Teams in pass-heavy NFL more likely to bypass employing nose tackles

[polamalubeast]

Casey Hampton stared down a reporter who was in the midst of a long-winded question about the responsibilities of a nose tackle in the Steelers' 3-4 defense before Hampton had enough.

“Man,” he said at the time, “my job isn't hard. I go left, or I go right.”

How times have changed.

Forget going left or right. NFL nose tackles are becoming a thing of the past, or at least a shell of how they once were viewed: run-stuffing, clogging-the-middle, nonathletic, large men.

“No question, it's a diminishing role in today's NFL,” Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said.

The Steelers employed two nose tackles in Hampton and Joel Steed over a span of 21 years from 1992-2012 — other than when Kimo von Oelhoffen played the position in 2000 before they drafted Hampton. That span marked one of the best defensive stretches the Steelers have had.

Steed and Hampton were prototypical nose tackles. They were big and could occupy blocks.

Now the Steelers are like many others around the NFL: They can't afford to have that type of player on the field.

Blame the pass-happy NFL.

“We played over 70 percent of our snaps last year in sub-package football, meaning that the offense had three or more receivers on the field, and we chose to match it in some form or fashion,” Tomlin said.

That means the nose tackle is taken off the field in favor of another defensive back.

“So it's a diminishing role, globally speaking,” Tomlin said.

The Steelers' usage of the nose tackle dipped from 67 percent in Hampton's final season of 2012 to 37 percent in 2014.

Hampton routinely played more than 60 percent of the defensive snaps a game.

Last season, Steve McLendon played a little more than 30 percent of his snaps at nose tackle. Against the San Diego Chargers, the Steelers used a nose tackle on only 13 of 75 snaps.



read more


http://triblive.com/sports/steelers/10263340-85/nose-steelers-nfl

[teegre]

McClendon played 30% of the total snaps at NT.

He also played a bunch of snaps at DE.

SUMMATION:
Get a NT who can also rotate at DE.

[Mojouw]

McClendon played 30% of the total snaps at NT.

He also played a bunch of snaps at DE.

SUMMATION:
Get a NT who can also rotate at DE.

Or get a DE who can rotate at NT. I would like to see a guy with pass-rush skills over run stuffing get drafted and have him play in sub-packages. Pure run stuffing, McCullers showed in that Ravens game he can be good enough.

What that means is that the Steelers are NOT drafting a "starting" player. Makes it hard to justify a 1st round pick along the DL. If you can get a Heyward or Tuitt clone in the second round - big DEs - do that. Kick someone inside on passing downs and also rotate to give starters a break.

[teegre]

Or get a DE who can rotate at NT. I would like to see a guy with pass-rush skills over run stuffing get drafted and have him play in sub-packages. Pure run stuffing, McCullers showed in that Ravens game he can be good enough.

What that means is that the Steelers are NOT drafting a "starting" player. Makes it hard to justify a 1st round pick along the DL. If you can get a Heyward or Tuitt clone in the second round - big DEs - do that. Kick someone inside on passing downs and also rotate to give starters a break.

If you're having a DE occasionally slide inside, to play NT, you coukd have Heyward do that; he's done it already (and done well at it). In which case, you could then focus on a DE who is "only a DE"... a smaller player and/or a pass-rush specialist.
Shaq Lawson in R1 (6'4 280 lbs.)
Robert Nkemdiche in R2 (6'3 290 lbs.)

Interesting. I'm still on the "NT who can play DE" bandwagon, but the opposite is in interesting thought to consider.


As as far as starting goes...
Heyward played 88% of the defensive snaps. Tuitt played 78%. Both of which are too much.

McClendon played 30% of the snaps on defense at NT. If you add in the 30% that he (and Cam Thomas) played at DE, he is up to 60%... which is a starter. I would love to see that number reach closer to 68%... bringing Heyward's snap count down to 80%. (Walton or someone else can play 10% of the snaps, in order to give Tuitt some rest).

The he more that I think about it, unless the Steelers believe in Walton, they really need to invest two picks in D-line.

My ideal percentages:

Heyward: 75% at DE
Tuitt: 66% at DE
New NT: 33% at DE
New DE: 25% at DE

New NT: 100% of the snaps at NT (which is 30% of all snaps)

[Born2Steel]

Our division was voted toughest with 2 teams picking top6? Damn! As it stands now, the Browns will be a run first team, so will the Ravens, unless they get some receivers. Cincy will be the only rival that will be pass first.

[Mojouw]

If you're having a DE occasionally slide inside, to play NT, you coukd have Heyward do that; he's done it already (and done well at it). In which case, you could then focus on a DE who is "only a DE"... a smaller player and/or a pass-rush specialist.
Shaq Lawson in R1 (6'4 280 lbs.)
Robert Nkemdiche in R2 (6'3 290 lbs.)

Interesting. I'm still on the "NT who can play DE" bandwagon, but the opposite is in interesting thought to consider.


As as far as starting goes...
Heyward played 88% of the defensive snaps. Tuitt played 78%. Both of which are too much.

