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- #41
The INTs? Big hits from Polumalu? Nobody remembers them for doing the thankless dirty work, which is primarily what safeties do now
You are crazy if you don't think that the roles of safeties have changed. The traditional SS position is basically extinct. It's not efficient anymore to have a FS laying back and cherry picking INTs, unless the defense is just that good otherwise. They are mainly jack of all trade guys now.
Nobody knows who the good safeties are anymore, because they are typically locking down their assignment in coverage and aren't massive wood layers, so they don't stand out that much. Which is basically where Byard falls. He leads the league in INTs over the past two years, and is a top graded player in the box, yet people shrug. Judge him by how the game and safeties play now, not comparing him to players in the past from defensive dominant eras who had different, more defined roles roles.
Hooker is similar in build and skillset to Byard, which is good. He's positionless in the secondary, he can absolutely be on the field at the same time. They are already working him in with the 1s.
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