4-3 or 3-4?

[santiagomn8]

Ok i know we run a hybrid defense that has many different looks but i think we run a majority of 3-4 and i think that its time to move on from that and change to 4-3. with how offense these days are majority pass i feel like a pass rush is so essential and covering tight ends is becoming more and more important. having a 4 man line that can pressure the qb every down you can have the line backers help cover those tight ends. i think we have the right pieces for this change. Ngata beast of a DT arthur jones next to him Mcphee and a new draftee on the ends i would say is pretty good line not to mention suggs can play with his hand down as well. line backers kruger upshaw on the outside and i guess mcclain on the inside assuming Lewis retires but hopefully we would draft someone and you still have mcclellan and ellerbe as rotational to keep guys fresh and suggs as well. on running downs imagine ngata cody in the middle together i just dont see running thru that but yea just a thought what do you guys think?

[coordinator0]

I remember making this thread (a few times lol) when Mattison was the DC. Ahh... good times.

As for doing it now I wouldn't have a problem with it. They've used a lot of 4-3 looks this season although that probably has more to do with the injuries at ILB than anything else. My preferred alignment for the base package would be different though. This is assuming the change will be made for next season and I'm only including guys that are under contract or either a RFA or EFA (so no UFAs).

RDE: Suggs - McAdoo
NT: Ngata - Cody - Tyson
UT: Jones - Hall
LDE: McPhee
WLB: Ayanbadejo
MLB: Lewis - McClain - Bynes
SLB: Upshaw - McClellan

Obviously there's some weaknesses, the most glaring being WLB and the lack of depth at either DE spot. I think Upshaw could start at LDE (might be a better fit for him in a 4-3 as well, hard to tell though) but that would leave SLB pretty weak. ILB wouldn't be too strong either with just Lewis and McClain. I'm not sure they would even want to bring Ellerbe back if they're switching to a 4-3 with the cap room already tied up with the other two at the position. I doubt they will be able to afford Kruger regardless of what they decide to run but he would be the depth at both DE spots if he was retained. Maybe even the starter at LDE but that's touchy, I'd rather he just rotate with McPhee for the base packages.

Actually looking at it mapped out I wouldn't be too excited about that defense. It would definitely need some work via the draft. Of course it does now too.

[diamondbull424]

Meh... We already run a lot of 43 looks. It's probably pretty 50/50 actually. On run downs we do a lot of 43 defense. It's our best unit for stopping the obvious run. In recent weeks we've run: Jones/McPhee- Cody- Ngata- McPhee/Suggs/Upshaw/Kruger... A lot. And that lineup has been incredibly affective. Terrence Cody has been absolutely dominant in recent weeks- same with Arthur Jones.

In obvious pass rushing situations we only have to take Cody out and insert another of our edge threats and we're good to go. It's as simple as one substitution.
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Blind arrogance sows the field of it's own destruction. - Commander Greil, Fire Emblem

[DontTazeMeBro]

I think we need to stay 3-4. Upshaw isn't a traditional linebacker and he would be wasted there. I think the 4-3 works best if you have a bunch of DLinemen with great length. We don't. We are built to push the pocket and let our linebackers make plays.
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[BareYourTeeth]

I posted this in another thread a week or so ago

[wackywabbit]

[draftguru1234]

3-4 (hybrid).