Inverted 3-4 Defensive alignment?

[oneamongthefence]

So this is just speculation on my part and there's not really a spot to ask something like this but how would an inverted 3-4 fare in football? The idea is this... a standard 3-4 but the rushers and offball linebackers would be swapped. I can think of a few pros and cons of this hypothetical formation...

Pros
Middle linebackers could be free to choose their gap to rush into. This could create confusion for the Oline since they have to potentially pickup rushers from anywhere along the line.

The outside backers could be in a better position to cover the seams.

Cons
I think this could lead to bigger runs up the middle for especially patient backs.

The middle of the field would be wide open too much or conversely it would put pass rushers in more situations to cover.

So could something like this work? Has it been done before as a standard defense?



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[IlluminatusUIUC]

I'm not certain I follow. At a simple level, one benefit of the 3-4 is that any combo of the 4 backers could rush or drop on a given play. Rushing the middle linebackers and dropping the outside backers was, AFAIK, a big element of the Dick LeBeau zone blitz.

[CM Hooe]

You mean like a standard 3-4 Odd front (nose tackle directly opposing the center and two five-technique defensive linemen directly over each offensive tackle), but the inside linebackers are walked up to the line of scrimmage over each offensive guard and the edge defenders are off the ball and across from eligible receivers?

You'd probably get annihilated by any outside run with no one on the line to compete against the tackle and tight end setting the edge until a yard down the field. I'm thinking something like crack toss, inverted veer, or jet sweep makes such a front entirely unviable.