His best fit is a Tampa Two team. There have been a lot of game changing safeties in the Tampa Two and none of them are known for their elite cover skills: John Lynch, Bob Sanders, Mike Brown, Adam Archuletta (at Rams).

Tampa Two teams run Cover 3 and Cover 1 just as much as Cover 2. Getting one of the safeties moving forward is essential to stopping the run for that scheme. The actual cover two/Tampa two doesn't get busted out until obvious passing situations and in that situation, you just let Mays stay deep and kill anything that tries to catch the ball in his zone.

Those free safeties who could come up and make a major impact hit and finish off the ball-carrier, were the great ones.

There may be situations where the safety has to cover, but there are ways to protect the weak safety. You could put a linebacker on the receiver and the safety just backs him up, for example.

The great free, or weak, safeties are ones who had great range. Often they are in the 6-2, 6-3 category at 190 pounds and have excellent speed and range, much like a hurdler in track. They can go for a ball and with excellent hands be a major factor from sideline to sideline. If a weak safety can have this type of range and can cover ground in full stride so he can work either sideline when the ball is in the air, then he can have a great impact on the defense.

If you have a weak safety who will make the big hit, the pulverizing hit, and finish off tackles, ala Ronnie Lott, then you really have a weapon. It was Ronnie Lott vs. Eric Dickerson of the Rams in a matchup that fans and media sometimes weren't alert to. But it was Lott finishing off the tackles so Dickerson couldn't break free. Lott would either finish him off while somebody was holding him or Lott would just meet him right in the hole and stop the play. So that matchup, the weak safety vs. the running back, also can be a significant one.

Pizan wrote:I think we can do much better with this draft than settling on Mays at 15. Not that I think he's a bad player just not on my list of top 15.

rjprte55 wrote:[left]
Before the combine all you read about Mays was how over-hyped he was and how he's going to be a bust.After watching the combine I think he would look great playing strong safety.

Pizan wrote:Then this would be the first year since I've known you, Pete, that we agree on the 1st round pick.

Pizan wrote:I like him a lot better than McClain. McClain is a two down backer. People want to compare McClain to willis and he isnt even in the same league. Weatherspoon is the best all around backer in this draft.