Miami Dolphins Talking Points: Transition to 4-3 defense shouldn’t be too difficult

[DKphin]

A trio of Dolphins talking points to jumpstart your Monday:

1. Transition to 4-3 defense shouldn’t be too difficult.
Throughout the offseason, we’ve told you that the Dolphins are switching to a 4-3 defense under new coordinator Kevin Coyle after playing the 3-4 scheme since the 2005 season.
Several players will be playing different positions or have different gap responsibility this year to better take advantage of their pass-rushing speed: Outside linebackers like Cameron Wake and Jamaal Westerman move to defensive end, defensive end Randy Starks and nose tackle Paul Soliai move to defensive tackle, inside linebacker Kevin Burnett becomes the “Sam” linebacker, Karlos Dansby becomes the “Mike” and strong outside linebacker Koa Misi becomes the “Will” linebacker.
But Coyle doesn’t expect the transition to be too difficult. In a
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– Coyle coached the Bengals’ secondary for the last 11 seasons – Coyle said that the Dolphins ran a true 3-4 defense just 12 percent of the time last year.
The rest of the time the Dolphins were in sub packages – Nickel, Dime, goal line, etc. – many of which looked like the 4-3 defense, especially when Wake lined up with his hand in the dirt.
Plus, most of the players have played in a 4-3 defense before, most likely in college and high school. And considering that the NFL is now a passing league, the Dolphins figure to spend a lot of time in their sub packages again this year, especially the Nickel package, as more and more teams run base offensive plays with three wide receivers.
That’s why the Dolphins signed Richard Marshall this offseason to be their Nickel corner – Marshall is known as one of the better run-stopping cornerbacks in the league, and has finished in the top 10 in solo tackles among cornerbacks for each of the past six seasons.
Since NFL rules allowed the Dolphins two extra weeks of classroom time in April because they have a first-year head coach in Joe Philbin, Coyle had plenty of time to teach the defense. According to the Enquirer, Coyle taught the defensive playbook three times.
“As far as installing things, this was the most extensive that I have been able to do it because of all the classroom time that we had,” Coyle said. “The first couple months weren’t easy because we were putting together a new playbook and change is not easy. Once the players started coming in and working out, though, it started to feel comfortable.”

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[LikeUntoGod]

easy peasy

I prefer the 4-3. And to be honest, 1 dislike the 3-4.

In it you allow defensive lineman to play as defensive lineman and the linebackers to be linebackers.

Look at Cam Wake, we spent years pounding him into a square hole when he is a round. You could say that about a number of players we have. We had a good 4-3 defense when Parchells got here, but he wanted "his" defense. And we have been reaching for players to play that defense for years. One big difference about the 3-4 from Bill's time is now many teams play it. So now it is very hard to find those 6'4" 265 pound OLBs and 335 pound nose tackles.

IMO, we have suffered trying to meet the size/weight requiments of the 3-4. It also sucks up some cash trying to find and keep those perfect players like nose tackle etc.

This allows us to rotate 10 defensive lineman in on our front 4 like we did when Saban was here. We used to exhaust the other team's offensive line. And we can put our 3 best line backers at ...linebacker.

[KTOWNFINFAN]

easy peasy


Look at Cam Wake, we spent years pounding him into a square hole when he is a round. You could say that about a number of players we have.
.

Yeah you could say that about John Jerry, if there is one thing you CAN say about him it is that he is round, TOO "round".
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[LikeUntoGod]

Yeah you could say that about John Jerry, if there is one thing you CAN say about him it is that he is round, TOO "round".
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man....I KNEW if i said round someone would say something, lol. I was thinking Charles Barkly when I wrote it.

[Highzenga]

I wouldn't be so sure. Paul Soliai and Cam Wake may not transition well into a 4-3. Both excelled in the 3-4. Although many teams like NE are transitioning back to the traditional 4-3, over the past decade, the elite defenses have
run the 3-4. Lets hope for the best

[Phinatic8u]

I wouldn't be so sure. Paul Soliai and Cam Wake may not transition well into a 4-3. Both excelled in the 3-4. Although many teams like NE are transitioning back to the traditional 4-3, over the past decade, the elite defenses have
run the 3-4. Lets hope for the best

Well Soliai being single blocked will make D coordinators shiver. He is too big and strong to be single blocked, double him and Starks is single blacked, pick your poison.

Wake came from a 4-3 in Canada, and actually rushed the passer more effectively while in a 3-point stance.