Houston could probably fit 4-3 DE as well if he restructures. I dream of the day that they switch back to a 4-3.

They are the shittiest defense in the NFL and have been for 2 seasons.

Sadly This.

I think Hitler did this, too.

Nobody will ever see it coming!

FAX

^^^

A lot of wishful thinking in this thread. I don't see it. They're going to roll with what they have, including Bob Sutton...

This, I believe, is the key point ... or points to the key point.

It may be a 4-man front, but how often do they drop somebody?

It is my understanding that, in today's NFL, there really isn't any good ol' 4-3 vs 3-4 defenses as we've known them. Teams use their "base alignment" in a very, very small percentage of snaps. Instead, it seems like everything is sub-packaged (like condoms from your local, friendly, neighborhood Walgreens ... you know, double wrapped).

2-man fronts aren't even that unusual anymore. It's a passing league, now. It's all about speed and lots of dudes in the d-backfield.

It isn't like the '70s or the '80s. This ain't your granddaddy's NFL.

With that in mind, this idea seems ... well ... kinda stupid. What am I missing?

FAX

Kpass and Speaks have a lot of potential, they just need more snaps. The reason O'D and Niemann "have shown literally nothing" is that Sutton isn't using their talents. Niemann looked very good in preseason.
But back to the question. My opinion is more LBs, more better, but I was a LB when I played so I might be biased. But one thing is for certain, Sutton has to go. Going to a 4-3 would allow us to let go of Ford without much damage and there is no reason you couldn't bring in Houston on passing downs.

We are atrocious against the run in a 3-4. Thus, a 4-3 would be even worse.

That said, nobody seems to want to commit to the run against us. Therefore, a 4-3 would probably help our pass defense.

Bring it on.

You still want Ford OR Houston as the Will in a 4-3, IMO.

I don't think they'll switch to a 4-3 if for no other reason than I want them to. I think it's been a long overdue switch they should have made 3-4 years ago and their personnel SCREAMS 4-3 at this point (yes, Jones would wreck shit as an under-tackle).

They spend so damn much time in 4 man fronts due to sub packages that it's ridiculous they don't have a base set with 4 down lineman. If nothing else, it has them in a spot where they have 4 dude's playing with their hand on the ground the vast majority of the time - they just get to maintain consistent technique that way.

I don't know. The Cowboys had a top 10 rushing defense with Hitchens at MLB in a 4-3. And in fact, the #1 rushing defense in 2016.

Ragland is absolutely killing us. If Jones and Nnadi can plug the middle in a 4-3 I think the run defense could actually improve.

This.

Anything that keeps Houston and Ford from pass coverage is good by me. Neither of them belong anywhere other than on the line. Ford does suck against the run but, as mentioned, nobody seems to want to stick with the run against us anyway.

Having two pure pass rushers, plus Jones, would make the 4-man front pretty good. Just need a decent MLB. That seems easier than trying to convert a bunch of guys into things that they're not.

That said, Sutton seems to be using Ford/Houston better this year than he had in the past. I don't know the %'s but would be interested in seeing how often those guys are in pass coverage this year vs. previous seasons.

I didn't realize Hitchens was MLB in Dallas. If that's the case, I honestly don't understand what Sutton is doing with him. Houston/Ford on the edges, Jones at DT, and Hitchens at MLB. Seems like it could work.

Sutton? ROFL

Niemann hasn't played because he's been hurt.