DaWolf
02-24-2009, 10:06 AM
This was a good read:
Tuna Gives Fish Edge When Drafting Defense (http://www.miamiherald.com/614/story/918353.html)
BY JEFF DARLINGTON
JDARLINGTON@MIAMIHERALD.COM
INDIANAPOLIS -- When Patriots coach Bill Belichick arrived in New England, the disciple of Dolphins executive vice president Bill Parcells didn't toil for long about what type of defense his team would run.
It would be a 3-4 scheme, a system that employs massive players to do different jobs than the 4-3 system that ruled the NFL. A popular choice at the time? Not exactly.
''It was pretty much just us and Pittsburgh,'' Belichick said this week at the NFL Scouting Combine.
Nine years later -- during a span in which the Patriots and the Steelers have won five Super Bowl titles between them -- the success of the scheme has caused a system mastered by Parcells three decades ago has caught back up with the NFL.
NUMBERS GROWING
As many as 10 teams could use some form of a 3-4 system next season -- with the Chiefs and Packers expected to make the transition.
In many ways, this trend can be attributed to the success of the Steelers and the Patriots. But don't be mistaken: Parcells' coaching tree, which has continued to blossom over the decades, has also had an indirect impact on the landscape.
''It's a little bit like the West Coast offense when Mike Holmgren and Jon Gruden and Andy Reid and Brian Billick left the [Bill] Walsh system, and were head coaches, and this league was a heavy West Coast offense,'' Belichick said. ``So it's trendy.''
Of course, there are currently multiple types of 3-4 system. The Steelers' form ( developed by Bill Cowher in the early 1990s) is different than the Dolphins' form (developed by Parcells in the early 1980s when Lawrence Taylor and Carl Banks helped make it a hit).
But it still is creating an interesting development that transcends both types of 3-4 systems: Competition for 3-4 players. It's an issue that is expected to directly impact the Dolphins as they continue building their roster through the draft and free agency.
''What I do know is there are more teams going to the 3-4,'' coach Tony Sparano said. ``I read just the other day that Kansas City might be going to a 3-4, so now there's more options for these kinds of players that are out there right now.''
Building a 3-4 defense already comes with all sorts of challenges. Parcells has long believed it takes several seasons to properly make the transition, which is why he held onto many elements of the 4-3 system when he first arrived in Dallas.
Now, as the Dolphins continue to build their personnel to fit a system that relies on bulky players, they must compete with as many as nine teams trying to do the same. The result? Higher price tags for huge nose tackles and outside linebackers capable of rushing the quarterback, among the other 3-4 positions in a defensive front.
''Obviously, there will be more of a focus on those players for that scheme and more competition for those guys,'' said Cardinals general manager Rod Graves, whose defensive system is more of a hybrid between a 3-4 and a 4-3 than a natural 3-4. ``I assume their value will rise.''
But although the Dolphins might have more competition in finding the proper players to fit their system, don't be alarmed. After all, when it comes to finding 3-4 players, Parcells is the best in the business.
TALENT SEARCH
And his protégé, general manager Jeff Ireland, has proven to be following closely in his footsteps.
Ireland was largely responsible for discovering Cowboys linebacker DeMarcus Ware, the perfect example of a player that made a successful transition from a college defensive end to a Pro Bowl outside linebacker.
The challenge of identifying college players capable of playing a position in the NFL that differs from the one they played in college isn't an easy one. The Jets thought they had the concept nailed last year when drafting Ohio State defensive end Vernon Gholston with a sixth-overall pick to play outside linebacker.
So far -- although it might be too early for an ultimate conclusion -- the experiment has not gone so well.
So although the competition to sign or draft players capable of fitting in Miami's defensive system might have increased, the challenge of identifying those players has remained equally difficult.
''It's cyclical,'' Belichick said. ``And now the 3-4 defense seems to be as popular as it was in the '80s when they had some Pro Bowl positions.''
The Dolphins can only hope Parcells' mastery of the art during that era can keep the latest newcomers from spoiling their fun.
This says two things to me: First, it would make sense to either hire or bring in a guy like Crennel to be a consultant, because transitioning to this D requires some expertise. Second, if a DC is going to be chosen from the staff we have, it will probably be Pendergast as he ran a hybrid type of the D in Zona that we may need to look into in the interim if we want to start transitioning to a 3-4. It's probably going to take us a few years to get to any kind of a pure 3-4 system...
