Quote:
Originally Posted by milkman
I think you are overstating Berry's flexibility in this scheme.
Reed never lined up in the box nearly as often as Berry has in this defense, and adjusting out of that requires more moving parts than just Berry moving.
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Well, Berry is blitzing and playing in the box a lot. A lot more than Reed did when Reed played strong safety early in his career. A lot more than most strong safeties who play in a Ryan defense. So I think it's more than an interesting question to ask if that's Rex Ryan, or if Berry is making on-field adjustments.
A signature of Ryan's defense is lining the strong safety with the linebackers so that they can make adjustments safeties in most other defenses cannot or do not. Which is why I bring it up. I don't know the answer. But just in general, I just don't see Berry making the same kind of instinctive reads that I see Polamalu and Reed making. I can't help but wonder if Berry is an athletically gifted player whose place is in a scheme where he's told exactly what to do. Or... perhaps if you line him up in a defense with Parker and Bailey, that's a big enough upgrade that Berry becomes a totally different player.