Bills 3-4 Be Aggressive & Attacking

[Mr. ChumChums]

Kyle Williams is the little engine that could but I don't know if he can do that. I would like the guy at say RDE but not as the guy in the middle. We need 2 NTs. A starter and a backup catch your breath guy. One needs to come from the draft and one in FA. Casey Hampton as a free agent and a guy to groom from the draft. Or, Cam Thomas or Mt Cody to start and a veteran journeyman to spell him.

 

Trying to move Kyle Williams to back up NT would be a bad move. I think he is just flat out TOO small compared to the other behemoths around the NFL. I also think that he deserves a shot to start and play RDE. Didn't he make the probowl as an alternate or injury sub or something?

 

Stroud and Williams were penetrating tampa 2 DTs. I don't think it is much of a stretch to use them in that capacity from the 4 - 3 DE position. Check the signature.

 

I like your point, and agree with you for the most part...but to play devil's advocate here....

 

Technically, Kyle Williams was the NT in our Under-front 4-3, while Stroud was our Undertackle 3-technique. The role of Williams here was to plugging the A-gap between the C and RG, similar to the role that Fat Pat Williams has in Minnesota. Stroud (which is Kevin William's role in Minny), as our "under-tackle", is then theoretically placed 1-on-1 with the LG so that he can easily penetrate and get to the QB / ball carrier well behind the LOS.

 

So now, the question is, would Williams be able to transition from a 4-3, 1-gap NT that plays over the right shoulder of the C, to a 2-gap 3-4 NT that has to play C directly? Probably not. But...this is in a Bill Parcells style, 2-gap 3-4 that George Edwards most likely will run (he learned the 3-4 in Miami when Parcells took over).

 

However, could Williams succeed in a 1-gap, Wade Phillips style 3-4? I say DEFINITELY. This is because then, Williams is in a much more familiar alignment, having to play on the outside LEFT shoulder of the C, only being responsible for the A gap on the LEFT side, and taking on the LG instead of the RG. The only caveat in this case is that you need a monster at LE (Stroud?) that can take on the RT and the RG, and a RE that can hold up in the run game, all the while rush the passer when he is aligned 1-on-1 with the LT (Bruce Smith style).

 

All that aside, put a few pounds on Williams, and he could theoretically play in the 1-gap style 3-4. How well would he do? Who knows.

[Pat7s]

The Good: We have the secondary (with Whitner on the bench) to handle it.

 

The Bad: We do NOT have the DL to handle it. I am not worried about LB at this time at all. We need a NT (and a backup NT) to start with. Move Stroud to LDE then pick up a 3-4 RDE in FA or the Draft

 

Why are you worried? I ask because truly, there's nothing to worry about. We're not winning a Super Bowl next year. We'll be very lucky to be a playoff contender next year. Instead of worrying just be glad we seem to be on the right path so far and if all goes well they'll get there.

 

Too many of you worry about a football team... worry about your kids or something. By all means be passionate about them, but stop worrying when it's 4 days removed from the Super Bowl.

[BillsWatch]

I would rather the Bills concentrate on a formation (3-4, 4-3) concentrate on having players be smart and versatile so they can attack an opponent where they believe they have best shots at disrupting plays and can last on field when offense is not performing.

 

The Bills in the 90's had a few injuries and next game they switched formations without tipping opponent what they were going to do. Press hated it because they lost their canned columns but the press do not score any points

[Adam]

The Good: We have the secondary (with Whitner on the bench) to handle it.

 

The Bad: We do NOT have the DL to handle it. I am not worried about LB at this time at all. We need a NT (and a backup NT) to start with. Move Stroud to LDE then pick up a 3-4 RDE in FA or the Draft

I am not sure we have anything- I am looking at this as a 5-year plan. Every year, we try to get everything we need to be competitive and end up with nothing. Add a few pieces each year and build a solid core- something we haven't had since we got rid of Bruce, Thurman and Andre.

 

Not sure about the secondary either- they did well under the old system, but I assume there will be a lot less zone if we are being more aggressive.

[SuperKillerRobots]

Best news to have heard coming out of the 3-4 announcement yet. No defense is more boring and less inspiring to watch than a bend but dont break 3-4. You can get away in a 3-4 with smaller linemen. Infact Dallas/Baltimore both run a 3-4 around lighter dlinemen. I expect to see a lot of variations that almost make it look like a 4-3 to compensate for the lack of true 3-4 talent.

 

That's a good call.

[Chandler#81]

Agressive and attacking is what we've been asking for and it looks like we will get our wish. Hopefully we can get the 2 key pieces that I believe we need to make this thing work. First, a NT and second a RDE. I think Stroud is the answer at LDE and will play the position well. I'm holding out hope that we can reel in Seymour in FA along with a suitable NT. Then let the blitzing begin!!!

 

 

Alright... alright. Me too.

 

How much are Season Tix next year?

[Thurman#1]

Don't most new coaches say this? What else could he say?

 

 

Yeah, you don't often get new guys saying "Well, we'll be passive, and we'll do the best we can with the guys we have, who by the way don't fit the new defense we want to run." What are they going to say?

 

I'll believe what I see on the field.

[vincec]

The 3-4 is just the current fad. 3 of the 4 teams in the championship games and both the teams in the SB play a 4-3. The Bills could've stayed in a 4-3 and become more aggressive like NO or just gotten bigger along the DL (which would've been my option) like Minnesota. Heck, if they could've drafted a DE that could rush the passer, then the Tampa 2 they used to use would probably have worked too (imagine the Bills secondary with Freeney & Mathis at DEs). As it is there will be wholesale changes and more rebuilding.

