Rolle's relocation
Apr/05/08 04:37 AM Filed in:
Antrel Rolle
Antrel Rolle is being moved
to safety and that could propel the Cardinals'
defense to new heights. Rolle, the eighth pick in
the 2005 draft, was drafted to be a "shut down"
corner on the edge, but several coaches and scouts
felt that his best position would be at safety.
"After watching him play at Miami, I thought that
he would be an average corner as a pro, but a Pro
Bowl-caliber safety," said a former secondary
coach of an AFC team. "His versatility stood out
on tape ... as a multi-faceted guy with a high
football IQ, he could cover in slot, blitz off the
edges and be a factor against the run... all of
his strengths as a player will stand out at
safety."
The move to safety will require some work, but Rolle's
experience last season should ease the transition. As
the Cardinals' nickel corner, he had the chance to play
as a deep middle player in some of their exotic
sub-packages and the results were impressive. Rolle
finished the season with five interceptions, including
four made while playing as the nickel or safety in the
sub-defense.
"He showed us last season that he could be a playmaker
in the middle of the field, so we think moving him to
safety full-time will greatly improve our secondary."
said Cardinals' secondary coach Teryll Austin. "He
teams with Adrian Wilson to give two athletic guys at
the position, and that should allow us to be more
creative with Adrian near the line of scrimmage."
The Cardinals used Wilson extensively as a box defender
two seasons ago, and the eight-year vet registered
eight sacks and four interceptions. But Wilson rarely
spent time near the line of scrimmage last season, as
the coaches lacked confidence in free safety Terrence
Holt to use a lot of single-high safety coverage. That
will change with Rolle at free safety. His athleticism,
range and ballhawking skills are ideal for playing in
the deep middle, and the Cardinals will surely tap into
the versatility of both players to wreak havoc. "They
have two Pro Bowl-caliber players at the safeties with
multiple skills," said a former secondary coach of an
AFC team. "That allows them to become more aggressive
with their pressure packages because either guy is
capable of manning the middle or getting to the
quarterback ... that's a coordinator's dream."
(cnnsi.com)