Your thoughts on 3-4 DEs and OLBs

[jose21crisis]

So I was thinking on drafting an OLB on my franchise. The one I have right now is relatively inconsistent and tends to miss tackles. I play the Steelers so I live by the 3-4. The question is, if your team ran a 3-4 defensive set, would you draft a Defensive End and switch him to Outside Linebacker, or just draft an Outside Linebacker. Additionally to that, I'll ask the same about 3-4 Defensive Ends. Would you draft a Defensive Tackle and switch him to Defensive End, or just find a big D.End to put in a 3-4?

[RevanFan]

I'd just draft a natural linebacker. Madden's defensive linemen are way too slow to be converted to linebacker. Same deal with tackle to end.

[Theov]

I don't know if you play your games yourself or you sim/watch it.
When playing myself I like strength on the Dline and Speed at LB.
Playing 3-4 I would put strong DTs on End (so you're basically playing with 3 DTs). At OLB I would just put the fastest linebackers I can find or even convert Strong Safeties to OLB.

In franchise mode now I beef up the strength of the ends because I hate slow defenders so they have 90+ strength.
I move strong/fast linebackers to the Dline for depth if necessary.

A DE can only play in a 3-4 if he's strong enough to play inside (DE), or fast enough to play outside linebacker. If he's neither, he's pretty much useless.
The AI seems to love these 75/75 kind of guys.

[LOBBS]

In Madden, I always draft some of the bigger middle linebackers with good speed and decent quickness to play OLB in a 3-4 and small defensive tackles to play 3-4 DE. The defensive side of the ball in Madden 08 is very 4-3 in thought as that was the predominant defense at the time. The draft classes it puts together especially. OLBs in a 3-4 tend to be in the 240-260 lb range which you'll rarely see in a Madden draft at OLB but you'll find plenty of at MLB. Madden draft OLBs tend to be lighter, quicker and not quite as strong as they tend to be cover linebackers in a 4-3. Middle linebackers in a 4-3 are typically your thumpers. DEs in a 3-4 are in the in the 280-300 lb range stronger but not quite as quick as 4-3 DEs. Like I said, you can find good DTs in that range in the created draft classes.

[BUS36]

I always take OLBs when I draft, OLBs have better acceleration than DEs Speed is one thing but acceleration off the line gets OT beats. Weight wise I like the 235-265 lb range...acceleration should be 86-90 range (quick off the snap)( Bud Dupree is an 89 and T.J. Watt is an 88, speed 87 and 83 respectfully)...