Is it time to switch to a 4-3 defense?

[Golfman]

1 minute ago, Outpost31 said:

Preston Smith as a Sam LB in a 4-3 with Gary and Z as 4-3 defensive ends would be fun to watch.  So would a philosophy that doesn’t have Martinez responsible for 37 thousand gaps.  Burks might even have some value as a Will.  
 

In nickel looks, just take Burks off the field.  
 

In Dime sets, put Preston at DE, Z or Gary next to Clark instead of whoever would be next to Clark.  
 

I want 4 DL every single play.  
 

I hate when our defense looks like the infamous Colts fake punt look.  

Or three plus the Smith's in a 3-4 situation. 

[Golfman]

1 minute ago, Outpost31 said:

I changed my mind on Fack.  Forgot about Gary.  Preston as Sam.  Obviously.  Martinez pay market value and have him do what a market value ILB is supposed to do instead of expecting a 240 pound ILB to be able to do what the 260 pound Hightower is asked to do in NE.

The top 10 paid inside linebackers average 10 million a year. 

[AlexGreen#20]

Why the hell are you putting Preston's 270lb *** at LB. He's easily a DE

[MacReady]

Just now, AlexGreen#20 said:

Why the hell are you putting Preston's 270lb *** at LB. He's easily a DE

He's 265 pounds and because then it would be like having 3 DE with one of them sometimes dropping into coverage. 

[AlexGreen#20]

3 minutes ago, Outpost31 said:

He's 265 pounds and because then it would be like having 3 DE with one of them sometimes dropping into coverage. 

And are you also going to ask him to read and fill on a regular basis?

[MacReady]

Just now, AlexGreen#20 said:

And are you also going to ask him to read and fill on a regular basis?

I don't know. 

 

[AlexGreen#20]

6 minutes ago, Outpost31 said:

I don't know. 

 

How many LBs are 250+ lbs, to say nothing of 265?

[MrBobGray]

I don't know why we would want to run a 4-3; that requires more off ball LBers than a 3-4.  Do people feel we have an excess of talent there, because I thought we were in agreement that's our worst group.  There's a reason Pettine runs so much 3-3 and 4-2 with safeties; he's trying to keep our godawful back-up ILB talent off the field.

[incognito_man]

11 minutes ago, MrBobGray said:

I don't know why we would want to run a 4-3; that requires more off ball LBers than a 3-4.  Do people feel we have an excess of talent there, because I thought we were in agreement that's our worst group.  There's a reason Pettine runs so much 3-3 and 4-2 with safeties; he's trying to keep our godawful back-up ILB talent off the field.

Pretty sure the implication is that we acquire more LB talent to do this going forward, not with the current squad.

[MacReady]

I don't care if it's a 4-3 or 3-4, I'm just sick of the lack of DL.  I don't care what the base is, I am sick to damn death of having 1 or 2 down linemen.  I hate, hate, hate, hate, hate that mentality.  If it were up to me there would always be 2 EDGE defenders obviously, plus 2 interior DL on every single play.  Every single play.  I hate seeing those gaps and only a safety playing linebacker or Martinez behind them.  I literally feel like offenses go up against those types of looks like:

[AlexGreen#20]

11 minutes ago, Outpost31 said:

I don't care if it's a 4-3 or 3-4, I'm just sick of the lack of DL.  I don't care what the base is, I am sick to damn death of having 1 or 2 down linemen.  I hate, hate, hate, hate, hate that mentality.  If it were up to me there would always be 2 EDGE defenders obviously, plus 2 interior DL on every single play.  Every single play.  I hate seeing those gaps and only a safety playing linebacker or Martinez behind them.  I literally feel like offenses go up against those types of looks like:

The issue isn't lack of DL. We play 3 DL and 2 Edges in our Nickel. Most teams only play 2 and 2. 

The issue is our lack of bodies in the box overall, typically because we only have 1 ILB and like half a safety. 

[packfanfb]

Stop with this base alignment nonsense. Just sign a few ILBs who can actually play football and add an actual starting caliber IDL to play next to Clark. At that point, I don't care what you call the defense, it'll work. 

[MacReady]

18 minutes ago, packfanfb said:

Stop with this base alignment nonsense. Just sign a few ILBs who can actually play football and add an actual starting caliber IDL to play next to Clark. At that point, I don't care what you call the defense, it'll work. 

Yes, true, but the question is what if we don’t do those two things?  That’s the point I’m trying to make.  
 

If we DON’T get a better linebacker, isn’t putting the ones we have in a better situation going to make them better?  Blake being responsible for less gaps, less coverage makes him better.  Burks in more of a Will coverage type role makes him better.  Fack if he’s re-signed at Sam makes him better.  
 

What if we DON’T get a better IDL for next to Clark?  
 

This is a problem that goes back to Capers since the 2011 defense.  We’re not playing a scheme that fits our players and instead we’re trying to fit our players to a scheme when they don’t fit.

[coachbuns]

8 minutes ago, Outpost31 said:

Yes, true, but the question is what if we don’t do those two things?  That’s the point I’m trying to make.  
 

If we DON’T get a better linebacker, isn’t putting the ones we have in a better situation going to make them better?  Blake being responsible for less gaps, less coverage makes him better.  Burks in more of a Will coverage type role makes him better.  Fack if he’s re-signed at Sam makes him better.  
 

What if we DON’T get a better IDL for next to Clark?  
 

This is a problem that goes back to Capers since the 2011 defense.  We’re not playing a scheme that fits our players and instead we’re trying to fit our players to a scheme when they don’t fit.

If nothing changes ... defense still/will suck as is.  Can't make silk out of a pigs ear. 

[Mazrimiv]

So we are going to call the Smith's DE's instead of OLB's and pretend that will fix the defense?  Cool.