DEs and OLBs

[mrfahaji]

Just started a new game with a full 53 player draft. Decided that I was going to implement a 3-4 defence. Immediately that gave me a slight problem, because it strikes me that, with the exception of the NT, the other positions are more descriptive of how they fit in to the 4-3. So in assessing whether or not player X was a suitable 3-4 DE, I looked at his weight. Is this the only thing to look at?

Furthermore, and this is really what has been difficult, is that some 4-3 DEs would make better OLBs in the 3-4. But when I try and change them, they lose some of their ability which is pretty annoying! And in some cases, I can't even switch my DE to an OLB! I had one case where I could switch him to a SLB but not to a WLB... It's frustrating when I am under the limit of LBs, but the DEs I drafted with a plan to convert can't be changed!

If someone could explain to me a bit more about this that would be great. My experience of the game is not great - in the end I was looking up weights of players at various positions to gauge whether a player was a 3-4 DT, DE or OLB!

[Firefly]

You're not going to do great switching DEs to LBs and viceversa. Better just forget about it at least until you are master ninja level III or higher, and even then. Furthermore, there are weight requirements that must be met to make any position change.

About 3-4, 4-3 differences, weight doesn't make a difference for DL or LB. You might want to look for slightly different bars (or not), but you can safely ignore weight.

[mrfahaji]

Ok... but how do you know if, for example, a SLB is more of a 4-3 SLB or a 3-4 SLB, or whether a DE is designed to be part of a front 4 or a front 3?

I don't think I will ever be a master ninja at any level! But it strikes me that in reality many players are either 4-3 DEs or 3-4 OLBs - in FOF is it that in actual fact a DE can play DE in either formation?

[QuikSand]

Originally Posted by mrfahaji

Ok... but how do you know if, for example, a SLB is more of a 4-3 SLB or a 3-4 SLB, or whether a DE is designed to be part of a front 4 or a front 3?

You just stop worrying too much about real football stuff, and just go by the skills that you see.

My nutshell version here:

-In the 4-3 base, your two DT are mainly tacklers, with modest pass rushing potential (some exceptions, but generally true)

-In the 3-4 base, your LDE and your WLB will be the main pass rushing threats and stat-accumulators, with your NT and RDE filling slots similar to the two DT in the 4-3 base

Lots of people have switched to the 3-4 at least in part thinking it's simpler and cheaper to find a pass-rushing OLB than it is to find a second quality pass rushing defensive lineman to play RDE. I don't think this is consensus exactly, but you see a lot of veteran FOFers running the 3-4 all the time.

[mrfahaji]

Originally Posted by QuikSand

-In the 4-3 base, your two DT are mainly tacklers, with modest pass rushing potential (some exceptions, but generally true)

-In the 3-4 base, your LDE and your WLB will be the main pass rushing threats and stat-accumulators, with your NT and RDE filling slots similar to the two DT in the 4-3 base

Ok thanks, this makes a bit more sense. My last game I played with a 4-3 so it's useful to have a few guidelines on how to implement the 3-4.

[gstelmack]

One other against-football thing to remember about the 3-4: the WLB will rush the passer on EVERY play. And in a 4-3, the WLB comes off when you go to nickel and dime. So in a 3-4, your WLB is critically important and needs to have awesome pass-rushing skills. In a 4-3, your WLB isn't often on the field on passing downs (it's always fun when you start a game in nickel, the WLB doesn't get a start, and he starts whining about playing time because of it...), so run defense is actually his primary best stat, and he's not all that important since he'll miss a lot of plays.

[aston217]

Weights don't have a great impact on performance, IMO. Sure there's some and there are optimal playing weights, but I wouldn't sweat it too much. Player quality supercedes it by far.

On the other hand, weight is pretty much everything in a position switch. They have to be really close to the "right" weight to make a move. In the case of DE to OLB the problem is probably going to be they won't get a lot of coverage skills in the transition, most of the time. For a WLB it isn't necessarily that important.

In a 3-4 you really want to focus on getting a superstar pass rusher at WLB. As mentioned, he's basically a DE who is constantly coming off the edge. So run stopping is also somewhat important, but I'd take the stud pass rusher with no run stopping ability over the guy who is sorta mediocre at both.

A lot of people swear by a 4-3, too. I've never used a 4-3 myself but my thinking right now is a 3-4 is easier to acquire personnel for (try maintaining depth and quality for a 4-man line! ain't easy ;P), but it's possible a 4-3 is more effective once you get the personnel to do it.