Quote:
Originally Posted by nunusguy
There's a difference between 3-4 DE & 4-3 DE, but it's not that dramatic when both are one-gap assignment-positions. Certainly not like going from DE with hand on the ground to OLB, which is a giant adjustment.
Yes perhaps Mario is struggling at OLB, but we need to get our best players on the field and he's a Pro-Bowl DE while it appears our best edge-rushers from the OLB positions are Barwin & Reed, while the move of Watt to NT is intriguing and this gets all of our best frontend playmakers on the field at once.
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It is a big difference. Why do you think the DL in a 34 is sometimes referred to as LT, NG, RT. They are as much like a DT in a 50 front as they are like a DE. They line up inside and face different types of blockers. They play in traffic and get cut way more. The physical toll is greater. Athleticism is not as valuable and hand fighting is more valuable. None of this has to do with one gap vs 2 gap, it is about playing inside vs outside. It is a big adjustment and a guy who has never done it cannot be reasonably expected to make the switch with a week of preseason practice and no game time.
As for the playmakers on the field, you are operating on the theory that 7 guys play in front 7. That is not the case. Guys rotate on all downs, and on 3rd down, Mario is likely to be lined up with a hand on the ground like a 43 DE anyways. Watt and Smith are as likely to be lined up inside in a 4 man front or an unbalanced 3 man front with a standing LB/DE.
On first and second down we do not need to get smaller and get more playmakers on the field. We need to keep doing what we are doing and hope Mario gets more and more comfortable.