Is a defensive 4-3 change coming to KC?

[arrwheader]

I saw this article from arrowhead addict. The guy had an interesting theory that KC might be thinking about switching to the 4-3 scheme based on some recent draft picks and other things. Thought it was worth discussing. What do you say experts? Any merit to what this guys saying?

Full article here:

https://arrowheadaddict.com/2018/10/...ges-andy-reid/

Does Brett Veach have a secret master plan to fix the defense?

Thomas Welte1 h ago
Has Brett Veach been planning on a long-term defensive overhaul for 2019 that includes a change at defensive coordinator?

Patrick Mahomes has taken the NFL by storm and made believers out of even his harshest critics, and the Kansas City Chiefs are widely considered to be Super Bowl contenders this season.

In the midst of the best start to a season a quarterback in a red and gold (and possibly any other color) uniform has ever had, there is a layer of anxiety from the Kansas City faithful. The offense is firing on all cylinders and has grabbed the attention of the media, but the defense leaves anyone who has followed the Chiefs with a gnawing sensation in their gut on game day.

The Kansas City Chiefs defense is bad. The Chiefs are currently last in the league in total defense. Even after a good showing against the Blake Bortles-led Jaguars, the Chiefs are still giving up nearly 20 yards more per game than the next worst defense, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

While many are drooling over Patrick Mahomes, there remains a great many of us who are sitting at home having flashbacks to 2003, or to the 2013 wild card playoff games against the Colts, or the infamous no punt game. There is no shortage of victories squandered away by subpar defensive units in Kansas City Chiefs history.

Is it possible though that general manager Brett Veach has a secret master plan to fix the maligned unit? Or is the young shot caller for the Chiefs in over his head? Let’s take a look.

I am an avid podcast listener and have to drive a lot for my work. This combination leaves me with plenty of time to dive into a collection of true crime stories and conspiracy theory breakdowns. It was on a particularly long drive back in May, just a few weeks after the NFL draft, that I began to ponder what on earth the Chiefs were doing to their defense. This is when I started to form my own conspiracy theory about the Chiefs and the plan they have for their defense.

The Chiefs traded Marcus Peters this offseason. That move has been discussed ad nauseum, but it is worth mentioning simply because it made (and still makes) very little sense. They brought in Anthony Hitchens who had spent the past year playing inside for Dallas in their 4-3 defense. Then the draft came.

The Chiefs selected Breeland Speaks and announced him as a linebacker, an edge defender. Breeland Speaks is 283 pounds and ran a 4.87, oversized for a linebacker and not possessing the speed you want when dropping a guy into coverage. Their next selection was Derrick Nnadi who was a run stuffing nose tackle, but a bit undersized for a traditional 0 tech nose. Next came Dorian O’Daniel, an undersized but athletic linebacker from Clemson.

What do all of these players have in common? None of them are limited to, or traditional fits, in a base 3-4 defense. I watched a lot of tape on Speaks after the Chiefs drafted him, and Ole Miss played him all over the field. In my opinion, Speaks looked like a prototypical base (left) defensive end in a 4-3. Derrick Nnadi is a natural 1 tech, lining up between the center and guard and defending the run. Dorian O’Daniel makes sense as a weak side linebacker.

So here it is, my thought out theory: Brett Veach is stocking the Chiefs with defenders to make the switch to a base 4-3 defense in 2019.

As of this writing, 7 of the top 10 defenses in the NFL run a 4-3 base defense. I will add that caveat that in today’s NFL the gap between defensive philosophies is narrowing, and no team plays out of only one formation.

That said, as the rules have changed to create a cushion around the quarterback and wide receivers the league defenses are moving away from heavy press man schemes that rely on jarring the quarterback with a pass rush. That is not to say that teams are straying away from pass rushers, but instead they are focusing on using athletic linebackers and safeties to create disequilibrium in the short to intermediate parts of the field, a defensive line to apply pressure, and corners who are aiming to not give up the big play.

This defensive evolution appears to be a marriage of concepts from the Tampa 2 defensive philosophy and the Seattle Seahawks Legion of Boom philosophy. Looking at the Philadelphia Eagles defensive lineup may help you visualize the concepts.

