Inside the Broncos' Roster: The Free Safeties

by Sayre111589 on Jul 19, 2009 12:14 AM MDT Comment 15 comments

In 2008, there is no doubt that the Denver Broncos possessed the worst group of safeties in the National Football League, possibly in team history.

For a franchise that has been graced with the likes of Steve Atwater, Dennis Smith, and John Lynch, last season's group that included Marlon McCree, Marquand Manuel, and Calvin Lowery was among the most embarrassing Mike Shanahan could have possibly assembled.

To rectify this problem, head coach Josh McDaniels brought in four new safeties to compete for roster spots with the Broncos, and to help create turnovers for a secondary that has been likened to Swiss cheese in recent years.

I will admit, the safety positions are some I had difficulty assessing. What constitutes a "free" safety?

Any casual NFL fan knows that the free safety can be favorably compared to a center fielder in baseball.

Still, I was unsure of which safeties on the roster should be considered the free safeties, so I consulted the ever reliable website Wikipedia for a definition, and here is what I came up with:

The free safety tends to be smaller and faster than the strong safety. His job tends to be to stay back a bit, watch the play unfold, and follow the ball. On pass plays, the free safety is expected to close down the receiver by the time the ball gets to him. Offenses tend to call play-action passes, specifically to make the free safety expect a run play, which would draw him closer to the line of scrimmage and reduce his effectiveness as a pass defender. If the offense puts a receiver in the slot, then the free safety may be called upon to cover that receiver. Free safeties occasionally blitz as well. When this happens, the pressure is often very severe since a blitz by a defensive back is not usually anticipated.

Thanks to this definition, I have come to a conclusion as to which three safeties of the six on Denver's roster should be labeled "free".

One of the first moves the Broncos made this offseason was to sign former Miami Dolphins safety Renaldo Hill to a four year, $10 million contract, which is extremely modest considering Hill is fully expected to be the opening day starter.

Hill joins the Broncos after spending three years in Miami where he undoubtedly revived his career.

In three seasons with the Dolphins, Hill recorded 195 tackles and six interceptions, three in 2008.

Hill is a ninth year player out of Michigan State who has played virtually every position in the defensive backfield, including cornerback, which is the main reason I believe he will be the Broncos' starting "free" safety.

He has more speed than his safety counterpart in Brian Dawkins, and probably is not as good of a tackler, although Hill is no slouch in that area.

Hill has only started all 16 games in a season once in his career, so the Broncos decided insurance was needed.

To spell Hill at free safety as well as eventually take over as the full-time starter, Denver used one of three second round draft choices on former Texas Tech All-American Darcel McBath.

McBath measures out at 6'1" 198 pounds, so he has the ideal size and speed combination to excel at this position.

In his 45 games as a Red Raider, McBath recorded 214 tackles and 12 interceptions, including seven as a senior in 2008.

McBath gives the Broncos a playmaker and ball-hawk at the free safety position. He does not have blazing speed, but he has a nose for the ball and his two interceptions for touchdowns last season prove that he knows what to do once he has the ball in his hands.

Providing depth along with McBath is eighth year veteran Vernon Fox, who was acquired in 2008 as a free agent.

Fox had arguably the most exciting defensive play for a Bronco in 2009 when he recovered a fumble against the New York Jets and returned it 23 yards for a score, the first of his career.

There is really nothing that Fox is great at, but he does everything well, which is probably why he has played in 96 career games.

For a position that severely lacked in 2008, Josh McDaniels has definitely given fans a hope for the present and future by making very smart acquisitions at this position over the course of the offseason.

This is a Fan-Created Comment on MileHighReport.com. The opinion here is not necessarily shared by the editorial staff of MHR

9 recs | Comment 15 comments

Story-email Email Printer Print

Comments

Nice job Sayre!

This secondary just keeps looking better to me

"Really, I'm a high-motor guy. Tough, hard-nosed, a hard runner, can make you miss at times. And just competitive. I love to play the game and I bring that energy to my team. So, we'll see how that goes." - Knowshon Moreno

Knowshon Moreno=ROY

by stedtfeld on Jul 19, 2009 1:13 PM MDT reply actions 0 recs

Same here

Nice job Sayre.

Finally we have some guys back there that hopefully will improve our secondary. Now McBath will have some guys to learn from especially Dawkins.

GO BRONCOS IN 2009 AND BEYOND!!

2009 NBA Champions L.A Lakers
2009 NBA Finals MVP Kobe Bryant

by weazel on Jul 19, 2009 10:18 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

Another great post Sayre.

Our secondary is looking like it is going to be elite. Hopefully they come through. I can’t wait to see Brian Dawkins in a Broncos uniform.

"When you put on that jersey, the name on the front is more important than the name on the back." - "Miracle".

"Winning means you're willing to go longer, work harder, and give more than anyone else." - Vince Lombardi.

by broncoholic on Jul 19, 2009 1:27 PM MDT reply actions 0 recs

Thanks

Another way to define FS— although even this is going by the way side with all the scheme variations in the modern day— is the safety who lines up on the weak side. In the most vanilla formations, the SS has coverage responsibility on the TE and thus lines up on the strong side. The FS then would either play centerfield (or roll to a side) or cover the slot receiver as warranted. But as you aptly point out, its harder and harder— even on a play by play basis these days— to put a tag on a guy. I think you sum it up nicely by pointing out that the FS is usually the quicker and more athletic— and thus better in coverage— of the two. If you can find a guy that is just solid in both coverage and run support, you’ve found a guy that needs a nice long contract. I think its the most underrated and unappreciated position in football…and it looks like we all the sudden might have two good ones in HIll and McBath.

