Who should start at SAFETY?

What's your ideal combo for our 2 starting safeties?


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FrankRizzo

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I've been talking with a few very knowledgeable fans on another site about the safeties.
The ring-leader there has always disliked Morgan Burnett, did not want to draft him coming out of Georgia Tech.
He also wanted Calvin Pryor, not HaHa Clinton Dix this year.

It's a tough call who should start for is.
Sean Richardson has made plays consistently in practices and when playing in preseason games.
He's big, strong too.

I don't think Burnett should start.
I don't think it's a fluke we've struggled back there since Collins left in week 2 of 2011.

Hyde is a good tackler, and physical, but he was the main culprit on MJD's touchdown run the other night.
Hawk and HaHa also overpursued.

Which combo do you think should start for us?
 

brandon2348

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I am torn between Ha Ha and Hyde and Ha Ha and Burnett. It really depends on who you want on the back end. I have really enjoyed Ha Ha playing closer to the line of scrimmage as he appears to have a natural nose for the ball and is a solid tackler. IMO he should start at least at SS. I think he will make more big plays over the course of the season to make up for some rookie mistakes. We got a good football player in Ha Ha Clinton-Dix. I try to give Burnett the benefit of the doubt but he just doesn't make any big plays. I like Richardson as well but he appears to be too much of a coverage liability at times in space. I know Hyde kind of blew it on that long run play but he hasn't given up anything deep playing the back end.

I have a feeling there going to play Burnett no matter what to start the season but at least we have some guys to throw in if the starters start to cost us.
 
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easyk83

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McMillan showed a lot of promise his first season, he made some big plays for us in Seattle. I imagine the team cutting ties with him had more to do with his attitude and preparation than his on field play.
 

easyk83

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Hyde has looked pretty natural at Safety and seems to give the Coaches the most confidence. I like Hyde at safety, his faults are the sort that should clear up with time and experience. But he has good range length and instincts, you can't teach these things. As for Burnett if he doesn't improve this season the team will go younger.
 

7thFloorRA

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I would go with Richardson and Hyde. They are going to start Burnett and Hyde because of Burnett's $$ and that sucks because from watching as a fan he looks bad out there. Richardson has really impressed me. I am also tired of all the blown coverages or miscommunications with Burnett running the show back there. From what I gather Richardson is a little brighter of a cat and will hopefully be able to read the offense and make the appropriate call and be able to communicate it to his fellow members of the secondary. There is no excuse for the miscommunication issues that are present when Burnett is back there. He has been around far long enough.
 
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FrankRizzo

FrankRizzo

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I would go with Richardson and Hyde.
I love Ha-Ha, but I went with the same 2 as you said, Richardson and Hyde, and for a few reasons.

#1- They are the most PHYSICAL. We need that.
#2- Starting in Seattle, the toughest test possible, I'd rather not have a rookie (Ha-Ha), or a guy who I simply don't have faith in. Doesn't make plays. Doesn't tackle well. Isn't physical.

I want a guy who will knock Percy Harvin's head off, and won't be afraid to lay the wood on Marshawn Lynch.
 

7thFloorRA

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I like Ha-Ha as well but I would rather have him promoted than demoted. Mix him in initially and then go from there.
 

brandon2348

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I love Ha-Ha, but I went with the same 2 as you said, Richardson and Hyde, and for a few reasons.

#1- They are the most PHYSICAL. We need that.
#2- Starting in Seattle, the toughest test possible, I'd rather not have a rookie (Ha-Ha), or a guy who I simply don't have faith in. Doesn't make plays. Doesn't tackle well. Isn't physical.

I want a guy who will knock Percy Harvin's head off, and won't be afraid to lay the wood on Marshawn Lynch.

Richardson is a hammer but I don't know what makes you think Dix isn't physical and can't come up and hit people?

Burnett also got two hands on MJD on that long TD and didn't bring him down.
 

brandon2348

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Maybe its just me but I think Dix has some nice "physicality" to him that I honestly didn't expect when he was drafted.

Burnett scares me just as much as rookie sometimes. I know he didn't have any help at the other safety spot last year but not even 1 pick? I saw him get run over some too. Watch the Dallas game. I also saw him get run by some. Watch the Detroit game. I also saw him get beat by a TE. Watch the Niner playoff game. I haven't seen him really do much this pre-season. If they start him and he blows it against the Seahawks I don't even want to say it. I hope I'm wrong.

Why not give Clinton Dix a shot? I don't care about Burnett's contract.
 
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FrankRizzo

FrankRizzo

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Richardson is a hammer but I don't know what makes you think Dix isn't physical and can't come up and hit people?
I like HHCD and think he is pretty physical.
I just think Micah is stronger, a bit more physical, and heading into Seattle, I'd rather start the guy who played a season last year, including a tough playoff game against a physical Niners team.

I worry HHCD might be overwhelmed in that setting for his first start, game.