McClendon played 30% of the snaps on defense at NT. If you add in the 30% that he (and Cam Thomas) played at DE, he is up to 60%... which is a starter. I would love to see that number reach closer to 68%... bringing Heyward's snap count down to 80%. (Walton or someone else can play 10% of the snaps, in order to give Tuitt some rest).

The he more that I think about it, unless the Steelers believe in Walton, they really need to invest two picks in D-line.

My ideal percentages:

Heyward: 75% at DE
Tuitt: 66% at DE
New NT: 33% at DE
New DE: 25% at DE

New NT: 100% of the snaps at NT (which is 30% of all snaps)

I agree with all of what you said. I'm thinking that if you invert things to a DE/NT then you only need one draft pick.

Heyward - 75% at DE
Tuitt - 66% at DE
New DE Draft Pick - 33% at DE
Dirtball DE depth Guy (hi, Ricardo Matthews and LT Walton, y'all doing okay?) - 25%

When you truly need a NT - Dan McCullers
Sub Package 2 or 3 man line is the top 3 DE's plus Dupree. Why Dupree you say? Because if you think of the DL draft pick or picks as reinforcements, not elite troops, then you "free up" the 1st round pick. What do you do with the first round pick? Edge rusher. Imagine Dupree at DE in a nickel look, with Noah Spence behind him at OLB with Harrison on the other side. Put Tuitt and Heyward alongside Dupree on the line. Take Timmons off. Shazier and the midget brigade in the secondary cover as best they can and hope that front 6 can just wreak havoc.

[steelreserve]

Meh. It's all about having your most effective players on the field as far as I'm concerned. It's pretty standard that you are rushing at least four guys on most downs, no matter which alignment you are out of. So if you have a good DT that can cause more disruption than the worst member of your front seven, then he takes that guy's place. In the 3-4 he takes over for McLendon; in the sub package he replaces Jarvis Jones. That's the baseline you're working from.

I don't think we used a 2-4-5 package so much because we thought the formation was the key to everything. It's because in a 3-4 or a 3-3-5, you are putting either McLendon or Cam Thomas on the field, and both of them actually have an even WORSE chance of swinging the play in your favor than Jarvis Jones does. A sad state of affairs to be sure. But not a very high bar to clear either. It's pretty clear to me that DT is the weakest position among the front 7, and the coaches are basing their alignment around that fact.

[polamalubeast]

If you're having a DE occasionally slide inside, to play NT, you coukd have Heyward do that; he's done it already (and done well at it). In which case, you could then focus on a DE who is "only a DE"... a smaller player and/or a pass-rush specialist.
Shaq Lawson in R1 (6'4 280 lbs.)
Robert Nkemdiche in R2 (6'3 290 lbs.)

Interesting. I'm still on the "NT who can play DE" bandwagon, but the opposite is in interesting thought to consider.


As as far as starting goes...
Heyward played 88% of the defensive snaps. Tuitt played 78%. Both of which are too much.

McClendon played 30% of the snaps on defense at NT. If you add in the 30% that he (and Cam Thomas) played at DE, he is up to 60%... which is a starter. I would love to see that number reach closer to 68%... bringing Heyward's snap count down to 80%. (Walton or someone else can play 10% of the snaps, in order to give Tuitt some rest).

The he more that I think about it, unless the Steelers believe in Walton, they really need to invest two picks in D-line.

My ideal percentages:

Heyward: 75% at DE
Tuitt: 66% at DE
New NT: 33% at DE
New DE: 25% at DE

New NT: 100% of the snaps at NT (which is 30% of all snaps)




Comment From Guest






What do you believe is the Steelers plan/hope for who will play all the DL snaps Tuitt/Heyward don't play? Draft pick, combo of McCullers/Mattews/Walton, something else?


via

·

about 2 hours ago















Ed Bouchette




They signed a veteran FA. They need someone else. But this no longer is much a game of depth because few teams have great depth. Look at all the positions on the team and tell me who you would feel comfortable with moving up to start if the starter were hurt. Not many.


http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/steelers/2016/04/13/Ed-Bouchette-s-Steelers-chat-4-13-16/stories/201604130025

[BlackAndGold]

They won't draft a rotational player in round 1, If Billings was drafted, he'd help rotate his rookie year, by year two, I'd expect to see a front 4 with Heyward, Tuitt, Billings & Dupree. Tbh, they may even do that this upcoming season if Billings was drafted. Just depends on how he plays.

They've used their 4 man(4-2-5) front 70% of the time, and that number will most likely increase.

[teegre]

MOJOUW:
I agree that Spence would be an excellent R1 pick. There are a ton of good D-linemen, but only one blue-chip OLB.

BOUCHETTE:
Billings wouldn't be used for depth. He would play 60% of the snaps... which is a starter.

BLACKandGOLD:
Billings would not solely be a rotational guy. He'd play McClendon's role (primarily a NT, but part of the DE rotation). The difference being that Billings wouldn't suck as a DE.

[steelreserve]

Billings would not solely be a rotational guy. He'd play McClendon's role (primarily a NT, but part of the DE rotation). The difference being that Billings wouldn't suck as a DE.

... or suck as a DT, for that matter.