Building a Defense

[Smashmouth]

So we talked a little offense so now lets break down the defense and how it can improve in the years to come.

 

We all know Rex does not run a conventional defense he moves players all over the LOS and he uses his CB's and safties  in very creative blitz packages as well. The big thing, IMO, that Rex has been missing over the years is a top LB corp. They have been slow and the coverage in the middle of the field is whats killed us for the most part.

 

I have issues with the way the Jets have built this defense that is listed as a 3-4. I dont like the constant movement on the DL. I think our personnel dictates more of a 4-3 alignment. We have drafted 4 DL in the early rounds of the draft for the past 3 years now using 4 of our top picks. Traditionally its the LB's that make the plays in a 3-4 defense and most of the great 3-4 defenses have been loaded down with fast play making LB's. The defensive line in this type of defense do not have a glamourous job and so you never see huge numbers from them and thats why I have issue with spending such high picks on so many players that could have been used on LB's .

 

Coples - I think this guy would really excel in a 4-3 playing a tackle position. Most of his pressures last year came from the inside and his college play shows he excelled on the inside as well so Rex wants to use him more as a rusher from the outside and I do not understand this logic at all. It takes a special athelete with a lot of agility to perfrom in this situation and while Coples might have certain attributes I do not think he posesses what it takes to rush from the outside. Rex is hoping for it and I think its wishful thinking. Main Reason ? Coples is not going to be agile enough to create pressure from the outside hes simply not fast enough and I do not think he has the moves or the speed to beat top LT's in this league when QB's are getting rid of the ball so quickly especially vs the Jets who like to bring pressure from many different positions. People have made the refernce to Terrel Suggs and I say to them FORGET IT we are talking about a HOF player who weighs 260 and is much more agile than Coples, not to mention is heading for a HOF career with 85 sacks to his credit. Coples came into the league at 6-6 290 and has the type of frame that could easily add weight to become stronger inside yet hes now down to 280 apparently and being used on the outside. Could be wrong but I see this as an over all dumb move. Coples has also been known not to have a motor and gives up at times during the game, does this fit the OLB mold ? Some of those guys get a good percentage of their sacks by having that great motor the same things the critics bash Coples for not having.

 

Wilkerson - This is a good solid player who does very well as a DE in the 3-4 alignment. In this position hes never going to be more than a 5-6 sack guy so he wont be the glamorous player with the big niumbers but he can be relied upon to do his job within the system he plays. Once again I think this is the type of player who would excel in a 4-3 system playing DE.

 

If you put Coples, Richardson and Ellis in a DT rotation (to keep them fresh) in the 4-3 and use Wilkerson and Pace at DE I think you can apply pressure with less blitzing. I feel moving these guys around so much hurts their productivity along the LOS and keeps them from changing up their techniques on Offensive linemen to create pressure.  I also do not like the fact I had to mention Pace here because IMO the guy is a waste but hes all we have ATM so I plugged him in at DE.

 

If you look at our last 3 drafts they do not seem to fit the 3-4 scheme. The excuse of "Rex is Unconventional" only goes so far. In a system like a 3-4 you target big LB;s who can deal with guards, guys in the 250-260 range yet the Jets draft a 225 pound LB in Demario Davis and are going to try and plug him on the inside ?? Once again this makes no sense to me. The guy excelled in college due to his speed and his great coverage of the field so what exacly are we asking him to do here ? Lets see how he performs this year and how Rex uses him this will certainly tell us a lot since Scott will be gone. Anyone think this guy can take on guards on the inside or will teams simply run the ball down our throats ? Once again this would be a nice aqusition in a traditional 4-3.

 

We have huge question marks at safety and this year is going to be a real crap shoot. I don't want to say much here but its not looking very promising. I think we are strong at CB and its the position that Rex counts on the most. I think CB's do well in Rex's system because the way Rex sets up his guys up front is all designed to create pressure on the QB. This gives the CB a clock to work with in his head and Revis did it very well. We rarely get beat deep, not so much due to coverage, but due to pressure. Sure the pressure may not be fast enough to produce a boat load of sacks but it certainly gets in the QB's head forcing him to release the ball much faster than he would like too which in turn helps the corners in a big time way. I think for this reason alone you will not see Revis be as dominant as he once was with the Jets unless Tampa can apply the same pressure.

