Carlos Watkins

Corso

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Do my 57 laugh emojis show up? I can’t see them on my phone!
No and thank goodness.
I don't want a repeat of what happened to @CowboyRoy to you.
Him? Oh, he deserved to get kicked.
You?
You would have deserved to get kicked.
 

fivetwos

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Quinn says he’s going to play a hybrid 3-4 4-3.
Yup and I think the real answer is we won't know how they will mix it up until they begin.

But we don't need to know lol. We're not playing.

I just hope everyone absorbs the nuances considering last year's mess. They were so unbelievably confused on defense.

This year should be very different with an off season to install everything.

So....if the defense is at least half fixed....how do we not have a very real chance in the NFC?

Answer: we do.

It's June kids. Hope springs eternal.
 

Corso

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Yup and I think the real answer is we won't know how they will mix it up until they begin.

But we don't need to know lol. We're not playing.

I just hope everyone absorbs the nuances considering last year's mess. They were so unbelievably confused on defense.

This year should be very different with an off season to install everything.

So....if the defense is at least half fixed....how do we not have a very real chance in the NFC?

Answer: we do.

It's June kids. Hope springs eternal.
Only for the non-realists.

Or should it be unrealists?
Super-realists?
 

ESisback

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I'd recommend laying off the meats and cheeses and moving to a brown liquid type of thing.

Better for the soul.....

There's of course a flip side but whatever.
How bout both? Throw in some girls and loud rock music…
 

gimmesix

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Not arguing with you, just trying to figure it all out....

If Watkins and Urban are DE (5 techs) in a 34 scheme, where is DLaw in that case?

Gregory, Basham and Anae look like LEO'S.

I'm thoroughly confused as to how this may all line up, and we may need to wait and see until they show us some things, but Watkins looks like much more of a 1T than a 5....just by body type.

Unless Quinn is bringing something new to the table, the hybrid 4-3 is going to look a lot like the defense Seattle ran that had Red Bryant at 5-tech. In fact, Urban mentioning Bryant in his interview seems to be a good indication that that will be the case.

If it is, then you'll have Urban at 5-tech, probably Bohanna at 1-tech, Watkins, Odighizuwa or Gallimore at 3-tech and Lawrence at LEO, which is an end position, but for the purposes of calling it a 3-4 is considered a linebacker (the LEO can stand like a linebacker or get down into a stance and may alternate with that). Here's a good description of the defense:

The LEO defense is unique. It relies on two immovable objects to get the job done. The 5 and 1 tech need to be able to hold two blockers and be immovable objects that don't necessarily make plays against the run, but free up other players to make them. They cannot be blocked with one man. Against the pass, they'll usually only make plays when the quarterback holds onto the ball too long.

Also the 3 tech. and LEO end have to win their one-on-one matchups. They need to explode through the cracks and make plays in the backfield on runs and passes. If they do that, the zone-type defense will work.

There will be a rotation among Lawrence, Basham and Gregory at the LEO spot IMO and at the two end spots when we play the nickel, which we will be in most of the time because this is a passing league.

What the hybrid 3-4 allows you to do is have better run defenders on the field while not necessarily hurting your pass rush because one of the linebackers (mostly Parsons) can slide up and rush the passer, essentially making it a 5-2 or you can drop a lineman back into zone while the linebacker rushes. I believe this is why they've had Lawrence practicing some zone drops. The LEO won't do it often, but occasionally, we'll zone him so that we can try to overload some of the blocking and get to the runner or quarterback.

If Watkins ends up playing 1-tech, I'll be surprised because being immovable isn't his strength. I think we'll want Bohanna to be the 1-tech the 30 percent of the time we use the hybrid 3-4, and if he can't do it, the next-best option we have is probably Urban. Odighizuwa might be a surprise option just because of his ability to anchor and use his hands to keep from being moved. Gallimore has the strength, but his technique has to be much better because he tends to get rooted out.
 

fivetwos

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Unless Quinn is bringing something new to the table, the hybrid 4-3 is going to look a lot like the defense Seattle ran that had Red Bryant at 5-tech. In fact, Urban mentioning Bryant in his interview seems to be a good indication that that will be the case.

If it is, then you'll have Urban at 5-tech, probably Bohanna at 1-tech, Watkins, Odighizuwa or Gallimore at 3-tech and Lawrence at LEO, which is an end position, but for the purposes of calling it a 3-4 is considered a linebacker (the LEO can stand like a linebacker or get down into a stance and may alternate with that). Here's a good description of the defense:



There will be a rotation among Lawrence, Basham and Gregory at the LEO spot IMO and at the two end spots when we play the nickel, which we will be in most of the time because this is a passing league.

What the hybrid 3-4 allows you to do is have better run defenders on the field while not necessarily hurting your pass rush because one of the linebackers (mostly Parsons) can slide up and rush the passer, essentially making it a 5-2 or you can drop a lineman back into zone while the linebacker rushes. I believe this is why they've had Lawrence practicing some zone drops. The LEO won't do it often, but occasionally, we'll zone him so that we can try to overload some of the blocking and get to the runner or quarterback.

