Morgan Burnett

[3irty1]

Peprah isn't exactly a physical force back there either.

Burnett better fits the idea of our defense. With him in the lineup, every member of our secondary is a threat to take the ball away. Since he's more of a free safety anyways, Collins can move closer to the ball on occasion and try doing some of the things that the other top safeties in the game get to do. More importantly, Dom realizes that although historically running and stopping the run are the keys to victory in a football game that in this day and age passing is king. If you can pass and stop the pass you'll do very well in this league. This is what Burnett does best.

[sharpe1027]

What about the possibility of Woodson moving to safety, or at least being the primary backup at the position?

[Smidgeon]

Peprah isn't exactly a physical force back there either.

Burnett better fits the idea of our defense. With him in the lineup, every member of our secondary is a threat to take the ball away. Since he's more of a free safety anyways, Collins can move closer to the ball on occasion and try doing some of the things that the other top safeties in the game get to do. More importantly, Dom realizes that although historically running and stopping the run are the keys to victory in a football game that in this day and age passing is king. If you can pass and stop the pass you'll do very well in this league. This is what Burnett does best.

I forget the article, but post-SB, I read that one of the takeaways that other teams will try to mimic is that the spread passing game will start increasing even more. Which means that a good defense needs 3-4 good CBs and safetys that can cover. The Packers will have four-five (3CB and 2S) that can do this (including Burnett) and will probably pick up one or two in the draft (unless Bell, Pat Lee, Gordy, or Awesomegha come into the fold). So while the offenses will be picking up the spread, the Packers are already a step ahead.

[mission]

What about going Peprah, Collins, Woodson, Burnett, Shields and Tramon in dime?

I think I like that a lot.

[Smidgeon]

Maybe, but that would kind of worry me. I'm under the impression that if a safety could cover WRs one on one, they'd be CBs; which makes me guess that Burnett's forte is surveying and reading the field from the back end rather than covering one on one.

[Lurker64]

Maybe, but that would kind of worry me. I'm under the impression that if a safety could cover WRs one on one, they'd be CBs; which makes me guess that Burnett's forte is surveying and reading the field from the back end rather than covering one on one.

Frequently, the main difference between safeties and CBs is that safeties is that safeties are bigger and more linear athletes and aren't nearly as effective in turning and running against another team's best WR. But it's easier to cover a guy who runs into your area than a guy you have to run with from the LOS.

[mission]

Maybe, but that would kind of worry me. I'm under the impression that if a safety could cover WRs one on one, they'd be CBs; which makes me guess that Burnett's forte is surveying and reading the field from the back end rather than covering one on one.

That's thinking a bit too traditionally, Smidge. Dom's strength is putting guys in a position that maximizes their strengths and hides their weaknesses. We don't play a lot of man except on the outside with Shields and Williams and they usually get help in some way underneath (from LBs) or deep from safeties. Players all have different responsibilities like hook to curl, deep third, curl to flat, or position reads like RBs and QB spies. They might be covering a guy who intersects these responsibilities but that doesn't necessarily make it "man" ... it just looks like it on TV. There's a ton we could do with those six guys on the field in passing situations.

I'm not saying line up man across the board and expect Burnett to run with Mike Wallace down the sideline. Dom could make something work if he felt there wasn't much of a drop off having the 6th guy on the field.

[prime311]

Its so rare for a defensive back or receiver to make a big impact their first season. Those are just positions that take a lot of time to learn the nuances of. Thats part of what made the job Shields did this year so special, not only as an undrafted player but as a 1st year secondary player. It took Collins, Sharper, etc... years to settle into the position, but they were great once they did. I think Burnett will be just like those guys.

[SkinBasket]

Considering the safeties we've burned through, and suffered through - including Bigby the past decade or so, Peprah looks like Jesus out there. Some of that is how our defense has changed, I'm sure, and some of it has been the emergence of our outstanding CB group, but some of it is that he just doesn't suck the donkey cock as hard as those other guys have. And I'll take that until (if) Burnett learns the defense and proves himself better than Peprah.

