Zaven Collins’ 2022 role dependent on Cardinals doing 1 of 2 things

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Zaven Collins’ 2022 role dependent on Cardinals doing 1 of 2 things

If Zaven Collins is going to step into a prominent role on defense in 2022 for the Cardinals, either Jordan Hicks can't be on the team or the scheme has to change.

sports.yahoo.com

 

[oaken1]

Trade hicks back to Philly

 

[RON_IN_OC]

If you move on from Hicks, then you need to be prepared for Budda to be the green dot guy calling the defensive plays. There is no other choice. It has to be someone, like Hicks, who understands the defense and where everyone needs to be AND plays over 95% of the snaps.

 

[football karma]

im thinking they need to go to a 4-3

Collins is the SAM, Hicks the MIKE, Simmons the WILL

Zach Allen and JJ Watt are built like 4-3 DEs

but Vance is a 3-4 guy, so that isnt happening

 

[oaken1]

Trade hicks back to phill

im thinking they need to go to a 4-3

Collins is the SAM, Hicks the MIKE, Simmons the WILL

Zach Allen and JJ Watt are built like 4-3 DEs

but Vance is a 3-4 guy, so that isnt happening

???

Weak inside backer in a 4-3?
Interesting alignment

 

[reebokalone2001]

im thinking they need to go to a 4-3

Collins is the SAM, Hicks the MIKE, Simmons the WILL

Zach Allen and JJ Watt are built like 4-3 DEs

but Vance is a 3-4 guy, so that isnt happening

These resonate with what I see on the field, except switching Collins to WILL and Simmons to SAM (to disrupt the TE). We do not have the dominant nose tackle a 3-4 defense requires.

 

[BritCard]

If you move on from Hicks, then you need to be prepared for Budda to be the green dot guy calling the defensive plays. There is no other choice. It has to be someone, like Hicks, who understands the defense and where everyone needs to be AND plays over 95% of the snaps.

No reason Zaven can't be the Green dot.

Logan Wilson has it for the Bengals and he's a 2nd year 3rd round pick. And the Bengals have a pretty complicated scheme.

Krys Barnes was a 2nd year undrafted linebacker and had the dot for the Packers last year.

Jordan Fuller was a 2nd year for the Rams and had the dot.

Micah Parsons had it for the Cowboys last year as a rookie.

This franchise needs to stop treating these kids like babies.

 

[BritCard]

im thinking they need to go to a 4-3

Collins is the SAM, Hicks the MIKE, Simmons the WILL

Zach Allen and JJ Watt are built like 4-3 DEs

but Vance is a 3-4 guy, so that isnt happening

He's not a 3-4 guy. He played 4-3 in Miami.

He's not married to it.

What you said is something I pondered myself. Allen and Watt at DE makes sense with Simmons and Collins at off ball OLB. So much you could do with that setup.

You can drop either OLB down to the line on certain plays as edge rushers. Drop them both down and have them drop back into coverage. Both can blitz from off ball positions.

We would be better in coverage as both are good in coverage and we would always have that extra player to drop.

Both players range give you great protection on the edge. Hicks would have much less ground to cover laterally which is his weakness. He can concentrate on gap fits between the tackles.

Plus we don't have to spend a tonne of money on replacing CJ.

I think this roster is much better setup up for 4-3.

 

[RON_IN_OC]

No reason Zaven can't be the Green dot.

Logan Wilson has it for the Bengals and he's a 2nd year 3rd round pick. And the Bengals have a pretty complicated scheme.

Krys Barnes was a 2nd year undrafted linebacker and had the dot for the Packers last year.

Jordan Fuller was a 2nd year for the Rams and had the dot.

Micah Parsons had it for the Cowboys last year as a rookie.

This franchise needs to stop treating these kids like babies.

If the team is content with letting him play though his own mistakes, that’s one thing, but they can’t afford to have him making mistakes by putting others in bad positions to make plays, as well.

