New CB Cook suggests changes in store for #49ers defense....

Last month Jim Harbaugh hinted about changes to the 49ers offense. Could the team's defense also be in for a tweak or two?

Newly-signed cornerback Chris Cook suggested as much when he spoke about being used in a "single-high" defensive scheme. That's the formation with which the Seahawks have had so much success, one that often uses a single safety, Earl Thomas, in coverage so that the other safety, Kam Chancellor is free to crowd the line of scrimmage. It also is used in conjunction with Seattle's big, physical cornerbacks playing press coverage.

"They want me to be the press guy," the 6-2, 212-pound Cook said last month of the 49ers' plans for him. "And that's what I like to do. I feel like I'll fit in well with the one-high (safety) scheme that they like to run. I came from a two-high scheme. And I feel like a one-high scheme and a man-to-man scheme fits me well."

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I saw that coming looking at the cook signing few weeks ago but the only problem is if Eric Reid can do what earl thomas does. ET's skillset makes it very successful from what I read.

Well thats a hell of a compliment, our biggest rival copieing our scheme now. Guess if you can't beat them join them. Pete has left a impact for the rest of the league that will be used for a while now. Still have to get all the pieces but we didn't have them all working year one either.

Now they just need RW to look straight at the defender and throw the football to him for an interception....

With Earl Thomas roaming the backfie.....wait a second.

LOL.

The only difference is Cook is certainly no Earl Thomas.

^^Cook isn't a safety. The Niners should move Reid to strong safety and try to find an Earl Thomas clone which is pretty impossible. Or at least a cover safety. So much emphasis these days are put on finding in the box Chancellor and Whitner type safeties when the best safeties in my opinion are the ones who can cover well. When Earl Thomas was coming out I was afraid his tackling ability would be suspect since he is a little undersized. He surprisingly has been a pretty good tackler and his straight line speed and coverage ability is special.

Chris Cook doesn't know what he's talking about, and he's not talking about the 9ers changing schemes. Look at the quote closely:

I feel like I'll fit in well with the one-high (safety) scheme that they like to run.

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He's either talking about them running one-high on half of the field, or just doesn't know much about what the 9ers do because he just signed a one year minimum contract and didn't exactly have people competing over him. He'll be lucky to make the roster.

↑ They dont play our defense. Also a lot of teams like and do play with interchangable safties.

JZ#1":32maq6aa said:

^^Cook isn't a safety. The Niners should move Reid to strong safety and try to find an Earl Thomas clone which is pretty impossible. Or at least a cover safety. So much emphasis these days are put on finding in the box Chancellor and Whitner type safeties when the best safeties in my opinion are the ones who can cover well. When Earl Thomas was coming out I was afraid his tackling ability would be suspect since he is a little undersized. He surprisingly has been a pretty good tackler and his straight line speed and coverage ability is special.

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I honestly think Reid is too light in the loins to play anything other than FS. Last year he had two concussions on plays that should have been routine tackles and suffered what many people believe to be a third concussion which he acted off as a stomach injury.

I have to imagine that Reid would play FS in a one-high scheme for the 9ers.

He had a pretty good rookie season but has to learn to protect his head better. He missed one key tackle that allowed Lynch to get that long TD run but otherwise is a pretty decent tackler. The safety I like in this draft is Ahmad Dixon. He probably would be more of a strong safety type. Reminds me of Chancellor.

The thing about the Seahawks is other teams shouldn't really try to intimate them. The reason the Hawks are so good is because their players are special. The Seahawks have set a standard for secondaries that is almost not fair for other teams to expect from their group. If you give any secondary in the league enough time, they will get burned. However, I really understand why the 49ers want to get better in their secondary and I think long term they made a good decision with basically starting most of the defensive backfield is over, although short term it could hurt. Baalke and their group not investing more high picks in their secondary could of very well cost them 1 to 2 rings, although we will never know. That must be something that is hard to stomach.

A couple things from reading the above....

1) Yeah, agree with many of you that Reid would be the FS in this situation. I'd like to see what he can do. He's not Earl Thomas, but nobody is. That doesn't mean that a single high safety won't work.

