Nick Jacobs: Which free-agent defensive backs should Chiefs target?

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — NFL free agency formally begins after 3 p.m. local time on March 13 and the Kansas City Chiefs almost certainly will be scouring the market for impact defensive players, but the teams has other needs and some players fit better than others.

Nick Jacobs and the 4th and 1 podcast crew are exploring the Chiefs' options in free agency at positions of need entering the 2019 offseason.

ADDITIONAL COVERAGE
[Feb. 28 — Nick Jacobs: Chiefs' biggest offseason needs]
[Feb. 28 — Tod Palmer: Chiefs' biggest offseason needs]
[March 6 — Secondary]
[March 7 — Nick Jacobs: Free-agent edge rusher targets]
[March 8 — Nick Jacobs: Free-agent linebacker targets]
[March 9 — Nick Jacobs: Free-agent wide receiver targets]
[March 10 — Nick Jacobs: Free-agent tight end targets]
[Gallery: Grading the Chiefs' use of the franchise tag through the years]

New defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo's scheme uses a pattern-reading concept, where receiving options are given numbers and split into strong- or weakside. For example, in a three-by-one set with a tight end, the outside receiving option is strong-side one and the numbers increase working in from there — strong-side two, strong-side three, etc. The numbers reset for the weak-side (e.g. weakside one, weakside two, etc.).

Spagnuolo's best secondaries had smart defenders who were athletic, versatile, disciplined students of the game. He likes to disguise coverage with athletes who can get to their zones or take away route combinations and pass off routes, if needed.

Here are some free agent defensive backs who fit the bill:

CORNERBACKS

Ronald Darby, Philadelphia Eagles
Age (2019 season): 25 — Height: 5-11 — Weight: 199

Darby is coming off an anterior cruciate ligament tear. Before the injury in November, he showcased an ability to succeed in man and zone coverage. He possesses good athleticism and an ability to stay in the defender's hip pocket.

Darby is an aggressive tackler who wants the ball carrier to know he has arrived. He has great closing speed, but Darby's best attribute is that he didn't appear to panic on plays. He had good technique and didn't put himself in bad positions.

Darby has a good feel for routes and knows how to attack them once revealed. He will arguably be one of the top corners on the market, but the injury may reduce the size of the contract he ultimately receives.

Jason Verrett, Los Angeles Chargers
Age (2019 season): 28 — Height: 5-10 — Weight: 188

Verrett has only played five games during the last two seasons after multiple knee injuries and a torn Achilles' tendon. During a Pro Bowl season in 2015, Verrett showcased an ability to make receivers uncomfortable with good positioning on the routes.

He has shown good quick-twitch ability to change direction and explode to full speed. Verrett also has good ball tracking skills. He likely will be a low-risk financially but potentially high-reward type player at a premium position.

Verrett's best bet to cash in down the road is to join a high-profile team on a prove-it, incentive-laden deal then prove he's healthy and remains productive.

FREE SAFETIES

Earl Thomas, Seattle Seahawks
Age (2019 season): 30 — Height: 5-10 — Weight: 202

Thomas fractured his left leg during week three last season (right before the Chiefs were rumored to be poised to pull the trigger on a trade). It was the second time he had fractured that leg.

Before the injury, Thomas displayed arguably the best sideline-to-sideline range in the game. He also still possessed the top-end speed for which he's known.

Thomas was able to change direction and maintain that top-end speed. He also has great ball-tracking skills and is a sure and violent tackler. Defensively, Thomas is a tempo-setter on the field and likely will command $13 million or more annually on the open market.

Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, Washington
Age (2019 season): 26 — Height: 6-1 — Weight: 208

Clinton-Dix has really good range and great closing speed to go with it. He is a very fluid in his turns and flashes the ability to change direction and explode.

Clinton-Dix also is willing to help in run support and breakdown on tackles. While he is not the most violent tackler, he will get the job done. Clinton-Dix is at his best when he is allowed to read what is in front of him and drive on the route. He is a also a solid blitzer.

