Snead's Morning Press Conference

[So Ram]

I like Brock as a 5T personally. Gotta think that's where they start him at least.

One CB. One ILB (not a believer in Barron). Maybe a NT.

A beefy Lavon Kirkland type IMLB ?

Barry seems to like Barron.He has speed & size to cover a TE

 

[Ram65]

I sort of wonder about a NT ?? Is Brockers that guy or is he more of a DE ?? Can Quinn rush from the left side as well ??
Pittsburg has always been that team that finds the Chad
Browns & Kevin Green types.

In Phillips one cap defense he gets away from the oversized NTs because they don't have to cover two gaps. Brokers should fit nicely and with only one gap responsibility can get more of a pass rush. Here is part of a very good article explaining how the defense works, where and how the players will fit. Click for the entire article but this covers it.

http://www.turfshowtimes.com/2017/2...hillips-defense-3-4-robert-quinn-aaron-donald
......The Wade Phillips 3-4 1 Gap
What? I thought you said everyone (except the OLBs) have a two-gap responsibility in a 3-4? Not so fast. Phillips isn’t so cut and dry, because not all players can handle that level of responsibility. He said this in an NFL.com interview:

"When I started out it was a two-gap defense, the defensive ends had to play two-gap and be able to rush the passer. Well that's a hard thing to do."

That quote is the foundation of Wade Phillips 3-4. If a player can’t handle a typical two-gap responsibility...then he doesn’t have to. Think of him as the anti-Fisher.

This allows Phillips to drastically change how the defense plays in a fluid manner. Offenses cannot game-plan against the defense easily because Phillips moves players around as long as they have the skill to be in a certain position. The whole idea is that players shouldn’t be forced force to contain two-gaps but instead should attack the offense.

It would allow someone like Aaron Donald to line-up...well, anywhere on the defensive line. Michael Brockers? Ditto.

It opens up interesting possibilities, like moving Alec Ogletree to the strong-side (where he has more space) and moving Robert Quinn to Ogletree’s position, where he’s free to blitz between Aaron Donald and Michael Brockers instead of lining up wide as the Jack. The defense would be able to utilize both players strengths, rushing Quinn and letting Ogletree use his athleticism to make plays on the weak side, where he was successful before his transition to the middle.

Given Mark Barron and Alec Ogeltree’s safety experience (and TJ McDonald being used primarily as a hybrid strong safety-linebacker last year) it gives the Rams a lot of freedom to disguise blitz packages with their versatile personnel.

It’s a system that allows Phillips to overload an offense without requiring strict gap-discipline, where an offense knows that one player is going to be responsible for one area for the entirety of the game. The defensive line has the freedom to attack, rather than react, to an offensive play.

The Rams in the Phillips 3-4
With their current personnel, the Rams have some advantages. I spoke about the ability to move players around, but in their base position, I would expect the Rams to utilize:

RDE - Aaron Donald .. NT - Michael Brockers .. LDE - William Hayes

All three have shown the versatility to shift positions in years past, and all three are talented (or experienced) enough players to hold a two-gap responsibility if needed.

That leaves Robert Quinn the odd man out. I suspect the Phillips would stand-up Quinn, similar to what Von Miller does - except instead of having a two-gap responsibility, or coverage responsibility, Quinn only has to contain the edge and rush the passer. This would allow Quinn to line-up outside of, say, Aaron Donald.

I know what you’re thinking.
Imagine being the RB tasked with picking up the blitz on that side of the line.

Now, it’s not the base package, but this just speaks to the freedom of Phillips’ scheme. Circled is Von Miller. In the Rams scenario, Quinn would have a 1:1 with a tight end and no RB help due to Aaron Donald being on the other side. That’s about as good of a match-up as you can get.

Granted, not your base 3-4, but the Rams have the personnel to make it happen.
NFL
In addition to Quinn, the Rams would also be able utilize Alec Ogletree and Mark Barron in a way that plays to their strengths. They could utilize them in space, in coverage, and in blitzes, not constrained to systematic gap-responsibility that they were forced to have in 2016.

The onus would still be on Ogletree, as one of the base ILBs, but with Quinn handling the outside gap and Donald the end to Ogletree’s outside, he would be more free to attack inside, rather than simply having a standard two-gap responsibility you typically think of from his position.

In Conclusion
With all that said, there are still plenty of question marks. Moving to a 3-4 isn’t a cure-all, but it allows the Rams to easily mask and overload defenses given their talent at the point of attack.

As for questions, it’s unknown who might play the 4th linebacker spot from a roster standpoint. Josh Forrest? The Rams are also undersized at the position, something that plagued them last year. Somebody is going to have to clog the holes, after all.

From a personnel standpoint, would the Rams be able to keep TJ McDonald? Considering he at times played the role of linebacker, that gives you a lot of interchangeability on the outside, but that could push a safety-sized player (or two) to the inside.

It’s not the end of the world and it leaves plenty of questions. Most importantly though, it leaves plenty of opportunities.....

 

[fearsomefour]

Good to know Higbee was injured. He didn't seem very explosive.

 

[So Ram]

In Phillips one cap defense he gets away from the oversized NTs because they don't have to cover two gaps. Brokers should fit nicely and with only one gap responsibility can get more of a pass rush. Here is part of a very good article explaining how the defense works, where and how the players will fit. Click for the entire article but this covers it.

http://www.turfshowtimes.com/2017/2...hillips-defense-3-4-robert-quinn-aaron-donald
......The Wade Phillips 3-4 1 Gap
What? I thought you said everyone (except the OLBs) have a two-gap responsibility in a 3-4? Not so fast. Phillips isn’t so cut and dry, because not all players can handle that level of responsibility. He said this in an NFL.com interview:

"When I started out it was a two-gap defense, the defensive ends had to play two-gap and be able to rush the passer. Well that's a hard thing to do."

