What type of defense does Kris Richards run?

Whatever defense Pete Carroll called

lots of cover3/4

that will have to change here

STRAP IN!

A guy with his pedigree is not going to be locked into one scheme. You don't coordinate at the NFL level and be a one-trick pony!

Hopefully if he comes here he plays a lot of man. We are DBU and players like Stingley want to play man. We won't stay DBU forever if he mostly runs zone defenses.

It’s Seattle’s Cover 3 scheme.

4-3 base with some 3-4 elements, like one of the DTs has the size and frame of a traditional NT.

Pete Carroll developed his Cover 3 scheme concepts years ago as a tweak to Monte Kiffin’s Cover 2. It was so long ago that it was before Kiffin had refined his system into the “Tampa 2”. Both are zone coverage concepts.

The difference is that a Cover 2 has 2 deep safeties. The CBs press at the line of scrimmage, but then bail to their zone on the field.

Seattle’s Cover 3 has a single deep safety, and the other plays closer to the line of scrimmage, more of a box safety. The CBs also press at the line of scrimmage, but they will stay with the WR in man coverage if he runs a deep route.

The zone coverage is also a little different. Instead of defending a portion of the field and waiting for a receiver to enter his zone, Cover 3 is a little more aggressive and defenders will pick up coverage on a receiver early if he deciphers his route.

Cover 3 puts a lot of pressure on the CBs because their technique and footwork at the snap when they press the WR has to be perfect, and it’s unique to only Cover 3. They have to play outside the WR, press him at the line, be prepared to play man on a deep vertical route, but also be able to drop to his zone and pick up coverage on a different receiver if it’s not a deep vertical.

The good news is that a lot of NFL teams are using a version of Seattle’s Cover 3, and they are having trouble finding the right personnel to fit the scheme. LSU could better prepare players for NFL schemes, especially CBs. That might benefit player’s draft stock, and trickle down to recruiting as well.

The downside is that Richard was schooled in Carroll’s Cover 3. It’s a scheme originally developed to stop the run. Carroll’s roots are in the secondary. He developed his defense to load the box with a bunch of fast players. They might be undersized at some positions, but there would be an extra safety in the box. He could coach to his strengths by developing a scheme and technique in the secondary to account for only 1 deep safety.

Seattle also plays much more base defense than other 4-3 zone teams. The original concept meant offenses would attack you in similar ways if you always played the same alignment and invited teams to run routes to weak parts of the zone. Carroll stresses technique, repetition, and detail. His defenses aren’t exotic. His scheme was designed to take away parts of the field, but still be able to react and defend soft areas in the zone.

Seattle has struggled recently. They don’t have the same caliber of players on defense, and they don’t have answers for some of the new looks and schemes being incorporated into the NFL.

I don’t know how much of the Seattle Cover 3 will be used by Kris Richard, but his entire coaching career except for the last 2 seasons has been in the Carroll system.

It’s been a hot trend in the NFL over the last decade, but it might be on its way out as a base concept, at least the rigid Seattle concept. College offenses are much more varied, and present challenges different from the NFL.

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Ghost of Colby

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Excellent breakdown.

Thanks for the great explanation

Yea I don’t like what I’m reading about this guy

i don't dislike him, but it's going to be a complete overhaul to our defense that i don't know if it's possible

i made a thread this year about how we, historically, suck at zone. it's why Steele was terrible here and great at AU. Aranda's heavy zone tinkering in the middle of this year was a disaster. Bo P had to learn that lesson, too.

also, it will allow for this kind of negative recruiting

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“Every snap every play,” Revis said on Twitter. “The fact that he doesn’t travel as a cornerback is lame. [Accept] the challenge as the best and shut [Davante] Adams down the entire game. Do it for the game of football. Stop hiding [in] a cover 3 zone.”

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“All y’all think I’m throwing shade,” Revis said. “I’m not. Just stating the man is not a pound for pound man to man corner. If you know the game of football he plays in a Cover 3 Scheme. He does not travel but traveling with a receiver is not for every DB. It’s a few on the corner list who can.”

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