Tuna Gives Fish Edge When Drafting Defense (http://www.miamiherald.com/614/story/918353.html)
BY JEFF DARLINGTON
JDARLINGTON@MIAMIHERALD.COM
INDIANAPOLIS -- When Patriots coach Bill Belichick arrived in New England, the disciple of Dolphins executive vice president Bill Parcells didn't toil for long about what type of defense his team would run.
It would be a 3-4 scheme, a system that employs massive players to do different jobs than the 4-3 system that ruled the NFL. A popular choice at the time? Not exactly.
''It was pretty much just us and Pittsburgh,'' Belichick said this week at the NFL Scouting Combine.
Nine years later -- during a span in which the Patriots and the Steelers have won five Super Bowl titles between them -- the success of the scheme has caused a system mastered by Parcells three decades ago has caught back up with the NFL.
NUMBERS GROWING
As many as 10 teams could use some form of a 3-4 system next season -- with the Chiefs and Packers expected to make the transition.
In many ways, this trend can be attributed to the success of the Steelers and the Patriots. But don't be mistaken: Parcells' coaching tree, which has continued to blossom over the decades, has also had an indirect impact on the landscape.
''It's a little bit like the West Coast offense when Mike Holmgren and Jon Gruden and Andy Reid and Brian Billick left the [Bill] Walsh system, and were head coaches, and this league was a heavy West Coast offense,'' Belichick said. ``So it's trendy.''
Of course, there are currently multiple types of 3-4 system. The Steelers' form ( developed by Bill Cowher in the early 1990s) is different than the Dolphins' form (developed by Parcells in the early 1980s when Lawrence Taylor and Carl Banks helped make it a hit).
But it still is creating an interesting development that transcends both types of 3-4 systems: Competition for 3-4 players. It's an issue that is expected to directly impact the Dolphins as they continue building their roster through the draft and free agency.
''What I do know is there are more teams going to the 3-4,'' coach Tony Sparano said. ``I read just the other day that Kansas City might be going to a 3-4, so now there's more options for these kinds of players that are out there right now.''
Building a 3-4 defense already comes with all sorts of challenges. Parcells has long believed it takes several seasons to properly make the transition, which is why he held onto many elements of the 4-3 system when he first arrived in Dallas.
Now, as the Dolphins continue to build their personnel to fit a system that relies on bulky players, they must compete with as many as nine teams trying to do the same. The result? Higher price tags for huge nose tackles and outside linebackers capable of rushing the quarterback, among the other 3-4 positions in a defensive front.
''Obviously, there will be more of a focus on those players for that scheme and more competition for those guys,'' said Cardinals general manager Rod Graves, whose defensive system is more of a hybrid between a 3-4 and a 4-3 than a natural 3-4. ``I assume their value will rise.''
But although the Dolphins might have more competition in finding the proper players to fit their system, don't be alarmed. After all, when it comes to finding 3-4 players, Parcells is the best in the business.
TALENT SEARCH
And his protégé, general manager Jeff Ireland, has proven to be following closely in his footsteps.
Ireland was largely responsible for discovering Cowboys linebacker DeMarcus Ware, the perfect example of a player that made a successful transition from a college defensive end to a Pro Bowl outside linebacker.
The challenge of identifying college players capable of playing a position in the NFL that differs from the one they played in college isn't an easy one. The Jets thought they had the concept nailed last year when drafting Ohio State defensive end Vernon Gholston with a sixth-overall pick to play outside linebacker.
So far -- although it might be too early for an ultimate conclusion -- the experiment has not gone so well.
So although the competition to sign or draft players capable of fitting in Miami's defensive system might have increased, the challenge of identifying those players has remained equally difficult.
''It's cyclical,'' Belichick said. ``And now the 3-4 defense seems to be as popular as it was in the '80s when they had some Pro Bowl positions.''
The Dolphins can only hope Parcells' mastery of the art during that era can keep the latest newcomers from spoiling their fun.
This says two things to me: First, it would make sense to either hire or bring in a guy like Crennel to be a consultant, because transitioning to this D requires some expertise. Second, if a DC is going to be chosen from the staff we have, it will probably be Pendergast as he ran a hybrid type of the D in Zona that we may need to look into in the interim if we want to start transitioning to a 3-4. It's probably going to take us a few years to get to any kind of a pure 3-4 system...