Want A Nickel from 2016? How Keith Butler Can use the 2016 Draft Class Defenders

I think we have the man power up front to play a lot of different fronts . We can go Big this and Big that as well as smaller this and smaller that .Or a mix of the 2 .

To me it all depends on what the other Team really wants to do . If a Team wants to block power then is a great ideal to go Big.If a Team is trying to block Zone then go with speed smaller guys can outrun the zone step.

In the passing game it is similar .Does the Team want to attack the middle ?Does the Team look for quick passes ? Does the Team look to go deep ?

If a Team is looking to attack the middle then I like bigger guys to hold up and get their hands up.If they like to attack outside then I like Bigger on the outside for the same reason and smaller quicker guys on the inside ..The big boys can't get to the QB fast enough even if not blocked.

Any Team looking to go deep a lot give me a Nascar package all day long. If the QB is trying to hold the ball that long then smaller faster guys can stunt like crazy, or even just out run the block to the outside and close back in..

 

Bolded is why I believe we will see a rise of running based teams. Not so much in the facet that they will run more than they will pass, but due to the emergence of these "five tool" running backs; hybrid running backs no less. Teams will still pass, but they may run just as much as they throw the rock.

 

Trends depend on all sorts of factors... But the trend is the trend, and it's not towards more running. The passing game explosion is probably at or near its peak, but that doesn't mean we are going to see a trend in the other direction any time soon.

 

I don't think the passing game trend has even began to scratch the surface . Teams are just now starting to understand the quick passing game they are just now creating the vertical/horizontal attack playbooks . Most NFL playbooks 10 years ago was run 1st. and PA pass off of that . More and more you are seeing the swing pass,bubble screen,tunnel screen,smoke screen and quick outs and quick slants. These types of plays are now the base of most playbooks and I see no reason that won't continue to grow as more and more RAC guys come out of college .

Basically what these new NFL concepts is turning pass plays into running plays or even punt returns if you will. The High School level has been using these concepts for many many years as most Teams are forced to because of poor QB play and poor OL play . Tom Brady and the Patriots are showing the league how hard it is to stop . And if you notice the Patriots don't put much stock in OL play and they always keep some under sized WR.Well really a Punt returner to be used in there punt return offense.

We used to design these types of plays 25 years ago and that's really all they are . The NFl still has a long ,long way to go in these regards.

 

The Air Coryell vertical offenses and the West Coast offenses have been around for decades...

The limitations put on coverage techniques combined with the growth in quality talent at key positions (Primarily QB) is a bigger driver of the passing game explosion than anything playbook related.

Also, with regards to playbook. It's not the concepts that have changed, but the options that have been presented to QBs. They are going to the line with 2-3 plays, making their pre-snap reads. The growth in the use of bubble screens, for example, is not a new play concept, but new in how it's used. In the Steelers case, the bubble screen is no more than the backside play option. It's one of the reasons I am always amused by those who think "we call to many screen passes!!!". It's an option, and one that Ben takes when presented with the right defense.

 

Not new concepts for Foo

I agree the concepts have been in Football for years just not so much in the NFL. The screen game is not only a backside play it is a power play as well . And as far as Ben goes that is one part of his game he really needs to work on . He is not so great with swing passes and screens to the RB . He is getting better , but still lacks that floating soft touch most of the time..

 

Todd Gurley, Melvin Gordon, and "Zeke The Freak" are the current examples. As I stated, I do not see the return of the "dead ball era", but I do see teams running a bit more to g o from pass happy to balanced (offensive talent permitted).

 

Todd can be without question (that is actually more so up to Fisher), Melvin is already getting reps at it, and Zeke showed it during his college days at Ohio State. No reason they cannot be. Will they be as skilled as Bell? Gurley has the potential and Zeke has the talent... but you need both. Gordon seems to be a step below all three... but he can carve out a niche. If anything, David Johnson has the best chance considering he was a wide recriver at times at Northern Iowa.


Ultimatley.. these guys do not have to be the next "Le'von Bell" in order to re ignite intrest of running the ball a bit more often. It simply comes down to what teams are able and unable to do.

