I think Boland wrote that the Jets have the right to interview him next week after the game provided the Ravens give us the OK, like we were able to interview Russ Grimm this week despite the Cards still being in the playoffs. Pace played 4-3 DE from 2003 - 2006 his stats beg to differ on that point. Secondly, I'd argue that Jenkins, Harris, Ellis, Coleman and Barton fit the 3-4 very well; Coleman and Harris more so than a 4-3 for that matter.
I think you are forgetting the lack of LBs the Jets have to run a 3-4. Harris could play middle, but there is no one else to play on the outside. 3-4 OLBS are too tall to play 4-3 OLB. They are too tall and very susceptible to being cut. They also tend to lack the lateral agility to cover well.
Huh? You guys moved Kiwinuka to OLB and he's like 6'7. If you can play linebacker you can play linebacker. DeMarcus Ware can play 4-3 OLB if they asked him to, and he probably has . One of the big things about the 3-4 is that you get 4 linebackers on a field. And yes, I realize many 3-4 OLB's are usually college DE's. That just helps their versatility then... Parcells said it when he drafted Ware...he wasn't drafting Ware to be LT he was drafting him to make him a linebacker. Something like that.
FYP. Also, I have to disagree with you on the point of Harris. He's too slow to play MLB. His 40 time at the combine was 4.59, and that was when he was only 245 lbs. He's not suited to be alone in the middle, he's much more suited to play outside, probably on the strong side.
I think your appraisal here is a tad off. The Giants do run some plays that are akin to a 3-4. However the plays Spags runs are a far cry away from running a 3-4 as a base defense. Kiwanuka only played LB because the Giants wanted to put their best players (their pass-rushers) on the field. Kiwi was not effective in coverage and he was played up near the line of scrimmage. It wasn't a matter of making a DE an LB because he needs to learn to cover; it was a matter of putting the best possible personnel on the field. Ryan's transition would be far smoother than Spag's as he would not need to change defensive schemes. Spag's system also places a lot of pressure on the secondary as he leaves CBs on islands a lot. This doesn't require shutdown CBs (like Revis, though having him in the secondary certainly doesn't hurt) but it does require players that can at least jam well and cover long enough for the pass rush to get home. I don't think Lowery/Law/Coleman/Poteat can do this well enough to let Spags run the blitzes he enjoys running. I think Spags will be great, but this is only once he gets his system and the correct personnel in place. Ryan is the better for choice for the team right now.
If we were going to move to a 4-3 we'd have to get some more personnel. I think Harris could play strongside, Pace could play weakside, and we'd draft someone in the middle. Crazy? Maybe, but if you get someone in the middle that can cover and really just play MLB...say a Ray Lewis...that wouldn't look too different from other 4-3's like the Eagles and Seahawks. Alright...a little different, but it could work. We'd still need a DT and more pass rushers...I could dig that...which is why I don't mind Spags. I think Spags can work pretty well here actually...
Putting Kiwi at LB always confused me, I think their logic was to try and keep their best pass rushers on the field as much as possible. If I'm remembering this defense correctly there are two things that stuck out from time-to-time: 1) Tuck also saw the field frequently as a DT with Strahan and Osi playing DE while Kiwi played LB. 2) Kiwi was never that good as a LB to the point where he was the best option for that position.
are you guys serious. He is interviewing for the jet job monday either in baltimore or here. If they get knocked out he comes to New York, its not tampering and its been all over the paper. Spags has interviewed for a minimum of two jobs already and the giants are very much in playoffs, Russ Grimm too. I am amazed sometimes by items you guys don't know about.
Kiwinuka could have grown into it. Dude was a great college DE that started off as a DE in the pros. Probably not going to make a smooth transition. The Eagles have tall LBers in Bradley and Gocong, who we tried to draft in '06 but they beat us to him. Those were two guys Mangini also had heavy interest in, especially Gocong. The Eagles beat us to him, he had a couple bumpy years, and now he's flourishing. So...yea. I actually think we could transition to a decent 4-3 front pretty quickly. It's more a matter getting the linemen in, and finding a player like Vilma again lol. One of the 3-4's strengths is that you can get a 4-3 D out of it. A good 4-3 can get a 3-4 out of theirs, but most have to work really hard for that. Only a few teams can really do that.
Kiwi came in at end frequently because Strahan would line up at DT as well. I also don't know how much of an LB you could call Kiwi as he was rarely more than 5 yards from the LOS. In terms of the rationale behind the move it was half putting the best players on the field, half not having any other real viable option at SAM.
Kiwi never played like a true SAM. He sucked at covering TEs and he was often up at the LOS. Being a great 3-4 LB does not equate to being good in a 4-3. The inverse holds true too. See Vilma for evidence.
The Eagles use these tall LBs to run blitz a lot as their dline is small and fast, they need more meat to stop the run. NFL Playbook has a great special about this, if you care to dig up the video at nfl.com. I also doubt Kiwi makes a good LB ever, at least not a true one. He's a downhill player. I saw him play and improve at LB as the 2007 season went on, the best plays he ever made were sacks and against the run. His pass coverage never was anything to write home about.
Yea, but this was a convo about how height in 3-4 OLBs might affect their play. A good linebacker is a good linebacker. You hope your 3-4 OLBs become good linebackers. Good ones like Ware, Merriman, and Suggs can do just that.
The biggest issue with Shotty Jr. is the same with Mangini. He's a young, inexperienced guy. Does he have the connections to bring in a good coordinator? Does he also have the confidence to not worry about having his potential replacement on his staff?
Looks like Woody wants to marry a virgin. Problem is, the best coach this team had in 30 years was Parcells, the biggest whore in the history of the sport.
