3-4 and the nickel

[AU-panther]

With all of the talk about going to a 3-4 I have a question about when we go to the nickel defense.  As we all know regardless of what our base is in today's NFL a lot of time is spent in nickel defense.  In the past when we ran a 4-3 I think we usually pulled on of the LBs and basically ran a 4-2-5.  

With a 3-4, who is coming off of the field?

Lets assume a front 7 of:

D-line - Short, Poe, Butler

OLBs- Irvin, Addison

ILBs- Kuechly, Thompson

Do we pull an ILB, and basically run a 3-3-5? or do we pull a D-lineman and run a 2-4-5?  Seems like teams do both, https://bleacherreport.com/articles/1680308-the-nickel-front-breaking-down-the-modern-nfls-go-to-defense

If we pull an ILB I would assume it would be Thompson.  Are we paying $9m for a situational player? I think Thompson has a ton of ability but seems like we are always struggling to get him on the field.

 

 

 

 

[thunderraiden]

I think we see how its going to play out with the whole Gaulden situation. I think we will show a lot less nickel and more base packages with Gaulden going from Free Safety down to the slot while Reid goes from Strong Safety to single high safety. This will allow us to show different pre-snap looks and adjust on the fly.

[BrianS]

It's all about the matchups.

From an alignment perspective, most likely you're pulling one of your MLB's, but you wouldn't necessarily pull Shaq.  Shaq can still play OLB, so having him on the field in a 335 might make sense.

I still don't think the point of all this is to run 34 all the time, I still think there are times when running 43 for a matchup might make sense.  

[imminent rogaine]

Shift Gaulden to nickel and Drop Shaq to S? Probably not but it might not be terrible.

[jfra78]

addison

[LinvilleGorge]

1 hour ago, thunderraiden said:

I think we see how its going to play out with the whole Gaulden situation. I think we will show a lot less nickel and more base packages with Gaulden going from Free Safety down to the slot while Reid goes from Strong Safety to single high safety. This will allow us to show different pre-snap looks and adjust on the fly.

This is kind of what I'm afraid we might do. Reid is a solid safety but his biggest weakness is playing single high.

[07579394]

maybe 3-3-5

KK,Poe,Mario or Irvin or Burns OR Miller

Shaq,Luke,Irvin or Burns OR Miller

5DBs

[Man Strength]

7 hours ago, 07579394 said:

maybe 3-3-5

KK,Poe,Mario or Irvin or Burns OR Miller

Shaq,Luke,Irvin or Burns OR Miller

5DBs

This. 

You remove DT/DE and move an OLB to DE. 

The idea of nickel is you need more pash rush and coverage and less run D.  So taking off guys who can theoretically rush and cover or run stop and cover for guys who can only stop the run doesn’t make sense 

[mc52beast]

I think we should play more of the 3-8 defense Washington schemed so well.

[Cali_Panther]

14 hours ago, 07579394 said:

maybe 3-3-5

KK,Poe,Mario or Irvin or Burns OR Miller

Shaq,Luke,Irvin or Burns OR Miller

5DBs

Which is basically the same as last year’s 4-2-5.

KK, Poe, Mario, Irvin/Burns

Shaq, Luke

5DBs

The only real difference is that Bruce and Burns are faster and can play OLB. More flexibility in the lineup between 4-2 and 3-3.

[Black&BlueBubba]

Typically when a 3-4 team goes nickel they drop a DT.  Typically the NT but it doesn’t have to be.  

[07579394]

21 hours ago, Man Strength said:

This. 

You remove DT/DE and move an OLB to DE. 

The idea of nickel is you need more pash rush and coverage and less run D.  So taking off guys who can theoretically rush and cover or run stop and cover for guys who can only stop the run doesn’t make sense 

Oh,yes...lesser run stop,but more cover,just for 3&long or 4&long.Other time is 4-2-5

[Toomers]

15 hours ago, Black&BlueBubba said:

Typically when a 3-4 team goes nickel they drop a DT.  Typically the NT but it doesn’t have to be.  

 It can be many different positions. But if you are in Nickel 75% of the time, in any formation, you can’t just never have DT/NT types on the field. That scenario is fine for 3rd and long. 

  Then the question becomes what it’s always been with Shaq. Who is he going to cover? He struggles against everybody we have asked him to cover. And that’s supposed to be his strength. 

[AU-panther]

1 hour ago, Toomers said:

 It can be many different positions. But if you are in Nickel 75% of the time, in any formation, you can’t just never have DT/NT types on the field. That scenario is fine for 3rd and long. 

  Then the question becomes what it’s always been with Shaq. Who is he going to cover? He struggles against everybody we have asked him to cover. And that’s supposed to be his strength. 

….and that is kind of the point of my original question.  I don't think it is as easy as pulling a D-linemen.  I'm sure we would pull Poe in a passing situation but we will probably replace him with a quicker one like Cox.  Even if we move someone like Addison from OLB to DE I think it will still be a 3-3-5 type of look, and I'm not sure where Thompson fits in.

With all that being said the fact they are paying him what they makes you think they have a plan for him so it will be interesting to see.