Mike Furrey moved to safety.

[white lightning]

Mike Furrey who is a very atheltic wide receiver for the
Rams was forced to move to safety.The Rams have a big
number of receivers and Martz said he would have had to
cut him if not for the move.My question is why wasn't
Furrey ahead of Dane Looker.I like Looker as a receiver
but he doesn't have near the speed of Furrey.Regardless,
I wish Mike all the best.I think he will make a good
safety in a couple of years.It will take time to adjust
but his knowledge of running routes should help him.It
will be nice to see him out there with Archeletta
striking fear in opponents.I wouldn't be suprised to
see Mike get alot of interceptions as he has excellent
hands.

 

[Don Wassall]

I'll be surprised if he gets to play safety at all during regular season games. Furrey could be a really good receiver, but with Curtis and Looker also on the teamit was probably asking too much. Looker's big advantage is that he's the holder for kicks and also a key special teams guy, though I guess theoretically he too could be a safety and do that.


The Rams signed Bellasari, the QB from Ohio State,a few years ago and tried to make him into a safety. That didn't work out, just as it didn't for Scott Frost with the Jets and probably won't for Eric Crouch. Sorry to be a cynic but this sounds likethe death knell for Mike Furrey's NFL career. I hope I'm wrong.

 

[Jimmy Chitwood]

good news about this speedster. he's been doing very well after the weird position change. here's a quote from the Rams' website discussing who will be the starting free safety now that Adam Archuleta has moved back to his natural position at strong safety:


The rookie out of Stanford and the veteran from Green Bay aren't the only two candidates for the starting position, though. Martz called Mike Furrey the surprise of training camp and is impressed at how well Furrey has picked up the defense after moving over from wide receiver. "If you watch Michael (Furrey) on special teams with his speed...he just wants to play," Martz said. "He's going to make himself play one way or another." Those are the three top contenders for the spot.


Good news, i'd say. you think it's possible the Rams will have two white starting db's? keep your fingers crossed.

 

[Don Wassall]

Glad to say I was wrong about Furrey's switch to safety. Starting free safety Michael Hawthorne was injured in the Seattle game, which gave Furrey a lot of playing time. He responded with 7 tackles and 1 assist. The 7 tackles tied for the team lead, very impressive for any safety not to mention one who is new to the position.

If Furrey can keep it up, he just may be starting with SS Adam Archuleta before too long. He could be the perfect "Slash," playing both wide receiver and safety, but the NFL doesn't do that with white players, and even if it were to happen the media would give it only perfunctory attention.

 

[Jimmy Chitwood]

michael hawthorne was cut by the Rams yesterday, and after Furrey's big game last week he has been named the starter at free safety for this weekend's game versus the Colts.

that gives the Rams the only all-white safety tandem in the League, alongside Adam Archuleta...and the only one i have ever seen in my life.

does anyone know when the last time that happened in the NFL?

 

[jaxvid]

I think Archuleta and Sehorn played safety together on the Rams a couple of years ago.

 

[StaleyWasScrewd]

Yeah, there have been a few games here and there over the past few years with all-white safety tandem, but nothing really long-term for a while. For example, I know Jason Doering and Chad Cota started together for a couple of games with the Colts a few years ago. And I believe John Lynch and John Howell might have started a couple of games together when they were on the Bucs. The last all-white safety tandem I can remember that played for a significant amount of time was Kurt Schulz and Matt Stevens for the Bills in the mid-'90s. Before that...boy, the only one I remember is Lyle and Glenn Blackwood on the Dolphins in the '80s, but there had to have been others more recent than that, right...?Edited by: StaleyWasScrewd

 

[SteveB]

I think Rich Coady and Adam Archuleta started together for the Rams in 2003. Seems to be a pattern here.

 

[Don Wassall]

Mark Murphy was a safety for the Packers from '80 to '91. He made the Pro Bowl in '83. Chuck Cecil was drafted by Green Bay in '88, so for four years they played together in the same backfield. Cecil you may recall was the All Pro who wasdemonized andblackballed out of the league for laying too many hard hits on receivers.


How about Furrey becoming a starter already at his new position! Tremendous achievement, just makes me wonder how good an NFL receiver he could be.

 

[whiteCB]

Were Glenn and Lyle brothers?(They played before my time) Though anyways great to see a white tandom at safety. Martz once again proving he is not afraid to play white guys. I'll be looking forward to watching the Rams more this season.

 

[Don Wassall]

They were brothers. The '84 Dolphins (Dan Marino's only Super Bowl appearance) had quite a few white starters on defense. That was right when the Caste System was kicking in with a vengeance.


The undefeated '72 Dolphins had only one black starter on defense. Mostfootball fans under the age of 40would find that hard to believe after20 yearsof virtually black-only defenses.