"The two safety spots are interchangeable in this D"

[biggame1190]

So for the lot of fans such as myself who have been very very curious which spots Stew and McDonald would play, this answer by Stew gives us good insight.

- One more thing to note for those curious about the delineation of safeties: Stewart says the two safety spots are interchangeable in this defense and there’s no true strong and free safety, per se. Stewart said he’s worked at both spots and his fellow safeties are doing the same. That’s not strange for Stewart, who said he has been working in similar roles since his college days at South Carolina.

http://blog.stlouisrams.com/2013/06/06/rams-halfway-through-otas/

Seems similar to how Spags used the safeties with OJ, Dahl, Stew, Mikell, Butler. There was never a true defined FREE SAFETY and STRONG SAFETY with the Spags D, as it will be for us in 2013. Last season it was very obvious we had a true defined safety units, as Mikell was in the box much of the time and Dahl played deep middle much of the time. With a two versatile guys like Stew and TJ (as some like to say he versatile) I like the idea of them interchanging...Both will probably be listed as SAF.

 

[nighttrain]

with Mikell , he was best in the box, and I don't think with the exception of Stewart in Spags final season, we've had a true safety. Not of the good variety. Serious wishing and hoping MacDonald is one of those that can play the whole field, Stewart can, but we'e also seen he is a tad injury prone, why i'm hoping Cody Davis can figure it out at this level. MacDonald and Davis both big guys with good speed..be sweet, but we shall see, eh?
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[-X-]

This was the case with the Spagnuolo/Flajole defense as well. The cover-2 system almost makes the team's safeties interchangeable by default. With the skills needed to each cover one half of the field deep, you really only need two athletic safeties to pull it off. One of them, however, is going to be the box safety in certain situations. In that sense, there really is going to be a SS/FS on the field at some point.

 

[RamFan503]

This was the case with the Spagnuolo/Flajole defense as well. The cover-2 system almost makes the team's safeties interchangeable by default. With the skills needed to each cover one half of the field deep, you really only need two athletic safeties to pull it off. One of them, however, is going to be the box safety in certain situations. In that sense, there really is going to be a SS/FS on the field at some point.

And that is actually how I remember Fish talking about it last year at some point as well.

 

[nighttrain]

This was the case with the Spagnuolo/Flajole defense as well. The cover-2 system almost makes the team's safeties interchangeable by default. With the skills needed to each cover one half of the field deep, you really only need two athletic safeties to pull it off. One of them, however, is going to be the box safety in certain situations. In that sense, there really is going to be a SS/FS on the field at some point.

And that is actually how I remember Fish talking about it last year at some point as well.

But when it happens, it's gonna be a first in a very long while.
INTERCHANGEABLE
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[RamFan503]

This was the case with the Spagnuolo/Flajole defense as well. The cover-2 system almost makes the team's safeties interchangeable by default. With the skills needed to each cover one half of the field deep, you really only need two athletic safeties to pull it off. One of them, however, is going to be the box safety in certain situations. In that sense, there really is going to be a SS/FS on the field at some point.

And that is actually how I remember Fish talking about it last year at some point as well.

But when it happens, it's gonna be a first in a very long while.
INTERCHANGEABLE
train

You mean besides being interchangeably bad in coverage. :what:

Like I said. TJ alone is an upgrade for our safeties. And a healthy Darian is an upgrade as well IMO. I think players are going to have their head on a swivel when they come across the middle against these guys plus Tree and Dunbar. And JL will be able to fly more freely as well.

I'm just really liking the looks of this starting D. D-line = Long, Langford, Brockers, Quinn LBs = Dunbar, JL, Tree Safeties = Stew, McD CBs = Finny, Jenks There's some fucking swagger right there. And there are some legit guys waiting on the sideline to spell virtually every position.

 

[albefree69]

Darian is already injured. Calf I think.

 

[RamFan503]

Darian is already injured. Calf I think.

Soft tissue. Sounds like a muscle strain. I won't get too concerned unless it persists. Won't do me no good no how anyway.

 

[albefree69]

RamFan503 replied:
Soft tissue. Sounds like a muscle strain. I won't get too concerned unless it persists. Won't do me no good no how anyway.

Yeah but isn't he always injured?

 

[JIMERAMS]

Darian is already injured. Calf I think.

I sure hope he can get on the field this year. I thought he was pretty impressive in 11. When he was on the field last year he was flying around jackin people up.

 

[RamFan503]

RamFan503 replied:
Soft tissue. Sounds like a muscle strain. I won't get too concerned unless it persists. Won't do me no good no how anyway.

