Green Bay Packers' 3-4 Defense Means Major Modification

Green Bay's defense went from being a good unit to a below average one in the matter of a single season. 

The personnel remained largely the same, yet the defense went from giving up the sixth least amount of points in the NFL to the 10th most.  It went from ranking No. 11 in yards allowed to No. 20.

The biggest cause for this change was their inability to stop the run. After allowing just 3.9 yards per carry in 2007, the defense was slashed for 4.6 yards per attempt in 2008. 

They also struggled to get a pass rush, regressing from 36 sacks in '07 to just 27 in '08.

General manager Ted Thompson has gone to drastic measures to ensure their 2008 struggles will not repeat.

He started by completely revamping the coaching staff, and then he added key pieces via the draft. The biggest change to the defense will be at the head, as Green Bay hired a new defensive coordinator, Dom Capers.

Capers has been a very successful coordinator at every stop, most notably with the Steelers and Jaguars. He was so successful as a defensive leader that he earned two stints as a head coach in the NFL with the Panthers and Texans.

Capers is known for his renowned 3-4 defense. He will have a lot of work to do in order to mold what has always been a 4-3 unit into a 3-4 one.

This formation change to the 3-4 should help improve Green Bay's pass rush on its own.  The idea behind the formation is to get more speed on the field and allow pass rushers to come from different areas and positions. 

Green Bay's personnel should also fit much better in this scheme.

A.J. Hawk will be the biggest beneficiary of the defensive change, as he will now be able to move inside and pair with Nick Barnett. Hawk had his struggles on the outside in his career, mainly when it came to covering tight ends. 

On the inside, he will not have to cover as much ground and will be able to focus on what he is best at, making tackles and stopping the run.

Cullen Jenkins also fits perfectly in the 3-4 scheme. At 6'2" 305 lbs., Jenkins was too big to be an every-down end in the 4-3 defense, but is the prototypical size for a end in the 3-4. 

He will be able to plug the run on first and second downs and stay in to pass rush on third down.

The biggest noise came on draft day when the Packers selected inside stuffer B.J. Raji and then outside linebacker Clay Matthews. 

Raji is 6'2" and nearly 340 pounds with surprisingly respectable quickness to boot.  He is the type of nose tackle any 3-4 defense would love to build around. Raji should do a great deal to improve on a run defense that ranked 26th in yards allowed last year.

Matthews will likely combine with Aaron Kampman to hold down the outside linebacker positions.

Kampman is the biggest question in this move though. At around 270 pounds, Kampman is quite a bit bigger than most successful rushing linebackers in the 3-4 defense. That weight is also far too light to play end in the scheme, however.

Kampman's departure from defensive end leaves a hole open. That hole will likely be filled by Justin Harrell, who is another pretty traditional 3-4 end at around 310 pounds. 

He should be able to successfully fill gaps and occupy blockers, allowing those behind him to move freely.

No matter what the starting lineup looks like, this Packers defense will have a ton of flexibility. Green Bay has experienced linebackers like Brady Poppinga and Brandon Chillar who should see playing time regardless.

They have the possibility of moving Kampman back to the line on passing situations to get one of those guys on the field.

Dom Capers and his new arsenal of toys should make for a much improved Packers defense in 2009. 

Combine this loaded front seven with Green Bay's flawless defensive backfield, and there is no reason for this unit to finish in the bottom half of the NFL again.  It should be one of the best.