Mike Shanahan decided very early on in his Redskins tenure that the team would convert from the 4-3 defensive scheme to a 3-4 alignment. However, it took a while to get that fact out of him.
Shortly after he was hired Shanahan brought in Jim Haslett as the defensive coordinator. Haslett is not a 3-4 specialist by any means as he ran the 4-3 as the defensive coordinator for the Rams and, before that, as head coach of the Saints. But he did run the Steelers 3-4 as their DC from 1997-1999.
Word did leak out that the team was planning the conversion but there was no confirmation. At the NFL Combine in late February, Shanahan spoke of running a “Redskins” defense but he wouldn’t be more specific. At a pre-draft minicamp in April, Shanahan was asked again if the defense was a 3-4
“Our base is off of a three-man front,” he said. “Now, we also do a lot of things with the four-man front, so we’re using a combination of different things. I’m just saying we’re using a three-man, we’re using four-man, a lot of people in different positions, and that’s why we’re calling it the Redskins defense.”
The main goal in changing the defensive scheme was to increase takeaways. “That’s one of our big emphasis is turnovers,” said Haslett at the April minicamp. “If you take a look at some of the defenses that have used the three-man front, it’s a big change so hopefully those turnovers will come, but as you mentioned that will be our big emphasis.”
Over the last four years we were dead last, 32
nd in the NFL. For us to be the type of football team we want to be, we’re going to have to make some big time strides in that area and hopefully we will.”
By then, the Redskins had signed Maake Kemoeatu to be their nose tackle. He was coming off of a torn Achilles that had cost him the entire 2009 season with the Panthers. His work during much of the offseason preparation was very limited.
For the rest of the line, they took some of their defensive tackles such as Kedric Golston, and moved them outside to end. A trade with the Rams brought in Adam Carriker to be the left end. Vonnie Holliday came in as a free agent and holdover end Phillip Daniels already had the requisite size to play end in the 3-4.
There was talk of moving Albert Haynesworth to nose tackle or defensive end, or of having him spend some time at both positions. The Redskins had given him a $100 million contract before the 2009 season but his position, the traditional 4-3 tackle, was gone. There will be more about developments there later in this series.
The linebacker corps, however, was put together with duct tape. Rocky McIntosh moved from outside 4-3 linebacker to the 3-4, joining holdover middle linebacker London Fletcher. Several defensive linemen were converted to linebackers. Defensive ends Brian Orakpo and Chris Wilson had played a hybrid linebacker position the year before so they had some experience playing on two feet. Andre Carter had some experience doing that in San Francisco but he struggled mightily there before he signed with the Redskins as a free agent in 2006. Now, he was going back to linebacker. Lorenzo Alexander and Rob Jackson also made the move.
They didn’t bring in many reinforcements in the draft. The only defensive player they selected was linebacker Perry Riley, who was taken in the fourth round. He spent most of the season on the game day inactive list.
Regardless, the Redskins were going down the path to the 3-4 even though there clearly were some square pegs in round holes.
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You can reach Rich Tandler by email at RTandlerCSN@comcast.net and follow him on Twitter @RealRedskins. Rich also writes about the Skins at www.CSNwashington.com.
