SOLB vs WOLB in 3-4 (1 Viewer)

[Weiner Dog]

I've read Jene's excellent write-up on the 3-4. I was hoping, however, to dig a little deeper.

link:

http://forums.footballguys.com/forum/index...howtopic=381000

I'm curious about the expected FF production of the SOLB and WOLB in the 3-4. Common sense would tell me the WOLB position would most likely be the most fruitful position b/c of less shedding responsibilities and very little TE pass-coverage, but I was hoping for some confirmation.

Why am I asking??

It's my understanding Vernon Gholston will be playing WOLB for the Jets. Bryan Thomas played the same position the past few years. Thomas posted a 58-19-8.5 in '06 but had a 39-8-2.5 stinker last year. Heck, Thomas even acknowledged he could have performed better. One would have to assume this prompted the Gholston pick.

Victor Hobson played the SOLB position for NYJ and posted 66-34-6 and 48-14-2, respectively, in '06 and '07. These numbers do not seem terribly different than Thomas' numbers over the same period.

SOLB or WOLB in the 3-4 for FF??

 

[redman]

My understanding is that in leagues that heavily reward sacks, you want the WOLB because that tends to be where 3-4 teams stick their elite pass rusher, e.g. LT, Ware, Merriman, etc.

In leagues that have more emphasis on tackles relative to sacks, the two positions are pretty similar.

 

[Jene Bramel]

The best pass rushers tend to come from the weak side, especially when those players are primarily speed rushing types. They aren't faced with as many chip blocks from the weak side, can generally get a better angle to exploit their rushing style and there's something to be said for the intimidation factor of coming from the quarterback's blind side. That was especially true in the 3-4 schemes of the late 1970s and 1980s, which used mostly 2-gap concepts and rarely rushed more than four defenders. The SOLB in those days (think Carl Banks) was more of an all-around player who played the run and contributed in coverage.

I don't think the differences are quite as clear in today's 3-4 fronts. Teams often use a 3-4 as a way to confuse QBs in pass rush and coverage. The "rush OLB" will often be moved throughout the formation, to take advantage of mismatches and keep the QB from getting familiar with any one alignment. Wade Phillips frequently moved Shawne Merriman around, though he didn't do the same with Ware last year. The Ravens did similar things with Terrell Suggs at times. And the strong OLB is sometimes just as efficient in pass rush as the weak OLB -- e.g. Greg Ellis and Shaun Phillips and Adalius Thomas come to mind there.

For IDP purposes, I think the skill set of the player is the primary determining factor, with his likely role within the scheme a lesser consideration -- all handicapped to your scoring system as usual. Sack heavy systems obviously favor the OLB who's given the most pass rush opportunity (usually the ROLB) if he's got big talent. I don't think many would have argued for Tully Banta-Cain (ROLB) over Manny Lawson (LOLB) last season. Balanced scoring systems are a matter of personal preference. Would you rather have the stud speed rusher (e.g. ROLB Ware), a roving talent with some all around ability (e.g. Merriman or Suggs) or a very good all-around OLB (e.g. AThomas, McGinest, Harrison) regardless of side.

So, for Gholston, my bias is that it doesn't matter which side he plays as much as how well his skill set will fit his role and how likely it'll translate to the box score.