[CBFF] Archuleta’s arrival impacts Brown

[mom2iancal]

Archuleta’s arrival impacts Brown 

By Bob LeGere 
Daily Herald Sports Writer 

Posted Friday, March 23, 2007 

Based on what newly acquired safety Adam Archuleta has been told by the 
Bears, he has been given Mike Brown’s job. 

“I guess you would say I’m the strong safety on this football team,” 
Archuleta said. “At no point has anybody ever indicated that I would be a backup.” 

Which means that Brown, a Pro Bowler in 2005, will either be cut or moved 
back to free safety, where he played his first four seasons before moving to 
strong safety the past three seasons. 

Each of Brown’s past three seasons has been marred by major injuries, which 
have sidelined him a total of 28 games. He’s now rehabbing from foot surgery, 
which sidelined him for the final 10 games of 2006 plus the postseason. 

If he returns to his Pro Bowl form and regains his speed, Brown could be 
paired with Archuleta in a safety tandem that would be extremely smart and 
physical but not very swift or effective in pass coverage. 

Over the years, Brown has developed a knack for big plays, scoring 6 
touchdowns on interception returns of 41, 35, 33 and 16 yards and fumble returns of 
95 and 62 yards. 

But if Bears coach Lovie Smith doesn’t believe Brown will be at full 
strength by opening day, the Bears may be reluctant to pay him the $2.5 million he’s 
due in each of the next two seasons to be a backup. Still, Brown’s modest 
total of 14 career interceptions in seven seasons appears exceptional compared 
to Archuleta’s 2 picks in six years. 

Archuleta’s forte is as a physical presence, and he always has been more 
effective closer to the line of scrimmage than in coverage. 

“The biggest impact that I have on a football field is my underneath stuff,”
Archuleta said. “If you want to compare apples to apples, I don’t think 
there are many safeties who can do what I do underneath. I haven’t gotten a lot 
of interceptions in my career. 

“There are a lot of factors for that, and obviously that’s one thing that 
seems to be lacking, and I need to find a way to get my hands on more balls. 
(But) if you look at my career up until last year, if you really truly break 
down tape, I really don’t get beat a lot and rarely was I out of position 
until this last season in Washington. 

“People like to hang their hat on that and say I can’t cover. I don’t 
believe it, and I think if you ask Lovie, he doesn’t believe it either. Where I 
make my impact is different than guys who make their impact by playing 20 yards 
off the ball.” 

Archuleta’s impact was negligible last season after he signed a six-year, 
$30 million contract as an unrestricted free agent with the Washington 
Redskins, following five stellar seasons with the St. Louis Rams. He was benched 
midway through last season due to lapses as a pass defender. 

“I’m not going to pretend I went out there and lit it up,” Archuleta said. “
But at the same time, when you look at the performance of the (5-11) team, 
when you look at the performance of the defense, and then you look at 
individual performances, I don’t think mine was really out of line with what was 
going on as an organization.” 

Archuleta, who drew the Bears’ interest last off-season, believes he’s with 
the right team now, albeit a year late. 

“I think it’s a perfect fit; I think it’s where I belong,” he said. “It 
really capitalizes on my strengths and allows me to go out and play football 
the way I’m supposed to play.” 

Archuleta is especially looking forward to a road game against the Redskins 
this season. 

“It’ll be fun,” he said. “They could actually see what I’m capable of 
doing and what I could have been doing in a Redskins uniform.” 

_rlegere at dailyherald.com_ (mailto:rlegere at dailyherald.com) 

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