Quote:I posted this in another thread, but I can't remember which one so I will rehash here for the purposes of this discussion.

 

Would you say Bryce Paup was a good signing?

 

If you followed the rationale stated above, the answer might be yes.

 

To clarify for those of you who didn't see my earlier post and/or were not following football during this time, Bryce Paup rose to prominence in the 1990s as a 3-4 OLB with the Green Bay Packers and then later the Buffalo Bills before coming to Jacksonville in 1998.  At the time, Jacksonville ran a 4-3 defense, and the thought amongst many fans (including myself) is that Bryce Paup would be utilized as another pass rusher.  As it turned out, Coughlin and then defensive coordinator Dick Jauron routinely dropped him in coverage and rarely utilized him rushing the passer.  He was ill equipped for the task.  In 1999, Dom Capers became defensive coordinator after stints as Steelers' defensive coordinator in 1995 (the year they went to the Super Bowl) and Carolina Panthers' head coach.  The hope was then the team would run a 4-3 with some of the Steelers' zone blitz principles to make Paup more productive.  But as it turns out, they continued to drop him into coverage.

 

I get your overall point here.  But I'd say they have been willing to deviate from the paradigms you mentioned on several instances.  Dwayne Gratz was not the stereotypical Seattle 6-3 CB.  He's 5-11 with long arms, but shorter than Brandon Browner and Richard Sherman.    He has been starting until now.  Last year, they also drafted "RB" Denard Robinson, who was a college option QB that did not run in a ZBS.  Finally this year they drafted Aaron Colvin, who, like Gratz, did not meet the 6-3 or taller CB mold like they did in Seattle.

 

I'd say there is little to no basis for the charge that Bradley is inflexible in terms of adapting his system to personnel and vice versa.  I'd also say there is risk involved in doing just that, as epitomized byt he Bryce Paup example.