castlelong1

We saw variations of it before.

With knew passer friendly rules, more and more teams are going with 3 wide (or a pass catching TE which is almost the same thing.)

We've had Dom Davis playing Safety and Rodney is almost a LB sometimes. Merriweather is a CB/S hybrid. Am I alone thinking he will be the "Nickel Safety" as a heavy 3-3-5 becomes more of a base than the 3-4? (In a 3-4 in obvious running situations he is a saftey.)

patsfaninpa

If Rodney were a younger man might work great. 3 lb's would be Thomas, Mayo and Vrabel. Not sure Rodney has the recovery speed to support run and get back into coverage. There are a couple of thumpers at S in college this year I'll be watching. Mays kid from USC.And, Nick Harris-OU. They might be able to fill that role.

BradyManny

I think we saw some of this last year, did we not? I think what we saw a lot in passing situations is what I understand to be a cover 3 with the FS (Sanders, until Meriweather got some starts in the playoffs), covering the deep middle, and the corners protecting the other two thirds. It allowed Harrison to come up into the box, either to cover a TE (ie, Indy, SD, Cowboys games), blitz or be a factor in run D.

Will we see more of this? Perhaps...I would speculate that having a speedier LB corps, ie, Mayo & Hobson entering the rotation, would allow the team to stay a little bit bigger by keeping their LBs on the field, and using Rodney less in the LB role.

Meriweather at FS next season is the big difference, IMO. Sanders doesn't have nearly the speed or the range, and having a speedy guy like Meriweather back there could really have a huge impact on the defense's success.

Another thing that could make the D a lot more effective is now that AD has a year's experience in the system and has learned the ability to play WOLB and SILB (right?), and you have versatile LBs like Hobson and Mayo, they will be able to disguise where the rush is coming from better, and rush up the middle. Capers is associated with heavy zone blitzes based on my understanding, it wouldn't be a surprise to see BB adopt some of that, and use Adalius as the key man in keeping team's OLs off balance, much the way the NYG did to us.

satz

No way we can do this more . We can do it thrid down and Long but in that case i want more blitz packages so want 4-5 LB coming in.

In a 3-3-5 you will have 2 gaurds coming clean into the backfield and a RB behind them .So in effect if you can load a side with WR and they even throw a block you are now asking 190 lb CB to stop a 220LB RB and setting them up for injury or a TD run. You also expect a LB to pursue and track down a RB in track.TOO much of a risk.

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alvinnf

They love the 3-3-5, were going to see more of it. Last year most of their pressure packages were done from the big nickel. Plus with a potent offense once you get up it's allot easier to test another teams patience by bringing another safety onto the field. I especially love seeing richard over the nose on third down w/ JG on the outside talk about match up nightmare.....

WhiZa

I like it. 5 DBs and let Rodney roam where ever he feels like

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castlelong1

Good point about being up and daring them to run.

jays52

I would argue that front six should be comprised of Green, Seymour, Vrabel, AD, Mayo and Rodney. Rodney's a linebacker in speed now and should be allocated as such. The db's being Meriweather and Sanders over the top. Hobbs and Bryant on the edges with Wheatley in the slot.

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BradyManny

No Ty Warren?

Other than that, I agree with your personnel listed and how they are used...but I think Mayo, Hobson, AD, Vrabel, these guys with versatility can be used to disguise where the rush is coming from more than when we had the AD-Vrabel-Seau-Bruschi LB corps at the end of last season when Colvin went down.

dhamz

I would see almost no chance this becomes the Pats base defense as the OP asked.

It is one of the many situational packages the Pats have played in the past and I would expect they will do so again in the future when the situation calls for it.