Thoughts on transitioning to a 4-3 defense

[sherck]

Matt Eberflus, our new Defensive Coordinator, has been the Dallas Cowboys linebacker coach since 2011 and was added the duty of “passing game coordinator” in 2015. His primary previous coaching was as various defensive position coaches at the University of Toledo (1992 – 2000) and then as the Defensive Coordinator at Missouri (2001 – 2008). His first NFL experience was as the linebacker coach for the Browns (2009 – 2010) prior to moving onto Dallas.

It should be noted that both Toledo and Missouri during his time at those universities ran a 4-3 defense similar to what the Seahags and Cowgirls now run in the NFL. It is loosely based on a Tampa 4-3 but plays a whole lot more man coverage on the outsides and sliding zones by the safeties and linebackers up the middle (i.e. “mixed” coverage instead of straight zone or straight man).

Defensive line responsibilities return more to the single gap penetrator that we are familiar with from our Dungy days instead of the 2-gap responsibilities we currently run. 4 D-linemen jail break downfield penetrating the O-line and play the run on the way to the quarterback. Linebacker responsibilities much like in the old days; SSLB holding the edge and funneling, MLB roaming the middle, playing the pass and captaining the defense, and WSLB playing cleanup from the backside from sideline to sideline.

So, based on the above research, I decided to try and determine where our current defensive players would fit into a new 4-3 defense run by “Flus (rhymes with plus, I think).” I looked at both Dallas’ and Seattle’s defensive players, read some draft profiles and looked at where players had played before and what sort of schemes had they had success in.

My conclusions:

RDE: Jabaal Sheard
NT: Jonathan Hankins, Al Woods, Hassan Ridgeway (need to drop to the 310 pound range)
UT: Henry Anderson, Margus Hunt (need to drop to the 290 pound range)
LDE: Barkevious Mingo, Tarell Basham

Our defensive line is pretty well stocked with some quality players. Our old DT/DE will need to drop some weight in order to “conform” to desired weight from an article or two I saw but that should make them quicker with their first step and theoretically better able to penetrate quicker by shooting gaps. Our interior group should rock in 2018.

We need to re-sign Mingo or add some higher end guy in free agency. We are also in glaring need of drafting another top quality DE. I am not convinced that Chubb is that guy but a 1st or 2nd round pick needs to be invested in anther DE to add to Sheard, Basham and Mingo/Free Agent. You can never have too many guys who can get after the QB.

SSLB: John Simon, Anthony Walker
MLB: Jeremiah George, Edwin Jackson
WSLB: Jon Bostic, Antonio Morrison

Simon and Walker at SSLB is a pretty solid group. Simon has demonstrated the ability to set the edge, cover TEs and shed blocks. Walker has all of that in his draft profiles although we did not get to see a ton of it on the field in 2017.

MLB is in glaring need of upgrade. I did not mind George as a depth guy and Jackson could still have potential but if we open the season with either as the starter, we will have failed the off-season.

WSLB is also in need of an upgrade. Morrison is just a loss at this point and while Bostic showed that he did okay for us in 2017 in a 3-4, his early years in a 4-3 in Detroit were just terrible. I am unsure if he could play the WSLB role any better this time around than he did in his first 3 years in the league.

CB1: Rashaan Melvin, Kenny Moore
SS: Mattias Farley, Clayton Geathers
FS: Malik Hooker, T.J. Green
CB2: Quincy Wilson, Pierre Desir
NCB: Nate Hairston

I love our secondary pieces. I think that we found some great talent to develop in rookies Hooker, Wilson, Hairston and Moore. Farley also was a developmental find as a 2nd year player. Re-sign Melvin, hope that Geathers is fully recovered in 2018 and add another rookie or 2 to the secondary and we are in great shape moving forward.

Surprising enough, almost every player acquired last year via free agency or the draft (Hankins, Sheard, Hunt, Woods, Simon, Wilson, Hooker, Hairston, Moore, Walker, Basham, Stewart) fits a 4-3 defense as well or better than they fit the 3-4 we ran in 2017. Methinks that Ballard already knew what he wanted starting last year. I thought that was a little strange considering that he came from Kansas City who has run a 3-4 defense for quite a while until I looked at where he had been previous to that. Ballard was an area scout for the Chicago Bears (2001 – 2011) and then their Director of Pro Scouting in 2012 before joining the Chefs. Aha, Lovie Smith running a similar 4-3 defense as the Tampa 2. Interesting.

Critical Priorities for running a 4-3 in 2018:

Must re-sign CB Rashaan Melvin to a high-end starter contract ($10m a year)
Should re-sign DE Barkevious Mingo to a low-end starter contract ($4m a year)
Might re-sign WSLB Jon Bostic to a low-end starter contract ($4m a year)
Find a starting MLB in free agency.
Find a starting WSLB in free agency (if we did not re-sign Bostic).
Draft a DE early in the draft (no later than 3rd pick of second round)
Find a few more low round draft pick studs like Hairston or UDFA studs like Kenny Moore for depth

That is completely doable for 2018, leaves a lot of resources to help fix the offensive line and add offensive specialty players and could deliver a defense that is much more towards NFL average than we were this past season.

Walk Worthy,

[rcubed]

isnt desir a FA as well?

according to stampedeblue, its pronounced ee-burr-floos, thus rhyming with moose rather than plus. but what the hell do they know?

https://www.stampedeblue.com/2018/1/...-matt-eberflus

[HoosierinFL]

I'm not entirely sold on any of our current LBs transitioning to DE.
It could work, but I would absolutely take Chubb at DE in this draft if this is the direction our defense is going.

