Flores Switching Phins To 34 Likely… And Needed
Flores is likely to run a 3-4 Defense of some persuasion
There has been no definitive statement as to what defensive scheme Brian Flores will use WHEN he takes over…
… But it is certain that a scheme change is coming.
When the official decree comes, the fans base should rejoice.
My bet is Flores moves the Phins not only out of the Wide 9 but from the 43 scheme totally and into a 34 of some kind.
Could I be wrong? Sure. But I’ll roll the dice anyway just to have something to talk about.
First, no scheme is a cure-all and any scheme can be effective with the right coach and
… but given the talent on the Dolphins roster, the Wide 9 was THE wrong scheme.
“Evidence” that indicates a schematic shift
- Brian Flores has spent his entire coaching career in the 3-4.
- Reports were that Packers DC Mike Pettine was a primary option for Defensive Coordinator until Green Bay decided to retain him. BTW, the Packers run a 3-4 scheme.
- Reports say Robert Quinn will be released.
- Andre Branch’s contract will be cut short because his price is exorbitant compared to his production.
- Charles Harris isn’t a quality 4-3 Defensive end… But he did have a positive impact as a 3-4 OLB in college.
The primary difference between the 3-4 and 4-3 scheme is the swapping of a ‘Defensive Linemen’ for a ‘Linebacker’.
A 34 Defense can be very exotic and creative
First, in a 34 Defense, names for positions are over the place. As an example, the “Jack” can be called the “Mike” and the “Mike” of the 4-3 is sometimes called the “Will” in the 3-4. So take all the proceeding position names with a grain of salt as rough approximations.
A 4-3 Scheme must have high-quality Defensive Ends…
… But Quinn and Branch will be released, Charles Harris can’t set the edge, Cameron Wake is a 37 yr old Free Agent, and William Hayes is also a Free Agent coming off a serious knee injury, so the DE cupboard is bare in Miami. Sticking with a 4-3 would demand a huge investment into the Defensive End position–again.
A 34 Scheme doesn’t demand Wake style D-Ends in the base package…
… But if Wake does return to finish his career in South Florida, he could be in Nickel and Dime packages or as an outside rush LB in the 34 base.
Miami’s roster is only missing one component in a 3-4 D-line
When Miami moves to a 3-4, Godchaux will play a D-End, or less likely the ‘nose’. It all depends on the flavor of the scheme. Godchaux is pretty stout against a double-team, although getting a ‘Wilfork’ type Nose Tackle might make for a more stable defense. But, if they run an agile front with a philosophy of gap penetration, then Godchaux could play NT… and a mammoth at the anchor wouldn’t be as crucial. This finesse type of 34 is run by the Rams… but they have Donald and Miami doesn’t– so there’s that.
Me, I’d prefer a ‘Ravens style’ 34 with a dinosaur anchoring the heart of the defense. Stopping the run is key to winning
consistently… even in this era.
Vincent Taylor would certainly be a DE and Charles Harris would go back to the 3-4 “Elephant” position he played in college where the primary responsibility is pass rush. Maybe the Phin could finally wring out some real juice from their former 1st Round Pick.
Akeem Spence doesn’t fit this scheme and he will likely be cut to save $2.5 Million.
How Flores will use the current Phins LBs in a 34 is a tougher question
In the 3-4, however you name them, one of the two inside LBs soaks up blocks allowing the other to make plays by being kept clean. Think Bart Scott and Ray Lewis.
Kiko Alonso had his best season in Buffalo as the ILB Will (Lewis’ role) and might find more consistency in a return to the 34…
… But, he could just as easily be cut to save $5 Million for a $3.5 Million cap hit… or moved outside. His inconsistency is troubling and might not mesh with the type of players Flores likes: Smart. The OLB’s role is to set the edge and drop into coverage. Alonso could handle the edge part of his duties decently, but coverage and Kiko can be an ugly match.
The other problem: Kiko, Baker, and McMillan will likely be fighting for 2 ILB spots. This could leave Kiko out in the cold as a starter.