That quote is the foundation of Wade Phillips 3-4. If a player can’t handle a typical two-gap responsibility...then he doesn’t have to. Think of him as the anti-Fisher.

This allows Phillips to drastically change how the defense plays in a fluid manner. Offenses cannot game-plan against the defense easily because Phillips moves players around as long as they have the skill to be in a certain position. The whole idea is that players shouldn’t be forced force to contain two-gaps but instead should attack the offense.

It would allow someone like Aaron Donald to line-up...well, anywhere on the defensive line. Michael Brockers? Ditto.

It opens up interesting possibilities, like moving Alec Ogletree to the strong-side (where he has more space) and moving Robert Quinn to Ogletree’s position, where he’s free to blitz between Aaron Donald and Michael Brockers instead of lining up wide as the Jack. The defense would be able to utilize both players strengths, rushing Quinn and letting Ogletree use his athleticism to make plays on the weak side, where he was successful before his transition to the middle.

Given Mark Barron and Alec Ogeltree’s safety experience (and TJ McDonald being used primarily as a hybrid strong safety-linebacker last year) it gives the Rams a lot of freedom to disguise blitz packages with their versatile personnel.

It’s a system that allows Phillips to overload an offense without requiring strict gap-discipline, where an offense knows that one player is going to be responsible for one area for the entirety of the game. The defensive line has the freedom to attack, rather than react, to an offensive play.

The Rams in the Phillips 3-4
With their current personnel, the Rams have some advantages. I spoke about the ability to move players around, but in their base position, I would expect the Rams to utilize:

RDE - Aaron Donald .. NT - Michael Brockers .. LDE - William Hayes

All three have shown the versatility to shift positions in years past, and all three are talented (or experienced) enough players to hold a two-gap responsibility if needed.

That leaves Robert Quinn the odd man out. I suspect the Phillips would stand-up Quinn, similar to what Von Miller does - except instead of having a two-gap responsibility, or coverage responsibility, Quinn only has to contain the edge and rush the passer. This would allow Quinn to line-up outside of, say, Aaron Donald.

I know what you’re thinking.
Imagine being the RB tasked with picking up the blitz on that side of the line.

Now, it’s not the base package, but this just speaks to the freedom of Phillips’ scheme. Circled is Von Miller. In the Rams scenario, Quinn would have a 1:1 with a tight end and no RB help due to Aaron Donald being on the other side. That’s about as good of a match-up as you can get.

Granted, not your base 3-4, but the Rams have the personnel to make it happen.
NFL
In addition to Quinn, the Rams would also be able utilize Alec Ogletree and Mark Barron in a way that plays to their strengths. They could utilize them in space, in coverage, and in blitzes, not constrained to systematic gap-responsibility that they were forced to have in 2016.

The onus would still be on Ogletree, as one of the base ILBs, but with Quinn handling the outside gap and Donald the end to Ogletree’s outside, he would be more free to attack inside, rather than simply having a standard two-gap responsibility you typically think of from his position.

In Conclusion
With all that said, there are still plenty of question marks. Moving to a 3-4 isn’t a cure-all, but it allows the Rams to easily mask and overload defenses given their talent at the point of attack.

As for questions, it’s unknown who might play the 4th linebacker spot from a roster standpoint. Josh Forrest? The Rams are also undersized at the position, something that plagued them last year. Somebody is going to have to clog the holes, after all.

From a personnel standpoint, would the Rams be able to keep TJ McDonald? Considering he at times played the role of linebacker, that gives you a lot of interchangeability on the outside, but that could push a safety-sized player (or two) to the inside.

It’s not the end of the world and it leaves plenty of questions. Most importantly though, it leaves plenty of opportunities.....

Good post & article . Thanks

Who & what position do The Rams need to upgrade ?

 

[Ram65]

Good post & article . Thanks

Who & what position do The Rams need to upgrade ?

I'm sure others know better than me. I think the Rams need to sort out if McDonald gets resigned. I think Dominique Easley will be a good fit on the DL and should be resigned.The article states the the Rams have smaller LBers like Barron and maybe moving McDonald down at times. They could use some bigger Lbers and ones that can pass rush. Currently, Josh Forrest is on the roster and played a little bit. Overall I think it's some tweaking here and there in the first year.

 

[So Ram]

I'm sure others know better than me. I think the Rams need to sort out if McDonald gets resigned. I think Dominique Easley will be a good fit on the DL and should be resigned.The article states the the Rams have smaller LBers like Barron and maybe moving McDonald down at times. They could use some bigger Lbers and ones that can pass rush. Currently, Josh Forrest is on the roster and played a little bit. Overall I think it's some tweaking here and there in the first year.

Agreed -- think The Rams have to figure out there own FA's first. News should be coming in soon.
CB or WR seems to be where the playmakers are. OL needs an addition.
Then fans can realistically look at the draft.

 

[Ram65]

Agreed -- think The Rams have to figure out there own FA's first. News should be coming in soon.
CB or WR seems to be where the playmakers are. OL needs an addition.
Then fans can realistically look at the draft.

I'm starting to think the Rams won't have a lot of money for free agency if Tru is not signed to a long term deal first. WR and OL seem likely in free agency. The defense is in much better shape than the offense.