So, after spending much of the season saying I thought Dozier was out of place playing safety. . . look who is the East’s all-star safety?
Shows how much I know.
While Dozier had the better stats - tackles & interceptions - I would have voted for Mike Daly of the Tiger Cats.
But Dozier seems to be around the ball alot, and as you have mentioned will make a good successor to Chip Cox.
Tackles aren’t a great stat for safeties, and DBs in general. Unless you’re more like an NFL-style strong safety playing shallow in the box, or blitzing off the edge à la Kyries Hebert / Will Loftus, making a tackle usually means the receiver has picked up yardage for a first down, or a big gain.
Tackles are a good stat for safeties, but usually not a good stat for his team.
M-O Brouillette was the East’s all-star safety in 2016, and yet most of the posters were not impressed with his performances at safety.
Dozier has been playing fine at safety, although I am disappointed that Dondre Wright was tossed aside by Sherman and Stubler this season. I wonder if Dozier’s play is enough to release Joe Burnett or not.
Tackles are a good stat for safeties, but usually not a good stat for his team.I think you are both right ... it is to the credit of the CB/DB/S if they make tackles but it is not a fair comparable as the better defences do not give their CB/DB/S as many opportunities to make tackles.
With respect, this isn’t the NFL. Safeties in the CFL are essentially playing “center field” most of the time, barring the odd safety blitz. Most changes to their position involve a rotation in coverage based on checking or matching as the ball is snapped. The safety is essentially a rover-type fifth DB whose primary job is to read the quarterback’s eyes well enough to assist DBs in coverage, particularly in the deep zones of the field. Tackles are OK, but not a good safety’s bread and butter, which should be knockdowns and interceptions.
Agreed ... while I couldn't find knockdown stats, Dozier was in a five-way tie for most interceptions
Good for Dozier! As for knockdowns, it's strange, because TSN (at least) lists knockdowns in the game summary, and "passes defended" in their real-time game updates. So you'd think those stats would be available league-wide for DBs! Pass defended / knockdown is as important to a DB as a sack is to a lineman, even though it isn't nearly as flashy.