Rob Ryan loves his safeties. And when you think about the rotation, the players you’ll see on the field exclusively are Kenny Vaccaro, Jairus Byrd and Rafael Bush in no specific order. Beyond that, barring injury, you won’t see anyone else on the field when the games matter. Corey White is another possibility in certain formations, though, as he’s gotten some camp reps as the single high safety. All that said, don’t sleep on undrafted rookie free agent Pierre Warren out of Jacksonville State. Warren had eight interceptions and five fumble recoveries in his time at Jacksonville State, so he has a nose for the football. He’s taken the majority of his snaps with the 2s throughout camp at this point, suggesting he’s ahead of a few guys already in the depth pecking order. He’s stood out so far as the undrafted rookie most likely to make the team. Here’s what WWL reporter Lyons Yellin had to tell me on the subject:
.@AndrewJuge Everyone here, including myself, is very impressed with Pierre Warren. He’s been great so far, getting lots of opportunities…
— Lyons Yellin (@LyonsYellin) July 30, 2014
Ultimately when you’re as far down on the roster as Warren is, right on the bubble of making the team, special teams will dictate whether or not you make the roster. That’s why a guy like Vinnie Sunseri is a major threat to Warren, because while he might not be quite as good at safety, we know he’s a special teamer. And if he proves to be significantly better than Warren in that area, he would make the team over Warren even if he’s an inferior safety. Remember that is how Isa Abdul-Quddus made this team a couple of years ago against all expectations.
So when you watch these preseason games, keep a close on on Warren when he’s playing on special teams. He’s done enough to make an impression on the field in coverage as a safety, so now he needs to create some value on special teams to elevate himself to a roster status. Surprisingly he’s completely outperformed the Canadian sensation Marcus Ball thus far. If nothing else Warren is an excellent practice squad candidate and at minimum I see him going there.
So there’s you’re early training camp favorite as an undrafted rookie to make the team. Knowing Sean Payton, though, there’s usually more than one.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
