[htismaqe]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

Safety play is like 1b defense.

When it's exceptional, you notice it. If you have Ed Reed back there or Earl Thomas, that's great. You'd still rather get that exceptional play at a more critical position (literally ANY other position on the defense), but it can make a difference in a big way. It isn't wasted to have a generational level player at FS, though you'd probably rather get that at DE or CB, just as it isn't wasted to have that kind of D at 1st base, though you'd rather see it at SS or CF.

But safety play, like 1b defense, is most noticeable when it's god-awful. Mo Vaughn replacing John Olerud and Todd Zeile ruined arguably the best infield defense of all time with the circa 2000 era Mets. But the step down from Olerud to Zeile did very little. Olerud was a superlative defensive 1b, Zeile was just alright. But the way all those pieces fit together, just alright was fine. It was when just alright was replaced by goddamn abysmal that people realized they had a problem.

I think Lucas/Watts can absolutely give you 'just alright' and even Sorensen, when in a complementary role instead of trying to drag Murray and the corpse of Berry along, can give you credible play there as well. They can be Todd Zeile. They don't need to be John Olerud; they just need to not be Mo Vaughn.

FS, especially in this scheme, is a threshhold position. Even moreso with the addition of Mathieu. It just can't SUCK. Now if it turns out that CGJ is Earl Thomas, then the pick should've been him but that's a simple scouting disagreement, not an execution error. I like CGJ a lot, but I don't think he's Earl Thomas and that's why I'm not gonna put him ahead of a guy in Bradbury that I view as the premier talent at his position in this draft.

I wouldn't count on Watts for anything. Dude is a walking emergency room visit.