Switching defenses (Walter Football piece) (1 Viewer)

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Switching Defenses


By Walt - @walterfootball
Jan. 26, 2013


When the Saints fired defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo and announced that they were switching to a 3-4, they became the fourth team this offseason to make a defensive scheme change. The Eagles and Browns are also moving to a 3-4, while the Cowboys are going against the grain and flipping to a 4-3 in the wake of the Monte Kiffin hiring.

Let's take a look at each team and how their personnel works in its new defense:


New Orleans Saints:

It's weird to envision the Saints in a 3-4, but the new scheme can't be any worse than what they already have. In fact, some of their personnel fit perfectly into this defense. Cameron Jordan already has experience in the system, having played in Cal's 3-4. Junior Galette and Martez Wilson, meanwhile, make for natural edge rushers. Will Smith and Jonathan Vilma do not fit the 3-4, but they were likely cap casualties anyway.

Here's how New Orleans' new front seven will look:

Cameron Jordan - Brodrick Bunkley - Akiem Hicks
Junior Galette - David Hawthorne - Curtis Lofton - Martez Wilson

The Saints will have to find some depth on the defensive line and in the linebacking corps. Their most glaring front-seven need is rush linebacker. Perhaps they'll consider Dion Jordan or Ezekiel Ansah with the No. 15 pick in the 2013 NFL Draft (see 2013 NFL Mock Draft here).

Rest of the article:

http://walterfootball.com/defenseswitch2013.php

 

[Breesus Take The Wheel]

Yeah the Saints switching does make the most sense
Hopefully we become an average defense (20th-13th)

 

[DeuceMcAllisterFan]

I wouldn't be surprised if they got their personnel information from this forum.

 

[los226]

Yeah the Saints switching does make the most sense
Hopefully we become an average defense (20th-13th)

It's pretty sad when we're all hoping just to be average

 

[Joalgo]

Yeah the Saints switching does make the most sense
Hopefully we become an average defense (20th-13th)

I agree. I'd go so far as to say an average defense equals ruffly 4 extra wins on its own. we still had the 3rd or 4th highest scoring offense last season so a mid range defense would be have drastic effect on our win-loss column.

 

[Fontenot]

I agree. I'd go so far as to say an average defense equals ruffly 4 extra wins on its own. we still had the 3rd or 4th highest scoring offense last season so a mid range defense would be have drastic effect on our win-loss column.

 

[Bartyboy]

Would be very happy with average. Between 12 and 20. Gives Drew the ball back and able to score more.

 

[cdogg]

It's pretty sad when we're all hoping just to be average

With our offense, that's all we need.

 

[BIG DAWG]

We will be a TOP 15 defense next season....WATCH!! I dont put much stock into all this draft mess. I like to see what shake up after TC. As of now this is how i see our 3-4 alignment.

Dion Jordan, Hicks, Cam Jordan
Wilson, Vilma, Lofton, Hawthorne
P. ROB, Corey White (Greer- (Nickel back)
Bush, MJ27

 

[Filaphill]

Yeah the Saints switching does make the most sense
Hopefully we become an average defense (20th-13th)

Strangely enough I would be happy with an average defense that will be a huge improvement from where we are at now.

 

[TruSaint]

We will be a TOP 15 defense next season....WATCH!! I dont put much stock into all this draft mess. I like to see what shake up after TC. As of now this is how i see our 3-4 alignment.

Dion Jordan, Hicks, Cam Jordan
Wilson, Vilma, Lofton, Hawthorne
P. ROB, Corey White (Greer- (Nickel back)
Bush, MJ27

Jordan would get absolutely destroyed playing end in a 3-4 vs the run, he's bad vs the run as a linebacker but the perfect strong side outside linebacker because of his speed to blitz the QB and can get his arms up batting passes because he is 6"7 and could shutdown any tight end in the league

 

[GasBag]

Yeah the Saints switching does make the most sense
Hopefully we become an average defense (20th-13th)

Yeah, average would be great compared to 2012. Can that front 3 handle the load though, of taking on 5 O lineman? Probably not for long, and certainly not through a whole game. Yes indeed, backups will be needed.

3-4 should free up linebackers to be free-wheelers though. Hard for even a mobile QB to predict "who is the mike?".

 

[whodatdb]

We will be a TOP 15 defense next season....WATCH!! I dont put much stock into all this draft mess. I like to see what shake up after TC. As of now this is how i see our 3-4 alignment.

Dion Jordan, Hicks, Cam Jordan
Wilson, Vilma, Lofton, Hawthorne
P. ROB, Corey White (Greer- (Nickel back)
Bush, MJ27

Hawthorne is NOT an OLB in the 3-4. Stricly an ILB and Dion is best at OLB.
It will probably look like this:
Jordan - Bunkley - Hicks
1st round pick - Lofton - Hawthorne - Super Tez or Galette
Isa IMO earned any safety spot available over Bush or anyone we draft.

 

[Cougar 1]

Hawthorne is NOT an OLB in the 3-4. Stricly an ILB and Dion is best at OLB.
It will probably look like this:
Jordan - Bunkley - Hicks
1st round pick - Lofton - Hawthorne - Super Tez or Galette
Isa IMO earned any safety spot available over Bush or anyone we draft.

The move to the 3-4 was brought up a few months back. The play of Hicks was very encouraging, and along with Bunk and Cam, the D line would be set. Put Tez and Junior on the edges at OLB, C Lo and DH at ILB, and the front 7 for a 3-4 was already there.

Add THAT GUY as a passrushing OLB, and a NT for depth, and the D could be much improved in the 3-4.

 

[bclemms]

Good article but put me in the boat that our biggest needs are all in the secondary. We need a FS, SS and at least 1 CB with some size.

I'll never forgive Spags for not putting the best players on the field last season. He refused to play the younger more talented players and now we don't really know what we have going into an offseason full of change.

There are so many good rush backers available this season but I hate the idea of drafting one of them just to have Junior and Wilson outperform our 1st round pick and find out we already had our stud pass rushers on the team when we could have used that #1 pick for a corner, safety or LB. What I hate even more is the thought of passing on the next Aldon Smith or Von Miller because we thought we had the pass rusher on the team and he turns out not to be so good. Why couldn't Spags just put the guys on the damn field, especially after we were out the playoffs and it was painfully obvious we weren't going to be bringing guys like Will Smith back?

The Spags hate aside, I'm so freaking excited to see the defense next season.

I also think we have the depth along the dline to pull off what we are doing or at the very least hold off until next season to make it a main concern.

 

[Fleur de Lies]

Good article but put me in the boat that our biggest needs are all in the secondary. We need a FS, SS and at least 1 CB with some size.

I'll never forgive Spags for not putting the best players on the field last season. He refused to play the younger more talented players and now we don't really know what we have going into an offseason full of change.

Why couldn't Spags just put the guys on the damn field, especially after we were out the playoffs and it was painfully obvious we weren't going to be bringing guys like Will Smith back?

Because Gregg Williams was so good at doing that right? It seemed to me that for most of the season Spags was on autopilot just trying to survive week to week (and he had some good games, like the 49ers, Packers, Raiders, second Falcons and second Buccs games) to pick up the pieces when Payton returned. Obviously that turned out to not be the case but I don't fault him for following a Payton-Brees era tradition of settling for mediocrity in defensive play.