Nolan Likely Choice for Pack DC

[HarveyWallbangers]

When they are healthy, I'm actually okay with our LBs. They've shown in the past that they can be good enough to play on a good team. The DL hasn't proven this. Jenkins has a hard time staying healthy. Jolly has shown glimpses, but is inconsistent. Our DEs are young. Cole is "just a guy". Harrell is a bust, so far. DL is a bigger concern. Of course, the top LBs look like much better prospects than the top DL, so I'm not against drafting a guy like Curry or Rey, if they are there. Like somebody else said, I'd rather draft a stud LB than an average DT.

[cpk1994]

Guess I'd rather see Moss than Nolan.

I think going to a 3-4 will set this team back. Makes one of their best players, Kampman, by most accounts unfittatable in this scheme.

Me no like.

How about we wait on that sentiment until:

1.Nolan is actually hired.

2.Nolan actually runs a 3-4.

Right now, we don't know if nboth of those are offically true.

Well, we're all throwing our sentiments out there - isn't that what most of these recent threads have been about? So why wait on one sentiment but not another?

And Nolan's long history as a coordinator rests primarily upon a 3-4, so the likelihood of him suddenly changing his scheme to fit the personnel here seems less than the likelihood of him running what he's traditionally run, right?

I do not want to see a 3-4 defense brought to Green Bay at this time. Is MM doesn't work out, if TT doesn't work out, and the team wants to start over, then sure. But to me, this is a team that is closer to the top than the bottom talent-wise, and does not need to be dismantled defensively. I don't want to see this team start over on one side of the football.

But we don't know who can or cannot play in the 3-4 until they actually try to play it. But we don't know if Nolan is the hire, or if he will run a 3-4. Remember, if M3 wants a 4-3, and he hires Nolan, Nolan will run a 4-3. Same goes for 3-4. However, no one knows for fact who can play in the 3-4 or who can't. That is why I am in wait and see mode. I will wait until we see what DC M3 hires and what he wants to run.

[denverYooper]

One of the benefits of running a 3-4 was that few teams ran it. Therefore, a player who was ideal for it, but poorly suited for a 4-3, was available later in the draft. You could draft better players later, thus developing a more talented defensive front seven. As more and more teams run it, and the talent pool dilutes, it will become a less and less effective defense. Also, if more teams run it, offenses will more and more gear to beating it. I feel, whatever you do, you need to be the innovator and not the bandwagon jumper.

I am ok with Nolan, but I would have given greater consideration to Williams.

Another benefit of the 3-4 is its flexibility. You can blitz one of the LBs from somewhere on a lot of downs.

Partial discussion of 4-3/3-4 pressures:

http://www.nfl.com/news/story?id=09000d5d80d6974b&template=with-video-with-comments&confirm=true

[SlimPickens]

As I recall Kampman played linebacker his first couple of years at Iowa.

[PaCkFan_n_MD]

So if Nolan is indeed the guy, does anyone know if he likes to play bump and run? Basically am asking if Harris would fit in his scheme.

Sorry if its been covered already I haven't been in for a while.

[Gunakor]

Spare us from the prospect of ending up with Williams or McDermott or somebody like that--which, incredibly, most in here are stupidly advocating.

McDermott is a Jim Johnson desciple. Jim Johnson has never ever had a defense that stinks. He's known for his exotic blitz packages, and always is near the top in total defense. So, obviously he figured out how to make blitzing work effectively. McDermott learned in that system, so he'd be bringing a COMPETENT blitzing scheme with him. Blitz often, but don't get burned by it. Have the guys that aren't after the QB in the right position to make plays if the blitz doesn't get there.

Show your teeth. Growl a bit. Dictate to the offense how shit goes down, not the other way around. Jim Johnson is outstanding at that, so I'd assume anyone who spent considerable time in that system would be as competent as well. To be perfectly honest, I wish like hell we could get Jim himself in as our DC.

Chryst, I wish we could bring Jim in as our HC, and have McDermott as his DC. Made of win.

[HarveyWallbangers]

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0FCL/is_2_33/ai_107524511/pg_2

Is defensive coordinator Mike Nolan underrated?

