Loading ...Although safety Deon Grant was a starter for the New York Giants in last year's Super Bowl, General Manager Jerry Reese has so far decided not to bring back the 13 year veteran out of Tennessee for the upcoming season. Grant was a veteran leader on the field; and even took on the role as defensive signal caller while Michael Boley was injured last season. However, father time takes his toll on everyone, and Deon Grant is no exception.
With Grant most likely out of the picture, many have speculated that we have seen the last of Defensive Coordinator Perry Fewell's innovative three safety packages. However, Fewell disputes this notion. He recently stated the following:
"We are just going to wait and see," Fewell said. "Obviously, we like that particular package, and we don't want to lose that package. We think that is valuable for us. But with the additions of these linebackers that we have, we can be a little bit more creative, we think. And so we just have to find out who goes where, who can learn the best, and then we will take it from there."
Last season, the three safety package was used mainly because of a rash of injuries in the secondary. With no true nickel corner, the team had no choice but to put Antrel Rolle in man coverage against slot receivers. This necessitated having another free safety to put on the field and take on Rolle's traditional pass coverage responsibilities. Deon Grant was more than serviceable in filling that need.
This season, however, there is considerable depth in the secondary. Cornerback's Prince Amukamara, Jayron Hosley, Justin Tryon, and Antwuan Molden are all competing for roster spots; and it is more than likely that one of them will be used as a nickel cornerback. We could even see one of them moved to safety. Furthermore, do not be surprised to see second year player Tyler Sash take a step forward this season.
Needless to say, Perry Fewell will have a lot of options in the defensive backfield throughout the 2012 campaign. The influx of healthy defensive backs, as well as having a more experienced and athletic linebacker core will enable him to be extremely creative in utilizing personnel. While it is hard to see how Big Blue would still use the three safety look, it has been effective in the past. Therefore, look for Perry Fewell to find creative ways to utilize three safeties at the same time on the defensive side of the ball this season; however, do not expect to see it used in the same fashion as it was in 2011.
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I really like what I saw from Tyler sash last year. I would look for him to take over deon grants role as the third safety. I definitely see them using this package a lot this season too. Fewell has a whole arsenal of talent at his disposal so look for them to mix it up often. Keep in mid there were talks of moving Terrell Thomas to safety also where I think he could play well. There’s plenty of talent at the cornerback position to allow that move for Thomas. We’ll see what Fewell decides to do.
We should also see plenty of Boley, Rivers and Williams playing linebacker together in passing situations against certain teams. It will depend upon match-ups. But I agree that we will probably see Sash replacing Grant in that three-safety defense. Phillips will generally stay deep but with Sash and Rolle on defense along with KP the offense will not be able to see which of them will drop deeper and who will stay shorter since both are capable of playing either role.
FF55 is correct in that the 3 safety look initially came from a need to get as many cover guys on the field as possible while minimizing our susceptibility to the run. In the past that meant that one of Grant, KP and Rolle would stay in the box while the other guys either shaded to one side of the field or rushed the passer. Now that we’ve got 3 bonafide cover linebackers, not to mention a bevy of cornerbacks, we could see less 3 safety looks and more coverage-focused alignments featuring different sets of players.
In today’s pass wacky league, I’d rather have a 3rd safety than a 2nd or 3rd LB on the field (depending on matchups).
4-1-3-3 or 3-2-3-3 on obvious passing downs for me with this team’s DEs and LBs.
Make these teams beat you on the ground, get your best cover guys on the field.
Hell, better yet, depending on how Swag Hosley comes along, you could see some serious playmaking out of 4-1-4-2.
Someone tell me an offense won’t craap their pants when they see the following on the field:
JPP, Osi, Tuck, Kiwi, Boley/Williams, Webster, Thomas, Hosley, Amukamara, Rolle, KP.
STACKED.
Jaysus I forgot about Rivers for a minute there. Athletes all over the field!
I disagree. I don’t think we will see much of the 3 safety look this year. Last year I think we use the 3 safety look a lot because of lack of experienced depth at LBer and lack of depth at CB. I think alignments with Boley, Rivers and Williams will be used instead of the 3 safety look at times. As well as the classic nickel look with 3 CBs. I think we used the 3 saftey look at great deal last year because Rolle was our nickel CB. So essentially we were in nickel. I think also the pressence of having 3 physical CBs (Cweb, TT & Price) as our projected top 3 CBs reduces the need for 3 safeties.
Basically last year we had more confidence playing Grant than a 3 LBer or 3 CB such as Prince or Blackburn. I think with Prince, Williams and Rivers those are players we rather see on the field over Sash.
I agree with you to a point. I do not think we will see as much three safety looks as we did last season; however, I do not think it will be abandoned all together. I think Fewell will use it sparingly to throw a wrench at opposing quarterbacks.
Dirt-
Swag Hosley! Keep the dream alive.
Also much props for being the only one to read my posts about Herzlich in their entirety. And to actually grasp what I was saying earlier today.
The point was not so much about race, but digging for reasons why a fan base is so enamored with a player who has shown absolutely nothing. Jaqaun Williams is the young LB people should be excited about. He showed some big time flashes. Herzlich on the other hand has shown zero flashes. My goal was to find out why a player with such mediocre talent has Giants fans so excited.
You guys crack me up with some of the stuff you write in the comments.
Hosley has 0 snap in the NLF, Amukamara is a hurt sophomore with very little experience and teams are gonna crap their pants ?
As of right now we don’t know how Thomas’ knee is doing either.
Boley and Williams are not reliable cover LBs.
We have a great line and 2 very good starting safeties. Between that ? Lots of questions.
Nosh , you are starting to get annoying – MY comments were simply that Herzlich was still on the team because GIANTS MANAGEMENT wanted him there
and it had nothing to do with his race color school feel good story or anything else . Show me anywhere that definitively states that talent is not the only reason he is still there from any authoritative source ( and as much as I respect the knowledge and info that comes from this site , I do not consider a poster on here an authoritative source – sorry Kujo )