Washington Redskins: Would move to 4-3 defense make sense?

The Washington Redskins have an extremely dangerous defensive line but are iffy at middle linebacker. Would a switch to a 4-3 defense make sense?

The Washington Redskins should have an extremely fun defense in 2019. They have a lot of pieces in place and a lot of star power. With that being said, a lot of that star power is on the defensive line. Meanwhile, their inside linebacker group is nothing to write home about. Would a move to a 4-3 defense make sense?

First of all, this obviously isn’t happening in 2019. It’s way too late to consider this switch. However, Washington has the personnel to consider doing so in the future. The roster is set up in a way in which a schematic transition would make sense.

At middle linebacker, the Redskins have Jon Bostic. He’s followed by Shaun Dion Hamilton, Josh Harvey-Clemons and Cole Holcomb. There’s some potential there with the younger guys, but nobody stands out as a potential star.

Reuben Foster does, but he’s hurt this year. Obviously, he could be a big part of Washington’s future but that’s about it. Bostic seems more like a one-year rental. Of course that could change, but, for now, that’s what we’re going with.

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Meanwhile, the defensive line is stacked. Jonathan Allen is a star-in-the-making at defensive end and Matthew Ioannidis has turned into a fantastic player already. Then there’s Da’Ron Payne, an absolute stud. In his rookie year, the defensive tackle was an absolute menace, a monster run-stopper who showed a great ability to get to the quarterback.

There’s also Tim Settle in this group, another defensive tackle taken in the 2018 NFL Draft (just like Payne). He was selected in the fifth round and was seen as a project — but as a project with crazy potential.

Now, the downfall to a 4-3 defense would be that it would likely force an outside linebacker to play in coverage a lot more often. That would mean either Montez Sweat or Ryan Kerrigan wouldn’t get to pressure the quarterback as often. Or maybe not.

Settle has the size, strength and athleticism to be a great player. That being said, he might be the odd man out of the starting rotation. Then, move Sweat or Kerrigan to the defensive line and move Ioannidis inside (where he’s played before).

With that transition, Settle can come in to spell anyone and, if needed, Ioannidis can move back outside. Even as a backup in this situation, Settle would get a lot more playing time, something that could benefit Washington massively.

That’s a deadly five-man rotation with another stud outside linebacker causing more havoc. Yes, the Redskins would likely need to find another linebacker but that’s it.

The Washington Redskins front seven is immensely talented. They have one of the most exciting units in the NFL. A switch to a 4-3 defense would only add to their potential. It definitely makes sense as it would highlight their biggest strength and give Settle more opportunities. While the 3-4 has looked good on this defense in the past, a 4-3 might kick them into overdrive.