In the event that Rex gets fired, this team needs a veteran and not a rookie HC

The problem with this defense converting to the 4-3 would be the lack of versatility of linebackers outside of Davis. He can really play weakside or inside and might be better utilized as the centerpiece of the defense at inside linebacker so he can use his speed to track sideline to sideline. He's also young enough to learn the cover abilities to sit in the deep hole in a cover 2.

The problem lies in the other linebackers. David Harris just does not seem like he would be very good as an outside linebacker and the only spot he would play is the strongside linebacker spot. Even still I'm not really sold on him playing in space outside and I feel as though he'd get reach blocked very easily by offensive tackles. If we grab a coach that employs a 4-3 you can pretty much count Harris out along with Pace unless he wants to stick around in the defensive end rotation.

This isn't to say we can't find linebackers to fill these spots. These players can be found in the mid-rounds and plugged in without the need to be superstars due to the immense talent on the front four. Lots of 4-3 defenses run with 'weak' outside linebackers that are overcompensated by their defensive lines and in return need to be very good at only a couple of things. Set the edge and don't get reached then fall off the block and make the tackle outside. Don't let anything outside of you and push the flow of the run back inside to the inside linebacker running downhill and the penetrating interior. Teams like the Giants have made a living with crappy linebackers overcompensated by good defensive lineman. Bend but don't break in terms of stopping the run and the shear penetration of Richardson/Wilk would be enough to preserve the top run defense.

The entire front four is so versatile that they could give teams a number of looks. I really feel as though Wilkerson could play as a 4-3 defensive end. He's not a speed rusher but he doesn't need to be. He's quick enough for his size that it's still instantly a mismatch for most tackles in the league and his long arms keep tackles off his body so that he can still play the edge rather effectively. As others have outlined Harrison/Ellis & Richardson would most likely flourish in the 4-3 as the nose tackles would eat Davis' blocker and allow Richardson to penetrate the guard/center region of the play to blow it up especially if teams try to pull their guards on his side.

It's very intriguing and the versatility of the defensive line really allows this defense to play a 4-3 or a 3-4 and may actually be better in a 4-3 scheme. Assuming Babin & Barnes have limited time left a speed rusher would be needed but not exactly imperative to the teams success. With the other three spots being so incredibly good at what they do they would leave a guy like Coples, and then Barnes & Babin if they stay singled against a tackle.

 

It's not like I disagree with this, and I know you are just talking about this out of interest (which I appreciate) I just don't understand why people think this is going to make us better somehow. If you exclude the Chargers game, we led the league in sacks and played the run extremely well. I just don't see what kind of real difference it would make to go 4-3 more than we already do. I mean, we run 4-3 all the time, it's just usually more like a 4-2-5 nickel.

 

Some teams are a bit more singular, although no team runs just one front. The fact that nickel packages have become so frequently used makes pretty much every team more varied now as well. Honestly Tampa 2 defenses are probably the most singular in terms of the fronts used, because the CB's and LB's doing different things is what brings the primary form of variation in that scheme from what I understand. Every single team has situational fronts as well, like short yardage defenses. The Tampa 2 almost always runs a 4-3 with nickel mixed in though.

Man defenses tend to have more variation on the line, because that's where the QB is primarily trying to decipher the defense. If the QB knows he has cover 0 or cover 1, it's not that hard to find an open man, but when you have to try and decipher where the rush is coming from, it makes it far more challenging.

 

No of course not that's not really what I was insinuating. But teams do generally have distinctions in the majority of their plays in terms of where they want to line up their linebackers and defensive lineman.

The Jets for example most distinctly always line up two backers over the guards and two on the bookends of the line if they're not adjusting out to three and four wide receiver sets. This is where you alluded to Coples stupidly is put out to jam slot receivers. A 4-3 team will almost never adjust their front to send one of their edge players out to play in space on a receiver but rather have one of their backers split the difference in the middle between the tackle and the slot receiver.

