stockman311

If it makes no sense to you that the Saints run a 4-3 base defense and therefore are not going to draft a NT for a 3-4 defense, then you are just being obtuse.

And just so you know, we didn't run a 3-4 for a majority of the Superbowl. We ran a 3-3-5, with the knowlege that we were playing Peyton Manning. The only QB who gets rid of the football faster than Brees. We played back with an extra DB and blitzed Manning on 3 plays all game, waiting for him to make a mistake which he finally did to Porter.

Just because we ran an exotic package for a good portion of one game against a superior QB doesn't mean dick when it comes to the Defense we ran for the majority of the season. We don't have the OLB to play 3-4 and rush the passer, and we don't have the ILB with bulk to play the 3-4. See how happy Will Smith is when you move him inside in a 3-4 and take away his opportunities to get sacks. Yeah, that would be a really smart move.

The fact of the matter is that there are a ton of great DT, and DE in this draft that fit our scheme. Cody is not one of them, and as I said before, I will come back and apologize to you if we select him. I have doubts that he will even be on the board when we pick though. Too many teams are moving to a 3-4 and need a NT.

CantonLegend

because we dont just run a base 4-3......we switched our base defense the entire season......we didnt just run a 4-3....no matter how many times you say it, we ran both defenses. when we lost our DTs we switched to 3 down linemen.....i wasnt a fan of the switch but we did it regardless of how you or I felt about it.....it happened and now that we know it can happen we will need a player to fit that scheme

whether we ran a nickel or a base the entire game doesnt matter to me......my point is that there were 3 defensive linemen in for most of the game.....it didnt just happen against the colts.....we played several games like that but that was the most recent

we dont have a DT to play a 3-4 either.....thats why we could draft one

and heres another thing......cody's biggest strength is stopping the run....

a 4-3 is best designed to stop the run.....why wouldnt we draft a player who best fits a defense to stop the run? even when we played with 4 defensive linemen, other teams still ran all over us

im not trying to be facetious.....and this argument has clearly been beaten to a pulp in only 2 short weeks......thats unfortunate

"deal with it or you can go play the saints and get trounced by 30 and you won't have to worry about it."-colin cowherd

stockman311

Completely false. A 3-4 is a run stopping formation by it's very nature. Not a 4-3. Do your homework.

stockman311

Best of 3 Cone Drill Numbers DT & LB

DT:
Name Time
Gibson, Thaddeus 6.84
Te'o-Nesheim, Daniel 6.91
Worilds, Jason 6.95
Hughes, Jerry 6.99
Galette, Junior 7.04
Misi, Koa 7.07
Davis, Dexter 7.08
Tracy, Adrian 7.08
Morgan, Derrick 7.12
Alualu, Tyson 7.15


LB:
Name Time
Grimm, Cody 6.58
Bosworth, Kyle 6.67
McLaughlin, Mike 6.85
Hull, Josh 6.86
Chaney, Jamar 6.90
Bowman, Navorro 6.91
Goethel, Travis 6.93
Kristick, Keaton 6.96
Riley, Perry 6.97
Spikes, Brandon 6.97

stockman311

20 Yd Shuttle Best Numbers DT & LB's:

DT:
Name Time
Hughes, Jerry 4.15
Galette, Junior 4.16
Te'o-Nesheim, Daniel 4.18
McClellan, Albert 4.21
Gibson, Thaddeus 4.27
Misi, Koa 4.27
Worilds, Jason 4.29
Davis, Dexter 4.30
Tracy, Adrian 4.34
Moats, Arthur 4.37

LB:
Name Time
Hull, Josh 4.07
Bosworth, Kyle 4.11
McLaughlin, Mike 4.11
Watson, Dekoda 4.11
Kristick, Keaton 4.21
Norwood, Eric 4.23
Riley, Perry 4.25
Edds, A.J. 4.28
Angerer, Pat 4.29
Chaney, Jamar 4.29

stockman311

Best of 60 yd Shuttle

LB:
Name Time
Hull, Josh 11.31
Kristick, Keaton 11.33
Watson, Dekoda 11.35
Chaney, Jamar 11.46
Bowman, Navorro 11.52
Weatherspoon, Sean 11.59
Bosworth, Kyle 11.65
Coleman, Harry 11.67

stockman311

More Combine information from ESPN:

Monday's crop of defensive front-seven talent -- particularly the linemen -- was as strong as the NFL scouting combine has seen in years. From the conversion ends showcasing their speed to the battles waged between the top prospects at defensive end (South Florida's Jason Pierre-Paul versus Georgia Tech's Derrick Morgan) and defensive tackle (Nebraska's Ndamukong Suh versus Oklahoma's Gerald McCoy), there was no shortage of storylines to follow inside Lucas Oil Stadium.




