Would this team be better with a Cover-2 Scheme?

[Yakuza Rich]

Yeah i guess your right, but i disagree with us having slow linebackers.

Ware, and Burnett would be great outside backers in the Tampa-2 scheme.

Ware would be a DE in the 4-3. James is a bit on the slow side. Ayodele is a slow LB. Burnett has decent speed, but he's not nearly as fast as your typical WLB or MLB in the 4-3/Cover 2. Guys like Omar Gaither, Thomas Davis, London-Fletcher-Baker are noticeably faster than Burnett. Not to mention I don't think Burnett is very good to begin with. I'd really like to see us pick up Lance Briggs who could take over for Ayodele and Burnett as he doesn't need to come off the field in our nickel and dime packages.




YAKUZA

 

[Clove]

Just throwing it out there. Obviously we would need to change Defensive coaches to do this, but i was thinking last night, and it didn't seem so bad.

Better than 13-2?

 

[Yakuza Rich]

Great post Rich... But, I disagree on Ferguson. I don't see him returning as a starter for this team. And the chance is even greater that you won't see Ratliff as coming off of the bench for this team any time soon-- he's a starter for the forseeable future, be it for Spears or in the middle, but the kid is going to remain a starter.

If Fergy is healthy and playing like his old self, I'd love to see him at NT with Tank backing him up, then have Ratliff starting at DE with Spears backing him up. We'd have a very deep D-Line that is formidable with Canty, Fergy, and Ratliff starting.

While Ratliff has played very well this year, I think that starting corp would be better than the starting corp of Spears, Canty, and Ratliff is right now. I think people forget how well Fergy played last season despite being in Zimmer's crap-ola scheme. I think Ratliff has done a helluva job, but as he's gotten more playing time he's not as effective in the nickel and dime as he was last year. I think he should definitely be a starter, but adding Fergy to the lineup would probably cut down Ratliff's snaps just enough to get the optimal performance from him.

You can never have too much depth.



YAKUZA

 

[Clove]

If Fergy is healthy and playing like his old self, I'd love to see him at NT with Tank backing him up, then have Ratliff starting at DE with Spears backing him up. We'd have a very deep D-Line that is formidable with Canty, Fergy, and Ratliff starting..

This would be an allstar lineup IMO. Ratliff (hard to contain at NT, would be unstoppable at DE) Canty = Monster and Ferguson = WALL.

Then bring in Tank and Hatcher while keeping Ratliff in on obvious passing downs. Bring in a fast ILB next to James, I won't discuss the secondary as I don't want to start a bashing debate here.