Kool-Aid McKinstry Can he play safety? (1 Viewer)

[PuddinheadSr]

Alontae was terrible in the slot last year.

Exaggerated take, IMO. Not a lonely take for sure, but not one that I share.

 

[Hedon James]

I like the way CSP said it many years ago. I'm paraphrasing, but "when you draft a CB, you play him at CB until he PROVES he can't play CB at this level." IMO, Kool-Aid is a CB until he proves he isn't. If we have a "surplus" of good CBs (is there such a thing?) and a shortage of good Safeties (we spent a decade asking "can he play safety?"), I'd rather see Alontae moved to the Safety spot. Not because Alontae can't play CB, but he's our 3rd best CB (possibly 4th with KA in the fold?) and it's too soon to move KA, IMO. I see Alontae as that Malcolm Jenkins CB/S hybrid player, no doubt. JMO...

 

[Kingston]

Never have enough CBs. I remember one year thinking we were loaded and ended up starting 2 street agents week 3.

You have to be talking about the Westbank/Eastbank year when we were set to start Kennan Lewis and Delvin Breaux and ended up with nobody.

 

[2009ring]

God remember years and years ago when this was the first response to every player we looked at or signed. "Can he play safety?" I think this was around the Kaesviharn years LOL.

If we had the secondary talent we have now back in Drew's heyday we'd have 2 more rings.

 

[Rexman100]

God remember years and years ago when this was the first response to every player we looked at or signed. "Can he play safety?" I think this was around the Kaesviharn years LOL.

If we had the secondary talent we have now back in Drew's heyday we'd have 2 more rings.

whos that Ditka drafted safety with the tattoos from Nebraska that busted big time?

 

[Hedon James]

whos that Ditka drafted safety with the tattoos from Nebraska that busted big time?

Josh Bullocks?

 

[2009ring]

Josh Bullocks?

Bullocks was drafted after Ditka. He was a Haslett pick.

But I think Rexman must be thinking of him though because I don't know any other safties out of Nebraska that we drafted.

 

[saintkreaux]

Bullocks was drafted after Ditka. He was a Haslett pick.

But I think Rexman must be thinking of him though because I don't know any other safties out of Nebraska that we drafted.

Rob Kelly, but he went to Ohio State, not Nebraska.

 

[Rexman100]

Josh Bullocks?

nope, he was a white guy. And he was part of the Ditka narrative, "this year we're made of iron" He turned out to be mercury. But whatever. lol

 

[sainthood]

The top ranked safety in the draft was available when we picked McKinstry in the second round. If the Saints wanted a safety they should have picked a safety.

 

[ELLIASJWILLIAMS]

I like the way CSP said it many years ago. I'm paraphrasing, but "when you draft a CB, you play him at CB until he PROVES he can't play CB at this level." IMO, Kool-Aid is a CB until he proves he isn't. If we have a "surplus" of good CBs (is there such a thing?) and a shortage of good Safeties (we spent a decade asking "can he play safety?"), I'd rather see Alontae moved to the Safety spot. Not because Alontae can't play CB, but he's our 3rd best CB (possibly 4th with KA in the fold?) and it's too soon to move KA, IMO. I see Alontae as that Malcolm Jenkins CB/S hybrid player, no doubt. JMO...

You literally sharted all over your logic. Alontae PROVED he can play outside and yet you want to move him to safety, however Kool-Aid hasn't played a down in the NFL yet you feel like he's already potentially better than Taylor and a CB until he PROVES otherwise.

 

[Hedon James]

You literally sharted all over your logic. Alontae PROVED he can play outside and yet you want to move him to safety, however Kool-Aid hasn't played a down in the NFL yet you feel like he's already potentially better than Taylor and a CB until he PROVES otherwise.

You're operating under the assumption that this is a move I'm advocating for; which is a false assumption. I don't WANT to move Alontae (for the same reason I cited not to move KA!) No one believes it's a good idea to move Lattimore, for obvious reasons. Same with Adebo. We're left with Alontae and KA. I think Alontae is a pretty good boundary CB, but gets burned a little too often in the slot. Dude can play CB, but is the weakest of 3 good CBs. We don't know what KA is yet, and probably won't know for certain until we see his TC, maybe even his first season. It's absolutely too soon to make that decision and move KA, IMO. Of those 4, I see Alontae as the most viable option IF THE NEED ARISES....and if I remember correctly (i wouldn't swear to it), didn't Alontae play some Safety at Tennessee?

