Bryant McFadden assina com os Cards

O cornerback Bryant McFadden oficialmente não é mais jogador do Pittsburgh Steelers. Ele assinou contrato de dez milhões de dólares (5 por cada) com o Arizona Cardinals.
Com a saída de McFadden a renovação com antecedência de James Harrison deve acontecer, e William Gay ganhará espaço na equipe, onde provavelmente será titular na próxima temporada.
McFadden nos Cardinals provavelmente será titular ao lado de Dominic Rhodes-Cromartie formando uma boa dupla de cornerbacks, e melhorando ainda mais a boa secundária dos atuais campeões da liga nacional.
Já os Steelers falharam em conseguir os dois maiores objetivos da off-season, renovar com Nate Robinson e B-Mac, mas com isso o cap ganhou um pouco mais de espaço para a pick que vai vir no draft e uma possível renovação com outros jogadores. Atual situação da Off-Season:

QB Charlie Batch UFA- Sem novas notícias.
QB Byron Leftwich UFA- Sem novas notícias.
TE Sean McHugh RFA- Renovou.
WR Nate Washington UFA- Assinou com o Tennessee Titans.
G Chris Kemoeatu UFA- Renovou.
T Willie Colon RFA- Renovou.
T Trai Essex UFA- Está perto de renovar.
T Max Starks UFA- Recebeu o Franchise Tag.
T Marvel Smith UFA- Sem novas notícias.
DE Orpheus Roye UFA- Se aposentou.
LB Keyaron Fox UFA- Está perto de renovar.
LB Andre Frazier UFA- Sem novas notícias.
LB Arnold Harrison RFA- Sem novas notícias.
CB Fernando Bryant UFA- Renovou.
CB Anthony Madison RFA- Renovou.
CB Bryant McFadden UFA- Assinou com o Arizona Cardinals.
S Anthony Smith RFA- Assinou com o Green Bay Packers.
P Mitch Berger UFA- Sem novas notícias.

4-3

The "4-3" Defense

At this time, 26 NFL teams utilize a 4-3 defensive scheme. There are multiple coverage combinations that can be in play behind the front seven. Teams like the Indianapolis Colts and Tampa Bay Buccaneers use the 4-3 "Cover 2" system which is fast becoming the defense of choice in a lot of NFL cities.

Any 4-3 scheme, whether "Cover 2" or not is based on speed. Unlike the 3-4 system where the defensive linemen are tackles used to keep the linebackers free, the down linemen are the heart-and-soul of a 4-3 defense. There are similarities between the defenses though. Usually one of the two interior defensive tackles is a mammoth run stuffer that is used to clog the middle of the field. The other three defensive linemen provide the bulk of the pass rush for the defense. Teams that have a dominating front-four don't have to blitz to generate a pass rush and can utilize their three linebackers and four secondary members to defend the pass. Any 4-3 system uses smaller quicker defensive ends and tackles to aid in their pass rush. Developing a strong front four is critical in using any 4-3 scheme.

With the "Cover 2" scheme becoming so popular, people may ask, what exactly the "Cover 2" is. "Cover 2" is a pass-defense for teams with strong defensive linemen who don't require helping either rushing the passer or stuffing the run. It all starts with stopping the run with your down linemen because you don't have that eighth man in the box to help against the run.

By now, most everyone has heard of the term "Cover 2". Even though Tony Dungy made it a household name during his stint in Tampa Bay, the "Cover 2" was being played in the NFL long before Dungy was even a player in the league. It is one of the simplest alignments in football and it helps mask team liabilities in some areas. The basic principle is: Two half-field defenders and five guys underneath.

In "Cover 2", the two safeties are positioned deep and just outside the hash marks. Each safety is responsible for his deep half of the field. The underneath coverage consists of two corner backs responsible for jamming the wide receivers at the line of scrimmage. These cornerbacks fall into a zone coverage in the flat area. The three linebackers drop into a zone across the middle of the field, forming a line of defenders about 10 yards deep.

The basic idea of the defense is to eliminate the deep passing game by forcing teams to use their underneath or check down routes. The cornerbacks MUST get a good jam on the wide receivers to ensure proper defensive alignment.

