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Suppose TC's preference for building the trenches wins out in the pre draft discussions.

 

With the 4th overall pick, the Jaguars select either Garrett, Jonathan Allen, Solomon Thomas, or even trade back and end up with Barrett from Tennessee and plug any of them in at LDE, thinking they could make immediate impact as a pass rusher.

 

Having invested the pick in the LDE, Fowler gets his wish to play in space, and they move him back to OTTO.

 

What happens in base nickel?

 

When the coaches finally allowed him to play, Jack was playing OTTO and excelled in coverage, and presumably he is the future at Mike-if not the present.

 

My question is what is your personnel grouping?

 

Do you leave Fowler in at OTTO to maximize the pass rush?

 

Do you leave Jack in to provide coverage? 

 

If you leave Jack in, do you remove Telvin Smith?

 

Are you willing to slide the new LDE inside, put Fowler in at LDE to maximize pass rush, and surrender stoutness against the run?

 

Naturally, it would depend upon the opponent and the situation, but if you had to choose one personnel grouping to play most frequently throughout the year, which would you choose and why?

 

 

Telvin Smith WLB

Myles Jack MLB

Dante Fowler Jr. SLB

 

That is my base package. I wouldn't ever move Fowler back to DE, because he isn't a natural pass rusher and never has been. Jack and Telvin would always be on the field, barring injury. They are our two most athletic and speedy linebackers. 

Quote:Suppose TC's preference for building the trenches wins out in the pre draft discussions.

 

With the 4th overall pick, the Jaguars select either Garrett, Jonathan Allen, Solomon Thomas, or even trade back and end up with Barrett from Tennessee and plug any of them in at LDE, thinking they could make immediate impact as a pass rusher.

 

Having invested the pick in the LDE, Fowler gets his wish to play in space, and they move him back to OTTO.

 

What happens in base nickel?

 

When the coaches finally allowed him to play, Jack was playing OTTO and excelled in coverage, and presumably he is the future at Mike-if not the present.

 

My question is what is your personnel grouping?

 

Do you leave Fowler in at OTTO to maximize the pass rush?

 

Do you leave Jack in to provide coverage? 

 

If you leave Jack in, do you remove Telvin Smith?

 

Are you willing to slide the new LDE inside, put Fowler in at LDE to maximize pass rush, and surrender stoutness against the run?

 

Naturally, it would depend upon the opponent and the situation, but if you had to choose one personnel grouping to play most frequently throughout the year, which would you choose and why?

 

I'd select Jon Allen in that situation.  

 

Yannick-Abry-Malik-Allen

 

Fowler-Jack-Telvin

 

That lineups pretty balanced all around. Poz would still play key snaps such as on short downs, goaline and some obvious run downs. 

On downs like 3rd and long you'd go 

 

Yannick-Allen-Malik and then move Fowler around to attack different areas.

 

Jack-Telvin

 

 

Add another veteran pass rusher or two who can play more instead of Fowler and we are good.

To clarify...

 

For the purposes of this discussion, base nickel are four (4) DL and two (2) LBs.

 

What would be your personnel grouping for BASE NICKEL?

Quote:To clarify...


For the purposes of this discussion, base nickel are four (4) DL and two (2) LBs.


What would be your personnel grouping for BASE NICKEL?

With current personnel


RE- Yannick

DT- Jackson

DT- Marks/Day

LE- Fowler (standing)


LB- Jack (starts at Mike or Sam)

LB- Smith

Quote:To clarify...


For the purposes of this discussion, base nickel are four (4) DL and two (2) LBs.


What would be your personnel grouping for BASE NICKEL?

Yannick/Malik/Marks/Fowler as the roster stands


If we draft or add a defensive end in FA, then replace fowler with whoever that is.


Myles and telvin at lb

Quote:With current personnel


RE- Yannick

DT- Jackson

DT- Marks/Day

LE- Fowler (standing)


LB- Jack (starts at Mike or Sam)

LB- Smith

What about post draft, assuming a first round pick of Garrett, Allen, Solomon Thomas or Barrett?

Quote:Yannick/Malik/Marks/Fowler as the roster stands


If we draft or add a defensive end in FA, then replace fowler with whoever that is.


Myles and telvin at lb

Interesting.

 

So if we added another DE, Fowler automatically goes to the bench in nickel?  Why would Fowler lose out here? 

Quote:What about post draft, assuming a first round pick of Garrett, Allen, Solomon Thomas or Barrett?

