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Las Vegas Raiders: Is Gus Bradley’s Cover 3 scheme dead?

By BD Williams

JACKSONVILLE, FL - NOVEMBER 12: Defensive coordinator for the Los Angeles Chargers Gus Bradley watches the play on the field during the first half of their game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at EverBank Field on November 12, 2017 in Jacksonville, Florida. (Photo by Logan Bowles/Getty Images)
JACKSONVILLE, FL - NOVEMBER 12: Defensive coordinator for the Los Angeles Chargers Gus Bradley watches the play on the field during the first half of their game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at EverBank Field on November 12, 2017 in Jacksonville, Florida. (Photo by Logan Bowles/Getty Images) /
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Raiders’ new defensive coordinator Gus Bradley.  (Photo by Rob Foldy/Getty Images)
Raiders’ new defensive coordinator Gus Bradley.  (Photo by Rob Foldy/Getty Images) /

Gus Bradley has been hired as the Las Vegas Raiders defensive coordinator and brings with him a defensive system heavily steeped in Cover 3 principles. Raiders fans on social media, forums, and chat rooms collectively wondered how the Raiders defense could transition to a Cover 3 scheme, and perhaps more saliently if the coverage was even still viable in the NFL.

Since the Legion of Boom dissolved, the defense that helped popularize the Cover 3 system as a foundational element of the defensive scheme, former Seattle assistants have gone on to have great success running the scheme with different players. Gus Bradley (LAC), Todd Wash (JAX), and Robert Saleh (SF) have each left Seattle and fielded top-10 NFL defenses multiple times over the last five years.

The Seahawks have also continued to have success running the scheme and finished top-10 in total points several times since Gus Bradley left.

Cover 3 continues to find success in the NFL mostly due to the schematic tweaks that have allowed the coverage to evolve as NFL offenses continue to find new ways to attack it. This article will be a brief overview of the history of cover 3 and show how it is being implemented in today’s NFL.

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