 

I think Rex is a damn good defensive coach but I dont like the way he constantly quotes his players measurables. Just because a player has this or that does not make him a star nor does it mean he can fit in another position. Tinkering around with Coples is my biggest gripe that and drafting a Small LB in Davis unless of course we are going for more of a CONVENTIONAL 4-3 . I thought this was the case last year and I think we still ran the 3-4 more often (60/40 if im not mistaken) and when we did run the 4-3 it was anything but conventional. I think that takes away some of what a DL can do to generate sacks .

 

Going forward I think the Jets need to bring some LB's in here the ones we have, have been stagnant for years and I think they are the very reason this defense has really not hit that elite level. We have been very good over all, but not elite, and I feel this is due to our weak LB's .

[shhwagah]

As far as I'm concerned this Defense has been in the makings for a few years now. Rex is doing it right, building from the foundation up. Next draft we pray for good Safeties and OLBs. We will see flashes of a great defense this year. 

[Sperm Edwards]

Christ, another thread about Sanchez for me to post in.  Why does Smashmouth bait me all the time?

[The Crusher]

Christ, another thread about Sanchez for me to post in.  Why does Smashmouth bait me all the time?

 

Fantastic.   hahahaha

[SayNoToDMC]

LBers

[Sperm Edwards]

Demario Davis isn't 225 lbs.

 

Coples is as much of a fit at OLB as Tamba Hali, who's listed at 6'3" tall and 275 lbs, or Adalius Thomas who was 6'2" tall and 270 lbs.  Both are/were pro bowlers.  If Coples fails at OLB it won't be because of his size.  As others have mentioned, there are 3-4 OLBers who are basically DEs that don't have a hand in the dirt; they still play on or almost on the line.  We'll see.  This is one of the few areas I'm not inclined to second-guess Ryan.  If it flops he's getting fired.

 

The good news is if we do bring in coach who wants a full-time 4-3 defense we have most of those tools under contract (Harris not included, as I think he's just too slow.  Maybe he then gets back down to the 235-lb range himself and rediscovers some of that 4.5 speed he showed at the combine.)

 

Secondary should be interesting.  Landry is here for 2 years.  If one of the safeties on our roster is good enough that'll go a long way, and the reality is then we'd have a full defense minus 1 OLB.  If Cromartie doesn't restructure (and if the Jets refuse to let him hit the cap at $15M next year), the only starting player on the defense over 30 would be Landry and it isn't that big of a deal for a safety to be 32 years old.

 

I think the defense is in great shape, though it remains to be seen if it is in great shape while using Coples at OLB.  He's going to have to drop into coverage at least sometimes and he'll either be fluid enough or he won't be.  Rex worked him out a little bit there, but I'm sure even Rex would agree that drills are drills and live action is live action.

 

The good news is if - IF - Coples pans out there and if one of our safeties doesn't stink, then this could be a pretty nasty defense.

[T0mShane]

They are still heinous slow down the middle of the field, so that will definitely need to be upgraded by 2014. When the next coach comes in, they're really going to have to bring a couple of LBs and two safeties with him, because the guys they have now are Rex-specific. I'd love it if Rontez Miles could emerge in camp and take the FA spot.

[jorge o8]

lets not forget that the team tha beat the pats not once but 2 times in the SB the Gman run a 4-3 and can get to the qb thats what we need to do

[Smashmouth]

Demario Davis isn't 225 lbs.

 

Coples is as much of a fit at OLB as Tamba Hali, who's listed at 6'3" tall and 275 lbs, or Adalius Thomas who was 6'2" tall and 270 lbs.  Both are/were pro bowlers.  If Coples fails at OLB it won't be because of his size.  As others have mentioned, there are 3-4 OLBers who are basically DEs that don't have a hand in the dirt; they still play on or almost on the line.  We'll see.  This is one of the few areas I'm not inclined to second-guess Ryan.  If it flops he's getting fired.

 

The good news is if we do bring in coach who wants a full-time 4-3 defense we have most of those tools under contract (Harris not included, as I think he's just too slow.  Maybe he then gets back down to the 235-lb range himself and rediscovers some of that 4.5 speed he showed at the combine.)

