You have to know that you're being completely unfair here, right? Richardson is a head case just waiting to blow up in someone's face and the Jets got a 2nd round pick as well as that second level WR. We won't know for sure if the right decision was made for a couple of years.
Todd Bowles already admitted Lee was not an inside backer earlier this offseason so why is he still playing there?Bruce Carter & Julian Stanford are both qualified to play there instead.. what possible explanation could there be other than he was a 1st round pick & they dunno where else to play him(which would be a mistake based on the assertion that he can play 4-3 OLB & zone based nickel back)
If we insist on running the 3-4 exclusively (or the overwhelming majority of the time during the game), - then I'm convinced that Darron Lee has no spot on this D. At least not while Todd Bowles & Kacy Rodgers are running it. Its going to take a very creative & VERY experienced D coach to come up with some schemes so that he can at least contribute. In lieu of that, --- I dont care how athletic he is, - drafting him in this D was a bad idea. For every MM move that I love (e.g. trading Richardson who was GONE after this season, --- 1) getting a 2nd rdp & 2) a clear bona fide #2 WR), - he makes a bonehead move like drafting Lee just because he was the BPA. We would have been much better off trading back or even passing on round 1 of 2016 & getting a 1st rounder the following year. Even the players taken at the back end of round 1 in the past draft (#30 T.J. Watt, #31 Rueben Foster, #32 Ryan Ramczyk) look to be in better shape with a better grasp on the game than Lee & they've only played a couple of games.
I'd trade Lee right now to a 4-3 team for a 3rd round draft pick. I'd trade Lee to the New Orleans Saints if they'd give us ILB Stephone Anthony in return.
You realize you're being unfair in assuming that Sheldon will blow up in someone's face , eventually? Jets passed on Warren Sapp, a "headcase" they should have gambled on but you know about hindsight, point is, I'm basing it right know on what Sheldon is capable of doing on the field, not a "welll, he's just on the edge of blowing up" possibility ....the Jets are an organization that has taken some chances in the past with headcases, nothing new there. I'll take bets Richardson goes on to have a few more pro bowl seasons.
When I see 3-4 ILB's look as bad as the Jets I automatically go to "who is playing NT?" That's not the whole story because the Jets ILB's have other issues but I'm betting they are heavily exacerbated by the play up front.
As I understand it...and I'm not an expert, just a 55 year Jets fan - a 3-4 alignment is used when you have 4 really good LBs who are better than the set of 4 DL you have. So you go with your strength. It's predicated on the personnel you have NOT just because the CS likes it better. With the Jets, we've had a succession of coaches who simply believe that the 3-4 is the Gold Standard of defenses, regardless of who they have to play that set up. It's moronic and shows how clueless they are. In most cases, a 4-3 alignment is easier to find personnel for, which is why it was adopted in the first place. We need to go back to that formula: K.I.S.S.
Good point about the NT. I was 50/50 about letting go of Snacks Harrison. In retrospect, I wish we had re-signed him.
I agree but this isn't only a Jets thing. The Bills had the #4 defense (aggressive 4-3) the year prior to hiring Rex Ryan and they immediately switched to a 3-4 despite having personnel perfect for the 4-3. This could be a poor example because it's Rex. But coaches, especially defensive coaches, bring their scheme and are married to it because it's supposed to be their expertise. It's like a West Coast Offense coach switching to the run n' shoot because he has a big armed quarterback. That doesn't make it right though. The coach should always adjust to his current personnel WHILE looking to acquire players to fit their system. The problem is that we've had three years and have personnel that doesn't fit the coach. There are exceptions to this rule though. Mike Tomlin was a 4-3 coach coming from the Vikings and didn't change a damn thing. I don't know. I think if a players a good football player, ESPECIALLY a linebacker, he can make it in any scheme. Lawrence Timmons was essentially the same size (albeit stronger) than Darron Lee. He immediately came in and became a great ILB in the 3-4. I just don't think Darron Lee is a very good player in general.
All the more reason to take a deep, hard look at Wade Phillips. He can work with both 3-4 and 4-3. He will know what to do with this defense in general.
Phillips will never be a head coach ever again. Example of a perfect coordinator that should STAY as a coordinator. He said it himself, "I was a lousy head coach"
https://www.ganggreennation.com/201...m-review-linebacker-play-is-killing-this-team Nah the linebackers suck. Even so, there isn't even a NT on some of these plays.
I think I elaborated this in other post, but that's the crux of the problem with Lee. He needs two things: 1. NT 2. Ted He has none of it. Thus, he looks like a total garbage.
Check out the film clips of Lee just getting destroyed in the run game. http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2017/09/should_jets_consider_position_change_for_darron_le.html The LB's are why we are getting run on so easily. You might notice on Patterson's TD run, Davis also completely taken out of the play and Burris completely whiffing on the tackle, which was obvious watching in real time as well. The article seems to think Bowles needs to get more 'creative' in how he uses Lee. I think he just needs to be benched. He's terrible in coverage also, so I can't see him playing the Buchanon role from Bowles days in Arizona. He's a big time liability at ILB. Put Carter in if he's healthy, and try to trade Lee to a team gullible enough to think he's being misused.
I don't even see how he could be used correctly in the 3-4 though or why Bowles/Maccagnan thought he'd fit in this defense. His only role is as an inside linebacker. What do we start to do? Line him up as a nickel back and have him line up splitting the difference between the slot receiver and the last man on the line of scrimmage? At best the dude's a weakside 4-3 outside linebacker. But he's learned to take bad angles and doesn't get into the proper run for anyways so I'm starting to question if he's being misused or if he's just a shitty football player that benefitted from playing with 5 other first round defensive players at OSU (including 2016 & 2017 - Joey Bosa, Eli Apple, Malik Hooker, Marshon Lattimore, and Garreon Conley).
