I know some people on this board were unhappy that Mike Nolan and Todd Bowles left this team after Sparano was fired or shortly after. However riddle me this ehen we need ed a stop on defense the last 2 years to win a game or just to preserve a lead how many times was this defense sucsessful? Now who is ultimately responsible for making plays I know the defensive players, but hell we couldn't stop anyone when we had too. 1st game of the season the Cheatiots are on the 1 freaking yard line what happens a 99 yard touchdown to an out of shape defense. So I say out with the old, and let's just see what this new coordinator along with his assistants can do. Also anyone notice when we blitz just how often the other team isn't fooled, and it almost never works. I mean how about some creativity with diiferent personel. My point is that Coyer coached on a defense less talented than ours with almost better results so let's see what he can do with this talented, but still underachieving bunch. Do you guys agree with the sentiment no big loss with Nolan, or will we miss him..

I think we will miss Nolan but I am excited about our new staff. I think the 4-3 won't really help with the blitzing thing since the 3-4 allows for a lot more combinations of blitzing linebackers. The 4-3 will be more about winning individual matchups and I think it's hard to outscheme someone when you run the 4-3. Although we will have a lot of versatility and will probably be able to throw some 3-4 lineups out there so it will be interesting to see what happens.

Nolan did a nice job but the out of shape stuff and the execution of coverages and blitzes really comes down to the players.

bottom line: It's not the end of the world to lose Nolan and the new staff has good potential.

Bowles had some talent at DB, but none of them really stepped up their game. It was his sole job to make that happen.

I'm ok with them both gone.

the Bengals D has been decent the past several years.

The new DC is an unknown and thus a question mark. Nolan is (was) a known, and one of the better (say top 12 at least) DCs in the NFL, so there is definitely some downside risk. But maybe we get lucky? Maybe this dude is the next great DC? Or maybe not…

I agree about the 4-3 being more man-against-man. When played straight-up the 4-3 is a significantly different approach than just one more D lineman. Both fronts require the right horses, but the types of horses are really quite different (in the ideal sense).

Based on interviews and general info being released it sounds as if our core intent is a hybrid per se. Philbin wants to use either front and force the opposing O to spend more time prepping for 2 “systems” rather than one. Of course, in principal, that sounds like a solid idea. How it actually shakes out we’ll have to see…(BTW, this sounds similar to Satan’s approach before he sneaked out of town to Alabama, right?)

I think we all know the key to winning D in the NFL now is pressure on the QB, and whatever we can do to make that happen in our favor is a good thing. So we either need another OLB who can crash the pocket AND play with his hand down, or we need a monster 4-3 DE. That much seems certain, but as discussed elsewhere, the LB needs to be addressed as well – unless a dude like Misi can function at a high level inside.

I would argue that Nolan is a top 5 DC.

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"When you suck long enough, you get a Hickey"

For us to be serious about utilizing both fronts, I think we need to keep Paul. If we lose him then I think we will almost exclusively be running the 4-3. It doesn't make sense for Starks to play much as NT when he is a perfect fit as a 4-3 DT.

Agree with both of the above. I didn't want to overstate the case on Nolan and figured we could all agree he's at least in the top 1/3 of DCs.

Losing Paul would be major setback IMO, and as discussed elsewhere only losing franchises let players like him walk...

I'm hoping we find a way to solve that problem ($$$) and keep him on the team.

The defense played much better under Bowles big improvement in calling packages. Right now I would rather have kept him than Coyle. Marvin Lewis is regarded as one of the best defensive minds in the game and his DC Zimmer is no slouch. Getting the 3rd best mind ... not sure of that.

It is a bit of a risk Mizzou. But look at this way, the guy is still young and has learned from two of the best defensive minds in football. He can now utilize that information with his own ideas which might turn out to be pretty good as well. Coyle is who we got so I am all for optimism and support at this point.

Soliai should be able to play tackle in a 4-3...he "may" have to loose a little bit of his 355 lbs but that should serve to make him quicker and allow him to move better. The problem with him is his cost and how much room we actually have with respect to the salary cap.

Ken Wrote:
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> Soliai should be able to play tackle in a 4-3...he
> "may" have to loose a little bit of his 355 lbs
> but that should serve to make him quicker and
> allow him to move better. The problem with him is
> his cost and how much room we actually have with
> respect to the salary cap.

I don't see the point. He's built like a NT, and a 3-4 NT is MUCH more valuable than a 4-3 DT. Basically, the NT in a 3-4 is as valuable as the MLB in a 4-3. In each case, it's the single hardest position to fill on defense.

I'd love to keep him, but I do NOT want to see him converted to DT. That would be a waste of his talent.

Montequi, the conversion isn't really much of a conversion. Soliai would do the same things he does now. They will design the defense to his strengths. He will still eat up blockers and he will have more freedom to penetrate at times. He has the size and athleticism to flourish in any system.

He has to cover both A gaps right now. In the 4-3, they will still probably have him cover both but at times they will play him as a 1 Tech which means he will shade the center and only have one A gap to cover. He has the strength to bull rush that gap and create havoc in the backfield. Think of Kris Jenkins when he was in Carolina. Soliai will be implemented in much the same way.

The conversion will in no means limit his impact or waste his talent.

I watched Soliai exclusively in the pro bowl, and he was not even trying. yes I know it was not a real game, and the score was out of hand. However one has to wonder if he will be motivated tp play the way he played this year next year once he signs his big fat guranteed contract. In my Opinion he is too risky a player to stake your rush defense on entirely. I think he may still be dealing with maturity issues as well.

dolphin1423 Wrote:
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> It is a bit of a risk Mizzou. But look at this
> way, the guy is still young and has learned from
> two of the best defensive minds in football. He
> can now utilize that information with his own
> ideas which might turn out to be pretty good as
> well. Coyle is who we got so I am all for
> optimism and support at this point.


At 56 years old, I wouldn't call him young. Fortunately, he is very experience as a coach.

Aqua&Orange Wrote:
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> I would argue that Nolan is a top 5 DC.


no doubt, maybe top 3

I'm not sure I agree 1423. DT's in a 4-3 are often expected to pursue during the play, so it helps if they can run. The NT in a 3-4 is, basically, a tree stump in the middle of the field. He's supposed to give no ground, but you don't expect him to chase anybody down.

I really think Starks and Langford would be better at DT than Soliai, which us proven by the fact that Soliai was taken out of the game last year whenever we shifted to a 4-man-front.

Last season our defense stayed in the locker room after halftime, & they were all on their way home with 5 mins left to play in almost every game.

very true shows an out of shape team unable to sustain leads, and finish games.