He seems to be getting no attention. But he is going to be a very important part of the puzzle on defense this year. Antrel Rolle enjoyed the best season of his Giants career last year because Will Hill's talent offered the Giants Safeties a lot of flexibility. Rolle's versatility is one of his greatest strengths and we were able to utilize that more last year.
This year we have even better CBs, I think we're all impressed by DRC's ability and Prince has always seemed like more of a strong #2 than a true #1. Plus we have some good depth beyond those 2 at the CB position. Seems like one of the better CB groups we've had in a while. So Rolle shouldn't have to be a quasi-CB too often, a role that isn't ideal for him.
So with DRC, Prince, Rolle, and CB depth beyond them... I think Stevie Brown is going to be the guy who will really decide how good our secondary is. Especially since our pass rush still seems mediocre. He was a playmaker with 8 INTs and 300 yds on INT returns 2 years ago, but the flip side was that he gave up a lot of big plays and seemed to be guessing a little too often. Despite making many more big plays than Kenny Phillips ever did, a lot of BBI'ers felt like Brown was a clear downgrade over Phillips due to his hit or miss style. Now he's recovering from an injury that kept him out for a year and being thrown into the fire with Hill no longer on the team.
IMO, Will Hill was the best player on our team relative to his position when he played last year. And if it wasn't him, it was probably Rolle. We had arguably the best Safety combination in football last year outside of the Seahawks. Now we replace a true Pro Bowl talent in Hill with a pretty big question mark in Stevie Brown. I really hope Brown is able to be atleast an average starting Safety and doesn't force Rolle out of the comfort zone he found last year. The additions at CB should help, but I'm still worried about the loss of Hill and its domino effect on Rolle.
I don't think Stevie Brown will be as good.
That said, I said weeks ago that I would gladly exchange better run defense from Brown for fewer interceptions. Thus far, this preseason, he looks much improved against the run to me.
Anxious to watch Berhe's progress, though at first I suspect most of his snaps will be on Specials unless injuries press him into service
I don't think Stevie Brown will be as good.
That said, I said weeks ago that I would gladly exchange better run defense from Brown for fewer interceptions. Thus far, this preseason, he looks much improved against the run to me.
Brown is never going to be as good as Hill. Hill had first round talent. Brown was a UDFA who was a LB at Michigan IIRC. But Brown is still a good player, and isn't a pothead. Hill was addition by subtraction. His nonsense is one reason I'm sure the Giants emphasized "team captains" this offseason. I wish Hill the best, but he wasn't worth the trouble.
This year, he's making plays against the run near the line of scrimmage. Getting better, different responsibilities, different scheme? Your guess is as good as mine. My guess is he is simply learning and getting better at reading keys.
I don't think Stevie Brown will be as good.
That said, I said weeks ago that I would gladly exchange better run defense from Brown for fewer interceptions. Thus far, this preseason, he looks much improved against the run to me.
Also, SB wants to lay people out. I see our defense as having some very tough and impressive players.
This year, he's making plays against the run near the line of scrimmage. Getting better, different responsibilities, different scheme? Your guess is as good as mine. My guess is he is simply learning and getting better at reading keys.
I suppose he's been working with the coaches to improve. That's a good sign. If he can help close the drop off in talent between him and Hill, we'll have some good safetys out there.
I think Brown will be very good again playing a true CF role where he'll get a lot of INTs again
Giants fans will discover that this season. Stevie Brown is at best a mediocre safety.
needed. I think Berhe will be better...rolle needs
to play like a 6mil player..
Better knowledge of the scheme and improved discipline.
Discipline is especially important for the safety position.
The player has to not only know which of the run lanes he's responsible for, he also has to discipline himself to fill it, even when it appears (to him) he should react differently.
Secondary play against the run is all about filling the lane assigned to you.
Still holds the interception record (14) in a 12 game season. !
I DO agree, good tackling (and gap control) are essential parts of any defensive player's repertoire, but a player who can take the ball away from the opposition contributes to the statistic that next to the final score, is most significant - Turnover ratio …
"Teams that win turnover battle have 72-17 record" (80.8%)
http://www.coldhardfootballfacts.com/content/nfl-teams-that-win-turnover-battle-have-72-17-record/26247/
I think Brown will be very good again playing a true CF role where he'll get a lot of INTs again
THIS.
Bringing in Thurmond doesn't replace losing Hill, but it does free up the safeties to actually, you know, play their position. Trelle has played far too much bc for us. Will Hill is such a disappointment. We would have had a top 10 or 5 group of DBs.
Which would help cover up the huge warts on the d-line...*coughjppcough*