 

Secondary should be interesting.  Landry is here for 2 years.  If one of the safeties on our roster is good enough that'll go a long way, and the reality is then we'd have a full defense minus 1 OLB.  If Cromartie doesn't restructure (and if the Jets refuse to let him hit the cap at $15M next year), the only starting player on the defense over 30 would be Landry and it isn't that big of a deal for a safety to be 32 years old.

 

I think the defense is in great shape, though it remains to be seen if it is in great shape while using Coples at OLB.  He's going to have to drop into coverage at least sometimes and he'll either be fluid enough or he won't be.  Rex worked him out a little bit there, but I'm sure even Rex would agree that drills are drills and live action is live action.

 

The good news is if - IF - Coples pans out there and if one of our safeties doesn't stink, then this could be a pretty nasty defense.

 

Davis was drafted at 225 which I believe was his college playing weight. Im sure hes put on some weight as now hes listed at 236 either way 225 236 hes not big enough to play ILB in the 3-4 . I would love to see Harris lose some weight and get back some of that speed because him and Davis would them make a nice combo with Davis possibly moving to the outside and Harris staying at MLB in the 4-3.

[shhwagah]

Coples is as much of a fit at OLB as Tamba Hali, who's listed at 6'3" tall and 275 lbs, or Adalius Thomas who was 6'2" tall and 270 lbs.  Both are/were pro bowlers.  If Coples fails at OLB it won't be because of his size.  As others have mentioned, there are 3-4 OLBers who are basically DEs that don't have a hand in the dirt; they still play on or almost on the line.  We'll see.  This is one of the few areas I'm not inclined to second-guess Ryan.  If it flops he's getting fired.

 

 

 

Hopefully he's on 24/7 pass rush duty. The only positive I can see is Coples will get to time his blitzes. Can you imagine him trying to cover Aaron Hernandez? Maybe the plan is to make Tom Brady laugh so hard it distracts then we get a sneaky sack. Or maybe Coples is Richard Sherman in a Giant body. Who knows.

 

You are right about this flopping and Rex getting fired though. It sounds stupid as hell to me. 

[bassmaster2]

The problem with the defence is with stoping the run and covering the Pats tight ends 

[JoeKlecko]

They are still heinous slow down the middle of the field, so that will definitely need to be upgraded by 2014. When the next coach comes in, they're really going to have to bring a couple of LBs and two safeties with him, because the guys they have now are Rex-specific. I'd love it if Rontez Miles could emerge in camp and take the FA spot.

 

I wouldn't hold my breath on Miles.  I think he's too slow to be that effective.

[Sperm Edwards]

Davis was drafted at 225 which I believe was his college playing weight. Im sure hes put on some weight as now hes listed at 236 either way 225 236 hes not big enough to play ILB in the 3-4 . I would love to see Harris lose some weight and get back some of that speed because him and Davis would them make a nice combo with Davis possibly moving to the outside and Harris staying at MLB in the 4-3.

http://www.nfl.com/draft/2011/profiles/demario-davis?id=2533008

Says 235 in his draft profile.

[SenorGato]

Between Wilkerson and Coples the guy most capable of playing 4-3 DE is Wilkerson? 

 

http://laurenoutloud.com/main/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/jeebus.jpg

 

I can't understand how inflexible and conservative people want this D to be. Go home with that. 

[SayNoToDMC]

lets not forget that the team tha beat the pats not once but 2 times in the SB the Gman run a 4-3 and can get to the qb thats what we need to do

 

You can get to the QB in any scheme we just don't have anyone capable of doing it with any sort of consistency

[SayNoToDMC]

http://www.nfl.com/draft/2011/profiles/demario-davis?id=2533008

Says 235 in his draft profile.

 

That's what he weighed at the combine and usually guys who need a solid  40 time come in light

[Smashmouth]

Between Wilkerson and Coples the guy most capable of playing 4-3 DE is Wilkerson? 

 

http://laurenoutloud.com/main/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/jeebus.jpg

 

I can't understand how inflexible and conservative people want this D to be. Go home with that. 

 

Actully with wilkerson playing at 310 + he could easily play inside . reason I put coples there was because Coples obviously plays better inside.

