The safeties, a squad that is poised to undergo a significant overhaul, were addressed by defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley and general manager Brian Gutekunst.
GREEN BAY, Wisconsin: Rudy Ford, Jonathan Owens, and Darnell Savage together played 1,959 snaps at safety for the Green Bay Packers in the previous campaign.
There’s a possibility that none of the three will be re-signed for anything more than depth and special teams since they are all eligible for free agency.
In the NFL, being a safety is not a premium position. Pay is the basis for franchise tenders; the least expensive position on defense is safety.
However, it is an essential position for the Cover-1 and Cover-3 schemes that Jeff Hafley, the new defensive coordinator, intends to implement.
The foundation of Hafley’s defenses is having one ground-covering safety roam deep, in contrast to Joe Barry’s preferred Cover-2, which calls for two safeties to play deep to stifle the big play.
To put it bluntly, it takes a rare kind of talent to have one player accomplish what two used to do.
“I believe that guy back in the middle of the field has to go get the ball when things break down and it’s thrown up in the air.” Hafley recently stated, “I think it’s a very important spot in the defense.”
The Seattle Seahawks and their renowned Legion of Boom secondary had the most well-known Cover-3 defense.
Kam Chancellor played underneath Earl Thomas, who played deep in that. However, general manager Brian Gutekunst may not necessarily want to build that way.
The other issue is that, as you are all aware, there are a lot of injuries among defensive backs in this league, especially among defensive backs.
Guys need to be adaptable and able to execute a variety of tasks because you never know what lineup you’ll start each week.
In fact, Gutekunst stated that he would prefer the slot defender and his two safeties to be interchangeable in a “perfect world.”
It will be up to Hafley to make it work if he can’t find safeties with that degree of adaptability.
Gutekunst went on, “I feel good that a player who is really good at one thing, maybe not another, will find that spot.”
“From a personnel manager’s standpoint, having some of those players can somewhat restrict your ability to assemble a roster.
Therefore, I’d like those people to have enough versatility to be used interchangeably.
Finding a safety to play deep that is akin to Thomas’s is nearly impossible. Athleticism to intercept deep passes and last-line-of-defense tackling prowess are prerequisites for the post safety position.
Savage is a fast runner but a poor tackler. Owens has full-field coverage ability but is a capable tackler.
“Someone who can take the ball away and move from sideline to sideline is what I want.” I believe that player needs to be able to intercept the ball and have a high ball productivity.
He must possess communication skills, be able to organize men into a line, and be able to make some calls back there. A person who can play man is someone I’d adore.
I suppose I’m painting you a picture of the ideal player, but those are some characteristics I would seek for in a player for that position.
Gutekunst should be able to select an immediate starter from the talented bunch that will showcase their abilities at the Combine this week, especially with five picks in the first three rounds.
Even if the Buccaneers and Patriots, respectively, franchise-tag Antoine Winfield and Kyler Dugger, there is still a potent bunch of free agents to choose from.
Baltimore’s Geno Stone, who primarily plays deep, recorded seven interceptions in the previous season.
Xavier McKinney of the Giants, Kamren Curl of the Commanders, Julian Blackmon of the Colts, Jordan Whitehead of the Jets, and C.J. Gardner-Johnson of the Lions are a few examples of elite veterans who are diverse defenders rather than just specialists.
When asked if he needed a veteran, Gutekunst suggested that he might handle tight end and receiver the same way he handled them last year. Skill will prevail over background.
“In my opinion, the player is the most important factor, regardless of their level of experience,” he stated.
“I believe it’s about placing the appropriate player and individual in that position. It doesn’t always matter if they have experience or are a novice.
Although guys with experience are preferred by all, I believe that in the last few years, people have come to understand that it’s not always the best course of action.Sometimes it’s best to be young and see these guys develop as a group.
Though I don’t think having a veteran back there is necessary, we’ll consider everything and decide on the best course of action.
