Gabriel: Assessing The Player Profile For Vic Fangio's Defensive Scheme
By Greg Gabriel-
(CBS) With the Bears switching to a base 3-4 defensive scheme, much as been written about what players the Bears may target in either free agency beginning next week or the draft in late April. While there has been a number of interesting names tossed around, it may be wiser to talk about the "type" of player the Bears will be looking for.
Many assume that because the Bears are going to a 3-4, they will be looking for the big, wide-bodied defensive linemen similar to what the Ravens use on their defense. If you look at the Baltimore roster, many of the defensive linemen are in the 330-to-340-pound range. They are predominantly run-stuffers who occupy blockers and free up the linebackers to make plays.
While that's a type of player the Bears will likely consider on the defensive line, it's not the profile of players that new Chicago defensive coordinator Vic Fangio had in San Francisco. The opposite held true there.
By 3-4 standards, the San Francisco defensive line was small. Fangio seemed to want more athletic types playing on the line. 49ers defensive end Justin Smith is listed at 6-foot-4, 285 pounds – not real big as far as 5-techniques go. When Smith was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals, he was a 4-3 defensive end.
Most 3-4 nose tackles are huge, but that wasn't the case with the 49ers. Ian Williams is 6-foot-1, 305 pounds and Quinton Dial checks in at 6-foot-5 and 318 pounds. Tank Carradine and Tony Jerod-Eddie, two other defensive ends in San Francisco, are in the range of 6-foot-4 and 300 pounds. Looking at the 49er roster, Dial is the biggest defensive lineman they have.
The San Francisco linebackers are also a little smaller and more athletic than what many 3-4 clubs in the NFL use. Inside linebacker NaVorro Bowman is under 6-foot and weighs about 240 pounds, but man, can he run. The other inside linebacker Patrick Willis, who at about 6-foot-1 and 240 pounds can also really run (he was in the high 4.5-second range for a 40-yard dash coming out of college).
The outside linebackers San Francisco are also quick, fast and athletic and not quite as big as some other teams use. When you look at the corners, all except one are 6-foot or taller. The one player who is under 6-foot is a backup.
In the NFL, it's all about scheme fit and finding the right type of players to fit that scheme. Knowing what Fangio has used in the past, it becomes easier to figure out what players on the current roster the new coaching staff will try and keep and possibly convert to a new position.
Stephen Paea is a free agent, but he does fit what Fangio has used in the past on the nose. Jeremiah Ratliff has experience as a 3-4 nose tackle and is also a scheme fit for Fangio. Ego Ferguson should be able to play at the defensive end position or on the nose. Lamarr Houston can also easily play as a 5-technique. One player who may not be a fit is last year's third-round pick, Will Sutton, who is just over 6-foot and has shorter arms. That's not what many 2-gap teams look for.
What will be interesting is what Fangio does with the current defensive end group. Many 3-4 outside linebackers in the NFL were former 4-3 defensive ends in college. Last year's No. 1 overall pick Jadeveon Clowney, played all three years at South Carolina as a defensive end. In San Francisco, both Aldon Smith and Aaron Lynch were down linemen in college.
That said, what will happen with Bears' ends Willie Young and Jared Allen? Young has the size and athleticism to play as a 3-4 outside linebacker. Allen does also, but in his case, he's been on record as saying he doesn't want to play in a 3-4. So it will be interesting to see if the new staff keeps him around.
Other players like David Bass and Cornelius Washington easily have the athleticism to play on their feet. The key isn't only, "Do they have to have the required athleticism?" It's also,"Are they able to drop into coverage and have the pass coverage instincts needed?" Washington did play on his feet some while at Georgia.
Going forward, if you want to get a good idea of the type of players the Bears will either sign or draft on defense, just look at the San Francisco roster. That will give you the answer.
Greg Gabriel is a former NFL talent evaluator who has been an on-air contributor for 670 The Score. Follow him on Twitter @greggabe.