 

as for the bold I have no idea wtf your talking about

[SenorGato]

Does Coples play better inside? What's this based on?

[SayNoToDMC]

Does Coples play better inside? What's this based on?

 

His production thus far in his pro and college career, he's better against guards because of his obvious advantage athletically. I'm hopeful with the move to OLBer as long as they realize his limitations covering out of the backfield. He's got the tools as a pass rusher physically if he can put it all together.

[SenorGato]

Was most of his production last year inside? The only video clip NFL.com has of him has him at DE going up against a tackle. It was preseason THO. Anywhere I can find the numbers from the season? 

[SayNoToDMC]

Was most of his production last year inside? The only video clip NFL.com has of him has him at DE going up against a tackle. It was preseason THO. Anywhere I can find the numbers from the season? 

 

I don't have anything to reference, I'm sure with all the advanced statistic sh*t somebody knows how to pull it up to prove me wrong. I'm just going off what I saw because I would watch him when I noticed him on the field. His wire hanger tattoo gave him away. Working on tackles requires a lot more skill because they're high end athletes. Matt Slausen is a capable plug in at guard, Coples is an amazing athlete the only question is if he wants to get better and if we can find the right way to use him.

[Jetsfan80]

We all know Rex does not run a conventional defense he moves players all over the LOS

 

I have issues with the way the Jets have built this defense that is listed as a 3-4. I dont like the constant movement on the DL.

 

It would seem to me that these statements contradict.  You have to admit Rex has had a lot of success in this league by being unconventional with how he uses his defensive line.  Why then are you asking him to stick to one basic front or another?  I think the fact that he has a lot of different, talented pieces in an area where's he been successful in this league can potentially lead to some pretty fantastic results. 

[Integrity28]

Between Wilkerson and Coples the guy most capable of playing 4-3 DE is Wilkerson? 

 

http://laurenoutloud.com/main/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/jeebus.jpg

 

I can't understand how inflexible and conservative people want this D to be. Go home with that. 

 

This.

 

It's amazing how quickly people overlook the fact that these aren't gear parts that need to be machined to very granular specifications for this thing to work... they are athletes, you can move 'em around and stuff. LOL

 

I can't believe how much I agree with you lately, but yeah. 

[#27TheDominator]

I wrote a long diatribe about this yesterday and didn't end up posting it.  I don't see any reason to radically change the D and asking for Rex to become a conventional 4-3 coach is a joke.  No matter how much anyone dislikes Rex as a head coach, you have to admit he is a good to great DC.  Why take away the thing he is good at? 

 

Coples will not be any stiffer or less mobile at OLB than Pace or McIntyre.  I don't see why we should worry about it. They will use him how they use those guys.  The problems on D are similar to what they have been.  The safeties are questionable and the LBs lack speed. Big whoop. 

[SickJetFan]

So we talked a little offense so now lets break down the defense and how it can improve in the years to come.

 

We all know Rex does not run a conventional defense he moves players all over the LOS and he uses his CB's and safties  in very creative blitz packages as well. The big thing, IMO, that Rex has been missing over the years is a top LB corp. They have been slow and the coverage in the middle of the field is whats killed us for the most part.

 

I have issues with the way the Jets have built this defense that is listed as a 3-4. I dont like the constant movement on the DL. I think our personnel dictates more of a 4-3 alignment. We have drafted 4 DL in the early rounds of the draft for the past 3 years now using 4 of our top picks. Traditionally its the LB's that make the plays in a 3-4 defense and most of the great 3-4 defenses have been loaded down with fast play making LB's. The defensive line in this type of defense do not have a glamourous job and so you never see huge numbers from them and thats why I have issue with spending such high picks on so many players that could have been used on LB's .

