Mean Green Preview, Part 4

mad dog · July 17, 2006

Safety

Summary

The Safety position is more or less set as the team enters two a days. Aaron Weathers was probably the most solid player defensively for the Mean Green last year, and his Defensive MVP award speaks to that. He came up with huge plays all year, and will be healthy and stronger for this season.

While Weathers is a lock at Strong Safety, Free Safety is a bit more cloudy. Steve Warren made the transition last year from Quarterback to Safety, and seemed to thrive in space. He does not shy away from contact, though he is no Jonas Buckles or Craig Jones in the secondary, and he does possess tremendous athleticism. His biggest liability is his lack of knowledge in the system, making sure that he holds the correct coverage. More than a few times during the season, and during Spring Ball, he didn’t go where he was supposed to, and it ended up costing the defense big time. If he has improved his understanding of the defensive playbook, and capitalizes on his year’s worth of starting experience, he is in good position to maintain his starting job.

If Warren falters, look for Rod Cotton to try to reclaim the starting job he lost to Warren last year. Cotton has apparently taken this off season very seriously, and looked very good in the informal 7-7 drills organized by the players. Redshirt freshman Kartey Agbottah has yet to really impress in practice or scrimmage, but has apparently bulked up a little and is still very young. Cliff Higgs is a reliable backup but his lack of straight line speed makes him something of a liability in pass coverage and sideline to sideline pursuit. He plays with tremendous heart, though, and is a good tackler once he reaches his target.

Although these are the main players currently at safety, do not be surprised if the coaching staff takes advantage of the abundance of talent at corner to stick a bigger guy, such as Roy Loren or Des Chatman, in the mix at free safety.

Players to Watch

Rod Cotton

Has been taking off-season very seriously. Can he reclaim the starting job?

Kartey Agbottah

Can he prove that he can compete for playing time at the college level?

*Projected Starters

FS – Steve Warren

SS – Aaron Weathers

Impact Newcomers/ Sleeper

No real impact newcomers or sleepers are present unless Agbottah shows up big or one of the young corners makes a move to safety.

*Projected starters are who we think should start based on what a player has shown to us in practice and in games. We are not trying to guess the coaches’ picks, but rather who we’d pick if we were making out the depth chart.

H-towngreen · July 17, 2006

I would look for Ray Loren to be moved to the Saftey position. It seems as though he has the size and speed to do well.

meangreendork · July 17, 2006

I like Warren as the FS lock. Spring ball was months ago, and he doesn't seem like the kind of guy to slack during the offseason. I never did think of this before, but did he not do as well at QB?

July 17, 2006

We had such a poor defensive backfield las year that it's hard to tell just how good a player was. That is except for Aaron Weathers, who stood out like a diamond in a coal mine.

Steve Warren did better than I expected last year but still left a lot to be desired. One problem, as I see it, is that he does not possess blinding speed. That can be masked by good recognition but I haven't seen much of that from him yet. He seems to be out of position at times. Maybe it'll come together for him this year. I sure hope so because unless Cotton has really improved, we will be in trouble if he starts.

I like the idea that Roy Loren, who has experience, size and supposedly speed, will be moved to free safety. And, if Desmon Chatman doesn't work out at corner, I'd like to see him tried at free safety as well.

BIG DAWG · July 18, 2006

I agree with some of you that FS is a whole, that is why I think that if Loren can make make the switch, and is given the opportunity, that could really sure up the defense.

mad dog · July 18, 2006

Warren may not have 4.3 speed, but he is definitely fast. He was an option/scrambling QB in high school, and outran several people in the secondary when he tried out at QB for us last fall. He's got wheels, the main problem, as I said, is the mental aspect of the position.

FirefightnRick · July 19, 2006

Steve Warren did better than I expected last year but still left a lot to be desired. One problem, as I see it, is that he does not possess blinding speed. That can be masked by good recognition but I haven't seen much of that from him yet.
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As a true freshman that was built like a linebacker, Warren was one of the fastest guys in camp last August. Considering he was good enough to start I'm excited about what his second season brings. Now that he has a full season under his belt I expect great things from him in '06.

Rick

July 19, 2006

As a true freshman that was built like a linebacker, Warren was one of the fastest guys in camp last August. Considering he was good enough to start I'm excited about what his second season brings. Now that he has a full season under his belt I expect great things from him in '06.
Rick
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I didn't see them run wind sprints so I'll take your word that he's fast enough for the position. Texas Football had him listed at 4.7 for the forty and that's not safety speed. But if recognition is his problem, then that could explain why I've seen him arrive late on a play; it may not have been from lack of speed.