Whitner's role to be expanded?

[mysticsoto]

From rotoworld/buffalobills.com:

Bills DB Donte Whitner is expected to see time at both strong and free safety this season.
This could be good for Buffalo because Whitner is a playmaker and can cover one-on-one, but it sounds like he'll play off the line of scrimmage more. Whitner is a poor bet to approach the 105 tackles he had as a rookie in '06.

[Jan Reimers]

Re: Whitner's role to be expanded?

I would be very happy to see the DTs and DEs get more tackles, and Whitner more interceptions and passes defended.

[mysticsoto]

Re: Whitner's role to be expanded?

Full article here:
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Question #18: Will Whitner’s role be expanded?

There have been some key additions to Buffalo's defense this offseason. Marcus Stroud, Spencer Johnson and Kawika Mitchell all figure to make a sizable impact in changing the Bills defensive fortunes for the better. But the player whose impact could be most significant as a result of that influx of veteran talent is Donte Whitner.

After the three veteran defensive free agents were signed by the Bills Whitner went out to dinner with his family and celebrated. He knew that inserting a proven run stuffer up front in Stroud, along with a solid linebacker in Mitchell and a versatile performer in Johnson would strengthen the Bills front seven to the point where he would be given more freedom to improvise from his strong safety position.

"We'll get to go out there and do a couple of different things," said Whitner in light of the veteran acquisitions. "I know (defensive coordinator) Perry (Fewell) gets to play around with some different things because he has the pieces he needs. That will bring another dimension to our defense and give us an opportunity to make more plays."

One of those different things is expected to be allowing Whitner to freely switch his alignment between that of a traditional strong and free safety. In his rookie season Bills defensive coordinator Perry Fewell wanted to keep it simple for Donte Whitner, and Ko Simpson for that matter, in Buffalo's secondary. So flipping their assignments back and forth wasn't really an option.

In 2007, Whitner's role in the defense was to be expanded where he'd shift back and forth between the strong and free safety roles, but a myriad of injuries on that side of the ball, including the season ender to Simpson, compromised those plans.

"It didn't happen that much last year," said Whitner of being an interchangeable safety. "With the pieces we had to work with what we had. Sometimes we'd bring one safety in and I'd have to play in the middle of the field and then with another safety in I'd have to play up in the box because of size or whatever it may be."

But now in year three it appears the defensive staff will finally be able to put Whitner in position to make more game-changing plays.

http://buffalobills.com/news/news.jsp?news_id=6190

[OpIv37]

Re: Whitner's role to be expanded?

A safety getting 105 tackles is not a good thing. It means the front 7 aren't doing their job.

[Jan Reimers]

Re: Whitner's role to be expanded?

Whitner just might bloom under this scenario, and a bunch of fans who have not been real happy with him to date may see why he was a number 8 pick.

[bigbub2352]

Re: Whitner's role to be expanded?

i like the idea of moving him over to FS giving him the ability to make more plays and flip floppin back and forth and bringing in Bryan Scott on obvious run plays or short yardage situations

Scott has talent and is a former 3rd round pick who will be a great addition to this team and provides depth at 3 positions, CB, SS, and FS plus he will be on of our better players on ST

[OpIv37]

Re: Whitner's role to be expanded?

Whitner just might bloom under this scenario, and a bunch of fans who have not been real happy with him to date may see why he was a number 8 pick.

hopefully I'll be in that category because so far I've been disappointed with him. Of course, he hasn't had much help around him- this year, hopefully he won't have that excuse and we'll get to see what he's really made of.

[trapezeus]

Re: Whitner's role to be expanded?

hopefully I'll be in that category because so far I've been disappointed with him. Of course, he hasn't had much help around him- this year, hopefully he won't have that excuse and we'll get to see what he's really made of.

but he could be in that situation is stroud is just an injury waiting to happen. i'd love for the bills defense to rocket up into the top 5, but i have a reason to believe that we may not have signed the guys to get the job done.

