We've got Collins and Bigby/Burnett as the starters. Behind them, we've got Charlie Peprah, who is not an all pro but can get the job done. He will be in position when the play comes to him. Then there's Blackmon, who is a very intriguing prospect at safety. Dude can't play corner at an elite level, but I think he will be able to play safety. Then there's also Derrick Martin. He's mainly a special teams guy. Should beat out Jarrett Bush, our other ST/S.
That's plenty of depth. I think all those guys can play, except maybe Bush.
Blackmon is a marginal CB, but I think he's got plenty of skill to play S. My only worry is how big of a hitter he's gonna be, but that's of secondary concern.
"nerdmann" wrote:
"Not an all-pro but can play" is a rather generous description for someone who's fighting for a roster spot, after being cut halfway through the season last year because of poor play.
I have no idea what Blackmon will do, but I don't see why he should make leaps forward now. I know, he has athleticism to spare, but that was the reason why he should go up as far as to our nickle back last year.
Collins - Burnett - Bigby is a good, 3 deep set. Collins and Burnett are players of the same mold. They fit perfectly in our defensive scheme. Bigby is just a solid player who can step in when needed and be a decent starter when needed.
Biggest problem is, Burnett is still somewhat of a question mark at the pro level. Bigby tends to get injured.
Now our depth isn't horrible. You can't expect your 4th safety to play at an amazing level, it's way better that last years, that's for sure. It's just that we should hope that no one goes down, because the drop-off to Peprah and/or Blackmon will be huge.