Do We Stick With The 3-4

[AxelRipper]

Madden Style: Whatever defense seems to work at that time, from whatever formation you need. Just make it stop the opposing offense.

[jjmac]

Bills play a lot of both 3-4 and 4-3. I think it's silly to restrict your defense to one formation.

 

OK, I'll bite. Why?

[Bill from NYC]

If you want to stay with the 3-4, you need only bring a high draft pick at OLB, a OLB FA, and a nose tackle. With a true and massive NT, Dareus and Williams can move to DE in a 3-4 and move inside as needed. You still have Carrington, Edwards, & Troup as the 2nd wave of linemen. Obvioulsly a new C is needed as well. One not named Edwards or Wanny.

 

So, go ahead... choose what you want, the 4-3 or the 3-4. How long are you willing to wait for a top 10 defense?

 

This won't go over well, but I don't see a place for Kyle Williams in a 3/4 defense. He simply does not have the body type to play DE. The man is a DT, and a pretty good one at that.

 

Also, in a 3/4, they will have to make a decision wrt Dareus. Do you want to keep him at nose? I'm not so sure.

[Brandon]

While I would prefer that they stay in a 3-4, I don't think it matters much in the short term. They're not a good defense in either alignment. I think people are forgetting that the Bills allowed 2500 rushing yards in Dick Jauron's last year. Their struggles started before the coaching change.

 

The two biggest problems with this defense are that they don't have a pass rusher and that their starting corners are older than dirt. Those problems will still exist in either front and will continue to plague this defense until they're addressed.

[Pirate Angel]

Obviously Marcell is way more comfortable playing nose then a 3-4 DE as his production increased dramatically after the injury to Kyle. I'm not saying he wouldn't have produced at the DE (he might have just been getting adjusted to NFL speed) but playing at NT he was a HUGE force.

 

With Kyle coming back next year and the growth of Spencer Johnson at DE/OLB isn't our defense well equipped to play a 4-3 instead. I know we can't keep changing schemes every year but with the team we have now the 4-3 would be the formation that our D would see the most production.

 

We would have Johnson, Edwards, Kelsey, Carrington and maybe Moats already on the team for DE and as for DT Dareus, Williams, and Herd for DT. Combine that with the draft picks of Quinton Coples from NC or Whitney Mercilus from U of I, would stack the D Line Up.

 

Plus with 4 guys with their hands on the ground they will eat up more blockers so our smaller sized LB's can make more plays.

 

Thoughts?

 

in switching back to a true 4-3 the only thing we are accomplishing is having 2 good DT's and and decent rotational guy in Spencer. We've watched Kelsey at 4-3 end for years, while serviceable he still is no reason to change your defense plus is is getting old. Barnett is more effective out of the 3-4. So really what your doing is shuffling the same below average talent around and just creating other weak points in the defense. Until we can find a way to consistently wreak havoc in the opponents backfield it doesn't matter if what defense we run.

[LynchMob23]

Doesn't really matter. If you keep the 3-4 you can put Williams at 1 or 3 tech with Dareus at the other and a true 3-4 DE at 5 tech opposite site. It's exactly like a 4-3 over front and you still have the linebackers behind it to flow to the ball. All this strict 4-3 or 3-4 isn't helpful, as 4-3 (2-4-5 in particular) are used by 3-4 defenses in Nickel, where you have 2 true down linemen (Williams and Dareus), 4 linebackers (take your pick) and the starting secondary + a Nickelback (either Scott or Corner or Rogers)

[3rdand12]

I think that we drafted Marcel to play DE. Even though he can play any place up there and most techs.

With Kyle healthy we are two or 3 players away from a solid 3-4. Two of those might be outside backers.

We are fine with Barnett and and up and coming Sheppard in place.

the reason we have been hybrid i believe has been based on the absolute lack of outside pass rusher. and Kyle going down too.

with KW at the nose and MD at end that keeps 3 or 4 players busy! this will free up someone and cause fits to O coordinators.

Seriously we are not that far away. And Kyle and Marcel will still play next to each other. As mentioned we have decent rotation up front too. Go Bills

[missthe kgun]

DC would help a bunch!

 

Now I know I'm gonna get ripped for this next statement, but I would trade Kyle while his stock is high.

 

Send him to a 4-3 team in need of 1 more DT like the Bucs, helping him and giving us an added pick to find another LB in the draft. An OLB who can flat out get it.

 

I like Kyle, but he does not fit the scheme, and doesn't elevate his teammates around him in the scheme.

 

OLB is the most glaring issue, on the field. Though the 3 blind mice can see that the Biggest Issue is the DC. Edwards couldn't come up with a scheme to stop an offense during a commercial break, when no one is even playing at the time.

 

He Sucks!!!

