Look at us, Atlanta and to a lesser degree, Seattle. It seems to have been figured out.

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I don't think so. Atlanta and us just don't have many quality pieces to run it. Seattle seems plenty fine to me.

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3-3-5

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Look no further than BABICH !!

 

He single handily killed NDSU football for the brief period that he was HC (before getting fired) and then got demoted at Chicago Bears (before getting fired)

 

Gus & Babich are NDSU buddies which take precedence over finding a good Defensive Coordinator.

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Does anyone else think we'd do better in a 3-4? 

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Much like with Fisch last year we all knew he was going to be fired. Enter Olson and our offense is significantly improved. With as bad as the D has been this year one can only assume Babich will be replaced by someone competent.

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I don't think so. Atlanta and us just don't have many quality pieces to run it. Seattle seems plenty fine to me.

 

This. Old age on the starting line and injuries have killed our ability to play this defense well. 

 

For those wanting Babich's head, He isn't the issue. Hes just an assistant to Bradley. They were dealt really bad cards on defense this year. Caldwell will fix it this offseason by cutting the age (Miller, Clemons, etc.), Drafting day 2 defensive players (DT, CB), Patching in FA (FS, LB), and finally getting important players healthy (Fowler, Marks)

 

It will be fine. 

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Can't wait to see whats next. 

I don't think so. Atlanta and us just don't have many quality pieces to run it. Seattle seems plenty fine to me.

Yeah, but look at the personnel that you need to actually run it... 

 

We're not going to end up with with a group of players like the 2013 Seahawks. There's a reason why everyone was wondering if that was the best defense/roster in NFL history. Gus got lucky with the players they were able to acquire.

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The defense did a 180 when Marks returned and another 180 when he went back out.

 

We need a few better pieces and some better depth in our front 7.

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It is bad because you need exception players to make it exceptional.  The mark of a defensive coach should be the ability to make defensive players great/shine in the scheme and to be flexible enough to accommodate when needed.

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Does anyone else think we'd do better in a 3-4?

No. Telvin is arguably our best player and he would be a horrible fit for the 34.

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Seattle was playing very below their standard with Earl Thomas (holding) out.  We have FAR less talent at the position and couldn't stop the titans and their rookie QB.  

 

hopefully next year we'll be improving with a new scheme and mariota will be regressing to the mean.

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No. Telvin is arguably our best player and he would be a horrible fit for the 34.

How so? Cause he isn't 20lbs heavier? Stupid excuse.

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The scheme isn't the problem, as has been pointed out here more than once. The problem is that we don't have the talent to run this scheme here. If we were loaded with top tier talent on defense like say maybe the seahawks have had, then yes, this scheme would work; problem is, most of what we have on our defense is 'average' (and I'm being generous) or below average talent. Consequently, the zone scheme we've been trying to run the last several years fails.

 

Someone posted elsewhere that the fundamental flaw in what has happened here is that when the rebuild began several years ago, Dave Caldwell elected to go out and try to get personnel who would 'fit' the zone scheme. He has had very little success at doing this. Compounding the issue, the head coach insists on sticking with this scheme instead of running a scheme that fits the personnel he has. As I already said, for this scheme to work, it requires very talented defensive players. We don't have anyone on our defense whom we can legitimately point at as being a 'top tier' player, and given the scheme, they have not been put in a situation in which they could realize much success. In short, the guys in our defense were put in an almost unwinnable situation. It's a credit to them that we've not been 'blown out of the water' this season the way we have been the past two years.

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How so? Cause he isn't 20lbs heavier? Stupid excuse.

Try 30 lbs. Also Marks, Odrik, and Poz would be bad fits. Hell Poz signed here because he didn't like the 34 in Buffalo.

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The scheme isn't the problem, as has been pointed out here more than once. The problem is that we don't have the talent to run this scheme here. If we were loaded with top tier talent on defense like say maybe the seahawks have had, then yes, this scheme would work; problem is, most of what we have on our defense is 'average' (and I'm being generous) or below average talent. Consequently, the zone scheme we've been trying to run the last several years fails.

 

Someone posted elsewhere that the fundamental flaw in what has happened here is that when the rebuild began several years ago, Dave Caldwell elected to go out and try to get personnel who would 'fit' the zone scheme. He has had very little success at doing this. Compounding the issue, the head coach insists on sticking with this scheme instead of running a scheme that fits the personnel he has. As I already said, for this scheme to work, it requires very talented defensive players. We don't have anyone on our defense whom we can legitimately point at as being a 'top tier' player, and given the scheme, they have not been put in a situation in which they could realize much success. In short, the guys in our defense were put in an almost unwinnable situation. It's a credit to them that we've not been 'blown out of the water' this season the way we have been the past two years.

 

Caldwell also snagged a bunch of Seattle's old guys. Well, They are all over the hill now. I don't really have an issue with the way Caldwell has done business in this regard because while patching the defense in F/A, He fixed the offense via the draft (Most important). Expect the defense to get some more draft love going forward and expect the defense to get better as we go. 

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Can't wait to see whats next. 

The defense did a 180 when Marks returned and another 180 when he went back out.


We need a few better pieces and some better depth in our front 7.

^I agree with this.

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Look no further than BABICH !!

 

He single handily killed NDSU football for the brief period that he was HC (before getting fired) and then got demoted at Chicago Bears (before getting fired)

 

Gus & Babich are NDSU buddies which take precedence over finding a good Defensive Coordinator.

 

This might be true, but I refuse to believe that anyone could hold down / hold back a powerhouse program like NDSU.

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“It is the job of thinking people not to be on the side of the executioners.”
― Albert Camus

A little more speed at LB and a pass rush and this defense is just fine.

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Go Jags!
*To stay up for atleast 2 years 3/6/17
2016 draft players I think will be good

• On the Fournette train, will be best back of his class 3/6/17
  
• Lattimore please,  Lockdowns on both sides would be nice
  
• Engram at TE and the MJD clone Samaje Perine
  

Try 30 lbs. Also Marks, Odrik, and Poz would be bad fits. Hell Poz signed here because he didn't like the 34 in Buffalo.

 

Poz is irrelevant since he's not a long term fixture here; that said I completely agree with you. Marks and Odrick are not DEs in a 34 and I don't feel you're maximizing Telvin's ability by placing him on the inside since there's no way he's an OLB. Miller isn't really a 34 nose guard either. Fowler and Skuta could obviously be the two OLBs, but they're really the only two in the front seven that translate to that scheme. 

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