Philadelphia Eagles: Where Does Connor Barwin Fit In A 4-3 Defense?
By Ryan Quigley
The Philadelphia Eagles have brought in Jim Schwartz as defensive coordinator and Connor Barwin’s role in the new scheme is a little tricky to predict.
Chip Kelly is out. Doug Pederson is in. With a new head coach, the Philadelphia Eagles will be going through a number of changes. Especially on defense.
The Eagles announced Jim Schwartz as their new defensive coordinator Tuesday and with him will likely come his 4-3 base defense. If this is the case, the Eagles have more than enough talent, especially on the defensive line, to successfully make the switch. Fletcher Cox was originally drafted as an interior lineman by Andy Reid in 2012, who, that same year, also drafted Vinny Curry to play defensive end in his 4-3 system. Brandon Graham is a natural fit as a 4-3 end as well and Bennie Logan has more than a sufficient amount of experience in the 4-3 system from his LSU college days.
But what about the linebackers? DeMeco Ryans is a natural fit as a MIKE linebacker, Mychal Kendricks played SAM linebacker in Reid’s system his rookie year and Jordan Hicks was widely projected as a 4-3 outside linebacker coming out of college.
Eagles
Most of the Eagles’ linebackers would fit in a 4-3 system, but Connor Barwin is a bit of a wildcard. Barwin has played as a 3-4 outside linebacker for most of his career and it would be risky for the Eagles to convert him to a 4-3 linebacker. Linebackers in 4-3 systems typically spend a lot of time dropping back in coverage and guarding opposing teams’ tight ends. Barwin is a natural pass-rusher and it would not be beneficial to keep him from utilizing his best attribute.
The most logical position for Barwin in a 4-3 system would be defensive end. Barwin played defensive end during his senior year at Cincinnati, recording 12 sacks and 53 tackles on the year. He has spent time putting his hand in the dirt at the professional level as well and that would likely be his best option in Schwartz’s defense. With a strong supporting cast, Barwin would be a major component to the defensive line rotation as Cox and Logan wreak havoc on opposing teams’ interior offensive lineman.
Playing defensive end would also allow Barwin to continue batting down passes, which is something he’s become almost J.J. Watt-like at doing (22 pass deflections since joining the Eagles in 2013). His reach is massive and allowing him to block passing lanes with his arms would create a lot of missed opportunities for opposing offenses.
It’s not clear just how Barwin will fit into the new scheme, but moving him to defensive end is a logical course of action. It’s a role he’s comfortable with and it would allow younger players like Hicks and Kendricks, who are natural in the 4-3 front, to continue their development.
But regardless of where Barwin lines up in the new alignment, the Eagles’ defense is better suited in a 4-3 scheme and it will be intriguing to see how things look with Schwartz calling the shots.