Quote:You make it too complicated. It is simply LDE, DT, DT, RDE on the line and Sam, Mike, and Will behind them in the 4-3 defense. In the 3-4, it is LDE, NT, RDE on the line and Leo, Sam, Mike, and Will linebackers.

 

Of course we already have our Leo now, so we would look elsewhere for a linebacker.

 

No, I didn't make it too complicated. I reflected the front seven of the Base Defense that the team runs. Look at the "Under" front in the picture below that is shown on the Left Hand side. That's the base set up of the 4-3 Defense withe the DE on the side away from the Tight End labeled as the LEO and the LB on the side with the Tight End as the OTTO. You can also think of it as the "Solid" front that is shown on the bottom right hand side, but I am under the impression that Bradley and Co. have never even heard of inside leverage on a Pass Receiver.

 

EDIT: If you have access to the "All 22" film of the Jacksonville Buffalo game, check out the alignment on Buffalo's second play of the game. It's pretty much exactly what I wrote above.

 

The reason that the Defense aligns like this is because it is known as a "gap control" Defense. The Defense is trying to make certain that every gap along the Offensive Line is accounted for. For an Offensive line that has one Center, two Guards, two Tackles and one Tight End that means it has seven gaps. this alignment puts a Defensive player in each gap along the Offenses "blocking surface".

 

http://cdn1.sbnation.com/imported_assets...1446053290

 

---