Tre Boston, Arizona Cardinals
Age (2019 season): 27 — Height: 6-1 — Weight: 205

Boston played last season under new Chiefs defensive backs coach Dave Merritt. He has good speed and range and looked better on tape in 2018 than the previous year with the Chargers.

Boston's tackling has improved from 2017. He was a more violent tackler and also looked comfortable in zone coverage with two-deep and single-high responsibilities.

Boston read routes well in zone and would be a good downhill blitzer in the Chiefs' scheme. He flourished under Merritt's tutelage in the desert and could continue to improve if that relationship continues.
could tell he had been well coached this past season.

Eric Weddle, Baltimore Ravens
Age (2019 season): 34 — Height: 5-11 — Weight: 195

UPDATE: Weddle reportedly will sign a two-year deal with the Los Angeles Rams.

Weddle will be released by the Ravens at some point before free agency begins. Despite his age, he has impressive range and speed. The only other player I've seen who maintained his athletic ability at that age was Charles Woodson.

Weddle played free safety for the Ravens last season. He is a smart defender who can shift from two deep to single high to box safety while still possessing all the necessary qualities at each position.

Weddle is a physical tackler who likes to announce his presence on the field. He avoids blocks like an art form. The biggest key is that he knows where to be and times it perfectly when arriving in coverage or run defense.

STRONG SAFETIES

Adrian Amos, Chicago Bears
Age (2019 season): 26 — Height: 6-0 — Weight: 214

Amos might be one of the most athletic safeties on the market behind Earl Thomas. He has blazing speed to get across the field on a crossing route and meet the ball in time.

He is a physical tackler who wraps up properly and reads route combinations well, attacking them without hesitation. Amos has the skills to be a versatile safety who isn't exclusively a strong safety as listed here.

Landon Collins, New York Giants
Age (2019 season): 25 — Height: 6-0 — Weight: 222

Collins spent three seasons with Spagnuolo and Merritt during his time with the Giants. He is an aggressive downhill safety, who wants to bring violence on every play, as well as a great blitzer with zero hesitation when attacking the pass protection.

He is arguably one of the best safeties on the market in run support. Collins is able to run full speed through traffic and adjust accordingly with his body without losing any speed. He has good timing in trail technique on crossing routes and waits to the right moment to close and deflect the pass.

Collins has a great grasp of the pattern-matching concept a, especially when to pass off the route in coverage. He avoids blocks extremely well when coming downhill to make tackles and brings fire to the defense.

His biggest weakness is covering a speed back out of the backfield on a wide angle route. It takes Collins a couple of steps to close the distance when he is near the line of scrimmage.

Kenny Vaccaro, Tennessee Titans
Age (2019 season): 29 — Height: 6-0 — Weight: 214

Vaccaro looked like he dropped some weight from the previous season and got closer to the acceleration he had coming out of Texas. He looked much more fluid in drops and breaks on the football.

Vaccaro looked comfortable dropping into zone, reading the routes, and driving on the football. He is willing to get physical in run support and put everything he has into tackling the ball carrier.

Fun fact: He shares the same agent, David Mulugheta of Athletes First, as Thomas and Collins.

Adrian Phillips, Los Angeles Chargers
Age (2019 season): 27 — Height: 5-11 — Weight: 210

Phillips is a solid run-support defender with good coverage skills. He routinely puts himself in good position and times his deflections well.

Phillips trusts his technique and timing, so he avoids attacking the receiver or the ball too early. He reads the route combinations and tracks the football in the air well.

Houston Texans safety Tyrann Mathieu was left of the list because of this tendency to take poor pursuit angles in run support as well as how often receivers got good position on him and boxed him out despite possessing superior athletic ability. The players above are better fits for the scheme and probably more cost-effective solutions to boot.

Next, we will examine which edge rushers fit the Chiefs' new defensive scheme.

Although it might be the offseason, you can listen to the "4th and 1" podcast each week with Tod Palmer and Nick Jacobs on iTunes [itunes.apple.com], Stitcher, Spotifyand TuneIn [tunein.com]. You can also find Nick on twitter @Jacobs71.

You can also find all of the 41 Action News podcasts. including "The 41 Files" and "Chew Diligence" here: https://www.kshb.com/news/podcasts