A changing of defensive schemes (4-3 to 3-4 or 3-4 to 4-3)

[stephenson86]

looking at the green bay depth chart, they hardly have the personnel to switch to the 3-4 they have no rush backers, their ILB's are too small really they dont have DE's that are big and strong enough and no idea if they have a capable NT.....what the hell are they doing?

[GB12]

Originally Posted by stephenson86

looking at the green bay depth chart, they hardly have the personnel to switch to the 3-4 they have no rush backers, their ILB's are too small really they dont have DE's that are big and strong enough and no idea if they have a capable NT.....what the hell are they doing?

Making a dumb move.

[Pb&j]

Originally Posted by stephenson86

i agree on cleveland going back to the 4-3 shaun rogers and corey williams will make a mean pairing at T and DQwell Jackson is a very good MLB not sure on all their other personnel but they have the foundations

While Williams and Rogers would be a very good DT duo, there wouldn't be any defensive ends. Wimbley already plays a lot with his hand in the dirt and would get run all over if he played defensive end full time. Other than Wimbley we have Antwaan Peek, who tore an achilles, Alex Hall, Shantee Orr. All of them are at 250 lbs or under, and would not fit at DE.

And when it comes to linebackers D'qwell isn't athletic enough to play MLB in a 4-3, he would be a weakside linebacker. That leaves two holes at MLB and SSLB.

The browns do not have the personel to run a full time 4-3, and are really only a couple of players away from a decent 3-4 front seven.

[TitleTown088]

Originally Posted by GB12

Making a dumb move.

I concur. Fans have raging clues for change, but they don't realize change ( especially to a 3-4) comes with difficulty.


GB dosen't have the ideal personnel for a 3-4, no doubt. Certianly change will have to come in the front 7. However, their ILB( while not necessarily a perfect fit for a 3-4) are not too small.

Hawk is 6"1 248 pounds.
Barnett 6"2 237 pounds.

Current 3-4 Starting ILB's:

Lewis - 6'1", 250
Scott - 6'2", 240
Davis - 6'1", 250
Jackson - 6'0", 240
Crowder - 6'2" 250
Ayodele - 6'2", 245
Bruschi - 6'1", 247
Mayo - 6'1", 242
Harris - 6'2", 243
Barton - 6'2", 245
Foote - 6'1", 239
Farrior - 6'2", 243
Cooper - 6'1", 235
Dobbins - 6'1", 246
James - 6'2", 245
Thomas - 5'11", 242
Ulbrich - 6'0", 240
Willis - 6'1", 240

At for NT, an Ideal 3-4 NT probably isn't on the roster but Pickett is one of the biggest 4-3 DT in the league, who primary job in the scheme is to eat up two blockers, not too much will change in his role.

[keylime_5]

I guess this would be their front 7 as of now:

LE-Jolly
NT-Pickett
RE-Jenkins
LOLB-Poppinga
LILB-Barnett
RILB-Hawk
ROLB-Kampman

I don't like Kampman in that scheme. They should adjust the defense to play to his strengths. If they drafted Everette Brown at #9 (if he's available ;)) then they'll be off to a good start.

[TitleTown088]

Originally Posted by keylime_5

I guess this would be their front 7 as of now:

LE-Jolly
NT-Pickett
RE-Jenkins
LOLB-Poppinga
LILB-Barnett
RILB-Hawk
ROLB-Kampman

I don't like Kampman in that scheme. They should adjust the defense to play to his strengths. If they drafted Everette Brown at #9 (if he's available ;)) then they'll be off to a good start.

I'm thinking Jenkins and hopefully Harrell will be the DEs. I'm also hoping that Jeremy Thompson will be able to excel in the 3-4.

The Packers need some NT depth now, badly.

Also, i know many hold the conception that the Packers don't use too much FA, but I fully expect them to do so this off season. They damn well better.

Overall, I don't expect the transition to go as badly as many outside fans think, but I don't expect it to go as well as some Packer fans believe it will.

[someone447]

Originally Posted by TitleTown088

I'm thinking Jenkins and hopefully Harrell will be the DEs. I'm also hoping that Jeremy Thompson will be able to excel in the 3-4.

The Packers need some NT depth now, badly.

Also, i know many hold the conception that the Packers don't use too much FA, but I fully expect them to do so this off season. They damn well better.

Overall, I don't expect the transition to go as badly as many outside fans think, but I don't expect it to go as well as some Packer fans believe it will.

