PFT: Packers to move to 3-4

WoodysGirl

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PACKERS TO MOVE TO A 3-4
Posted by Mike Florio on January 20, 2009, 11:50 a.m.

With defensive coordinator Dom Capers joining the Green Bay Packers, coach Mike McCarthy says that the team will be making the potentially radical change from a 4-3 alignment to the 3-4.

“It gives you the ability to utilize your personnel, the flexibility,” McCarthy said, per the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinal. “[It] doesn’t mean we won’t line up in a four-man front. We’ll move in and out of both four-man and three-man fronts.”

But that’s what most 3-4 teams do. On running downs, the defense uses three linemen and four linebackers. On passing downs, one of the linebackers lines up as a defensive end in a four-man front.

And so for the current defensive ends — Cullen Jenkins and Aaron Kampman — the question will be whether they become one of the “3″, or one of the “4″.

Since Kampman weight considerably less then Jenkins, Kampman is more likely to become a linebacker.

Typically, defensive ends in a 3-4 set become anonymous, since the primary job is to tie up offensive linemen so that the linebackers can get to the ball. But for Richard Seymour of the Patriots, few traditional defensive ends have become stars in a 3-4 front.

As to players who are in a two-point stance for traditional rushing downs and a three-point starting position on passing downs, the possibility of praise and Pro Bowls and big money awaits.

The other thing that the Packers will need right away is a big, fat nose tackle who can clog the middle of the line. Whether one of their current 4-3 tackles can make the same kind of transition that Shaun Rogers and Kris Jenkins successfully accomplished for the Browns and Jets, respectively, in 2008 remains to be seen.

From the standpoint of the Packers’ competition, a 3-4 alignment could give the other NFC North teams fits since they all use, and are accustomed to seeing, 4-3 formations. That said, the Packers will also have to develop a solid scout team defense or their offense will soon have trouble preparing to face their 4-3 foes.
 

CF74

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WoodysGirl;2591830 said:
PACKERS TO MOVE TO A 3-4
The other thing that the Packers will need right away is a big, fat nose tackle who can clog the middle of the line.

Doggonnit!!! They pick before us, one more team that might draft our fatty..:mad:
 

FloridaRob

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speaking of the 3-4, there are those that think Aaron Kampman won't fit the scheme while others point to the similarities between Kampman and
Greg Ellis as similar players with Kampman being a little more athletic. How did Ellis make the conversion from DE to LB and are you guys satisifed with his transition and performance. Does Greg drop back in coverage much or does he rush 95% of the time.
 

Rampage

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FloridaRob;2594738 said:
speaking of the 3-4, there are those that think Aaron Kampman won't fit the scheme while others point to the similarities between Kampman and
Greg Ellis as similar players with Kampman being a little more athletic. How did Ellis make the conversion from DE to LB and are you guys satisifed with his transition and performance. Does Greg drop back in coverage much or does he rush 95% of the time.
Greg is mostly a rusher and is poor in coverage. but he's also 6'6, Kampman is like 6'2 or 6'3 i believe.
 

cowboysfan31

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CowboyFan74;2591847 said:
Doggonnit!!! They pick before us, one more team that might draft our fatty..:mad:

They've actually got plenty of DT's that could probably be decent NTs in the 3-4. Justin Harrell is 6'4" 320, Ryan Pickett is 6'2" 330, and 6'3" 320, and Colin Cole is 6'1" 330. Harrell and Pickett are both former first round picks that are pretty good run stuffers.
 

FloridaRob

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Harrel is hurt and may not play again next year, Cole is a free agent and may not return, and Pickett is getting a little old. Packers are said to be looking at BJ Raji and Everette Brown at their first pick. I would be happy with either one. Raji is a stud in the middle and Brown is going to wreak havoc on Qbs. The guy is incredibly fast....
 

SacredStar

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FloridaRob;2594909 said:
Brown is going to wreak havoc on Qbs. The guy is incredibly fast....

