TL-TwoWinsAway Posted May 5, 2021 Share Posted May 5, 2021 [In an interview on Tuesday with Sirius XM NFL radio, Campbell let it out that he plans on deploying a base 3-4 defense. After talking about the appeal of second-round pick Levi Onwuzurike to the team’s scouting department, Campbell said, “Just our base defense, you know, we’re going to run a 3-4 style defense.” Campbell continued, noting the versatility of both Onwuzurike and third-round pick Alim McNeill. “You can see Onwuzurike playing in a 4i or reduced down to a 3-technique and being able to two-gap at times, control defenders, hit the blocks but also take a side and get up the field as a pass rusher.”] https://lionswire.usatoday.com/2021/05/05/lions-dan-campbell-base-defense-3-4-sirius-interview-onwuzurike-role/ Very interesting. Guys like Onwuzurike, Brockers, Flowers and Hand at DE, McNeill and Penisini at NT, with the Okwara brothers and even Collins at OLB. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigC421/ Posted May 5, 2021 Share Posted May 5, 2021 Very interesting. I think most true down lineman today are pretty scheme verse but both the DT’s drafted should thrive in a 3-4. Having a true nose that can still bring some pass rush can be invaluable. Be very interesting to see how Barnes is used as I think he has potential to play inside or out in a 3-4. He mite have struggled to find a true roll in a 43. Only issue/head scratcher comes back to the most over paid pair of edge rushers in the league and how they’ll fit. Flowers probably isn’t here for the long haul but They gave Okwara a lot of money to play a position that seems a bit like an unnatural fit. We’ll see Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SimbaWho Posted May 5, 2021 Share Posted May 5, 2021 (edited) They've been hinting at this for a long time. I even did a mock draft I think where I drafted for a 3-4. The linemen look like better picks now. Idk if Trey Flowers starts in a base 3-4, looks like a dead man walking more than ever. Collins - Williams - Penisini - Brockers - Okwara/Flowers Harris - Hand - McNeill - Onwuzurike - J. Okwara/Flowers Edited May 5, 2021 by SimbaWho Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sllim Pickens Posted May 5, 2021 Share Posted May 5, 2021 The odd part is I feel we have more solid D LIneman than LBs so makes me nervous switching for our base defense. That being said our D Line should be solid in either formation. I think this helps the careers of Tavai, Barnes, and Julian Okwara as all are not great fits in a 4-3. I think Flowers and Romeo Okwara would be solid rush OLBs in the 3-4 but they would have to be able to play some coverage. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diehardlionfan Posted May 5, 2021 Share Posted May 5, 2021 The best aspect of the McNeil pick was scheme diversity. His selection makes any alignment possible. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TL-TwoWinsAway Posted May 5, 2021 Author Share Posted May 5, 2021 41 minutes ago, diehardlionfan said: The best aspect of the McNeil pick was scheme diversity. His selection makes any alignment possible. Very true, and a great point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TL-TwoWinsAway Posted May 5, 2021 Author Share Posted May 5, 2021 1 hour ago, Sllim Pickens said: The odd part is I feel we have more solid D LIneman than LBs so makes me nervous switching for our base defense. That being said our D Line should be solid in either formation. I think this helps the careers of Tavai, Barnes, and Julian Okwara as all are not great fits in a 4-3. I think Flowers and Romeo Okwara would be solid rush OLBs in the 3-4 but they would have to be able to play some coverage. I think you're right about Tavai, and that shouldn't be overlooked in all of this. Although he certainly appeared to be a reach in the 2nd round, the guy has shown flashes. If we can find a role for him in this defense and "salvage" that draft value, that's an added bonus. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lions017 Posted May 5, 2021 Share Posted May 5, 2021 1 hour ago, TL-TwoWinsAway said: I think you're right about Tavai, and that shouldn't be overlooked in all of this. Although he certainly appeared to be a reach in the 2nd round, the guy has shown flashes. If we can find a role for him in this defense and "salvage" that draft value, that's an added bonus. I haven't seen any flashes from Tavai. He looked like absolute garbage last year. To me that's actually the most discouraging thing - he hasn't produced and I just can't recall anything that he has done that has been impressive. