3-4 or 4-3????

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blackbart

blackbart

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With the possibility of having a new DC coming would switch to a 4-3 be in the future for the Rams?

Drafting later are there more players that fit the 4-3 scheme available? We seem to be having problems finding guys to fill that 3-4 OLB position.

How would the change work with the guys we have? Would AD be a DE in that alignment, that might diminish his strengths.

Wagner would be the MLB, who would be the 3rd LB?
 
blackbart said:
With the possibility of having a new DC coming would switch to a 4-3 be in the future for the Rams?

Drafting later are there more players that fit the 4-3 scheme available? We seem to be having problems finding guys to fill that 3-4 OLB position.

How would the change work with the guys we have? Would AD be a DE in that alignment, that might diminish his strengths.

Wagner would be the MLB, who would be the 3rd LB?
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I don't see it.
But, then again.. how often are teams in a "base" defense anymore, anyway?
On passing downs.. the ideal situation is to be able to rush and get pressure with 4 and you can get to that a variety of ways.
 
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Kupped said:
I don't see it.
But, then again.. how often are teams in a "base" defense anymore, anyway?
On passing downs.. the ideal situation is to be able to rush and get pressure with 4 and you can get to that a variety of ways.
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Would not argue with any of that, always better to get pressure with fewer people, I don’t think it has to be the same 4 if you have the talent and can switch it up.

Floyd has been good but the other side has been a problem pretty much every year except for a few games with Miller last year.

Do they have an answer? I hate the defense this year no matter the results. I would prefer more pressure, shorter drives against our D, more turnovers and sacks.
 
Switch from a 34 to a 43 isn't as big of a change as some think. However with saying that. A 34 or 43 isn't the teams biggest need so I doubt that changes
 
OLB for a 3-4 are easier to find than 4-3 ends who must be longer and stronger. I doubt we see a change for that reason, as well as the fact we finally have an ILB duo and that changing scheme would induce more roster changes.

Also IMO 3-4 is superior because you don't have as clear an idea where your rushers are coming from. Granted a great DC overcomes that but structurally that is a nice advantage.
 
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Presently DC Morris has a DL'er Mike Hoecht starting in a 34 OLB'er position. Is that not Evidence that the Rams roster has several vacancies @ 34 OLB'er?

Official Site of the Los Angeles Rams

Los Angeles Rams Players Roster: The team's official roster, depth chart, transactions, statistics, player profiles and more.
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DE Jonah Williams 6-5/275
OLB Kier Thomas 6-2/275
OLB Brayden Thomas 6-3/260
DE Zach VanValkenburg 6-4/263
DE T.J.Carter 6-4/289
DE Ernest Brown 6-5/270
DE Daniel Hardy 6-4/240

Most of the above DE/ER/OLB's were 43 DE hand in the turf/dirt in college.
 
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Also, with Hoecht playing, we are already in a 4-3.
 
I don't think the OP understands what the Rams play. The Rams play a 3-4 hybrid scheme. That is a 3-4 played like a 4-3, i.e. a one gap scheme. It uses at least one OLB as a JACK who plays as a second DE. By design, it's supposed to be played aggressively, in an attacking style with the DL penetrating to make plays behind the LOS. So in that regard, it's no different than an aggressively played 4-3.

The problem is, Morris doesn't play that way. He will mix his DL alignments. The hybrid 3-4 is designed to play on the shoulders of the OL. The NT is played as a 1T but Morris often plays his NT (Gaines) as a 0T which means he's head to head with the center. This means he's the only one on the DL playing 2 gaps. A normal 3-4 is a two gap scheme for the DL and is predicated upon freeing up the LBs to make the tackles. But with everyone else playing 1 gap it really fucks up the ILB assignments. It's why too many times the middle of the DL is soft against the run. With only the NT playing two gaps it means at least one of the ILBs needs to back him up which all too often doesn't happen.

One gap DL tend to be lighter, emphasizing quickness and speed as their assignment is to penetrate and disrupt. Two gap DL tend to be bigger and more stout as their assignment is to eat up blockers to allow the 3 LBs to make the play. This is why I keep saying Morris doesn't play his personnel to their strengths. This front 7 was designed by their personnel to play a one gap scheme. But Morris keeps playing it like it's a two gap scheme. WTF??

One gap penetration is what most teams have migrated to. That is the type of personnel the Rams have on defense. You can tell what kind of defense a team plays simply by 1. how they align along the LOS and 2. the type of personnel they have along the DL. Go ahead and look and you will see most teams are one gapping. Morris has a defensive unit designed to attack and he plays them soft. WTF is wrong with him?
 
Why would Donald be a DE instead of a DT like he was the last time we were a 4-3?
 
If there were an award given for most words typed on this board..... I know who my $$$ would be on.

Carry on....
 
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Ballhawk said:
Also, with Hoecht playing, we are already in a 4-3.
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Rams do drop him. Generally your blindside in a 3-4 will come on the rush a lot but there is unknown with that.

Also on one of his drops tonight he straight flattened a receiver inside the 5 yards from the LOS. Then ran the other guy out of bounds. So he is not great in space but plays 100% non-stop and sometimes makes up for it.

I think if he can lose a little weight we may have a good rotation piece in him. Though it can be argued he's already a good rotation piece. He really is a good find for this team.
 
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ER/DE Mike Hoecht has that outstanding speed to go with his size. I am sure he will be utilized as a regular in the future Ram defenses. With the 34 OLB'ers room being mostly empty of known quantities MH is sure to be asked to work hard on trimming down to increase his not-so-quick take off to play the OLB'er position next season.

The OLB'ers (ER/DE) room talent leans to the run-stopping side.i.e Kier Thomas, Ernest Brown, Brayden Thomas, Dan Hardy & Zach VanValkenburg. Empty of any real pass rushers other than 31 yr old Floyd.

Snead needs to just find a few 34 Defense OLB/ER's with primarily pass rush talent & blend what he has already here. The quickest way to improve this poor defense is to get some bonified pass rushers in here either in the OLB'er room or the DL unit.
 
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Faceplant said:
If there were an award given for most words typed on this board..... I know who my $$$ would be on.

Carry on....
Click to expand...
I am going to try and win that award

challenge accepted training GIF
 
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Merlin said:
Rams do drop him. Generally your blindside in a 3-4 will come on the rush a lot but there is unknown with that.

Also on one of his drops tonight he straight flattened a receiver inside the 5 yards from the LOS. Then ran the other guy out of bounds. So he is not great in space but plays 100% non-stop and sometimes makes up for it.

I think if he can lose a little weight we may have a good rotation piece in him. Though it can be argued he's already a good rotation piece. He really is a good find for this team.
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"Rotation guy" is a good way to put it. Love guys like him who are all about the game and do anything to get on the field.

I'm not sure what he needs to get down to to be functional as an OLB.. I don't know how much of the issues we've seen are body-type versus experience and recognition at the position (I'm not arguing that he needs to lose weight, he does). We saw him exposed on reverses where he just can't recover in time.
But as an edge in a 4 man rush? If you have Donald in the middle again and Floyd and Gaines? I think he's effective at crushing the pocket.
Where we'll see problems is the more mobile QBs.
 
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