News of the
weird:
Stillers
experiment with the 4-3:� Reportedly, D-Head Tim Lewis is tinkering
with a 4-3 alignment featuring Smith, Clancy, Hampton and KVO across the front
with Gildon, Holmes and Porter behind.�
I am highly in favor of the 4-3 if, but only if, the Front 4 can
pressure the passer.� When that happens,
the LB are freed to either rush, run blitz or drop into coverage; Tampa Bay,
New Orleans and Baltimore have had enormous success with this model.� In contrast, in the Stillers 3-4, if the OLB
drop off to cover then the pass rush effectively disappears.�
In essence,
that�s the problem here.� The fact is
that this putative Stiller Front 4 has a career total of (10) NFL sacks.� Last season, (2) Buc, (3) Saint and (2)
Raven D-linemen had individual totals that met or exceeded this Stiller Fab
Four�s career haul.� In fairness,
Hampton hasn�t had a chance yet but then again Hampton was projected as a
run-stuffer, not a pass rusher.� Clancy
has no career sacks, Smith has (4) and KVO has piled up (6) in (7)
seasons.�
Compare this to
the Saints, as that team entered the 2000 season.� Norman Hand was brought in to anchor the D-line; in that respect,
Hampton compares to this player and, truly, neither Big H-man project to
pressure any passer.� LeRoi Glover had
double digit sacks in �99, pre-Hand; Hand amplified Glover�s effectiveness in
2000 and, presumably, the Stiller brain trust expects Clancy will flourish
alongside Hampton in 2001.� Maybe so,
but both Hand and Glover were proven commodities; that can�t be said yet for
either Clancy or Hampton.�
Saint LDE Joe
Johnson is a proven rusher as Smith and KVO are not.� In New Orleans, 2000 rookie Darren Howard moved in at RDE
alongside (3) established players.� The
Stillers hope for big things from Hampton but in this 4-3, he will play
alongside (3) men who have done little in these projected roles.�
The best Front 7
players the Stillers have are all LB; Holmes, Porter and Gildon have better
credentials than KVO, Smith and Clancy.�
The depth is better at LB, at MLB anyway, than anywhere on the DL.� Fiala and Bell can play; of the current DL
reserves, Hampton is the only one who has shown anything at all.� The Stiller�s don�t have much at DE;
consider that in this projected 4-3, (3) of the (4) DL are current or converted
NT.� NT don�t rush the passer and that
suggests that this 4-3 won�t pressure the QB.��
More than that, if this 4-3 is to be a change-up set then the Stillers
ought to use it get one of their NT a blow.�
NT is physically demanding and it is the keystone position in the
3-4.�� The Stiller brain trust may want
to get Clancy and Hampton on the field together but doing so will surely reduce
their effectiveness in the base set.
At this point,
the Stillers haven�t got the horses on the DL and so their threat to use the
4-3 is something no O-Head should take seriously.� However, I don�t think the B&G is far away; consider this 4-3
scenario:
DE: ���������������� Smith or Combs.
DT:��� ������������� Hampton.
DT:��� ������������� KVO
or Clancy.
DE:� ��� ����������� Gildon now, who knows in 2002?�
LOLB: ����������� Bell;
no less an expert than Chad Brown has said that playing 4-3 OLB is more like
playing coverage MLB, rather than OLB, in the 3-4 set.��
MLB:�������������� Holmes.
ROLB:������������ Porter.
Assuming they
get a deal done with Holmes, the Stillers are a rush DE away from having a very
solid 4-3 base set.� In the meanwhile,
they�ll have to make do with a change-up 4-3 using Gildon in some SF/NE
elephant role.� Playing (3) NT just
won�t get it done; further, any set that sits Bell down is, off the Atlanta
game, imbecilic.
Brent
Alexander extended:� You�ve got to like a guy who gets the
most from his ability and you�ve got to love a guy who makes the players around
him function more effectively.� This
describes Alex and, from that point of view, this is a good signing.� On the downside, Alexander is 30 now and,
since speed is his handicap, doesn�t figure to get more effective in the years
to come.� Alex will probably decline
much as the similarly speed-challenged Darren Perry did during his final
contract here.� That�s no problem if,
but only if, Alex will have a modest cap hit in the last year or so.� I haven�t seen the contract but given that
the Stillers were something around $87K below the cap prior to this deal, I�ve
got to believe that Alex received a pretty decent bonus so to reduce his 2001
hit.� If so, the Stillers will feel some
pain when, or if, Alex has to go.
This move may
give the Stillers some flexibility with respect to Flowers, if not now then
following the 2002 season when his contract is up.� Neither Lethon nor Alex have great speed; in fact, Mike Logan was
brought in to upgrade that commodity at the Safety slot.� Logan has Flowers-like size and CB-like
speed; possibly, a future Stiller S tandem would feature Alex at QB of the
secondary with Logan sideboard at SS.�
Not bad, but not necessarily so; for sure, if some UPMC transplant team
could install Alex�s knowledge and instincts into Logan�s frame then the
Stillers would have a state-of-the-art safety not seen here since, well,
Carnell Lake.� Failing that, Coach Lewis
will have to make due with (3) players who bring some assets but, in some
situations, have to be covered up.
Troy Edwards
throws in the towel (?):� I�ve been highly disturbed by some of the
things Edwards has, reportedly, stated.�
The essence seems to be that he is just going about his business, not
getting upset over things he can�t control, and so on�� Edwards has also said that he�s no #3 WR; that�s true; in fact,
he is now #4.� Edwards is reported to be
saying that he�s coming to practice, doing his work and moving on.� Maybe that�s a sign of some new maturity;
maybe that�s a sign that this man believes he is so deep in the doghouse that
Fang will see the field before he will; maybe it�s a sign that the this young
millionaire has seen his ceiling as a player and its just too damn low.� I have no idea what goes on with Toy but,
IMO, this man has to have more value to the Stillers in trade than as a #4 WR.� I like Toy�s ability and, unless he and
Spike come through, I don�t think the Stillers will move up in 2001.� For that reason, I�d make him the slot man,
at least, but if that is not in the cards, move him out, say, to the
Eagles.�
It seems to me that
Toy believes he has no future here; that�s too bad but if he is correct then
deal him now and move on.� In the
interim, get him on the field with Maddox.�
Off the Atlanta game, Tommy is the most effective passer on the
team.� Maddox got the ball up high to
Plax; Stew and Graham generally send this big WR diving to the turf seeking to
snare that all-important 3-yard curl.�
Toy projects as a dangerous RAC-man; get him on the field with a QB who
might hit him in stride.� Toy needs an
injection of confidence and the Stillers need Toy; put him in a position to
succeed, whether here or elsewhere.