Julius Peppers the Elephant

[PredatorPeppers]

Peppers is going to be used by Dom Capers in his new Elephant/Leo End position. Can you say New Sack Record.

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The Packers will utilize multiple fronts like the Seattle Seahawks next season with Peppers playing the havoc wreaking Elephant/Leo position. Watch out NFL, Peppers will be unleashed like never before!

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http://nfl.si.com/2014/03/21/julius-peppers-green-bay-packers-elephant-position/

Is Julius Peppers about to become an elephant?

Peppers, via Packers.com, promised “something different” in terms of his role within the Green Bay Packers’ defensive scheme. He may have been referring to a hybrid defensive end/outside linebacker role that several teams, most popularly Seattle, utilize and that Packers head coach Mike McCarthy told ESPN.com at the combine could be a spot for an underachieving Nick Perry.

The difference between Pete Carroll’s “Leo” position and the “elephant” role? Uh … not much.

http://espn.go.com/blog/green-bay-packers/post/_/id/7767/a-new-position-possible-for-nick-perry

McCarthy and defensive coordinator Dom Capers actually toyed with the position last offseason, but never employed it. McCarthy explained the elephant end position as someone who is a “tweener.” Perry was considered that by scouts who debated whether his best position in the NFL would be defensive end or outside linebacker.

The elephant position would essentially cover both spots. McCarthy described it as a position in which a defensive player would never line up on the inside shoulder of an offensive tackle. Instead, the elephant end would play what’s called a 7-technique, which lines up on the inside shoulder of a tight end.

It was a position that Charles Haley of the San Francisco 49ers made famous in the 1980s and 1990s.

http://www.reddit.com/r/GreenBayPac..._guion_is_visiting_todaycould_be_good/cg497jc

For those that need to get up to speed on the 3-4 Elephant, I believe it will look like this:

(Click link to view)

From left to right, not including the ILB's:

Elephant End (EL) - A 7-tech pass rusher, his job is to chip block the TE and then rush the QB. Peppers will start in this position, and Perry could thrive here too. Neal provides good depth at this spot. The EL in our system will likely play standing up.

http://espn.go.com/blog/green-bay-packers/post/_/id/8377/examining-how-peppers-might-be-used

What Peppers described as being ideal is essentially the 7-technique position in which a pass-rusher lines up on the inside shoulder of a tight end. McCarthy calls that the elephant position, and it's a spot he talked last month about using this season.

Peppers could be perfect for that role and could be used in a rotation with Mike Neal and Nick Perry.

http://fifthdown.blogs.nytimes.com/...3-front-continued/?_php=true&_type=blogs&_r=0

4-3 Under and the Elephant Rusher

Carroll worked on the same staff with Kiffin at Arkansas and with the Minnesota Vikings and claims Kiffin as his primary defensive influence. Along with the 4-3 Under, Carroll will be using a pass-rushing variation that was first popularized by George Seifert in San Francisco. Looking to create mismatches anywhere he could against opposing offensive lines, Seifert allowed his weakside defensive end to move around his defensive formation to rush the passer from either side of the defense from a two-point stance. Players like Charles Haley, Chris Doleman, Rickey Jackson and Tim Harris filled this “Elephant” role with great success.

With the Elephant rusher in a two-point stance and the strongside linebacker usually near the line of scrimmage as another capable pass rushing option, these defenses look like a 5-2 or 3-4 front.

It’s somewhat of a semantic argument because there will be four players in a two-point stance behind three down defensive linemen, but this front is more like a 4-3 than a 3-4 because of how the three linemen line up. The lineman to the inside of the Elephant rusher is aligned as a 3-technique, something that you won’t see in a base 3-4 set. This look is essentially a 4-3 Under with a standup defensive end.

http://www.bigcatcountry.com/2013/1/19/3890928/gus-bradley-defense-leo-position

The Elephant front turned into it's own position, with Carroll eventually changing the name to "Leo." The Leo isn't particularly unique in and of itself. Most defenses have some kind of unique name for their weakside edge player (Buck/Whip/Jack), but Carroll plays him in a particularly loose alignment, and he's the one player along the front who isn't concerned with getting one-yard upfield and anchoring in this defense. He can line up standing up or with his hand in the ground, and sole focus is to be the primary pass rusher and wreak havoc in the backfield. Ultimately, what makes Carroll's defense unique is how the huge gap between the Leo and the next defensive lineman along the scrimmage is defended.

http://www.fieldgulls.com/2011/5/31...roll-4-3-under-defense-part-i-an-introduction

The defense that Pete Carroll now employs uses the basic tenets of the Monte Kiffin 4-3 Under defense and mixes in a variation originally pioneered by the legendary George Seifert in San Francisco. Seifert wanted to create mismatches against the opposing offensive line so he started using his weakside defensive end to rove around and rush the passer from a two-point stance (standing up position). This was the beginning of the "Elephant" position and one that Carroll uses today. We also see this position called the LEO, and in the Hawks' defense can rush standing up or in a three-point stance.

