Franklin should do what he should have done when Shoop left, hire a DC capable of adapting the defensive scheme on a year to year basis to match the realities of today's challenges. Pry refused to do so even though the front seven became more and more like a 3-4 team every year under his tenure. We need a coach that can install a flexible system that would allow us to shift back and forth from an odd to even front as the talent shifts from year to year. Basically, the next Kirby Smart. Look what he did at Alabama during his tenure. He started as a pure 3-4 with a 0 tech tackle. Moved to a 3-4 with the line shifted left or right allowing a pair of normally 3 tech tackles to succeed in an odd front. Ran the 46 for one year. Moved to a pure 4-3 not unlike ours for a spell. They ebbed and flowed over time but were never bad despite constant transfers and early NFL departures because he was able to shift the defense to match reality rather than attempt to force feed reality into the defense.
This year's unit was fairly good but had a few critical weaknesses, one being the non-existent pass rush outside of Ebikete, the other being our linebacker/defensive ends regularly getting blown off the ball all the way to Clarion against the outside run. Image would the defense would have been had we put Izzard and Tangelo at end (other than PJ and Hansard, every tackle on the roster projects better to 3-4 end than 4-3 tackle), PJ in the middle with Ebiketie and Luketa playing outside linebacker (where both will play in the NFL). No square pegs in round wholes and we probably have a pass rush and won't have Ebiketie or Luketa taking on a tackle man to man in the run game. And we have plenty of 3-4 outside linebacker prospects on the roster.
But hey, today, WE ARE BETTER! Now if we can get rid of the other system guy on the other side.
