nose tackle is priority number 1 with a 3 - 4 alignment (2 Viewers)

[Nevimeister]

Priority number one is an outstanding OLB pass rusher. Whilst still important; the 3-4 NT has diminished in value with the spread offenses currently operating

 

[Nevimeister]

The biggest impact on 3-4 defensive lines are Defensive Ends. This is the way football is going, leaner more athletic players making more game changing plays:

JJ Watt
Justin Smith
Haloti Ngata

 

[Goatman Saint]

In a 3-4 alignment you need a big mauler at least 300 lbs. or you're just wasting you time, I don't care if it's a 1or 2 gap. When we ran the 3-4 back in Mora's day we never did get the NT we needed. We always had an undersized NT and it hurt our defense. This time around we need to get the NT we need and you'll see a defense to rival our offense.

For that era Jim Wilkes was hardly undersized. I have read in more than once where the linebackers gave Wilkes props by name for the job he did which was hold the middle of the line and keep the big guys away from Sam. NT in a 3/4 is never going to have good numbers on paper, it isn't their job to do so. It is simply to clog up the middle to free up the others. Look at Casey Hampton of the Steelers, by anyone's opinion a fantastic NT. never more than 43 tackles in a season, with 376 in a 12 year career. Jim Wilkes had 45 sacks in 13 seasons, with his best years statistically in the 4/3 before Mora got there. After that he never had over 5.5 sacks in a season.

My point is that by looking at numbers you cannot judge a NT. They will never put up numbers like Glover or Sapp. That's not their role. The guys we have can do the job. Bunkley especially has the correct build short stout and extremely strong. If they put Jordan and Hicks with him that's going to be a massively powerful line.

 

[Belfast Saint]

For that era Jim Wilkes was hardly undersized. I have read in more than once where the linebackers gave Wilkes props by name for the job he did which was hold the middle of the line and keep the big guys away from Sam. NT in a 3/4 is never going to have good numbers on paper, it isn't their job to do so. It is simply to clog up the middle to free up the others. Look at Casey Hampton of the Steelers, by anyone's opinion a fantastic NT. never more than 43 tackles in a season, with 376 in a 12 year career. Jim Wilkes had 45 sacks in 13 seasons, with his best years statistically in the 4/3 before Mora got there. After that he never had over 5.5 sacks in a season.

My point is that by looking at numbers you cannot judge a NT. They will never put up numbers like Glover or Sapp. That's not their role. The guys we have can do the job. Bunkley especially has the correct build short stout and extremely strong. If they put Jordan and Hicks with him that's going to be a massively powerful line.

I agree. We have the defensive line personnel in house to run a 3-4 and a lineup with Jordan (DE) Bunkley (NT) Hicks (DE) is certainly something that could work well. On third down you could shift Hicks inside to the NT and have Johnson man the DE spot opposite Jordan. This assumes Will Smith is gone but he's got cap casualty written all over him. Also, there's a question whether we are moving exclusively to a 2 Gap or 1 Gap scheme, or a combination. Only if we went to a 1 gap scheme exclusively would there be any sense in keeping Smith.

Tyrunn Walker would team up with Tom Johnson as the depth for DE.

I would still think we need to add another guy capable of playing the NT spot, either through the draft or FA. But he can be brought in to compete/add depth rather than be a starter. That opens up our draft options a little.

 

[Blue]

I'm just looking forward to seeing how the change will play out. Defensively, t can only get better than this year, can't it. I don't see the team imploding with Sean back regardless of who the DC is or what the scheme is. He would have poked his nose into the defense long before we became the worst in history if he were around this year. I have complete confidence that Sean is a man on a mission who happens to be a great coach. We will be playing into January next year, I'm completely confident of that.

 

[JackDiesel]

Read what's been written???? Bunk only plays 1/3 of Downs and has 0 impact on stopping the run... we need the rarest of player.... a run stopping DE??? I live 10 min from Philly and saw Bunk get benched and traded here. Good DT who been on 3 teams in 7 yrs.

I agree that Bunkley was overpaid considering his role. However, I blame that more on Spags than on Bunkley. His personnel decisions were straight up head scratchers and it led to the worst defense in the NFL. We needed* a player more athletic than Smith but the scheme change solved that problem.

Thanks to the contract Bunkley got it'd cost us more to cut him than keep him. He got that contract because the Broncos wanted to re-sign him so we had to overpay. He's on the team and isn't going anywhere, he's our NT until proven otherwise.

Oh you live near Philly, it all makes sense now.

 

[saint_cajun78]

I think we definitely need a true NT big body guy in the 340 plus range. Only guy we have that is even close to this is Hicks and I think he will be a much better DE.

 

[Boondock]

We already have our DE's for a 3-4 with Hicks and Jordan. Im not sold on Bunkley being a NT. Could you imagine two 320lbs. guards double teaming him? I think he would get pushed off the line of scrimmage constantly.

We interviewed Brandon Williams, out of Missouri Southern State, at the Senior Bowl. He is being considered a 2nd round pick. I think he would make a good, stout, plug at the nose. He's 6'2" and 341lbs. That way we could use our 1st round pick on a good OLB pass rusher.