[mysticsoto]

Re: Whitner's role to be expanded?

but he could be in that situation is stroud is just an injury waiting to happen. i'd love for the bills defense to rocket up into the top 5, but i have a reason to believe that we may not have signed the guys to get the job done.

Maybe. Stroud's injury is of a concern, and yet, he will not be playing in every play non-stop due to our rotational strategy. Those rests may enable him to perform better with less risk of injury.

But remember that we got Spencer also. And we got him for cheap. Some people think Spencer is a star waiting for an opportunity. In any case, he's likely better than Tripplett was!!!

[madness]

Re: Whitner's role to be expanded?

Fewell talked about doing this last year... before our safties started dropping like flies.

[raphael120]

Re: Whitner's role to be expanded?

hopefully I'll be in that category because so far I've been disappointed with him. Of course, he hasn't had much help around him- this year, hopefully he won't have that excuse and we'll get to see what he's really made of.

It seems like absolutely NO ONE on our roster has had the most favorable situation to succeed, from defense because of injuries and ineffective, small front 7, to offense because of lack of WR talent and a crap OC, and an inexperienced QB in Edwards/bad QB in Losman...

It'll be interesting to see what happens when this team has everyone healthy on D, a more experienced QB, Hardy, and hopefully a competent, creative, and ballsy OC.

[Mitchy moo]

Re: Whitner's role to be expanded?

A safety getting 105 tackles is not a good thing. It means the front 7 aren't doing their job.

First thing I thought of as well. His job needs to be picks and breaking up longer threats, not being a leading tackler on the team.

[OpIv37]

Re: Whitner's role to be expanded?

It seems like absolutely NO ONE on our roster has had the most favorable situation to succeed, from defense because of injuries and ineffective, small front 7, to offense because of lack of WR talent and a crap OC, and an inexperienced QB in Edwards/bad QB in Losman...

It'll be interesting to see what happens when this team has everyone healthy on D, a more experienced QB, Hardy, and hopefully a competent, creative, and ballsy OC.

The argument goes both ways though. I mean, it's a team game and if 10 guys aren't doing their part, it's hard for 1 guy to make a difference.

But we used to have defenders who could take over a game. Back in the day, when the chips were down, at any given time Bruce, Talley or Biscuit could come up with a spectacular game-changing play.

More recently we had the pre-injury Spikes, Sam Adams and even Nate Clements who always had a big play in them.

I was hoping Whitner could be that guy who could make that energizing play and so far he hasn't shown that ability. Hell, no one on our D has.

[Mitchy moo]

Re: Whitner's role to be expanded?

The argument goes both ways though. I mean, it's a team game and if 10 guys aren't doing their part, it's hard for 1 guy to make a difference.

But we used to have defenders who could take over a game. Back in the day, when the chips were down, at any given time Bruce, Talley or Biscuit could come up with a spectacular game-changing play.

More recently we had the pre-injury Spikes, Sam Adams and even Nate Clements who always had a big play in them.

I was hoping Whitner could be that guy who could make that energizing play and so far he hasn't shown that ability. Hell, no one on our D has.

Donte is going to play well this year, I have alot of expectations for him and think that this is his year to shine.

[raphael120]

Re: Whitner's role to be expanded?

Donte is going to play well this year, I have alot of expectations for him and think that this is his year to shine.

McCargo was playing pretty well towards the end of the season...he made more than a few key stops in the Redskins game. But from what the depth chart on the Bills site says, it looks like Spencer Johnson is going to be starting next to Stroud for whatever reason. I'm sorry, you trade up for a guy like McCargo in the first round, your ass better be starting or someone made a bonehead decision to reach hardcore for a guy who is going to be a backup/rotational player. You do NOT trade up for a guy who is a rotational player. You trade up for a Mario Williams/Jason Taylor/Urlacher, every down kinda player.