Can Jenkins and Harper Effectively Play In A 3-4?
 

Our secondary was horrible this past season. And I do blame it squarely on our safeties. Will they be able to hold their own in a 3-4?

Re: Can Jenkins and Harper Effectively Play In A 3-4?
 

I blame it on Ken Flajole...

Re: Can Jenkins and Harper Effectively Play In A 3-4?
 

I don't get the Jenkins hate. He was so-so in '11, but I thought he really stepped it up this year. While the rest of the backfield was playing what the ****'s the scheme this time, it seemed to me he was the one runnin' across the field to put the ball carrier down.

Re: Can Jenkins and Harper Effectively Play In A 3-4?
 

Well they can't play in a 4-3, so let's hope.

Re: Can Jenkins and Harper Effectively Play In A 3-4?
 

i see Jenkins surviving the switch. Harper will have a harder time.
while the secondary as a whole will be expected to hit and tackle better an area our CB worry me the most. it is the safety play that will need to improve its pass defense the most. We all know Harper is not the best pass coverage guy. harper may be out the door or starting the end of his ten year here.

Re: Can Jenkins and Harper Effectively Play In A 3-4?
 

I think they can thrive. Its not the 3-4 front end alignment thats important, its the type of coverage our new DC will want to combine with his version of the 3-4.

We'll likely go back to man coverage with the traditional strong and free safety set-up, like we had under GW.

Thats great news for the entire secondary because I truly believe every DB we have is best suited for a man coverage scheme.

Jenkins will play centerfield, Harper will play up just behind the LB's (if we can afford to keep him) and our CB's will simply shadow their man.

I think many will be shocked at the improvement, but being that we were the worst defense in world history, there's nowhere to go but up.

Re: Can Jenkins and Harper Effectively Play In A 3-4?
 

Probably... the jury is still out on the others, save White.

Re: Can Jenkins and Harper Effectively Play In A 3-4?
 

You could've just said, "while the secondary as a whole will be expected to hit and tackle", You'd have been spot on there. I'm still not certain how much credit for poor play can be given to the players and how much can be given to the poor schemes and play calling by the coaches. I'm not a big fan of it totally being the fault of the players. Too many times there was too much green between them and their opponents for them to have any chance to be effective. I agree Harper is more of a blitzing safety and may not be sticking around and also that we'll be still be seeing Jenkins in the black and gold next year.

Re: Can Jenkins and Harper Effectively Play In A 3-4?
 

Yes and no for me. We have known commodities in the secondary right now. What will make them a heck of a lot more effective is a pass rush. We start forcing throws and making QB's throw on the move or with guys in their face and our secondary will start to look much better. I wouldn't mind seeing Jenkins go to SS. I think he has the frame for it and his forte as a playmaker on the ball seems to be in forcing fumbles as opposed to playing the ball in the air. Harper I see fitting in using specialist packages similar to the way Carolina used Thomas Davis. Kind of like a big nickel package where he plays more of a 5th DB role in a LBer position. The FS position would need to be addressed with someone with serious range and a nose for the ball. A Jarius Byrd type.

But frankly if we had to run with Jenkins and Harper as the starting safety duo I think the biggest asset we can give them is finding a real good DE opposite Cam Jordan and/or finding an OLB with some serious rush skills.

Re: Can Jenkins and Harper Effectively Play In A 3-4?
 

Players have to Play.... N Im hoping Harper N Jenkins can Play R there futures will be cut short n the black and gold....

Re: Can Jenkins and Harper Effectively Play In A 3-4?
 

They may actually play better in a 3-4 they can't get any worse... wait I better take that last part back huh.

The LB's will be able to disguise their coverage and blitzs even overloads better. Providing help for them if they can just grasp what they are suppose to be doing and not make bone headed mistakes.

Re: Can Jenkins and Harper Effectively Play In A 3-4?
 

Most Secondaries are now in a Cover 2 of sorts because of the extensive passing committment by teams...

Just twenty years ago, The Hail Mary Formation was one with three receivers...

How often do you see teams not lined up with three receivers today?