Unfortunately, Alabama ILB Rolando McClain's hamstring injury also was one of the featured stories. McClain did not run or participate in any drills because he apparently is continuing to rehab a previously unreported hamstring injury.



Fair or not, there's a feeling among some scouts that McClain's decision not to run is driven at least in part by his anxiety over posting a subpar 40 time. However, the 6-foot-3, 254-pound inside linebacker reportedly plans to fully participate in Alabama's upcoming pro day March 10.



Even with McClain's unexpected absence, the participation level was unusually strong, and it led to a highly skilled and highly competitive testing session. Here's our scouting breakdown of the day's events:



Conversion ends
[+] Enlarge
AP Photo/Michael Conroy
Jerry Hughes looked good in all facets of the combine workout.The demand for pass-rushers in the NFL is endless, and it appears the 2010 class has plenty to offer in the way of supply, particularly in the form of undersized college defensive ends who can or must become 3-4 outside linebackers.



No player improved his stock more than TCU's Jerry Hughes. At 6-2 and 255 pounds, the undersized edge rusher put to rest any concerns regarding his top-end speed when he ran an official 40-yard dash time of 4.69 seconds, fourth-best among the defensive linemen.



His fluidity in space was better than we thought it would be based on his film. Hughes stayed low and changed directions smoothly, which gives teams extra confidence in his potential to convert to outside linebacker in an odd-man front.



Finally, Hughes exceeded expectations with 26 repetitions on the 225-pound bench press. This strong workout in addition to the explosive pass-rushing ability he displays on tape should land Hughes a spot in the second round of the upcoming draft.



Sergio Kindle of Texas certainly looked the part at a chiseled 6-3 and 250 pounds. While there are concerns about his ability to hold up against the run, Kindle showed the explosion, loose hips and burst out of his breaks to drop into coverage at the next level. Kindle, who projects as a mid-first round pick, should have little trouble making the conversion.



At 6-3 and 273 pounds, USC's Everson Griffen turned in the second-best 40 time among the defensive ends with an official 4.66, verifying his explosiveness and top-end speed, and his 32 repetitions on the 225-pound bench press confirmed the upper-body power we see from him on tape. We think Griffen is a better fit as a 4-3 end, but he is capable of holding up in space as well.



Regardless, Griffen could prove to be a hot commodity for teams in search of an upgrade at defensive end in the bottom half of Round 1, such as the Eagles at pick No. 24.



Ohio State's Thaddeus Gibson often dropped into coverage for the Buckeyes, so it comes as no surprise that he displayed good footwork through the bags and opened his hips smoothly throughout position-specific drills. Gibson is undersized at 6-2 and 243 pounds, but his upper-body power was on display when he hoisted 32 reps on the standard 225-pound bench press.



Gibson is raw as a pass-rusher and open-field tackler, but few hybrid DE/OLB prospects in this class are blessed with as much natural ability, which is why he will be gone in the first two rounds.



We also liked the athleticism, burst and explosiveness we saw from Virginia Tech's Jason Worilds. Measuring 6-1 and 255 pounds, Worilds looked smooth in space and showed quick feet during bag work. He also put up 24 reps on the bench. If Worilds falls out of the first two rounds, it will have everything to do with long-term durability concerns, specifically regarding his shoulders.



Clemson's Ricky Sapp (6-3⅞, 252) posted a 4.70 in the 40 and will hold up in space, and Utah's Koa Misi (6-2⅝, 251) looked quick in change-of-direction drills as well. Finally, sleeper prospect Arthur Moats (6-2¼) lived up to the buzz he generated coming in with an official 4.66, and quickness and explosiveness in drills. Moats has 34.6-inch arms and put up 24 reps on the bench to open some eyes.



