Rams Current Front 7 With A New Defensive SchemeBy Brandon Fowler
It has been well documented with the Rams that along with the new hire of Coach Wade Phillips as the defensive coordinator, he will also be bringing a new defensive scheme to Los Angeles. The modern version of the 3-4 defensive, which Phillips will be implementing, is not all that different from the 4-3 in today’s NFL, but it does force the opposing offense to identify the fourth pass rusher out of a base set with no blitz called.
It will be interesting to see how Coach Phillips utilizes the Rams personnel to plug players into positions that make the defense flourish most effectively. Strictly speaking about the transition from this past season to the 2017 season, the Rams were atypical in their defensive approach as they primarily lined up in the nickel (replaced one linebacker with a defensive back), so they played with only two linebackers, Mark Barron and Alec Ogletree, more often than not.
However, the Rams have always taken pride in bolstering a formidable front seven and have a majority of those core players returning for the 2017 season.
Let’s start with the three down linemen, which I believe, will have the easiest transition. In a 3-4, the down linemen are responsible for two gaps, one to their right and left. The man in the middle, the nose tackle, needs to be a space eater and take on blockers (think Vince Wilfork). With current players in place, I believe this is where Michael Brockers will find his niche as he has continued to be a reliable force for the Rams in the trenches, a role he essentially played for his whole career thus far at 1 technique (outside shoulder of center).
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