 

Coples - I think this guy would really excel in a 4-3 playing a tackle position. Most of his pressures last year came from the inside and his college play shows he excelled on the inside as well so Rex wants to use him more as a rusher from the outside and I do not understand this logic at all. It takes a special athelete with a lot of agility to perfrom in this situation and while Coples might have certain attributes I do not think he posesses what it takes to rush from the outside. Rex is hoping for it and I think its wishful thinking. Main Reason ? Coples is not going to be agile enough to create pressure from the outside hes simply not fast enough and I do not think he has the moves or the speed to beat top LT's in this league when QB's are getting rid of the ball so quickly especially vs the Jets who like to bring pressure from many different positions. People have made the refernce to Terrel Suggs and I say to them FORGET IT we are talking about a HOF player who weighs 260 and is much more agile than Coples, not to mention is heading for a HOF career with 85 sacks to his credit. Coples came into the league at 6-6 290 and has the type of frame that could easily add weight to become stronger inside yet hes now down to 280 apparently and being used on the outside. Could be wrong but I see this as an over all dumb move. Coples has also been known not to have a motor and gives up at times during the game, does this fit the OLB mold ? Some of those guys get a good percentage of their sacks by having that great motor the same things the critics bash Coples for not having.

 

Wilkerson - This is a good solid player who does very well as a DE in the 3-4 alignment. In this position hes never going to be more than a 5-6 sack guy so he wont be the glamorous player with the big niumbers but he can be relied upon to do his job within the system he plays. Once again I think this is the type of player who would excel in a 4-3 system playing DE.

 

If you put Coples, Richardson and Ellis in a DT rotation (to keep them fresh) in the 4-3 and use Wilkerson and Pace at DE I think you can apply pressure with less blitzing. I feel moving these guys around so much hurts their productivity along the LOS and keeps them from changing up their techniques on Offensive linemen to create pressure.  I also do not like the fact I had to mention Pace here because IMO the guy is a waste but hes all we have ATM so I plugged him in at DE.

 

If you look at our last 3 drafts they do not seem to fit the 3-4 scheme. The excuse of "Rex is Unconventional" only goes so far. In a system like a 3-4 you target big LB;s who can deal with guards, guys in the 250-260 range yet the Jets draft a 225 pound LB in Demario Davis and are going to try and plug him on the inside ?? Once again this makes no sense to me. The guy excelled in college due to his speed and his great coverage of the field so what exacly are we asking him to do here ? Lets see how he performs this year and how Rex uses him this will certainly tell us a lot since Scott will be gone. Anyone think this guy can take on guards on the inside or will teams simply run the ball down our throats ? Once again this would be a nice aqusition in a traditional 4-3.

 

We have huge question marks at safety and this year is going to be a real crap shoot. I don't want to say much here but its not looking very promising. I think we are strong at CB and its the position that Rex counts on the most. I think CB's do well in Rex's system because the way Rex sets up his guys up front is all designed to create pressure on the QB. This gives the CB a clock to work with in his head and Revis did it very well. We rarely get beat deep, not so much due to coverage, but due to pressure. Sure the pressure may not be fast enough to produce a boat load of sacks but it certainly gets in the QB's head forcing him to release the ball much faster than he would like too which in turn helps the corners in a big time way. I think for this reason alone you will not see Revis be as dominant as he once was with the Jets unless Tampa can apply the same pressure.

 

I think Rex is a damn good defensive coach but I dont like the way he constantly quotes his players measurables. Just because a player has this or that does not make him a star nor does it mean he can fit in another position. Tinkering around with Coples is my biggest gripe that and drafting a Small LB in Davis unless of course we are going for more of a CONVENTIONAL 4-3 . I thought this was the case last year and I think we still ran the 3-4 more often (60/40 if im not mistaken) and when we did run the 4-3 it was anything but conventional. I think that takes away some of what a DL can do to generate sacks .

 

Going forward I think the Jets need to bring some LB's in here the ones we have, have been stagnant for years and I think they are the very reason this defense has really not hit that elite level. We have been very good over all, but not elite, and I feel this is due to our weak LB's .

I see so Pace is a waste huh.  The OLB who is in 99% of all defensive snaps since he got here in top 5 defense....yeah ok.  do you even watch the games?

[SayNoToDMC]

This.

It's amazing how quickly people overlook the fact that these aren't gear parts that need to be machined to very granular specifications for this thing to work... they are athletes, you can move 'em around and stuff. LOL

I can't believe how much I agree with you lately, but yeah.

