Xavier Adibi - Strong Safety?

[papabear]

Smaller than average, but fast linebackers with coverage skills. A dominant pass rushers.A couple of DT's who can move a little(Manchild and yes TJ). Questions in the secondary. Dos anybody else think it's a possibility that we could be running a lot more Tampa style Cover 2 this year as opposed to our usual man schemes?

For the record I do like Okam, and he is athletic for it's size, but I still think TJ starts. I thought he had a damn good year last year. Okam will get plenty of reps IMO, and if the Texans are smart and they rotate the lineman to keep them fresh then TJ and Okam will both be able to play at a higher level.

All this talk about LB's who can cover and have some speed just got me thinking. TJ, Okoye, and Mario are all guys who are can penetrate as opposed to being more of the hold the line 2-gap style lineman (although Mario can do it all). Nothing the coaching staff has said has indicated that we will shift more to a Tampa 2 style defense this season. They brought in Reeves and said they think he fits better in our man scheme than the way he was used in Dallas. They drafted a "cover" corner in Molden. Rhodes, from what I can remember/have heard has been a man to man type of guy. Our front seven just seems to have a lot of the qualities of a Tampa 2 teams. Now if we can combine that style up front with great man to man coverage, while still being able to stop the run...we could have something very special.

[painekiller]

Originally Posted by papabear

Smaller than average, but fast linebackers with coverage skills. A dominant pass rushers.A couple of DT's who can move a little(Manchild and yes TJ). Questions in the secondary. Dos anybody else think it's a possibility that we could be running a lot more Tampa style Cover 2 this year as opposed to our usual man schemes?

For the record I do like Okam, and he is athletic for it's size, but I still think TJ starts. I thought he had a damn good year last year. Okam will get plenty of reps IMO, and if the Texans are smart and they rotate the lineman to keep them fresh then TJ and Okam will both be able to play at a higher level.

All this talk about LB's who can cover and have some speed just got me thinking. TJ, Okoye, and Mario are all guys who are can penetrate as opposed to being more of the hold the line 2-gap style lineman (although Mario can do it all). Nothing the coaching staff has said has indicated that we will shift more to a Tampa 2 style defense this season. They brought in Reeves and said they think he fits better in our man scheme than the way he was used in Dallas. They drafted a "cover" corner in Molden. Rhodes, from what I can remember/have heard has been a man to man type of guy. Our front seven just seems to have a lot of the qualities of a Tampa 2 teams. Now if we can combine that style up front with great man to man coverage, while still being able to stop the run...we could have something very special.

No I do not think the Tampa 2 is the goal. It (the Tampa 2) is a whole defensive strategy, based around the concepts your trying to highlight.

I want to point out that all 2 Deep Safety Zone coverages are not the Tampa 2, but the Tampa 2 is a 2 Deep Zone coverage. None of our current coaching staff has a background in the Tampa defense, Ray Rhodes is from the old school bend but don't break zone coverage era, that is his back ground. He will be able to help our guys, coaches and players, in zone coverage. He is being brought in as an assistant position coach, not the DC, so his input should be felt but not a huge change.

Back to our defensive plan, which I admit I have no privy to, but I see us more the press coverage, now being more athletic at the corner. A 2 deep zone, with man under is probably a good guess.

Our trouble has been injuries creating lack of experience and therefore issues in disguising the coverage pre-snap. We should be better at that this year. And I am thinking the safety play will be an improved area of the team, at least both starters do not go down at the same time.

[papabear]

PK-I don't think the Tampa 2 is the goal either...and I'm aware that not all cover two zone coverages are a Tampa 2. I just feel like our front 7 has some of the same characteristics personnel wise as some of the Tampa 2 teams. One area where we are different is at corner....at least in terms of what we are looking for. Man to Man cover guys more along the line of a shutdown corner. Many Tampa 2 teams don't place as much emphasis on the "lockdown" corner...one of the reasons that scheme became so popular is because the corner position is hard, and expensive, to fill with the lockdown type guys. The Tampa 2 teams go after the guys a little less highly thought of, and have them jam at the line and then get into their zone.

From what the coaches have said, and what I have seen, we do want our corners to play lots of tight man coverage. Last year I thought we played a lot more zone coverage later in the year. I don't really think that is indicative of a change in philosophy. Like you mentioned with all the injuries I think that was done to protect certain personnel in our secondary, and not necessarily a good example of our defensive philosophy.