Rolle's relocation

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)