Switch to a 43 Under?

[Mitch]

Like they say: "play the hand you are dealt."

The Cardinals would like to play the 34---but...

A). Daryl Washington could be lost for more than 4 games.

B). Dan Williams has weight issues, and there is not much depth at NT behind him.

Hmmm...

How about this 43 Under look?

LDE Matt Shaughnessy
SDT Calais Campbell
UDT Darnell Dockett
RDE Frostee Rucker

SLB Jasper Brinkley
MLB Kevin Minter
WLB Sam Acho

or

SLB Sam Acho
MLB Jasper Brinkley/Kevin Minter (take your pick)
WLB O'Brien Schofield

LCB Patrick Peterson
RCB Jarraud Powers
SS Yeremiah Bell
FS Rashad Johnson

2nd Team

LDE Alec Okafor
SDT Dan Williams
UDT David Carter
RDE Dan Giordano

SLB Lorenzo Alexander
MLB Reggie Walker
WLB O'Brien Schofield

LCB Antoine Cason
RCB Javier Arenas
SS Justin Bethel
FS Tyrann Mathieu

3rd Team

LDE Everette Thompson
SDT Ricky Lumpkin
UDT Ronald Talley
RDE Tim Fugger

SLB Zach Nash
MLB Kenny Demens
WLB Korey Jones

LCB Bryan McCann
RCB Jamell Fleming
SS Jonathan Amaya
FS Tony Jefferson

Kevin Minter played MLB in a 43 Under---he knows the keys and assignments.

Seems we could have the right personnel....which is why I am posing the question.

And how about this---sign Dwight Freeney to an incentive laden deal to play RDE, where he thrives.

The other UFA I am hoping for is Nick Barnett, because he is one of the best nickel LBers in the league and we need one badly, now that Washington is not available.

We acquire Freeney and Barnett---we are legitimate playoff contenders.

 

[juza76]

cason i think will be the starter
I think they will play a hibryd 3/4 defense
Okafor will be more used as defensive end,,i dont see him dropping in coverage
At defensive tackle i heard they could sign sedrick ellis

 

[HotSauce]

Makes sense to me. But, hasn't Todd Bowles spent the majority of the NFL coaching career in a 3-4 defense?

 

[GuernseyCard]

It's not a "would like to play"... it's a "we will play" a 3-4 with multiple fronts. Do you think that Bowles, long trained in a 3-4, who had to suffer running Philly's 4-3-wide-9 last season wants anything to do with a base 4-3? I certainly don't, until further notice.

P.S. Williams came in at about 10 pounds over. Something tells he can drop that in the AZ heat over the next 4 months.

 

[pacman]

never been able to see the point of using a 4-3 scheme when today's NFL is a passing league. Sure with 4 guys at the line you can get more pressure on the quaterback but the cardinals don't have a great enough pass rush to sacrifice a player in coverage.

 

[Seandonic]

So sick of the Cards "hybrid" defense. They run it because the haven't and still don't have the personnel to run a 34. They should just run a 43 and be done with it.

 

[kerouac9]

I doesn't matter, really, because you still don't have anyone to rush the passer.

The benefit of the 3-4 alignment with inferior athletes is that you have more flexibility to blitz more guys, or fewer guys from different angles, etc., in a way that uses confusion when you don't have speed-to-power players.

What's problematic is that you can do that in a LeBeau style zone blitz scheme, but Parcells/Nolan 3-4 defenses (from which Bowles is the most steeped) tend to stock up on elite players (Lawrence Taylor, DeMarcus Ware, Jason Taylor, Peter Boulware, etc.) and let them get after the quarterback.

 

[Goldfield]

3-4 > 4-3 imo, more speed on the field, more options. Blitz, coverage combos.

 

[Duckjake]

The benefit of the 3-4 alignment with inferior athletes is that you have more flexibility to blitz more guys, or fewer guys from different angles, etc., in a way that uses confusion when you don't have speed-to-power players.

