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Bagging the 3-4 Altogether?


The Big Cat

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Too many holes at LB to fill, but up front we don't look all that bad.

 

Could we be going back to the 4-3? One or two 4-3 linebackers from FA could seal the cracks nicely.

 

How does this look for a six man rotation: Kelsay, Dwan, Troup, Williams, Carrington, Clayborne?

 

They give you a some good base and situational looks from the 4-3, IHMO.

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Too many holes at LB to fill, but up front we don't look all that bad.

 

Could we be going back to the 4-3? One or two 4-3 linebackers from FA could seal the cracks nicely.

 

How does this look for a six man rotation: Kelsay, Dwan, Troup, Williams, Carrington, Clayborne?

 

They give you a some good base and situational looks from the 4-3, IHMO.

 

What's the concensus re: Dwan, Troup and Carrington?

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What's the concensus re: Dwan, Troup and Carrington?

 

Bad-Poor-Decent-Good-Great--Excellent

 

2010:

 

Dwan = Decent-Good

Troup = Decent-Good

Carrington = Good

------------

Williams = Great

Kelsay = Good

Johnson = Poor-Decent

 

My expectation for 2011:

 

Dwan = Decent-Good

Troup = Good

Carrington = Good-Great

---------

Williams = Great

Kelsay = Good

Clayborne = Good-Great

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I'd be okay with going back to the 4-3 if someone can convince me that the following 5 players can be effective in this system:

 

1. Troup, 3-4 NT...4-3 DT

2. Carrington, 3-4 DE...4-3 DE or DT?

3. Edwards, 3-4 DE...4-3 DE or DT?

4. Moats, 3-4 OLB...4-3 OLB or DE?

5. Batten, 3-4 OLB...4-3 OLB or DE?

 

That's 4 draft picks and 1 expensive free agent we'd be throwing away because our 4yr/$24 million princess, Christina Kelsay, can't handle her OLB assignments.

 

In my opinion, just stick with the original plan in the offseason. For one thing, the 3-4 is a superior scheme simply because of the greater number of pass rushing options. But also, Nix will have another offseason to add 4-5 more draft picks and 1-2 quality free agents.

 

We can get this thing turned around quickly if we stick with the plan. Williams is a beast no matter what system we play, and Posluszny is versatile as well. A healthy and slimmed down Stroud can adequately finish out the last 2 years of his contract, and Maybin...well okay this loser sucks in any defensive system and so doesn't really factor into this decision...but for what it's worth, his best hope of making it in the NFL is as a 3-4 OLB.

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Going back to the 43 after an entire offseason of teaching and practicing the 34 is another example of this magical plan being smoke and mirrors. OK, I get that they wanted to go to a 34. Fine, but the players they've acquired for it aren't interchangeable and it's not like they've got Belichick coordinating this defense. Sure they need more talent, but can't they get one thing right before trying another? This is what makes the Kelsay deal maddening, because he can't play the 34 and remains one of the highest paid players on the team.

 

Ah well. Next thing you know, TBC will predict this will be a 2-14 or 3-13 season. ;)

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Too many holes at LB to fill, but up front we don't look all that bad.

 

Could we be going back to the 4-3? One or two 4-3 linebackers from FA could seal the cracks nicely.

 

How does this look for a six man rotation: Kelsay, Dwan, Troup, Williams, Carrington, Clayborne?

 

They give you a some good base and situational looks from the 4-3, IHMO.

Stroud and Johnson are in that rotation somewhere as well.

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Too many holes at LB to fill, but up front we don't look all that bad.

 

Could we be going back to the 4-3? One or two 4-3 linebackers from FA could seal the cracks nicely.

 

How does this look for a six man rotation: Kelsay, Dwan, Troup, Williams, Carrington, Clayborne Robert Quinn :thumbsup: ?

 

They give you a some good base and situational looks from the 4-3, IHMO.

 

Just one minor change. Clayborn would be better suited to play DT in the 4-3. We would have that position pretty much locked down with our current players.

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Id love to see a return to the 4-3 and don't believe the personnel would be wasted. I think Carington works as a DE. Kelsey plus a draft pick at DE fills the other side. Dwan backs up, and Kyle, Johnson and Troup run a three man rotation at the DTs. Stroud and others get bus fare. Personally id love that DL with a top 5 DE added to the mix. We'd have a good DL that could help set the tone for the rest of the defense.

Edited by DC Grid
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Abandoning the 3-4 would be a horrible mistake. The Bills must play a 3-4 defense against the teams in the AFC East who get a ton of big plays by running or throwing screens wide. It's true that the Bills do not have the right players in place, but to go back to the 4-3 (which they have been using a lot this year) means continuing to get our butt kicked on defense. They need to bring in the right players to work the 3-4 scheme.

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Stroud and Johnson are in that rotation somewhere as well.

Are they?

 

Stroud's been mailing it in. I think Johnson has been the best DE throughout the season (but let's keep that praise in context). Kelsay's been playing well in just the last 3 games. The announcers and CBS graphics were still calling him a linebacker on Sunday, but he's obviously playing a 43 DE.

 

About bagging the 3-4: I hope not. With all the LBs hitting IR, I understand not having the depth to stay with it for the whole 16, but I want to see them finish the switch in the offseason. Chan's pretty flexible though. I figure the new D-Coord will have a lot of influence on the scheme.

Edited by steampunk.
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I don't have a problem returning to run the 3-4 as long as we get a real DC who can coach it. I also don't have a problem continuing to run the 4-3 as long as we get a real DC who can coach it. There will be some out there unemployed who had success in the past like the guy from Pitt and probably Marvin Lewis. Look what getting a real DC and OC did for the Clowns.

 

Also, some better players might be good too.

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We've seen everytthing this year from mixing 3-4/4/3 to Creep. Some of the changes are due to injury, some due to misfit players and the rest is down & distance strategy.

 

Given that there will very likely be 2 more regular season games next year and beyond and a 4-5 player increase in eligible gameday players, I see the 'whatever it takes to stop 'em this play' defense carrying on into the future.

 

JMO.

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If they want to continue to recycle the team Jauron built, then they should play the Tampa-2 as that is the system he was selecting players to play in.

 

If they actually want to build a stout defense that can stop the run, they'll have to make a lot of changes to the defensive front 7, because the players that Jauron left behind simply aren't good enough.

 

"Kelsay = Good"? :lol:

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If they want to continue to recycle the team Jauron built, then they should play the Tampa-2 as that is the system he was selecting players to play in.

 

If they actually want to build a stout defense that can stop the run, they'll have to make a lot of changes to the defensive front 7, because the players that Jauron left behind simply aren't good enough.

 

"Kelsay = Good"? :lol:

 

As a 4-3 D-end Kelsay has played "good." I know your brain can't a.) grapple with anything positive and b.) has written Kelsay into irreversible corner of shame, but since they switched back, he's looked infinitely better. TROOF!

 

I love all the claims that reverting back to the 4-3 would be a mammoth step backward, that somehow it would offset ALL the time and resources we've committed to building the 3-4, all the fixtures to our defense who in any other context are scrap heap players but now suddenly represent lynch pins in the Nix/Gailey plan for the future.

 

Really, how much have truly "invested" in this 3-4 defense?

Edited by The Big Cat
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