Bleeding Green Nation on Michael Carter
From the article
Michael Carter's transition to safety remains a concern for me... he ends up in no-man's-land and helps neither cornerback. He doesn't gain enough depth to affect the post, but he also doesn't drive downhill to take away the crosser.
STACKED’s take
Safety transition shows spacing/route-distribution concerns; hesitation compromises coverage.
Safety transition remains a concern. While there is significant crossover between slot cornerback and safety in a modern defense, playing as the single-high defender requires a different understanding of spacing and route distribution. On a standard post-cross combination, Carter ends up in no-man's-land, helping neither cornerback. He doesn't gain enough depth to affect the post but also doesn't drive downhill to take away the crosser. The source notes that about 99% of the time, the safety should provide help against the post while accepting the crossing route may come open underneath. Carter has the movement skills to play the position, but he must process route combinations more decisively. A single-high safety who hesitates can compromise both sides of the coverage.
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