Opponents are having a more difficult time with their negative lines because more and more NFL teams are utilizing this defense... and DL in that scheme in the League are well-paid. You take a DE who demands a double-team and that's going to be a wealthy man. Honestly, though, many DL out of HS are poor fits for our scheme. It takes a special DE who has the ability to adapt to pass coverage.
What gives with the elite defensive line recruiting?
- Thread starter AlexanderFan
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Man have things changed in DLine recruiting! We have Liner with strong interest as well as Reed and Poggi that just visited last weekend. Coach may be visiting Robinson today and we want to do an in home tomorrow and maybe a OV next weekend from Bellamy. Vanderdoes visits this weekend and there still may be interest from Bostwick and Adams. I love, absolutely love this coaching staff! 
I think the "sky is falling" syndrome this thread took will soon be a fading memory. I guess when you don't get Clowney or Nmikdieke your not getting elite DL talent :rolleye2: on TideFans.comMan have things changed in DLine recruiting! We have Liner with strong interest as well as Reed and Poggi that just visited last weekend. Coach may be visiting Robinson today and we want to do an in home tomorrow and maybe a OV next weekend from Bellamy. Vanderdoes visits this weekend and there still may be interest from Bostwick and Adams. I love, absolutely love this coaching staff!
Sadly, we're in a vicious circle with recruiting.
We get negatively recruited against on linemen by coaches who say we won't put them in positions to make plays.
Therefore we end up with guys who may be good 3-4 2-gap fits but not quite the athlete who could make a terrorizing impact at the position.
The DL ends up not making much in the way of sacks and TFLs thus giving credence to the negative recruiting.
There is plenty of playmaking to be made at end in the 3-4 and the greats get paid well. Justin Smith is an absolute terror as a 3-4 DE for the Niners, much the same for Haloti Ngata on the Ravens. If we could get some of these guys we have near misses on, I think the DL production would go up.
We get negatively recruited against on linemen by coaches who say we won't put them in positions to make plays.
Therefore we end up with guys who may be good 3-4 2-gap fits but not quite the athlete who could make a terrorizing impact at the position.
The DL ends up not making much in the way of sacks and TFLs thus giving credence to the negative recruiting.
There is plenty of playmaking to be made at end in the 3-4 and the greats get paid well. Justin Smith is an absolute terror as a 3-4 DE for the Niners, much the same for Haloti Ngata on the Ravens. If we could get some of these guys we have near misses on, I think the DL production would go up.
We've had trouble landing rush ends who we want to transition to Jack LB the whole time under Saban. Recruits hear linebacker and they can easily get sold by shady coaches that they'll be covering backs and tight ends all game. How many times did Upshaw or any of our Jack LBs for that matter get dropped into coverage? Not often and usually only when we saw a screen coming and it was a sight adjustment at the snap.
To me, Jack LB is more desirable than a pure 4-3 end. You get the opportunity to move around and blitz from 2-point stances up the middle and such. Going into the last draft, people were considering Upshaw a guy who could be a 4-3 SDE in the NFL because of his size. I think the rush OLB position only add value for you because it makes you effectively scheme independent: you understand the OLB roles but you're still primarily a hands on the ground end rusher. If you have the size to play 4-3 end, you can still get drafted into it and transition easily.
The top two edge rushers in this year's draft were hybrid players in the college (TAMU's Moore and UGA's Jones).
To me, Jack LB is more desirable than a pure 4-3 end. You get the opportunity to move around and blitz from 2-point stances up the middle and such. Going into the last draft, people were considering Upshaw a guy who could be a 4-3 SDE in the NFL because of his size. I think the rush OLB position only add value for you because it makes you effectively scheme independent: you understand the OLB roles but you're still primarily a hands on the ground end rusher. If you have the size to play 4-3 end, you can still get drafted into it and transition easily.
The top two edge rushers in this year's draft were hybrid players in the college (TAMU's Moore and UGA's Jones).
I agree we have had some rush end guys look in other directions for Jack LB but you can not argue the production we have had at the Jack. I don't care who we signed they would not have started in front of Courtney and he was the 35th pick in the 2012 draft. Our current Jack, Hubbard, considered going pro and some had him projected as a late 1st round or 2nd round pick. He will most likely be a 1st round pick in the 2013 draft. Our coaches developed these guys into "elite" DL during their time in T-town.
My point is all the other schools can negative recruit all they want to, but all Saban and our staff has to do is tell them to look at where our players go in the NFL draft and they are getting paid to play football.
Hubbard was actually our Sam LB I believe. Dickson and Devall played Jack LB. I think we're going towards a more Pittsburgh Steeler type 3-4 defense where both OLBs are pass rushers.
The matter will eventually take care of itself. More and more of the NFL is going to the 3-4. The kids see that. Soon, most of them will be eager to play the formation in college.
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