But I'd rather have him than Burnett.
A shame really that Burnett is the highest paid one of the 4, by a lot.
 

brandon2348

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I like HHCD and think he is pretty physical.
I just think Micah is stronger, a bit more physical, and heading into Seattle, I'd rather start the guy who played a season last year, including a tough playoff game against a physical Niners team.

I worry HHCD might be overwhelmed in that setting for his first start, game.

But I'd rather have him than Burnett.
A shame really that Burnett is the highest paid one of the 4, by a lot.


I agree that right now I like Hyde playing the back end at FS over Dix. I would like to see Dix start over Burnett at SS.
 

brandon2348

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I know Seattle is a big setting for a rookie debut but Dix played at Alabama and has played in a National Championship Game and SEC Championship game and had interceptions in both.

I think his main weakness at this point is learning to take correct angles on deep balls in the middle of the field while playing single high safety. I think he is more then fine to play SS right now while he works to correct that as he develops.
 
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PikeBadger

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IMO, Hyde is going to play a high percentage of snaps this year if he doesnt get hurt. He's a player. I fully expect him to be the starter. They are going to ease in Dix. Burnett needs to play with urgency.
 

brandon2348

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I think the Burnett hate is going a bit far. The guy is far from terrible. MD Jennings was terrible. And I think Burnett gets blamed for a lot of MD Jennings mistakes. Not that Burnett is perfect, but he's the safest S we have. If you want pure physicality, though, Richardson and HHCD side by side would be extremely physical. I'd play Richardson at SS and HHCD at FS. HHCD is pretty good at positioning himself as a FS for intercepting overthrows (granted that in Week 1 Wilson doesn't miss high very often). If you really want the defense to get more physical, take off Williams and put on House. We might give up a few more passes, but Tramon cannot tackle to save his life and actually avoids tackling which ticks me off to no end. It's kind of funny how split that poll is, though.

After thinking about it more it doesn't matter all that much who they start cause whoever does will get pulled sooooooo quickly with poor performance. Burnett needs to make plays that equal his salary, plain and simple. It's his job to lose due more to contract IMO. If you you look at the roster and salaries there is definitely one glaring player that sticks out. I'm not rooting against Burnett but it is "now time" for him to produce some big plays. No more excuses.

I really like your idea of playing House. He looks like a completely different player out there. He has some nice length and a swagger to him.
 
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El Guapo

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I like some veteran presence in keeping Burnett out there, and bringing Hyde into the mix. Hyde could make some plays and this gives Clinton-Dix some time to marinate on the sidelines, learn from other people's mistakes, and hopefully stand next to the DB coach to learn some things without all of the pressure. If injury comes or he can clearly outplay Burnett or Hyde in practice, then laces up.
 
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FrankRizzo

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Percy Harvin is as dangerous as any "receiver" in the NFL, when healthy. Which has been rare. But he is now.
That guy has killed us before, even on Viking teams with crappy QBs.
Now he has it all around him, plus a smart good QB.

When I saw MJD, the 8-year veteran, juke Micah Hyde the other night in the Raider game, and then score, it scared me thinking about Harvin in open space. Hyde, I thought, is our best tackler from the safety position. Yikes.

Anyway, Harvin and Marshawn are the key guys to worry about on their offense.
I don't even know who Seattle's other WR's are right now.....
 

brandon2348

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Percy Harvin is as dangerous as any "receiver" in the NFL, when healthy. Which has been rare. But he is now.
That guy has killed us before, even on Viking teams with crappy QBs.
Now he has it all around him, plus a smart good QB.

When I saw MJD, the 8-year veteran, juke Micah Hyde the other night in the Raider game, and then score, it scared me thinking about Harvin in open space. Hyde, I thought, is our best tackler from the safety position. Yikes.

Anyway, Harvin and Marshawn are the key guys to worry about on their offense.
I don't even know who Seattle's other WR's are right now.....

Doug Baldwin is the other starter. They will use Jermaine Kearse a lot as well. They drafted a couple of guys but one is recovering from surgery and the other has yet to make a significant impact. He is a burner though although a "high school body". They don't have any real length at the receiver spot and there guys are "small and fast and quick." They have speed at TE as well.

I agree 100 percent that Harvin is very dangerous and IMO we are going to be able to get pressure off the edge. A huge key to the game is getting Wilson down when we get to him and not letting him "barrel roll" out of sacks giving Harvin too much time to get open.

Because of the there smaller quicker receivers I really would like to see Hyde and Dix start against the Seahawks. I think they give us the best match up of guys we have available and give us the best chance.
 
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60six

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I agree that right now I like Hyde playing the back end at FS over Dix. I would like to see Dix start over Burnett at SS.
IMO we need to see how Burnett does with better talent(Hyde/Dix) playing next to him. He had to cover up for the other 2 stiffs last year.

