Saints request interview with Vikings DB’s coach Daronte Jones for DC (37 Viewers)

[TribuneUK]

Great insight offered into his background in this thread, much appreciated.

 

[3ParStillDriver]

Checks the box on what Underhill said about LSU coaches. He was the DC there in 2021.

Back when the defense was good? I honestly don't remember. I just feel like their defense sucked this past season compared to years past

 

[3ParStillDriver]

That defense does a ton of zone if I recall correctly. I didn't watch them a lot, but I do recall a lot of cover 2;s and 3's (or maybe it was 4's) and blitzes.

 

[3ParStillDriver]

So, does anyone know what kind of scheme he runs? I seem to recall a lot of man and single high safety with a 4 man line at LSU, but I don't have a great recall of him at LSU.

Who is his mentor on defense? Zimmer?

zone zone and more zone. Mostly Cover 2 zone based out of a 3-4.

 

[Ti Rider]

I have a hard time understanding the obsession here with the 3-4. This team barely has enough LBs to run a decent 4-3 and is likely to have a Safety in the box than 3 LBs. If they sign a DC that runs a 3-4 base fine. He’ll need to sign/draft at least three more LBs. The Saints DL is set up for a 4-3. You’d need two bigger DEs, trade Bresee (he’s a 3 Tech), and sign a couple of big NTs. It’ll be a huge investment with draft picks and FA cap room the team will has little of. I get it….most Saints fans grew up watching the Dome Patrol dominant but that was because the team had Pro Bowlers/HoFers at every LB spot with very good complimentary players at the other positions.

 

[St. Widge]

I have a hard time understanding the obsession here with the 3-4. This team barely has enough LBs to run a decent 4-3 and is likely to have a Safety in the box than 3 LBs. If they sign a DC that runs a 3-4 base fine. He’ll need to sign/draft at least three more LBs. The Saints DL is set up for a 4-3. You’d need two bigger DEs, trade Bresee (he’s a 3 Tech), and sign a couple of big NTs. It’ll be a huge investment with draft picks and FA cap room the team will has little of. I get it….most Saints fans grew up watching the Dome Patrol dominant but that was because the team had Pro Bowlers/HoFers at every LB spot with very good complimentary players at the other positions.

We don't have the pieces for any kind of decent defense now so all of it has to be rebuilt anyway. The only DEs we have under contract are Foskey and Granderson. Maybe Kpassignol too but I'm not sure. So we have to rebuild anyway and the defenses that have been stopping modern NFL offenses are 3-4 or 3-4 hybrids that use B gap pressure with a 2 high shell over the top. Plus LBs are cheap and easy to acquire and are usually great value in the draft.

Plus Breese and Cam work as 3-4 DEs and the idea is to be multiple not just run a 3-4.

It has nothing to do with the Dome Patrol days.

 

[Mr. Coach Klein]

I have a hard time understanding the obsession here with the 3-4. This team barely has enough LBs to run a decent 4-3 and is likely to have a Safety in the box than 3 LBs. If they sign a DC that runs a 3-4 base fine. He’ll need to sign/draft at least three more LBs. The Saints DL is set up for a 4-3. You’d need two bigger DEs, trade Bresee (he’s a 3 Tech), and sign a couple of big NTs. It’ll be a huge investment with draft picks and FA cap room the team will has little of. I get it….most Saints fans grew up watching the Dome Patrol dominant but that was because the team had Pro Bowlers/HoFers at every LB spot with very good complimentary players at the other positions.

Depends on what you're running. For instance we could run Fangio's 3-4 under with minimal modifications. Either way we need a pass rusher and a DT.

Base:

LOLB: Granderson
0/1: Saunders/Shep
4/5: Cam/Shep
3: Bresee
ROLB: Foskey/turner/warm body

Nickel:

LOLB: Granderson
2/3: Shep/Saunders/upgrade
3: Bresee
ROLB: Cam/Turner/Foskey/warm body

You don't need 3 coverage LBs. It's still 2 like 4-3 nickel. You're just moving your NT (3-4) off the field in Nickel instead of the SAM (4-3), so technically you need 1 less LB than a 4-3. Also, it's easier to find OLB edge rushers than it is 4-3 ones especially if you favor ones closer to 280 like the Saints have. There aren't as many 275 lb guys that can run/bend as there are guys that are ~250 that can.

 

[ELLIASJWILLIAMS]

The counting stats don't look great, but opponents attempted more passes against the 2024 Vikings than any other NFL team. At 637 pass attempts against, the Vikings were one of only five teams to defend against over 600 pass attempts. League average was 556 attempts.

The 2024 Vikings led the league in interceptions with 24 (second-best was the Texans with 19). The Vikings were also eighth in the league in opponent passer rating and tied for ninth in net yards per attempt against (yards per attempt with sack yardage lost factored in).

2024 NFL Opposition & Defensive Statistics | Pro-Football-Reference.com

Check out the 2024 NFL Opposition & Defensive Statistics including AFC and NFC results and standings on Pro-football-reference.com

www.pro-football-reference.com

Based on Kellens press conference I can only assume this defense was pristine situationally (that was his 1st requirement on D) was fast and played physical but circling back to #1 the Vikings must have been good in that area and specifically the secondary.

He did say he felt we had talent in secondary and playmakers on offense. He’s more concerned w/ making sure the Oline and DLine are built correctly.

Please Mason Graham me

He was asked about 4-3 or 3-4 and didn’t commit to either, said they’ll find right candidate and move from there.

Being situationally aware points to a preference of more zone coverage, which if you read into which defenses give him most trouble zone would make sense. His scheme is built to kill man defenses either w/ motion, pick plays, crossers etc built in.

Zone tends to nullify all that

 

[Rouxble]

A few notes about the Vikings defense:

• Lead the league in use of dime packages (28%)
• Second highest use of Cover 2 (28%) and fourth highest of Quarters (21%)
• Lead in MOFO coverages (55%)
• Lead in blitz rate (49%)

Several of those tendencies are similar to what the Saints did last year, with the exception being the Saints used a lot more Cover 1 (30% vs 9%) and less blitzing (22%).

 

[3ParStillDriver]

I have a hard time understanding the obsession here with the 3-4. This team barely has enough LBs to run a decent 4-3 and is likely to have a Safety in the box than 3 LBs. If they sign a DC that runs a 3-4 base fine. He’ll need to sign/draft at least three more LBs. The Saints DL is set up for a 4-3. You’d need two bigger DEs, trade Bresee (he’s a 3 Tech), and sign a couple of big NTs. It’ll be a huge investment with draft picks and FA cap room the team will has little of. I get it….most Saints fans grew up watching the Dome Patrol dominant but that was because the team had Pro Bowlers/HoFers at every LB spot with very good complimentary players at the other positions.

Easier to disguise the blitz. Just generally a more successful defense in today's pass happy NFL.

 

[3ParStillDriver]

This news REALLY gets my hope up about targeting Jermiah Harris for CB