| 27 August 2010
Six weeks ago, the Lions had seven safeties on the roster. So I wrote a post with the title, "There's 3 certainties in life: Death, taxes and the Lions looking for a safety."
It was true then, even more so now. Safeties are here, there and everywhere.
Yesterday, the Lions moved 3rd round draft pick Amari Spievey from safety to corner. Today, another was cut, but and today the Lions added another player to the position with a depth chart seemingly 5 deep.
The Lions also made a couple of roster moves, placing recently signed safety Dave Roach on the waived/injured list and signing two free agents - defensive tackle Jaron Baston and safety John Wendling.
The Lions are seemingly using the FIFO plan with their backup safeties. First in, first out. Or would BIWO be a better acronym...better in, worst out?
Six weeks ago, here were the seven safeties on the roster:
C.C. Brown, Daniel Bullocks, Louis Delmas, Marquand Manuel, Randy Phillips, Ko Simpson and Marvin White.The names are a little different, but the Lions have whittled the position down to a not-so-minuscule six:
C.C. Brown, Louis Delmas, Randy Phillips, Amari Spievey, Ko Simpson, and John Wendling.
Saturday's exhibition game will tell us volumes as to what the safety positon depth chart looks like. But if I were to venture a guess as to who makes the 53 man roster, Delmas is obviously a no-brainer. The only no-brainer, unfortunately.
Spievey was drafted too high for the Lions to cut bait, and there's no way he would pass through waivers in order to be placed on the practice squad. Another team would snap Spievey up. So he makes the 53 man as a backup.
His undrafted free agent status be damned, Phillips has been seeing time with the 1st team defense. He's well on his on his way to a spot on the roster. Phillips is another player I seriously doubt the Lions can sneak through waivers. If the Lions want to keep him, Phillips has to be kept on the 53 man...though I think he's going to make it on merit alone.
As I don't see the Lions carrying five safeties on the opening day roster, the final spot, and the probable starter next to Delmas, comes down to a battle between Brown and Simpson. It's pretty much a coin flip between the two at this point, though I'd think Simpson has a better chance at sticking. Brown is dinged up, having been seen wearing a cast on his hand this week...though the ever secretive Jim Schwartz won't say why. Simpson started camp on the PUP, but appears ready to play.
There's no guarantees any of the safeties, save for Delmas, will be on the team in two weeks. But I wouldn't put it past Mayhew picking up another safety when the roster cuts start next week.In fact, it's quite likely, going by his tract record.
We all need a hobby. Some people collect stamps. Others collect beer cans. Matt Millen loved to collect bad wide recievers.
Martin Mayhew has his own collection. One full of mediocre safeties.
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