safeties who have been brought on and the rules changes "softening" the game in many a defensive player's eyes, I think we're not far away from his departure. Sad. RODNEY...DAH...MAN!!

The top two guys will be Meriweather and Sanders with Chung rotating in as he gains experience. Tank (gotta love a guy named Tank) will be used in very specific packages requiring a hybrid guy and/or someone to prowl the line or edges. McGowan, if he makes the roster, will add depth when needed.

I'm stoked to see what will happen. Losing Tank last year was a major blow, IMO, and I can't wait to see what he'll contribute. We were very thin at safety (same as many other positions) and things were getting a little dicey.

Alright, let's hear it.

Poll

Was 2008 Rodney's last season?

Yes

158 votes

No

95 votes

253 votes | Poll has closed

What should the Patriots do with $16M burning a hole in their pocket?

MaPatsFan — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 19:51:22 -0000

That was one nutty weekend, fer shure dude. Friday night, Matt Cassel was rumored to have been traded to the Bucs; Saturday it was confirmed he was heading to Arrowhead Stadium with OLB Mike Vrabel. Sunday, it was reported he was part of a failed three way (get your mind out of the gutter) which had Cassel going to Denver for a high first rounder, McDaniels dealing Cutler to Tampa Bay, and Vrabel to KC. I won't dredge up whether or not this was a successful weekend; everyone has their opinions and they're all worthwhile. I would, however, like to focus on the future, on what is needed in Foxboro TODAY. And what to do with ~$16 million in cap space.

We were in trouble before this weekend, serious trouble. So much so that we tweaked Randy Moss' deal:

The Patriots took $1.5 million of what Moss was to earn in 2009 and guaranteed that figure by turning it into a bonus. That freed up about $750,000 on the 2009 salary cap, and will increase Moss's salary cap charge in 2010.

That strikes me as a "we're eating macaroni and cheese to pay the electric bill" kind of move, but whaddya gonna do? We needed to free up cap space and quickly. Again, I won't go into whether or not the Cassel/Vrabel trade was a good one, but let's get a move on and figure out how we should spend the money.

In a recent poll on this site, DBs spanked every other position with a whopping 54% and second place going to LBs with a respectable 28%. I'm working on a far more detailed analysis (depth charts, etc...), but here's a few random thoughts to get this pahty stahted:

Cornerback - With Ellis Hobbs as our top option and 2nd year guys Terrence Wheatley and Jonathan Wilhite the next best options, Hoodie should think about paying for a star corner. We tried the veteran route in 2008 with Deltha O'Neal and look where that got us. We have youth with the Wheatley/Wilhite duo and Hobbs isn't in a wheelchair just yet, so let's pay for a top 5 free agent veteran.

Safety - S James Sanders agreed to a 3 year deal and, at 25, has a lot left in his tank. He is projected to start next to Brandon Meriweather who had a good year in 2008. Beyond that, it's anyone's guess. I've heard zilch about Tank Williams, one of my preseason favorites, and his contract was a one year deal for 2008. Sure, we still have Rodney Harrison (may retire), Raymond Ventrone, and Mark Dillard, but we could still use a solid third guy or a hybrid safety/linebacker for nickel and dime packages.

Linebacker - With Mike Vrabel's trade to KC, it was vital to tie up Pierre Woods and the Patriots did just that. Starting at OLB with Woods will be Adalius Thomas. He had a rough 2008 injury-wise, so I'm hoping he's good and rested for 2009. At ILB, DROY Jerod Mayo will hang alongside Tedy Bruschi. I love my man Tedy, but we need some youth here and quick. I would think another Jerod-like ILB would be Priority 1 for the Patriots.

Ok gang, fire away. Where would you put our money? Are there any FA's or potential draftees you're interested in? What do we do with our draft picks, specifically the first 2: 1st round 23 and 2nd round 2, 34th overall?

SB Nation - Raymond Ventrone

Patriots changes by position: Safety

Was 2008 Rodney's last season?

Yes

No

What should the Patriots do with $16M burning a hole in their pocket?