Hill: Monte Kiffen won't force cover 2 scheme...interviewed w/JG and JG today

[IrishAnto]

Originally Posted by Hostile

Talent can always find a way to succeed.

Looking at the last 18 years it doesn't appear to in Dallas especially on defense.

It didn't in 2008 for Wade with 9 former 1st round picks on defense.

[cowboysooner]

Originally Posted by Hostile

Ware and Spencer don't kill QBs? I believe no pass rusher is more feared than Ware.

Kiffin's last year in Tampa the #1 pick was a CB, Talib. I believe he was known in college for his physical play.

You sure Spencer is back next year?

[Hostile]

Originally Posted by Yoshimitsu

You better tell these young whipper snappers.

But seriously our linebacking corps has me salivating in anticipation to what Kiffin will do with them. We still need to upgrade at the d-line but I like the direction the team is going. They are starting to build around Lee/Carter instead of the OLB which is what is most important at 3-4. Hence the change in defensive philosophy. This isn't a swipe at Ware but the reality is he is about to decline in play so it was time to shift who to build around and what our strengths are and that's at MLB. Spencer could walk due to his salary commands. It was time to change.

Carter becoming our Derrick Brooks has me absolutely giddy, and Lee is way better than Quarles.

[Hostile]

Originally Posted by cowboysooner

You sure Spencer is back next year?

I'd say 80% likely as of right now.

I'll even tell you this, I won't be shocked if Kiffin uses the 3-4. I know he can.

[perrykemp]

Originally Posted by Hostile

Ware and Spencer don't kill QBs? I believe no pass rusher is more feared than Ware.

Ware is a great pass rusher.

Spencer is a great 3-4 OLB who has averaged 5.3 sacks per year in his career and is quite possibly the best all-around 3-4 OLB who is equally capable vs the in coverage, against the run, and rushing the passer.

Putting Spencer's hand on the ground full time as a 4-3 DE is wasting what has been him such a good 3-4 LB and also probably equates to dramatically overpaying (assuming $10m/year to resign) a guy who has been an average pass rusher in his career.

[Hostile]

Originally Posted by IrishAnto

Looking at the last 18 years it doesn't appear to in Dallas especially on defense.

It didn't in 2008 for Wade with 9 former 1st round picks on defense.

That's fair, but talent does fade and some of ours was by then.

[Yoshimitsu]

Originally Posted by Hostile

Carter becoming our Derrick Brooks has me absolutely giddy, and Lee is way better than Quarles.

Also Albright has me intrigued. He's athletic, big, smart, and can play multiple positions. This defense has the makings to be very dominant if we draft right to upgrade our defensive line and guys like Crawford/Lissemore take the next step.

[JeffInDC]

Originally Posted by Hostile

So you are saying Carr and Claiborne cannot play for Kiffin? Or that he couldn't figure out how to use them?

I will never really grasp fans sometimes. Talent can play. Talent can coach. Carr and Claiborne have talent. Kiffin has talent.

Are you willing to go on record with a prediction they can't play in his system and he can't coach their talent?

This is not the guy I wanted. He's not even my 2nd or 3rd choice. Then again I didn't want Ryan at all. But I'm not going to pretend he can't coach in the NFL and that talented players can't play. Systems are not that specialized that smart players with talent can't work.

Bravo my friend. Am I the only one that cracks up while reading some of these posts from our fan base trying to come off as insiders with direct knowledge of the inner workings of Valley Ranch? Or, those that try to compare what a coordinator did in college and assuming that he will not succeed in the NFL? Or, that he's too old, yet would jump on the chance to hire a DC that's even 3 years older? I could go on for days here. Like you said - TALENT can excel in any scheme. Great coaches have crapped out more knowledge abou the game than most of us will ever possess. This guy is a guru, plain and simple.

[InmanRoshi]

Originally Posted by perrykemp

Ware is a great pass rusher.

Spencer is a great 3-4 OLB who has averaged 5.3 sacks per year in his career and is quite possibly the best all-around 3-4 OLB who is equally capable vs the in coverage, against the run, and rushing the passer.

Putting Spencer's hand on the ground full time as a 4-3 DE is wasting what has been him such a good 3-4 LB and also probably equates to dramatically overpaying (assuming $10m/year to resign) a guy who has been an average pass rusher in his career.

Spencer got a double digit sacks this year primarily because he was allowed to put his hand on the ground and rush the passer more. Watch the game tape or go through Bob Sturm's blogs, Cowboys played a ton of snaps in what amounted to a 4-3 with Ware playing weakside 4-3 DE in a 2 point stance bookended by Spencer on the opposite end with his hand on the ground.

To quote Bob Sturm's blogs...

iif you read this column, you know that I have been saying they have been running a modified 4-3 for Ryan's entire run here. At least half of the game every week is either in an actual 4-3 (nickel defense on 3rd Downs and other passing scenarios) or a modified 3-4 where Ware rushes 88% of the time getting him defined as a DE in a 4-3 defense and the front 3 is just a DE and 2 DTs.

