How much risk taking do you want out of your CF’er? 1 to 10 scale.
Zero…
His job is to do his job…eliminate the deep ball…unless he is a robber…if he is a robber… he needs to read qb eyes while also…
Watching bsckside
Understood. I’m not trying to be difficult. I find the center fielder to be interesting bc there’s this choice of enforcement vs. opportunism/deterrence. Philosophically I find it to be one of the more interesting aspects of a defense.
Diggs and hamitlon would be a sick combo if Diggs wants to come to play…
He could be robber…
Hamilton shutting down Deep ball
Get an explosive edge rusher…
Play press coverage.(id play inside shade 3-4 yards off…dont matter the coversge now…we got boss daddy Hamilton back there…inside shade helps the LBs and the CBs because they have the sideline as a defender …corners need to know sideline is a defender…
Just trying to point out how significant a very good safety is…that’s all.
Walker is a bit of an oddity. He’s a decent tackler. But……
When MP tried to move him to a Box safety roll he struggled heavily. Walker can’t handle the traffic and blockers ate him up making him less effective. Once Glenn moved him back into space he excelled again.
Walker just isn’t ever going to be a versatile safety that can play a down hill roll with any real consistency.
But his coverage stats are a bit of a concern for me too. Last offseason I was ready to move on from Walker but I think he improved under Glenn and I think Glenn can continue his growth so I’m willing to bring him back.
However if we went after a free safety type like Marcus Williams… I think you have to let Walker go.
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So is Walker your FS or SS?
So I’m a big Walker fan but I totally agree that he’s really bad in traffic. When he comes downhill it’s not a matter of physicality. Dude is fearless. But he’s bad at processing the additional congestion when you come downhill. So it’s a tricky decision for sure. He’s a good player but an uneven one.
If we replaced him with Marcus Williams and went young at the other safety I would totally get it.
If your running a cover two there’s really no such thing their interchangeable and both are in space. Personally I think Walker is best suited for a defense like that.
But Glenn ran a mixed bag. We sometime ran two deep safety and often ran a single deep safety.
Walker is a FS if your looking to define it like that. He needs to be in space to be most effective.
Glenn clearly wants to mix things up and I think that makes it harder to justify keeping Walker.
I’d be happy to keep him if we paired him with a versatile type.
I would say Walker is not worth bringing back unless he is capable of being a centerfielder then in single high…
Because even bulkier safeties that can handle coming down hill, playing in the box, tackling, can handle split safety better than walker (cover 2)
I mean…you only have half the field in a split safety look…
What we want is Kyle Hamitlon deep (FS)…as a centerfielder…and a SS that can handle cover 2…and also be good in the run game and man coverage in cover 3 and cover 1
Occasionally mix it up…where Hamilton drops down…
And SS covers deep (probably a cover 3 look)
I think he can handle it. His coverage skills are improving. So assuming he continues in that aspect then I think he will be fine at it. He’s no Marcus Williams though.
He’s much better in run support from in space as well.
My biggest concern with him comes when you stick him up in traffic. He gets lost.
But I also think his coverage skills are still a concern. Their not as bad as they were a year ago so he’s trending in the right direction. I contribute this to coaching so I have hope there.
He’s one of the few young bright spots we have on defense but he’s not a must keep prospect in my mind.
To be honest I’m a little torn on Walker. He flashes both good and bad at times. More good than bad…., He has the range I want in a safety. He’s a good open field tackler and I think that’s important at safety too.
If we keep him I would like us to draft a versatile safety to pair with him. I’d like us to do this by our 3rd round pick too.
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I’m not banging Walker…but if he is fully capable of being a centerfielder you believe in…where he can play deep centerfield, read the QB and field and make INTS…while at times playing. a mid-field SS look…
Then bring em back.
Other than that…I want someone else.
He has to mainly be a FS/centerfielder…IMO.
Can he do it? Can he be top dog shutdown centerfielder?
Because he is not a SS…
And he is *not * SS *not *because he doesn’t want to be…
It’s his frame wont let him be…
He can be a junkyard dog all he wants… but in the NFL…Walker will get injured very fast trying to be Landon Collins. I love his toughness…but he knows…my body structure wont hold up of o fly around and smash dudes. That’s why he probably was like… “Patricia…WTF you doing???”
Either Walker is good enough to be a FS and cover deep…in single high…or he is something I wouldn’t wanna work with…
No offense to him because its detrimened by body type (bulk, frame, etc)…
And Walker doenst have the body type, frame, etc…to handle SS/Robber stuff…
Make him the centerfielder or…that’s that.
EDIT: maybe if the people around him (coaches) realized his body type…they’d say…-"yeah, bro…your best chance to be a real good starter is at FS…your frame ain’t having the box
He knows he cant handle the box…longterm.
Believe me…he knows. He is scared to say it because he wants to do what is asked of him
The problem is the people asking just didnt have a clue.
Matty Patricia and Bob Quinn. Couple guys that dont know anything…making more than HS coaches that could outcoach em’
Just read where Brandon Joseph entered the transfer portal, he’s a player I thought would be available in this draft and one I was high on. In the end whoever we take either thru the draft or FA, I hope our coaches are around for some time so whatever system they are going to play in is constant. We’ve made so many changes in staffs that result in changes in scheme that it seems like we’re constantly trying to put square pegs in round holes.
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SI likes Pitre going to us as well, but with our 2nd 3rd round pick. I don’t see him still being there.
Yeah I’d be surprised if Pitre lasted that long. FOs are gonna fall in love with the guy.
Really looking forward to seeing him with Baylor vs Sam Williams with Mississippi today.
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That IS the question (can Walker play strong safety). The issue is that Walker hasn’t had a solid safety partner ever. Walker in the Patricia was a disaster but I just cannot say that is Walker’s fault even with Harmon playing too. Harris is a really bad safety.
If we let Walkler walk and sign Marcus Williams that IS a net upgrade but we still have a serious hole at SS. Hard to know how to figure that out.
Shouldn’t we update the OP title to “this” year now?! 
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I’m not assuming it will get done this year either.
Fix the safety position through the draft. Look at what Glenn and Pleasant have been able to get out the guys we have now. Imagine what they could do with young talent that have high sky high potential. Add vets that fit the scheme wherever you need to fill in.
My mock:
Trade down to 5 for an extra 2nd and 3rd.
1a - S Kyle Hamilton
1b - DT Jordan Davis
2a - LB Nakobe Dean
2b - WR George Pickens
3a - S RJ Roderick
3b - Edge Nick Bonitto
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Based on how badly he struggled playing in traffic for MP I’d say that the answer is no.
He’s best in space where he can run free of traffic.