It's the same basic alignment but as you can see, the SAM linebacker comes up closer to the line to play hard contain and the weakside LEO is pushed out a bit, maybe a yard off of the weakside tackle. The LEO's main job is to control the C gap while rushing the passer like a wild banshee and the SAM plays contain against the TE, runs in pass coverage with him, or rushes the passer in some situations.

http://www.seahawks.com/news/articles/article-1/Just-call-him-‘Leo’/b7b6abb4-3cbd-4140-9806-a46c2c813322

Carroll learned the spot – then called “Elephant” – as the defensive coordinator for the San Francisco 49ers (1995-96) under coach George Seifert. He then used it when he was the head coach with the New England Patriots (1997-99) and at USC.

“‘Elephant’ was just an e-word to designate a guy as being different from the regular defensive end,” Carroll explained.

Seifert had used the spot to feature the pass-rush skills of Fred Dean and Charles Haley. Dean produced 17½ sacks in 1983, Seifert’s first as defensive coordinator for the 49ers, and Haley had 12 sacks in 1986 and 11½ in 1988 – as well as 10½ in 1989 and 16 in 1990, after Seifert was promoted to head coach.

Carroll got an 11-sack season from Chris Doleman in 1996 with the 49ers and a nine-sack season from Willie McGinest at that spot in 1999, his final season as coach of the Patriots.

“It’s a position that can take on different sizes and shapes, but it is a spot – a little bit of a hybrid position – that is kind of a linebacker, kind of a defensive end,” Carroll said. “We picture it as a speed-oriented guy.”

“Elephant” became “Leo” when Carroll got to USC.

“We adopted their term and made him an ‘L’ instead of an ‘E’,” he said.

http://www.fieldgulls.com/football-.../seahawks-defense-pete-carroll-leo-and-5-tech

"The best pass rusher on the team is usually the defensive end to the open side of the field. That puts him on the quarterback's blind side and makes him a C gap player in this defense. We often align him wider than this in order to give him a better angle of attack and allow him to play in space. We align him a yard outside of the offensive tackle most of the time. He has to play C gap run support but at the same time he is rushing the passer like it is third and ten. He has to be able to close down however if the tackle blocks down on him. (He) has to be one of your best football players. Size does not matter as much. We want an athletic player who can move around." - Pete Carroll

http://espn.go.com/blog/green-bay-packers/post/_/id/7827/mccarthy-capers-will-fix-defense-together

“We weren't as multiple last year out of necessity,” Capers said. “If you look over the first four years, we were very multiple. But we weren't as much last year.”

http://espn.go.com/blog/green-bay-packers/post/_/id/7417/capers-3-4-scheme-remains-tweaks-coming

“We were not as multiple maybe this year as we’ve been in prior years really because of the stress of injuries on that unit so we want to get back to some of the things that we did very well in the past and make sure we’re carrying enough packages to utilize all of our players,” McCarthy said. “We obviously need to get better on defense, and I think these moves that we’ve made on defense will definitely put us on that path."

http://www.packers.com/news-and-eve...hortling/f2deda33-61a6-458a-831d-fb69748aeb53

In what way will Julius Peppers fit into our defensive scheme and how big of an impact do you think he will make?

Maybe it was fate that I continued to write about the way Dom Capers used Tony Brackens in Jacksonville. Well, here it is. My expectation is that Peppers will be Brackens, which is to say the equivalent of a 3-4 linebacker with his hand on the ground. Capers coached the Jaguars in 1999 to the No. 1 rankings in points allowed and sacks. He did it in a 4-3 alignment, which has been the point of my having mentioned it so many times. Again, alignment isn’t scheme. It’s what you do in that alignment that is your scheme. Capers incorporated a lot of 3-4 principles into the 4-3 alignment the Jaguars used in 1999. I’m expecting something similar for the Packers next season. I see Peppers being moved around. I see him dropping into coverage, just as Brackens did. Peppers is a great athlete; he played basketball at North Carolina. I see Peppers being used in space as a playmaker, just as Brackens was. I see Peppers being used in a lot of stunts and twists. I see him rushing the quarterback and I see him intercepting the pass of a quarterback that didn’t expect Peppers to drop into coverage. That’s the kind of versatility Peppers offers Capers, just as Brackens did.

http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/sports/football/nfl/packers/2009-08-31-capers-defense_N.htm?csp=34

Former Steelers linebacker Kevin Greene and safety Darren Perry are serving as assistants under Capers in Green Bay, accelerating the transition to the new defense with their perspectives as former practitioners of the scheme.

Is Kampman licking his chops, knowing how Miami's Jason Taylor emerged as the 2006 Defensive Player of the Year with 13½ sacks after making the shift from defensive end to 3-4 outside linebacker in Capers' scheme?

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[bozz_2006]

nice work! thanks for putting this all together.

