Quote Originally Posted by Joemailman View Post
One thing is for sure, if people didn't like Barry's scheme, they should like this a lot better. Single high safety, more press man, bringing more pressure. The biggest challenge personnel-wise will be finding the centerfielder free safety this scheme requires. I really think this scheme better suits the kind of cornerbacks Gute has drafted. McDuffie played for Hafley at Boston College and could see an increased role.
I read a good article at ACME on the type of defense he runs; this is it. More press, some zone, and in addition to the all-important centerfieldersafety (we need a Nick Collins, as someone noted), it sounded to me also like we're going to need another inside linebacker or two.

The article made a good point, too, that Bisaccia has been using a lot of safeties for special teams, but Hafley's defenses make use of more corners than safeties, so it'll be interesting to see how that affects special teams.

I wonder what this does to a NT like TJ Slaton? Will he fit in this scheme, or just play less? I don't know how that works. But the guy seems well-schooled in this more-current type of defense, so I am excited for the hire. As Bretsky says, who knows? We'll find out, but I do think the players are going to be more excited in a scheme like this one. Jaire will probably do better, and as you said, maybe Stokes, if he's not physically diminished. So, for the draft: top-end safety to patrol the middle (probably a high draft pick?), another inside linebacker, maybe two, another corner, maybe one earlier, one later?