Agreeing with Gato? lol. Just abstain from the conversation when he's right. You're hurting us all down the road. Rex isn't Mangenius he's flexible with his D and the whole 3-4/4-3 thing is played out. His problem as a head coach just like his father is his total lack of understanding about anything other then D

[JiFtheOracle]

Didnt read the post, too long...but I assume it has something to do with Smash's yearly offseason plea to switch to the 4-3.  Sighting every single player on the roster as a better fit for the 4-3?  I've noticed some talk about Coples, probably another complaint about trying him out as OLB?  Just a guess.

[JiFtheOracle]

This.

It's amazing how quickly people overlook the fact that these aren't gear parts that need to be machined to very granular specifications for this thing to work... they are athletes, you can move 'em around and stuff. LOL

I can't believe how much I agree with you lately, but yeah.

So yeah, a Coples complaint was in there. Its really ridiculous. There is zero harm in having him learn a little OLB. First off, he's not going to be the every down OLB. They resigned Pace and signed Barnes. Those guys are your OLBs. They are experimenting with Coples at the position because he's a versatile, athletic player who they want on the field. I see nothing wrong with trying to figure out ways to get your best players on the field at the same time. Further, we know how many different fronts Rex plays and how every game plan is different depending on the opponent, so why anyone would have a problem with it is beyond me.

Seriously, whats the downside? So now the kid knows how to play every position on the DL and situation OLB. HEAVENS NO!!!!!

[SenorGato]

I wrote a long diatribe about this yesterday and didn't end up posting it.  I don't see any reason to radically change the D and asking for Rex to become a conventional 4-3 coach is a joke.  No matter how much anyone dislikes Rex as a head coach, you have to admit he is a good to great DC.  Why take away the thing he is good at? 

 

Coples will not be any stiffer or less mobile at OLB than Pace or McIntyre.  I don't see why we should worry about it. They will use him how they use those guys.  The problems on D are similar to what they have been.  The safeties are questionable and the LBs lack speed. Big whoop. 

 

Vultures hovering, need a firing to be appeased. Yes, this is a "fan suck" post. 

[SenorGato]

Didnt read the post, too long...but I assume it has something to do with Smash's yearly offseason plea to switch to the 4-3.  Sighting every single player on the roster as a better fit for the 4-3?  I've noticed some talk about Coples, probably another complaint about trying him out as OLB?  Just a guess.

 

I lawl'd. You're dead on. I forget that this is an annual thing. 

[SenorGato]

Agreeing with Gato? lol. Just abstain from the conversation when he's right. You're hurting us all down the road. Rex isn't Mangenius he's flexible with his D and the whole 3-4/4-3 thing is played out. His problem as a head coach just like his father is his total lack of understanding about anything other then D

 

You can't just abstain from every conversation. We would lose whichever poster that was *forever* that way. 

 

 

I don't have anything to reference, I'm sure with all the advanced statistic sh*t somebody knows how to pull it up to prove me wrong. I'm just going off what I saw because I would watch him when I noticed him on the field. His wire hanger tattoo gave him away. Working on tackles requires a lot more skill because they're high end athletes. Matt Slausen is a capable plug in at guard, Coples is an amazing athlete the only question is if he wants to get better and if we can find the right way to use him.

 

I would watch Coples too, but I don't remember shyte. Maybe your memory is better than mine, but so much better? I need numbas!  

[JoeKlecko]

It would seem to me that these statements contradict.  You have to admit Rex has had a lot of success in this league by being unconventional with how he uses his defensive line.  Why then are you asking him to stick to one basic front or another?  I think the fact that he has a lot of different, talented pieces in an area where's he been successful in this league can potentially lead to some pretty fantastic results. 

 

 

Yes, Rex has had a lot of success with the mixed fronts, but as HC of the Jets, how many division championships has he won?  How many AFC Championship Games?  How many Lombardi Trophies?  For that matter, how many times has he beaten Pittsburgh, Baltimore, SF, NE, GB and other teams of that level?  I'm not trying to be a smart ass.  I'm just saying that any system can look impressive beating up on weak teams.  Where it counts is when playing the top teams and playing in big games, and over the last 2 years, that D has looked neither impressive or come away with many (any?) big wins.  That said, there's no disputing that Rex has had to fashion a defense with LBers so slow that they might as well be playing on walkers or in wheelchairs and an assortment of JAGs at the safety positions.