Raekwon McMillan is a good kid who posted good numbers…
… but when you add the context of his play in total to this, his ‘rookie’ season was a letdown. McMillan sheds blockers poorly, lacks instincts, is slow, and has trouble in coverage. He’ll never live up to his draft status as an MLB in the 4-3. That position in that scheme has too many responsibilities for him to handle effectively.
But, in the ‘Bart Scott’ role of soaking up blockers and securing limited range as the Mike in the 34, McMillan may find legitimate success on the field.
Chase Allen will play as the Strong Outside Linebacker in the 34. He takes on blocks well, can drop into coverage decently, and has solid instincts. Allen may just be a placeholder, but there is potential for him to be a long term starter. Either way, if Allen can stay healthy, he’s good enough to allow the position to be addressed after this season. Although, competition should be brought in to vie for the spot.
Jerome Baker is Miami’s best Linebacker, but where will he play in a 3-4 Defense?
Baker is the ‘hardest figure out’ of the bunch even with the best bookie software like AcePerHead.com.
At 6’2” 215-200 lbs, Baker is small. But his speed and physicality is a great equalizer… and I expect him to add 5 lbs in this offseason to minimize his weakness.
Baker is a potent
Flores could build this defense around Baker as the “Will” / “Mike” Ray Lewis type ILB. Baker would need to improve his reads and coverage, but there’s a chance that in the role of the ‘kept clean playmaker’ he could make a serious impact.
Still, I can’t say for certain where he’ll play in a 34 Defense. If we do indeed switch to a 34, this will be one interesting question. Go Phins!!!
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Here we go “BUT” Surely it was a head scratcher For Gase to pulled Jay Cutler off the couch and invest in Osweiler who was ran out if Houston etc. He did not draft a serious Rookie QB to prime. He put all of his eggs on Tannehill etc.
Gase added his own screw-ups in for sure and some of the initial concepts of his process sucked, still, external forces do play a big part in if a coach wins or not. Flore likely won’t have the same level of external issues because he is building from the ground up and expectations are low. But if Grier goes hard for a QB and that QB is a bust that alone could sink Flores. Just saying a winning HC is a whole soup.
I like your analysis and breakdown, agree on all except that Kiko should be in there somewhere. He had a good year and was Pro Bowl bound after like a dozen games. I think he just got worn down some. He was a tackling machine early on and also created turnovers.
Keep Kiko as one of the 4 LB’s and let’s go to the 3-4, but that means Phins need a real NT and can they get one in the 2nd round ? 1st round is going to be K Murry or D Lock. Don’t believe the smokescreen about 2020, Ross is not getting younger, 1st round QB – it’s going down this year.
I like Kiko too. Thought he did pretty good this season. He gets worn down every season… he play 100% and give everything. He made mistakes but also made huge plays. Thing is it’s hard to find a spot for Baker on the wings, so it’s 2 inside spots for Kiko, Mc, and Bak. Maybe Bake could play on the wings, but in the Packers and Pats scheme there are big guy on the wings. We could end up playing 4-3 or shceme something new. Kiko and Mc next to each other is a lot of non-cerebral play side by side. Maybe Mc and kiko play smarter this season in a 3-4 with better coaches. I think Murray goes earlier than 13 and I don’t like Lock. My evals on college QBs are a weaker part of my evauls… so there’s that. You may be right… but they’d better nail the QB or this will be another failed regime. Soon as they draft a high rated QB they are on the clock for success. It will be a very interesting offseason for sure.
You know, I thought about what you said about the QB and did some looking and thinking: I was mixing Lock for Jones… and given Murry, Haskins, and Lock are there… you may be right. You swayed my mind. Don’t think it’s a Lock :), but I’d say it’s a fair bet they do go QB this season… thanks for making me think more deeply on the subject.
Hello Dolphins Fan’s
Trying to be a good sports fan, I congratulate the the New England Patriots for earning another trip to the supper bowl. Looking below is another reason why we should not over looked Oklahoma’s QB Kyler Murray as being questionable but is in my Books the best QB in 2019 draft and it would be really sad for Bill Belichick to draft Kyler and dominate another 2 decades while the Fins are trying to figure things out?
