Ted Thompson and a 3-4 defense

[El Duderino]

When it became quite possible in my mind that Sanders might get fired and links to Nolan make it also quite possible he could get the job and bring a 3-4 here, it made me wonder something about Ted.

He obviously has the full authority to draft anyone he pleases and sign who he pleases. That said, in all his scouting years and GM years, i believe every team he's been with has run a 4-3 defense. Now the principles of those 4-3 schemes weren't always the same, but all were 4-3 defenses.

So it makes me wonder if the Packers did switch to a 3-4 defense, would he need help evaluating talent to best fit a scheme that he's never acquired players for? Granted, we aren't talking advanced quantum physics here and the basics needed for a good 3-4 defense are fairly obvious, but i'm still sure there are some subtle things when evaluating players that a GM needs to be well versed in when best trying to acquire talent for a scheme that is pretty different than a 4-3, especially at linebacker.

I'm of course not in draft meetings and maybe Ted already takes a lot of input from his coaches, but i wonder if he'd have to take even more input if the team went to a defense he's never acquired players for?

[ReasonablySober]

From my experience with the NFL Draft, the GM typically has a ton of help, down to a team's position coaches. Directors of college scouting and their assistants come up with names the majority of the time, but position coaches and coordinators are the ones that find out if a player is right for their scheme. They're the ones at the personal workouts, conducting interviews and watching tape. I doubt a pick is made that doesn't have the full blessing of the coordinators and specific coaches.

So for the purpose of this particular thread, you may as well believe that the DC, linebacker and defensive line coaches are making the picks. If Nolan is our DC, he'll pick out the guys to run his system.