Could see this translate to:
DT
65% .... Woods
65% .... Collins
45% .... Ross --Covington
25% .... Reid --Hill
DE
70% .... DLaw
65% .... Crawford -- after 2 games Quinn
40% .... Gregory -- Taco -- after 2 games Crawford
25% .... Armstrong -- after 2 games Taco
DL swing: Hyder. As a 16 game plan you need another poor man's Crawford which is what Hyder is. Can steal reps inside if anyone is injured and also play outside if someone got hurt or hacked off Rod with poor effort in game.
I agree early in the season it will look similar to your breakdown.
The big question for me is Crawford. I know Marinelli loves him, but it would likely make Stephen Jones nauseous to pay a Non-Starter 7M for the season.
Crawford has been a full time starter the past 5 seasons which made his salary OK, but if Quinn projects to start as RDE then Crawford will be a rotational DE, not a starter.
Hyder is a DE/DT type player that can replace some of what Crawford has done as a DE/DT hybrid.
From my observations, it seems that between Crawford/Hyder:
- Hyder appears to have more pass rush ability at DE.
- Crawford likely has better ability to hold up against the run at DT than Hyder.
As an inactive backup injury replacement option, Joe Jackson has played a few snaps as a pass rushing DT, as well as his normal DE position.
Without Crawford, by mid-season, it could look like this:
DT
65% .... Woods
65% .... Collins
40% .... Hill
30% .... Covington
DE
70% .... DLaw
65% .... Quinn
40% .... Taco or Hyder or Armstrong
25% .... Taco or Hyder or Armstrong
They've been using Hyder at DT in pass rush situations (3rd & long) in the preseason games.
- It would be good to have the extra player in addition to Covington for some snaps at 3-tech DT while Hill is developing.
If Crawford stays, then 2 of Hyder/Taco/Armstrong are on the bench.
I do
not think it's a good idea to have Taco as an inactive player.
- He is finally showing the required effort/motivation the coaches demanded after benching him last season.
- I don't think he has the mental makeup to handle being inactive now that he has done what the coaches have asked of him.
- They would be better off trading him than making him an inactive backup, IMO.
They did have 9 DL active for at least 1 game last season, but they've used 8 for the vast majority of games since switching back to the 4-3.