Lions add Jerome Dennis, release Hyland

[Tighthead]

WCJ - the switch to the 3-4 has me puzzled.

In theory it should be just as good a pass rush - the standard in a 3-4 is to always rush 4 at minimum, with the idea that you don't know what lb(s) are coming. We don't seem to have that going.

Also, in the NFL, the switch to a 3-4 means new coach, new personnel. We have changed neither. I really don't understand the rationale.

[WestCoastJoe]

WCJ - the switch to the 3-4 has me puzzled.

In theory it should be just as good a pass rush - the standard in a 3-4 is to always rush 4 at minimum, with the idea that you don't know what lb(s) are coming. We don't seem to have that going.

Also, in the NFL, the switch to a 3-4 means new coach, new personnel. We have changed neither. I really don't understand the rationale.

I agree, Tighthead.

To me, it is change for the sake of change.

"Over the winter, we have changed our offence and defence." Ideas to that effect. Keep the fans from getting overly restless.

But Benevides never mastered the 4 - 3. He must have thought the 3 - 4 would be easier. Wrong. IMO the 3 - 4 requires a total commitment to blitzing. And IMO blitzing scares Benevides to death. He would rather have his safety 25 yards deep. Deep prevent defence all game long. I suspect he is realizing that he might get more pass rush pressure with a standard 4 - 3 defence. But even there, without a rush end specialist, you need to blitz effectively.

Not a surprise really that our defence has the worst stats in the league. Is Mike Benevides ready to assume a Head Coaching position? I don't think he has even shown he is ready to assume a DC position, as of yet.

Just IMO ...

[Lionheart]

OH HAPPY DAY!

We have discovered why we are oh and three... we were just missing Jerome Dennis. Jerome freaking Dennis!

How's that defensive line workin' out? Any idea's yet if we're going three four, or four three?

Gawd I'm really getting sick of the eight week pre-seasons...

Oh ya.. and this years "Fall guy Award" goes to... (drum roll please) David Hyland! Congratulations David!

[B.C.FAN]

Some big hits. Some huge misses going back to the miss on Clermont last year.

That season-ending play will stick in my memory for a long time. Losing a playoff game to Saskatchewan is bad enough but being beaten in double overtime by Jason Clermont for his only touchdown of the season made it doubly worse.

[lion24]

Yet we keep Phillips who believes he is playing flag football out there??!!!

[joe kapp22]

WCJ - the switch to the 3-4 has me puzzled.

In theory it should be just as good a pass rush - the standard in a 3-4 is to always rush 4 at minimum, with the idea that you don't know what lb(s) are coming. We don't seem to have that going.

Also, in the NFL, the switch to a 3-4 means new coach, new personnel. We have changed neither. I really don't understand the rationale.

I agree, Tighthead.

To me, it is change for the sake of change.

"Over the winter, we have changed our offence and defence." Ideas to that effect. Keep the fans from getting overly restless.

But Benevides never mastered the 4 - 3. He must have thought the 3 - 4 would be easier. Wrong. IMO the 3 - 4 requires a total commitment to blitzing. And IMO blitzing scares Benevides to death. He would rather have his safety 25 yards deep. Deep prevent defence all game long. I suspect he is realizing that he might get more pass rush pressure with a standard 4 - 3 defence. But even there, without a rush end specialist, you need to blitz effectively.

Not a surprise really that our defence has the worst stats in the league. Is Mike Benevides ready to assume a Head Coaching position? I don't think he has even shown he is ready to assume a DC position, as of yet.

Just IMO ...

Well, problem is, with the 3-4 when you blitz you also have to cover on the backside, with Reddick, LaRose and Franks going down early our depth was not well suited to covering all over the field in man to man.

Will also point out that Keron Williams and Taylor have not exactly lived up to their billing as high priced FA's, we have mostly run the 4-3 since gm #1 and those two simply have to generate pressure from the base defense and Keron is good for one play a game, Taylor makes more plays but seems out of condition to me.

[Ilovefootball]

I dont know about Williams neither playing in the secondary I would had keep Hyland

[TheLionKing]

Looks like training camp version 2 for the Lions. Players in, players out, 3-4 defence now 4-3 etc.

[WestCoastJoe]

Looks like training camp version 2 for the Lions. Players in, players out, 3-4 defence now 4-3 etc.

Shaky decision making all the way.

LaRose's health was a gamble from the start. Lost that one. Twice.

Arakgi as a safety? Wishful thinking for Wally's godson. Disaster.

Sanchez on the corner? A gamble. Lost that one. Game one, pass to Richardson. OMG Sanchez is not fast enough.

Hmmmmm Maybe Sanchez can play safety?

Franks gets hurt. Ooopps ... Hyland is not fast enough, can't cover, misses tackles.

Quick, bring in Ruffin. Bring in Dennis.
........

Gee this 3 - 4 makes it hard to get pressure on the QB. Yup. If you won't, or can't blitz. Oooooppsss

Korey Banks can blitz. Well not when those pesky offensive coordinators scheme it so he has to cover man to man. Oooooppss

Guess we better find a rush end. How about Bryant? Nah, we've just kept him around because ... Ummm not sure why. We'll try this brand new guy, Khreem Smith.
......

And Wally doesn't think Jerome Dennis can tell him anything about Hamilton's O or D? Cool. Wally's got it covered.
......

Sounds like the Keystone Kops to me.

[Rammer]

Looks like training camp version 2 for the Lions. Players in, players out, 3-4 defence now 4-3 etc.