On a side note, Michigan's Brandon Graham (6-1⅜, 268) had his day cut short after he tweaked his hamstring during the 40. Graham still posted a 4.72 (eighth-best among defensive linemen) on his first 40-yard dash attempt, and his 31 reps on the bench were in line with the strong punch we see on film. The minor injury will not hurt Graham, who is the top-rated OLB prospect on our board and should be selected in the top 20 picks overall.



McCoy vs. Suh
The top two defensive tackles -- and top two overall players -- on our board took the field Monday, and McCoy and Suh did nothing to hurt themselves in our eyes.



Suh's overall day was a bit better. He checked in at 6-4 and 307 pounds, and his 40 time of 4.98 was more than adequate. Suh also put up 32 reps on the bench press, showcasing the upper-body power that allows him to lock onto and control blockers before discarding them. His strength also showed up when he was punching the bags during drills, impacts that echoed throughout the stadium.



McCoy measured 6-4 but a little lighter at 295, and his 23 reps were a little disappointing. Still, he ran a 4.96 and was able to showcase his outstanding quickness (feet and hands) during position-specific drills.



There has been a strong buzz in Indianapolis this week regarding the St. Louis Rams' interest in Oklahoma QB Sam Bradford with the top overall pick, but don't expect Suh or McCoy to fall far even if that scenario plays out.



In fact, there's a high likelihood they'll be the next two players off the board to a pair of teams -- the Detroit Lions (No. 2) and Tampa Bay Buccaneers (No. 3) -- starving for difference-makers along the defensive front.



Production vs. potential at DE
[+] Enlarge
AP Photo/Michael Conroy
A well-rounded game could put Derrick Morgan atop the DE rankings.Our two top-rated defensive ends -- Pierre-Paul and Morgan -- delivered strong showings Monday as well.



Pierre-Paul measured just shy of 6-5 and at 270 pounds was a little heavier than we expected. That's a good thing, though, because there are some concerns about his ability to hold up against the run. He also has the kind of length that makes scouts salivate with 34¾ arms and 10⅜ hands.



What makes Pierre-Paul so special, though, is his best-in-class quickness. He ran a 4.67 and moved very well for his size, the kind of tools that give him the potential to be a dominant pass-rusher at the next level. His bench press was only 19 reps and he needs to develop his upper-body strength, but Pierre-Paul has a very high ceiling.



Morgan also had an impressive showing, checking in at 6-3, 266, with 34.4 arms before posting a 4.72 in the 40. He was not as quick or explosive as Pierre-Paul but moved just as well in space, looking very smooth and fluid. Morgan knows how to get to the quarterback, too, and he shows much better ability to set the edge and hold his ground against the run.



Overall, Morgan is the more polished and complete prospect. We consider him more NFL-ready than Pierre-Paul at this point, and for that reason, Morgan could move ahead of him to the top of the defensive end rankings.



Defensive tackle report
Tennessee's Dan Williams continues to separate himself from the rest of the two-gap defensive tackle prospects in the class. He measured 6-2 and 327, moving his feet well for his size and looking fluid during drills.



Williams is not the most elite athlete, but his 5.17 time in the 40 shows he can get down the line and make plays in pursuit, and that is what separates him from his peers. Furthermore, his 27 reps on the bench and heavy, 10⅛-inch hands show that he has the strength to control offensive linemen in the phone both.



Things did not go so well for North Carolina's Cam Thomas and Alabama's Terrence Cody, though.



Cody shed a few pounds and is down to 6-3⅝, 354, but he looked sloppy and heavy footed during bag drills. His 5.68 in the 40 was the slowest among the defensive linemen, but his 10-yard split will be more important because he will spend his time in short areas occupying blocks and taking up space.



He does those things well, and because of that, we expect him to come off the board before the second round is over.



Thomas clocked an unofficial 5.28 at 6-4 and 330 pounds, and he struggled during bag drills. This is not an ideal venue for players with his skill set, though. Like Cody, his ability to eat up space is what matters, and we figure Thomas to be taken before the third round is complete.