[vincec]

Doesn't really matter. If you keep the 3-4 you can put Williams at 1 or 3 tech with Dareus at the other and a true 3-4 DE at 5 tech opposite site. It's exactly like a 4-3 over front and you still have the linebackers behind it to flow to the ball. All this strict 4-3 or 3-4 isn't helpful, as 4-3 (2-4-5 in particular) are used by 3-4 defenses in Nickel, where you have 2 true down linemen (Williams and Dareus), 4 linebackers (take your pick) and the starting secondary + a Nickelback (either Scott or Corner or Rogers)

This is my opinion as well. All this 4-3 or 3-4 talk is a red herring. What the Bills need are more playmakers and better defensive coaching, plain and simple.

Edited December 31, 2011 by vincec

[T master]

If you watch the 1 on 1 video on BB.com Chris Brown asks Gailey if there would be a discussion on this exact subject to which Gailey's answer was yes , they would be discussing the thought of being a 4/3 but with that being said would still be a hybrid type of D .

 

That reason being b/c they have drafted to be a 3/4 D for the last 2 years & Barnett is more of a 3/4 LB than the other . So i suggest checking out the interview on BB.com !!!

[sllib olaffub]

DC would help a bunch!

 

Now I know I'm gonna get ripped for this next statement, but I would trade Kyle while his stock is high.

 

Send him to a 4-3 team in need of 1 more DT like the Bucs, helping him and giving us an added pick to find another LB in the draft. An OLB who can flat out get it.

 

I like Kyle, but he does not fit the scheme, and doesn't elevate his teammates around him in the scheme.

 

OLB is the most glaring issue, on the field. Though the 3 blind mice can see that the Biggest Issue is the DC. Edwards couldn't come up with a scheme to stop an offense during a commercial break, when no one is even playing at the time.

 

He Sucks!!!

 

I don't think anyone should get ripped for any idea - that type of mentality is exactly what causes teams from being successful; you've got to be open to any solution if it might be better than what you've got. As far as K. Willaims being traded - I'd second that IF - and that is a big IF - we could get real value in return for him. That means a player good enough to be pro-bowl material every year, and young enough to play for another 4 years. Or, a high enough draft pick to get a young guy who has potential to be that good.

Frankly, in a 3-4, if we were to get a monster NT, have Dareus as one end, you'd want a quicker, more get to the QB type of DE on the other side. I think a guy like Bruce Smith, for instance. Now, if we could trade K. Williams for an excellent DE/OLB type player, or the right pick to land a potential player, or to package and trade up for a QB - I'd take it.

 

Then again, keeping him and switching to a 4-3 might not be bad, either. It's just a point that they'd better use what they have to the players fullest, or they'll never get anywhere.

[Bufcomments]

Obviously Marcell is way more comfortable playing nose then a 3-4 DE as his production increased dramatically after the injury to Kyle. I'm not saying he wouldn't have produced at the DE (he might have just been getting adjusted to NFL speed) but playing at NT he was a HUGE force.

 

With Kyle coming back next year and the growth of Spencer Johnson at DE/OLB isn't our defense well equipped to play a 4-3 instead. I know we can't keep changing schemes every year but with the team we have now the 4-3 would be the formation that our D would see the most production.

 

We would have Johnson, Edwards, Kelsey, Carrington and maybe Moats already on the team for DE and as for DT Dareus, Williams, and Herd for DT. Combine that with the draft picks of Quinton Coples from NC or Whitney Mercilus from U of I, would stack the D Line Up.

 

Plus with 4 guys with their hands on the ground they will eat up more blockers so our smaller sized LB's can make more plays.

 

Thoughts?

can you be our next DC. what you said should be put into action.

 

If they saw Kelsey have a career game at DE it has to make them think.

 

Kelsey, Dareus, Williams, Edwards would be an Decent starting D line. Keep Barrett at MLB.

 

I dont know if they can get 2 Starting Lb's in one draft but yea they are closer to being good in the 4-3 than 3-4.

[tombstone56]

I think the need for pass rusher is huge but both at de and at olb ,my hope in off season is bills do this ,get paul solai for dt-nt and calais campbell de in free agency,,add them to williams dareus carrington .etc the front would be set for a 3-4,, 4-3 ,,5-front, any rotation that they could dream up..then we draft either uphaw or hightower in the 1st for olb, ,,,thatd be one heck of a difference..add another in the second someone always slips to there unexspectedly..curry,,,burfict,,, jenkins?

[3rdand12]

we have a proven player in Kyle. He has been criticised for his non NT size many times and overcome that by a long shot.

We have two proto noses to fill that need in Heard and Troup if we use that alignment.

Please do not talk about trading off Kyle for a Possible Potential? star.

I just dont like the attitude that the grass MAY be greener. I understand it as it applies to getting a better alignment but Kyle should stay a Bill. When he regains his health next season i think most will agree that Kyle and Marcel will be one of the most fierce tandems in the NFL. mark my words gentlemen.