What's problematic is that you can do that in a LeBeau style zone blitz scheme, but Parcells/Nolan 3-4 defenses (from which Bowles is the most steeped) tend to stock up on elite players (Lawrence Taylor, DeMarcus Ware, Jason Taylor, Peter Boulware, etc.) and let them get after the quarterback.

I always thought one of the main reasons for running a 3-4 was to keep the offense guessing as to where the 4th pass rusher was. I guess not if teams are lining up their star pass rusher at WOLB and having him rush on every play.

 

[kerouac9]

I always thought one of the main reasons for running a 3-4 was to keep the offense guessing as to where the 4th pass rusher was. I guess not if teams are lining up their star pass rusher at WOLB and having him rush on every play.

Not really. That's the EVOLUTION of the 3-4, and that Zone Blitz is the primary reason (in many people's minds) that Dick LeBeau is in the Hall of Fame.

There's lots of reason to think that the 3-4 began as a strategic matter as a way to contain the outside run by putting bigger outside linebackers outside the shoulder of the left tackle, and funnel the run back inside, where there are more blockers.

 

[cardpa]

So if the advantages of running the 3-4 is to disguise the blitz and to contain the run to the inside what are the advantages of running a 4-3?

 

[kerouac9]

So if the advantages of running the 3-4 is to disguise the blitz and to contain the run to the inside what are the advantages of running a 4-3?

Well-defined roles leading to easier scouting, as well as quicker pickup of the system by incoming players.

3-4 OLBs need to be able to rush the passer with speed and power, as well as be able to drop back into coverage and diagnose route concepts. They need to be disciplined and right in reading the play after the snap and get into position based on not only the pre- but post-snap look from the offense.

In a 4-3, the DTs and DEs have a much lighter mental checklist to go through, but you require greater physical capacities.

 

[GuernseyCard]

Well-defined roles leading to easier scouting, as well as quicker pickup of the system by incoming players.

3-4 OLBs need to be able to rush the passer with speed and power, as well as be able to drop back into coverage and diagnose route concepts. They need to be disciplined and right in reading the play after the snap and get into position based on not only the pre- but post-snap look from the offense.

In a 4-3, the DTs and DEs have a much lighter mental checklist to go through, but you require greater physical capacities.

Well said.

 

[WildBB]

Not really. That's the EVOLUTION of the 3-4, and that Zone Blitz is the primary reason (in many people's minds) that Dick LeBeau is in the Hall of Fame.

There's lots of reason to think that the 3-4 began as a strategic matter as a way to contain the outside run by putting bigger outside linebackers outside the shoulder of the left tackle, and funnel the run back inside, where there are more blockers.

Funnel the run back inside where there are more tacklers on the D.

 

[WildBB]

The key to D, will not be alignment but getting to the ball and creating turnovers. The ball is in play.

Bowles arrived with the plan to play a 3-4 scheme as his desire, not because the Cardinals were already playing the alignment. The change in style will in part be about Bowles’ plan to be much more aggressive with 3-4 ends Dockett and Calais Campbell.

He has also begun the drumbeat of creating turnovers. That’s not necessarily new – Horton did it and as Bowles pointed out, there isn’t a defensive coach that doesn’t – but it is Bowles’ top priority above all else.

The Cardinals were fourth in the NFL in forcing turnovers a year ago with 33, including 22 interceptions, which was second in the league.

“Turnovers limit offensive possessions and turnovers gets your offense the ball back as soon as possible, and turnovers change games,” Bowles said. “Stopping somebody is great, but if we can emphasize turnovers and get the ball back as much as possible, that’s more damaging to an offensive team than anything else.

“There are a lot of teams that finish in the top five in defense and still aren’t very good in turnovers. Turnovers are the key to winning ballgames.”

 

[Duckjake]

Well-defined roles leading to easier scouting, as well as quicker pickup of the system by incoming players.