Ray Lewis: Yes. It's hard to find defensive coordinators who trust their players. I am talking about the players who he knows are going to put in the work and come to work every day. He gives you flexibility to go play football. When you see Mike talk; he is very energetic. When you see that in a coach, that gives energy to the players. I don't know if Mike is too far from Marvin [Lewis, Baltimore's former defensive coordinator]. The way they speak, their terminology--it's almost identical.

[rpiotr01]

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0FCL/is_2_33/ai_107524511/pg_2

Is defensive coordinator Mike Nolan underrated?

Ray Lewis: Yes. It's hard to find defensive coordinators who trust their players. I am talking about the players who he knows are going to put in the work and come to work every day. He gives you flexibility to go play football. When you see Mike talk; he is very energetic. When you see that in a coach, that gives energy to the players. I don't know if Mike is too far from Marvin [Lewis, Baltimore's former defensive coordinator]. The way they speak, their terminology--it's almost identical.

Nice find, but I think a lot has changed in the 5 1/2 years since that was written.

[Gunakor]

Baltimore runs a 3-4. All the more reason to stay away from former Ravens DC's IMO.

I want a guy who will make our front 7 effective in a 4-3 defense. Not someone who is going to completely change what we do. I don't want to see any changes in the defensive backfield, and the only change I'd like to see from the front 7 would be minor tweaks that would make them more aggressive, a bit less predictable. Get the QB on the ground more often. Indimidate the OL lined up across from them. Own the LOS. That's it, not a complete overhaul.

[HarveyWallbangers]

http://books.google.com/books?id=R1-29Z3kNmkC&pg=PA53&lpg=PA53&dq=Mike+Nolan+-%22San+Francisco%22+%2BBaltimore&source=bl&ots=fjplODJsFl&sig=yoGB8d48pKPkeBW88lL7gJ3fqT8&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=6&ct=result#PPA54,M1

Mike Nolan has rebuilt the Baltimore defense with different players and in a different style that let the Ravens become dominant once again...

He said that coming up with a flexible defense has been a key to Baltimore's success in the last two years--despite being such a very young team.

"It's a neat thing to be able to design something for the players to take advantage of," Nolan said. "It's trying to put them in a position to utilize their strengths rather than say [that] this is our defense, and we're going to do it this way because that's what I know. That's narrow-minded and doesn't allow players to shine.

[Partial]

Baltimore runs a 3-4. All the more reason to stay away from former Ravens DC's IMO.

I want a guy who will make our front 7 effective in a 4-3 defense. Not someone who is going to completely change what we do. I don't want to see any changes in the defensive backfield, and the only change I'd like to see from the front 7 would be minor tweaks that would make them more aggressive, a bit less predictable. Get the QB on the ground more often. Indimidate the OL lined up across from them. Own the LOS. That's it, not a complete overhaul.

Actually Baltimore ran more 3-4 when Nolan was there. I was surprised to hear it too. They did a lot of weird stuff back in the day. Their super bowl year they definitely ran a good amount of 4-3 with Goose and Sam Adams as their fat boys up front.

[Guiness]

All this talk of pressure, blitzing defenses - reminds me of Slowik's attempts to 'blitz, blitz, blitz' against Carolina, I think.

There's no magic bullet. Just deciding to go that style doesn't mean a thing

[Pacopete4]

for all the naysayers already I haven't heard many better options

[Gunakor]

All this talk of pressure, blitzing defenses - reminds me of Slowik's attempts to 'blitz, blitz, blitz' against Carolina, I think.

There's no magic bullet. Just deciding to go that style doesn't mean a thing

You can't go that route if you can't get the guys who aren't on the blitz in the right position to make plays if the blitz doesn't hit home. In other words, don't send Woodson on a corner blitz if the SS can't pick up the WR Woodson is lined up over, or bad things will happen if Woodson doesn't get there.

That's why I'm in favor of McDermott. He's a desciple of Jim Johnson, so I think he knows a thing or two about how to blitz effectively without giving up too many big plays. Jim Johnson is my favorite DC in the league, so any desciple of his would be more than welcome in my book. I just love what the Eagles do on defense, and would be elated if that style of defense found it's way to Green Bay.

[retailguy]

All this talk of pressure, blitzing defenses - reminds me of Slowik's attempts to 'blitz, blitz, blitz' against Carolina, I think.

There's no magic bullet. Just deciding to go that style doesn't mean a thing

Carolina was the game where it worked. The Indy game, if I recall correctly it was game three is where the bus wheels fell off.