I think Garrett and Allen are off the board imo. Also feel Thomas will rate higher than Barnett after the combine if not currently. Guessing four players will be who the team is looking at...Thomas, Fournette, Cook and Adams. This leaves Thomas as the only DLinemen.


Now if Thomas is the pick...

I'm going to make an excellent question that is difficult a little easier...put your four best pass rushers on the field in base nickel.

Quote:Interesting.


So if we added another DE, Fowler automatically goes to the bench in nickel? Why would Fowler lose out here?

Automatically? No, not imo. With competition created put the best you have on the field.

Quote:I think Garrett and Allen are off the board imo. Also feel Thomas will rate higher than Barnett after the combine if not currently. Guessing four players will be who the team is looking at...Thomas, Fournette, Cook and Adams. This leaves Thomas as the only DLinemen.


Now if Thomas is the pick...

I'm going to make an excellent question that is difficult a little easier...put your four best pass rushers on the field in base nickel.

 

1.  Assuming Thomas is the pick, who would you guess are the four best pass rushers in that scenario, without having the benefit of camp to determine who the best pass rushers are?

 

2.  Assuming Fowler is one of the four best pass rushers, from where do you rush him?  Do you keep him in a two point stance and off the LOS or do you put his hand down?  If you put his hand down, do you keep him outside or slide him inside?

 

3.  If you keep him in a two point stance, who do you sit between Telvin Smith and Myles Jack at LB?  Why?

 

4.  If you put Fowler's hand on the ground and slide him-or perhaps the rookie-inside, which of the DTs do you sit, considering both Jackson and Marks are both pretty good pass rushers?

Quote:1. Assuming Thomas is the pick, who would you guess are the four best pass rushers in that scenario, without having the benefit of camp to determine who the best pass rushers are?


2. Assuming Fowler is one of the four best pass rushers, from where do you rush him? Do you keep him in a two point stance and off the LOS or do you put his hand down? If you put his hand down, do you keep him outside or slide him inside?


3. If you keep him in a two point stance, who do you sit between Telvin Smith and Myles Jack at LB? Why?


4. If you put Fowler's hand on the ground and slide him-or perhaps the rookie-inside, which of the DTs do you sit, considering both Jackson and Marks are both pretty good pass rushers?

1- As subject to change as any answer could get...Yannick, Jackson, Marks and Thomas


Concerning Fowler...

Either he must develop into an NFL DE or switch to Sam LB. The best way to use him may very well be exactly how the Gators did.


We remember training camp where he dominated Wells and created the hype. Then pre-season started and things changed.


I really like the idea of blitzing him off the edge in non nickel situations matching him against a back rather than a tackle.


Unless improvement is made I feel he is more suited to a two point stance

Quote:1- As subject to change as any answer could get...Yannick, Jackson, Marks and Thomas


Concerning Fowler...

Either he must develop into an NFL DE or switch to Sam LB. The best way to use him may very well be exactly how the Gators did.


We remember training camp where he dominated Wells and created the hype. Then pre-season started and things changed.


I really like the idea of blitzing him off the edge in non nickel situations matching him against a back rather than a tackle.

Makes sense.

 

So who do you sit-Jack or Smith?

Quote:Makes sense.


So who do you sit-Jack or Smith?

Non nickel situations

Nickel situations makes "what to do with Fowler" much more difficult

Quote:Nickel situations makes "what to do with Fowler" much more difficult

Which is precisely why I posed the question, my good man!

 

While I do not advocate a particular draft strategy for the purposes of this discussion, drafting a DE in the first gives the defense a LOT of flexibility personnel wise.

 

It would be different from the end Gene Smith era, because then, the defense had no viable options anywhere.

 

Under this scenario (taking a first round DE), the D could emphasize pressure, coverage, or balance and still be effective-assuming of course we hit on the pick.  If Fowler busts, there is no problem sitting him.  If, however, he develops into a good pass rusher, whether from a 2 point or 3 point stance, a good player will have to sit.

 

It's a good problem to have.

 

But the question is what to do until we know that he's developed into the good pass rusher we hoped for when we drafted him?  If we take him off the field, do we hinder his ability to develop into that pass rusher? 

 

Does the fact that Fowler will be two full years removed from his ACL injury, having completed his first season actually playing change the analysis any, considering typically a player's biggest improvement is between year one and year two?

 

What of Jack's development?

