The Cowboys switched from the 3-4 to the 4-3 in 2013 in an effort to add speed to their defense. Matt Eberflus coached the Cowboys’ linebackers then.
Now, he is the defensive coordinator in Indianapolis and switching the Colts from a 3-4 to a 4-3.
“We have to make that switch with the personnel first, and with Frank [Reich], with Chris [Ballard], we’ll talk about all those different shifts -- guys moving from outside backer to defensive end; the D-tackles, the nose tackle, where are we going to put those guys, and all that,” Eberflus said, via Andrew Walker of the team website. “So that’s the first shift that you have to talk about, and we’re going through that process right now.”
The team’s defense could end up looking a lot like the Colts’ defenses under Tony Dungy, with a Tampa 2 coverage scheme. Reich said during an interview with SiriusXM this week that the Tampa 2 is “just a really proven, test-of-time scheme where it can create plays.”
“Really the major shift is that we want athletic, speed players that possess quickness, instincts and striking ability,” Eberflus said. “And you should see that on the field. So you’re going to see more speed, more quickness, more athletic ability, and those are the guys that we’re going to want to acquire through the draft, through free agency, and those will be the type of players that we have on our team. So that’s the major shift that you’ll see.”