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Thanks NC, but it does empahasize the point I continually try to make. I loved our 3-4 when it was really working but it hasn't been for years and the trend was clear that it was running out of steam.
My point to those who actually read what I post on this subject has always been the ability to reload and the margin for error. Essentially, you have no margin for error in the 3-4 LeBeau wants because you are dependent on "hoping" that conversions of players to new position work. If even one fails it sets you back 2-3 years at that position. That is what has happened to us...IMO. The blame goes to bad drafting but the reality is that you enter a high risk proposition "projecting" what a player can "convert" to versus evaluating what he is really doing and has done in the college game. Bad strategy, again IMO, in a salary cap driven league and it is the reason we had to keep our players longer than we should of because we missed on so many conversions to back fill them.
My preference for the 4-3 has always been and will always be the belief that you have a deeper talent pool to harvest by leeting players play the positions they have always played and you have watched and evaluated them playing versus "projecting" how they will adapt. The adapting to the NFL is tough enough without adding another layer of complexity and risk on top of it. The more teams that convert to the 3-4 just increases the risk that you can get the right players because everyone is now looking for the same thing and the college game is still playing a different system in the 4-3. Remember, we got the talent from the mid-90s though 2005 because we were one of the few teams fishing in a shallow pool. Not many more people want to fish in that pool.
We'll probably stay with the 3-4 but expect more many more misses in the draft and cross your fingers that we are lucky enough to get just the right combination of players that is needed to make it work really well. That is also why I prefer we go offense early in the draft. We don't ask those players to change what gets them drafted and it is amore natural transition into the NFL. If you are going to knowingly spend 1-3 years changing a player from what he is then you can get that player later...again IMO.
My point to those who actually read what I post on this subject has always been the ability to reload and the margin for error. Essentially, you have no margin for error in the 3-4 LeBeau wants because you are dependent on "hoping" that conversions of players to new position work. If even one fails it sets you back 2-3 years at that position. That is what has happened to us...IMO. The blame goes to bad drafting but the reality is that you enter a high risk proposition "projecting" what a player can "convert" to versus evaluating what he is really doing and has done in the college game. Bad strategy, again IMO, in a salary cap driven league and it is the reason we had to keep our players longer than we should of because we missed on so many conversions to back fill them.
My preference for the 4-3 has always been and will always be the belief that you have a deeper talent pool to harvest by leeting players play the positions they have always played and you have watched and evaluated them playing versus "projecting" how they will adapt. The adapting to the NFL is tough enough without adding another layer of complexity and risk on top of it. The more teams that convert to the 3-4 just increases the risk that you can get the right players because everyone is now looking for the same thing and the college game is still playing a different system in the 4-3. Remember, we got the talent from the mid-90s though 2005 because we were one of the few teams fishing in a shallow pool. Not many more people want to fish in that pool.
We'll probably stay with the 3-4 but expect more many more misses in the draft and cross your fingers that we are lucky enough to get just the right combination of players that is needed to make it work really well. That is also why I prefer we go offense early in the draft. We don't ask those players to change what gets them drafted and it is amore natural transition into the NFL. If you are going to knowingly spend 1-3 years changing a player from what he is then you can get that player later...again IMO.
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