[Jetsfan80]

Yes, Rex has had a lot of success with the mixed fronts, but as HC of the Jets, how many division championships has he won?  How many AFC Championship Games?  How many Lombardi Trophies?  For that matter, how many times has he beaten Pittsburgh, Baltimore, SF, NE, GB and other teams of that level?  I'm not trying to be a smart ass.  I'm just saying that any system can look impressive beating up on weak teams.  Where it counts is when playing the top teams and playing in big games, and over the last 2 years, that D has looked neither impressive or come away with many (any?) big wins.  That said, there's no disputing that Rex has had to fashion a defense with LBers so slow that they might as well be playing on walkers or in wheelchairs and an assortment of JAGs at the safety positions.

 

My reasons for why he hasn't succeeded as much as he should are stated in other threads.  This thread is about defense, and Rex has done a pretty stellar job overall in that department, particularly with D-Linemen.  The offense has repeatedly put the defense in very difficult spots and more often than not they came through time and again.  Think any defense in the league could deal with coming back onto the field time and again after 3-and-outs and interceptions as often as our defense has and still put up victories?

 

With an average NFL defense, this team probably goes something like 4-12, 7-9, 4-12, 2-14 over the last 4 years.  I'd like to see a "Wins Above Replacement" statistic come available.

[Bleedin Green]

Yes, Rex has had a lot of success with the mixed fronts, but as HC of the Jets, how many division championships has he won?  How many AFC Championship Games?  How many Lombardi Trophies?  For that matter, how many times has he beaten Pittsburgh, Baltimore, SF, NE, GB and other teams of that level?  I'm not trying to be a smart ass.  I'm just saying that any system can look impressive beating up on weak teams.  Where it counts is when playing the top teams and playing in big games, and over the last 2 years, that D has looked neither impressive or come away with many (any?) big wins.  That said, there's no disputing that Rex has had to fashion a defense with LBers so slow that they might as well be playing on walkers or in wheelchairs and an assortment of JAGs at the safety positions.

 

While I get what you're saying, I have two issues with this line of thinking.

 

1.  The Jets struggles against top teams has been much more heavily reliant on their awful offense and more specifically, their garbage QB.  The Jets have obviously gotten at least a few wins over the Pats and as far as those other teams are concerned, besides perhaps SF, in Rex's time here every other one of those teams you listed has had encounters with the Jets that saw the Jets D smack around the opposing offense all game long while Sanchez shat himself.  Not to say that the defense hasn't had their fair share of issues, but I don't think the overall team failures you're pointing to is a proper measure of that.

 

2.  Even though the defense certainly hasn't been perfect, what possible reason is their to believe that limiting the defensive scheme will somehow improve upon that performance?

[JoeKlecko]

So yeah, a Coples complaint was in there. Its really ridiculous. There is zero harm in having him learn a little OLB. First off, he's not going to be the every down OLB. They resigned Pace and signed Barnes. Those guys are your OLBs. They are experimenting with Coples at the position because he's a versatile, athletic player who they want on the field. I see nothing wrong with trying to figure out ways to get your best players on the field at the same time. Further, we know how many different fronts Rex plays and how every game plan is different depending on the opponent, so why anyone would have a problem with it is beyond me.

Seriously, whats the downside? So now the kid knows how to play every position on the DL and situation OLB. HEAVENS NO!!!!!

 

While being flexible can be a very good thing, there is also a possible downside/harm that perhaps you didn't consider.  Are you familiar with the saying, "Jack of all trades, master of none"?  Coples didn't see the field a lot last year and Rex has already called him out this offseason for his poor work ethic.  Is it possible that he didn't see the field that much early last year because he didn't learn the basic responsibilities of his position or master its intricacies?  If so, are they mastered now?   Also, if mastered now, why move him?  Will he put in the necessary work to learn the new position or will the switch accomplish the goal of getting him (or the best players) on the field?  If he hasn't mastered his primary responsibilities, why add something else to his plate?  That could make him struggle more or less effective.  In an ideal world, I'd like to see Coples excel at the position he was drafted to play before switching him to another position. 

 

I'm not saying that it's definitely a bad move, just that I can see Smash's questioning the move.  I think that's fair.  We all know that Rex is as much "mad scientist" as football coach.  It will be interesting to see how it plays out.