We did that a lot in high school while played a varied 4-4 front but our inside backers including myself stayed planted over the guards and weren't expected to cover ground. Of course this isn't high school football but the idea to think that David Harris could split the difference between the tackle and slot receiver and cover any type of in breaking slant is crazy. I played the David Harris take on the block and shed role and I guarantee my coaches would never trust me to try to cover a slot on a slant. I stayed planted on the guard to play the run. Like I said not high school football but the 4-3 needs a lot more range out of your linebackers because there aren't two outside linebackers out there assigned to only play the edge and send the run back in. 4 men on the line = a greater need for the linebackers to be faster to the edge. Our linebackers outside of Davis lack any type of speed and versatility and are taylor made for the 3-4 defense which is why I suspect Harris would be let go if we were to bring in a coach to change schemes while he goes to somewhere like Arizona or Baltimore and continues to make his living eating blockers and letting the weak side guy run around more free or taking on fullbacks rather than guards.

Sorry for the trip down memory lane by the way fellas it just seems comparable.

 

I'll say it: I miss Mangini. By the above logic, he'd qualify.

Say what you will about the "process" and his practice methods (all valid), but his teams were prepared and, until he was forced to get Favre, were headed in the right direction. Zero chance of it happening. But for me those were entertaining days.

 

Hue Jackson is pretty god awful. His style is old and stale. In ten years guys like Hue Jackson won't even exist because the Chip Kelly's will have taken over. Right now Chips style is innovative but sooner or later it'll be the norm. I want a coach that is riding this new wave that's coming in, not one that's about to be riding his way out.

 

Jon Gruden or Darryl Bevel

 

I will take a rookie HC or a vet HC, as long as he is a big picture guy and not a narrow focus guy like Rex. And of course, as long as he has been a coordinator (or an HC) and won somewhere previously

 

Mangini certainly got a raw deal here in my opinion when the front office decided to uproot him but he definitely had some pretty piss poor flaws about him. Most specifically his want to guard against the Hail Mary with as much as 4-5 minutes on the clock and play a 4 deep zone giving up everything underneath if we were up a score late.

I also firmly believe Belicheck would've done everything in his power to assure Mangini failed. He hates the Jets but he hates Mangini even more for embarrassing him with spy gate and beating him that first year.

 

I'd be all in on Gruden. He's a proven coach and I have no doubts he'd transform us into a consistent playoff team year in/year out. Plus I just love the guy, has a great personality and football mind and can develop QB's! No brainer in my book...

 

Believe me. I love Chip Kelly's style perhaps as much as anyone. So I agree on most of that part. I disagree about Jackson's style being old and stale though. It looks to me like that's not the case anyway. He's not Tony Sparano he incorporates a lot of this new age stuff too, he spreads teams out and he does very good work with QBs. I don't know where this is coming from - is it because he puts a priority on running the ball? That's not old and stale. Kelly runs it more than anyone.

 

Here is what I would look for, not sure if he currently exists:

A former or current special teams coordinator with a background in offense, especially as QB coach or offensive coordinator in college

I believe that ST guys, know how to coach and adapt to changes in the NFL and personnel and maximize their effectiveness. They have less bias for one side of the ball, and while very detail oriented the good ones are excellent at distilling down the concepts and making it easier to play. All of the requirements for a ST are basically training for the responsibilities of a head coach. There is a long list of successful guys with this background and what this team needs. We need balance.

 

What QBs did Jon Gruden develop? I remember all those young Tampa QBs turning out to be pretty shitty

 

I think it will not be that bad.

 

I vote for Walt Michaels.

 

I don't think it'll be as bad as you think but that might just be my optimism speaking. Teams and specifically the Jets don't usually get blown out of the water two weeks in a row. Most indicative of this is the Bengal blowout followed by beating the Saints at home.

One thing we do have going for us is that Peyton Manning is a statue and they really don't have much speed at runningback. Not to demean Oliver or the lines performance last week but it literally looked like he was hiding behind the offensive lineman before he found some seams and accelerated. The Broncos don't have that.

I really do think Peyton might have his way with us but a quarterback like Rodgers seems a lot harder to defend due to the fact that he started to use his legs against us which essentially froze the pass rush. If Rex is insistent on sending 6+ on 3rd down you're right we'll probably get blown out by 30 points. If he backs off and let's the big boys do some of their jobs we have a fighting chance.

We still can't score points though that'll ultimately be a huge problem haha