Its well known that SS are the major pt getters in the Def backfield, what i'm curious about is how def scheme can affect these numbers.For ex. who has more value in Wash D backfield, SS taylor or FS archuletta, your thoughts?
Brief :soapbox: - Where'd that smilie go anyhow?I think every staffer is a firm believer, as you've probably figured from the slant of our posts, that opportunity (and the fine details of a given scheme and expected utilization in particular) is almost always more important than talent in player evaluation.
Most of the fun in participating in IDP leagues for me is from learning how each team plays their chosen defensive scheme. You get an entirely different perspective watching the games, particularly live, especially if you don't have a playing background. It won't take too long to coach yourself up on the schemes. If you don't have the time, there are many on this board that can help fill in the gaps. And, again, I'll shill for the articles written by the vets on the staff - in particular Norton's article on defensive schemes. At some point this season or next, he and I will be putting together a very detailed primer or FAQ on all things IDP, including schemes. Kind of an IDP 101 if you will.
End :soapbox:
So, yeah, scheme affects player value. Much of a given safety's value is dependent on tackles, and since the safety is aligned another level removed from the point of attack, the way he's used in the defense is important. You'll need to learn who is more likely to be an in-the-box safety, who is more likely to play deep coverage or cover slot receivers and tight ends, who is more likely to be brought on safety blitzes, among other uses.
For example, it's not enough to say that a 3-4 SS has less value because there are two linebackers in front to make plays. It's a good default, but you should be able to pick up from boxscores, coach quotes, scouting of skill sets etc. that Rodney Harrison is frequently aligned near the LOS and is used to rush the passer or that Troy Polamalu is used all over the field and has the crazy recovery speed to rack up coverage stats as well. There are examples of this for every scheme in the league.
I'm no expert on the Redskins' defensive scheme. I'd do a search for "robinson", "redskin", "archuleta", or "taylor" posts made by Redman. He's got an excellent handle on what they do. Other than saying that I'm still skeptical that either safety will have enough tackle or pass rush opportunity to be a sure top 20 player, I'll defer to his (and others') thoughts on the Taylor/Archuleta question.
