I am not so sure Darius is a slam dunk to start.
Three years over $7m? I think they expect him to start over Stu with Huff at FS ...
I certainly think that's the common line of thinking. I'll explain mine:First, that contract doesn't really tell me too much. I have a feeling the breakdown will show a backloaded deal, ending when Darius is 35. He won't see year 3 of that deal.
When Huff was drafted, he was pegged as best suited for FS, and was (slightly) out of place at SS. Myself, I loved the idea of having a S that runs sub-4.4. Something about being in a division with Gates and Gonzales, you know? I also think, league-wide, that the big bruiser at SS is quickly becoming a thing of the past. With the freaks at TE, and 3 WR sets, range and speed need to be at every position across the secondary.
Stu is not really a fan favorite among the Raiders, but I like him. He has a average-to-decent range for a FS, and good range for a SS. And he's very good in run support. He hasn't had many impact plays or turnovers since he came into the league, which explains the Raider fans restlessness, but I can't think of too many times I saw him burned deep. The #1 thing I want from a FS is stopping the big play, the cheap TD over the top. And Stu has been good at that. He's missed some tackles, to be sure, but heck, the only safety I can never remember missing a tackle was Joey Browner. In short, I think he's a decent player. Also, he is a vocal leader on a very young defense, and actually likes being a Raider (!). This is not a guy in the doghouse.
If Darius is his old self, I think he'll force his way onto the field. But he is 32, has a lot of tackles and mileage, and is coming off an injury. He's had some boo-boos. And I am willing to bet that his range is significantly less than Stu's.
Now, maybe the Raiders know that, and are looking to beef up the rush defense. The left side of their D is an undersized end (Burgess), and an average SLB (Sam Williams). But outside runs weren't their problem. The speed of their defense really prevents regular success to the outside. It was runs up the gut that hurt them. Hopefully, more of Terd Sands (a monster in the making), and Kirk Morrison getting comfortable in the middle can help that. Now that I type this, I could see Darius coming on board as much to help in run support as anything else.
I am just not so sure that he would be a major improvement over Stu (heck, they signed Colin Branch as well) at SS, if that is the plan.
If the plan is to move Huff to FS, I can see it, but I am a little disappointed. I think Huff could make more plays at SS, myself, but I could very well be wrong. Huff didn't make any from that spot last year, but geez, how many teams felt the need to take
any chances against the Raiders last year? Cripes, teams were playing kill-the-clock 5 minutes into the game. There weren't many cheap turnovers off mistakes last year for this D. Which makes Scrabble Asomougha's year even more impressive.
I also freely admit that I am looking at this with my own pre-conceived notions. I love the youth and speed of this defense, and after years of watching slow safeties chase average players into the end zone, I am willing to give up some intimidation for a little speed.
It just takes more than one decent guy to stop the run. Sands is quietly becoming a good DT.
