LOTS of time before a real depth chart is inked, but thought it would be fun to start the convo

Here are the top players in contention for roles:

Ronald Darby - outside CB - In 7 starts last year w/ Balt. he had an INSANELY low 44% completion % allowed and only one TD given up. Press-man specialist. 

Tyson Campbell - Expected to be given a shot to start outside while Nielsen and staff try adapting him into playing more man coverage than he's seen in the NFL. Hope the young athlete is ready to adapt. He was great in zone pre-injury. 

Jarrian Jones -  Anticipated day one rookie nickel starter - but can also play outside

Antonio Johnson - Anticipated SS starter - has versatility, length, and a nose for the ball

Andre Cisco - FS starter (they will interchange more this year than last in new scheme)

Darnell Savage - Nickel and SS player - likely to see ST snaps and backup duty unless Jones isn't ready at Nickel (unlikely) 



Anticipated best backup candidates:

Montaric Brown CB
Christian Braswell CB
Gregory Junior CB
*edit* totally forgot DeAntre Prince initially - thanks, Mikey
Maybe a last minute FA add-on gets in the mix here too

Safety anticipated backups:
Daniel Thomas, 
Darnell Savage,
 Dewey Wingard

Not sure how many they keep or how it shakes out - just listing the guys most likely to start and most obvious backups fighting for a spot on the 53

Lots of different takes out there on who starts where. Feel free to share your own as always.

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Prince is missing, are we redshirting him to IR?

I think the 6 you listed initially can be inked in. Prince probably too, just because who is gonna release a 5th round pick mere months after taking the player?

I have no idea about scheme fit but based on past performance you gotta say that Dewey and Buster are top of the bubble guys. That's 9, if a guy can demonstrate position flexibility in the PS that may be what keeps them over some of the other guys. Thomas may get in just on ST ability, but gotta wonder how many we keep just for kick coverage while purging guys who ultimately are better at the DB part of the job.

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Prince is missing, are we redshirting him to IR?

I think the 6 you listed initially can be inked in. Prince probably too, just because who is gonna release a 5th round pick mere months after taking the player?

I have no idea about scheme fit but based on past performance you gotta say that Dewey and Buster are top of the bubble guys. That's 9, if a guy can demonstrate position flexibility in the PS that may be what keeps them over some of the other guys. Thomas may get in just on ST ability, but gotta wonder how many we keep just for kick coverage while purging guys who ultimately are better at the DB part of the job.

Totally forgot the late rounder.

Prince should be fun to watch in terms of roster spot vs PS. 

Would love to see him beat out other depth guys.

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Wingard really has put together a real career on football. I would have lost that bet.

Do you guys see Win-Guard. Or Wing-ard?

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Wingard really has put together a real career in football.  I would have lost that bet.

Do you guys see Win-Guard.  Or Wing-ard?

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I think you have the right of it on paper. Won't really know about the depth until the pads go on and the rounds go live. I still feel Jones will be the immediate standout this summer and probably the best rookie from this class right off the bat once September gets here.

Johnson, Savage and Cisco make for a very, very interesting last line of defense for this football team. If the interior of this defense shows up in the pass rushing department this year? I would expect some big time hits and big time picks out of this trio.

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"What do I know of cultured ways, the gilt, the craft and the lie? I, who was born in a naked land and bred in the open sky. The subtle tongue, the sophist guile, they fail when the broadswords sing; Rush in and die, dogs - I was a man before I was a king."

I think we’ll be very much a team who in a base defence will still be playing nickel, I would expect savage and Jones to rotate in and out depending on oppositions personnel. Very much a 4 2 5 defence

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Prince is missing, are we redshirting him to IR?

I think the 6 you listed initially can be inked in. Prince probably too, just because who is gonna release a 5th round pick mere months after taking the player?

I have no idea about scheme fit but based on past performance you gotta say that Dewey and Buster are top of the bubble guys. That's 9, if a guy can demonstrate position flexibility in the PS that may be what keeps them over some of the other guys. Thomas may get in just on ST ability, but gotta wonder how many we keep just for kick coverage while purging guys who ultimately are better at the DB part of the job.

Totally forgot the late rounder.

Prince should be fun to watch in terms of roster spot vs PS. 

Would love to see him beat out other depth guys.

So, you... Forgot about Tre?

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Totally forgot the late rounder.

Prince should be fun to watch in terms of roster spot vs PS. 

Would love to see him beat out other depth guys.

So, you... Forgot about Tre?

Who?

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“An empty vessel makes the loudest sound, so they that have the least wit are the greatest babblers.”. - Plato

So, you... Forgot about Tre?

Who?

Sorry, it's an Eminem/Dr. Dre song reference.  I'm not even a rap guy.  DeanTRE Prince.

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Who?

Sorry, it's an Eminem/Dr. Dre song reference.  I'm not even a rap guy.  DeanTRE Prince.

Lol, I thought you meant Herndon.

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“An empty vessel makes the loudest sound, so they that have the least wit are the greatest babblers.”. - Plato

Sorry, it's an Eminem/Dr. Dre song reference.  I'm not even a rap guy.  DeanTRE Prince.

Lol, I thought you meant Herndon.

I had actually forgotten him too.

(finally) 

(thankfully) 

I am really excited to see what Nielsen, Kris Richard and Cory Robinson do with this secondary. 
I feel pretty optimistic about this defense the more I look into these coaches and new players. 
Of course - it is homer season.  

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Trying to decide if special teamers are going to be different. Bigger stronger tacklers and not so much speed. Plus the necessary bravery requirement has gone down also. Far fewer wild high speed collisions.

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Lol, I thought you meant Herndon.

I had actually forgotten him too.

(finally) 

(thankfully) 

I am really excited to see what Nielsen, Kris Richard and Cory Robinson do with this secondary. 
I feel pretty optimistic about this defense the more I look into these coaches and new players. 
Of course - it is homer season.  

Watch some Atlanta video. It is an in your face defense. Thank goodness, I always wondered why our guys maintained some distance between them and receivers. Kind of a soft press.

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A new broom always sweeps clean.

I had actually forgotten him too.

(finally) 

(thankfully) 

I am really excited to see what Nielsen, Kris Richard and Cory Robinson do with this secondary. 
I feel pretty optimistic about this defense the more I look into these coaches and new players. 
Of course - it is homer season.  

Watch some Atlanta video. It is an in your face defense. Thank goodness, I always wondered why our guys maintained some distance between them and receivers. Kind of a soft press.

The D, like anything, depends on how you're talent lines up with the scheme. If you've got CBs that can disrupt the route and play with their backs to the ball then playing press works, if you've got CBs that are better at playing with the ball in front of them and can disrupt the thrown ball then off-coverage works. 

The best DCs manipulate their scheme to the talent on hand.

I remember when good, but not not elite, CB Kareem Jackson went from Wade Phillips defense (press man) to the Broncos (off-coverage) he was excited that he wasn't under constant pressure all of the time.

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