DS MOVING TO LB

Speaking of DS, here is an article that talks about Tank Williams moving to linebacker. And this is going to be the trend around the NFL in coming years. Big defensive safeties are a liability in coverage and the term "box safety" no longer applies. If your favorite team has safeties that cannot defend the pass and are limited in coverage -- in terms of playing in the deep level of the field -- the potential is there for allowing big plays. Forget the big hits, coverage is more important.

Teams attack these players down the field whether the call is zone or man. And when you have a player like Roy Williams of the Cowboys who cannot turn and run with ease of motion and explosive movement, then good offensive coordinators will find them in the secondary.

I feel Dick LaBeau of the Steelers does a magnificent job of making sure teams have a very hard time catching Troy Polamalu deep in the coverage. He is always on the move, attacking the pocket and blitzing to create havoc. If LaBeau left him in the middle of the field, he would bite on play-action fakes and the potential for big plays would be enormous. Polamalu makes an impact in the game because of the way the scheme has been adjusted to match his skill set.

Today's game needs safeties like former Steeler Rod Woodson, who can run and tackle and has range on the ball. The "in the box player" is not going to last long and more often will be moved to linebacker.