Why would we prefer a 3-4?

I see them most often in either straight 4-3 man, or a 4-3 base cover 2 zone. While I like Vilma as mike in coverage in theory, I think some stronger play in the secondary (ahem Tracy Porter after 2009) is needed to make Williams aggressive style more successful. What I don’t see is a seamless transition to speed players in the front 7 to set up a successful base 3-4, or enough money left over after paying FA’s to make a solid run on anybody to make it likely we’d switch base packages by next year. Of course this is all moot if Williams decides he doesn’t want to coach in January anymore and goes to the Rams. I agree that we’ve seen both looks over the course of this year, I’m just not sold on the idea that we should move Gregg Williams out and try to get someone to focus more on a 3-4 base for next year.

I think it’s primarily a case of “it’s broke, let’s fix it”.

If anything, the last couple of years of drafting defensive linemen seems to put us in an awkward position if we try to switch.

Al Woods is gone. The only defensive linemen left are Jordan, who was projected as a 3-4 DE in the pros to begin with and Greg Romeus, who hasn’t played a down and may never regain his junior season form at Pitt. I don’t think anyone should be basing what scheme they employ on a 7th round project pick. In terms of what personnel at hand, the only true concern is Sedrick Ellis. He’s not going to be playing NT for anyone. That said, he’s a first round pick that has at least performed admirably since being drafted. As such, he holds trade value. We’re probably in better shape (currently) for a switch than 25 other teams in the league, i.e., we have very little going for our defense that is predicated towards the scheme at hand.

…because Mike Nolan will be the new coordinator. We screwed San Diego out of Brees and Sproles. We only screwed Miami out of Brees. It’s the Dolphins’ turn again.

…because you can get more pressure out of that than a 3-4, and you aren’t as suspect against the run between the tackles.

The real problem for the Saints D, though, is simply aging personnel and lack of fundamental tackling or covering, which is mostly the result of coaching.

Getting GDub out was the best thing that could happen. If it’s confirmed that Mike Nolan will be the new DC, and he does decide to go more 3-4 and more coverage-driven, then that alone will be an improvement.

&^&^$&* &^%$^%(!!!!!!!

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/09000d5d82615ecc/article/falcons-name-nolan-as-dcoordinator-to-replace-vangorder?module=HP11_headline_stack

like the Giants did to GB, that’s what I’d rather see, we just couldn’t do it this yr. At times they stuffed the run, with the personnel we had, and got plenty 3 and outs. But our achilles heel the last 2 seasons have been covering TE’s, we were either too small, or too slow.

a la the dome patrol, but we lack the quickness of the LB’s to get pressure on the QB. The NFL seems to be going more towards the quick and bulky TE’s by the way of Gronk and Graham. We need the LB’s that can cover guys like that. If we had the front 3 that could get pressure up the middle, then I would say go for it, but I don’t see that with the LB corps we have currently. I think Shanle needs to go and we need to get 2 good LB’s next season through the draft and free agents. I don’t know of any off hand that are going to be UFAs and I don’t know what the draft class is going to look like, I am just wishing whistfully.