So was Jamal Reynolds. How did he work out in Green Bay? ;)
 

FloridaRob

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SacredStar;2594928 said:
So was Jamal Reynolds. How did he work out in Green Bay? ;)

Brown is 25 x the player Reynolds was. Reynolds had talent but no heart. And once he got his money, he got hurt and he was happy go coast on off to retirement. That was the last year of Wolf anyway who gave Sherman what he wanted. Not one of his better draft picks....
 

Bob Sacamano

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FloridaRob;2594909 said:
Harrel is hurt and may not play again next year, Cole is a free agent and may not return, and Pickett is getting a little old. Packers are said to be looking at BJ Raji and Everette Brown at their first pick. I would be happy with either one. Raji is a stud in the middle and Brown is going to wreak havoc on Qbs. The guy is incredibly fast....

how high do you guys pick? Raji could be looking at a top-10 vault ala Glen Dorsey
 

FloridaRob

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DaBoys4Life;2597437 said:
They should draft Micheal Johnson...they need the pass rush.

Johnson is not worth the pick at 9. It better be Raji, Brown, Malcolm Jenkins or one of the top OT.

Some speculation in Green Bay that they may go after Canty as a DE. Do the Cowboys want to keep him or could care less if he stays or goes. I never really paid much attention to him. What's the word?
 

khiladi

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FloridaRob;2597568 said:
Johnson is not worth the pick at 9. It better be Raji, Brown, Malcolm Jenkins or one of the top OT.


Some speculation in Green Bay that they may go after Canty as a DE. Do the Cowboys want to keep him or could care less if he stays or goes. I never really paid much attention to him. What's the word?
Mixed reviews. He is going to demand a lot, and most people think he isn't worth the cost. For me, I hope he leaves, because I didn't see anything from him. Some argue he would be better in the 4-3, but I don't know. He is good though at batting some balls down. He doesn't seem to get pressure though.
 

DFWJC

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If you consider the Packers' personnel, you could see why they could do this without too much of the normal roster changes.
 

Bob Sacamano

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khiladi;2597999 said:
Mixed reviews. He is going to demand a lot, and most people think he isn't worth the cost. For me, I hope he leaves, because I didn't see anything from him. Some argue he would be better in the 4-3, but I don't know. He is good though at batting some balls down. He doesn't seem to get pressure though.

I wonder why they would since he's been a 3-4 DE for most of his playing career, and the only 2 teams that really targeted him in '05 were 3-4 Ds, us and New England
 

Cowboys2008

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I don't agree with their move. That was a dominant defense in 2007, one of the youngest and best in the league. The injury bug hit them this last season. Why not just focus on getting healthy and returning to that 07' form instead of performing brain surgery on something that's not really even broken.

Oh wait, right, it's the Packers, unnecessary brain surgery is what they do under McCarthy and Thompson.
 

FloridaRob

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Cowboys2008;2599232 said:
I don't agree with their move. That was a dominant defense in 2007, one of the youngest and best in the league. The injury bug hit them this last season. Why not just focus on getting healthy and returning to that 07' form instead of performing brain surgery on something that's not really even broken.

Oh wait, right, it's the Packers, unnecessary brain surgery is what they do under McCarthy and Thompson.

dominant defense in 2007?? Packers have not had a dominant defense since 1996. Even in 2007, there were constant breakdowns in the defense. It was way too predictable. Anyone that played GB knew the defense. Rush four, play press coverage by the Cbs. No blitz, and just hoped that the Qb made a mistake. It was an outdated version of the Jimmy Johnson defense of the early Cowboy years but the Packers did not have the defensive line to run it.

Injuries may have played a part of the defense failures this year, but the same mistakes of Wrs running free in the secondary were still happening just like when Bob Sanders took over 3 yrs ago.

I hated the defensive scheme and am more than happy to see them go to a 3-4. I don't think the transition will be as smooth as other make it and may actually take a couple of years. But with a young QB and a young team overall, I will glady be patient if the end result is a Steeler-like or RAven Like defense.

Speculation is that they may go after Canty and Terrell Suggs in Free Agency. Add a BJ Raji or Everette Brown in the first round, and the defense may be better sooner than later.
 
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