We have depth at DL and we are thin at LB. this is a no Brainer. We don't have 4 quality LB's. We barely have 3.

DE Langford
DT Starks
DT Soliai
DE Jared Odrick

LB's Wake, Dansby,Misi

and we have decent subs to platoon at DT/DE.

com'on Nolan...the writing is in the wall.


Also, put Sean Smith at Free Safety and let Wilson play corner.

Not sure about Smith at FS. I'd say try each of our CBs (Davis, Allen, Wilson, etc..) out at FS and see who plays best. Then pick the next 2 at CB.

Also, in a 4-3, Wake may do better as a DE. I'm not sure if Soliai is mobile enough to play DT, and seeing as this is probably his last year as a Phin, I'd say put Starks and Langford at DT, Odrick and Wake at DE.

Smith played safety and corner in college and was projected as a safety in the draft. He plays better with the action in front of him.

Agree with your other suggestions. Wake could be a very good DE, but then who plays OLB? we don't have enough.

Soliai could play the UNderTackle allignment like Sapp did. He's no Warren Sapp, but he can get upfield pressure and take away the counter and cutback.

Unfortunately, I'm not sure our LBs are built for a 4-3 either. Dansby actually played OLB in a 4-3, but that leaves us without a MLB. I'm not sure Dansby would be a good MLB in a 4-3. We'd need another Zach Thomas to pull this off. Alama-Francis looked good last year at LB. Maybe he could play OLB? Too bad we dumped Edds.

oh yeah...dumping Edds...that was another stellar move.

I agree that we don't have the LB's to run a traditional 4-3....but we clearly don't have the LB's to run the 3-4 either.

Just thinking out loud here...wonder if JT can play ILB? Man is this roster thin!!!

realist Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> oh yeah...dumping Edds...that was another stellar
> move.
>
>

I was 100% against it at the time, but the guy has what, one tackle in three games? The Pats, who love our castoffs, even got rid of him quickly. He isn't exactly lighting things up with the Colts either.

JC Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> realist Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > oh yeah...dumping Edds...that was another
> stellar
> > move.
> >
> >
>
> I was 100% against it at the time, but the guy has
> what, one tackle in three games? The Pats, who
> love our castoffs, even got rid of him quickly.
> He isn't exactly lighting things up with the Colts
> either.

No, but he's better than what we have right now. If we can't have Pro Bowl players, at least we can have average guys (rather than settling for below-average).

Note: Bobby Carpenter looked bad for us too, but he was key in Detroit's win against Dallas (by running back an INT for a TD).

I really like the idea of the 4-3 it makes total sense to me, therefore it will not happen.

Our corners need to be allowed to play some bump and run, this 10 yards off the receiver is giving me ulcers.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/04/2011 05:14AM by dolphin.

montequi Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> JC Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > realist Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > oh yeah...dumping Edds...that was another
> > stellar
> > > move.
> > >
> > >
> >
> > I was 100% against it at the time, but the guy
> has
> > what, one tackle in three games? The Pats, who
> > love our castoffs, even got rid of him quickly.
>
> > He isn't exactly lighting things up with the
> Colts
> > either.
>
> No, but he's better than what we have right now.
> If we can't have Pro Bowl players, at least we can
> have average guys (rather than settling for
> below-average).
>
> Note: Bobby Carpenter looked bad for us too, but
> he was key in Detroit's win against Dallas (by
> running back an INT for a TD).


You both may very well be right.

Isn't it said that we're talking about a guy with one tackle in three games being better than what we have now? Tough times.

JC Wrote:
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> Isn't it said that we're talking about a guy with
> one tackle in three games being better than what
> we have now? Tough times.

No kidding!!

Never liked the 3-4 personally; I think we should stick with it but hire on some better talent at LB.

I know easier said than done and all that money and cap biz but drastic measures are needed there--as Dansby and Burnett are failing miserably.

FWIW

We don't have the personnel for it right now. Wake would be the only guy who would make sense as a DE. None of the DL we currently have are good enough pass rushers to be DEs in a 4-3. And we certainly do not have a LB with the instincts and range to be a true MLB.

How about if we just switch to some type of a replication of a Defense, because guys, right now, we have no Defense.

Go Miami!!!

The thing is, that's his production level after spending training camp with us, in our system, our terms coverages, etc.

In the preseason he had 15 tackles and a sack in 4 games with limited playing time.

He outplayed Burnett in the preseason...I think he would outplay him now.

with all the passing going on, especially from NE and buffalo...I think teams around the NFL may consider a base 4-2-5 , nickle style defense...yes it leaves you kind of vulnerable to the inside run, but the patsies and bills dont really have a ground pounder to take advantage. Nolan used to use that style of defense a lot, but I guess we dont really have the personnel to run it..

not enough NFL level DB's + poor quality pass rush= Dolphins crappy 2011 Defense.

toko34 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> with all the passing going on, especially from NE
> and buffalo...I think teams around the NFL may
> consider a base 4-2-5 , nickle style defense...yes
> it leaves you kind of vulnerable to the inside
> run, but the patsies and bills dont really have a
> ground pounder to take advantage. Nolan used to
> use that style of defense a lot, but I guess we
> dont really have the personnel to run it..
>
> not enough NFL level DB's + poor quality pass
> rush= Dolphins crappy 2011 Defense.

This works if we pull Wake onto the DL, then replace Burnett with a CB.