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Jim Haslett - New Defensive Coordinator

nah,
Orakpo would be a OLB in the 3-4 like DeMarcus Ware.


My guess is that this would be the following:

NT- Haynesworth
DE- Jarmon
DE- Griffin, Golston, Alexander
OLB- Orakpo
OLB- Carter, Wilson
ILB- Fletcher, Blades

One problem that I see with the 3-4 is Andre Carter. He left San Fran. after struggling in Mike Nolan's 3-4 as a OLB. That's why I wouldn't be surprised to see Chris Wilson playing opposite Orakpo when all is said and done.

I'm also not really sure if Griffin, Golston or Alexander would be the main starter as the DE.

Edit: tr1 must of beat me by a few seconds........
 
Well, I won't say mine "collapsed" (I'm not quite as dramatic as Sarge ;) ), but this is the first move so far that leaves me, well ... meh.

Haslett's career stats as Defensive Coordinator:

New Orleans

1996 – 13th overall (20th scoring, 3rd passing, 27th rushing)

Pittsburgh

1997 – 6th overall (11th scoring, 18th passing, 1st rushing)
1998 – 12th overall (7th scoring, 18th passing, 13th rushing)
1999 – 11th overall (12th scoring, 4th passing, 26th rushing)

St. Louis

2006– 23rd overall (28th scoring, 8th passing, 31st rushing)
2007 – 21st overall (31st scoring, 21st passing, 20th rushing)
 
Well on the bright side of speculation, hopefully we can throw out the two years in St. Louis. He really didn't have much to work with there.

On the 3-4 thing, I'm not a big fan, but then again maybe it's because of a lack of familiarity. We've never played it and we don't see it that often. :insane:
 
Well, at least one person thinks it's a good move:

http://espn.go.com/blog/nfceast/post/_/id/9964/haslett-should-be-a-good-fit-with-redskins

Haslett should be a good fit with Redskins

January, 13, 2010 Jan 1312:14AM ETEmail Print Share By Matt Mosley

With Mike Zimmer signing a three-year contract extension with the Bengals, the Redskins turned to former Saints head coach Jim Haslett to be their new defensive coordinator, according to an ESPN report. New head coach Mike Shanahan is putting together a dramatically different coaching staff than his predecessor Jim Zorn.

New Redskins defensive coordinator Jim Haslett could transition the team to a 3-4 defense. Haslett, a former NFL linebacker, has an outstanding reputation as a defensive coordinator in the league and you can guarantee that he'll field a more aggressive unit than Greg Blache featured the past two seasons. Redskins fans clung to stats that showed they were a top-10 defense on Blache's watch, but this unit didn't cause enough turnovers and never really took over games.

It's believed that Shanahan wants Haslett to run a 3-4 scheme, which would place more of a premium on the pass-rush in 2010. With the arrival of defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth in '09, the Redskins increased their sack totals and there's reason to believe that outside linebacker Brian Orakpo could flourish in a 3-4 defense. I think Haynesworth's talented enough to play either nose tackle or defensive end in a 3-4, but I'm not sure Andre Carter will make a smooth transition to being an outside linebacker.

As I've already stated, it will be tough for a smaller player such as London Fletcher to function in a 3-4 scheme because he'll have to fight off 330-pound guards on a regular basis. If the Skins are truly going to make this transition, you'll see them draft some completely different types of players than in the past. Zimmer transitioned into a 3-4 defense for Bill Parcells in Dallas, but he was more comfortable using a 4-3 scheme. I think Haslett's a little more open-minded when it comes to the two schemes, so you could see some type of hybrid used until the Skins have the right personnel to make a complete transition.

I think players such as LaRon Landry and Rocky McIntosh should be thrilled with the arrival of Haslett. He'll do a better job of putting them in positions to succeed. Landry too often goes for the big hit and he's been awful against the deep ball. I think Haslett will play Landry closer to the line of scrimmage and allow him to function more like a linebacker at times.

Haslett's agent, Peter Schaffer, spoke to the Washington Post on Tuesday evening: "It's a situation where I think that Jim and Mike Shanahan have developed both a great respect over many years, as well as a friendship," said Schaffer. "I think they have a lot of similar philosophies, and there's definitely been a lot of communication."

I'm not sure where the Redskins' defense will rank next season, but I'm pretty sure they'll play at a higher level.
... thought I'd like to hear a bit more about who Mosley's been talking to about the "outstanding rep" part. The numbers simply don't support that.
 
Just because we have Haslett doesnt mean for sure that we will be switch to a 3-4. If I remember correctly he has run just as much 4-3 as 3-4. Heck, we could end up doing some sort of hybrid which would be interesting. But I think before everyone panics about a defensive switch we should wait to see if that actually is going to happen.

