My Blueprint for the Defense

mayoclinic said:

I've been hoping the Pats would re-sign Morris, who was cut for physical reasons. If he's healthy, he's got a nice skill set. I'm hoping that Darius Fleming will seize the 5th LB spot, but I'd love to see Morris on the PS, as you suggest.

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mayoclinic said:

OTG on the Worthy trade:

http://www.fanaticalyankee.com/patriots-pandemonium/patriots-trade-for-wolf-defender-jerel-worthy

Personally, I'm a huge fan of this trade, and I'm rooting hard for Worthy to make it, though I recognize that the kids has had issues and it may not happen. But despite some technique and effort questions, Worthy has real talent. He was mis-used in GB and had injuries. The light may never go on, but if it does and he proves coachable, then he could be a real steal. Combine Joe Vellano's grit and effort with Worthy's talent and you would really have something.

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At 6-foot-2, 308, Worthy’s strength and quickness are what entice. The injury history and the pre-draft belief that he had a tepid effort level are what concern. Ideally, Worthy becomes a fast inside contributor who could be paired up inside with Dominique Easley to terrorize. But that’s a long, long way away.

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Revisit the first round of the 2012 draft and see if you agree with this: If teams could do it again, Patriots defensive end/outside linebacker Chandler Jones would be a top 10 pick.Andrew Luck, Russell Wilson, Luke Kuechly, Dontari Poe, Alshon Jeffery, Lavonte David, Bobby Wagner and Matt Kalil would go before him, and maybe Doug Martin, Mark Barron, Nick Folesand Alfred Morris are in the mix too. But Jones isn't far off, and he's still ascending. The Patriots take their fair share of criticism for missed draft picks, but I’m not sure they get enough credit for the ones they do hit, like Jones (21st overall).

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captain stone said:

That's an awful lot of inexperience - and in the case of LB, not an awful lot of talent - for our
backup defenders.
The Kelly release I can understand if the injuries to Siliga & Chris Jones are not IR/DFR-worthy.
But if Bill is starting the season with only Buchanan, Zach Moore & Jake the Fake (ugh) as our
backup DEs, then I foresee another 95%-snap season for both Ninko & Chandler Jones.
And Bill is releasing Mister Anderson early to make room for…who exactly? I wouldn't give even a
conditional 7th-rounder for the rest of them. There goes Bill being penny-wise but pound-foolish
again, to our detriment.

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mayoclinic said:

The Pats have made substantial changes to the back end of their defense with the acquisitions of Darrelle Revis and Brandon Browner, but have yet to address the front end. They've passed up a lot of options in free agency.

Thinking more about what a defensive front end would look like that would create the greatest potential, I keep thinking conceptually of a 5 man "base" DL with a NT flanked by 2 "3 techs" flanked by 2 "edge rushers". Seattle used this "Bear" formation quite a bit:

Muth read: The Seahawks and multiple defensive fronts - SBNation.com

Big-T in particular has been a strong proponent of the potential advantageous of overloading on the DL in combination with a dominant secondary. There are several advantages to this approach:

1. It is very strong against the run. With a big NT like Wilfork/Siliga in the middle and 2 DTs on each side flanked by a DE on each side, you have 5 men on the line and terrific run stopping ability.

2. You can generate tremendous pressure up front. You can crash either or both 3-tech with a big NT like Wilfork or Siliga to plug the middle, as well as create pressure from the edges.

3. You have terrific versatility to morph into various hybrid fronts, including 4 man, 3 man, and semi-ameboid formations.

However, this approach puts pressure on the LBs, who must be able to cover a lot of ground and be effective in coverage. The emergence of Jamie Collins is one of the keys in allowing this kind of approach to be effective, but another rangy coverage LB is needed.

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mayoclinic said:

That is an awful lot of inexperience, though the Pats have a pretty solid core of experience in their starting group: Wilfork, Mayo, McCourty and Ninkovich have all been team captains, Revis, Browner and Arrington are solid veterans. Jones and Hightower aren't too green anymore. But there's a ton of youngsters behind them.

I am looking to the cutdowns for at least one more veteran, and hopefully a DE.

