5 Steps Needed to Start Rebuilding the San Francisco 49ers
By Peter Panacy
Switch the 49ers Defense to a 4-3 Scheme
OK, so this wouldn’t happen until the offseason. But if we assume San Francisco is going to retain the up-and-coming defensive line players (guys like DeForest Buckner, Arik Armstead and Quinton Dial), moving from a 3-4 to a 4-3 defense makes a lot of sense.
It was an argument made by Nikhil Ramgiri of Golden Gate Sports over a year ago. And it still rings true now.
The 49ers used to thrive in a 3-4 when now-retired defensive end Justin Smith was able to draw two, and sometimes three, blockers. This left the remaining linemen and linebackers in prime positions to bring down ball-carriers and rush the quarterback.
And this scheme, featuring four linebackers, works better when a linebacker crop is good.
But Smith is gone, and no one within San Francisco’s defensive front seven is replicating his efforts. The Niners’ linebacker corps is also scuffling without NaVorro Bowman (Achilles), who is out for the rest of the season.
4-3 defenses maximize the athleticism of defensive linemen and also allow linebackers to converge rather than plug gaps.
If I am trying to fix the defense, I'd switch our base defense from a 3-4 to a 4-3. Play Armstead and Buckner out on the edge,Dial/Dorsey in
— 49ers HUB (@49ersHub) October 16, 2016
Defensive coordinator Jim O’Neil recently stated, via CSN Bay Area, the Niners aren’t currently built for a 4-3 defense.
But based on the results, they aren’t built for a 3-4 much either. So with these stronger D-linemen, switching over should maximize their abilities.