(05-17-2021, 12:59 PM)scottyg Wrote: Bullseye, as much as I am in favor of the switch to a 3-4 defense, it appears you share one of my concerns.  The guy who is currently our best defensive player (Jack) may be a poor fit.  Hopefully his athleticism and talent will allow him to adapt without a serious dropoff in play.

Indeed, Jack's fit in a 3-4 has long been one of my concerns.  I had similar concerns when it came to Telvin Smith, Poz, and at NT.  One of the reasons Poz left Buffahole is because he didn't want to play in a 3-4.

The players aren't simply plug and play when you make a scheme switch like that.

If you look at Jack's history, first off he isn't comfortable calling the defensive signals, and moving him around so often can't help matters. Aside from that, his best years came after he was moved to will, where he could be protected and operate in space. He struggled most his rookie year when he was at Sam and later on when he was tried in the middle. As a 3-4 ILB, he won't have that luxury of playing in space much. He'll be inside, and while Brown is a good NT, I don't think he is one of the huge Ted Washington type NTs who can keep opposing OL off of Jack. I think constant hitting by opposing guards could take its toll on Jack.

I expect LB to be a big emphasis next offseason.

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