I don't expect too much for many of the reasons already listed... primarily experience in the 3-4 and experience in general.
However, I do think we could have a good year and make the playoffs. If we do get to the playoffs, look out because we'll be a much better team in December than we will be in September. Ware, Spears, Burnett and Canty, I expect to make a serious contribution this season, either starting or getting a lot of time in a rotation. They'll make their mistakes, but the bulk of them will be in the first half of the season. By the latter part of the year and playoffs if we make it there, they'll be much more settled in and will begin making some real strong contributions, I hope.
As for the switch to the 3-4... first, I think we'll still play a goodly amount of 4-3 and that Ellis and Glover will make their regular, solid contributions. I do think they'll be better, especially late in games, because of the rest they'll be getting that they used to not. I think we'll see Spears, Ferguson, Glover, and Ellis on plenty of running downs and we'll see Spears, Glover, Ellis and Ware on plenty of passing downs in the 4-3.
If we're getting torn up in a particular game lined up in a 3-4... we're gonna make the switch back to a 4-3. I don't see any way Parcells would stick with the 3-4 if a team is running on us (which is my main concern about the 3-4). I think he'd switch mid-game in a heartbeat if he needs to. He might even play 4-3 on early downs and play 3-4 in passing situations. Who knows what he's going to do, but I guarantee you the 4-3 is still going to be a big part of it.
It never takes defenses as long as it does the offense to switch to a new scheme... If you have the athletes, you can have success early on.
Last year Oakland switched to a 3-4 and failed. I don't think that's because they couldn't learn the system... it was because they didn't have the horses to pull that wagon. If our guys are capable to play a 3-4... they should show that pretty early on and have some success.
If they don't... I don't expect Parcells to play very much of it.
I suspect they'll do fine though, pretty quickly. 3-4 or 4-3... either way we have some very good players on defense that are going to get to the ball and make some plays. It's still tackling. It's still taking on and shedding blocks. It's still chasing after the ball. They'll just be lined up a little differently and have some different assignments.
The players and coaches aren't too worried about it... I don't think the fans and the media should be either.
It's going to be really, really fun.