If it does I will join in the panic. :)
 
Well, at least one person thinks it's a good move:


... thought I'd like to hear a bit more about who Mosley's been talking to about the "outstanding rep" part. The numbers simply don't support that.

Om, I appreciate the effort you have put into this. I ask you this, since you are basing part of your opinion of Haslett on his stats, do you think the Redskins' D was really the 5th best in the NFL last year and 10th this year as stats suggest?
 
It means Fletcher simply doesn't fit in...and, where we need to shop for several LBs immediately.

Hmm, I'm curious - why do you think Fletcher wouldn't fit in a 3-4 scheme? He's got an extremely high football IQ, I think he'd fit into any scheme you put him in.
 
Here's how I see the Redskins running the 3-4:

DEs: Haynesworth, Golston, Alexander, Carter
NT: Montgomery, Haynesworth, draft pick, Free Agent
OLBs: Orakpo, Carter, McIntosh, Wilson
ILBs: Blades, McIntosh, Fletcher

Players listed twice will rotate into both spots, or get tried out at both spots to find the best fit.
 
Makes me think Suh or McCoy could be options if Shanahan and Haslett have their minds made up.
 
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Shanahan is a "my way" kind of guy, however he's also smart enough to trust the people he hires to run his defense. If Haslett comes in, analyzes the personnel and tells him look, we just don't have the personnel to run a 3-4, Shanahan would let him make that call. Now maybe we'll see them start to draft and get FAs that fit the 3-4 scheme, so that mabye in 2011 or 2012 we switch...I could definitely see that happening.
 
i,m alright with this move in getting jim haslett.
 
When Mosley, an unabashed puke fan and former beat writer, thinks our defense be better next year, I'm sure he's looking at it from a puke fan's perspective.

Mosley is actually an Eagles fan. He is part of the regular drive time crew on the local ESPN radio station here in Dallas (where Mosley also lives, btw) and his allegiance is an openly discussed thing.

BTW, does anyone think Haynesworth was consulted?

No, I doubt it very much and I frankly hope he was not consulted. There has been too much of that in recent years, at least too much of it reported anyway.

One thing to remember about this whole "switch" thing...it is all speculation based off Peter King's statement about Shanahan's comment to him last summer at Steeler's training camp. I have seen NO direct confirmation from anyone else who has discussed this with Shanahan and when Shanahan talked to King he was only "thinking" about it.

Crying shame the media can't remember the difference between facts and rumors.
 
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OK, I guess I'm the only one here who HATES this move. I've never been a fan of Haslett and I think the defense will definitely struggle while we try to find the right pieces for a 3-4 defense. The learning curve will be enormous and I'm pretty sure our 100 million man will hate it, as will one of our top sackers.

If he decides the personnel better fits a 4-3 then I'll give Haslett the old "wait and see" benefit of doubt. If he tries to install the 3-4 then I'll likely spend all next season ranting and taking the opportunity to say "I told you so" when the Defense ends up ranked in the 20's. I have to say right now that a 3-4 in DC is doomed to fail for at least a couple of years.
 
Om, I appreciate the effort you have put into this. I ask you this, since you are basing part of your opinion of Haslett on his stats, do you think the Redskins' D was really the 5th best in the NFL last year and 10th this year as stats suggest?
\
As I wrote in my Haslett piece the other day and reiterated today, I'm fully aware stats only tell one small part of any story. What they tell in his case, unfortunately, is not very encouraging. Haslett's DC record is average at best, and seems at odds with talk of this "outstanding rep" he's supposed to have.

Which is also why I've noted that I'll be digging deeper now that he's on board into the specific circumstances and context in which he worked in his 6 years as DC for 3 different teams. Maybe there were monstrous injury problems each year. Maybe the talent he had to work with sucked. Maybe the offenses on the teams he was DC for were putrid and left his defenses on the field too much.

I'm hoping there are mitigating circumstances ... because if it just turns out his stats ARE a likely indicator of what we can expect ... as previously noted ... meh.
 
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Tick TOCK... and the pendulum swings the other way.

For years it was a team with offense under Norv, but no defense with Lynn, Nolan, etc. Then it switched to no offense with Marty, Spurrier, Gibbs and Zorn, but good defense.

Looks like the pendulum is swinging back to good offense with Shanahan, and mediocre defense with Haslett.

I miss the days when we had both.

Maybe, if they get April, our special teams will at least improve.
 
His stats doesn't give you a warm fuzzy feeling. I have to give him a pass with stats from St. Louis, since they didn't have much to work with.

Curious to see how well he does considering the talent we have on defense. I like the talk about being more aggressive than past couple of years. Maybe he can have the numbers from early on in his career at Pittsburgh.
 

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