Packers Safeties: Who Should Be Starters?

Danreb

Cheesehead
Joined
Aug 11, 2006
Messages
574
Reaction score
0
Location
San Jose, CA
You guys are just hating on Sharper because he talks too much. The fact of the matter is the guy makes plays. How many pick sixes has he gotten this year? More than Bigby will ever have.

I think Rouse should eventually take over, but the fact remains that both of our safeties are average at best.

But yeah, we gotta play out the season before thinking about proper personnel. It's not like a change would be as drastic as the change of Cullen Jenkins being penciled in as the starter.
 

Zombieslayer

Cheesehead
Joined
Aug 13, 2006
Messages
4,338
Reaction score
0
Location
CA
Probably based on talent alone, you would probably go with a tandem of Collins at FS and Rouse at SS. However, I don't know if you can really just pluck a rookie like Rouse, who has been playing backup FS most of the season, and just all of a sudden make him your starting SS. There's probably a reason the coaching staff hasn't done it yet despite some shakey play from Atari during the course of the year.

That being said, I do believe SS is a position we still need to upgrade in the off-season along with nickel CB. Bigby would definitely be a solid backup and special teamer. As far as CB, Williams and Blackmon are pretty valuable as 4th and 5th corners due to their contributions on special teams, but I think taking a CB in the 1st round to groom behind Harris and Woodson would be a solid long term move. A SS could be gotten via FA.

As for the remainder of the year, you probably have to run with Bigby and Collins. Rouse will probably be ready to challenge Nick for the starting gig next year.

I think the reason the coaching staff is sticking with Bigby/Collins is familiarity with the defensive scheme. Rouse will be starting by the end of next year in either Bigby's or Collins' place, or at least that's what I'm predicting.

I'm very happy with Bigby against the run, but against the pass, he's had on days and off days. He's a huge upgrade over M*rqu*nd M*nu*l (sorry for the profanity, Moderators), but that doesn't say much.
 

Bruce

Cheesehead
Joined
Jun 2, 2005
Messages
1,078
Reaction score
0
Marquand Manuel in 6 years spanning 90 games played had 9 passes defended and 2 interceptions

Atari Bigby in his one year starting in 14 games played has 8 passes defended and 4 interceptions

BTW Bigby is tied for 2nd in FF among all DB's in the league this season.

Mark Roman in two seasons with the Pack (32 starts) had 8 passes defended & two interceptions

To say that Atari Bigby has been an upgrade is grossly understating the facts.
 

packedhouse01

Cheesehead
Joined
Jun 5, 2005
Messages
1,560
Reaction score
1
I'll got on record and say that I think Bigby's upside is higher than those GM's and personnel people think. Bigby does make mistakes, there is no doubt about that, but he's gotten better. This guy is a classic example of how a guy can be coached up if he's willing to learn and work. Carroll on the other hand didn't have that capacity. Just watch as this kid continues to grow and learn how good he's going to be.

I do however really like Rouse. I think this kid has the chance to be an all-pro. I think Collins has the ability to be solid but not spectacular.
 

Heatherthepackgirl

Cheesehead
Joined
Nov 23, 2005
Messages
2,274
Reaction score
0
Location
Fontana, CA
NFC, AFC scouts evaluate Bigby's performance so far

By BOB McGINN
[email protected]
Posted: Dec. 21, 2007

Green Bay - Strong safety Atari Bigby, the Green Bay Packers' only new starter on defense in 2007, ranked as an unknown commodity in the personnel world when the season began.

NFL scouts agree that Atari Bigby plays the run much better than the pass.

But now that Bigby has started 14 games in a row for one of the top teams in the National Football League, scouts have seen enough to begin passing judgment.

On Friday, four executives in personnel for NFL teams, two in each conference, unanimously agreed that Bigby was playing the run better than the pass.

"Not a great instinctive football player but he's aggressive and he plays hard," an NFC personnel man said. "He's able to mask a lot of his deficiencies by his effort level. But you're talking about a guy who, in the grand scheme of things, probably is a quality backup and special-teams guy."

When asked to rank Bigby among the 64 starting safeties, the scout said he'd place him in the bottom 20.

An AFC personnel man also ranked Bigby somewhere in the lower third of starting safeties.

Another NFC scout said he doubted Bigby could start for his team, and neither of that team's safeties is highly regarded at all.

"My problem with him is in coverage," the NFC scout said. "I don't like him in man coverage and he free-lanced on 'off ball.' He can cover ground but he's just undisciplined in coverage."

However, a second AFC scout who counts the Packers among the teams that he is responsible for ranked Bigby about 25th among the 64.

"He's tough and he runs pretty well," the scout said. "I don't think he's going to be overly flashy, but he just shows up and makes plays all the time. He has made big interceptions, fumbles. I think he's on his way to having a good career."

Bigby, 26, has intercepted four passes (he has dropped one), including three in the last two weeks, and each one came off a deflection. He also has forced three fumbles, including tremendous strips against Minnesota's Adrian Peterson and Jeff Dugan.

