Casey Hampton

[Ballboy]

Even though we switched to a 3-4 and thus would need less linemen, would he be worth a look....if they are cutting him anyway, maybe send a fullback or one of our running backs to them in a trade? This would allow us to cut JH.


Per PFT:

Casey Hampton on the outs?
Posted by Mike Florio on September 2, 2009 7:32 AM ET
As the huge roster reduction from 75 to 53 approaches (the deadline is Saturday at 6:00 p.m. ET), some veteran players could be on the bubble.

One such player, according to Jason La Canfora of NFL Network (i.e., don't blame us), possibly is Steelers nose tackle Casey Hampton.

Asked during a Monday chat whether he sees any potential surprises on the cut-down horizon, La Canfora wrote, "One player I am sniffing around on right now is Casey Hampton. [Editor's note: That's one hell of an image with which to start the morning.] Steelers could use some cap room, he may not be [someone] they would extend at this point. [I'd] think a trade is more likely, but some people I know close to the situation say they would not be stunned if a move of some sort was made."

Wow.

Last year, Hampton showed up for training camp well above his target weight, and he was held out of practice until August 10. (Thanks, Rotoworld.) He went on to start 13 regular-season games and three postseason contests, including the Super Bowl.

This year, Hampton showed up within his proper weight, and he has started each of the three preseason games. And while he's entering the final year of his contract, at a salary of $3.075 million, the Steelers typically don't move guys that they might not be planning to re-sign. Instead, the Steelers allow them to finish out their deals, and then to leave.

As word of La Canfora's opinion has made the round, Hampton addressed the matter after practice on Tuesday.


"Oh, they're going to cut me today?" Hampton said, according to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.

But Hampton then addressed his uncertain future, given that defensive end Brett Keisel was picked to receive a five-year deal -- and Hampton wasn't.

"If they let me get to free agency, everybody knows what it's going to be," Hampton said. "There ain't nothing to even talk about."

If La Canfora's "sniffing around" Hampton yields other than the smell of Twinkie crumbs, Hampton might be a free agent six months before he otherwise planned to be.

[Fritz]

I hope they're not sniffing around the guy's jock strap. ugh.

But if you like Pickett well enough, do you want Hampton? What would you do with Pickett? Do you move him out to end or something, then IR Harrell and cut Montgomery?


It doesn't seem likely, but maybe it could happen.

[KYPack]

This is where LeBeau and Capers 3-4's diverge. Hampton 2 gaps 90% of the time. Dom plays his front guys in a 1 gap.

Hampton is a good hand. They'll need him for this season. I think PBurgh let's him play out the contract

[hoosier]

This is where LeBeau and Capers 3-4's diverge. Hampton 2 gaps 90% of the time. Dom plays his front guys in a 1 gap.

Hampton is a good hand. They'll need him for this season. I think PBurgh let's him play out the contract

I wasn't aware that LeBeau's and Capers's systems had different gap responsibilites for DL. And I haven't seen Hampton play much, so I'm kind of standing on air here. But just going on appearances, Hampton doesn't look much different from Pickett. If Pickett with his considerable girth is capable of playing NT in Capers system (where 1 gap requires linemen to be quicker and better able to penetrate more than in a 2-gap system), I would think Hampton could do it too, unless Pickett is somehow much quicker than Hampton. This seems unlikely to me, but not impossible. Do you know something I don't?

Assuming Hampton is physically capable of playing in Capers system, he would be a nice (but also pricey) complement to Pickett. But acquiring him would also mean Raji gets little or no experience at NT this year, and I'm not sure that's a good thing in the long term.

[mraynrand]

[I] always get [nervous] when people start talking [about] picking up other [team's] leavings. [Florio] seems like [a] tool.

[Tony Oday]

If he is there pick him up. We need depth with fat boys on the line that can play...a solid rotation is the key to the DL IMO. What if Pickett goes down or Jenkins or Raji...it could easily happen. Without a NT and two DEs eating up blocks for the LBs.

[Waldo]

Pickett 2 gaps just as much as Hampton. We haven't played nearly as much 1 gap play along the line as I thought we would. Might be a card they are saving for the regular season. They largely have been 2 gapping thus far, especially Pickett. They've been doing a good job with it too.

[CaptainKickass]

Worth exploring yes. But it will depend on the cost. Perhaps a trade with the steelers?

Unlikely to happen - but worth a look.

[mraynrand]

Pickett 2 gaps just as much as Hampton. We haven't played nearly as much 1 gap play along the line as I thought we would. Might be a card they are saving for the regular season. They largely have been 2 gapping thus far, especially Pickett. They've been doing a good job with it too.

