Redskins defensive end a perfect fit in 3-4 set
ASHBURN – Adam Carriker’s scouting report contains one word. And it’s one that Redskins right tackle Jammal Brown repeats with a mixture of adulation — glad he has a teammate like this — and exasperation — not so glad he has to face it every day.
So here’s Brown’s description:
“Strong,” he said. “Very, very strong. Just strong.”
And just in case he wasn’t clear, he punctuates the report with one more sentence.
“I can sum it up in one word: strong,” Brown said.
Nobody would disagree; and it’s why the Redskins coaches say Carriker is such a good fit as an end in their 3-4 defense. They also like that he knows how to use his strength; because of that, the linebackers are able to do their jobs. It’s what an end in this system must do.
“The first thing they told me when I got here is that at end, you’ll get the least amount of credit, but the defense goes as you go,” he said. “It’s just like the offensive line. The offense comes and goes with the line, but they get no credit. But if we win games here I don’t care.”
Besides, it’s a defense that scouts long ago predicted would be better for him, rather than playing end in a four-man front. Carriker agrees. It’s simple: In a four-man line, the ends are asked to charge upfield to make plays more. Carriker recorded only two sacks in 25 career starts. In a three-man line, they’re asked to play more laterally, holding a gap and letting linebackers free to make the play.
“He likes to get his big body on people,” defensive line coach Jacob Burney said. “He wants to go get thick on people. A lot of defensive linemen these days just want to find [gaps] and run. They’re not interested in hitting blocks. He’ll hit blocks from sun up to sun down.”
But playing over the center at times in the 4-3 did help him prepare for end in this defense. His job was to occupy double teams, same as it is now. The good thing for Carriker is he’s routinely one of the best linemen at staying low, despite being 6-foot-6. Often, his backside is lower before the snap than his linemates, providing him with leverage.
“You could spend all your time trying to coach that,” Burney said. “To have a guy that can do it that has natural flexibility in his ankles, knees and hips, that’s a big plus.”
Add it up and it’s why Carriker is excited to be in Washington. He missed last season with a shoulder injury and was traded to the Redskins this spring.
“I was overhyped, I’d been waiting for so long,” he said of the preseason opener. “And this [defense] suits me very well. I’m a physical, strong guy.”