So, technically we could still get my favorite player, EZEKIEL ANSAH!

 

[Danneaux]

We already have our DE's for a 3-4 with Hicks and Jordan. Im not sold on Bunkley being a NT. Could you imagine two 320lbs. guards double teaming him? I think he would get pushed off the line of scrimmage constantly.

We interviewed Brandon Williams, out of Missouri Southern State, at the Senior Bowl. He is being considered a 2nd round pick. I think he would make a good, stout, plug at the nose. He's 6'2" and 341lbs. That way we could use our 1st round pick on a good OLB pass rusher.

So, technically we could still get my favorite player, EZEKIEL ANSAH!

I think Bunkley would be fine at NT, but durability is a question. He'd probably be perfect in a rotation, likely a 3-man rotation.

In short, I think Bunkley would excell at NT given between 1/3 to 1/2 of the defensive snaps. Anything more than that I'd think he'd start fatiquing.

He played about 1/2 the snaps (I think) in Denver and was one of the highest rated NT in the entire league.

 

[JackDiesel]

We already have our DE's for a 3-4 with Hicks and Jordan. Im not sold on Bunkley being a NT. Could you imagine two 320lbs. guards double teaming him? I think he would get pushed off the line of scrimmage constantly.

We interviewed Brandon Williams, out of Missouri Southern State, at the Senior Bowl. He is being considered a 2nd round pick. I think he would make a good, stout, plug at the nose. He's 6'2" and 341lbs. That way we could use our 1st round pick on a good OLB pass rusher.

So, technically we could still get my favorite player, EZEKIEL ANSAH!

Hasn't his job been to take on double teams since he's been here? Hopefully I still have some of the games on my DVR so I can re-watch them but his job for the past 3 years has been to do just that.

Not every NT is a 320+ guy, Texans, Cowboys and Redskins all have NT's that are under 310 pounds. NT's are no longer being asked to be on the field for entire games thanks to the way offenses are changing. Many teams use nickel defenses where they take their NT off the field all together and go with a 2-4 alignment. And we are in nickel defense more than any other team in the NFL.

We'll be fine with Bunkley at NT this season, maybe draft one in the middle rounds to develop, then we can make a better determination once the season is over and he's not owed all that guaranteed money.

 

[redlandssaintsson]

I can call you all the names in the book, say i'd beat you up if id ever see you, but knowing you're most likely a falcons fan and probably haven't seen many Saints games while thinking you know so much more than the coaching staff, I believe that's bad enough. So say what what you want to say, i'm
just glad im not you.


Posted from Saintsreport.com App for Android

Call me all the names you want, but I'm a Steelers fan, I watch as many Saints games as I can, and whilst I may not know the roster by heart, I've yet to see anything really exciting for you guys at LBer in years. Certainly nothing I'd like to see on my team, who currently runs a 3-4 with two pretty darn good OLBers. The irony of you calling me out for my opinion against the coaches and not one single opinion anyone else has offered up, including mine, abounds.

 

[redlandssaintsson]

Hasn't his job been to take on double teams since he's been here? Hopefully I still have some of the games on my DVR so I can re-watch them but his job for the past 3 years has been to do just that.

Not every NT is a 320+ guy, Texans, Cowboys and Redskins all have NT's that are under 310 pounds. NT's are no longer being asked to be on the field for entire games thanks to the way offenses are changing. Many teams use nickel defenses where they take their NT off the field all together and go with a 2-4 alignment. And we are in nickel defense more than any other team in the NFL.

We'll be fine with Bunkley at NT this season, maybe draft one in the middle rounds to develop, then we can make a better determination once the season is over and he's not owed all that guaranteed money.

I know, for the Steelers, Hampton is the only 320+ (I believe). We have a bunch of guys all more sized like DEs. You're absolutely right though. The huge NTs aren't really the style these days, because of the need to swap out to nickle and dime as often. You really only need a guy who can take up space. And if he's smaller and more agile, all the better then.

 

[treeduck]

I think Bunkley would be fine at NT, but durability is a question. He'd probably be perfect in a rotation, likely a 3-man rotation.

In short, I think Bunkley would excell at NT given between 1/3 to 1/2 of the defensive snaps. Anything more than that I'd think he'd start fatiquing.

He played about 1/2 the snaps (I think) in Denver and was one of the highest rated NT in the entire league.

I think it's imperative that we have at least one beast NT going 350 and around 6'4/6'5/6'6 to rotate in with Bunkley and someone else.

 

[saveFerris9]

I think it's imperative that we have at least one beast NT going 350 and around 6'4/6'5/6'6 to rotate in with Bunkley and someone else.

It is a must . I admit I haven't followed college ball as much as I use to but it seems there are a few really good prospects in this draft at the Nose Tackle and they seem to fall sometimes in the draft . I think you could even find someone in the later rounds . I too think we need a big 6'4 ,6'5 330 + guy in the middle to rotate .

 

[SuJaguar00]

https://twitter.com/juniorg93/status/295736884234166273

FWIW, JG93 seems to think Hicks can play the nose...