Moving Dee Milliner to Safety Makes Sense for New York Jets Defense in 2015

There is no evidence that suggests New York Jets cornerback Dee Milliner would make a successful free safety. But that doesn't mean the Jets shouldn't try, anyway.

The New England Patriots would have never found out that Devin McCourty could be a top-flight NFL free safety if they had never tried. The Baltimore Ravens did it with Rod Woodson, the Green Bay Packers with Charles Woodson, the San Diego Chargers with Marcus Gilchrist (who now finds himself with Gang Green). The list doesn't stop there.

Some of the safeties (like the unrelated Woodsons) were successful at their old positions, but moved to new spots on the field after a long career left them without their full complement of athletic skills. Others (like McCourty and Gilchrist) struggled at cornerback and got a fresh start at a new position.

Milliner would fall into the latter category, and with a logjam at the top of the Jets depth chart at cornerback, the safety position may be his only opportunity to prove himself as a starter in 2015.

David Wyatt of Gang Green Nation tossed out the possibility of moving Milliner to safety a few days ago, and the more I think about it, the more it makes sense.

To this point, Milliner's NFL career has been a disappointment. As a rookie, Milliner was benched in three different games for shaky play. On the season, he allowed 53 completions on 103 passes thrown his way (51.5 percent), respectable in its own right, but he yielded seven touchdowns and several long passes over his head, according to Pro Football Focus.  

He showed promise at the end of the season with strong performances against Cleveland Browns wide receiver Josh Gordon and Miami Dolphins wide receiver Mike Wallace. In those games, he allowed only 15 receptions on 31 throws his way (48.4 percent) for 163 yards with one touchdown, three interceptions and four pass breakups. 

He never got an opportunity to fully redeem his rookie year, or to build on a strong finish, as he missed some time early in the 2014 season with a high ankle sprain and then finished the season on injured reserve with a torn Achilles tendon. 

That injury threatens Milliner's status for Week 1 this season. If he's healthy, though, a trip to the safety spot could be the fresh start Milliner needs. In fact, Milliner's predraft scouting report on NFL.com lists several traits that could translate to his new position, including:

• "Lines up receivers in the open field for the big hit."
• "Displays the hip fluidity to open up to stay with deep routes or drop into his zone."
• "Very fluid hips, changes directions easily and clicks his feels to drive on the ball in a flash."
• "Straight-line speed ... translates to closing speed when playing off his man or attacking plays in the backfield."

All the physical skills he built as a cornerback will be just as effective, if not more so, at safety.

Milliner didn't get to work a lot on his backpedaling under Nick Saban at Alabama. What Milliner does have, though, is the football instincts and intelligence to execute any scheme and the change-of-direction ability to close gaps in a hurry.

Those skills could make him a solid cornerback, too, but there just won't be as many openings in the lineup at cornerback as there could be at safety. Darrelle Revis and Antonio Cromartie are fixed in as the top two cornerbacks on the roster. Buster Skrine, Dexter McDougle, Marcus Williams and Darrin Walls will also be competing for spots and playing time at cornerback. 

At safety, the outlook is much better for a player trying to earn his keep.

According to head coach Todd Bowles, Calvin Pryor will return to the strong safety position where he is at his best, while veteran free agent Marcus Gilchrist will move to free safety, where he is less experienced and also less of a fit. Veteran free safety Jaiquawn Jarrett played an important role in the rotation at safety last year (391 snaps, 43.1 percent of the snaps in games he played last year, per Pro Football Focus), but who knows how he'll fare if thrust into a larger role.

Milliner may not be a slam-dunk answer at the position, but he has the skill set and the upside to excel. 

In Bowles' system, the free safety would be asked to carry the burden of being the only deep safety on the field, meaning one man has the responsibility of making sure the Jets don't allow any big plays in the passing game. Deep coverage would comprise a majority of Milliner's role, but the Jets could also use him to his strengths in man coverage on tight ends.

In that way, the Jets could still have their cake and eat it too. 

In a year or two, when the Jets are facing a different situation at cornerback, there may come a time for a re-evaluation of Milliner's positional designation. By that point, Milliner may have already proved himself as a starting-caliber safety, but it will also be time to start thinking about his long-term future with the Jets. His rookie contract is set to expire in 2017 unless the Jets pick up the fifth-year option.

Milliner isn't going to develop into a top-notch cornerback sitting on the bench, but he may develop into a quality safety if given the chance.

Unless otherwise noted, all quotes obtained via team news release. All advanced statistics provided by Pro Football Focus.