 

[slanidrac16]

im thinking they need to go to a 4-3

Collins is the SAM, Hicks the MIKE, Simmons the WILL

Zach Allen and JJ Watt are built like 4-3 DEs

but Vance is a 3-4 guy, so that isnt happening

Okay but who plays DE when Watts is on a pitch count of 60% of the plays and / or when he gets hurt?
I like 4-3 defenses but it ain’t happening here.

 

[BritCard]

Okay but who plays DE when Watts is on a pitch count of 60% of the plays and / or when he gets hurt?
I like 4-3 defenses but it ain’t happening here.

We still have Golden, Dimukeje and Kennard. And there are a tonne more DE FA's available than guys that can play stand up OLB pass rusher.

 

[BritCard]

If the team is content with letting him play though his own mistakes, that’s one thing, but they can’t afford to have him making mistakes by putting others in bad positions to make plays, as well.

ok, I'm not sure why mistakes would be an issue. I just demonstrated several players with less or equal time than Collins will have next year who did a good job with the dot. Including one in the superbowl and all the rest were in the playoffs.

 

[QuebecCard]

The last time we ran a 4-3, we were 3-13.

Prefer a hybrid 3-4 with some 4-3 sets.

Find a decent run-stuffing NT who takes up two defenders in the interior and go from there.

No need to reinvent the wheel. IMO.

 

[BritCard]

The last time we ran a 4-3, we were 3-13.

Prefer a hybrid 3-4 with some 4-3 sets.

Find a decent run-stuffing NT who takes up two defenders in the interior and go from there.

No need to reinvent the wheel. IMO.

I don't think it's the massive shift people think. We are actually in 4-3 more than 3-4 already.

It makes sense with the personnel we have which is an over supply of starting quality LB's and a shortage of Edge players.

At the very least, they should incorporate it in the defense as an option to throw teams off. I recall back in the Todd Bowles days we predominantly ran a 3-4 but there were times he would role out 4-3 to confuse teams. I recall at least once, I think was against Dallas.

I personally would love to see

Watt - Philips - Fotu - Allen

Simmons - Hicks - Collins

I think you can upgrade on Allen but I'd like to see what he can actually do at his college position.

 

[Stout]

Okay but who plays DE when Watts is on a pitch count of 60% of the plays and / or when he gets hurt?
I like 4-3 defenses but it ain’t happening here.

Plus, Allen isn't going to be much of a pass-rush threat at 4-3 DE. He'd be much better against the run, though.

 

[Buckybird]

im thinking they need to go to a 4-3

Bingo! We simply don’t have the 3-4 pieces imo, particularly on the edge.

I still believe Zaven will be a stud, he’s a totally different player than Hicks. He’s a downhill ILB who fills gaps in the run game & Hicks is a reaction player who rarely attacks in the run game. A good DC & LB coach would make Collins a Star imo. Simmons too.

 

[reebokalone2001]

No reason Zaven can't be the Green dot.

Logan Wilson has it for the Bengals and he's a 2nd year 3rd round pick. And the Bengals have a pretty complicated scheme.

Krys Barnes was a 2nd year undrafted linebacker and had the dot for the Packers last year.

Jordan Fuller was a 2nd year for the Rams and had the dot.

Micah Parsons had it for the Cowboys last year as a rookie.

This franchise needs to stop treating these kids like babies.

These cases just made drafting 1st round ILB more laughable.

 

[FB94]

Just fix the run defense. 6-2 stack monster

 

[football karma]

Okay but who plays DE when Watts is on a pitch count of 60% of the plays and / or when he gets hurt?
I like 4-3 defenses but it ain’t happening here.

if the team decides 4-3 is the way to go, then clearly they would have to add a 4-3 DE vet and probably draft a guy at some point.

 

[Jetstream Green]

If you move on from Hicks, then you need to be prepared for Budda to be the green dot guy calling the defensive plays. There is no other choice. It has to be someone, like Hicks, who understands the defense and where everyone needs to be AND plays over 95% of the snaps.

Unless he's playing on the line up front on every play, Budda cannot be that guy and one guy in the secondary is responsible for calling their approach verbally to each other without the dot while usually a LB with the dot (since in their stance, a DL cannot see a guy motioning them from a far and have to hear the response by someone in close proximity) is responsible for the front seven scheme