Warrior General Games

Hypothetical scenario here: you're given reign over building a roster, and are given the choice between carrying five linebackers or five corners. Assume that you can only carry four of the other. When choosing four linebackers, you obviously can still run 3-4 and 4-4, but it's not going to become anything more than an occasional sighting. Whereas choosing four corners completely locks out your quarters package.

Which of these two schemes do you want to see more during the course? Which personnel package are you choosing to go with it?

Originally posted by GoGetta
Hypothetical scenario here: you're given reign over building a roster, and are given the choice between carrying five linebackers or five corners. Assume that you can only carry four of the other. When choosing four linebackers, you obviously can still run 3-4 and 4-4, but it's not going to become anything more than an occasional sighting. Whereas choosing four corners completely locks out your quarters package.

Which of these two schemes do you want to see more during the course? Which personnel package are you choosing to go with it?

I'd go with 5 LBs and 4 CBs with 1 of those LBs being a Good Coverage guy. Your LBs should be playing more STs than your CBs so I'd carry the extra one there.

Goalline

I would go with 5 CBs.

Well Quarters formation isn't dominating, so there's no real loss in not using it.

If you have 4 LBs, you can have: RO Speed Blitzer, LO Coverage and 2 MM types.
When you get to 5 LBs, what would you add? Another LO Cover or Another MM? I don't think either of them makes or breaks your D.

If you have 4 CBs, you need at least one Run Stopper and probably a Combo leaving you with only 2 pure Cover CBs. I've had that. It's not enough to stop all-passing teams.
Adding a 5th CB, as a pure Cover guy helps a lot.

So when comparing the incremental value of the 5th player of a LB vs. CB: I think CB wins hands down.

Interesting having differing opinions here.

Really depends what you want to do with your D though. On HoF we run 5 CBs 4 LBs (although all 5 CBs are cover). On most teams I run we take 5 LBs 5 CBs. Could go with 4 Cover CBs with only one having any type of run stopping ability. Keep in mind that there are virtually no competitive pure all-run teams being built anymore... none in sophomore or seasoned, and one potentially in the future in FSM. So how often are you going to be running a pure run CB outside of special teams?

I like the 5 LBs 4 CBs in this meta as well.

EDIT: In regards to what the 5th LB would do, would be another cover guy, but with better tackling (you would be able to run him as a backup against pure pass / primarily passing teams - and can use him well in various run situations vs balanced teams as well, while it would improve your Cover LB only having to build for pass coverage).

I agree with everything Xars said.

Originally posted by FairForever
On HoF we run 5 CBs 4 LBs (although all 5 CBs are cover).

Seriously? Good luck stopping my 3 power backs on outside runs in upper tiers.

Originally posted by Galactic Empire
Seriously? Good luck stopping my 3 power backs on outside runs in upper tiers.

He's hoping you'll use your forced QB scramble GP for that matchup.

GE wishing good luck to a guy he lost 20 games or something without winning any

I think it is easier to get away with 4 LBs if they are well built than it is to get away with 4 CBs, so I would go 5 CBs.

With 5 CBs, you can comfortably have a pure run CB, which is difficult to get away with when you only have 4. And a pure run CB is pretty useful.

Originally posted by Xars
Well Quarters formation isn't dominating, so there's no real loss in not using it.

If you have 4 LBs, you can have: RO Speed Blitzer, LO Coverage and 2 MM types.
When you get to 5 LBs, what would you add? Another LO Cover or Another MM? I don't think either of them makes or breaks your D.

If you have 4 CBs, you need at least one Run Stopper and probably a Combo leaving you with only 2 pure Cover CBs. I've had that. It's not enough to stop all-passing teams.
Adding a 5th CB, as a pure Cover guy helps a lot.

So when comparing the incremental value of the 5th player of a LB vs. CB: I think CB wins hands down.



That is exactly what I do.

Originally posted by Galactic Empire
Seriously? Good luck stopping my 3 power backs on outside runs in upper tiers.

Don't worry you'll reset long before your power backs are effective.

On an aside, Richmond had a run-stopping CB from the Beers in Season 12, but in Season 11 (where they also finished 3rd in ladder), Richmond ran 5 CBs - all cover (+ 1 CB only for returns).

Personally I don't think a run-stopping CB is worth a roster spot in the current rookie tier when there's only GE's team (and history has told us there isn't too much to worry about) and AZ's team, which may be a non-boosting team anyway. I'll build 1 - 2 of them as hybrid guys anyway, depending on the need.

Aeir builds good CBs.