Isn't Pickett better suited to play 2-gap anyway?

[Tarlam!]

OK. One more time for the dummies: What the frig is a one, two, three seventeen gap fat guy? I mean, don't they just all tear OL apart??

[HarveyWallbangers]

OK. One more time for the dummies: What the frig is a one, two, three seventeen gap fat guy? I mean, don't they just all tear OL apart??

Generally, a 1 gap lines up between two OL and attacks the gap between them. A 2 gap lines up on a man and has the option of attacking the gap on either side of that man. A 2 gap DL needs to be able to diagnose a play more than a 1 gap because he often has an option on what gap to fill based on his reads.

[Waldo]

OK. One more time for the dummies: What the frig is a one, two, three seventeen gap fat guy? I mean, don't they just all tear OL apart??

1 gap lineman attack one of the gaps next to them and shoot into the backfield. Think C. Williams type play. It is an aggressive attack. Wade Phillips mostly plays his lineman in a single gap. The best pure 1 gap lineman are big (tall-long), explosive and fast, they will trade power and bulk for speed. To compensate for the unaccounted for gaps, the linebackers have gap responsibilities as well.

The downside to 1 gap play is that fundamental soundness is traded for playmaking ability. If the lineman miss, there is a good chance that the offense gets a good gain.

A 1 gap 3-4 is essentially an over-under 4-3 after their first step, that becomes the 4-3 when they execute the slant into the gap, the direction of the slant determining whether they become an under 4-3 or an over 4-3. The whole line typically slants the same direction into the gap next to them as soon as the ball is snapped.

2 gap 3-4 defenses are more passive, eating up lineman to to keep the linebackers clean. When playing a pure 2 gap 3-4, every gap in the defensive line is accounted for by the DL. The defensive lineman push back the line (or hold their ground), instead of aggressively attacking the backfield.

To pull off 2 gap play the NT has to be able to win near 100% of his 1 on 1 battles with the C. It is the OL's choice to double guys or not. if they don't, evreybody's biggest fear with "the" 3-4 occurs, the G's come clean on the LB's. When that happens, the NT has to win near 100% of the time if they try to run up the gut, and the ends be reliable at dumping their blocks to make the tackle. When this is the case, in order to run, the O has to double the NT to prevent him form making the play, this then leaves 3 lineman to block 2 OLB's and 2 DE's, along with any FB's and TE's.

Basically 2 gap lineman have to win when left 1 on 1. The ends have to easily get off their blocks, the NT has to be able to dominate. This then leaves the linebackers clean to make the plays, with all the blocking absorbed by the line. Parcells runs his defense this way, he runs the purest form of it remaining in the NFL.

2 gap lineman are strong and stout. They have to be able to hold their ground when getting blocked from any angle by any number of people. Quickness will be sacrificed for power. Ends typically have long arms so they can get off the blocks by offensive tackles.

A 2 gap 3-4 defense is more fundamentally sound than a 1 gap, the linebackers have to clean up what the line misses and make the tackle. Typically there will be one unblocked guy, whether a TE, FB, T or G. That is the buck ILB's job to dispose of.

Complicating things is the fact that the 3 lineman don't have to be doing the same thing. A mixture of 1 and 2 gap along the front, along with some LB-S aggressiveness and possibly some stunting/twisting can mix the desirable playmaking of 1 gap play with the passive soundness of 2 gap play. Just like the defense aggressively can scheme their way into pressure without giving up fundamental coverage soundness, using zone blitz principles, they can also aggressively scheme their way into plays in the backfield against the run without sacrificing much fundamental soundness against the run.

[Fritz]

And there will be a test on Friday. So study up, people

Thank you Waldo - I enjoyed that.

[pbmax]

This is where LeBeau and Capers 3-4's diverge. Hampton 2 gaps 90% of the time. Dom plays his front guys in a 1 gap.

Hampton is a good hand. They'll need him for this season. I think PBurgh let's him play out the contract

I thought Perry (in his introductory quotes) said that 2 gapping had been phased out in the Burgh after Dom left?

[pbmax]

It might not help Tar!, but the quintessential 1 gapping defense of recent NFC Central/North vintage was the Minnesota Vikings D of the Keith Millard and Chris Doleman era.

You might remember plays where the Vikes D lineman would be in the QBs lap before he had completed a 5 step drop. The next play they would be rushing upfield while the ball was three yards past the line of scrimmage.

It was feast or famine with that scheme. With an overmatched opponent, they would dominate. But against a talented O, they could be had and therefore never seemed as stout against quality competition.