Football Question (1 Viewer)

pennstater

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1. Why would it be so difficult for an OLB in a 3-4 system to play OLB in a 4-3 system?

2. Could Calvin Pace possibly step in and play OLB in our system and also rush the passer as a DE in a 4-3 system on passing downs? He is 6'4 270lbs and had 98 tackles and 6.5 sacks.

Thanks for any information you provide.
 
1. Well, normally 3-4 OLBs are undersized DEs, so most are liabilities in coverage. It's still possible, but they have to be athletic enough to drop back in coverage and play well in space.

2. Maybe SLB, which is Fujita's spot. He's a converted DE, so I'd imagine he could rush the passer as a DE, but he struggled doing that in Arizona before he switched positions last year, only 7.5 sacks in 4 years as strictly a DE.
 
nolastyle hit it. Most 3-4 OLBs are converted defensive ends. The 3-4 puts a lot less coverage demands on it's OLBs then your typical 4-3. Doesn't strictly preclude a 3-4 OLB from being a 4-3 OLB, but the physical skill set for the two positions is usually a little different.

If we signed Pace he would end up being a sort of hybrid DE for us, a situational pass rusher who can also stand up and drop-back into coverage in a sort of zone-blitz.

That's a useful player but a team that uses a 3-4 defense is going to value him significantly more then we would. The OLB in a 3-4 defense is their primary pass rusher and therefore gets the top dollars for that defense (while in a 4-3 it's the DE that gets top billing).
 
Does Charles Grant stand any chance of being a decent DE in a 3-4 system? Will Smith might to a tad to light.

Im doing a mock-offseason on another board and the players I added to the roster are NT Issac Sopoaga, OLB Calvin Pace, and so far I have drafted Curtis Lofton. I also pick again real soon and Jerod Mayo is still there to pick and him and Lofton could play inside in the 3-4.
 
Does Charles Grant stand any chance of being a decent DE in a 3-4 system? Will Smith might to a tad to light.

Im doing a mock-offseason on another board and the players I added to the roster are NT Issac Sopoaga, OLB Calvin Pace, and so far I have drafted Curtis Lofton. I also pick again real soon and Jerod Mayo is still there to pick and him and Lofton could play inside in the 3-4.

Grant would be an excellent 3-4 DE. Will Smith is too light however though, if he lost a fair amount of weight, you might convert him to a 3-4 OLB. I think Sopoaga resigned with the 49ers btw.

That said, it's late in the game to think about a scheme switch. That sort of decision had to be made in January.
 
Also, just for reference, Hollis Thomas and Kendrick Clancy both would make pretty good Nose Tackles. Clancy, in fact, having been drafted by the Steelers for that purpose and backed up Casey Hampton for a few years.
 

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