Atlanta Falcons Moving to a 3-4 Defensive Scheme
Suddenly all of those free agency signings of 3-4 defensive linemen are starting to make some sense. According to ESPN.com, the Atlanta Falcons have been bulking up their defense with big 3-4 type bodies in an effort to shift from their 4-3 base defense to more of a 3-4 base defense.
Atlanta struggled to get after the quarterback with a shaky pass rush in 2013, and failed to land an impact defensive end in free agency or the 2014 NFL Draft. However, with the schematic change, their offseason acquisitions and the players they landed in this year’s draft class are starting to make the picture come out a little clearer.
Falcons beat reporter Vaughn McClure speculates that aging defensive end Osi Umenyiora will be used more as a “strictly designated pass rusher” instead of a true 3-4 outside linebacker – a position he’s never played in his NFL career.
The scheme switch makes even more sense when you look at the big defensive linemen the Falcons brought in during free agency. Atlanta added 3-4 defensive end Tyson Jackson to assist the run defense, while also former Miami Dolphins defensive tackle Paul Soliali to stuff the run, as well. Drafting Minnesota big man Ra’Shede Hageman was the icing on the cake, giving the Falcons a potential beast in the middle.
The downside here is that the Falcons didn’t have any elite pass rushers at defensive end outside of an aging Umenyiora, and now they really don’t have any at outside linebacker for their base 3-4, either. Ideally, they’ll be able to roll with multiple fronts, allowing a now extremely deep defensive line to rotate in and out and stay fresh, while hopefully getting a lot out of Umenyiora on the outside.
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