2) It would further explain the interest in Antoine Bethea. I'd also expect to see them draft a thumper...maybe Deone Bucannon to play SS?

3) I'm not even gonna lie...it probably has a lot to do with Seattle success. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery and the Niner secondary has been the weakest point of the D for awhile. If they need to rebuild it (and its been in need of that for awhile), why NOT emulate the best secondary in the NFL. Seems logical. Actually doing it though is a whole different matter.

4) This didn't just start this year. Its been going on since at least last year. It was why they signed Nnamdi (6'2" with long arms) and drafted a BIG corner in the 7th round last year (released him in order to get him to practice squad but he got clamed and started for the Chiefs). I'd expect any corners they take this year to be at LEAST 6 foot, have long arms, and experience in bump and run. The only player I might see them taking who doesn't fit that description is Verrett, and they'd likely just be playing him in the slot. I personally think they like Fuller, but I have nothing to back that up. Gilbert would be nice, but he'll be long gone. There are also a number of 6'2" plus corners that will probably be there in round 2.

Marvin49":1nuvk6j2 said:

4) This didn't just start this year. Its been going on since at least last year. It was why they signed Nnamdi (6'2" with long arms) and drafted a BIG corner in the 7th round last year (released him in order to get him to practice squad but he got clamed and started for the Chiefs). I'd expect any corners they take this year to be at LEAST 6 foot, have long arms, and experience in bump and run. The only player I might see them taking who doesn't fit that description is Verrett, and they'd likely just be playing him in the slot. I personally think they like Fuller, but I have nothing to back that up. Gilbert would be nice, but he'll be long gone. There are also a number of 6'2" plus corners that will probably be there in round 2.

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I agree with this, although I wouldn't be mad if we picked up Verrett to help cover those speedy slot guys.

mikeak":30spd0kn said:

Now they just need RW to look straight at the defender and throw the football to him for an interception....

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LMAO

Marvin49":303bfi6c said:

4) This didn't just start this year. Its been going on since at least last year. It was why they signed Nnamdi (6'2" with long arms) and drafted a BIG corner in the 7th round last year (released him in order to get him to practice squad but he got clamed and started for the Chiefs). I'd expect any corners they take this year to be at LEAST 6 foot, have long arms, and experience in bump and run. The only player I might see them taking who doesn't fit that description is Verrett, and they'd likely just be playing him in the slot. I personally think they like Fuller, but I have nothing to back that up. Gilbert would be nice, but he'll be long gone. There are also a number of 6'2" plus corners that will probably be there in round 2.

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It is a shame that they didn't have any inside information on players like Sherman when he went in the fifth round.... :sarcasm_off:

mikeak":13wy8abw said:

Marvin49":13wy8abw said:

4) This didn't just start this year. Its been going on since at least last year. It was why they signed Nnamdi (6'2" with long arms) and drafted a BIG corner in the 7th round last year (released him in order to get him to practice squad but he got clamed and started for the Chiefs). I'd expect any corners they take this year to be at LEAST 6 foot, have long arms, and experience in bump and run. The only player I might see them taking who doesn't fit that description is Verrett, and they'd likely just be playing him in the slot. I personally think they like Fuller, but I have nothing to back that up. Gilbert would be nice, but he'll be long gone. There are also a number of 6'2" plus corners that will probably be there in round 2.

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It is a shame that they didn't have any inside information on players like Sherman when he went in the fifth round.... :sarcasm_off:

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LOL.

Lets be real tho....NOBODY thought Sherman would be this good when he was drafted, and that includes Seattle. If they did think he'd be this good there is no way in hell they'd have waited that long to take him.