Yeah but isn't he always injured?

That has been probably his biggest issue - so yeah in a way. He has played in 40 of 48 possible games in his three years.

Guess I'll just hope that he gets and stays healthy. In the mean time, we'll see if one of the other 1st or 2nd year players steps up. I still say that looking at the list of available players, we are in better shape than we were last year.

 

[albefree69]

JIMERAMS remembered:
I sure hope he can get on the field this year. I thought he was pretty impressive in 11. When he was on the field last year he was flying around jackin people up.

Totally. I just don't remember how his pass D was.

RamFan503 wrote:
I still say that looking at the list of available players, we are in better shape than we were last year.

Too late, we already agreed about that. :neener:

 

[RamFan503]

RamFan503 wrote:
I still say that looking at the list of available players, we are in better shape than we were last year.

Too late, we already agreed about that. :neener:

But but but... ah hell - you're right. Doesn't mean we can't still argue about it though - right? :sly:

 

[Ram Quixote]

RamFan503 replied:
Soft tissue. Sounds like a muscle strain. I won't get too concerned unless it persists. Won't do me no good no how anyway.

Yeah but isn't he always injured?

He was out quite a bit last year, just like Bradford was in '11. One season doesn't make a player injury prone. I know we complain about this perception about Bradford. I hope we can give Stewart the benefit of the doubt.

 

[biggame1190]

JIMERAMS remembered:
I sure hope he can get on the field this year. I thought he was pretty impressive in 11. When he was on the field last year he was flying around jackin people up.

Totally. I just don't remember how his pass D was.

Stewart's pass D was solid in 2011. Though at times during 2011, especially later in the season it looked as though as he gave up some passes from time to time (as did Mikell) BUT this was mostly because we had NINE! CBs on the Injured reserve. So vertually alot of the time Stewart and Mikell were asked to cover WRs man to man, which 95% of safeties cannot do effectively the majority of the time. So considering the circumstances of 2011, I think he was very solid. And of course he was very good in the box, where he excels.

 

[kurtfaulk]

And of course he was very good in the box, where he excels.

We also saw he could lay the wood rushing in from deep when he sent ryan williams to ir. What's the bet if stewart was playing deep instead of dahl in the vikings game ap doesn't score two long range tds.

.

 

[albefree69]

Ram Quixote wrote:
He was out quite a bit last year, just like Bradford was in '11. One season doesn't make a player injury prone. I know we complain about this perception about Bradford. I hope we can give Stewart the benefit of the doubt.

I thought he was constantly dinged up his first year too. Nothing major but I think that groin thing was also bothering him in his first training camp. I know I was thinking he reminded me of Bruce. We'll see. I like his aggressiveness but sometimes he takes himself out of the play because of it. Coachable offense though so I'm not worried.

 

[Ram Quixote]

Ram Quixote wrote:
He was out quite a bit last year, just like Bradford was in '11. One season doesn't make a player injury prone. I know we complain about this perception about Bradford. I hope we can give Stewart the benefit of the doubt.

I thought he was constantly dinged up his first year too. Nothing major but I think that groin thing was also bothering him in his first training camp. I know I was thinking he reminded me of Bruce. We'll see. I like his aggressiveness but sometimes he takes himself out of the play because of it. Coachable offense though so I'm not worried.

IIRC, he was an UDFA who wasn't getting much PT to begin with. Late in 2010 he came on, flashing quite a bit. But I don't recall any injuries. He didn't miss a game in 2011, despite a few dings. Doesn't that mean anything?

IMO, Stewart fell behind in training camp last year because of his health and because he may have struggled with the new defense.

 

[nighttrain]

Stewart will be fine with me, and should the starter, lets just hope the injury bug stays away this year. Be nice for some of our Rookies not to end up starters before ready
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[albefree69]

Ram Quixote shot back with his superior memory skills:
IIRC, he was an UDFA who wasn't getting much PT to begin with. Late in 2010 he came on, flashing quite a bit. But I don't recall any injuries. He didn't miss a game in 2011, despite a few dings. Doesn't that mean anything?

Yes it does mean something. I still think he was constantly dinged up in the 2010 training camp but not missing any games is good (missed three games) but he didn't play much either. Still, if you're playing dinged up you're not gonna be at your best. Just ask Jake Long.

Looking at it from another angle, I think it held back his development. At least I hope it did because if it didn't and he still couldn't bump Dahl off the field then we're in trouble.

But maybe my memory isn't that good and I'm blowing the injury thing out of proportion. Happens with me sometimes when I'm really anxious for someone to get out on the field. Especially when what's out there is crap (Dahl).