I think Simon at SAM would be a great fit.
We have no natural MIKE on this team, but I'm wondering if Sheard could do it (he's got a similar build to Urlacher)?
But also since I keep beating the Shaquem Griffin drum, I think he'd be a great MIKE because of his leadership and instinct for reading the play, and sideline-to-sideline speed. He also started as a DB before Scott Frost moved him to LB at UCF, which is when he began to really shine, and while some draft sites think he'll be a safety in the NFL, I think he might also work at WILL.

I don't think we have a lot of great choices for WILL on the current roster. I'm reminded though, of how Cato June converted from S to WILL (which is why I'm curious about Griffin at this position as well as at MIKE), and I wonder whether we couldn't get similar performance out of Geathers? This leaves Farley and Hooker to be the starters at safety.

[Chromeburn]

Are we for sure going to a 4-3? Seems he has worked with both 3-4 and 4-3. Besides the two are almost interchangeable today. Seems most defenses are hybrids now.

[YDFL Commish]

I agree about taking Chubb, if we go to a 4-3. If that's the case, then it's absolute no brainer to take him over Barkley.

I think you could play Anderson in a similar role to what Raheem Brock use to play LDE on run downs and move him inside to UT on passing downs, while Basham plays LDE on pass downs. That would leave either Hankins or Ridgeway as the UT on run downs.

If we draft Chubb, then I could see Sheard at LDE and performing the Raheem Brock role listed above.

As far as our LB's go, I just don't want Bostic or Morrison on my team. The rest can stay and compete for spots.

Definitely in on drafting Shaquem Griffen to play WILL though.

[FatDT]

Originally Posted by Chromeburn

Are we for sure going to a 4-3? Seems he has worked with both 3-4 and 4-3. Besides the two are almost interchangeable today. Seems most defenses are hybrids now.

We might do more even front looks but I am guessing there will still be odd front packages. Eberflus followed Rob Ryan to a couple different jobs so I'm sure principles from that defense will factor in. You can compare Pagano's defense to that in some ways, and our current players are familiar with it, so it seems logical they'd run a hybrid with perhaps more emphasis on 4 down linemen and less two-gapping.

Hoosier, no, I haven't seen a single thing in Sheard's game that makes me think he could play MLB. Honestly the idea seems pretty bizarre to me, to the point that I wonder if maybe you meant someone else.

I think our DL has a fair bit of talent and will transition fine. Though Ridgeway seems like the weakest link there. We could really use another edge player, I like Chubb for the #3 pick.

Agree that Simon can probably play a SLB role, though I expect it would be closer to the role Bruce Irvin played for Seattle than anything we ever saw in Indy. He plays well away from the line, but he has pass rush skills and would be a dangerous blitzer or on the line in Under formations.

We don't have a Sean Lee-type on the roster so I'd look for the Colts to draft one of the top 3 ILB/MLB prospects this year. Roquan Smith, Tremaine Edmunds (really like that dude), or Rashan Evans. Some have mentioned Leighton Vander Esch, who we could probably get for way less of a pick than the other three, and supposedly this new DC is a great talent developer at LB.

I'm not certain what to expect from the 3rd LB in a base in this new defense, and as strong as our DBs are I think we could see a lot of nickel anyway, with Geathers or whoever moving down when we have 5 on the line. I suppose that guy Griffin you guys are talking up could fit that kind of role but to me that is one of the least-simple positions to project.

I am really high on our DBs regardless of what scheme we move to. I do wonder a little if Melvin is a contract-year performer, can he play near that level once he gets paid? But overall I like the starters and depth a lot.

It has been a while since our defense had an identity, hope we get back to something positive there.

[Colt Classic]

Originally Posted by rcubed

isnt desir a FA as well?

according to stampedeblue, its pronounced ee-burr-floos, thus rhyming with moose rather than plus. but what the hell do they know?

https://www.stampedeblue.com/2018/1/...-matt-eberflus

Stampedeblue's version is how Aikman pronounces it on Fox broadcasts.

[HoosierinFL]

Originally Posted by FatDT

We might do more even front looks but I am guessing there will still be odd front packages. Eberflus followed Rob Ryan to a couple different jobs so I'm sure principles from that defense will factor in. You can compare Pagano's defense to that in some ways, and our current players are familiar with it, so it seems logical they'd run a hybrid with perhaps more emphasis on 4 down linemen and less two-gapping.

Interesting, I didn't know that Eberflus had a connection to Rob Ryan - but given Pagano's connection to Rex Ryan, it's no surprise Pagano's defense had elements of the hybrid defense.

Hoosier, no, I haven't seen a single thing in Sheard's game that makes me think he could play MLB. Honestly the idea seems pretty bizarre to me, to the point that I wonder if maybe you meant someone else.

Yea I meant Sheard, but you're right, it felt like a stretch to even say it, but I was just thinking outside the box and wondering about some unexpected variations. And you're right, we're going to need a whole new group of MLB/ILB prospects this off-season.

I'm not certain what to expect from the 3rd LB in a base in this new defense, and as strong as our DBs are I think we could see a lot of nickel anyway, with Geathers or whoever moving down when we have 5 on the line. I suppose that guy Griffin you guys are talking up could fit that kind of role but to me that is one of the least-simple positions to project.

If you're curious enough about Griffin, he'd absolutely be an OLB in a 3-4, his role in a 4-3 is a bit more uncertain, but WILL seems the best bet:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_MN6PfGB6eA&t=6s

Better than a highlight reel is just game tape for every snap, so you can get a feel for what he does play by play, and he really lit it up in the Peach bowl:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RtvdHSsHZXs

[VeveJones007]

Agree with pretty much everything, Sherck, except I'm not paying $10/MM a year for Melvin. He was good in 2017, but not elite. I would have a limit of about $8MM/year on him. If he finds a better deal elsewhere, then I move on.

[omahacolt]

Mingo isn’t woth much more than vet minimum and should never be starting