Now that the season is officially over with Pittsburgh’s win over the Cardinals, we can all start looking toward free agency and the draft. So over the course of these weeks leading up, I will be breaking down each position separately. We’ll do defense first and then go onto the offense. Expect each position within a day or two of each other. Today, we are going to start with safety.
Roster:
-I believe strongly that the Eagles are going to bring back Brian Dawkins. It’s obvious from this past season that he is able to play at a high level and Philly would most likely become an angry mob if they see one of their most beloved players wearing another teams jersey. The team would also lose a great leader and man in Dawkins and in today’s NFL, these players are hard to come by. Expect Brian to sign about a 2 year deal. Even though he has played well I would still like to see the Eagles get another safety in the draft or free agency, preferably the draft.
-Mikell has also proven to be a valuable player for this defense. A tough player who plays well against the run and pass, who really came on strong this past season and showed his worth. His deal ends in 2010 and depending on how well he plays next season he could see himself getting a big paycheck
-Considine is a good special teams player and that’s about it. He’s horrible against the run and not much better with the pass. We all saw how well the experiment with him at SS played out. I would personally like to see him gone and replaced with an upgrade. Demps is a rookie and his play at the safety position is still undetermined (I’m willing to forgive the Fitz TD), but he makes up for it with his returning capabilities, I only expect him to get better.
Free Agency Options:
-The only viable option in the free agent market would be Jermaine Phillips, the former Bucs Safety. He is a seven year veteran and is a capable safety. He has eleven career interceptions with three this past season. Phillips will provide a team with quality run-support and can also provide adequate help in coverage. Tampa will most likely make him a reasonable offer to keep him around. I’ll settle for this but I personally don’t want another aging safety on the team.
Jermaine Phillips
Draft Options:
-William Moore from Missouri. At 6’1 and 230 pounds this kid is a player. He is an extremely physical safety who plays extremely well against the run and the pass. He has great size and speed for a safety, especially a safety at 230 lbs. He can also deliver a devastating hit on the ball carrier. He has very few shortcomings on the field. He has 117 tackles and eight interceptions in his junior year. If he is there when the Eagles pick, they better grab him.
William Moore
-Patrick Chung from Oregon. 6′ and 210 pounds. Chung is another complete safety player who has the ability to play the run and pass. Very active and agressive on the field and a great work ethic off of it. He plays bigger than he is by attacking the ball carrier and line of scrimmage without fear. Not only is he a great safety prospect but also is a great special teams player who has played on kickoff and punt return teams. Has experience receiving kicks as well. The only shortcoming is his size and could tire over the course of an NFL season. Chung had 82 tackles, 6.5 for loss, two sacks, and an interception.
Patrick Chung