There will be learning pains, but the defense was terrible this year anyway. I expect the defense to do about the same, or perhaps even a little better next year. The year after is when I expect to see improvements. Kampman and Barnett are the only two who don't fit into the scheme. Both are good enough athletes that they should be fine.

Pickett should be good as a NT, he is 330 pounds after all. His job in last year's scheme was to eat up as many blockers as he could. Thats what his job will be this year too.

[umphrey]

Change might be tough but I feel the 3-4 is superior, so I'm glad we're going to use it. Our defense sucked last year anyway. What if we didn't change and it sucked just as bad? Then we wasted a year of suckage that could have been used making a promising transition.

My point being: There is a pretty good chance our defense would be in the bottom half of the league either way. Might as well use it for progress.

Another great reason to switch is it gives us an inherent advantage against NFC-N rivals until they figure it out.

Who knows, we might even see great results within the first 4 weeks of the season. No one has game tape of us running that D, so they aren't going to be able to game plan for it. You see it all the time in the NFL, ex wildcat.

[Ward]

Originally Posted by Ward

The Cowboys had the #1 defense (statistically) in the NFL as a 4-3 the year before Parcells arrived. And it wasn't like we had a ton of tweeners on the roster either. We did it with undersized linebackers, oversized safeties, and an attacking D-line led by Laroi Glover at his best.

Packers fans, it could be worse.

[TitleTown088]

Originally Posted by Ward

Packers fans, it could be worse.

At leased you guys have the best secondary ever assembled...

[yourfavestoner]

Originally Posted by keylime_5

I guess this would be their front 7 as of now:

LE-Jolly
NT-Pickett
RE-Jenkins
LOLB-Poppinga
LILB-Barnett
RILB-Hawk
ROLB-Kampman

I don't like Kampman in that scheme. They should adjust the defense to play to his strengths. If they drafted Everette Brown at #9 (if he's available ;)) then they'll be off to a good start.

I actually think Kampman could be very successful in a Mike Vrabel type of role. White guys who are good against the run unfairly get labeled as "unathletic," but both of these guys are very, very athletic in their own right.

[dc22]

correct me if i'm wrong but didn't kampman play lb his first two years at iowa??

[Menardo75]

Originally Posted by yourfavestoner

I actually think Kampman could be very successful in a Mike Vrabel type of role. White guys who are good against the run unfairly get labeled as "unathletic," but both of these guys are very, very athletic in their own right.

Either way if he doesn't their draft pick has them in perfect position for either, Orakpo or Brown.

[Mr. Stiller]

Originally Posted by Scotty D

Lions could make a pretty smooth transition to the 3-4. Take Raji with Dallas's pick and then a Larry English or Sintim at the top of round 2. Sign Channing Crowder in free agency and move Sims inside.

It's of my opinion that they should go:

1) Stafford
1b) Eben Britton
2) Ron Brace

Brace gives them a true 2 gap eating NT... they don't need the interior passrushing that Raji supplies when they have Francis, Redding, Cody on the outside.

Not to mention Avril and Smith at OLB.

They would need depth... and I'd pick up a 2nd NT in the draft. Cohen could play DE and Fluellen would likely be a waste though (Unless you use him as a passrushing 5 tech on obvious passing plays) or use him as Pittsburgh uses Chris Hoke as a 1 gap Pass rusher on 3rd downs.

Sims scares me. I don't know how good he can shed blocks. Same with Dizon/Lenon. They'd need ILB's, NT and probably a 3rd developmental OLB.

[Menardo75]

Originally Posted by Mr. Stiller

It's of my opinion that they should go:

1) Stafford
1b) Eben Britton
2) Ron Brace

Brace gives them a true 2 gap eating NT... they don't need the interior passrushing that Raji supplies when they have Francis, Redding, Cody on the outside.

Not to mention Avril and Smith at OLB.

They would need depth... and I'd pick up a 2nd NT in the draft. Cohen could play DE and Fluellen would likely be a waste though (Unless you use him as a passrushing 5 tech on obvious passing plays) or use him as Pittsburgh uses Chris Hoke as a 1 gap Pass rusher on 3rd downs.

Sims scares me. I don't know how good he can shed blocks. Same with Dizon/Lenon. They'd need ILB's, NT and probably a 3rd developmental OLB.

Sims would not be a very good 3-4 ILB.