 

If we play Fowler at one of the nickel backers, do we put in an athletic and relatively inexperienced Jack in at the other spot, and live with some rookie mistakes and relegate an equally athletic, more experienced Telvin Smith to the bench, or do we keep a 4th year player in Telvin Smith on the field, knowing he is likely fully developed, keeping Jack on the bench and risking him rusting away?

Taking him off the field has the potential to either light a fire under him or shatter his confidence.


Adding a vet like Jabaal Sheard could help. But competition is generally considered a good thing. You won't have any trouble convincing me the Jags need a DE


Two years away from the ACL could mean everything! Having a full season under his belt can only help.


Jack? Easy. He plays... period

Jack and Telvin would be great as a pairing - lots of speed there.


It would be hard to leave Fowler and Poz out though.

Quote:Interesting.


So if we added another DE, Fowler automatically goes to the bench in nickel? Why would Fowler lose out here?

because he sucks

Quote:To clarify...

 

For the purposes of this discussion, base nickel are four (4) DL and two (2) LBs.

 

What would be your personnel grouping for BASE NICKEL?

 

In order to be disruptive, I pose the following question: why does the combination have to be four and two?

 

To me, the four-and-two alignment is as easy as it is predictable. The calls for the OL are an easy one since the bulk of the "danger" is on the LOS in terms of DL. But with such a seeming abundance of LB type talent, why not skew the numbers in your own favor?

 

I submit the following:

 

------------------Q---R

-Z---X

---Y---T---G---C---G---T---------------F

 

This formation should give Defensive Coordinator fits because it overloads the formation to one side and allows for running with "power". To put it another way, you can pull linemen to lead the RB down the field. However, it also allows the Offense to flood one side of the field with Receivers and requires a NickelBack to be on the field in order to cover. So why not align like so:

 

------------------Q---R


-Z---X


---Y---T---G---C---G---T---------------Fl


 ---------3l-------------3r-----5

---$---S----------M-------W----------Cr

-Cl

------------F

 

Where:

3l = Jackson and/or Big End

3r = Marks and/or Jackson and/ or Jones

5 = Ngakoue / Pass Rusher

$ = Strong Safety (Cyprien?)

S = Sam/ OTTO Fowler or Pozluszny or Jack

M = Poz and/or Jack

W = Smith

Cr = Ramsey

Cl = Amukamura?

F = Gipson

 

Spend a little time with this and think about all of the really cool blitzes you can come up with when you have Jackson isolated against a G and can send any combo of Jack, Fowler, or even Cyprien and Ramsey.

 

Find a way to put your best players on the field.

Quote:In order to be disruptive, I pose the following question: why does the combination have to be four and two?

 

To me, the four-and-two alignment is as easy as it is predictable. The calls for the OL are an easy one since the bulk of the "danger" is on the LOS in terms of DL. But with such a seeming abundance of LB type talent, why not skew the numbers in your own favor?

 

I submit the following:

 

------------------Q---R

-Z---X

---Y---T---G---C---G---T---------------F

 

This formation should give Defensive Coordinator fits because it overloads the formation to one side and allows for running with "power". To put it another way, you can pull linemen to lead the RB down the field. However, it also allows the Offense to flood one side of the field with Receivers and requires a NickelBack to be on the field in order to cover. So why not align like so:

 

------------------Q---R


-Z---X


---Y---T---G---C---G---T---------------Fl


 ---------3l-------------3r-----5

---$---S----------M-------W----------Cr

-Cl

------------F

 

Where:

3l = Jackson and/or Big End

3r = Marks and/or Jackson and/ or Jones

5 = Ngakoue / Pass Rusher

$ = Strong Safety (Cyprien?)

S = Sam/ OTTO Fowler or Pozluszny or Jack

M = Poz and/or Jack

W = Smith

Cr = Ramsey

Cl = Amukamura?

F = Gipson

 

Spend a little time with this and think about all of the really cool blitzes you can come up with when you have Jackson isolated against a G and can send any combo of Jack, Fowler, or even Cyprien and Ramsey.

 

Find a way to put your best players on the field.

I don't necessarily see the abundance of LB talent. 

 

Not knocking Jack, Smith, or Fowler for that matter, but my scenario envisions the abundance in the DL position, specifically DE, and NOT at LB.

 

Assuming Fowler is best rushing the passer and not dropping into coverage like a traditional LB, it is entirely possible to have Fowler with his hand on the ground in a 4 man line and still have the best people on the field.

 

You are essentially talking a shaded 3-3-5 without a guy on the nose with a SS in the box.  Essentially, you are saying Poz and Fowler are both better than the first round drafted DE in this hypo.