When the Vikings hired Dom Capers as a defensive assistant this offseason, there began to be speculation over the packages the Minnesota defense would use in 2020.
Capers, who became well known for utilizing linebackers in the 3-4 as Packers defensive coordinator, has brought his defensive expertise to the Vikings staff.
It should be pointed out that Mike Zimmer told reporters earlier this offseason not to expect a switch to the 3-4 defense or anything drastic.
“It might just be changing some of the pressures, coverages and fronts,” Zimmer told reporters, via Vikings.com.
So probably no full-on switch, but Capers’ addition could lead to some different defensive scenarios. Capers recently discussed those scenarios with reporters.
“We’re very multiple on defense here,” Capers said, via Will Ragatz of Sports Illustrated. “We base out of a 4-3 but we have a lot of different looks and multiple sets. The thing that enables you to do that is your personnel and their ability to rush and drop and do different things, handle things mentally.”
It will be interesting to watch how that changes certain position groups on the Vikings defense.
The defensive back corps needs to be deep for a team that uses nickel. But if the Vikings want to use different packages this season, more will be required of the linebackers, besides Eric Kendricks and Anthony Barr.
Kendricks and Barr are the two mainstay linebackers in Minnesota’s nickel. After that, look for names such as Eric Wilson and Troy Dye to benefit from the defense going with other packages more often.