re: Who on our defense translates to Staley’s 3-4 scheme?

Fat.

I thought Donald was a 3 tech? Maybe I’m remembering all this wrong

I know Saunders is a big dude but he did not play the run well in even a 4-3, I just don’t see how he can in a 3-4 as a NT.

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Ridgeway 324 Boyd 320

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Forgot about those 2

We have work to do in the draft

It’s not really about size. It’s about scheme. The nose or 0 is supposed to be able to eat up the double teams to allow your linebackers to have free run at the ball carrier etc. This team doesn’t need a massive overhaul to achieve the adjustment to a 3-4. Breese is your 3, they have to have a Nt and they will need to draft one as we don’t have anyone that can eat up the center and guard in the interior. They’ll need someone like Turner to improve but most likely they need a true olb, a 5 tech and a nose. You grab a couple guys like Mykel and Grant or Walker at dt and this defense will already be able to operate with what Staley likes to do.

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The nose or 0 is supposed to be able to eat up the double teams to allow your linebackers to have free run at the ball carrier etc.

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That isn't what this defense utilizes

Playing gap and a half’ in Vic Fangio and Brandon Staley’s system

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A lot of the Rams’ success against the run was a result of their execution of sound schemes and techniques. What Staley (now head coach of the Chargers) is doing isn’t exactly new — a lot of it came from Broncos head coach Vic Fangio, and Fangio was influenced by many coaches before him. The way Fangio and Staley apply and adapt these principles to the modern game is what makes their defenses effective. One of the ways their defenses can effectively defend the run with light boxes is having their defensive lines play a gap and a half, rather than just single-gap.

“What we really believe in the run game is we don’t want runs that hit us directly,” Staley said on the Pro Football Focus college football podcast. “Because if they hit you directly then that means that your second- and third-level players are going to have to be there quickly and so what you really want is these runs to slow down so you buy more time for the calvary to get there. So up front, we ask our guys to be really aggressive on blocks, really physical on blocks. We try to play a gap and a half. We’re still coming off the rock. We’re definitely not a two-gap system at all. That would imply that we are reading and reacting.”

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Playing a gap and a half is like a happy medium between single-gapping and two-gapping. Defensive linemen can still be aggressive and play a primary gap, but they have to be under control so they can “fall back” to defend a secondary gap after their primary gap is no longer threatened. This offseason, the Rams hired Raheem Morris to replace Staley, but they retained defensive line coach Eric Henderson and will use the same techniques.

Week 1, 8:42 remaining in the second quarter, first-and-10

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In this example, edge defender Samson Ebukam (No. 50) was lined up outside of the tight end. Because this was a slot formation without a receiver outside to Ebukam’s side, cornerback Jalen Ramsey was able to line up inside the box and provide secondary support in the run fit. This allowed Ebukam to play the gap inside of the tight end as his primary gap.

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After the ball was snapped, Ebukam got his head inside to his primary gap. He focused on extending his outside arm into the blocker’s chest plate so he could maintain control of that side, which would be his secondary gap.

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The issue with Staley is that the league adapted and he could not, and teams would run on the Chargers.

2021: 7th worst in the league in ypc
2022: worst in the league in ypc

There was an improvement in 2023, but it clearly wasn't enough.

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having 3 down lineman requires your nt to eat up multiple blockers and not have them get pushed back 3 yards down the field.

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It's not really 3 down linemen. There is always an edge.

And the point is what they do to prevent that "push back". In this sytem, the DIs are supposed to penetrate more and not read-react like the traditional 3-4 DIs ( especially NTs)

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Fangio played a ton of 4 down lineman this year

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So will we. That's the reality of life where 3WR sets are so common.

Staley had Bosa and Mack at edge with 2 DIs pretty routinely with the Chargers.

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Davis and or Carter rating up double teams freeing up backers

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Cater was the playmaker, not a blocker-eater.

Moore’s success this year was due to the fact that he adapted his offense to fit his personnel (Barkley)rather than vice versa.

I don’t think he should do that with the Saints defense next year, especially as it concerns Davis and Jordan. Next year will be a rebuilding year. He needs to plan for the future.