Andy Reid ran a 4-3 defense in Philadelphia, but inherited a 3-4 team in Kansas City. Reid brought in Bob Sutton who, despite the teams recent struggles, did an excellent job of coaching in his beginning years in Kansas City. Things have changed drastically since then and I firmly believe Sutton will retire this offseason. This opens the door for the Chiefs to make a change on defense since, as their defense sits right now, they are not married to any particular defensive philosophy. They have several players who could play in either scheme.

So who could the Chiefs bring in to coordinate a new defense? Let’s look at some options.

[Hammock Parties]

Tanoh is a better fit at 4-3 DE, too.

Tanoh
Nnadi
Jones
Speaks

O'Daniel
Hitchens
Smith/Niemann

Dump Ford, Ragland and Houston.

[arrwheader]

Originally Posted by Hammock Parties

Tanoh is a better fit at 4-3 DE, too.

Tanoh
Nnadi
Jones
Speaks

O'Daniel
Hitchens
Smith/Niemann

Dump Ford, Ragland and Houston.

That’s what got my attention the most people have been saying on here a lot these guys aren’t day one starters and aren’t suited for they were drafted for, projects, etc so makes you wonder if maybe they are planning for a future switch. Especially speaks, guy doesn’t look at all like a olb.

[Rudy tossed tigger's salad]

Originally Posted by Hammock Parties

Tanoh is a better fit at 4-3 DE, too.

Tanoh
Nnadi
Jones
Speaks

O'Daniel
Hitchens
Smith/Niemann

Dump Ford, Ragland and Houston.

holy shit, what a terrible defense

[-King-]

Originally Posted by Rudy tossed tigger's salad

holy shit, what a terrible defense

This
Posted via Mobile Device

[Hammock Parties]

Originally Posted by Rudy tossed tigger's salad

holy shit, what a terrible defense

I mean, maybe.

We have no idea how year 2 Speaks might play at DE and how those other guys might play at OLB.

[RunKC]

You guys do realize the guys up front are basically playing in a 4 man alignment in packages right?

Speaks was rushing with his hand on the ground last weekend. Tanoh has done that a lot too.

[Grim]

Originally Posted by Rudy tossed tigger's salad

holy shit, what a terrible defense

Yes. Horrible.

[Prison Bitch]

Originally Posted by Rudy tossed tigger's salad

holy shit, what a terrible defense

Yeah, our defense now is so much better lol

[-King-]

Originally Posted by Prison Bitch

Yeah, our defense now is so much better lol

It's better than that
Posted via Mobile Device

[Rudy tossed tigger's salad]

Originally Posted by Prison Bitch

Yeah, our defense now is so much better lol

It's not. But our prospects are pretty dim at this point. Our GM needs to hit a few home runs in the next couple of drafts.

[Sassy Squatch]

Originally Posted by Hammock Parties

Tanoh is a better fit at 4-3 DE, too.

Tanoh
Nnadi
Jones
Speaks

O'Daniel
Hitchens
Smith/Niemann

Dump Ford, Ragland and Houston.

If we do end up switching to a 4-3, it better ****ing not end up looking like that.

[Hammock Parties]

Originally Posted by Superturtle

If we do end up switching to a 4-3, it better ****ing not end up looking like that.

You have no idea how Smith and O'Daniel might look in a year playing different positions.

Speaks and Tanoh might be BEAST at 4-3 DE.

[Sassy Squatch]

Originally Posted by Hammock Parties

You have no idea how Smith and O'Daniel might look in a year playing different positions.

Speaks and Tanoh might be BEAST at 4-3 DE.

Jesus, you've gone full homer. Kpassagnon and Speaks have potential. That's it. O'Daniel and Niemann have shown literally nothing and if Terrance Smith is anywhere near the starting defense next year with how absolutely shit he's been Veach deserves a slap in the face.

[Hammock Parties]

Originally Posted by Superturtle

Jesus, you've gone full homer.

Not really. I'm just willing to give the benefit of the doubt to rookies who might be better suited to a different scheme.

Niemann was pretty good in preseason, too.