One of the biggest training camp battles for the Green Bay Packers this summer is the starting safety spot next to Darnell Savage. With no shortage of options at the position, what is the deciding factor in that decision going to be? Consistency.
This offseason, Green Bay re-signed Rudy Ford and Dallin Leavitt and added Jonathan Owens and Tarvarius Moore in free agency while drafting Anthony Johnson Jr. as well.
Although options can be a good thing as it will help facilitate competition and provide flexibility, the question of whether or not the Packers have done enough at this position this offseason still remains and likely won’t be answered until the summer portion of the offseason has the chance to unfold.
“No,” said Barry on Tuesday when asked if he knew who would start alongside of Savage. “But that’s the great thing about the offseason. It’s May. We get that nine week period where we get to get our hands on the guys, and we are in that fifth week right now. We’ve got some new faces in that room, but that’s what OTAs are for, obviously (what) training camp is for, but we are in the beginning stages of that process of finding that out.”
At a position that has the word “safe” in it, consistency is key, and it’s something that was lacking from this unit in 2022. Coverage breakdowns that led to explosive passing plays happened far too often, while missed tackles, both in the passing and running games, were prevalent as well. Ultimately the Packers are looking for someone who is positioned where they need to be and can bring the ball carrier or pass catcher down when given the opportunity. The playmaking ability, while important, is taking a back seat, however.
“I’m big on consistency,” said Barry via Packers.com. “I’ve bragged over the years, a guy like Kenny Clark, not only is he consistent with his play, but he’s consistent with everything he does, every single day when he’s in this building. When you have a vacancy, especially with a starting spot and you have a number of guys in competition for that, the biggest thing I look for as a coach is the overall consistency every day. Then obviously you have to get into your job, making plays, and being productive, but it starts with being a consistent guy every day to be one of those 11.”
Ford brought some of that needed reliability to the position in 2022, being a willing run defender while also being in the right spots, which resulted in him coming away with multiple turnovers. Owens was one of the best-tackling safeties in football last season, both in terms of quantity, but also soundness, with very few that were missed. Moore proved to be a capable run defender when in San Francisco, while Johnson could fill an Adrain Amos-like role in this defense as someone who rallies to the football, can take on blockers, and line up in the box.
Within the Joe Barry defense, the safety group is asked to do a lot. Along with keeping everything in front of them and being positioned correctly to stop plays through the air because of how often light boxes are utilized, the safeties are often tasked with playing an important role in the run game as well. This includes filling gaps, taking on blockers, and being that reinforcement at the second level to limit big plays.
Without question, interceptions are great, and this defense could use more of them. But at the end of the day, being able to be relied upon down-in and down-out to fill the variety of roles that come with playing safety under Barry has far greater value.
