DC.COM: Broaddus: Breaking Down Cornerback Brandon Carr

[WoodysGirl]

Posted by bbroaddus at 5/8/2012 10:05 AM CDT on dallascowboys.com

For the last three months I have done nothing but break down college players for the NFL Draft. Many of those thoughts I have shared with you on DallasCowboys.com and our internet shows. For the next few days I am going to focus on the free agents that the club signed during the free agency period and how they will fit into the plans for the 2012 season.

There were three cornerbacks that teams were studying hard before free agency opened: Brandon Carr, Brent Grimes and Cortland Finnegan. Each player has their unique style in the way they play. Carr is a press-man player, Grimes is more technically sound and Finnegan is the type of guy you would like to play in the slot. Grimes was given the franchise tag by the Falcons so he was taken off the market, and teams were left to work between Carr and Finnegan. The St. Louis Rams hired Jeff Fisher as their head coach, so there were many in the league who believed Finnegan would get an offer from his former coach at the Titans to help the struggling Rams secondary. That offer came, leaving Carr for the Cowboys to deal with, but all along he was their first choice.

Read more: http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/bryan_broaddus.cfm?plckController=Blog&plckBlogPage=BlogViewPost&userid=6bcb2f13-94c9-4056-b908-755aaaa70f12&plckPostId=Blog%3a6bcb2f13-94c9-4056-b908-755aaaa70f12Post%3a7c132cd5-2f05-4ac9-8320-489980472e7f&plckScript=blogScript&plckElementId=blogDest

[speedkilz88]

I would think Claiborne would be the better fit on the left side in the long run. He should be the #1 CB on the team.

[Future]

I would think Claiborne would be the better fit on the left side in the long run. He should be the #1 CB on the team.
Plus, Carr has played primarily on the right. Use the guy to his strengths and let the rook slide right into that #1 role.

[CoCo]

"The thought among the staff was that the pass rush was not the problem in 2011 but the coverage was. The addition of Brandon Carr and Morris Claiborne will go a long way to help correct those thoughts."


I presume that Broaddus, or whoever writes on his behalf, isn't much of a writer. Because what he just said above is that the staff thinking its a pass coverage problem not a pass rush problem is WRONG!

I'd be surprised if Broaddus would say that since he's now on the Cowboys payroll.

Though I'm sure Risen Star considers it a Freudian slip. ;)

[jobberone]

It was more on the DB than on the rush but both are culpable.

[MichaelWinicki]

When you're 7th in sacks but 23rd in pass defense...

Well, I think that should tell even the most football naive what the real problem was with the Cowboy defense.

[rocboy22]

I presume that Broaddus, or whoever writes on his behalf, isn't much of a writer. Because what he just said above is that the staff thinking its a pass coverage problem not a pass rush problem is WRONG!

I'd be surprised if Broaddus would say that since he's now on the Cowboys payroll.

Though I'm sure Risen Star considers it a Freudian slip. ;)
No editing? Hmm

[nalam]

I presume that Broaddus, or whoever writes on his behalf, isn't much of a writer. Because what he just said above is that the staff thinking its a pass coverage problem not a pass rush problem is WRONG!

I'd be surprised if Broaddus would say that since he's now on the Cowboys payroll.

Though I'm sure Risen Star considers it a Freudian slip. ;)

LOL! I had the same thought !
:laugh1:

[dantheman41]

When you're 7th in sacks but 23rd in pass defense...

Well, I think that should tell even the most football naive what the real problem was with the Cowboy defense.


Did you watch any of the games down the stretch? Especially the division games. Eli Manning and Michael Vick could have had cups of coffee with the amount of time they had in pocket. No matter how good their secondary is, if that doesn't get better, they will still be mediocre to bad defense

[newnationcb]

Did you watch any of the games down the stretch? Especially the division games. Eli Manning and Michael Vick could have had cups of coffee with the amount of time they had in pocket. No matter how good their secondary is, if that doesn't get better, they will still be mediocre to bad defense


LOL You obviously don't go back and watch the games. Because if you could watch the 1st Giants game again and say that, you'd laugh at yourself too.

Ware had like 4 sacks of Vick the 1st game and had multiple sacks in another game. QBs like Vick present a different challenge when you're not blitzing them as Dlineman have to maintain rushing lanes more than just getting to the QB.

Ratliff actually owned their rookie Center in the 1st Eagles game but Vick kept eluding the rush.

[morasp]

The thought among the staff was that the pass rush was not the problem in 2011 but the coverage was.

That's what I've been thinking too. The opposing quarterbacks didn't have to hold the ball very long.

[Bluestang]

LOL You obviously don't go back and watch the games. Because if you could watch the 1st Giants game again and say that, you'd laugh at yourself too.

Ware had like 4 sacks of Vick the 1st game and had multiple sacks in another game. QBs like Vick present a different challenge when you're not blitzing them as Dlineman have to maintain rushing lanes more than just getting to the QB.

Ratliff actually owned their rookie Center in the 1st Eagles game but Vick kept eluding the rush.


I will have to echo your comments here because the 1st TD that we gave up in the season finale game, Newman couldn't cover Cruz on a simple 5 yd
out route for less than 2 seconds.

The secondary was the problem, we were able to get pressure upfront and lots of it.

[JPostSam]

don't know what you saw, but i saw quarterbacks making quick passes to open receivers to avoid our pass rush.

i absolutely expect our sacks -- and interceptions from hurried passes -- to increase this year, due to improved coverage.

