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Safeties snapshot

(Eleventh and final part in a series of position snapshots leading into Patriots training camp, July 28)

Safety

STARTERS: Eugene Wilson (4th year), Rodney Harrison (13th year)

RESERVES: Artrell Hawkins (9th year), Jarvis Herring (rookie), Tebucky Jones (9th year), Mel Mitchell (5th year), James Sanders (2nd year), Guss Scott (3rd year), Raymond Ventrone (1st year*)

2005 SAFETIES: Wilson, Harrison, Hawkins, Sanders, Guss Scott, Michael Stone, Arturo Freeman, Randall Gay**

2006 ROSTER LOCKS: Wilson, Harrison, Hawkins, Jones, Mitchell, Sanders

OUTLOOK: It all starts with Harrison and when/if he's ready to play. After Harrison's knee injury in 2005, the team tried five different starters before striking a fit on the sixth try with Hawkins. With Harrison’s status in question for the start of 2006, the primary competition at strong safety includes Hawkins, Sanders, Jones, Mitchell and Scott. The team knows it can win with Hawkins (6 starts in 2005), although Sanders -- a 2005 fourth-round pick -- appeared much more confident in June’s minicamp and could be primed to break through. That will be one of the more competitive position battles to watch, assuming Harrison is on the sidelines. Sanders adds value on special teams, so he should be safe for a roster spot, and Mitchell projects as a core special teams player who will also provide depth at safety. Jones was working in the team’s goal-line defense in June’s minicamp, as his 6-foot-2, 218-pound build makes him a presence in tight spaces. It's a make or break year for Guss Scott, who has battled injuries for the last two years, while Herring and Ventrone are longer shots. All in all, it makes sense for the team to bulk up the numbers at safety, so keeping six players isn’t out of the question despite that being a bit high compared to years past. If Harrison starts the regular season on the physically unable to perform list, then the number probably drops to five.

QUOTE OF NOTE: "I don't think about that. I think about how I'm progressing week to week, day to day. I don't worry about the big picture, because I know if I take care of all the small increments, I know at the end of the day I'll have a chance to go back out there, and that's what I'm trying to do." –- Rodney Harrison, on when he might return to action (Boston Globe, June 13, 2006).

* Ventrone is a first-year player, which means he’s not a rookie but didn’t accrue a credited season toward free agency in 2005.

** Gay, a cornerback, started one game at strong safety.

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