Okam seems ready to step up in year 2

[dalemurphy]

Originally Posted by nunusguy

If Okam really were to reach "his potential" (which I'm very doubful of), then the teams defensive direction should be obvious: convert to the 3-4. Okam would be our NT and Mario and AS would both be excellenct 3-4 DEs. ILBs would be DeMeco & Diles and I think Cushing could play strong-side OLB
in the 3-4 just as he's going to be doing in the 4-3. And Barwin would be over on the weak side, as practically everybody feels that Barwin's "natural poistion" in the NFL is as a 3-4 OLB.
What to do about Okoye ? Time to be honest with ourselves and cut our losses now - he just isn't gonna be the player in the NFL Smith & Kubiak hoped he would be. Not as a 4-3 one-gapper DT or anywhere else - lot a guys do well in college (especially in their senior year), and have disappointing pro careers.
And we sure can't use him in the 3-4.

Are you serious with this post?

First, there is no need to convert to a 4-3 simply because we found a guy that can play NT in it. The Ravens championship team played a 4-3 and had two guys (Sam Adams and Siragusa) that fit that description. Barwin comes into the league bigger and stronger than Dwight Freeney did and Jason Taylor- among others, who were both excellent DEs in 4-3 Defenses. Clearly, Brian Cushing fits the profile of a SLB in a 4-3. Most disturbing about your post is that you think we should go ahead and "cut our losses now" with Okoye. You don't think it's a little premature to quit on a 1st round talent at DT who is just about to turn 22 years old and entering his 3rd season in the NFL? Finally, our best defensive player (Mario), would become a much less effective playmaker in a 3-4 because he would be moved into the line and play almost every snap as a 5 technique.