Marvin49":39ttz519 said:

mikeak":39ttz519 said:

Marvin49":39ttz519 said:

4) This didn't just start this year. Its been going on since at least last year. It was why they signed Nnamdi (6'2" with long arms) and drafted a BIG corner in the 7th round last year (released him in order to get him to practice squad but he got clamed and started for the Chiefs). I'd expect any corners they take this year to be at LEAST 6 foot, have long arms, and experience in bump and run. The only player I might see them taking who doesn't fit that description is Verrett, and they'd likely just be playing him in the slot. I personally think they like Fuller, but I have nothing to back that up. Gilbert would be nice, but he'll be long gone. There are also a number of 6'2" plus corners that will probably be there in round 2.

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It is a shame that they didn't have any inside information on players like Sherman when he went in the fifth round.... :sarcasm_off:

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LOL.

Lets be real tho....NOBODY thought Sherman would be this good when he was drafted, and that includes Seattle. If they did think he'd be this good there is no way in hell they'd have waited that long to take him.

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I don't think that's necessarily true Marvin. Teams tend to have a good feeling where others are going to get drafted so why waste a higher draft pick than you need to. The Seahawks wanted Russell Wilson really bad but waited because they knew they could wait.

Different sport but one year I drafted Josh Hamilton in fantasy baseball in the 15th round when he was undervalued after his half season with the reds. I think it was 2009. Going into the draft he was the one player I didn't want to leave the draft without but I waited and waited until finally I grabbed him in the 15th. I had an idea where he was going in other drafts and took my chances.

bigtrain21":sqpks6fe said:

Marvin49":sqpks6fe said:

mikeak":sqpks6fe said:

Marvin49":sqpks6fe said:

4) This didn't just start this year. Its been going on since at least last year. It was why they signed Nnamdi (6'2" with long arms) and drafted a BIG corner in the 7th round last year (released him in order to get him to practice squad but he got clamed and started for the Chiefs). I'd expect any corners they take this year to be at LEAST 6 foot, have long arms, and experience in bump and run. The only player I might see them taking who doesn't fit that description is Verrett, and they'd likely just be playing him in the slot. I personally think they like Fuller, but I have nothing to back that up. Gilbert would be nice, but he'll be long gone. There are also a number of 6'2" plus corners that will probably be there in round 2.

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It is a shame that they didn't have any inside information on players like Sherman when he went in the fifth round.... :sarcasm_off:

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LOL.

Lets be real tho....NOBODY thought Sherman would be this good when he was drafted, and that includes Seattle. If they did think he'd be this good there is no way in hell they'd have waited that long to take him.

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I don't think that's necessarily true Marvin. Teams tend to have a good feeling where others are going to get drafted so why waste a higher draft pick than you need to. The Seahawks wanted Russell Wilson really bad but waited because they knew they could wait.

Different sport but one year I drafted Josh Hamilton in fantasy baseball in the 15th round when he was undervalued after his half season with the reds. I think it was 2009. Going into the draft he was the one player I didn't want to leave the draft without but I waited and waited until finally I grabbed him in the 15th. I had an idea where he was going in other drafts and took my chances.

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That's true to SOME extent....

....but do you seriously think that the Seahawks knew Sherman was going to be an All-Pro Corner and waited till the 5th round to take him? Come on now.

I'm sure they liked him and thought there was a chance he could be good (otherwise they wouldn't have taken him at all), but if they were anything close to sure he'd be THIS good they'd have taken him much higher.

Did the 49ers like Montana? Yes. Did the Pats like Brady? Yes. If either of them knew what those players would become would they have been selected in the 1st round? YES. If you are pretty sure the guy is a star, you don't risk someone else falling in love with him just as you have and selecting him before you can. I could buy taking him in round 2 because you are trying to get value....but round FIVE?

^ fair point

But since we are doing fair points how about the fact that one of those 32 coaches had that player for FOUR years. Is the failure to recognize his skillset something that can be excused with 31 other guys didn't see it on TAPE.....

mikeak":2kdn9xw6 said:

^ fair point

But since we are doing fair points how about the fact that one of those 32 coaches had that player for FOUR years. Is the failure to recognize his skillset something that can be excused with 31 other guys didn't see it on TAPE.....

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Well, there was clearly a personality conflict there. Not really all that surprising.

Actually, since Harbaugh has been the head coach, they've never selected a player from Stanford.