There is a principle which is a bar against all information, which is proof against all arguments and which cannot fail to keep a man in everlasting ignorance-- that principle is contempt prior to investigation."
-- Herbert Spencer

by PredominantlyOrange on Jul 19, 2009 1:34 PM MDT reply actions 0 recs

terminology

I recall reading that “weak safety” and “strong safety” are sometimes used by football people but never caught on with the general public. The strong and weak designations may not be as useful for describing the responsibilities of the safeties (or maybe they are) but I think it would help if they did, because it makes the idea more available. Everybody has heard of “free” and “strong” safeties but there’s less understanding of the concept when it comes to other positions.

"If people define situations as real, they are real in their consequences". W. I. Thomas

by Colinski on Jul 19, 2009 4:04 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

clarification

Everybody has heard of "free" and "strong" safeties but there’s less understanding of the [strong and weak] concept when it comes to other positions.

"If people define situations as real, they are real in their consequences". W. I. Thomas

by Colinski on Jul 19, 2009 4:09 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

I think...

…‘Free’ evolved out of the nature of the position. In backyard football, everybody is assigned a man. The same concept applies, but the weak or free safety is then without a specific assignment. His man would technically be the QB, but since he doesn’t rush, he is free (or the coach is is free) to adjust to the nature of the formation. He is free to play zone and help out deep, free to cover a guy in man coverage, or free to inch closer to the line. He doesn’t have a generally set assignment until he (or the coaches) get an idea of what the offense is trying to do, and then he does his part.

Shannahan took advantage of this situation a lot during the Sharpe era. Sharpe was often motioned across the field, motioned back to his starting position, and then the snap was called. Sometimes this had a strategic design, but more often it was used to make the S’s react so that the QB could get a feel for what the defense was trying to do. If the SS follows— or a LB or another CB even— then there is an element of man coverage at play. If the adjustment of the S’s is minor, there is probably an element of zone coverage at play.

by PredominantlyOrange on Jul 19, 2009 6:42 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

Different folks will see this differently

That’s not to say that there’s anything wrong with the way this is presented – that’s not it at all. The presentation is good. However, the situation is complex. One factor is determining the defense that we are most likely to play. In this case, that happens to be the zone coverage approach. There are several reasons to believe this. One is that Alphonso smith has a ‘best use’ as a zone coverage player. there have been others.

Let’s look for a moment at David Bruton. Some would say that Bruton shows some benefit as a strong safety, but there is reason to believe that he will be able to function as a good free safety as well. This is from his ESPN Draft Tracker info (you’d need an insider membership to view this).:

Shows some tightness in his hips. Will have problems matching up with slot receivers/athletic tight ends in man coverage at the next level..

Okay, if that’s true, why consider him at FS? It’s because players are far more complex than sound-bites. Look at this from the same page:

Good overall instincts. Reads quarterbacks’ eyes well and makes quick decisions when asked to play a centerfielder-type role. Takes good angles to the ball, times jumps well and can high point the football. Hands are above-average.

So, you see, Bruton brings a great deal to the table as a potential FS. He was a captain at Notre Dame and has good leadership capabilities as well, a key component of the FS position. He’s also one who welcomes contact, plays the run well and could work out as a SS. He has many SS capabilities and those at FS as well. He’s raw, as a talent, but with time and proper coaching he can go from a ST ace and backup to a solid defensive starter.

Hillis/Moreno in '09

by Emmett Smith on Jul 19, 2009 3:34 PM MDT reply actions 0 recs

we need a treatment of the zone V. man issue

I have a feeling that we’ll see more zone than in the past, just because mixed coverages seem (IMO) to create more confusion. But I need help with this idea.

The general thrust of what we’ve divined about the new coaching staff’s tendencies is that they like confusion, although not for us — of coarse. Our past man tendencies have a virtue as far as coverage but we made it a little too easy to predict what we were going to do.

Personally, I’d like to see us use a little more zone, just for the turnover possibilities. And I admit that I’m glossing over the issue of who — as in CBs versus Safeties. I’d really like to see our Safeties do something exciting for a change, and not in a negative way!

PS — An active squad with Bruton and Barrett could create some interesting possibilities for impacts on receivers. It’s just a thought. it would be nice if receivers had to wonder about where the DBs hit was coming from.

"If people define situations as real, they are real in their consequences". W. I. Thomas

by Colinski on Jul 19, 2009 4:44 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

fwiw...

I think we will see much, much more zone from the safeties. I think we will also see (much) more zone from the CBs than in the past, but we’ll still be mostly man in coverage for the CBs.

I expect good and bad things to happen this year, but I expect a sharp uptick in interceptions.

"Greater is an army of sheep led by a lion, than an army of lions led by a sheep" Defoe

by Steve Nichols on Jul 20, 2009 6:09 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

Thanks

once again I have learned something new. I know we have had great safety’s in the past and it’s a position that has been lacking in recent years. With the exception of Lynch.

by papasteven on Jul 19, 2009 3:36 PM MDT reply actions 0 recs

Great post again Sayre, and I feel we will be safer at safety...

by bfree2bronc on Jul 19, 2009 3:55 PM MDT reply actions 0 recs

Man

you are one busy dude Sayre. Thanks for your hard work.

"You give 100 percent in the first half of the game, and if that isn't enough, in the second half you give what's left." – Yogi Berra
"No, I'm from Iowa, I only work in outer space."

by KaptainKirk on Jul 19, 2009 5:26 PM MDT reply actions 0 recs