Lardarius Webb to See More Time at Safety

[BmoreBird22]

I'm surprised no one else posted this as this used to be a yearly thread and it seems to be coming to fruition.  

 

After the two ACL tears, he just seems to have had a litany of minor injuries and slowed down a lot, so moving him to safety will help with his loss of speed and hopefully provide a less physical position that can utilize his ballhawking skills. 

 

Now, I find this interesting that this wasn't thought of earlier, but I suppose the bye was the smartest time to try it. The Ravens have a bevy of players who can play in the slot (Lewis, Jackson, Brooks, Arrington), but no quality free safeties. 

Webb likely won't move their full time, yet, but we should continue to see him get more and more snaps at safety. It seemed to really work out to limit the duo of Robinson and Hurns. 

 

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/ravens/ravens-insider/bal-lardarius-webb-could-see-more-time-at-safety-john-harbaugh-said-20151116-story.html

[TSizzle00]

Maybe he can get new breath in his career there.

[Ravenseconbeast]

He wants to keep himself from being cut.   He has been awful for most of the season and has been one of the major proponent for us derailing a very easily winnable games to outright disaster.   

All i really see for future for him is to be a depth veteran.  But his time as a playmaker is long over.   His major problem is the salary.  Our FO has to get creative.   He has to be paid what he is worth.  Which in this case, is probably less than 3-4mill a year.

[rmcjacket23]

Don't think it works well this season (though at 2-7 it makes sense to try it out) considering we have virtually no depth at CB.

 

If we had Davis, Jimmy and Arrington, then yes, this would be an interesting experiment.

[Tru11]

would be a good move if we had cbs afters jimmy.

[redlobster]

It will allow him to work as a safety and then slide down as a 3rd cb next year after the ravens draft vernon hargroves or another early round cb.

 

The issue webb will face is being physical with big TE's and RB's as a safety

[Purple_City39]

It will allow him to work as a safety and then slide down as a 3rd cb next year after the ravens draft vernon hargroves or another early round cb.

 

The issue webb will face is being physical with big TE's and RB's as a safety

Not as a FS.  That would be Hill's job as the SS.  Webb can just play the Ed Reed role and be the last line of defensive and watch for the errant pass to pick off...........like the one Lewis dropped

[rmcjacket23]

Not as a FS.  That would be Hill's job as the SS.  Webb can just play the Ed Reed role and be the last line of defensive and watch for the errant pass to pick off...........like the one Lewis dropped

Not anymore. The Ed Reed center-fielder role in defenses largely doesn't exist anymore, because teams don't throw as deep nearly as often.

 

All safeties need to be able to cover and assist in the run game. If we just put him 20 yards off the ball and said "don't get beat deep", then we're basically just playing with 10 players on defense, since offenses will just pick us apart.

[Purple_City39]

Not anymore. The Ed Reed center-fielder role in defenses largely doesn't exist anymore, because teams don't throw as deep nearly as often.

 

All safeties need to be able to cover and assist in the run game. If we just put him 20 yards off the ball and said "don't get beat deep", then we're basically just playing with 10 players on defense, since offenses will just pick us apart.

I don't think he needs to just sit 20 yards deep every play but we also don't play cover 0 on a regular basis either.  There's almost always one safety back in support.  There's occasions where the CBs are on an island but it's been rare under all Ravens DCs.  Webb would just need to be the safety that's helping more than the one chasing TEs or RBs.

[jazz1988]

He wants to keep himself from being cut.   He has been awful for most of the season and has been one of the major proponent for us derailing a very easily winnable games to outright disaster.   

All i really see for future for him is to be a depth veteran.  But his time as a playmaker is long over.   His major problem is the salary.  Our FO has to get creative.   He has to be paid what he is worth.  Which in this case, is probably less than 3-4mill a year.

 

I don't think Webb been awful at all this season I think he's been our best corner  back so far this season . He has giving up some touchdowns but other than that he has been quite solid. I can see The Ravens use him like The Packers did with Woodson .

[rmw10]

I'm okay with it now considering his days as an outside CB seem to be over. Playing him at S still gives him an opportunity to slide up and cover the slot, which is where he's played best this year.

[Static]

YES! No more Kendrick Lewis! I love this move.

[RaineV1]

I'd rather see Brooks having more time starting at FS before Webb. Though this is still probably an improvement over Lewis.