Tom Brady fact’s
NFL records
Best touchdown to interception ratio in a single season: 28:2[1]
Most games won by a quarterback: 232[2]
Most Super Bowl wins by a quarterback: 5
Most Super Bowl MVP awards: 4
Most Super Bowl appearances: 8
“Cccccccccccccccccccccccccccccc”
Kyler Murray
highlights and awards
Heisman Trophy (2018)
Davey O’Brien Award (2018)
Associated Press Player of the Year (2018)
Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year (2018)
First-team All-American (2018)
First-team All-Big 12 (2018)
USA Today Offensive Player of the Year (2014)
2× Mr. Texas Football (2013, 2014)
2× USA Today All-American (2013, 2014)
Gatorade Football Player of the Year (2014)
Stats at ESPN.com
Stats at Yahoo.com
He was drafted with the ninth overall selection in the 2018 MLB draft by the Oakland Athletics. He played his final college football season with Oklahoma in 2018; he is scheduled to report to the A’s spring training in 2019,[1] despite entering his name for the NFL draft in the same year.[2]
Contents
High school career
Murray was born in Bedford, Texas to Kevin Murray and Misun Henderson.[3] He attended Allen High School in Allen, Texas. As a senior in 2014, he was the Gatorade Football Player of the Year.[4][5] His team won three straight state championships and 43 games in a row. He missed one start during this streak and finished his career with a perfect 42–0 record as a starting quarterback.[6]
GO FINS!
This may be the single-most best article from a fansite I have read. Great job! I will be following phinsnews more closely now than all the others…
WOW! Truly grateful for such a fine compliment. Figure I’d take yesterday off and approve your post late 🙂 First-time posters need first-time approval to post unless they post links. Jimmy has it set up that way. Told him to use another system. But it seems to be a bit of a process. Yesterday’s games have me bummed. The refing is so bad it’s hard to follow football with earnest seriousness that the best teams win. Seeing the Pats in the SB is a bummer too. Gotta’ give them credit and you have to give credit to Flores for calling a good game. Pats D is so much slower than the Chiefs and they schemed very well to compensate. Still, it’s a bummer. Thanks again for the compliment, Jose.
Admin!
You have done great work over the years and I do believed the site is getting better.
Thank, brother… appreciate all you contribute. Hard gathering data and writing with my crazy lifestyle. Being given data is a help. Thanks.
Another DE that would be nice in the 3-4 system, who maybe in the later rounds? What do you think Jimmy!
94 Jordan Brailford – DE—-https://youtu.be/KlxLw_t6XJ0
• First Team All-Big 12 (coaches)
• Second Team All-Big 12 (Associated Press)
• OSU’s Leslie O’Neal Award (outstanding defensive player)
• Team Captain as voted by teammates
• OSU Defensive MVP of the Game vs. Boise State
• OSU Co-Defensive MVP of the Game vs. Kansas
• Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week vs. Kansas
• Big 12 DLOTY Honorable Mention (coaches)
• OSU Four-Year Letterwinner Award
Considering Both Tyler Murray and Gaskins are off the board. Then Cornelius would be my picked in the later rounds. The problem is I’m not certain where maybe a 5th rounder or later. But Once again he beat Wil Grier and Drew Lock plus played Tyler Murray tough.
He played behind Baker Mayfield last year etc. This is a no brainier Cornelius shows up in the big games!
14 Taylor Cornelius – QB—-https://youtu.be/PPl5HyQFHfo
• Burlsworth Trophy Semifinalist
• Honorable Mention All-Big 12 (coaches)
• Team Captain as voted by teammates
• Academic All-Big 12 Second Team
• Walter Camp National Player of the Week vs. W. Virginia
• Earl Campbell Tyler Rose National POTW vs. West Virginia
• Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week vs. West Virginia
• Manning Award “Star of the Week” vs. West Virginia
• OSU Offensive MVP of the Game vs. West Virginia
• Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award Top 30
• OSU’s Thurman Thomas Award (outstanding offensive player)
• Davey O’Brien Great 8 list vs. Boise State
• Manning Award “Star of the Week” vs. Boise State
• OSU Offensive MVP of the Game vs. Boise State
• Davey O’Brien Great 8 list vs. Texas
• Manning Award “Star of the Week” vs. Texas
• Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week vs. Texas
We don’t need to reach for the best player only know who they are?