[Pat7s]

I am not sure we have anything- I am looking at this as a 5-year plan. Every year, we try to get everything we need to be competitive and end up with nothing. Add a few pieces each year and build a solid core- something we haven't had since we got rid of Bruce, Thurman and Andre.

 

Not sure about the secondary either- they did well under the old system, but I assume there will be a lot less zone if we are being more aggressive.

 

 

THANK YOU that's exactly how it needs to be... and if it happens to fall in to place earlier it's a nice and welcomed (and long overdue) surprise.

[Chandler#81]

I am not sure we have anything- I am looking at this as a 5-year plan. Every year, we try to get everything we need to be competitive and end up with nothing. Add a few pieces each year and build a solid core- something we haven't had since we got rid of Bruce, Thurman and Andre.

 

Not sure about the secondary either- they did well under the old system, but I assume there will be a lot less zone if we are being more aggressive.

 

 

However, no such thing as a 5-year plan in the NFL. Not in this century. The Chan-Gang will be poundin' the bricks 3 years from now, if we're not winners.

[In-A-Gadda-Levitre]

The 3-4 is just the current fad. 3 of the 4 teams in the championship games and both the teams in the SB play a 4-3. The Bills could've stayed in a 4-3 and become more aggressive like NO or just gotten bigger along the DL (which would've been my option) like Minnesota. Heck, if they could've drafted a DE that could rush the passer, then the Tampa 2 they used to use would probably have worked too (imagine the Bills secondary with Freeney & Mathis at DEs). As it is there will be wholesale changes and more rebuilding.

yes, but...

 

CG is saying 2 things. That the 3-4 is hard to game-plan against and, since all of our division opponents run it, our offense will benefit from practicing against it every day.

 

Say what you want against Belichick, but one of the reasons he wins a lot is because he's really good at game planning.

 

So before we say shoulda/coulda/woulda, we should give the coaching staff the chance to do just that.

[KRT88]

Looks good

Quite the opposite of what we're used to seeing.

 

 

make sure we draft speed along with smarts.

 

slow players are useless in the modern NFL and i do care about 40 times. I want speed with pads on, speed on film and speed in real game situations. No NFL game is played on a workout field!

[spartacus]

Ice, do you think Kyle Williams could add about 15 lbs and spell a say.......Casey Hamton until we can draft a NT of the future? I don't think it's too far off. I mean, back in da day Jeff Wright at NT?!?!?! I don't think Williams would be too bad of a second wave option.........

 

back in the day, the OL did not weigh 345 lb

[Astrobot]

"Tough, physical, smart" football players I'd like to see:

 

RD1: Bulaga LT, or slide down and take Iupati LG/LT, or trade Lynch to Vikes for their #30 and take Dan Williams NT

RD2: Cody, or Spikes ILB (tough and physical; jury's out on "smart")

RD3: Norwood OLB (comparisons to James Harrison), John Jerry OG

RD4-Ben Tate RB - Bruiser is the straight ahead guy who won't go down. A Bettis, Or Garrett Graham TE at Wisconsin.

RD5- Brandon Carter OG - Carter's the "Big Nasty" Nix keeps talking about. Hey--Incognito and Carter can be roomies

RD6- Zac Robinson QB - McNabb can tutor this mobile guy

RD7- Reggie Carter ILB - UCLA's leading tackler slides to here due to injury

RD7- Lee Ziemba OG - Handled Wootton easily in the Outback Bowl

[NoName]

Best news to have heard coming out of the 3-4 announcement yet. No defense is more boring and less inspiring to watch than a bend but dont break 3-4. You can get away in a 3-4 with smaller linemen. Infact Dallas/Baltimore both run a 3-4 around lighter dlinemen. I expect to see a lot of variations that almost make it look like a 4-3 to compensate for the lack of true 3-4 talent.

 

Last time Bills used a bind but dont break 3-4, they finished with the #1 rated defense in the league....under Ted Cotrell

[Stussy109]

The Good: We have the secondary (with Whitner on the bench) to handle it.

 

The Bad: We do NOT have the DL to handle it. I am not worried about LB at this time at all. We need a NT (and a backup NT) to start with. Move Stroud to LDE then pick up a 3-4 RDE in FA or the Draft

 

Kelsay is stout enough to be a DE in the 3-4 IMO, needs to gain about 10lbs.

[BillsRUs]

Agressive and attacking is what we've been asking for and it looks like we will get our wish. Hopefully we can get the 2 key pieces that I believe we need to make this thing work. First, a NT and second a RDE. I think Stroud is the answer at LDE and will play the position well. I'm holding out hope that we can reel in Seymour in FA along with a suitable NT. Then let the blitzing begin!!!

 

I like how the forum has gotten positive over the last month or so!

[billsfanmiami(oh)]

Goody. I'll pull my guards and run sweeps all day long.

 

 

I believe we were last in the league in run D last year. There is literally no way to be worse! (relatively speaking of course)

[MartyBall4Buffalo]

Last time Bills used a bind but dont break 3-4, they finished with the #1 rated defense in the league....under Ted Cotrell

 

When we have a dline half as good as we had back than we can get away with a bend but dont break style of defense. You see any ted washingtons/pat williams smith or wiley's running around on this team? I sure as hell don't. We have to compensate for lack of front 7 talent, by being agressive and dictating to the offense.

[cåblelady]

However, no such thing as a 5-year plan in the NFL. Not in this century. The Chan-Gang will be poundin' the bricks 3 years from now, if we're not winners.

But...but....we want immediate gratification!