What I'd prefer is that we find a dude who can play Safety at a high level. But that wasn't the scenario posited by the OP. Based on his question, I'd be looking at Alontae as the top choice to move to Safety, but not because he can't play CB. This wouldn't be a voluntary move to save a player's career or to garner them more playing time. This would be a move to cover a hole in the secondary that can't be covered any other way. Nothing more...

 

[Hedon James]

nope, he was a white guy. And he was part of the Ditka narrative, "this year we're made of iron" He turned out to be mercury. But whatever. lol

Looks like the only DBs drafted during the Ditka Error were Rob Kelly and Fred Weary. I don't remember either one.

 

[ELLIASJWILLIAMS]

You're operating under the assumption that this is a move I'm advocating for; which is a false assumption. I don't WANT to move Alontae (for the same reason I cited not to move KA!) No one believes it's a good idea to move Lattimore, for obvious reasons. Same with Adebo. We're left with Alontae and KA. I think Alontae is a pretty good boundary CB, but gets burned a little too often in the slot. Dude can play CB, but is the weakest of 3 good CBs. We don't know what KA is yet, and probably won't know for certain until we see his TC, maybe even his first season. It's absolutely too soon to make that decision and move KA, IMO. Of those 4, I see Alontae as the most viable option IF THE NEED ARISES....and if I remember correctly (i wouldn't swear to it), didn't Alontae play some Safety at Tennessee?

What I'd prefer is that we find a dude who can play Safety at a high level. But that wasn't the scenario posited by the OP. Based on his question, I'd be looking at Alontae as the top choice to move to Safety, but not because he can't play CB. This wouldn't be a voluntary move to save a player's career or to garner them more playing time. This would be a move to cover a hole in the secondary that can't be covered any other way. Nothing more...

Your original logic states:

If you draft Player A he should play position A until he proves he can't and only then should he be considered for position B.
Yet Alontae was drafted as a CB, proved he can play CB but you are suggesting he'd be the player to move to position B.

In other words your logic makes sense as to why you wouldn't move Kool-Aid, it does not clarify why you decided Alontae would be the player to move in that scenario. Is it because you'd rather ask a veteran to move vs a rookie?

 

[Hedon James]

Your original logic states:

If you draft Player A he should play position A until he proves he can't and only then should he be considered for position B.
Yet Alontae was drafted as a CB, proved he can play CB but you are suggesting he'd be the player to move to position B.

In other words your logic makes sense as to why you wouldn't move Kool-Aid, it does not clarify why you decided Alontae would be the player to move in that scenario. Is it because you'd rather ask a veteran to move vs a rookie?

Yes. I don't like moving Alontae either, for the same logic. But if this is a move that HAS to be made, Alontae is the one I would look to. And I thought he played a CB/S position at Tennessee, so would have SOME experience and familiarity with the Safety position. But I've since looked him up, and all I see is references to CB at Tennessee. So maybe I'm remembering that incorrectly? That changes the calculus a little too....

Alontae also seems stuck behind Lattimore and Adebo on the depth chart, relegating him to slot duties. But he doesn't seem as good in the slot as in the boundary. I think we could use an upgrade at the slot CB position. It's been suggested on this forum that KA is likely a good fit for that position. So I'm hoping that KA displaces someone in the secondary (preferably the slot), but it's also possible Alontae improves with another year of CB under his belt.

Truth be told, I think the Saints are getting in position to trade Lattimore; fill a different hole, and help reset the cap on this team. Adebo gonna get paid soon too, or we're gonna lose him. That's where the younger & cheaper talent comes in. If KA is who we think/hope he is, I think Lattimore is a post-June 1 transaction. At the most, i think we have 1 season of a surplus of CB talent. Your question is interesting, because we MIGHT have to do something like this to stash the talent, get the best players on the field, and walk the salary cap tightrope. This might be a real scenario for 1 season?! IF that happens, I prefer to move the vet. Rookies got enough on their plate without learning a whole new position in addition to a whole new defense.

JMO...