How will the Front 6 look next season?
 

Even though we know better, we're again talking more about the base defense than the nickel and dime packages. So to move away from that: What are you expecting for sub package personnel and schemes?

My questions (and answers) start:

1. Should we expect a 4-2-5 nickel?

Sure.

2. Should we expect Mayo to be one of the 2?

Sure. He never comes off the field if BB can help it.

3. Should we expect the DEs to be chosen from (and probably rotated) among Andre' Carter, Chandler Jones, Jake Bequette, and OLBs?

Who else? (I do expect Carter back with the team.)

4. Should we expect the DTs to be a Wilfork/Fanene/Pryor rotation?

Who else, as long as those guys are healthy?

5. Who should we expect as the stand-up LB(s) other than Mayo?

It's tempting to say Dane Fletcher or a big-nickel safety. But I'll say Hightower, in honor of the pre-draft scouting that praises him for stoning receivers before they make a first down.

6. Should we expect a 4-1-6 nickel?

Yes -- interior pass rush is crucial these days. Also, please note the trouble I had naming a second LB for the 4-2-5.

Re: How will the Front 6 look next season?
 

Maybe I'm being picky but I'm not 100% comfortable with that DT rotation. I think they need another impact player there. And I think Belichick wants one too from the way he went hard after Red Bryant early in FA.

Re: How will the Front 6 look next season?
 

THe 4-2-5 might shape up something like this.

SOLB Hightowerk/Ninko/Bequette
DT Wilfork
DT Deaderick/Fanene
Elephant WOLB A. Carter/Chandler Jones

ILB's
Mayo
Spikes

Secondary
McCourty - Wilson/Gregory - Chung - Arrington - Dowling

Re: How will the Front 6 look next season?
 

We have always gone that route, except against teams like Indy where we used 3-3-5 as a base.

Quote:

2. Should we expect Mayo to be one of the 2? Sure. He never comes off the field if BB can help it. 3. Should we expect the DEs to be chosen from (and probably rotated) among Andre' Carter, Chandler Jones, Jake Bequette, and OLBs? Who else? (I do expect Carter back with the team.)

Ton of choices here, although I think Carter is a long shot.
Jones, Bequette, Nink, Hightower, Scott, Cunningham.



Hopefully we have additions coming. Fanene is the only guy in this group that is good in this role.




Nink has played this role too, and Spikes has at times also. Carpenter figures to be considered in this role if he makes the team. I think we are deeper and stronger than ever in this spot.

Quote:

6. Should we expect a 4-1-6 nickel? Yes -- interior pass rush is crucial these days. Also, please note the trouble I had naming a second LB for the 4-2-5.

[/QUOTE]

Well we wont rush 3, so a 3-2-6 would just be disguise and the other LB would be blitzing. As I said, I like our sub LBs better than I have in a while.

Re: How will the Front 6 look next season?
 

I envision our nickle w/ 1 Big DL, 3 DE's and 2 LB's. It's a copy cat league. BB decides to somewhat copy what the Gints have been successful with. However he is not comfortable w/ no big bodies in there, so he leaves in 1 Big DL.

Fanene and Wilfork (gotta play more than just the 50% base formation) will be the primary big DL. The DE's will be a rotation of Jones, Nink, Bequette and Scott. The 2 LB's will be Mayo and Hightower.

1. With the personnel I described Nink could easily stand up for a 3-3, or Hightower can put his hand down for a 5-1. Hightower and Nink give that group some flexibility and I expect BB to play around with it.

3. I don't expect Carter back. Shadow roster b/c he wouldn't be ready week 1 anyways.

4. I think UDFA Marcus Forston has a chance to make the roster and crack that rotation. Big time HS recruit who had injuries in college. Kinda similar to Pryor but I think more explosive. Someone to keep an eye on.

5. Hightower most likely. Although we could potentially put Tarp or White (please no) in there and have Hightower w/ his hand on the ground. This is the one are our LB corps is still lacking.

6. If Barrett can stay healthy and looks good.

Re: How will the Front 6 look next season?
 

On the run - but just wanted to add that that I wouldn't rule out:

deaderick / love / warren / brace

Especially Kyle love - I think he should definitely be in the mix.

Re: How will the Front 6 look next season?
 

In the nickel you generally want your LBs to be faster. Mayo is an obvious choice but the spot next to him in the nickel could be Tracy White or Jeff Tarpinian, at least on third downs anyway.

PS: a "4-1-6" nickel is called a dime ;)

Re: How will the Front 6 look next season?
 

Oopsie on the typo!!

I'm hoping one of the "main" LBs has enough speed/cover ability to stay on the field in sub packages. Otherwise we're talking about Tarpinian or whoever being penciled in for around half of all snaps, which probably is not an ideal outcome.

Re: How will the Front 6 look next season?
 

A couple of the beat writers seem to expect the other LB in sub packages to be a safety, perhaps even Wilson. IIRC, Bedard pretty much said that, and somebody else (or else Bedard in another piece) mentioned Wilson's versatility among CB, S, and LB.

As for the Giants' 3 light DEs scheme -- it takes a fairly special light DE to also be an interior rusher. One or the other pundit seems to think Chandler Jones could do that. I don't know who else would be a good candidate.

I'm thinking that the interior pass rushers are likely to be "big DL", not "little DL".

Edit: Actually, BB sees Jones as an end-of-line player, not interior. Also, he expects to mix odd and even fronts next year.

Re: How will the Front 6 look next season?
 

Highlighting Warren & his value - New England Patriots Blog - ESPN Boston

Warren evidently played a lot of sub DT last year, in Pryor's (and Wright's) absence.