Four "great" safeties.

I was talking with my brother recently and we were discussing the Jamal Adams trade and his potential impact. Seattle has previously had three players at the safety position that I consider "special." Kenny Easley, Earl Thomas and Kam Chancellor. Now, with Adams, we have a fourth.
Imagine all four in their prime. Which two start?

Ken Easley and Kam Chancellor would be a monster duo...

The Seahawks have been very fortunate with the safety position. They have had quite a bit of really good to great ones. Here are some others -

Lyle Blackwood
Autry Beamon - He had 6 INTs in 1977 season
John Harris
Keith Simpson
Nesby Glasgow
Eugene Robinson
Lawyer Milloy
Robert Blackmon
Darryl Williams

I really felt like Ken Hamlin had a chance to be very special......until that stupid fight downtown

Well, you have 3 strong safeties and one free safety, so Earl Thomas is in by default. Then the choice is who to accompany him.

Kam proved it on the field with Earl, so that's inarguable. We have no examples of the others playing with Thomas, so we can't really know how they would have done.

I think the best pairing if you ignore FS vs SS would be Easley/Adams. They both give you incredible range, hard hits, football savvy, and good hands. In fact, I give Adams the nod over Thomas in that pairing simply because of Earl's stone hands.

Easley played free safety at times. He certainly could hold it down. Easley and Kam would be a seriously dangerous combination. I'm not putting Adams in there yet, though he is very good.

Easily and without even seeing him.. Adams

Earl and Kam.

I'm taking the sure thing. We've seen it, we know how it worked out, and I'm not gonna mess with success - regardless of how great the other two are.

In freelance? Easley - Chancellor, but I believe that Adams has the chance to be a monster, as he too plays smart ,and has the IT factor in coverage...IF he's used right, I think he's going to be another Easley/Chancellor type safety, and I can't wait to see the kid in action.

Maelstrom787":3j05vovb said:

Earl and Kam.

I'm taking the sure thing. We've seen it, we know how it worked out, and I'm not gonna mess with success - regardless of how great the other two are.

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I agree with you. I honestly think Earl Thomas is underrated as a player. Everyone acknowledges that he's great, but I put him in the top five all-time at the position.

Seattle has had a good number of safeties in their history.

I remember Darryl Williams destroying the Raiders..

One of the most lethal hits I’ve ever seen!

And it was amazing!

None like it today!

Grahamhawker":2b8lm6f9 said:

Easley played free safety at times. He certainly could hold it down. Easley and Kam would be a seriously dangerous combination. I'm not putting Adams in there yet, though he is very good.

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I voted Easley and Chancellor.

I don’t think any receivers or tight ends wanna see this duo,

Both will lay the wood!

hawkfan68":3teld3bx said:

Ken Easley and Kam Chancellor would be a monster duo...
s

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Those two were my picks as well. More than monster-KaBOOM! All I can think of is “ouch”. Can you imagine the pain dealt to opposing teams? Crazy!

Earl & Kam @ Safety.

Place Adams @ Will, and Easley @ Nickle, and play with all 4 of them at the same time. 8)

Ronnie Lott is widely regarded as possibly the greatest safety to ever play the game.

Ronnie Lott considers Kenny Easley the greatest safety of all time.

That's good enough for me.

Maulbert":qd2ix0hx said:

Ronnie Lott is widely regarded as possibly the greatest safety to ever play the game.

Ronnie Lott considers Kenny Easley the greatest safety of all time.

That's good enough for me.

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It was amazing to watch Easley dominate a game -- devestating tackles on the opponents' best RB or WR, a hit and a fumble or an interception at a key time, breaking a KR for a TD -- sometimes in the same game.

A tragedy that injuries forced him to retire,

chet380":t7dg7an0 said:

Maulbert":t7dg7an0 said:

Ronnie Lott is widely regarded as possibly the greatest safety to ever play the game.

Ronnie Lott considers Kenny Easley the greatest safety of all time.

That's good enough for me.

Click to expand...

It was amazing to watch Easley dominate a game -- devestating tackles on the opponents' best RB or WR, a hit and a fumble or an interception at a key time, breaking a KR for a TD -- sometimes in the same game.

A tragedy that injuries forced him to retire,

Click to expand...

Easley could play with speed of a CB and hit of a LB, having Kam as the Intimidator and Easley as the Enforcer in one back field would make Tatum and Atkinson look like powder puff girls. The league would outlaw tackling after one season.

I remember the 1983 playoff game vs the Dolphins where Easley sidelined Mark Duper and Mark Clayton on consecutive plays. He was a beast out there.

In 84, Easley had 10 INTs for the season. No DB since then has more than 10. QBs stopped throwing Sherman's way when he had 8 INTs. Easley's territory was the entire field - you couldn't avoid throwing his way.

Easley and Bam Bam for me.
You know a lot on here never saw Easley going by
the vote totals,all I can say is they missed out.

IndyHawk":1aafimh3 said:

Easley and Bam Bam for me.
You know a lot on here never saw Easley going by
the vote totals,all I can say is they missed out.

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Could you imagine Browner, Sherman, Easley, and Kam with Coleman as the Nickel.

That would be unethical.....

LargentFan":hawxded6 said:

Maelstrom787":hawxded6 said:

Earl and Kam.

I'm taking the sure thing. We've seen it, we know how it worked out, and I'm not gonna mess with success - regardless of how great the other two are.

Click to expand...

I agree with you. I honestly think Earl Thomas is underrated as a player. Everyone acknowledges that he's great, but I put him in the top five all-time at the position.

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Yep. Earl is the perfect free, in my mind. Rangy, gets to the ball in a hurry, and has that "it" factor. He could have been a great corner, too. He's the locked in choice for me.

The real choice, for me, comes in with picking the safety to accompany him. But, why mess with what is one of the best safety tandems to ever do it? No disrespect to Easley, who was otherworldly good... but a bird in hand is worth two in the bush, and there's no reason to try to improve on a close to perfect duo.

That said... boy, I'd love to see a prime Earl and prime Easley tandem work together.