italia44

This is a 1st and 2nd down defense.On 3rd down Tedy/Hobson/Seau would be removed anyway,as the pats would go into a nickle or dime pkg to combat the long pass.

Box_O_Rocks

I'm behind in my viewing, I have the Iggle's taped, but have been too busy with the new home to watch it. That said:

I don't see Woods or Redd in an ILB role, Pierre's size is fine (he's Ted Johnson size), but he's been developed as an edge player and I've not seen anything to suggest they're ready to move him inside. Redd looked promising in the first two games playing on the edge - I don't see him making the roster, losing him to a waiver claim would suck, but that's the NFL.

You're looking for someone to play Strong ILB behind Bruschi, that was Adalius' role last season before Colvin went down. Vrabel can also fill in. For that matter Mayo and Guyton could be cross-trained for both inside slots by mid-season. If Crable and Woods continue to develop outside, things aren't so bad.

Alexander is better suited for the 3-5-3 you're projecting, he's an okay coverage LB, he's just not a comfort for us when he's asked to stuff the run.

Hobson, only BB knows. I'm willing to try and find him a roster spot to continue learning the ILB role, he's okay depth outside and on Special Teams - I just think the numbers are going to work against him in the end.

Having a couple-three or so rookies showing up isn't a bad start - it could be worse.

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italia44

I think this is getting too conveluted.I'm saying Vrabel and Thomas can switch to the STRONG side,where Mayo is now,not Bruschi.Tedy was there when Seau was in the Will position.

The problem is on the weak side.Behind Tedy is Alexander and Hobson.Whoever is on the weak side,BB is using this hybrid or 3-5-3 to compensate and to use as an interior run and pass blitzer.

I'm not proposing Redd,but,Guyton and Woods at this RILB position.We have many options,like Vrabel,Thomas and Tedy at LILB,but,only Guyton or Seau at RILB.

Woods is being wasted as being only a pass rush OLB,we need size and speed at RILB,not on the strong side.

Guyton and Woods are a better option than Alexander and Hobson.This works because of the hybrid position filled by Harrison and Lynch.

Watch the iggles game....you'll see that Bruschi and Mayo are set up closer together than normal in a 3-4 set.The key is the hybrid....this safety is not aligned to the weak side or the strong side,but in the middle,at the head of a triangle.
This allows any of the three,Bruschi,Mayo or
Lynch to attack the interior gap of the offense.

This is a 3-5-3 because all three are aligned as middle LB's.BB is attacking the offense,especially the W.Coast variety in the middle,rather than on the edges,which is normal for a 3-4 defense.

That's what is different and that's why I prefer Guyton and Woods on the inside.

JSn

Italia, you're one of those poster's I always read. Great insights.

For the reasons cited above and the odds of seeing this formation a lot, I think Alexander disappears from the mix. I sure hope Guyton is a lock for the 53. These set-ups will tear O-Lines up at their strongest point, which will be amazing to watch if it clicks. I think if it disguises well, it could also lead to a good number of sacks in PAP's. Does that make sense?

italia44

It does to me......I'm convinced that BB wants to attack from the inside.Off. Cood. have figured out the 3-4.We attack from the edges with our OLB's and this gets you sacks,but as BB has always said:
"It's not sacks,but pressure that is more important".

JMarr

Haven't read this entire thread, but the hybrid LB/3-5-3 (whatever you want to call it) experiment is just that--nothing more than something BB is dabbling with to see how it might work out/evolve. He is not committed to it by any means, regardless of the Tank Williams and John Lynch signings IMO

Tank Williams was a good offseason signing and solid acquisition for the defense. Lynch was signed only after Johnson went down AND Merriweather to hurt, and added much needed veteran depth and insurance at safety. (How incredibly f**ed would we have been if Rodney got hurt and Merriweather was slow coming back without a guy like Lynch on the roster?)

If this "novel" defensive scheme were something that BB is putting alot of stock into going into the season, he definitely wouldn't be tipping his hand like this in the preseason so that other teams can prepare to exploit it. Sure, if it works it will be used (rarely would be my guess). But it won't be a staple of the D, unless teams prove to be unable to do anything to counteract it. (not likely)

italia44

Well,I strongly disagree.This is not an experiment.When Tank went down,BB immediately replaced him with Lynch.There is no other reason to do this.We don't need Lynch as a Safety>But,we do need him for this hybrid position.

Also,this defense is the ONLY thing we have been using differently in practice and preseason.Everything else has been pure vanilla 3-4.

I'm telling you......when you see a defense on 1st and 2nd down,that has 2 strong safety's and 1 free safety,it's a major change

JMarr

True--my bad. But I really think that if Belichick is planning on this being regularly thrown out there, i.e. our "changeup"/secret weapon/new wrinkle--whatever you want to call it, he wouldn't be showing it in games yet.

italia44

Belichick doesn't care what offense the other team is running.When the 1st string has been out there,he's practicing this defense.
He's not hiding anything..he's just doing what he thinks they need to work on.

Win or lose,he could care less

AzPatsFan

This is an interesting discussion. Bruschi has traditionally been a RILB or WILB. But when newcomers appeared over the last few years, he moved over to LILB or SILB on the strongside, where he could call the Defense and formations.

But that hurt Bruschi's play. He isn't a TJ run stuffer; nor big enough for that duty. We lost some of his inside blitzing ability, as that usually comes from the WILB. He lost some zone pass coverage responsibility, where his quick diagnosis skills shined; in exchange for immediate coverage on the TE, and he is too slow for that job.

But Seau would be worse, so Bruschi became the Mike SILB, by default. IMHO, the proper position for Bruschi and Mayo is WILB, (and Guyton too). The idea of adapting Woods to swing inside and outside duty is intriguing. Let him get comfortable as a OLB first.

Next years draft will have lots of big, fast, good, run-stuffing SILB's. BB will get one or two.