Who needs depth when you have William Moore?
That's the basics of a breakdown from Scout Inc.'s Matt Williamson, who took to the NFC South blog at ESPN to talk Falcons' safeties. He likes Shann Schillinger as a special teamer and thinks Thomas DeCoud is a good starter—which he is—but saves his highest praise for Moore. To wit:
William Moore was a second-round pick in 2009. His first season in the league was a wash, but he made some strides last year. I realize that he has a lot of work to do in all facets of playing safety, I still expect Moore to really come on in 2011. He has very good size and plays to that size. Moore is a hitter and should become a tackling machine. He is a natural playmaker who picked off five passes last season. Injuries have been a problem for him, though. But if he's healthy, I expect a very strong statistical season from Moore.
Forgive the length of that quote, but I thought you'd be interested in seeing the whole thing. I don't actually agree that Moore has "a lot of work" to do in terms of playing safety. I think he just lacks a bit of discipline, something that good coaching and effort from Moore himself can negate pretty quickly. The raw talent is definitely there, and I agree that he's due for a big season.
Depth chart wise, Williamson is still recommending a veteran backup to spell both Moore and DeCoud, and that remains the likeliest free agent signing outside of a defensive end. I'm just not sure who it'll be, given Erik Coleman's departure.
Care to hazard a guess?