Wait ...they did what?

[Reservoir_Dog]

Devin McCourty is one of the best safeties in the NFL. He's easily in the top 5. Maybe in the top 3.
With the NFL becoming a predominantly passing league having a really good safety is essential to a teams success.

So of course the New England Patriots used their franchise tag ........ on their KICKER !!!!!

What .... the .... fuck?

[callmeslick]

how many great defensive backs has New England turned loose on the rest of the league, only to bomb, before you realize its the coaching, not the players? McCourtey is good, but hardly headed to the Hall of Fame. I'd like to see the club come up with the cash to pay Revis, who IS a cut above. Gostkowski is pure money, game after game. Belichek knows it. NEVER DOUBT THE HOODIE!!! When will you learn?

[Reservoir_Dog]

how many great defensive backs has New England turned loose on the rest of the league, only to bomb

McCourty isn't a defensive back. He's a safety.
There's a difference.

[callmeslick]

safeties, Corners and Linebackers are Defensive Backs, Canada-boy!!

[Reservoir_Dog]

safeties, Corners and Linebackers are Defensive Backs, Canada-boy!!

Dude, give your head a shake!
Linebackers cover Tight Ends and only cover receivers during a blown coverage or in goal line situations with a nickle package. A linebackers primary duty is to rip the head off the opposing quarterback.
There's no way you can call a linebacker a defensive back! Or a safety for that matter. They have entirely different rolls.

Do I have to take you to football school?

[callmeslick]

back in the leather helmet days, there were three real breakdowns on defense, as I recall. Linemen(Ends,Tackles), Linebackers and both safeties and corners were DBs. Still get displayed that way on TV roster listings. So, yes, I stretched it with LBs, who serve,as the name implies, in relation to line play, most of the time. Sure, different positions in each group have far differing skillsets, but the groupings are more based on field position at the snap/