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captain stone said:

Their depth is a mile wide & an inch thick, except maybe at CB. I can't believe that Will Smith was
released but not Bequette. Who honestly believes that Jake the Fake will help more than the Fresh Prince would've? I also hope that the injuries to Siliga & Chris Jones aren't severe enough to land them on a Reserve list, so that we won't have to be subjected to another year of the turnstile that is Joey Vellano.
And don't give up yet on Jerel Worthy, Bill. Let's give talent a chance, for a change…Ben Bass too.

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mayoclinic said:

Lusuxdk suggested bringing the 5-2 conversation back up, especially with the acquisition of Jerel Worthy, so I quoted this post from March. See page 46 of this thread for where the conversation begins.

Worthy is still largely an unknown quantity, but I agree that he has the potential to make the 5-2 a very interesting front for the Pats. The front 7 would look something like this:

Ninkovich/Hightower - Worthy - Wilfork - Easley - Cha. Jones
Hightower/Ninkovich - Vellano - Siliga - Chr. Jones - Buchanan

Collins - Mayo
Fleming-Hightower

That kind of line could generate tremendous pressure inside and out, and be very strong against the run. Collins and Mayo have the range to cover the second level, especially with a very strong secondary to back them up. In sub packages the NT would come out in most situations, leaving Worth and Easley inside to generate pressure. Worthy's ability to anchor against the run but to penetrate makes him particularly intriguing in this role. Move Ninkovich/Hightower over the TE and stand them up and shift the DTs a step or two and you have a 4-3 Under. I think that Worthy has the potential to be a 4-3 Under LDE.

If Worthy develops, it could make things extremely interesting. I think that Worthy has similar talent to Stephon Tuitt (another talented but inconsistent player once projected as a top 15 pick), who many people wanted this year, though they are obviously different players in some respects.

Again, this is all very speculative at this point, but it's an interesting line of thought.

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manxman2601 said:

I'm curious. What is the difference between a 5-2 and a one gapping 3-4? Your example above looks not dissimilar to the way they've been lining up in pre-season.

As for Jerel Worthy, I'm yet to be convinced by him. My memories from him as a draft prospect was that if he won on the snap of the ball then he was a serious threat, but the moment he got blocked, he was a wash-out. Of course, my memory isn't always that great and I'm still looking forward to seeing how he'll do.

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mayoclinic said:

My ideal would be a base defense that can morph seamlessly between a 5-2, 4-3 Under, and one-gapping 3-4 without changing personnel:

- Fairly even spacing with 2 3-Techs flanking a NT and a DE on the outside playing with his hand in the dirt = 5-2. Both DT's are used mainly to generate interior pressure.

- Same personnel with one "DE" moved over to stand up over the TE as a SAM and one "3-Tech" moved to become the LDE, along with a little shifting = 4-3 Under. The LDE must be able to set the edge and support the run effectively, and take on blockers with some 2-gap capability.

- Same personnel with both "DEs" standing up and both "3-Techs" as ends = one gapping 3-4.

- Take out the NT or one of the "3-Techs" and add an extra DB and you have the basic 4-2 or 3-3 sub package, which we'll be in 2/3 of the time.

I have to see a lot more of Worthy and how he adapts to the Pats and develops before passing judgment, but I'm certainly intrigued by his talent level and skill set.

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Marqui said:

After rewatching the Giants game, I'm confident Worthy will make the team. He was consistently disruptive and anchored against the run well verses NYs starters. He did have one bad play on the 4th and short run at mid-field.

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Marqui said:

Well, I was way off on Worthy. Between him and Kelly and them keeping Vellano, I officially have no idea what the Pats look for in a DL.

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mayoclinic said:

Me too. I thought Worthy would stick. Very disappointed.

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With Kelcy Quarles, NFL teams will love the versatility he provides upfront as a potential shade nose tackle or 3-technique across four man fronts. Doing an outstanding job of fitting his hands off the snap and bench-pressing blockers away from his frame, Quarles creates distance from the blocker to read and react at a high level. More importantly, Quarles showcases plus vision for the football and the instincts to be an every down playmaker on the defensive line.