3-4 OLBs need to be able to rush the passer with speed and power, as well as be able to drop back into coverage and diagnose route concepts. They need to be disciplined and right in reading the play after the snap and get into position based on not only the pre- but post-snap look from the offense.

In a 4-3, the DTs and DEs have a much lighter mental checklist to go through, but you require greater physical capacities.

Another thing about the 3-4. I thought that teams went to it because it was easier to find 3-4 OLBs than 4-3 DE's coming out of college.

As always, I'm confused.

 

[cardpa]

Well-defined roles leading to easier scouting, as well as quicker pickup of the system by incoming players.

3-4 OLBs need to be able to rush the passer with speed and power, as well as be able to drop back into coverage and diagnose route concepts. They need to be disciplined and right in reading the play after the snap and get into position based on not only the pre- but post-snap look from the offense.

In a 4-3, the DTs and DEs have a much lighter mental checklist to go through, but you require greater physical capacities.

Thanks for the response. So in effect, you really need to have more cerebral players in a 3-4 versus a 4-3 because the 3-4 requires more pre-reads and post snap reads as well as what I am going to call more of a team defense approach since there are more defined roles and responsibilities in a 3-4 defense. Therefore mental errors in a 3-4 hurt you much more than physical errors or a lack of discipline to each players' assigned responsibilities.

 

[kerouac9]

Another thing about the 3-4. I thought that teams went to it because it was easier to find 3-4 OLBs than 4-3 DE's coming out of college.

As always, I'm confused.

It was when the Steelers were the only team in the NFL playing a base 3-4 defense. Now something like half the league or more is playing from that base, so the demand is much higher.

Thanks for the response. So in effect, you really need to have more cerebral players in a 3-4 versus a 4-3 because the 3-4 requires more pre-reads and post snap reads as well as what I am going to call more of a team defense approach since there are more defined roles and responsibilities in a 3-4 defense. Therefore mental errors in a 3-4 hurt you much more than physical errors or a lack of discipline to each players' assigned responsibilities.

I don't know if it's necessarily "more cerebral" as much as it is that the developmental time for a zone blitz 3-4 defense is much longer for the outside linebacker. Remember that it took Schofield forever and a day to get his responsibilities down, and that's why Clark Haggans was playing so many downs. Schofield had to put the plays on his wristband.

In run fits, mental errors and over-aggressiveness hurt you much more in a 3-4 defense than it would in a 4-3, where the linebackers are more likely to be playing read-and-react against a four-man line.

The Steelers generally "cure" their OLB draftees for a year or two before even letting them see the field in sub-packages.

 

[Duckjake]

It was when the Steelers were the only team in the NFL playing a base 3-4 defense. Now something like half the league or more is playing from that base, so the demand is much higher.



I don't know if it's necessarily "more cerebral" as much as it is that the developmental time for a zone blitz 3-4 defense is much longer for the outside linebacker. Remember that it took Schofield forever and a day to get his responsibilities down, and that's why Clark Haggans was playing so many downs. Schofield had to put the plays on his wristband.

In run fits, mental errors and over-aggressiveness hurt you much more in a 3-4 defense than it would in a 4-3, where the linebackers are more likely to be playing read-and-react against a four-man line.

The Steelers generally "cure" their OLB draftees for a year or two before even letting them see the field in sub-packages.

And sometimes for 4 years.

 

[Mulli]

I will take the over if Cards switch to a 43 under.

 

[Duckjake]

Interesting read. Especially the comments on Parcells version of the 3-4. Doesn't sound to me like Dockett would be happy with that defense. So is Bowles really following Parcells or is he headed more in the direction of Bum Phillips or something totally different?

http://fifthdown.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/09/09/guide-to-n-f-l-defenses-part-4-the-3-4-front/

 

[dreamcastrocks]

Our look pretty horrible on paper. Ugh.