Harper has never been a coverage safety; he does well in specialized packages, but his salary cap number doesn't warrant his production...

Jenkins has been lost since the move to Safety; he would probably be a better cornerback and I think it's evident that Patrick Robinson, who's shown flashes, is nothing more than a more atheltic Jason David who gets muscled by larger receivers, probably needs to be moved to allow Jenkins to take the CB spot opposite Jabari Greer...

Which leads us with a terrific void in the backfield, following up the worst defensive effort in NFL History...

Re: Can Jenkins and Harper Effectively Play In A 3-4?
 

Isa Abdul Quddus!! Forget Harper because he's gonna be cut this offseason and Jenkins is a terrible free safety and needs to go back to CB. We need to find someone to pair with Abdul Quddus at safety.

Re: Can Jenkins and Harper Effectively Play In A 3-4?
 

I've never once in my life heard anyone talking about whether or not a safety will fit in a 3-4 system. Linebackers? Yea. DL? Yea. Corners? I don't recall. Safeties? Never.

So I'm going to go ahead and say yes they can play a 3-4. I have no reason not to believe they couldn't. If they don't fit on the team, it's going to be because of their play... not the system.

Remember... Harper excelled in Greg Williams system. We ran 3-4 fronts all the time.

Re: Can Jenkins and Harper Effectively Play In A 3-4?
 

Jenkins can, Harper is a terrible coverage player though. He was ok as a blitzing safety in Greg Williams defence, but I have a feeling he wont be a part of the 3-4 D.
They're gonna have to bring someone in via free agency or the draft cause our second string players have proven that they are garbage too (see the panthers/cowboys games).

Re: Can Jenkins and Harper Effectively Play In A 3-4?
 

Is there any difference for the safeties in 3-4 to a 4-3, if so does anyone know what the difference in responsibility is?

Re: Can Jenkins and Harper Effectively Play In A 3-4?
 

Re: Can Jenkins and Harper Effectively Play In A 3-4?
 

We take a 7 mill cap hit this year if we cut Harper, I think...

Re: Can Jenkins and Harper Effectively Play In A 3-4?
 

No, Harper has a $7.1M cap hit next season and the Saints would clear $3.6M in cap by releasing him, which comes to a $3.5M cost for releasing him.

As per Yasinskas' math:

Five Saints on the cap bubble - NFC South Blog - ESPN

Re: Can Jenkins and Harper Effectively Play In A 3-4?
 

I think the top 3 are gone and there will be some contract restructuring. Loomis will figure it out, having Payton back provides incentives for certain players (the ones we want...i.e. those who care more about winning over their back account) to take a bit of a salary adjustment to keep with a championship calibre team.

Harper is gone. Unfortunately we are stuck with MJ. We need a polamalu type back there. Perhaps we can work someone out and put MJ back on the bench.

Re: Can Jenkins and Harper Effectively Play In A 3-4?
 

I truly fail to see Quddus as anything but an average depth player let alone our starting FS.

I think Harper restructures.
He isn't going to get a big payday elsewhere and at this stage if his career why move.
With a change of formation and alot of the higher warning vets leaving his leadership will be important to the younger defensive players

Re: Can Jenkins and Harper Effectively Play In A 3-4?
 

But will it really if we switch to a D that he don't know how to play?
See past year for example.

Re: Can Jenkins and Harper Effectively Play In A 3-4?
 

I mean for in the locker room,team meetings etc as much as on the field.
When things go wrong you need a few vets round to hold things together imo.I cant see there being much difference in cost of a restructured contract and a straight cut.

Re: Can Jenkins and Harper Effectively Play In A 3-4?
 

Polamalu is not very good in coverage. He's much better than most SS's but I've seen several games where he was forced to play deep and he was abused. Even Collinsworth commented that the Steelers don't like to play TP deep because he gets targeted.

But in the traditional SS role playing up, there's not many better.

Re: Can Jenkins and Harper Effectively Play In A 3-4?
 

Polamalu freelances a whole lot, takes big chances to make big plays. Ome times it pans out and he looks like a genious and other times its utter catastrophy. I much rather have a disciplined guy back there who plays within the system.