Graziano: Would Cowboys go 4-3 for cap reasons?

[WoodysGirl]

Jan 9
11:29
AM ET
By Dan Graziano | ESPN.com

First thing I want to say is this: If the Dallas Cowboys fired defensive coordinator Rob Ryan because they wanted to switch from a 3-4 defense to a 4-3 defense and they don't already have Ryan's successor lined up, I think they're nuts. I don't think you decide as an organization to switch to a 4-3 and then decide you're just going to go out and hire the best 4-3 guy you can find to run it. Not all 4-3s are created equal, and I think the better way is to find the coordinator you like and involve him in the process of making the switch, right from the start. So my first thought here is that, if the head coach and/or owner have decided to make this switch, Cowboys fans should hope they've already been in touch with whoever's going to be in charge of actually implementing it.

But you know, there were performance-based reasons to fire Ryan if that's what they wanted to do, and obviously teams don't always operate with common sense as their guiding principle, so it's possible that Jerry Jones and/or Jason Garrett have decided to go to a 4-3 without thinking it through to that extent. I actually think it's possible that they're doing it for economic reasons. John Clayton has the Cowboys projected $18.2 million over the salary cap, which means there are a lot of people on the current defense who don't fit into the budget. Switching to a 4-3 could help that.

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