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TL-TwoWinsAway Posted May 5, 2021 Author Share Posted May 5, 2021 3 minutes ago, Lions017 said: I haven't seen any flashes from Tavai. He looked like absolute garbage last year. To me that's actually the most discouraging thing - he hasn't produced and I just can't recall anything that he has done that has been impressive. I certainly have. I specifically recall games later in the 2020 season where he made a handful of quality plays. This isn't to say that those plays make him a "good" player - I haven't and wouldn't say that - but, if they find a way to extract something from him in this scheme, that's a plus. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Louis Friend Posted May 5, 2021 Share Posted May 5, 2021 I don't like this, TBH. But I'll wait to see how it pans out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nnivolcm Posted May 6, 2021 Share Posted May 6, 2021 We're in the beginning of a multi year rebuild. I expect us to struggle with the new defense (still probably an upgrade over Patricia's defense) but we're going to be in a good position to really fill it out with quality players over the next year or so. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SimbaWho Posted May 6, 2021 Share Posted May 6, 2021 Jamie Collins is a really solid option at OLB and can play the opposite end of Romeo Okwara. I don't think people should get cheeky with Flowers and act like he can be molded into a 3-4 OLB. He's basically a 4-3 end/down linemen now. We're stuck with him for a year, he might be able to provide a different look up front, I doubt they just abandon the 4-3 front, they'll likely just be a primary 3-4. They don't quite have the premier rush OLB's yet. Collins/Okwara should be ok.... Harris/J.Okwara are just as big of question marks as Flowers. Maybe more cause they have no real history. Maybe someone will be added too after the June 1st cuts... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sllim Pickens Posted May 6, 2021 Share Posted May 6, 2021 49 minutes ago, SimbaWho said: Jamie Collins is a really solid option at OLB and can play the opposite end of Romeo Okwara. I don't think people should get cheeky with Flowers and act like he can be molded into a 3-4 OLB. He's basically a 4-3 end/down linemen now. We're stuck with him for a year, he might be able to provide a different look up front, I doubt they just abandon the 4-3 front, they'll likely just be a primary 3-4. They don't quite have the premier rush OLB's yet. Collins/Okwara should be ok.... Harris/J.Okwara are just as big of question marks as Flowers. Maybe more cause they have no real history. Maybe someone will be added too after the June 1st cuts... I'm not sure what Romeo Okwara has shown that gives you more faith in him as an OLB compared to Flowers. Both are unknowns in a 3-4. I don't trust either of them in coverage. Collins would be a solid SAM OLB in a 3-4. Everyone else is an unknown at LB to be honest. Julian Okwara has the ability to be a jack LB who can rush occasionally based on his skill sets. But again we haven't seen it. Tavai could be that Bart Scott block eater but I don't trust his instincts to be good at it. Barnes seems like he would excel in a rush LB position and not sure of his ability to play inside. So seems we have a lot of pieces that could work but might just not be very good. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TL-TwoWinsAway Posted May 6, 2021 Author Share Posted May 6, 2021 7 hours ago, SimbaWho said: Jamie Collins is a really solid option at OLB and can play the opposite end of Romeo Okwara. I don't think people should get cheeky with Flowers and act like he can be molded into a 3-4 OLB. He's basically a 4-3 end/down linemen now. We're stuck with him for a year, he might be able to provide a different look up front, I doubt they just abandon the 4-3 front, they'll likely just be a primary 3-4. They don't quite have the premier rush OLB's yet. Collins/Okwara should be ok.... Harris/J.Okwara are just as big of question marks as Flowers. Maybe more cause they have no real history. Maybe someone will be added too after the June 1st cuts... Flowers played DE in 3-4 packages with New England. Just a note. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SimbaWho Posted May 7, 2021 Share Posted May 7, 2021 17 hours ago, TL-TwoWinsAway said: Flowers played DE in 3-4 packages with New England. Just a note. Right, when he was athletic looking still and the prime of his career. He's slowed down, imo, and isn't an effective rusher anymore. That's why I give Julian Okwara the pass/node (outside looking in) as a rush OLB cause he's just the better pass rusher the past two seasons in a row I think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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