Secondary without Eddie

Not the worst idea.

Jackson was the strong safety. Harrison is the free safety.

Everyone stays the same, except Tony brown can play star or strong safety now. Hootie Jones needs to stay as dime safety.

Fitzpatrick and Brown are basically the candidates for star and SS imo.

quote:

---

Put Minkah at FS. Playing him in the slot means he's not an edge corner (potentially). If that's the case, then he, like Eddie before him, should transition from corner to safety. You play Hump & AA at CB, Ronnie stays at SS, and play Minkah at FS. Then let TB or Hootie (or one of the FR) play Minkah's current spot.

---

Ronnie plays FS, but I get what you are saying. It isn't a bad idea. I don't like the idea of too much rotation in the secondary especially at this point of the season, but if they do it this is probably the best move. Let's see how Hootie works out at SS first. If he proves to be a disaster, they may have to move some guys..... But god I hope that isn't the case. We need Hootie to just step up.

quote:

---

From a skill perspective, yes...but he hasn't been practicing there his entire career. Likewise, Brown and Hootie haven't been practicing at Nickel. Putting two guys in a new spot is a recipe for disaster.

---

This ^

I have no ill will towards M Smith. The kid wanted to play and thought he would have a better chance at UGA. And apparently him and Kirby had a close relationship. Not many kids stick it out when they get buried in the depth chart at UA. Even though he may have seen time this season in retrospect did we really want someone with the attitude of just quitting the team when things did not work out the way he wanted. Rather it happen when it did and not now during the season. He did not have the mental toughness to be at UA in the end.

Geno Smith stuck it out and T Brown look how many times he has been in the dog house and trying to prove he belongs. Those are the kids I want in the end.

Hootie has played well this year when in and was jackson's direct backup, i dont see why the staff would go around complicating things and moving people into positions they have not been practicing at.

I see the logic of it, but I think we need to limit the disruption to the rest of the secondary. Moving Minkah would be more disruption. What makes sense on paper, might not work in practice. Like others have said, moving too many guys around can be a bad thing.

So whos after Hootie and TB at Safety?

Aaron Robinson?
Thompson?
Diggs?

I'm more concerned with what Eddie meant to the team outside of just his Safety position. He was an excellent punt returner and had incredible field vision on the pick sixes. Even the ones where he wasn't the ball carrier. He's the one that told Minkah to come out and follow him on the 100 yrd pick six.

On top of that, he was a leader on that defense and for the whole team. He's the one that damn near started a fight on the sidelines because the team wasn't focused. I just hope he's able to be on the sidelines for the remainder of the year to help keep the fire lit.

quote:

---

I'm more concerned with what Eddie meant to the team outside of just his Safety position. He was an excellent punt returner and had incredible field vision on the pick sixes. Even the ones where he wasn't the ball carrier. He's the one that told Minkah to come out and follow him on the 100 yrd pick six.

---

No doubt. Man, it was a thing of pure beauty watching him return punts, and returning interceptions. I don't know if I have ever seen someone so smooth, and efficient running down the field, almost effortlessly.