[3irty1]

There is a big mystery about who could possibly fill Charles Woodson's shoes in this defense once he hangs em up. My bet is on Morgan Burnett. In college he filled a role similar to Woodson's or the jets CB Dwight Lowery. A slot specialist. Burnett has great ball skills and the size of a safety to make plays near the line but also terrific lateral quickness to cover water-bug type guys like Wes Welker who are more quick than fast, just like Wood. Wouldn't be shocked to see him work this roll in our big nickel package someday allowing another safety to take the field rather than a guy like Jarrett Bush.

[mission]

Its so rare for a defensive back or receiver to make a big impact their first season. Those are just positions that take a lot of time to learn the nuances of. Thats part of what made the job Shields did this year so special, not only as an undrafted player but as a 1st year secondary player. It took Collins, Sharper, etc... years to settle into the position, but they were great once they did. I think Burnett will be just like those guys.

07 and 2 posts, I think that's the record.

Welcome back and keep posting

[Smidgeon]

There is a big mystery about who could possibly fill Charles Woodson's shoes in this defense once he hangs em up. My bet is on Morgan Burnett. In college he filled a role similar to Woodson's or the jets CB Dwight Lowery. A slot specialist. Burnett has great ball skills and the size of a safety to make plays near the line but also terrific lateral quickness to cover water-bug type guys like Wes Welker who are more quick than fast, just like Wood. Wouldn't be shocked to see him work this roll in our big nickel package someday allowing another safety to take the field rather than a guy like Jarrett Bush.

But to truly fill this role, wouldn't he have to turn into a "down hill" player? Woodson throws himself through a lot of traffic to make tough tackles. From appearances (and I stress appearances because I know so little), isn't Burnett on the other end of that particular spectrum?

[mission]

I guess when it really comes down to it... our coaches have taken players with above average talent and made them look good on their way to winning a Super Bowl. I think of Shields, Williams, Woodson, Peprah and heck, even Bush. Everyone was at worst good.

We all kind of forget all the old "Charlie Peprah" jokes of a few years ago when he was on his first stint with us. Now he's a solid starter in this scheme and I don't argue that at all. I like the guy.

Assuming we retain guys like Whitt and Perry, I think we'll continue to see young DBs -- especially Burnett -- shine in this system. We could be known as the DB Factory before it's all over with.

[prime311]

But to truly fill this role, wouldn't he have to turn into a "down hill" player? Woodson throws himself through a lot of traffic to make tough tackles. From appearances (and I stress appearances because I know so little), isn't Burnett on the other end of that particular spectrum?

Wood has incredible instincts. You don't just have that. Maybe Burnett could be that guy, but probably not anytime soon. Maybe I just don't want to diminish the job Wood has done, but there are so few DB's that can play the run, cover an elite receivers, and time a blitz all while still having a nose for the big play. Collins is the only guy on our D even close to that, but I'm not sure hes even a solid enough tackler for the spot. The truth of the matter is that the defense works how it works primarily because of Wood, and without him Capers would probably run the defense a bit differently, because no one is just going to be plugged into that spot and not miss a beat.

[3irty1]

But to truly fill this role, wouldn't he have to turn into a "down hill" player? Woodson throws himself through a lot of traffic to make tough tackles. From appearances (and I stress appearances because I know so little), isn't Burnett on the other end of that particular spectrum?

Well I don't expect anybody to ever truly fill the roll because Charles Woodson can do so much so well but Burnett has the ball skills and the short area quickness that can approximate those of Charles Woodson. I think you'll see Burnett get his nose into the action a bit more as he gets comfortable in the NFL. All in all he's a pretty complete safety but with exceptional ball skills and the exceptional ability to change directions which is huge to play the slot. He also has experience doing it in college where he would move down to slot corner in nickel situations.