 

i agree in part that it is not going back to ground and pound league wide. the steelers have shown more diversity with their personnel because of the talent they have at so many positions. the 3rd and short passing is somewhat proof of that. we can run or pass it with equal strength and more options of that strength than alot of other teams out there. sure it's a preference of our qb but teams that don't have that type of firepower and personnel play it closer to the vest. not that other teams won't try a pass on 3rd and short from time to time but because of personnel they don't. i guess it's more of an " if you have it , use it philosophy". i'm sure we make defenses crazy with the way we can run it or pass it at will but that is just not the strength of all teams. i think they would like to if they could but the success rate for them without that type of personnel hamstrings them into more of a balanced attack.

the short passing game and running game for some teams is less by design and more of a necessity because they don't have "go to" players of the caliber that we do at so many positions. KC comes to mind when i talk of this type of offense. a few short years ago we played the get a lead and let the defense hold it and run the ball to eat clock. now we can score points and force teams like KC's to get out of their comfort zones and have to throw it more than they like. when you have teams like us and NE, it makes trends change just for teams to keep up when playing teams like these.

if KC is playing tenn., i'll almost bet that you won't have near the passing that you would see in a NE vs. pittsburgh game. does it make it a trend of more of a passing league if a team can't pass as well as others? again i think it comes down to personnel more than a trend in that regard. teams that can do and teams that can't won't, unless they are forced into it by score. i believe this type of play from a team like the steelers will keep defenses having to be widely diverse to keep up. i like what our defense is doing with regards to speed and a mixture of strength to be able to play it however you want to. our offense can force teams to up the trend to pass more by necessity.

 

At the end of the day... it really should not matter whether we see an increase of the "five tool" backs or whether the game is centered around passing or running. Ultimatley... this post's original reasoning is to give a perspective on what Bulter has now that he did not a year ago.


If Butler and the defense maintains continuity along the way.... then there is no reason that the "Stairway to Seven" Moniker will not be fullfilled.

 

Ultimately, this was a very informative thread to read, and I thank all of the previous participants.

I may not know all of the technical jargon when y`all talk about 3 tech or 4 tech, or 11 versus 22,

but I get the general gist of the conversation...

It sounds like Butler has some good tools he can use, and I am looking forward to seeing what he can do with them...

And I know I am just a casual fan.. I can`t come up with better ways to use the players, etc...

But the one thing that stuck out to me in the original three lineups proposed by AQL, was Jarvis Jones, playing Defensive End...

I just don`t think he is big enuff, strong enuff, or fast enuff, to play as the end of a defensive line...

No disrespect, ASK, but he has struggled at LB, and you really believe he can handle being at DE?

Maybe he can put in the work, and get bigger/stronger, but so far, I don`t see him being capable of handling that position...

Other than that, I love the ideas put forth in this thread...

2016 looks promising!


GO STEELERS!!!

 

So the point of this thread is "rookies"?

wow

 

Typo... it happens. Not easy typing on a smartphone for 2+ hours.

 

In a sense yes and no. You do need people of your choosing to cement your own imprint on something you want to build, but still have the quality pieces in order to fully unlock the benefits of whatever the goal is.



In Butler's case, the point is to have a more aggressive style of playing the game as opposed to psychological warfare. The "Big" Nickel is one way that many modern NFL defenses are being used. The post I have is not about adding mere "rookies." It is about what Butler can and cannot do with the talent he has.



For your second statement... it is a typo.. such is going to happen; doubly so if your only current means of online is a smartphone and typing for 2+ hours non stop.

 

speed and athleticism seems to be the way we are building this defense now. how the rookies conform to it will determine a lot in what butler can do with it. as for the the trends of the game, i will go back to what i was saying about different teams we face and their offensive makeup. we have to be divers enough to not be set into one style if you will and have the horses to play it the way we need to for these different styles of offenses. on paper it looks like we could have that.

 

No no no Mac, don't you remember we are gonna do what we do. Obviously we don't concern ourselves with what other teams do, we don't live in our fears

 

I just hope we can come up with a defense that lets players play to their natural instincts
and that we always play aggressive with not too much thinking involved. ATTACK AND WATCH W'S grow in the win column.