Safety position underrated?

[SniperSB23]

Why is it that the safety position continues to be underrated in the NFL in both the draft and in free agency? They rarely get taken as high as they should and rarely get paid as much as they should. Yet you look at the four teams left in the NFL playoffs and there is only one common variable among them, great safeties. Four of the five safeties to receive votes for the All Pro team are in the conference championships (Reed, Polamalu, Wilson, and Mikell) and four of the six safeties in the Pro Bowl are from the teams in the conference championships (Dawkins instead of Mikell). I remember when Polamalu and Reed came out of college they were as surefire future NFL Pro Bowlers as you'll see. Yet Polamalu falls to the 16th pick, taken after 8 defensive lineman were off the board after Reed fell to 24th the year before. Makes no sense to me.

[declansharbor]

I had a convo with my dad along the lines of this during the draft. There is huge VALUE to be had at the position in the mid to late rounds. Mikell was an undrafted FA for Crist's sake. This position, along with lineman(as games are won and lost up front), are ones that you can improve your team dramatically in the later rounds. You just have to find the right one for the system.

[SniperSB23]

Originally Posted by declansharbor

I had a convo with my dad along the lines of this during the draft. There is huge VALUE to be had at the position in the mid to late rounds. Mikell was an undrafted FA for Crist's sake. This position, along with lineman(as games are won and lost up front), are ones that you can improve your team dramatically in the later rounds. You just have to find the right one for the system.

Was just looking at that. Mikell, Romo, and Antonio Gates all undrafted that same year. Pretty amazing.

[VOL JACK]

Originally Posted by SniperSB23

Why is it that the safety position continues to be underrated in the NFL in both the draft and in free agency? They rarely get taken as high as they should and rarely get paid as much as they should. Yet you look at the four teams left in the NFL playoffs and there is only one common variable among them, great safeties. Four of the five safeties to receive votes for the All Pro team are in the conference championships (Reed, Polamalu, Wilson, and Mikell) and four of the six safeties in the Pro Bowl are from the teams in the conference championships (Dawkins instead of Mikell). I remember when Polamalu and Reed came out of college they were as surefire future NFL Pro Bowlers as you'll see. Yet Polamalu falls to the 16th pick, taken after 8 defensive lineman were off the board after Reed fell to 24th the year before. Makes no sense to me.

I agree with you.
The rush after fat overrated D lineman every year is mind boggling. (i.e. Dewayne Robertson)

[ateamstupid]

Originally Posted by VOL JACK

I agree with you.
The rush after fat overrated D lineman every year is mind boggling. (i.e. Dewayne Robertson)

Originally Posted by SniperSB23

Why is it that the safety position continues to be underrated in the NFL in both the draft and in free agency? They rarely get taken as high as they should and rarely get paid as much as they should. Yet you look at the four teams left in the NFL playoffs and there is only one common variable among them, great safeties. Four of the five safeties to receive votes for the All Pro team are in the conference championships (Reed, Polamalu, Wilson, and Mikell) and four of the six safeties in the Pro Bowl are from the teams in the conference championships (Dawkins instead of Mikell). I remember when Polamalu and Reed came out of college they were as surefire future NFL Pro Bowlers as you'll see. Yet Polamalu falls to the 16th pick, taken after 8 defensive lineman were off the board after Reed fell to 24th the year before. Makes no sense to me.

I think the Steelers traded up a whole bunch of spots to take Polamalu 16th and their first choice.
I think.
Not that this refutes your arguement. Just says the Steelers saw him as very valuable.

Dont think it is in the draft.
DB's in college that are good athletes
switch from corner to safety quite a bit.
(I know Texas has had a number of guys
at corner go to safety in the NFL and vice versa)
Also get the smaller LB's in college moving
back in the pros.

Also, I think it might be harder to quantify who will make
a good safety because so much of that position requires
instinct. Corners have one requirement that must come
before all others, blazing speed. And a shutdown
corner can make safeties look very good as can good DL.

Essentially imo you are correct about free agency though.
A known quantity, like the guys you mentioned, are gold.
Their defense schemes help them though, or one might say
a good safety allows a team to create a tougher defensive scheme.
Not sure which one comes first.

I think Baltimore with Reed looks at its defensive backfield as a very good
punt return team that makes the offense punt on downs other than
fourth due to turnovers. It is very apparent they put an emphasis on DB's
catching the ball instead of just knocking it down. And holding guys up
and stripping them.
Kinda makes sense cause you get to return
against 5 fat offensive lineman, and a QB...
As opposed to running back
a kickoff or punt against the best athletes on the team.

[hi_im_god]

a little off topic but i read "the blind side" by michael lewis a few years ago and have followed michael oher since.

looks like another fat offensive lineman could go in the first round.

great read period. but for anyone that doesn't understand why left tackle is (on average) the second highest paying position in the nfl behind only qb, it's a must.

[dalakhani]

The redskins have drafted Sean Taylor (RIP) with the fifth pick and Laron Landry with the sixth pick.

I listened to Parcells and Keyshawn Johnson one time on the radio and they were discussing the safety position. Parcells compared safety to fullback in the sense that both positions require high impact collisions at top speed often against bigger opponents. One interesting fact was that the average career of a safety is amongst the shortest of any position.

Most of the time, colleges can't afford to keep their best athletes playing safety so they keep them or convert them to other positions. Is it any wonder that the two best safeties, Reed and Polamalu, are products of two of the fastest teams in recent memory in the canes and the trojans?

Everything is cyclical in sports. I would imagine with the spread offenses becoming so common in college football, athletic safeties will grow in importance.