@ Tjbender:

 

1. on your 3rd point i dont see Whitner as having enough range and speed to play the deep middle safety. You need to be able to cover long distance and that has been his achilles heel throughout his career. Bethea is more suited but he is average at best IMO. If we somehow end up with a shot to lock down the FS position like that then it will be worth the money spent of Byrd.

 

2. The FS and SS might be non premium in other defenses but in ours they are the main playmakers and plays are designed to funnel the ball to them. One is asked to patrol the short middle and take on TE's , stuff running lanes and blitz the QB (SS) and the other handles everything that gets beyond the LBs(FS). Everything from 10 yards from the LOS and farther over the middle is the responsibility of the FS and he has to be extremely good at ball hawking for the D to hold up. If he sucks the QB will be able to easily target the deep middle and suddenly PA's are devastating.  

 

Other than that i agree with the rest of your post.

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