[52520Andrew]

Woah, we are going to move Webb to safety for some plays? Next thing you know, we will be going to a 4-3

[Purple_City39]

I don't think Webb been awful at all this season I think he's been our best corner  back so far this season . He has giving up some touchdowns but other than that he has been quite solid. I can see The Ravens use him like The Packers did with Woodson .

Webb hasn't been that bad.  I've long accepted that he's #2 cornerback level, talent wise, and that's exactly how he's playing.  People just rarely change their opinions and most came into the seaosn with a "Webb sucks" mindset.  

That said, his contract is too high for his talent or play level

[Static]

I'd rather see Brooks having more time starting at FS before Webb. Though this is still probably an improvement over Lewis.

 

Its obvious the Coaches have something against Terrence Brooks , Idk why

[JEEPercreepermd]

I've been beating this drum for a while. Webb is a perfect fit at FS.

[Drew P]

I have a crazy idea activate Brooks and run him out there

[Static]

You know what? With Webb at safety Brooks might see time at corner. 

[BmoreBird22]

You know what? With Webb at safety Brooks might see time at corner.

I alluded to this in the OP, but to add- Brooks has been blitzing very well off the edge and playing the slot gives him that opportunity far more often and Webb is capable of picking up the slot. It could help with some disguise

[RaineV1]

I alluded to this in the OP, but to add- Brooks has been blitzing very well off the edge and playing the slot gives him that opportunity far more often and Webb is capable of picking up the slot. It could help with some disguise

The way Brooks plays in the slot actually reminds me a bit of the way Webb used to play before the injuries.

[spitfire418]

The way Brooks plays in the slot actually reminds me a bit of the way Webb used to play before the injuries.

Let's just hope he is active this weekend and gets a chance to play. I like Webb switching from outside CB though.

Edited November 17, 2015 by spitfire418

[Filmstudy]

There are 2 things I like about the move:

 

• The move puts ball skills on the back end for a team where lack of turnovers is the single biggest defensive issue
• The move adds a wrinkle to an extraordinarily plain pass defense which should move the difficulty level for opposing game planning from "novice" to "normal".

If you're interested, I published more on the post-bye week defensive adjustments (including the first dime snaps of the season) here:

 

http://russellstreetreport.com/2015/11/16/filmstudy/ravens-make-key-changes-still-lose/

 

This was a complex game of adjustments in the secondary.  Thanks to my better half, Maureen, who tirelessly records the secondary changes at the game. 

Edited November 17, 2015 by Filmstudy

[Tru11]

Webb hasn't been that bad.  I've long accepted that he's #2 cornerback level, talent wise, and that's exactly how he's playing.  People just rarely change their opinions and most came into the seaosn with a "Webb sucks" mindset.  

That said, his contract is too high for his talent or play level

 

meh people also dont realise that the left corner spot is the hardest spot to play due to most QBs being right handed.

[Cillmatic]

They'd rather have Webb there than Brooks? That's more telling than anything. Who's gonna be playing outside corner then?

[Cillmatic]

Move your best cornerback to the FS position and leave his Cornerback spot virtually vacant. Cause that makes sense. In sure Sharice Wright, Kendrick Lewis and Brooks will be GREAT outside Cornerbacks...

[bMore Heathen]

I don't mind it. Lewis is just bad, plain and simple. I would have waited to the offseason though. I would have tried Arrington there, since he hasn't been playing corner and there were talks in TC about him playing some safety. He would give us a little bit more speed back there anyway. I just don't think we have enough guys capable of playing outside, and while not ideal, Webb was doing a pretty good job out there.

Either way, we have to do something....

[BmoreBird22]

Webb will likely start outside and shift up to safety in nickel packages, but in the event that he does start at FS, Wright has at least been solid.

I know he got smoked in San Fran, inexcusably so, but he's been pretty damn solid. I bet you all can't point out another two plays as bad as the ones that he gave up in San Fran

[jdynamite]

I've wanted to see him there since Ed left. Webb for most of his career has been a solid tackler with good instincts. Injuries have taken away some of his man coverage ability. He played safety in college and The Ravens successfully transitioned him into an NFL CB.

[izvoodoo]

Its obvious the Coaches have something against Terrence Brooks , Idk why

He was raw out of college and coming off a nasty knee injury.  I wouldn't rush him out there.