Ray Giler of AOL FanHouse brought up an interesting observation in Friday's piece about Erik Coleman's injury.
The Falcons seem a little uneasy with the idea of William Moore as the starting strong safety against the Arizona Cardinals. He was barked at in practice and defensive coordinator Brian Van Gorder had a measured response when asked if Moore was ready to play against the likes of Larry Fitzgerald and Steve Breaston.
"He's learning," was Van Gorder's response to Moore's readiness for the Cardinals.
My response is, "Uh oh."
I have been waiting for William Moore to win the starting strong safety job ever since he was drafted out of Missouri in 2009. I read reports and heard rumors about how the coaching staff kept waiting for him to take the job. Erik Coleman was simply the placeholder until Moore ascended to the position that was rightfully his.
The problem is, that has never happened. Moore has suffered injuries to his knee, chest, hamstring, groin and possibly others that haven't been documented. He's never had the chance to win the job because he's never been healthy. Now when it looks like Coleman might be a no-go against the Cardinals, out comes Giler's report that the coaching staff is more than a little worried.
From what I've seen of Moore, I believe he has the talent to be the starter. Of course, I'm basing that on his time at Mizzou and the preseason. Coleman is still performing above-average and is only 28 years so may end up holding off Moore for a few more years. This week, however, could be Moore's time to shine. Does he have what it takes to "Wally Pipp" Erik Coleman?