Shaky decision making all the way.

LaRose's health was a gamble from the start. Lost that one. Twice.

Arakgi as a safety? Wishful thinking for Wally's godson. Disaster.

Sanchez on the corner? A gamble. Lost that one. Game one, pass to Richardson. OMG Sanchez is not fast enough.

Hmmmmm Maybe Sanchez can play safety?

Franks gets hurt. Ooopps ... Hyland is not fast enough, can't cover, misses tackles.

Quick, bring in Ruffin. Bring in Dennis.
........

Gee this 3 - 4 makes it hard to get pressure on the QB. Yup. If you won't, or can't blitz. Oooooppsss

Korey Banks can blitz. Well not when those pesky offensive coordinators scheme it so he has to cover man to man. Oooooppss

Guess we better find a rush end. How about Bryant? Nah, we've just kept him around because ... Ummm not sure why. We'll try this brand new guy, Khreem Smith.
......

And Wally doesn't think Jerome Dennis can tell him anything about Hamilton's O or D? Cool. Wally's got it covered.
......

Sounds like the Keystone Kops to me.

Better watch out at practice WCJ, they may recruit you as an NI safety.

[TheLionKing]

Never met WCJ but can he be any slower than Larose ?

[BCLions4Ever]

I had already posted my thoughts elsewhere then came here and saw that what I was thinking had already been suggested. Apart from the obvious fact that Hyland wasn't performing I think this was meant as a wake up call to rest of the secondary. Cut the least senior DB to say to the veterans that if they don't get their s*** together one of them will be next, and because no one knows who that might be, they are all motivated to step up out of fear for their jobs.

I liked Hyland last season but found him, like most of the secondary, to be less than impressive this year. He'll be fine and land on his feet and cause us grief in the future, but I would have liked to have seen him perform in a Lions uniform.

[Kamloops Lion]

So for a DB corps that has problems hitting, we release our biggest hitter. He was prone to missing some tackles though, but he is still young. I think this is a mistake.

Good to see JD back though.

Hitting was probably Hyland's biggest strength and shortcoming. Most of his missed tackles were due to trying to make the big hit instead of wrapping up.

Exactly. I saw Hyland's big hits and they were not "tackles." They were massive hits designed to hurt and stop an opponent. Not unline James Harrison and his helmet-led missile hits. When did players stop learning how to "tackle"?

[jrower]

Wow, most of you are talking as if our defence has been playing like crap in all three games. They haven't. There have been some hiccups, but injuries have been a major factor. They have been playing quite well. The 3-4 has been working relatively well and we have been getting pressure on every quarterback so far. However, two of those QBs are great veterans who don't need much time to get the ball away. They also have strong O-lines in front of them that held off the rushers barely long enough most of the time. The design of our d-line was so that they could also switch between 3-4 and 4-3. Those of you confused by that, I am not sure why. It does not have to be just one way. The switch is there to add to the variety of plays they can call and make sure the offence never knows what to expect. The secondary has done fairly well. Some missed tackles in game 2 really sucked, but it happens sometimes. They have played very well so far. Unfortunately the offence has not been producing in the first halves of the games. When the defence is out there for 20 out of 30 minutes they get tired. As players get tired, they don't play as well.

Hyland wasn't producing very well. He had tackling issues. He also got hurt. Wally saw a chance to pick up an experienced player who had played for the Lions before. Someone from the active roster needed to go to be able to get him. You have the most experienced secondary in the CFL. Who do you get rid of? Someone who has years of experience who maybe had a bad game or two, but who you know can focus and produce? Or a young player with little experience who can't seem to tackle very well? I'd pick the inexperienced player to cut every time. Yes, it would be wonderful if we could actually develop a player in BC and have him stick around for a while, but you can't cut better players just for future prospects. Especially when you are 0-3 to start the season. Yes, it is a close 0-2. Could be 2-1, but it is still 0-3 and if someone needs to go, it has to be the inexperienced one who isn't producing.

[joe kapp22]

Looks like training camp version 2 for the Lions. Players in, players out, 3-4 defence now 4-3 etc.

Shaky decision making all the way.

LaRose's health was a gamble from the start. Lost that one. Twice.

Arakgi as a safety? Wishful thinking for Wally's godson. Disaster.

Sanchez on the corner? A gamble. Lost that one. Game one, pass to Richardson. OMG Sanchez is not fast enough.

Hmmmmm Maybe Sanchez can play safety?

Franks gets hurt. Ooopps ... Hyland is not fast enough, can't cover, misses tackles.

Quick, bring in Ruffin. Bring in Dennis.
........

Gee this 3 - 4 makes it hard to get pressure on the QB. Yup. If you won't, or can't blitz. Oooooppsss

Korey Banks can blitz. Well not when those pesky offensive coordinators scheme it so he has to cover man to man. Oooooppss

Guess we better find a rush end. How about Bryant? Nah, we've just kept him around because ... Ummm not sure why. We'll try this brand new guy, Khreem Smith.
......

And Wally doesn't think Jerome Dennis can tell him anything about Hamilton's O or D? Cool. Wally's got it covered.
......

Sounds like the Keystone Kops to me.

Just want to clear up one thing WCJ, Hyland was plenty fast enough, speed was not his issue.

When he gave up a long TD he missed the ball or the tackle, and the Wr then had open field to gallop in, he was not beaten deep.

We lost LaRose and Reddick in the same preseason game, the starter and his insurance policy.