fivetwos
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Thanks for that. This is where I get a little lost and I won't pretend to fully understand things I don't.Gregory and Lawrence will be the ends in the nickel, which we will use about 70 percent of the time. The base defense (the hybrid 3-4) is only a run-down defense.
The idea is that we want to put three big'uns out there for run defense purposes, but we also want to be able to rush the passer because teams don't always run on first down. To do that, you need to run a 3-4, so that you have the big'uns but you also have two pass rushers (usually two OLBs in the 3-4). The hybrid part is that instead of having the two OLBs, one of those players is a LEO, which creates a four-man front, even though the LEO is counted as a linebacker.
The advantage of the hybrid is more flexibility with the LEO and the other 3-4 OLB. You can move the LEO from side to side. You can drop him into zone and bring the other OLB off the other side or in an overload. (One of the things I think Quinn might be doing differently, which is interesting, is having Parsons be the other primary pass rusher but playing inside linebacker, MLB, instead of an outside spot. So he might start out looking like he's at the MIKE and blitz the middle or might shift before the snap to an outside edge position. We might even fake that he's going to be the pass rusher and bring Jaylon off the edge instead.)
Gregory and Lawrence will get plenty of snaps because we're not going to want either of them to play on every run down so that we can save them for clear pass-rushing situations. I think that's why Basham will get some run-down work as the LEO. We don't want him out there all the time because he's inferior to Lawrence and Gregory, especially as a pass rusher, but neither Lawrence or Gregory needs to play more than 80 percent of the snaps.
I have been watching forever, so I can at least tell who may or may not work at a certain position.
The more I read, the more I think Lawrence is your typical 43 DE and not a fit here.
When Gregory or Basham is the LEO, where is DLaw?
In a 5 tech type of spot? I suppose the answer varies because so will the looks up front....but again it feels like he isn't a fit....especially for what they are paying him....yet he may very well be our best player on defense.
I think back to late 2018....the last time this defense was any good, and that was largely due to pressure from DLaw on one side and Gregory from the other.
Was thinking they may attempt to recreate that, but I guess MM didn't want that "one call" defense and got his way.
Regardless I just don't see a big year for Lawrence in this scheme. They say it will look similar to last year, and I dont think he was ever comfortable standing up.
Not awful, but it just looked off. Sort of like Greg Ellis under Parcells' 34. He made an effort, but just wasn't a true fit.