When former Seahawk Atari Bigby signed with the San Diego Chargers earlier this offseason it went without much fanfare here in Seattle. Bigby wasn't featured heavily in the Seahawks' defense - probably gathering only 5-10 snaps a game, max, toward the end of the season at the "big nickel" 3rd safety position. The Seahawks obviously felt good about their depth at the position, and let him go in free agency, then added Winston Guy in the Draft as insurance. Bigby left to try and find a home where he could see a little more playing time. It's looking like San Diego might have been a good choice.
With last year's majority starter at SS for the Chargers, Steve Gregory, gone in free agency and the Bob Sanders experiment long over, the starting job appears to be Bigby's to lose at the moment. Said Chargers head coach Norv Turner, recently: "I really like his work ethic and professionalism. He's clearly played a lot of football, and he has a good understanding of what we're trying to do. He's a complete player. Playing the run is his strength, but he's a good pass defender and a solid special teams player. When he was in Green Bay, I thought he was a really good starting strong safety."
Chargers FS Eric Weddle offered his endorsement: "The dude can play. He's been impressive to me by how he carries himself and the way he works. He's a lot like me, only a little bigger. He's very knowledgeable and understands the role of each player in the secondary. That's why I think we're going to have a solid working relationship."
I'm hoping that Bigby has himself a nice career renaissance in San Diego. He played well for the Seahawks and from things I've seen was a nice veteran presence for the Seahawks' young secondary.
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