Our D-Line

I wish the line would look different ( and lighter). That’s a tough task to accomplish in one offseason. Was our previous mangement dumb or high when they put that line together?

Pass rush in a 3-4 is highly reliant on the linebackers. The lack of a pass rush from the Browns defense is a result of poor linebacker play. The defensive line in a 3-4 is generally asked to play a two gap scheme (engaging two offensive linemen and “clogging” two gaps) for the majority of the game. Typically, the defensive line will have a 0 technique (NT) and two DE’s head up on a tackle ( either a 5 tech or 6 tech depending on the nomenclature used.) Their job is to be as physical and immovable as possible.

Personally, I was very pleased with the line all year long. They are very talented, but they will look much better once you get some guys who can clean up behind them.

I think the line will be very solid this year. Shuan Rogers will be great (again), and if Corey Williams and Robaire Smith can come back and play at their previous level, that’d be awesome. Then you have a good versitaile backup in Shuan Smith and a another good backup in CJ Mosely, plus maybe a draft pick or even Ahtyba Rubin if he builds from last year, the line could be awesome. Although it just as easily could be as bad as 2007.

Our D line was so big because Romeo used a 2-gap scheme. As Ghanki says, this means they were basically used to “clog” gaps between OL, occupy blockers, and do other dirty work. All of that is basically strength-based work. To get stronger, players need to consume more calories than they expend (to add muscle mass). Our DL seemed to be very good at that part.

In Romeo’s 3-4, you want your DL to be as big as they can get so that they are as strong as they can get. Some believe that even just adding weight (fat) will be good for 2-gap linemen because if they get another 10 lbs on, that’s another 10 lbs the OL has to try to push around. In the trenches, just that extra 10 lbs leaning on an OL can be the difference between the offense getting that 2 inches on 4th and short or stopping the offense for a turnover.

I think letting the DL put on as much bad weight (fat) as it did last year really hurt us. Clearly, Rogers can play at whatever weight he was at last year and be very effective. Corey Williams was particularly hurt by his added weight, I thought. Surplus fat hurts a player’s speed. I think that one of the strengths of the 3-4 is its versatility. As our DL lost quickness, we lost the ability to be versatile and became extremely predictable. Its takes an immaculate amount of talent in the NFL to run only a few things (to be predictable) on defense and still be any good.

Still, its hard to tell how much of our DL looking slow was the weight, and how much was Romeo’s philosophy, which was quite literally to read and react. Some of our DL looked like they didn’t “read” too well, while some looked slow to “react”. Regardless of the DL play, the LBs were much, much worse last year.

At this point, its just wishful thinking, but I believe Rob Ryan will become much more aggressive with our D line, playing more of an attacking, “one-gap” scheme out of a 3-4 front. This is typically what people think of when they say a “4-3” defense: linemen have one gap they need to control—one space between two offensive linemen—and they look to “shoot” that gap (run through it en route to the QB or RB) right off the snap. This means instead of “reading and reacting” that the defense tries to make the first move.

This is considered to be more Rob Ryan’s style (think of his brother Rex, who was the Ravens DC last year), while Mangini has ties to Romeo’s style of the 3-4. I don’t know how much control Mangini is willing to give to Ryan or how much our defense will be a mixture of the two styles.

I think the best coaches are able to use the X’s and O’s to maximize the production of their talent, wherever it may be. For us, that means using the relative talent of our DL to mask our lack of talent in the LB corps. It also means confusing an offense and being an intelligent defense in terms of play design and scheme because our individual players will not be bigger, stronger, faster than the opposing offense every Sunday: make the offense think to slow them down.

To me, that means getting the DL’s weight down a little bit, but more importantly getting them in shape, and turning them loose to rush the passer sometimes.

big fat meaty beast like DTs to stop the run up the middle and decent sized quick DEs to get penetration and help close gap to the sidelines. i think we should go back to the 4-3 defensive scheme puttind Shaun Smith in at tackle with rogers, move wimbly back on the line and find his replacement, or draft an end. that leaves jackson alone at starting ILB. but that will never happen. but this would solve the LB problem if we can’t get Currey. oh and our D-line is so big because romeo didnt want to be fattest guy around the place.

What do u all think of Senderrick marks