versatility

Good tidbit:

Q: As far as the safety position goes for the Patriots, how much do you guys value having two guys that have distinct responsibilities – maybe that traditional free versus strong safety position? Is that important or do we make too much out of that?

NC: I think having versatile players that can do multiple things is important and how you deploy those players. Ultimately you try to play to a player’s strengths so whatever a player does well you try to put them in a position schematically where they can utilize those skills. We’ve had corners that have played safety, safeties that have played safety. That position, there are a lot of things that go into it. There’s a space game, there’s a tackling game, there’s instinctiveness, ball skills, all those types of things, they are applicable not only to the safety position but the corner position as well. Some corners actually look like safeties, some safeties look like corners. I think the defensive back group in general, having the degree of position versatility is certainly helpful, especially when you’re playing certain teams on a week to week basis, it doesn’t force you to make wholesale changes – ‘Well, if this guy is in the game, we have to put this guy in the game.’ Having guys that are multiple that might be utilized in multiple roles, there is certainly value in that.