We are a 3-4 Unit

[ABQCOWBOY]

Think about the great 34 teams of the past. Do our LBs match up with those great teams?

Cowboys - DeWare, Akin Ayodele, Bradie James, Greg Ellis

vs

Giants -Harry Carson, Pepper Johnson, Carl Banks and LT

Falcons - Joel Williams, Fulton Kuykendall, Al Richardson, Buddy Curry

Saints - Ricky Jackson, Sam Mills, Pat Swilling, Vaugh Johnson

Steelers - Greg Loyd, Levon Kirkland, Jason Gildon, Kevin Green

Ravens - Peter Boulware, Ray Lewis, Jamie Sharper, Edge Hartwell

Pats - Teddy Bruschi, Ted Johnson, Mike Vrabel, Willie McGinest

Carolina - Michael Barrow, Sam Mills, Lamar Lathom, Kevin Green

Are there any that I'm missing? If you look at the LBs playing for these teams, do we match up?

I think we have to improve our LBing crew if we want to be a great defense.

 

[Woods]

If Z Thomas is 100%, we are just fine at the LB position, IMO.

 

[CF74]

How 'bout the present?

http://www.nfl.com/teams/sandiegochargers/depthchart?team=SD

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

If Z Thomas is 100%, we are just fine at the LB position, IMO.

I don't know how long that will last, even if he is healthy. We need to upgrade the LBs.

 

[the kid 05]

boss bailey is avaliable, id say lets go after him but we just drafted SPencer

 

[Rack]

Think about the great 34 teams of the past. Do our LBs match up with those great teams?

Cowboys - DeWare, Akin Ayodele, Bradie James, Greg Ellis

vs

Giants -Harry Carson, Pepper Johnson, Carl Banks and LT

Falcons - Joel Williams, Fulton Kuykendall, Al Richardson, Buddy Curry

Saints - Ricky Jackson, Sam Mills, Pat Swilling, Vaugh Johnson

Steelers - Greg Loyd, Levon Kirkland, Jason Gildon, Kevin Green

Ravens - Peter Boulware, Ray Lewis, Jamie Sharper, Edge Hartwell

Pats - Teddy Bruschi, Ted Johnson, Mike Vrabel, Willie McGinest

Carolina - Michael Barrow, Sam Mills, Lamar Lathom, Kevin Green

Are there any that I'm missing? If you look at the LBs playing for these teams, do we match up?

I think we have to improve our LBing crew if we want to be a great defense.

All the bolded ones had better groups than what we have.


The blue one was only together for one year, and I don't even think Hartwell was a starter that year.


The red one... you kidding me? "Solid" is what describes that group, no way do they belong in the discussion of "best 3-4 LBing groups of all time". Neither does the cowboys group for that matter. We've got Ware ... the rest are solid at best.

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

All the bolded ones had better groups than what we have.


The blue one was only together for one year, and I don't even think Hartwell was a starter that year.


The red one... you kidding me? "Solid" is what describes that group, no way do they belong in the discussion of "best 3-4 LBing groups of all time". Neither does the cowboys group for that matter. We've got Ware ... the rest are solid at best.

I never said the greatest of all time but if you can think of some better 34 LB groups, I'm fine with that. I said the great 34 teams. However, I will say that those LBs for Baltimore were still better then what we have. In truth, your probably right about Hartwell. Having said that, the best group of LBs, in a 34, for the Ravens were probably Lewis, Boulware, Hartwell and Thomas. That group of LBs is still light years better then what we have.

As for NE, well, I can't agree with you. You can call them solid, and that's fine. However, they have accomplished a great deal. They have won championships. They are, IMO, a much better group then what we have.

At the end of the day, if you look at our LBs and say that they are better then any of the ones on this list, then fine. I wil tell you that I don't agree. All of the groups on this list are better then what we currently have. Every one of them.

 

[Yakuza Rich]

If they play like they did in 2007, I'm more than satisfied with Ware and James.

Ellis better off as a situational pass rusher. If Spencer develops into the OLB I think he can be (a 8+ sack OLB who is decent in coverage and good against the run), and Zach Thomas is healthy, then this is a pretty lethal group with Ellis coming off the bench. For the future they'll need to find somebody to take over for Thomas, but I think in Wade's 1 gap scheme that's not nearly as hard as it would be in Parcells/Zimmer's 2 gap scheme which requires 260 pound linebackers who can cover.




YAKUZA

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

If they play like they did in 2007, I'm more than satisfied with Ware and James.

Ellis better off as a situational pass rusher. If Spencer develops into the OLB I think he can be (a 8+ sack OLB who is decent in coverage and good against the run), and Zach Thomas is healthy, then this is a pretty lethal group with Ellis coming off the bench. For the future they'll need to find somebody to take over for Thomas, but I think in Wade's 1 gap scheme that's not nearly as hard as it would be in Parcells/Zimmer's 2 gap scheme which requires 260 pound linebackers who can cover.




YAKUZA

I agree. I mean, I think that part of the issue is that we have a quality guy in Spencer behind Ellis. We need to bring in young talent to develop.

 

[Big Country]

boss bailey is avaliable, id say lets go after him but we just drafted SPencer

Boss Bailey is a small 4-3 linebacker... pass

 

[BAT]

Some other successful 3-4 LB units:

Atlanta Falcons: Darion Connor, Jesse Tuggle, Pierce Holt, Chuck Smith

Arizona Cardinals: Ken Harvey, E.J. Junior, Garth Jax, Freddie Joe Nunn

New Orleans Saints: Rickey Jackson, Sam Mills, Reynaldo Turnbull, Pat Swilling

New England Patriots: Andre Tippett, Vince Brown, Johnny Rembert, Chris Singleton/ Willie McGinest, Ted Johnson, Ted Bruschi, Chris Slade

Pittsburg Steelers: Kevin Greene, Hardy Nickerson, Levon Kirkland, Greg Lloyd (Chad Brown_backup)

Green Bay Packers: Tim Harris, Johnny Holland, Brian Noble, Tony Bennett

Miami Dolphins: Jason Taylor, Zach Thomas, Junior Seau, David Bowens_Backups: Channing Crowder, Matt Roth


Some of the best front seven 3-4 Ds:

Buffalo Bills: Darryl Talley, Shane Conlan, Carlton Bailey, Cornelius Bennett (DE Bruce Smith) / Bryce Paup, Chris Spielman, Sam Rogers, Cornelius Bennett (DE Bruce Smith, NT Ted Washington, DE Phil Hansen_backup DE Jim Jeffcoat)

Denver Broncos: Simon Fletcher, Mike Croel, Karl Mecklenburg, Michael Brooks (NT Greg Kragen) (Tom Jackson also played w/most of this group)

San Francisco 49ers: Charles Haley, Pierce Holt, Bill Romanowski, Tim Harris (DE Dana Stubblefield, NT Ted Washington)

Kansas City Chiefs: Derrick Thomas, Percy Snow, Dino Hackett (DE Neil Smith, NT Dan Saleamua)


IMO, if you want a great 3-4 D, then at least one of your DL has to be a dominant pass rusher.

 

[speedkilz88]

Boss Bailey is a small 4-3 linebacker... pass

I think Bailey and Burnett are basically the same guy.

 

[gollum]

We aren't in the same solar system as the Giants crew. That was an amazing group.