MSU Red Cedar Message Board

He has the agility to be a rush end in the 3-4... It'll take some time to learn but with some coaching and hard work I think he could be productive in that scheme.

3-4 DE is not like a 4-3 DE. Most 3-4 DEs were 3-tech DTs in college in a 4-3 scheme. Worthy was a 3-tech in a 4-3 scheme. There's going to be some learning curve involved here, no doubt about it.

Can you explain the differences between these 'techs?'

The article itself has a pretty good explanation of the 3-technique, as well as how GB twists it:

[I]n football terminology, Worthy’s ideal NFL fit going into the draft looked to be as “3-technique” lineman, which means he lines up over the outside shoulder of an offensive guard.

The 3-technique is what Warren Sapp so excelled at during his days in Tampa Bay, because it basically puts the defensive tackle in charge of one specific spot, the “B” gap between the guard and tackle, which allows him to go full-bore into that area. In the picture above the Packers’ two tackles are closer in on the center than that, but it’s a place Worthy may feel more comfortable.

Sure. The # in front of the "tech" tells you where the player lines up. Your normal OL formation looks like this:

LT LG C RG RT

A "0-tech" lines up directly over the C. That's your traditional "Nose Guard" position. The 1-tech is a guy who lines up on the shoulder of the C. This is also referred to as a Nose Guard, or Nose Tackle. A guy who lines up on the "inside" shoulder of either guard is called a "2-tech". Lining up on the outside shoulder of the OG is a 3-tech (Worthy's college position). You can follow from there; the 4-tech is on the inside shoulder of the OTs, and the 5-tech on their outside shoulders. Your typical 4-3 D has your DE's lined up in the 5-tech, and your 2 DTs lined up anywhere from the 0 (rare, usually the 1) and the 4 (again, rare, usually the 3).

The "Gaps" are lettered A, B, C, etc. The A gaps are the 2 spaces between the C and the OGs. The B-gaps are between the OGs and the OTs. the C gaps are between the OTs and TE, if there's a TE on the play (if not, the space to the outside shoulder of the OT is still a C gap)

Here's another illustration, with the gaps in brackets , and the different techs shown (0 is right above the C. EDIT: 247 moved the 0 all the way to the left . . . let me see if I can get it in the right spot using periods):

.............................................................0
[C Gap] 5 LT 4 [ B-Gap] 3 LG 2 [A-Gap] 1 C 1 [A-Gap] 2 RG 3 [B-Gap] 4 RT 5 [C-Gap] TE

The numbering for the shoulders of the TE gets funky, so I left that out for now.

Here's a better picture for you, in case the one above is confusing (Football 101 is a pretty good site to start out on):

http://football.calsci.com/DefensiveLine.html

Funny thing being, they're apparently putting him where Nick Perry would "rather be."

I confess I'm a little puzzled at the thought of the 271-lb. Perry as an OLB, but again, I'm no Dom Capers.

Oughta be an interesting fall in Green Bay.

from that site:
"Middle linebackers make poor neighbors, as they are known to enjoy torturing small animals like your pets."

Well, define "outside" because 3-4 DEs don't play outside by my definition.

Really nice, easy-to-understand description. Thank you.

But if he's not going to be a plug the middle guy (which is Raji's role), and he won't get a ton of sacks, where do you think his strengths are best utilized?