Putting Safe back into safety:Restocking the Safety Cupboard

Bates hopes to put safe back into safety: Restocking the Safety Cupboard

Thanks for the post, Bruce.

I'm especially interested to see how Roman does. I really thought he looked good in the preseason last year, but got bogged down in Slowik's schemes as soon as the regular season began.

I wonder if there's any chance of Ahmad Carroll moving over to safety. He would need to bulk up a little, but safety would seem like the natural position for a defensive back who has raw talent but poor technique in coverage.

The ineptitude of Bob Slowik was no more evident than in the play of Mark Roman. Roman looked damn good in the pre-season and was flat out awful after Week 2 during the regular season after learning Slowik's "defense". I think he could start for at least the first half of the season, but I really see Collins taking over at one spot at some point this year.

Nice summary, Bruce. I think Freeman and Underwood will emerge as the starters. Both have good speed and can run to the ball. I think Bates likes the safeties to ball-hawk, and this should fit perfectly with these 2. I'm liking this team on paper, and will be better than last year. ON TO NUMBER 13

Green Bay Packer Championship Trophy

I'm kind of nervou about all the pressure everyone is putting on Bates. It's like everyone think this guy is the second coming. The truth is that you have to have players with talent who will also work hard, learn the schemes and execute the game plan. But the bottom line is that the d-backs have to cover and tackle, it's just that simple. I'm tired of hearing how Sharper and Roman played hurt. You know what? After about the first two or three weeks of the season everyone is injured to some degree. Sharper and Roman missing assignments had nothing to do with injuries. Missing tackles had nothing to do with being injured. Their injuries may have slowed them down a bit, there is no reaon for not knowing where you're supposed to be and in tackling.

One thing I hope Bates does is put the emphasis back on performance. Mike Holmgren the first year he took over was yelling at his receiver who were dropping balls and he stopped practice and yelled at every receiver and he said, "if you can't catch the ball, you can't play for the Green Bay Packers." What he did in essence was he set the expectation higher then they had been in years. Eventually his team began to play to those expectations. Holmgrens early teams weren't very talented, but he got them to play well. Let's hope Bates can reestablish that mindframe.

I am wondering where you got the idea that I was excusing the pathetic play of last seasons safeties -- if you read it in this post, I cannot figure out where?

When I wrote, "Certainly a degree of this can be attributed to a poor and inconsistent defensive scheme and another degree to Mark Roman & Darren Sharper playing injured throughout much of the season, BUT the BOTTTOM LINE was POOR tackling, POOR angles taken, and TOO MUCH ME and not enough TEAM.

You're right on the money packerdhouse01, it's easy to play the role of the victim and make excuses for the losses. Winners don't make excuses, they play the game!

For every major loss under Mike Sherman's watch there has been one excuse or another.

I know I rag on Mark Roman more often than not...but maybe the competition at the safety position will cause him to re-energize his game, I mean he was a useful player in Cincy, maybe he can go up to the level where he can be useful as a Packer in some situations, I don't see him starting but...

I love to see everyone jumping on the Nick Collins bandwagon, but with me--there again, cautious optimism...I know there are rave reviews about the kid but I want to see how the kid handles his first training camp, first preseason, etc...don't forget this kid is from a small program, didn't play big time d1 football. I hope he'll be the next Packer safety from a small school (Sharper--William & Mary), but it's hard for rookie defensive backs, especially when its a rookie who never experienced a huge, noisy stadium that often.

However, with Collins, I'm glad it's looking like we didn't just "throw away" the 51st pick, which is what I would've told you that we did if you asked me in April.