When they go to "Dime", Hyde moves to the slot with Hayward, Dix will be the safety. We should know by game 4 if Burnett is worthy ;)
 

brandon2348

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IMO we need to see how Burnett does with better talent(Hyde/Dix) playing next to him. He had to cover up for the other 2 stiffs last year.

When they go to "Dime", Hyde moves to the slot with Hayward, Dix will be the safety. We should know by game 4 if Burnett is worthy ;)

Yeah if we can hold up against run I really like our "dime look" back there.
 

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I think we start out with Hyde and Burnett and work from there. I think Hyde will prove to be special in time and I think Morgan deserves the chance to show last year was a fluke and fingers crossed it was. Yes, 33 whiffed on the MJD score but that kid makes the tackle many more times than not. I recall he did have a few other stops that game that weren't exactly gimmes. I am in the camp that believes long-term HaHa is the man but I think Morgan may surprise some people this year. 21 and 33 are the paring for the future but come week 1 I think Hyde and Burnett get the call. I have a thought and it may be a touch on the wild side and probably never happen but here it is. What about Richardson adding about 15-20 pounds and moving to MLB. Kid loves to bring the wood and while he would certainly be on the lighter side at roughly 235-240 I think his athleticism could really bring something to the middle. Before you crucify me think about it for a second. Where do we get hurt the most via MLB? I think it's in coverage and getting exploited by either slot guys on crossing routes or athletic TE's which almost every team has now. I could see Sean patrolling the middle and as I mentioned it's well documented he is a rather fond of contact. Maybe he couldn't be a every down MLB at first but I would love to see him get involved on 3rd down situations and even some 2nd and long sets. I am just trying to think of ways to get our playmakers on the field and if a guy with "prototypical" size ain't getting the job done let's think outside the box and give 28 a look. NOW you may proceed to crush me...
 
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HardRightEdge

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There are several permutations possible in nickel and dime. Dougherty did a piece on it a couple of weeks back:

http://www.packersnews.com/story/sp...ing-in-on-nickel-and-dime-personnel/14030681/

As noted in the piece, they've been working on House taking cover corner and Williams moving to slot. We've seen some of this in the preseason.

Whitt intends to settle on a set substitution come game time:

"When we get to the games we're going to make a decision, 'This is the top guy, this is the second guy, this is the third guy, and this is how it's going to be.'"

But as Dougherty notes, "Defensive coordinator Dom Capers also could change his personnel week to week during the regular season, depending on the match-ups. For instance, House is the Packers' biggest cornerback, so Capers might prefer him on the field against a team with a tall receiver or two."

Not noted in the article, but something to consider, is how the blitz/man vs. blitz/zone preference for a particular game works out. Shields-House-Williams puts the fastest group on the field and the best man-coverage group. Hayward and Hyde are stronger in zone. Also, the intent to use DB blitzes in particular games would favor the strongest man cover group in nickel and dime.

Further, we saw 3-safety dimes on the field in the latter part of the season with Burnett-Jennings-Richardson. We could see a 3-safety dime combo again with Richardson against certain opponents where the TEs and TBs are more physical than fast or crafty.

The pecking order may be fluid as performance is demonstrated in prime time. In recent years we've seen House and Bush elevated on the depth chart based on strong camps and preseasons only to be sent back to the bench in short order. The prime-time consistency of House, Dix and to some extent Hyde and Richardson has not yet been fully explored.

The DB group is deep especially with all hands on deck, injury wise, with several players able swing positions. I'd expect some committee work based on match ups. And then, it's unrealistic to think nobody will get dinged up and need to miss a few games.
 
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brandon2348

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I think we start out with Hyde and Burnett and work from there. I think Hyde will prove to be special in time and I think Morgan deserves the chance to show last year was a fluke and fingers crossed it was. Yes, 33 whiffed on the MJD score but that kid makes the tackle many more times than not. I recall he did have a few other stops that game that weren't exactly gimmes. I am in the camp that believes long-term HaHa is the man but I think Morgan may surprise some people this year. 21 and 33 are the paring for the future but come week 1 I think Hyde and Burnett get the call. I have a thought and it may be a touch on the wild side and probably never happen but here it is. What about Richardson adding about 15-20 pounds and moving to MLB. Kid loves to bring the wood and while he would certainly be on the lighter side at roughly 235-240 I think his athleticism could really bring something to the middle. Before you crucify me think about it for a second. Where do we get hurt the most via MLB? I think it's in coverage and getting exploited by either slot guys on crossing routes or athletic TE's which almost every team has now. I could see Sean patrolling the middle and as I mentioned it's well documented he is a rather fond of contact. Maybe he couldn't be a every down MLB at first but I would love to see him get involved on 3rd down situations and even some 2nd and long sets. I am just trying to think of ways to get our playmakers on the field and if a guy with "prototypical" size ain't getting the job done let's think outside the box and give 28 a look. NOW you may proceed to crush me...

Don't we kind of already have that with Barrington in the middle on dime?
 

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