That is why I am somewhat amused by the universal freak-out about their personnel in a supposed change to the 4-3. Ware and Anthony Spencer are your defensive ends - just like they were at Troy and Purdue. Jason Hatcher and Jay Ratliff would be your ideal defensive tackles - although, who knows about Ratliff anymore. Tyrone Crawford and Sean Lissemore could play either in a depth rotation, and you were going to focus on DL in the draft anyway.

[View Full Quote]Linebackers are easy given your talent base already. Sean Lee is your middle linebacker (Mic), and Bruce Carter would look to be a fantastic weak side LB (Will). The strong side linebacker (Sam) may not be on your roster or it could be Alex Albright. But, as you can see, you have strong personnel that could be made stronger with upgrades, of course, but is not in dire straits as it is.

[Risen Star]

Originally Posted by IrishAnto

Looking at the last 18 years it doesn't appear to in Dallas especially on defense.

It didn't in 2008 for Wade with 9 former 1st round picks on defense.

You don't judge talent by draft position.

The truth is the Cowboys haven't had good defensive talent since the 90's. They had some good players here and there, but not an overall talent base that would make you expect them to be one of the best defenses in the league or there's something wrong with the coordinator.

Take a look at this roster. The DL is about as marginal as you'll find in the league. I suppose moving to a 4-3 will help that and get Ware in there but it also weakens your LBs. We've got Lee and Carter. Talented but injury prone. Our 3rd LB spot in the new defense is a huge question mark.

There isn't a safety on this roster I'd want starting for me.

Ware's a beast but clearly on the back 9 of his career. Spencer just finished his first season as a quality pass rusher and he's a FA approaching 30.

I'm not getting this hella talent thing. It's been overrated for years and remains so today.

[Risen Star]

Originally Posted by perrykemp

Ware is a great pass rusher.

Spencer is a great 3-4 OLB who has averaged 5.3 sacks per year in his career and is quite possibly the best all-around 3-4 OLB who is equally capable vs the in coverage, against the run, and rushing the passer.

Putting Spencer's hand on the ground full time as a 4-3 DE is wasting what has been him such a good 3-4 LB and also probably equates to dramatically overpaying (assuming $10m/year to resign) a guy who has been an average pass rusher in his career.

5.3 sacks.

QB killer.

[perrykemp]

Originally Posted by InmanRoshi

Spencer got a double digit sacks this year primarily because he was allowed to put his hand on the ground and rush the passer more. Watch the game tape or go through Bob Sturm's blogs, Cowboys played a ton of snaps in what amounted to a 4-3 with Ware playing weakside 4-3 DE in a 2 point stance.

I don't disagree.

My point is this -- Spencer was IFFY on coming back even had the team stuck with the 3-4 due to the expectation that it will take $10m/year to resign him and he is basically 30 years old.

The risk is resigning him at $10m/year even get's bigger when you add up he is closing in on 30, he played lights out in his contract year, and he you would be switching him to a 4-3 DE where he will be lining up across from hulking right offensive tackles just about 100% of the time who weigh 40-75 lbs more than him.

It's a heck of a lot of risk for someone who is going to garner a ton of money on the open market as a 3-4 OLB.

Yes, theoretically anything is possible with Spencer.... in the end, however, I believe his huge contract will not be worth whatever the Cowboys think he'll be able to contribute with his hand on the ground all the time as a 4-3 DE.

[Yoshimitsu]

Spencer would be a powerful DE. Part of the reason he never had as many sacks as Ware was because he had more responsibilities dropping in coverage and playing the run. With him rushing the QB every snap his totals will go up. The only problem is the business side. How much money will he command?

[cowboysooner]

Originally Posted by Hostile

I'd say 80% likely as of right now.

I'll even tell you this, I won't be shocked if Kiffin uses the 3-4. I know he can.

I won't be shocked by Kiffen using a 3-4 at times. If Bellichick can use whales in a 4-3 anything is possible.

But I seriously doubt that if this was the plan that we would have attacked last offseason and honestly the last 7 in the same manner. You can change coaches and even get better ones but you have to keep the same scouting sytem- talent evaluation system. That system should maximize what the coaches you have want to do.

Pittsburgh is Pittsburgh no matter if they have a guy as a walk around head coach who used to be a Tampa 2 defensive coordinator.

[Hostile]

Originally Posted by JeffInDC

Bravo my friend. Am I the only one that cracks up while reading some of these posts from our fan base trying to come off as insiders with direct knowledge of the inner workings of Valley Ranch? Or, those that try to compare what a coordinator did in college and assuming that he will not succeed in the NFL? Or, that he's too old, yet would jump on the chance to hire a DC that's even 3 years older? I could go on for days here. Like you said - TALENT can excel in any scheme. Great coaches have crapped out more knowledge abou the game than most of us will ever possess. This guy is a guru, plain and simple.

I'm going to say it this way.

If Monte Kiffin were headed to Philly to be their new DC, I'd be damned worried. I don't give two hoots in hell about his age. Let others fixate on that. I wouldn't be certain they couldn't play for him or that he couldn't coach them.

I refuse to fly the other direction just because he's coming here.

I'll say it again, he is not even in the top 5 of guys I wanted, but there is not a doubt in my mind that he is one of the top DCs ever.