 

[rodell330]

Elephant, goat, monkey, shark I don't care! Just please stay healthy good Lord! We have some injury prone ace guys on defense smh.

 

[bozz_2006]

oh i DEEEEEEFINITELY care! we need a SHARK man!

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[bozz_2006]

ideally, our shark would also have a frickin laser beam attached to his head.

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competition committee and players' union would be cool with that, right?

 

[easyk83]

oh i DEEEEEEFINITELY care! we need a SHARK man!

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A shark with seal meat inside, that's like a turducken for a Killer Whale.

 

[SoonerPack]

Good God that is a lot of research. Kudos and thanks for the good read. As rodell330 says, whatever the hell they call his position I just hope we are calling in DOMINANT come seasons end...

 

[Ace]

This provides some very good insight as to their plans.. very nice work. My question is, is this going to be our new base defense?

 

[mradtke66]

This provides some very good insight as to their plans.. very nice work. My question is, is this going to be our new base defense?

It's hard to say. I doubt it, because it takes Matthews out of role as a wildcard. If Peppers is the elephant, you still trot out your three big guys for run defense. In such an alignment, Matthews is a "normal" linebacker with mostly sideline to sideline responsibilities in run defense, coverage in pass defense.

I keep thinking that Peppers' bread and butter for us will be nickel. We'll bring out our "normal" 2-4 personnel, with Peppers as the other OLB. They're just going to let him put his hand in the dirt.

 

[TJV]

My guess is the "new" defense will be much more variable than it has been. According to rotowire ( http://www.rotowire.com/football/player.htm?id=2528 ) Peppers played a total of 809 snaps last season (724 on D, 85 on STs) and 842 (785 and 57) in 2012. My guess is he’ll play about 30-35 snaps/game this season (and none on STs) to keep him fresh. If true, that will mean he’ll spend about one-half of defensive snaps on the sideline. So while he may play the elephant position, my guess is that’s not the only position he’ll play. That’s why I think we’ll see much more variation in scheme and personnel this season.

 

[Deleted member 6794]

My guess is the "new" defense will be much more variable than it has been. According to rotowire ( http://www.rotowire.com/football/player.htm?id=2528 ) Peppers played a total of 809 snaps last season (724 on D, 85 on STs) and 842 (785 and 57) in 2012. My guess is he’ll play about 30-35 snaps/game this season (and none on STs) to keep him fresh. If true, that will mean he’ll spend about one-half of defensive snaps on the sideline. So while he may play the elephant position, my guess is that’s not the only position he’ll play. That’s why I think we’ll see much more variation in scheme and personnel this season.

According to PFF Peppers didn´t play a single special teams snap last year and only during one game over the last two years. In addition it seems like he only lined up for FGs or extra points since 2007.

 

[TJV]

According to PFF Peppers didn´t play a single special teams snap last year and only during one game over the last two years. In addition it seems like he only lined up for FGs or extra points since 2007.

I didn't remember him playing STs against the Packers and don't know why they'd use him on anything other than FG block team. Maybe rotowire made up those stats?

 

[Deleted member 6794]

I didn't remember him playing STs against the Packers and don't know why they'd use him on anything other than FG block team. Maybe rotowire made up those stats?

I don´t know, but if you take a closer look at the link you provided they list Peppers´ game log of 2013 with the Packers schedule. Last time I checked he stilled played for the Bears last year.

 

[PredatorPeppers]

http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/sports/252320061.html

Free agent Julius Peppers will be part of a position labeled "elephant" when he joins the Packers for off-season workouts later next month.
The group, which will also feature Mike Neal and Nick Perry, will be with the linebackers for position meetings, but the "elephant" position will be a hybrid of linebacker and defensive line, Packers coach Mike McCarthy explained during a luncheon with reporters Tuesday.

The "elephant" refers to a type of player who fits both a linebacker and end position and the 6-6, 287-pound Peppers will be front and center when defensive coordinator Dom Capers starts mapping out his defensive plan for this season. Peppers will be used as an outside linebacker, a defensive end and a defensive tackle under the "elephant" definition.

 

[El Guapo]

I like this because it comes from a Bears sportswriter and paints this change for Peppers as "unfair" because of how well he thinks it's suited for Peppers. There is more to the article but a brief part is below:

http://www.csnchicago.com/bears/packers-are-going-have-julius-peppers-do-what

So now in a 3-4 scheme that has kept B.J. Raji and already had Clay Matthews in place, or in whatever place was deemed best for him, you introduce a 285-pound hybrid who knows the league – has forgotten more about defensive end and pass rushing than most players hope they ever know – and you let him stand up right in the line of sight of Jay Cutler, Matthew Stafford and any other quarterback who doesn’t happen to be 6-foot-7 (which is pretty much all of them).

The Packers are loosely talking about Peppers’ position as “elephant.” The Romans, Cathaginians and others once used the elephant in a form of execution. It now sounds, in a scaled-back version, like the Packers have something like that in mind, too.