Monday is the expansion draft and I have been doing some thinking. As most of us know, Capers wants to implement a 3-4. From what I understand and what I've heard, the 3-4 leaves the linebackers to make plays right? Ok, thus making the def. lineman, not as important to rush the passer right? Ok, well if we are gonna be rushing the QB with linebackers and not down lineman, why couldn't we just load the def. line up with larger def. tackles and forget totally about "defensive ends"? Have the three tackles just plug the gaps that way there will be no running game in the middle, thus leaving the linebackers and corners to blow up the RB outside. I guess I posed this thought to myself b/c Peppers seems like the real deal and every report I've heard about him places him at a legit 6-6 and above 260 lbs...he is not small by any means and still we don't seem excited about him. I mean if we aren't going to go w/ a possible star at def end b/c he wants the LB's to do the rushing, then I say we blow the line up w/ some beef. Of course I do not consider myself a def mastermind at all and if any of u all do, I welcome comments...
You just highlighted the difference between a 4-3 defensive end and a 3-4 defensive end. In the 3-4, DEs are pretty much DTs. 3-4 DEs are larger and are relied upon to hold their point of attack. They are run stuffers. Look at the DEs on the Steelers roster to get an idea of the size difference. Were the Texans to draft Peppers I think they would likely play him at OLB.
No, I don't think anyone here thinks you're a defensive mastermind, either. Seriously, though, it's an interesting notion. I wonder if it's been tried before. However, I think the whole point of the 3-4....as far as my defensive brilliance takes me, that is ........ is to make it extremely difficult for the offense to tell where the rush is coming from and when. Putting three Gilbert Browns right there on the line would seem to limit the directions from which the rush would come, and make it that much easier to read, and therefore ineffective. Ideally, I think you would want three guys equally good at both, to give you optimum versatility. Of course, that's easier said than done. Ideally, you want three Warren Sapps right there. If you can put three of those guys on the same team, you should get the prize for GM of the year.....no, the decade. That's my take on it, though. Kidding aside, it's thinking like that that can change the face of the game. It's good to step away from it and look at it from a different point of view. I think in this case, however, your idea would weaken the 3-4 scheme, and make it much more practical to run a traditional set.
JeffB may be right about that, too. I'm not real familiar with the 3-4, I have to admit. That was that scheme the hated Steelers always ran against my Oilers. I fear change.
bruce smith was 3-4 DE. i don't think a 3-4 inherently means this or that; it's the scheme capers and fangio implement that will dictate who does what.
