McDougald is #1 safety in run stop %

[brimsalabim]

Could it also be a symptom of our dline stunting to the outside to often leaving the middle vulnerable?

 

[Jville]

This is all well and good. It's very good for a normal safety, in fact, but we have been severely hampered in sealing the edges that he's on. If it's Kam and it's a TE, pulling G, FB, or whoever, Kam pinches that edge off to the 98th percentile where they either have to turn back inside or they have to string it out to the sideline. We aren't getting that now and everyone knows it...and by that I mean teams that are facing us. We have been getting killed left and right in off tackle type plays.

McDougald has been good, but if Kam isn't ever going to play again I'd like to see a bigger, more aggressive athlete there. Yes, that is a lot to ask, but it's been a huge piece of the consistency of our run defense that has been really hit and miss since. And I say that knowing we have had games with no starting backers or a 50% injured backer or whatever. It just makes a massive difference.

EDIT:

Either that or we need to actually invest in a real SLB that can kill off that edge like Kam can. McDougald is fine in coverage, but with Kam you're basically getting a 2 for 1 player where you can just rely on "some guy" to play SLB for roughly 45% of the snaps, if that. As far as the cap goes, it's a huge value. Again, if Kam can't ever come back, I think we really need to look at shoring up sealing that edge with another player besides McDougald, which means we'll either have to hit in the draft or we'll actually have to pay for two legitimate players rather than just Kam.

Thanks for posting your thoughts.

Your two for one description, of what Kam Chancellor brings to the field, caught my eye. I sometimes think of Earl Thomas as a hybrid corner back playing free safety. Earl is as unique, in his ability to fill that single high role, as Kam is in his dual role. Carroll has yet to find anyone that can replace the uniqueness of either Earl Thomas or Kam Chancellor.

I do appreciate all that Bradley McDougald does for the team. His tackling success sets a valuable example. But to my eyes, he looks like a cover two safety on a team that went with a small nickle over a big nickle. Never-the- less, I would like to see Bradley continue to compete in Seattle ..... while, Kam remains unique in his starting role with the Seattle Seahawks.

By the way, your first paragraph rekindled, for me, memories of Chris Clemons setting the edge and sealing off the right side of the line of scrimage. What Chancellor has done, in setting the edge as a hybrid safety, is remarkable.

 

[vin.couve12]

Oh man, Clem was mean as a snake on that edge. It took Irvin quite a while and about 20 pounds before he could even approach setting an edge like that. Avril, while an extremely skilled and crafty pass rusher, was never really that guy though. Clark looks to be good there, but we have a real weak spot on the other side now. Even if Kam can come back, we'll need the right player with the right attitude problem to bring into the fold. And it's not a pretty job with stat fillers.

 

[hawkfan68]

McDougald is playing well in Kam's spot. Nice insurance. Definitely needs to be a priority signing in the offseason. However, I believe he could start on other teams so most likely will lose him. Sheldon Richardson was also a good signing. Maxwell was a nice addition too. Glad they were able to get him back.

The "meh" signings, IMO, were Wilhoite and Garvin. Both really add nothing.

 

[Jville]

Oh man, Clem was mean as a snake on that edge. It took Irvin quite a while and about 20 pounds before he could even approach setting an edge like that. Avril, while an extremely skilled and crafty pass rusher, was never really that guy though. Clark looks to be good there, but we have a real weak spot on the other side now. Even if Kam can come back, we'll need the right player with the right attitude problem to bring into the fold. And it's not a pretty job with stat fillers.

"Mean as a snake" really describes Clem's game. A lot of good players and blocking coordinators tried to challenge his play only to watch him slither thru. Over time, Clem herded them into running away from him and having quarterbacks roll away from his side. Always put a smile of satisfaction on my face. Clark is such an amazing athlete. He could do it all or he could settle for Cliff Avril's game. Fortunately, he is still evolving and I can detect a little mean snake in him from time to time. Your right about the other side though. Got to identify some candidates to seal up that edge in support of forcing everything inside as mandated by the design of the defensive.