Green Bay Packers: 4 potential replacements for Ha Ha Clinton-Dix
The Green Bay Packers have to figure out who their new starting safety will be after Ha Ha Clinton-Dix was traded to Washington.
The Green Bay Packers suddenly find themselves in a mid-season conundrum. Who will be their starting safety opposite the uninspiring Kentrell Brice? This is the reality after trading former Pro Bowl and disgruntled safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix to Washington at the trade deadline on Tuesday.
Even though Clinton-Dix was very inconsistent in his play, he was still the best option the Packers had. Brice is even more of a train wreck at the other starting spot and now Green Bay needs to find someone to play opposite him.
The good news is the Packers have more than a couple of options. Whether any of these options are actually any good is a whole separate issue and discussion. Regardless, defensive coordinator Mike Pettine could go with any one of these four players as the starting safety for the rest of the season.
Josh Jackson: Jackson played cornerback all throughout his college career at Iowa and has a knack for the ball. Still, some scouts projected him as a safety coming out of college which could have led to his drop out of the first round and into the Packers’ laps in the second round.
It’s unclear if Green Bay sees him as a safety or if they want to keep him at corner where he’s been solid so far this year. A move to safety would help hide the fact that he’s on the slower side and allow him to make more plays on the ball where he excelled in college. Although Jackson is probably the least likely option, the coaches should at least be discussing it.
Tramon Williams: Williams is the other cornerback on this list, but his slide to safety is a lot more probable. Similar to what Charles Woodson did during his later years in Green Bay, Williams might be able to add a few years onto the back end of his career by sliding to safety as well.
Williams has great instincts around the ball, but has consistently been a step slow all season long. A move to the backend of the secondary could be beneficial for himself and the team.
Jermaine Whitehead: Whitehead was the third safety behind Clinton-Dix and Brice and often saw the field in sub packages. However, that doesn’t mean he’ll be first in line to be the new starting safety.
Whitehead has played admirably for the Packers, but hasn’t exactly instilled confidence that he’s ready for a larger role. He’s limited athletically and doesn’t bring anything special to the table. Maybe the Packers don’t need something special and just need someone who is going to do the job. If that’s the case, Whitehead may have a strong argument to make.
Josh Jones: Smart money should be on Jones to be the first guy to earn opportunities as the starting safety. It was just last year when he was selected in the second round of the draft. However, he’s been relegated to strictly special teams duty and has been stellar in that area so far.
His performances may have shown the coaches he’s ready to be thrown out there in an expanded role again. Last time he played defense, he was exposed in pass coverage and teams will certainly have their choice of targeting either him or Brice on passing plays. Still, Jones has the best combination of natural talent and experience at the position in order to get a stranglehold on the position.