As a backfield disruptor, it was Kelcy Quarles and not Jadeveon Clowney, who led the Gamecocks in tackles for loss (13.5) and sacks (9.5) this past season. Although big and lined up most often at the 1-technique position, Quarles can win in a multitude of ways as a pass rusher. As noted earlier, Quarles displays excellent quarterback vision and read-react skills due to his arm balance or ability to play with locked out arms. Whether he’s collapsing the interior with a bull rush or disengaging with a counter move, Quarles’ game is predicated on winning the initial hand positioning off the snap.

Quarles could stand to trim up his midsection and improve his stamina, as he does not often play more than two or three consecutive series. Still, even with his top-heavy frame, I’m impressed with the lateral movement skills and balance exhibited while working off blockers. Directing the action at the point of attack, Quarles active and powerful hands enable him to consistently win one-on-one situations against the run. As for facing double teams, Quarles routinely turned his shoulders and failed to prevent movement to the second level. In these instances, I question whether or not Quarles is a true 1-technique or if his quickness and playmaking skills are best suited at the 3-technique. Each draft grade is fluid, but at this preliminary stage I’d characterize Kelcy Quarles as a late 2nd round prospect.

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mayoclinic said:

IMO Eric Galko of Optimum Scouting had the best report on Quarles:

http://optimumscouting.com/draft/ar...aiming-for-top-100-picks-after-declaring.html

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Marqui said:

Sounds like a lighter version of Siliga.

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Strengths: Often an overwhelming presence at the point of attack for blockers…Took over games for stretches…If he fires his hands, he can dominate at the point of attack, extend hands to separate, and find the ball with plus instincts…Tons of raw power in his hands and upper body…Always locates the football in a timely fashion…Accelerates to close down the line of scrimmage well as a run defender…Can chase down plays in the open field…Flashes of brilliance anchoring a double and holding his gaps if he keeps his feet on the ground…Walks interior pass blockers into the lap of quarterbacks, churns his legs…Has devastating hit ability when he gets to the ball or to quarterbacks…Plays with youthful exuberance, never stops pursuing.

Weaknesses: Small hands, average length, and lighter than most defensive tackle prospects…Odd body type, very top heavy…Struggles to maintain balance, ends up on the ground, either his chest or back, too often…Has too much bad weight for a tackle under 300 pounds…Disheartening combine performance with poor jumps and poor 10-yard split…Unorthodox style in terms of technique…Inconsistent pad level into contact…More of a snap anticipator than a tackle with an explosive get-off…Jumps into the neutral zone too often…Unable to split gaps and doesn’t make enough plays in the backfield…Inconsistent handling of double-teams…No discernable pass-rush moves, wholly reliant on power rushes…Doesn’t have an obvious positional fit.

Overall:

Kelcy Quarles was one of the surprise entries among underclassmen. He probably could have even used another year at the college level. That isn’t to say he’s a bad prospect, he’s just very raw. Quarles will be behind in terms of technique, hand usage, and pad level when he gets in an NFL camp. For him, the game came easy at through his reckless playing style and high effort. He’s the type of player who could run through a brick wall and not know he did it. Many opposing centers were that brick wall.

Don’t let Quarles’ statistics fool you as to his true production. A lot of his sacks came from blitz packages or other stunts where attention was put elsewhere. More simply put, the production Jadeveon Clowney should have had got shifted over to Quarles. In fact, Quarles is a bit limited as a pass rusher and will have to adjust to interior blockers that can anchor his power rush as an NFL player.

That’s where scheme fit comes in. As a whole, Quarles doesn’t fit any prototype. Not many teams are willing to play a 297 pound tackle on the nose, where he played for the Gamecocks. He’s not explosive enough through gaps to be a highly effective 3 technique either. Something has to give, because Quarles has too much room for growth to pass on more than twice. With more technical refinement, and hopefully a few added pounds of muscle mass, Quarles could be groomed into a 4-3 1 technique. He’s the type of defensive tackle you want to put across from the center and let him wreak havoc at the point.

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