If Watkins ends up playing 1-tech, I'll be surprised because being immovable isn't his strength. I think we'll want Bohanna to be the 1-tech the 30 percent of the time we use the hybrid 3-4, and if he can't do it, the next-best option we have is probably Urban. Odighizuwa might be a surprise option just because of his ability to anchor and use his hands to keep from being moved. Gallimore has the strength, but his technique has to be much better because he tends to get rooted out.
I had a situation in mind where pressure was coming from DLaw on one side and Gregory the other.

Suppose not if you're right.

If that's the case it's the final year in Dallas for at least one of them regardless of what happens.
 

buybuydandavis

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Carlos Watkins came out with some bounce at Tuesday's practice, literally leap frogging a standing tackling dummy. That's an impressive feat for a man weighing in at 6'3, 300 pounds. The fifth year defensive tackle, former fourth-round pick ,was very impressive showing powerful hands in reaction drills. Watkins is athletic and maintains balance when engaged. He's a very good striker with above average bend.



I think Cowboys have done well in addressing the interior DL and I think Watkins has a chance to make an impact on this DL with his size and agility


The hope with Quinn is that he can scheme more value out of Watkins, Urban, and others than the rest of the league has estimated by the salaries they *didn't* give them. 1.75mil. That's warm body roster insurance money.
 

buybuydandavis

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There will be a rotation among Lawrence, Basham and Gregory at the LEO spot IMO and at the two end spots when we play the nickel, which we will be in most of the time because this is a passing league.
Rotate two of our best players at one position?

Change DC, change scheme, change player fit for scheme. Management that has no football philosophy of its own has costs.
 

CapnB

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loved him coming out of Clemson and was hoping we would draft him. But I figured since rod liked his d-lineman to weigh 180 pounds he wasn't really an option
 

Bullflop

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Despite whatever conjecture we've seen here, Carlos Watkins should be well tested in TC and the preseason games. Hopefully, his abilities and overall effectiveness will accurately be evaluated. He'll either be retained or be released, depending upon the evaluations.

Let's hope these evaluations are significantly more accurate than what our former defensive staffs arrived at in the past. I'm also hoping this staff is the real deal and also that our DL talent has improved considerably. Whatever the case, I'd take Quinn over Nolan any day, for starters.
 
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Bullflop

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The hope with Quinn is that he can scheme more value out of Watkins, Urban, and others than the rest of the league has estimated by the salaries they *didn't* give them. 1.75mil. That's warm body roster insurance money.

Needless to say, if it weren't for the bargain basement factor prevailing, our defense might not exist at all. We're nothing, if not frugal. :grin:
 
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cowboyed

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Some of you guys and your obsession with player physical measurables. What's next pass rusher wiener measurements to ascertain if they can "pole vault" over the opposing team's offensive line?
 

blueblood70

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I think he's a little bit longer, but he's basically the same player as Antwaun Woods.

Good depth guy is basically his ceiling.
well if hes healthier always available guy vs woods who was not that a good trade off..AW was solid player but lost alot of snaps and games all teams need players like this..
 

gimmesix

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I had a situation in mind where pressure was coming from DLaw on one side and Gregory the other.

Suppose not if you're right.

If that's the case it's the final year in Dallas for at least one of them regardless of what happens.

Gregory and Lawrence will be the ends in the nickel, which we will use about 70 percent of the time. The base defense (the hybrid 3-4) is only a run-down defense.

The idea is that we want to put three big'uns out there for run defense purposes, but we also want to be able to rush the passer because teams don't always run on first down. To do that, you need to run a 3-4, so that you have the big'uns but you also have two pass rushers (usually two OLBs in the 3-4). The hybrid part is that instead of having the two OLBs, one of those players is a LEO, which creates a four-man front, even though the LEO is counted as a linebacker.

The advantage of the hybrid is more flexibility with the LEO and the other 3-4 OLB. You can move the LEO from side to side. You can drop him into zone and bring the other OLB off the other side or in an overload. (One of the things I think Quinn might be doing differently, which is interesting, is having Parsons be the other primary pass rusher but playing inside linebacker, MLB, instead of an outside spot. So he might start out looking like he's at the MIKE and blitz the middle or might shift before the snap to an outside edge position. We might even fake that he's going to be the pass rusher and bring Jaylon off the edge instead.)

Gregory and Lawrence will get plenty of snaps because we're not going to want either of them to play on every run down so that we can save them for clear pass-rushing situations. I think that's why Basham will get some run-down work as the LEO. We don't want him out there all the time because he's inferior to Lawrence and Gregory, especially as a pass rusher, but neither Lawrence or Gregory needs to play more than 80 percent of the snaps.
 

gimmesix

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Rotate two of our best players at one position?

Change DC, change scheme, change player fit for scheme. Management that has no football philosophy of its own has costs.

We will be in our nickel defense with Gregory and Lawrence on the field the majority of the plays. We're only rotating them the 30 percent of the time we're in the hybrid 3-4. That's why Basham will need to play. If we want both Gregory and Lawrence on the field in pass-rush situations, we can't play them that 70 percent we're in the nickel plus the 30 percent we're in the hybrid. A rotation is needed to keep them fresh.

Although an exact split is impossible to know, let's say Lawrence, Gregory and Basham each play 10 percent of the hybrid snaps and Lawrence and Gregory play all 70 percent of the nickel snaps. Eighty percent of the defensive snaps is plenty for both players.

For comparison purposes, Lawrence played 61 percent of the snaps last year and Gregory played 25, so it's probably that another end or two will rotate in some on passing downs.
 
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