DarthMonk wrote:Chris Baker - DL - Redskins
Chris Baker has been lining up as the Redskins' starting left end at OTAs.
Baker started the final three games at left end last season and signed a new three-year, $9 million deal in February. Barry Cofield and Jason Hatcher are locked in at nose tackle and right end, respectively. Baker will face some competition from Jarvis Jenkins and veteran Stephen Bowen.
Source: ESPN.com May 30 - 10:53 AM
Maybe we'll run some of that "Big Nickel" Bugel was running in Arizona a few years back.
I actually love the idea. Personally this is how I would run a 3-4. I would just put three Nose tackles rather then One Nose and two DEs.
The 3 defensive lineman are one nose tackle who is supposed to be the main run stuffer. Then two defensive ends who are supposed to be good against the run and able to rush the passer. The two defensive ends in a 3-4 are different from those of a 4-3. A DE in the 3-4 is supposed to be able to stuff the run and rush the passer. Resulting in usually a smaller defensive tackle. So what you get is a tweener who is really good at either rushing passer or stuffing the run. Whats the point of that?
How I run a 3-4 is basically like the Big Nickel. You are 3 gigantic down lineman. The job of these three are to stuff the run at all costs. On passing downs they are to create double teams. Most of the pressure comes via the blitz one or two of the LBs. When you have the gigantic lineman you can blitz the A gap and it scares the living you know what out of the opposing QBs because the three nose tackles are creating such huge blitzing lanes.
Pittsburg has done a great job of using the 3-4. If you notice when they won the SBs earlier in the 2000s they had two very large lineman with dominating OLBs.
New England when they had Richard Seymour and Vince Wilfork absolutley dominated opposing offenses. It was a nightmare to block those two. Basically the same idea.
Personally I dont think we have the personell to run a big Nickel. Cofield is good but is not a Wilfork. Hes more Seymour but not quite as good. We still need a dominant nose tackle.
Hatcher is more of a 4-3 defensive end/ 3-4 OLB.
In Dallas Hatcher was coming off the edge when he got his sacks. Dallas would line up Hatcher in a number of positions but I remember him having most of his success when they lined him up on the edge. So I dont know how good Hatcher will be as one of the three on the defensive line.
Our Dline will be solid. But I dont think its elite yet. We are still missing that true nose tackle. Cofield is good but I believe if we drafted/traded for or developed a dominant nose tackle and moved Cofield to DE our Dline would be much better.
Who knows maybe Baker will become a dominant force?