You know me, I don’t know jack about college till Draft time. The only thing about Godchaux and Taylor on the wings is they are a tad short. a 6’5” or 6’6” DE to interfere with passing lanes and bat down passes is highly prized. Both Godchaux and Taylor are 6’3”. Not the end of the world. I think Flores is sort of getting a bad rap. He makes the calls this season and the Pats D schemes well and calls well. They have talent flaws but use x’ and o’s to compensate… Bill sets the table, but the coaches need to do the cooking. Flores will be an overseer and he seems very smart and conscientious. We have had far worse.
We may have a coach in Flores not sure. I in vision the head coach being able to see his team strenghts and weaknesses collectively and individually. Able to instilled consistent discipline. I will take discipline over the best players everyday.
No one knows… Gase might have been the right guy if Ross let him hire Fangio, Tannehill didn’t go down, and talent acquisition/injuries were better. So much goes into a “successful HC” that’s beyond him… sure hope he is.
Looking into Tyler. Guy has it. Smart and confident… was very impressed with the persona / mental side of him. He is small and thin, but I can see him as a smaller Mayfield. I think he goes before us and we’d have to trade up to get him. Someone is getting him in the Top 10… especially if he ends up really 5’10” or 5’11”. He has me very intrigued.
This is an exercise in speculation that clearly illustrates someone has too much time on their hands. The linebacker coach and the new GM are going to have to cut big salaries, cut marginal performers and then worry about who they stick in what position. Brian Flores has jumped into the fire! Jesus couldn’t straiten this team out in 1 year. Flores may have to stay with a 4-3 just because true 3-4 talent isn’t available. First, we free up the money. Then we draft. After that we look at free agents. When it is all said and done, we have a very different roster with new problems.
You have to play the cards you are dealt. Coaches who put square pegs in round holes because their “system” calls for round pegs is doomed to failure. Let’s hope this guy has more on the ball.
Van
Nice Points!
We Fin fans hope that the organization has too much time on their hands to eliminate two decades of excuses and thinking inside the Box of Mediocrity. The Coach we have had lacked over two decades thought inside the box. Dolphins QB Chad Pennington was the last QB that has step on the field for the Dolphins Closed to him retiring from the NFL. The forced Tannehill on us for 7 seasons when I saw he was not the answer after his 2nd year with the fins.
I caught the last quarter of the Chief’s and Pat’s game and clearly Andy Reid lost the Game just not making proper adjustments and mostly being one dimensional passing vs playing a well balanced offense and discipline defense.
AS a fin fan we want to win and yeah! I think this team can make the playoff this season having all of their flaws.
“This is an exercise in speculation that clearly illustrates someone has too much time on their hands.”
Well, with 3 kids under 8 and two I home school with my wife out of the country 60% of the month for work while I work as a Graphic Designer from home with 3 pets and one kid with challenges… and basically run this site and managing mine and Jimmy’s articles… I’d say your comment is the real exercise in speculation.
“The linebacker coach and the new GM are going to have to cut big salaries, cut marginal performers and then worry about who they stick in what position. ” This is 100% wrong. Prospective hires first present a vision for the team (if they were to get the gig) and the schemes they’ll employ along with their vision for key players… that’s how the owner and GM choose who to pick.
You don’t cut players and then figure out what to do… you have a Mode of Operation (scheme) and decide who on the current roster fits and who you need to get and how to get them. Cart before the horse never works out well.
“Flores may have to stay with a 4-3 just because true 3-4 talent isn’t available.”
This is a rebuild. You don’t create something for the long term based on the rationale that you aren’t happy with your personnel in year 1. They might go 4-3 if that’s what they want long term, but they won’t settle on a scheme they aren’t happy with because in year 1 of a 4-5 year rebuild they don’t have the players. That would be ludicrous and a regime that’s doomed to failure because that’s exactly what every regime has done for the last 20 years.