Hart shoots, embalms, and buries the 4-3/3-4 question
Q: For the guys who played here last year, what's the biggest adjustment in moving from the 3-4 to the 4-3?
Coach Hart: You know, I'm not sure. You'll have to talk to them. Most everybody has some form of the various defenses in their defensive package, no matter what you call it. As long as you can maintain techniques, you can line 'em up any way you want 'em. So I think the fact that we are trying to use very similar techniques and then line them up in an odd front, even front, whatever it is -- it's all basically football. As we say, it's "strike a blow, get off the block, pursue the football, and tackle."
more Hart, on the purpose of spring practice (more)
"Spring practice is for experimentation of your scheme, for experimentation of personnel, getting them to do different things, be it playing base technique, blitzing, pass rushing, different things, so you can get the best guys in the proper places in the Fall. So we'll take a peek [at the video] after spring practice is over, and tear it down, and see who does what well, and try to plug them into where they belong for the Fall...in the meantime they're gaining snaps, they're gaining experience, Ethan is gaining experience on the outside, and a couple of guys gain experience on the inside."
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[after effusing about Hafis, he takes a question about Ian Williams]
"He's got to step up, or he's going to be sitting. It's a great thing to be building this depth with these young guys getting experience. Everybody better be getting better. The jobs open up. I'm not disappointed in [Ian] this spring...but if you've got a guy who's been playing two years he better come back as a third-year player and be the best you got, and that's the challenge for him. Don't come out on Hafis' level, who's only been here one year...come out on Ian's level, who's got experience, and get better."
Here's my follow-up for Hart.
by Slainte Joe 
, Raleigh, Tuesday, April 07, 2009, 14:25 (6259 days ago) @ Jay
Who the hell is going to play while Ian Williams rides pine? It's not like we've got a long line of replacements. Mullen? Nwanko? Newman? Ryan? Neal to DE and shuffle Johnson inside? I don't see all this great depth at DT.
what Hart said reminds me of Ian's comment re: Ethan Johnson
by Spesh 
, Los Angeles, Tuesday, April 07, 2009, 13:36 (6259 days ago) @ Jay
He said something to the effect that he knew he could never be that good. It just seems that Ian has some motivational issues. It just doesn't seem that he has the desire to be the best. Or is it just me?