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I think that whatever we end up seeing will be a lot more "fluid" than "standard" alignments.This is a pretty simplistic statement but I think it'll all come down to BB keeping the best defensive players and that is what will drive the scheme and the formations.
As of right now the best interior DTs are Pennel, Guy, Butler and Shelton. I guess Guy and Butler could play more DE in the 3-4. Shelton and Pennel seem more pure NT to me. Those are the best 4 players.
Clearly Wise and Bennett are not DTs but more of your 275lb DE. They seem more 4-3 DE and maybe could be 3-4 DE a few times a game.
IMO the strength is the LBs. High, Bentley, Collins and Roberts are more "inside" guys but High and Collins can play outside.
KVN, Chase, Rivers, Simon and Calhoun seem more OLB dime DEs to me.
So.....I guess I'm in the camp as saying they'll have the personnel to play 3-4 or 4-3- depending on the matchup. I don't see BB committing one way or the other.
Like I said in a previous post we should start to get away from defining players from strict position definitions like who is a FS vs a SS, even to the point where CB's will play all over the field, and it gets even worse at LB and edge players. Is a guy like Winovich a DE or OLB, same goes for Rivers and the rest of the guys playing out there.
Trying to define what's happening in this defense would be exhausting if we had to limit ourselves to those preconceived position descriptions.
Looks to me like BB is taking the NEXT step in the evolution of defenses to combat the high powered passing attacks under the current rules of engagement. In an age where 70% completion rates are becoming the norm defenses HAD to change something, and like we've seen many times over the last 20 years, the Pats will lead the way.