Linemen on the slide
There is a lot to like about the size (6-5¾, 277) and athleticism (4.71 in the 40) we saw from Florida DE/DT Carlos Dunlap, but Dunlap looked a bit stiff and heavy footed when changing directions and was a little tight in the hips.



That's not what killed him Monday, though. Scouts we talked to said the interview process did not go well for Dunlap, who came in facing questions about his work ethic, passion and motivation. One scout characterized him as "lazy" and "immature," something that is sure to add to concerns about a player who has first-round physical talent but could fall because of character issues.



Georgia DT Jeff Owens also continues to slide. Owens checked in at 6-1 and 310, and while his 4.97 in the 40 was not bad for his size, Owens simply lacks athleticism. That was a concern coming out of Senior Bowl week, and he continues to look stiff and heavy footed, and his stock continues to slip.



Linebackers rising

AP Photo/Darron Cummings
Sean Weatherspoon might have made himself some money at the combine.Missouri's Sean Weatherspoon (6-1¼, 239) was one of the biggest winners in the linebacker class, putting up a 4.68 in the 40 and ripping off 34 reps on the bench to continue the momentum he built up at the Senior Bowl.



Weatherspoon also showed good lateral agility and explosiveness in bag drills, and his overall athleticism gives him the kind of range we like in late-first round prospects.



Daryl Washington (6-1¾, 230) of TCU also had a good day. Washington is light on his feet and moves easily in space, and he showed good body control and caught the ball well in drills. He also has a strong upper body and good length with 34.4-inch arms.



The third linebacker who helped himself was South Carolina's Eric Norwood (6-0½, 245). His 4.71 in the 40 was good, and he displayed the fluid hips and lateral movement to play in space. He also moved his feet well and was good changing directions, and that coupled with the pass-rush ability we see on film made it a good day for Norwood.



Linebackers falling
We were disappointed in what we saw from Penn State's Navorro Bowman (6-0½, 242.) He came in heavier than expected and didn't carry the extra weight well, and we figured he would be faster than 4.74 based on what we saw on film.



Bowman looked sluggish in drills and was tight changing directions, even stumbling a couple of times, and he didn't show good balance. He also has some off-field questions to address during interviews, and if he does not impress teams there, Bowman's stock could fall.



Florida's Brandon Spikes (6-2⅞, 242) did not run the 40 and looked stiff in drills. Spikes struggled to sink his hips and stay low when changing directions. That reinforced some of the concerns to come out of his film evaluation, and Spikes now must have a big pro day workout to gain some momentum heading into draft day.



Finally, Kentucky's Micah Johnson (6-1½, 258) is as stiff as they come. Johnson lacks straight-line speed (4.99 in the 40) and struggled to drop his hips. He was off balance at times and had to reset his feet when changing directions. Johnson is basically a one-speed linebacker with limited suddenness in his game, and his stock has definitely taken a a hit.

stockman311

I like the way Daryl Washington out of TCU looked all day. Might be an option if he is still around in round 2.

CantonLegend

woah woah woah cheif

i was cool with debating you but now that you've said that i have something to tell you

do you know why the 3-4 was invented and why its becomin more prominant?

obviously not.....the 3-4 is designed to stop the pass....thats why there are more LBs....more LBs equals more speed......its also great at pass rushing because of all the blitzes you can come up with because of the extra LB.....the 3-4 is a base defense so obviously it can guard against both the run and the pass but it is better designed to stop the pass because of the extra LB and less suited to stop the run because of the 1 less defensive lineman

the 4-3 is better suited to stop the run because of the extra defensive lineman. they have less LBs so they are a bit more liable against the pass but because its a base defense it can usually guard against both well......the extra man on the front line is supposed to stuff the run and stop it at the line of scrimmage

the 3-4 is a pass defense first and a run defense second

a 4-3 is a run defense first and a pass defense second

like i said.....both of them are base defenses so they can do both fine but 1 is better suited to stop the run and the other is better suited to stop the pass

"deal with it or you can go play the saints and get trounced by 30 and you won't have to worry about it."-colin cowherd

D_it_up

Either way this draft pans out, there is a high possibility of snagging a couple of pretty good players in the first couple of rounds. There is a deep pool of talent that I haven't seen in quite a while. I'm ready for the draft NOW!