Hoping someone much smarter than me will have some insight
Last year we switched from a 4-3 to a 3-4 base but made adjustments mid season that helped. I believe I read the players prefer 4-2 and the Lions played a lot of 4-2-5 man
But let’s not pretend that nickle package was remotely successful. Especially with Walker gone. We may has well have not fielded a defense some of those games. Been reading too that Campbell is more of a zone coverage player than man.
So taking a look at the personell just up front
Hutch - 1 gap pass rusher who had better success standing up. Motor of this entire defense
Houston - Nascar package 3rd down specialist. Attack dog witn crazy flexibility
Commish - Strong flexible lineman who can control double teams and play along the line
Paschal - Similar skill set as Commish witn more potential explosiveness off the snap
Buggs - More of a true NT who can line up directly over center
McNeil - Word is he has slimmed down and seems to be a good fit for a pass rushing 1 gap lineman
Martin - Big 2 gap NT. Not much pass rush upside
Levi - Who knows
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I really don’t know. AG has changed his defense so often the past 2 years, and now we have a new D-Line coach, new corner coach and John Fox, who has about 2 decades of experience calling defenses, is in the building. Could be a lot of changes coming.
The element of surprise could be to our advantage next season.
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We ran an odd front last year right? I still think that’s what we’re set up to do. An odd front 1 gap system
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Our “base” is and always has been a 3-4.
AG says our defense is “a 4-3 that plays with 3-4 principles”.
The reason you see as many new DBs as we do this year is precisely because AG couldn’t run nickel the way he wants. AG will have this team in Nickel a BUNCH. The ideal he’s working toward is 4 down linemen (even if one is Hutch standing up) and 5 DBs. The 4-down doesn’t change the 3-4 principles we live by up front.
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Rather than guess think just in secondary what we have compared to what we had during most of last season. Any fan that doesn’t think with are new secondary this will be a lot better D is not watching games.
The DL that so many fans including me felt needed players , but I had said it seems Lions Staff like what we have an will improve if a player is there they like.
Well the did but not on Dline right away. They added a huge LB 6’5" they added maybe best S in the draft to add Branch an Campbell to what we kept an added in FA this team got a lot better big time since last season
Then we added a young NT . If Levi is healthy he is like getting another second rd pick back.
The Dline is not as bad as fans think. The secondary is are best group on D now.
Because of quality of are secondary I can see us keeping 12 on the main roster.
an play a lot of 3 safety.
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Need to add one of the Okwaras.
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Starting with the inside guys…
Benito Jones is a typical 3-4 DE playing 5-tech.
Brodric Martin is a typical 3-4 NT playing 0-tech.
Both can anchor and play 2-gap.
Buggs will float around the inside alignments, but is probably more a 1-gapping space-eater than anything.
McNeil can play anywhere from NT to 5-tech DE (3-4 type DE).
Commish and Paschal can play 7-tech DE (like in a 4-3) or 5-tech DE (like in a 3-4).
Romeo and Hutch are 7-tech to 9-tech DEs (4-3 DE or 3-4 OLB)
Houston, Julian and Harris are 9-techs.
When AG says we play with 3-4 principles, he’s talking about those bigs up front aligning in 1 and 2-gap techniques.
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Can you smell it? It smells like, snif… fear.
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Commish played most of his season with a club. His contract is going to be such a steal.
As far as what we’ll do. I sure hope that we are open to playing a lot of dime. That depends on Tracy making it all the way back of course.
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Barnes may be part of the flamethrower rotation, especially if Jokwara is being talked about Swift-ly…
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That would be smart. It’s what he’s best at.
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I’m expecting a lot more 5-man fronts like we saw at end if season…
Alim, Buggs, Benito, Martin…
Cominsky, Paschal, R Okwara
and Hutch, Houston, Harris
lots of options in that rotation….
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It’s a hybrid. It will have 4-3 looks, 3-4, and 4-2-5 looks.
I suspect the base D will remain 3-4, but, in today’s NFL, that really doesn’t mean much.
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We’ll see. I think we reverted to base out of desperation and will be playing a lot more Nickel.
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If you have some time to do an updated post draft depth chart I think that would be a helpful and popular thread.