I have to wonder .....

[Dwinsgames]

there is a thread on this someplace that suggests part of this but where it is beyond me ( was off topic conversation in another thread ) with all the talk about a potential huge turnover with the coaching staff and front office could we / should we consider a switch to a 4-3 IF Leabeu is part of that change ....

I stated NO WAY in that other thread but that was weeks ago and I did not see the def as the issue , now it looks like the entire team is mailing it in so my thoughts are changing somewhat and I must at the very least consider the possibility moving forward ....


that being said if Lebeau is removed from the equation I sit and wonder this ...

what would we look like with something like this as our front 7

Hood Mclendon Heyward Woodley with Jones (Carter/Spence) Timmons at LB ...

you get way younger , way cheaper over all real fast without spending draft picks to do so and concentrate on the back half of the D and the O-Line with the draft picks ..

the only reason I consider this now is I contend there may not be any other way to fix this team now than a total house cleaning of the coaching staff , the culture and mentality of this team needs to change and you can not change that with stale messages

[NJarhead]

I love this conversation.

I would love to think LeBeau could successfully make that transition (he is a guru afterall). And I think we have the personnel, right now, to get it going.

Not saying we should, but if that decision was made, I would be even more glued to my tv on Sunday in my excitement to see the new look.

My version:

LDE - Woodley
DT - Heyward
DT - McClendon
RDE - Keisel

WLB - Jones
MLB - Timmons
SLB - Worilds

CB - Taylor
CB - Allen
SS - Thomas
FS - Polamalu

[HollywoodSteel]

I like Keisel better than Hood as DE since I think he's a better pass rusher, but if the goal is to get younger and not need to draft there... I don't know. Can't really see Hood as the answer. And is Jones really a 4-3 outside linebacker or does this kind of make him a wasted pick?

[Psycho Ward 86]

I love this conversation.

I would love to think LeBeau could successfully make that transition (he is a guru afterall). And I think we have the personnel, right now, to get it going.

Not saying we should, but if that decision was made, I would be even more glued to my tv on Sunday in my excitement to see the new look.

My version:

LDE - Woodley
DT - Heyward
DT - McClendon
RDE - Keisel

WLB - Jones
MLB - Timmons
SLB - Worilds

CB - Taylor
CB - Allen
SS - Thomas
FS - Polamalu

i would bump heyward out at DE and hood at DT, which is what he mainly played in college anyways. Not going to include keisel because if this organization sees a future with a 35 year old defensive end, then they have officially lost their mind

[NJarhead]

i would bump heyward out at DE and hood at DT, which is what he mainly played in college anyways. Not going to include keisel because if this organization sees a future with a 35 year old defensive end, then they have officially lost their mind

I'd rotate him while he's still here. That would leave the door open for either drafting a 4-3 DE OR DT, depending on where Heyward is the most comfortable and productive. Worilds could also be retained to supplant Keisel, but I think 99 would excel in the 4-3 despite his age. But yea, his days are numbered.

[Dwinsgames]

I like Timmons outside in a 4-3 because he could cover 1 TE double TE formations to his side ( he has the speed to do so ) Carter/Spence can man the other TE with S help permitting you to double cover the primary WR with a S and CB leaving just 1 WR ( in 2 TE sets ) in single coverage and you could put your best CB on the single coverage Wide out .... just my thoughts

[NJarhead]

I like Timmons outside in a 4-3 because he could cover 1 TE double TE formations to his side ( he has the speed to do so ) Carter/Spence can man the other TE with S help permitting you to double cover the primary WR with a S and CB leaving just 1 WR ( in 2 TE sets ) in single coverage and you could put your best CB on the single coverage Wide out .... just my thoughts

Timmons could definitely fill an outside role in any scheme, but man, I don't think you can do better in the middle than him.

[Steeldude]

DE - Heyward
DT - Hood
DT - Mclendon
DE - Woodley

OLB - Worilds
MLB - Timmons
OLB - Jones

[Seven]

I think the team could switch to a 4-3 if they wanted, with current personnel, but I don't see the advantages. It's a band aid in my opinion. Does the pass rush greatly improve with Woodley and Heyward as 4-3 defensive ends? If you think the answer to that is yes, then the change might be worth it. I, however, do not think that is the case. Heyward is coming into his own in the 3-4. He could probably play 4-3 DE, but I don't think it's a natural fit. Woodley was drafted lower than his talent dictated because he was considered to be too small to play 4-3 DE. Has that changed? He's bigger now, but not the kind of bigger you want. I don't see those two guys getting to the quarterback consistently enough in a 4-3. They would both rely almost entirely on power moves. That would be extremely predictable. And if the outside rush doesn't improve, we're in the exact same situation we are now - we're just running a different scheme for the hell of it. I'd rather develop Jones, keep Heyward at the position he's shown growth in and figure out the rest by building around those two players. I think that's a much better plan for success. Don't let me stop you from the 4-3 discussion, it's a fun one. But that would be my take on whether it should happen or not.

[steelreserve]

It's so obvious, I don't know how we haven't done it already. Our personnel have been far more suited to a 4-3 for at least two or three years now. It's also easier to find the right players for it.

A huge reason why the team is in such sorry shape is because we've way overreached for defensive linemen in the draft, basically rolling the dice that they'd turn out to fit the 3-4. Clackity-clackity-clack ... nope, craps - they were better 4-3 DTs after all.

Seriously. A lot of our problems on defense stem from the defensive line being bad, and this would fix that. The other big problem is we only have one good ILB, and this would make it so we only need one. Are you kidding me? We should have our fucking heads examined for continuing to insist on the 3-4 for so long. It's not working anymore.