Those seven turnover plays are the most in a season by a Packers safety since Darren Sharper also had seven in 2004. The last time a safety in Green Bay reached double digits in turnover plays was 1993 when LeRoy Butler registered 12.

While Bigby has demonstrated a nose for the ball, he also has struggled in most types of coverage since early October.

"There were four or five games in the middle of the season when teams decided that it was time to point out that he's not very good in coverage," an NFC scout said. "The thing that helps him that doesn't help a lot of safeties is those two guys on the outside do so much of the legwork. Bigby is not an intelligent football player so he's very hesitant with his reactions."

Bigby allowed just one pass of 20 yards or more in the first seven games but four in the last seven. He also has allowed two runs of 20 yards or more, both in the first month, by taking bad angles and missing tackles.

His total of 7 1/2 plays of 20-plus are the most allowed by a Packers safety in a full season since Mark Roman and Sharper each allowed 9 1/2 in '04.

Bigby also has allowed five touchdown passes (3 1/2 to tight ends), the second-most against a Packers safety since 1998.

"Stiff," an AFC scout said. "Has a burst to the ball but struggles to change directions. Throws his body around but probably misses too many tackles.

"The safety position has kind of changed. It's more space stuff now. You can kind of cover him up, but eventually in a big game he's going to get exposed."

Before the bye, Bigby didn't have a penalty. But he has seven in the last eight games, including four pass-interference flags totaling 79 yards.

"His deficiencies come from the fact that he doesn't diagnose things quickly," an NFC scout said as he maintained that the 26-year-old Bigby probably wouldn't improve much. "Most of the time, if that's what you are, that doesn't change. I think what he is is what he's always going to be."

Some of the rap on Bigby is that he's more susceptible to play-action fakes than the average safety. That stems in part, according to scouts, from his attack mentality.

"Pretty good in run support," an NFC scout said. "I thought he flew around. Physical. The tackling part is all good. It's the back-end part. He's overaggressive."

Bigby is second on the club in solo tackles (88) and third in total tackles (111). He has missed 11 tackles and has three tackles for loss.

"He's a reliable tackler," an AFC scout said. "Sometimes he will go for the kill shot, but at the same time he knows when it's time to break down and come to balance and make a sure tackle. Every now and then he will get a little out of control."

An NFC scout who ranked Bigby seventh-best among the eight safeties in the NFC North still isn't convinced that his future won't be bright.

"I think he has an upside," the scout said. "It's just if he ever learns to become more of a complete player. He has to do both."
 

IronBMike

Cheesehead
Joined
Sep 30, 2005
Messages
73
Reaction score
0
NFC, AFC scouts evaluate Bigby's performance so far

they need to start rouse over bigby...too bad it's so close to playoff time and they won't make a change now.
 

wpr

Cheesehead
Joined
Jun 4, 2005
Messages
1,517
Reaction score
0
NFC, AFC scouts evaluate Bigby's performance so far

I have never been too excited when a DB gets an INT off a tipped ball. It seems to me that they usually are out of position and should have been closer to the receiver.
(Of course I am glad for the turnover but I think of it more as a lucky play instead of good defense.)
 

Zombieslayer

Cheesehead
Joined
Aug 13, 2006
Messages
4,338
Reaction score
0
Location
CA
Re: NFC, AFC scouts evaluate Bigby's performance so far

I have never been too excited when a DB gets an INT off a tipped ball. It seems to me that they usually are out of position and should have been closer to the receiver.
(Of course I am glad for the turnover but I think of it more as a lucky play instead of good defense.)

An INT is an INT. I don't care if the QB had a brain fart and accidentally threw it to the wrong team. What counts is that it's a takeaway for us.

These things add up, no matter how ugly they are. I'll take an ugly win over a perfectly played loss any day of the week.
 

wpr

Cheesehead
Joined
Jun 4, 2005
Messages
1,517
Reaction score
0
Re: NFC, AFC scouts evaluate Bigby's performance so far

wpr said:
I have never been too excited when a DB gets an INT off a tipped ball. It seems to me that they usually are out of position and should have been closer to the receiver.
(Of course I am glad for the turnover but I think of it more as a lucky play instead of good defense.)

An INT is an INT. I don't care if the QB had a brain fart and accidentally threw it to the wrong team. What counts is that it's a takeaway for us.

These things add up, no matter how ugly they are. I'll take an ugly win over a perfectly played loss any day of the week.

Ahhh Z,
I like the takeaways too no matter how we get them but you missed my point.
A player (DB in this case) who is out of position is going to get burnt 10 times more than he is going to get rewarded with the gift TO.

I would prefer:
1. the DB to be so close that they do not even throw the ball. And we end up with a coverage sack or the QB tosses the ball out of bounds on every single pass play. That ain't gonna happen so
2. My second choice is the DB has such good coverage that when the QB throws the ball the defender knocks it away.
3. Have two defenders and while one is covering the receiver the other attempts to go for the int.
 

Members online

No members online now.

Latest posts

Top