Defensive Notes
Recent head coaching hires will mean some major changes both for team defenses and affected individual defensive players.
Green Bay: The Packers have brought in Dom Capers to run the defense, and although he has coached both 3-4 and 4-3 defensive schemes, the Packers will switch to a 3-4 this year. Although Green Bay's defense had plenty of value last year due to its opportunism, it was very soft in terms of yardage -- against the run, anyway (26th). The switch should help, as many of the league's best run defenses utilize 3-4 defensive formations. Miami switched last year, and although there were other factors, their run defense climbed from 32nd to 10th in just one season. Green Bay's run defense, then, should be better, which should help the team improve in terms of sacks (just 25th last season).
The question is, where will those sacks come from? Defensive end Aaron Kampman has been the team's best pass rusher, but in a 3-4, the outside linebackers get most of sack opportunities. Best-case scenario for Kampman is that he lines up there in passing situations, a possibility Mike McCarthy left open on Monday. "Who's to say we're going to play him at the defensive end position?" he said. The same is true of the other starting end, Cullen Jenkins. How those players are used in the preseason, and how the team utilizes its existing linebackers, will need to be monitored. One player who could definitely benefit is Brady Poppinga, who should get a lot more opportunities to rush the passer in the new defense.
N.Y. Jets: The Jets probably didn't hire Rex Ryan because his defense picked off Chad Pennington four times in their playoff meeting two weeks ago, although that didn't hurt. Ryan has run both 4-3 and 3-4 schemes, but he reportedly prefers the 3-4 -- which the Jets already run. It will, however, be different.
Under Eric Mangini, the Jets didn't blitz much, and although they were effective stopping the run last season (7th) they were hopeless against the pass (29th). Ryan's defense is known for its ability to bring pressure and force mistakes, and it should benefit New York's best defensive players. First up is safety Kerry Rhodes -- he's no Ed Reed, but he'll be put in similar positions with the chance to make some of the same plays. Then there's linebacker Calvin Pace, a slight disappointment last season after signing a big free agent contract; he projects to be the Jets' version of Baltimore pass rusher Terrell Suggs. All in all, the presence of Ryan should help New York's IDP options, and could also help a fantasy defense that was one of the league's best for much of last season, but slipped badly down the stretch as teams figured out how to beat it, and the Jets didn't react.
St. Louis: Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo takes over the Rams, and there's really nowhere to go but up for a defense that's been below average against both the run and the pass, and bottom-10 overall, for each of the last two years. Both with the Giants and while working under Jim Johnson with the Eagles, Spagnuolo has a knack for getting pressure on opposing quarterbacks -- something the Rams were very ordinary at a year ago (16th in sacks). First things first, the team will need to upgrade its personnel both in the front seven and the secondary, and figure out how to best utilize talented young linemen Chris Long and Adam Carriker. Not that either will be the next Justin Tuck, but things are looking up.
One additional note; while the Giants will certainly miss Spagnuolo, they're replacing him with linebackers coach Bill Sheridan, who should continue to employ the former coordinator's aggressive schemes. No reason to be down on New York's defense next year, especially with it having Osi Umenyiora back from injury.
--Andy Richardson
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