This can be a great defensive system if the team has the personnel to utilize it. Finding the right defensive linemen for this scheme is one of the hardest things scouts and coaches have to do. The linemen must have a solid combination of size and quickness for this alignment to be successful.

Another popular coverage scheme is the "Cover 3" defense. In a "Cover 3" alignment one safety joins the two cornerbacks to form a three-deep alignment.

The other safety moves up and becomes the eighth man in the box. This gives the team one less underneath pass defender but does aid in stopping the run. Although this is one of the more conservative alignments on the defensive side of the ball, it is effective against both the run and the pass.

Final Steelers Mock Draft Roundup: Is It Cherilus or Balmer?

As the draft gets closer an closer, there's still plenty of disagreement about who the Steelers will pick. The consensus, if there is one, is that Gosder Cherilus, the Boston College right tackle, will be the Steelers pick, with seven of the 14 mock drafts picking him.

Cherilus is a mauler at tackle who would help the run game, and some believe he could eventually slide over to left tackle (even though he struggled at left tackle in college). Even with Max Starks now re-signed, Pittsburgh has plenty of needs on the offensive line, and Cherilus will likely be the best lineman left when the Steelers pick.

But Ed Bouchette, the Post-Gazette beat writer who is usually very plugged in on the Steelers thoughts, says the Steelers will take Kentwan Balmer, the defensive end from North Carolina. Balmer only performed at a high level for one year, but his size/speed combo would make him the prototype for a Steelers' style defensive end.

All of these mock drafts were completed after the recent Chiefs-Vikings trade, so they should be as up-to-date as possible. They don't address the possibility of the Steelers trading down, which still might be the best option.

FINAL MOCK DRAFTS
NFL Draft Scout's Rob Rang	Gosder Cherilus, OT, Boston College
NFL Draft Scout's Chad Reuter	Limas Sweed, WR, Texas
CBS Sportsline's Pete Prisco	Kentwan Balmer, DE, North Carolina
CBS Sportsline's Clark Judge	Jonathan Stewart, RB, Oregon
CBS Sportline's Charley Casserly	Gosder Cherilus, OT, Boston College
SI.com's Dr. Z	Gosder Cherilus, OT, Boston College
SI.com's Don Banks	Gosder Cherilus, OT, Boston College
SI.com's Beat Writer Roundup	Jonathan Stewart, RB, Oregon
NFL.com's Pat Kirwin	Gosder Cherilus, OT, Boston College
NFL.com's Vic Carrucci	Branden Albert, OT/OG, Virginia
Rivals.com	Gosder Cherilus, OT, Boston College
Scout.com's Tom Marino	Quentin Groves, OLB, Auburn
NFL Draft Countdown	Gosder Cherilus, OT, Boston College
Post-Gazette's Ed Bouchette	Kentwan Balmer, DE, North Carolina

In noting that the Saints are dangling Jammal Brown, MDS asks if it makes sense to trade a 27-year-old All-Pro left tackle for a rookie who will get massive guaranteed money right away. Usually, that question is a no-brainer. In this instance, I'm not so sure.

What many don't know about Brown is that he's got a degenerative knee condition dating back to his college days that teams were aware of. The word on the injury was that it wouldn't damper his play, but would most likely shorten his career significantly. I think that injury is in the Saints' minds right now, tempting them to deal Brown before he commands a huge contract he might not live up to.

The team is also deep at tackle, and love young backups Zach Strief and Jermon Bushrod. If Brown were to be dealt it would be Strief's job, which also fits into logic. Since Sean Payton arrived, the team has slowly converted their offensive line into a nasty, physical bunch. New-ish starters Jahri Evans, Jonathan Goodwin, and potential starter Andy Alleman all have that quality, and Strief does too. Brown's a finesse tackle.

So to me, at least, it makes sense to deal Brown while the Saints can turn his value into a potentially All-Pro defensive tackle, the missing piece that has resulted in such a consistently bad defense. But it might not be the Rams Brown is headed to -- perhaps he and the 10th pick go to the Chiefs, which should land the Saints Sedrick Ellis. In return the Chiefs get a great tackle and can replace Jared Allen with Derrick Harvey. Things that make you go "hmmmmm."