Babe Laufenberg

[ABQCOWBOY]

I agree but we must find a real NT. You can not continue this nonsense of a 3-4 scheme with a DE playing the nose.

I agree. I mean, you can do it and it's really a concept that came from Phillips. His 34 implements a quicker, penetrating NT that essentially knifes through gap a or b and basically acts as a firewall to direct flow to one side or another. The DEs are supposed to basically get up field and create a lane that the RBs should be forced into. The idea is to send your LBs right or left and allow the LBs to flow to the play and make tackles. If you have the right players and you are committed to the scheme, it will work. I don't like it because really, I've only ever seen Wade make it work at a high level. Not saying that he is the only one, just the only one I've seen.

I just don't like the scheme for that reason. I would rather run a more traditional scheme. I would rather have a huge physical NT that creates a hard stop in the middle of the defense with good mobile DEs who can cover up our LBs. One of the reasons we see so many injuries to our LBs over the years is that we have not really protected them. They have been forced to take on OLs way too much IMO. I would be in favor of moving to a more traditional scheme assuming we stay with a 34.

 

[StanleySpadowski]

If owners didn't want retreads you wouldn't see them hired all the time. Andy Reid was gobbled up in a day. Retread status didn't seem to scare anybody away.

Guys like Gruden, Holmgren, Cowher, Dungy would all be retreads and are at the top of everybody's list.

What you call retread, I call NFL experience and it's coveted in a head coaching search.

And I wouldn't take the temperature of the fan base when hiring a head coach. It goes with the old saying that if you start listening to the fans you end up sitting with them.

Doesn't everyone on your list of retreads have rings? Fanbases aren't adverse to known winners. However there are very, very few of those.

 

[InmanRoshi]

If owners didn't want retreads you wouldn't see them hired all the time. Andy Reid was gobbled up in a day. Retread status didn't seem to scare anybody away.

Guys like Gruden, Holmgren, Cowher, Dungy would all be retreads and are at the top of everybody's list.

What you call retread, I call NFL experience and it's coveted in a head coaching search.

And I wouldn't take the temperature of the fan base when hiring a head coach. It goes with the old saying that if you start listening to the fans you end up sitting with them.

I'm not trying to persuade you to agree with it, I'm stating the obvious reality. NFL Front Offices want offensive minded guys, and prefer up and comers over retreads.

The Bills just hired a guy who's coached as Syracuse 1 year and the Browns are looking at a guy who's latest bullet point on the resume is with the Toronto Alouette because they're offensive guys. Whether you agree with it or not, it's the reality.

Andy Reid is an offensive guy, and a proven offensive guy, who puts up big stats and that's why he was snatched up. If Lovie Smith was a hot HC candidate he would be snatched up immediately like Reid was. It's not like he's some unknown quantity that has to be deeply researched.

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

One of the reasons Lovie's, or any Tampa 2 scheme, gets a lot of turnovers is they play a ton of zone and the defensive backs never have their back turned to the football or the quarterback. Is he now going to ask our two high commodity CBs who excell in press man to play zone? That concerns me more about moving to the Tampa 2 than Ware, Ratliff or the LBs adapting to the 4-3 (which I think they would easily).

I don't know. I mean, on the surface, what you say here makes sense but there are also plenty of schemes who create TOs playing tight man or bump and run or press. I think it's related more closely to pressure. JMO.

 

[InmanRoshi]

What's funny is that history has shown that hiring an offensive-minded coach usually has the opposite effect. The offense is usually stagnant at best while the defense improves and vice versa.

There are a few exceptions but when you study success, it's usually what you find.

Yeah, I'm more inclined to hiring the best guy for the job philosophy. If anything, the defensive candidates are probably your best bet because they're likely undervalued in an era where Mike Mularkey gets multiple HC chances.

 

[StanleySpadowski]

Yeah, I'm more inclined to hiring the best guy for the job philosophy. If anything, the defensive candidates are probably your best bet because they're likely undervalued in an era where Mike Mularkey gets multiple HC chances.

My theory is that a HC tinkers with "his" side of the ball but doesn't have time to fully commit to that side due to other HC responsibilities giving a mish mosh. They allow the coordinator on the other side more free reign, hence more success by that coordinator due to the "one voice" theory.

 

[DandyDon1722]

I'd be shocked if Lovie got the Philly job. He is a great coach, but finding and developing qb's was not his long suit and they need someone to develop Foles or more likely find another qb this year or next.

I agree. I think Lovie is a tough sell in Philly to the general fan base, if for nothing else he's almost a clone of Andy Reid as far as emotion is concerned. I think they are dying for a guy like Gruden to re-energize the franchise.