Switch to 4-3 next year?

[East Coast Mustang]

Not sure if any coaching staff changes are going to be made next year, and I'm just thinking out loud here, but would it make sense for us to go back to a traditional 4-3 next season? Personnel wise, we are razor thin at both MLB and DT, but it seems to me that a 4-3 would allow us to put more of our best players on the field in the front seven, moving Sanders to DE and allowing Seals and Yenga to man the OLB spots:

DE: Sanders, Minor (could start opposite Sanders too), Nabusoshi
DT: Wright, McCleneghan
DT: Reed (if he's not eclipsing Eric Dickerson's records), Hollie
DE: Barnes/Wood, Lawler
OLB: Seals
MLB: Bordano, D. Halverson (?)
OLB: Yenga

Obviously you don't change defensive schemes to accommodate your personnel for one year, but the 3-4 requires some pretty specific personnel requirements (big MLBs who can stop the run, massive NT who can occupy blockers) that are difficult for a lot of teams to recruit for, not just us. 320lb nose tackles who can effectively occupy blockers and free up LBs to make plays don't grow on trees.

Given our defensive struggles recently, especially against the run, I think it's something to consider.

[Stallion]

No because we aren't recruiting enough DTs to even consider that move

[redpony]

Prolly not important- If jj is still here there won't be more than 5k in the stands to see this continuing disaster. Remember his recruiting for the last year and this year is a joke. He has checked out and is now only interested in getting his check.

[East Coast Mustang]

No because we aren't recruiting enough DTs to even consider that move

Right, but current 3-4 ends could move to DT in a 4-3: Minor, Nabusoshi, Wood, Cramer, Gentry. Also, I forgot about Jarvis Pruitt- he would be part of DE rotation

[mrydel]

I think we posters have enough to do with solving attendance, hiring and firing coaches, choosing mascots, arranging the band and it performances, and other major issues that I think I will leave offensive and defensive schemes to the coaching staff. After all that is why we are picking the ones we want.

[East Coast Mustang]

I think we posters have enough to do with solving attendance, hiring and firing coaches, choosing mascots, arranging the band and it performances, and other major issues that I think I will leave offensive and defensive schemes to the coaching staff. After all that is why we are picking the ones we want.

haha!

[PlanoStang]

I'm just wonderin when the 7 - 10 ponyfans on here that go round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n vround n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round

will turn into melted do do

getsBORING

[East Coast Mustang]

I'm just wonderin when the 7 - 10 ponyfans on here that go round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n vround n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round n round

will turn into melted do do

getsBORING

Whoa, dude. I've posted drunk on here before, but you're shitfaced.

[Mustangsabu]

Prolly not important- If jj is still here there won't be more than 5k in the stands to see this continuing disaster. Remember his recruiting for the last year and this year is a joke. He has checked out and is now only interested in getting his check.

Tiresome and ignorant, unoriginal and hopelessly slanted. But mostly just boring.

[BigT3x]

Tiresome and ignorant, unoriginal and hopelessly slanted. But mostly just boring.

It's not like your schtick is Shakespeare.

[Mustangsabu]

But the post has nothing to do with the thread. It is simply filled with stupid JJ insults. And not original ones. I'm just sick of reading that nonsense.

[SMUer]

And yet it rings true.

It's not wrong just because you/I/anyone on here doesn't like it.

[Grant Carter]

Prolly not important- If jj is still here there won't be more than 5k in the stands to see this continuing disaster. Remember his recruiting for the last year and this year is a joke. He has checked out and is now only interested in getting his check.

The original poster framed the question as a tactical question that applies whether we have a new coach or not. There are a lot of threads where your comment would be relevant (though perhaps not original), but this is not one of them. What is wrong with a discussion about football tactics on their merits independent of who is coaching and how many people will be in the stands? If you feel like the discussion does not matter then just click on another thread and let those that do want to discuss the specific topic do so.

[Grant Carter]

No because we aren't recruiting enough DTs to even consider that move

Right, but current 3-4 ends could move to DT in a 4-3: Minor, Nabusoshi, Wood, Cramer, Gentry. Also, I forgot about Jarvis Pruitt- he would be part of DE rotation

I think you are right that some 3-4 DE would move inside so you can't just look at the NT on the roster and say we can't do it.

This is related to something that annoys me about the 3-4.

I have heard mason say a number of times that he switched to the 3-4 because to combat the spread offenses you need more quickness. I agree with that, but I am sick of him staying in a 3-4 against 4 wide receiver set and watching a linebacker whose best skill is blitzing sort of floating in space and not covering anyone very well.

Seems to me that we should be in nickel much/most of the time against 4 wr sets and so whether your base is a 3-4 or a 4-3 matters as nickel would be either 3-3-5 or 4-2-5, but either way you avoid having linebackers covering slot receivers.

[SMU 86]

No because we aren't recruiting enough DTs to even consider that move

Right, but current 3-4 ends could move to DT in a 4-3: Minor, Nabusoshi, Wood, Cramer, Gentry. Also, I forgot about Jarvis Pruitt- he would be part of DE rotation

Wouldn't that then give us 270 and 280 pound taller DT's less less leverage due to being taller and not being in the 300 pond range?