Lu
I see that you're not too high on our safeties, justifiably. What do you think are the traits that a good safety needs and do you see anyone on the horizon who is at least passable? I'm curious because if you look at the NFl, I seem to see a lot of guys with mediocre speed playing the position. Can Dallas Crawford play the position?
The answer depends on the scheme. I'll give you the traits I would look for in my scheme (predominantly zone, aggressive, blitzing):
I'd break this up into "Strong" and "Free" safeties, but Safeties are becoming more and more interchangeable and, because of the rules, the need is for better coverage flexibility.
(1) Great feet - Short area burst and balance would be atop the list
(2) Brain/Instinct - The ability to quickly process information is probably one of the most important attributes in the ideal Safety.
(3) Mentality - Some players are either aggressive and willing to lay it out there or they're not.
(4) Wingspan/Size - It makes a difference. There's no other way around it. What you see in the NFL are guys who "seem" mediocre athletically, but can process information very quickly and are flexible enough to play in space. The game is moving at 500MPH and, for anyone who has been on that side of the ball at ANY level, it seems to move faster the farther you are away from the ball. If you're on the line, you're slanting or firing, etc. If you're at LB, you're shooting a gap or flowing with the ball, etc. If you're 12-15 yards away and your first step is taught to be backward, the play moves really quickly.
I don't know enough about Dallas Crawford's intangibles and don't have enough evidence on the field to really tell you. I can tell you that most of you knew I was a huge fan of JoJo Nicolas when he came out of HS. He had a lot of physical gifts I'd seek in a Safety. What has held him back from being an All-Conference football player is his ability to react quick enough. It's what separates a very good athlete like Ed Reed into a HOF. It's what gives Jim Leonhard the ability to play 7 seasons in the NFL (and counting) at 5' 8" 190.