New DC- Travis Niekamp

[TIMMY]

Love the hire.
Not a 3-4 fan. If you go that route who's your 2 gapper? Better have a few. I don't see it.

Timmy .. you know way more than me on this kind of stuff .. help me out:

1. what kind of body/player do we need for 2 gapper ? size and skills ? former Redbirds that fit the bill ?
2. if my optimism with our LB group proves true, how else can we mix things up to take advantage of our LB depth while we see how our DTs develop ?
3. what do you think of our DE situation ? Does Gillum seem like good candidate to convert to DE .. I like Swaine when healthy, but he was injured and his frame can only add so much weight anyway. And who is the next speed rusher to replace Graham .. that RB to DE move was genius.

I would only run a 3-4 with 3 2 gappers. My 0 tech and my 4 techs, I want big butts who can get some push, shed and make a play. Handle a NDS OT!!! Let my LB's run side to side. You can run it with a 2 gap 0 tech and 1 gap 5 techs, but then your LB's are more single gap responsible. If LB is your strength why do that? DT and Nose also have to be able to play 1 and 3 shades in nickle. Size 6"1'- 6'4' 290 up. Not easy to recruit at our level.
I'd rather be deep at LB and run kids in and out. And I'd like to leave kids who have been 1 and 3 techs since they got here stay there. Our HC is a 4-3 guy. IMO with good reason. My other question would be... and I don't know the answer... would our new 3-4 olb's be stout enough to set the edge, quick enough to rush a passer and have the hips to cover a back? IDK.

 

[Reggie]

I would only run a 3-4 with 3 2 gappers. My 0 tech and my 4 techs, I want big butts who can get some push, shed and make a play. Handle a NDS OT!!! Let my LB's run side to side. You can run it with a 2 gap 0 tech and 1 gap 5 techs, but then your LB's are more single gap responsible. If LB is your strength why do that? DT and Nose also have to be able to play 1 and 3 shades in nickle. Size 6"1'- 6'4' 290 up. Not easy to recruit at our level.
I'd rather be deep at LB and run kids in and out. And I'd like to leave kids who have been 1 and 3 techs since they got here stay there. Our HC is a 4-3 guy. IMO with good reason. My other question would be... and I don't know the answer... would our new 3-4 olb's be stout enough to set the edge, quick enough to rush a passer and have the hips to cover a back? IDK.

Agreed. In my opinion 4-3 is the best scheme for our personnel, because it lets the LBs run free. They don't have to take on o-linemen as much.

Either way you are playing the same guys, they just have different positions (Swaine at LB, Galindo at DE, etc.).