Watkins practice notes

[Whirlwin]

Is there the same amount when they're in the nickel

That’s why you have multiple safeties

 

[fivetwos]

I think when the Joneses talk about adding a linebacker, they mean an OLB/DE. I don't think we're considering ILB help because we've got one who has shown he can play linebacker at a high level when healthy and we traded for one who was a solid starter last year. Plus, we have last year's draft pick (James) and this year's draft pick (Barham).

Any concern we have is about the pass rushers. We don't have much that is proven there outside of Gary, and he's proven that he's more of a DeMarcus Lawrence-level pass rusher than a Micah Parsons, TJ Watt, Maxx Crosby, etc.

I figured that was settled when they acquired Winters, hence the original question.

Thanks for the responses though. Great stuff.

 

[gimmesix]

I figured that was settled when they acquired Winters, hence the original question.

Thanks for the responses though. Great stuff.

ILB? Yeah. OLB? No. We had to pivot from Crosby to Gary when the Raiders accepted the Ravens' offer, but I'm sure we understand that they are on different levels as pass rushers. Crosby is a beast. We don't have an OLB that we know of who can consistently threaten the QB.

Some fans think in Parker's defense that won't be necessary, that he can simulate pressure (of course, that's what was expected of Eberflus last year after we traded Parsons). But the scheme Parker came from in Philly struggled last year after its top pass rusher left in free agency, which is why Philly ended up trading for one (Jaelan Phillips) before the trade deadline and why the Eagles traded for another one after losing Phillips to free agency. Coaching can do a lot, but it can't make up completely for talent issues.

 

[AsthmaField]

I saw a different tweet that said it was flagged.

Yep… which is why this clip cut off so suddenly. Whoever did it didn’t want to show the PI.

 

[gimmesix]

That’s why you have multiple safetie

I would expect to see us mostly in three-safety alignments, with Thompson and Hooker back deep and Downs as the nickel corner/safety/linebacker. Of course, if teams counter by using more two-receiver looks, we'll probably counter with our 3-4 looks, putting more big men on the front. In those, we'll have two safeties in the lineup (Downs and Thompson).

I don't think we'll have more than two true linebackers on the field much at all in any look. It'll either be 3-4 or 4-2-5. Could be some 4-1-6 in some clear passing situations.

 

[fivetwos]

ILB? Yeah. OLB? No. We had to pivot from Crosby to Gary when the Raiders accepted the Ravens' offer, but I'm sure we understand that they are on different levels as pass rushers. Crosby is a beast. We don't have an OLB that we know of who can consistently threaten the QB.

Some fans think in Parker's defense that won't be necessary, that he can simulate pressure (of course, that's what was expected of Eberflus last year after we traded Parsons). But the scheme Parker came from in Philly struggled last year after its top pass rusher left in free agency, which is why Philly ended up trading for one (Jaelan Phillips) before the trade deadline and why the Eagles traded for another one after losing Phillips to free agency. Coaching can do a lot, but it can't make up completely for talent issues.

Yep. Keep in mind I know little about this stuff other than what I’ve been watching over the last 50 years. I don’t the lingo or what means what when you really get into it, or how to understand assignments etc…

I can understand the difference between traditional 43 and 34, and the difference, but this seems like it’s neither, or some sort of combo. All fine by me. Feeling ok about the defense and its younger guys.

 

[CowboysFaninHouston]

no thanks because we know someone won't make it the whole season, we're going to need all the depth we have

We are deep enough at WR. Mingo can't play special teams.

 

[jblaze2004]

Revel erasing Pickens.

Yikes the Ref is probably throwing the flag in a real game.

 

[conner01]

Mingo has been thrown BALLS AND given a chance, things happen when you are given opportunities

He has a bit of an advantage over Scantling since he can play ST.

 

[stilltheguru]

Revel has to trust his speed. For a long supposed 4.3 guy he shouldn't be panicking like that

 

[gimmesix]

Yep. Keep in mind I know little about this stuff other than what I’ve been watching over the last 50 years. I don’t the lingo or what means what when you really get into it, or how to understand assignments etc…

I can understand the difference between traditional 43 and 34, and the difference, but this seems like it’s neither, or some sort of combo. All fine by me. Feeling ok about the defense and its younger guys.

I don't know if it's really a combo. I think it's more like Wade Phillips' 3-4 ... when we use those sets.

The traditional 3-4 seeks to have three big men who try to tie up blockers. Against 4-3 fronts, you've got three interior blockers blocking two defensive tackles, that generally allows one of the interior blockers to peel off a block and try to get to the second level (in the run game) to block a linebacker. A traditional 3-4 essentially tries to hold up all three of those interior guys while the tackles have to deal with the OLBs, but you have one less regular LB to make a play. That's essentially the two-gap system, where each DL is responsible for covering two gaps instead of just the gap in front of them so the LBs behind them can be free to run and make plays (only have to take on tight ends and backs). That means the DL doesn't attack/penetrate because it has to make sure it is covering those gaps.

Phillips preferred for his DL to attack a gap and either force the offense to use multiple blockers to stop the penetration or the DL gets into the backfield to make the play. He used a one-gap system like is mostly played in the 4-3. The negative of doing that is if the offense is able to outsmart the penetration, maybe let one player charge upfield when the play is going to the other side, it can free up a blocker to go get a linebacker and possibly break a big play.

Parker says his 3-4 sets use gap-and-a-half. I don't know if that is the same as Phillips or a little bit different. I know Philly liked to put the OLBs out wide and make the offense have to extend itself to block them, so maybe that's what he means.

Despite that, we'll mostly be in nickel fronts because this is a passing league, so we'll mainly have four linemen on the field, a couple of true linebackers and five defensive backs. I do like the possibility that we could use some fronts that start out looking like a 4-3 but transition to a 3-4, but I don't know how that will work out personnelwise. If whoever starts out at LB and moves up to the line can't play LB well or isn't much of a pass rusher, then that would tip our hand on what we're going to do when he's out there. Offenses would be like, "Oh, they're lined up in a 4-3, but so-and-so obviously is a pass rusher, so we know he's going to rush. They're not fooling anybody."