[morasp]

It's fairly obvious based on our off season moves that they think the secondary is the problem. I don't think this was a casual "maybe it's our secondary" decision. It was probably alanlyzed to death before we went out and got new cornerbacks, a safety, and a new secondary coach.

The other issue was the ability to stop the run with the front seven. If you look at the type of players we drafted including McSurdy, It's obvious that was point of emphasis as well.

[CATCH17]

I saw a terrible secondary and a terrible pass rush all year.


I don't care if Ware had 4 sacks in the Eagles game. Mike Vick was living comfortably in the pocket all day in that game.

[MichaelWinicki]

I saw a terrible secondary and a terrible pass rush all year.


I don't care if Ware had 4 sacks in the Eagles game. Mike Vick was living comfortably in the pocket all day in that game.

The pass rush could be better.

But no comparison between "worsts".

The pass defense aced that test.

[cowboys2233]

I saw a terrible secondary and a terrible pass rush all year.


I don't care if Ware had 4 sacks in the Eagles game. Mike Vick was living comfortably in the pocket all day in that game.

Agreed. While the sacks tell part of the story, they don't come close to telling the whole story. The fact is, there were far too many times when our pass rush just disappeared, often at the most important times. Yes, our secondary was horrific, but two wrongs don't make a right. To suggest that our pass rush was "fine" is ridiculous. Fortunately, I think they know that, despite what they tell the media.

[jimnabby]

I saw a terrible secondary and a terrible pass rush all year.And yet, by all measures, we had a middle-of-the-pack defense last year. Amazing how we did that when we were "terrible" on the front and back ends.

[Bluestang]

Our defense had 50 QB hits and 192 QB pressures as opposed to Baltimore's defense that had 58 QB hits and 128 QB pressures.

Does that paint a better picture for you?

[theogt]

Not sure if should be pleased or upset that he basically mirrored my analysis in this thread. Even the bit about Calvin Johnson flipping sides.

http://cowboyszone.com/forums/showthread.php?t=236151

[MichaelWinicki]

Our defense had 50 QB hits and 192 QB pressures as opposed to Baltimore's defense that had 58 QB hits and 128 QB pressures.

Does that paint a better picture for you?

I wish I knew where folks came up with the concept that it wasn't just a pipe-dream, but you should expect to be able to pressure the QB every single pass attempt.

And it simply doesn't work like that.

At some point your pass defense has to be able to holdup even if the pass rush doesn't create a pressure.

The Steelers led the league in pass defense and only had like 35 sacks.

The Vikings led the league in sacks and were 30th in pass defense.

The Cowboys were 7th in the league in sacks and were 23rd in pass defense.

Maybe it's time some realized the connection between pass-rush and pass-defense isn't tightly-bound, that there can be flunctuations due to how good the personnel are on each unit.

The Cowboys of the early Parcell's era were much better on pass defense than the 2010/2011 version, even though those teams (from the early Parcells era) were only getting around 30 sacks a season.

[cowboys2233]

And yet, by all measures, we had a middle-of-the-pack defense last year. Amazing how we did that when we were "terrible" on the front and back ends.

Did our defense not give up multiple fourth quarter leads last year? Those of you who cite some of these rankings are forgetting a couple of things...

1. You're forgetting that these rankings are based on the calculation of various data. Did you ever stop to think that whoever came up with the formula might be using the wrong data, or weighting the various factors incorrectly, at least when it comes to measuring a defense's true effectiveness? Or are we just going to keep treating these rankings as the end all, be all truth?

2. You're forgetting to watch the games. Anyone who watched this defense, especially in the most important situations (e.g. the fourth quarter) and came to the conclusion that we had a decent defense are utterly blind. We weren't in the middle of anything, we sucked.

[cowboys2233]

Maybe it's time some realized the connection between pass-rush and pass-defense isn't tightly-bound, that there can be flunctuations due to how good the personnel are on each unit.

The Cowboys of the early Parcell's era were much better on pass defense than the 2010/2011 version, even though those teams (from the early Parcells era) were only getting around 30 sacks a season.

And maybe it's time you realized that the only data you're looking at are "sacks" and "passing yards allowed." While those data should certainly be considered when evaluating a defense, they are virtually worthless when looking at them in a vacuum.

[MichaelWinicki]

And maybe it's time you realized that the only data you're looking at are "sacks" and "passing yards allowed." While those data should certainly be considered when evaluating a defense, they are virtually worthless when looking at them in a vacuum.

Hmm...


No.

I also look at QB hits and pressures. Basically anything that is going to cause the QB "distress".

[cowboys2233]

Hmm...


No.

I also look at QB hits and pressures. Basically anything that is going to cause the QB "distress".


Hmmm....

Yes.

When you cited Pittsburgh's number one ranked pass defense, that ranking is based on one thing and one thing only, passing yards allowed. You then cited the weak relationship between "pass defense" and "sacks." Yeah, there's a reason why this relationship is so weak -- it's because these two variables, by themselves, get you no closer to determining how effective a defense really is than a flip of a coin does.

[MichaelWinicki]

Hmmm....

Yes.

When you cited Pittsburgh's number one ranked pass defense, that ranking is based on one thing and one thing only, passing yards allowed. You then cited the weak relationship between "pass defense" and "sacks." Yeah, there's a reason why this relationship is so weak -- it's because these two variables, by themselves, get you no closer to determining how effective a defense really is than a flip of a coin does.

OK.

Let's see some evidence establishing the "close knit" relationship between pass rush and pass defense.

[CowboysYanksLakers]

If you can play which side is not a big deal...