I'm Renaming Fred Thomas
 

Toast.

RE: I
 

He's got a hip injury or something...he's lost all fluidity when making a turn.

RE: I
 

It scares me when the draft is coming up and Sean Payton says things like, "I have all the confidence in the world in Fred Thomas. He's made a lot of big plays for us this season."

Big plays, yeah. For us? Don't know...

RE: I
 

Thomas is old. In certain scenarios, he does a good job, but not in man coverage. Zones, he's descent, if he picks up his cover. He should move to Free Safety, as a back up.

The reallity of this Thomas situation, is if we trust the coach, then we have trust his judgement, that 22 is the best person, for that job. Maybe he's doing better than anyone else has. In that case, keep him in, till we get a chance at something better.

RE: I
 

I think Payton may possibly just be saying that to keep Thomas's confidence in his coach until the offseason - where he may look to move thomas to a backup position and draft some fresh legs. you think that might be it?

Re: RE: I
 

The last thing you do as head coach is to publicly critise your players. Come one we all see him get flamed/smoked/twisted but at least he's still giving it his all. I mean look at Roy Williams in Dallas. All he does is pose back there and wait to hit someone so he can get on Jack'd up! Fred is not a youngster (33?) and the entire secondary's avg age is over 30. Payton could only do so much this past year but I have confidence that we will be seening some upgrading in the coming offseason. If anything I hope we would have learned this season to trust Payton and Loomis on personnel decisions. The team that they assembled (is it 28 new players?) has done a damn fine job!

RE: Re: RE: I
 

34 out the 53 man roster are new players.

RE: Re: RE: I
 

Thomas only gets burned when the safeties blow their over the top coverage when he bites on the short route. Who'd bite on a short route like he does if he didn't think there'd be help. He's still one of the fastest cbs in the playoffs.

RE: Re: RE: I
 

No kidding. He almost caught Stallworth from behind on that TD after giving up a 5-7 yard cushion. My only concern is his hip fluidity...that's been his problem.

RE: Re: RE: I
 

It has nothing to do with the Safties... FT got spun around on simple routes just off the line. It has nothing to do with his speed either. He needs to concentrate on the WR hips and follow the WR and be on him. He watches the WR on the line and as the ball is hiked he goes to the QB way to soon. Its the second and third moves he is getting burnt on.