Cowboys Defensive Consistency Relies On Fixing the Secondary

[Cowboyny]

Pretty good article.

Pressure up front, helps the back and more then anything. Our pass defense was fine with the same players with parsons

 

[pansophy]

Obviously the previous group has aged/declined and some have been cut or probably not re-signed this offseason.
But the drop in play was so bad, I have to wonder if it was due to injuries to guys like Bland and a mix of MattE being stubborn on not adjusting to the players strengths last year.

People can hate on Diggs for a lot of reasons, but I think he did have a point about coverages and the wish for more man or match based coverages. No team runs more true man on man coverages anymore, even back to the Quinn days, but there are zone coverages that can act like man coverage. There's Man, zone, man match and zone match as the 4 basics.
https://throwdeeppublishing.com/blogs/news/dante-bartee-explains-basic-4-2-5-coverage-concepts

So, could we see a "bounce" back if Parker actually designs coverages to the personnel and not fit a square through a circle hole?

Diggs was declining due to injury and maybe the contract, but to be determined if Bland can get back to his old self and how much Revel can soak in his first true Training camp. Definitely need to stock up on a mix of depth/potential starters at corner.

Safety looks to be an unknown, with the hope Hooker could rebound with a change in DC. I think Wilson was just a step slower last year and not worth keeping. Thomas and Bell failed to show much promise last year but are still cheap to keep around.
Ideally, we go younger and more potential in a Downs level safety in the draft.
If not him, still a few other prospects, but at the trade down level IMO.

Could see Reed Blankenship as a "safe" FA to sort of cover for a retool of the safety position(s)

Yeah, like the dumbest thing we did is draft for press corners for years and then hire a zone coverage DC. Forget about age and injury, so many plays were just broken coverages.

 

[gtb1943]

Pressure up front, helps the back and more then anything. Our pass defense was fine with the same players with parsons

the pass D was NOT FIME; not sure what universe you live in to claim that
When we came up against the top offenses they got worked

 

[big dog cowboy]

Yeah, like the dumbest thing we did is draft for press corners for years and then hire a zone coverage DC.

 

[CATCH17]

Need a pass rush first to help make their jobs easier

They need everything.


Last year the secondary didn’t even know their assignments.

The linebackers were just as confused.

If you aren’t a defensive tackle then you are replaceable on this defense.

 

[75boyz]

Another important hope imo is that Parker's reputation as a good secondary coach will shine through.

That was one of the biggest disappointments for me last year. And that is that Eberflus was supposed to be a good linebackers coach. And those linebackers were some of the worst I'd ever seen.

BUT IF you've got a good pass rush, your corners will look and perform better.

 

[kskboys]

Another important hope imo is that Parker's reputation as a good secondary coach will shine through.

That was one of the biggest disappointments for me last year. And that is that Eberflus was supposed to be a good linebackers coach. And those linebackers were some of the worst I'd ever seen.

BUT IF you've got a good pass rush, your corners will look and perform better.

Sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo think about that.

 

[75boyz]

Sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo think about that.

Soooooooo...
IF he ain't a corner/safety whisperer with the current back end group and no improved personnel additions are added to that group then expect the same as what Flus gave.

 

[Zekeats]

Need a pass rush first to help make their jobs easier

This, and this is why we keep chasing a BS narrative to fix the secondary.

 

[kskboys]

Soooooooo...
IF he ain't a corner/safety whisperer with the current back end group and no improved personnel additions are added to that group then expect the same as what Flus gave.

Yup. Flus had no chance here. I don't know him well enough to like him or not, it's just easy to see that our primary problem on D was lack of talent.

 

[75boyz]

In response to ksk's post #50,

Yeah I could have cared less if it was Flus or anybody else for that matter holding the DC title of last year's group.

When they are that starved for talent it all boils down to you can't make chicken salad out of chicken ****.

Chicken **** is the talent level that played last year. Not even starter worthy in most cases.

 

[Whirlwin]

Of course you need both, but that wasn't the statement. The DLine is monumentally more important than the secondary.

That’s not a fact, it’s just your opinion

 

[conner01]

IF the d line and linebackers are good to excellent, the back end does not need to be an all star cast.

That works both ways though. If you have tighter coverage the rushers get more time to get to QB. We need to upgrade every level

 

[shabazz]

It's really not. The DLine comes first. If you don't disrupt the LOS, your secondary won't matter.

The stuff Jerry has you believing is just amazing, and just so he can draft more CBs.

The chicken or the egg question's answer is the defensive line.

I can recall Chiefs DT Chris Jones making game saving plays more than any secondary player.......The best Dlines disrupt plays before they even develop

 

[Acceptablename]

Pretty good article.

Yes and I'm convinced they'll draft early and often DB's.

 

[atlantacowboy]

Sure but you also need a defensive leader calling out the plays pre-snap. We had nobody on the field diagnosing plays and making pre-snap adjustments. Nobody any good at it anyway. We were chasing a lot of plays and arriving late to the party last year. So, the first order of business is to get a veteran LB in here who can do that and its going to cost some coin.

 

[Johannes44]

That’s the old cliché. Does the defensive line help the cornerbacks, or is it vice versa. It’s definitely a balance of both.

Yes it is a balance. The secondary has to cover so as to limit the easy passes for quick first downs. But the pass rush has to get there and not leave the secondary having to cover for extended periods of time.

 

[kskboys]

That’s not a fact, it’s just your opinion

Not when you start examining teams that are in the super bowl. I go by models of success. What are you going by?

 

[gtb1943]

just having a top D line does not make a championship Defense
The Fearsome foursome and the Purple People Eaters never got a ring
if your back seven is not very good, the DL is wasted

 

[ConstantReboot]

Areas of the D that are on the worst shape on the team:

1. LB. There is no close 2nd. Not sure a team has ever had worse LBs.
2. S. As usual. This position has sucked for a long long time. Desperately needs fixing.

Everything else pales compared to these 2 positions.

I would add corner as well to the list, especially Bland, who is having surgery on his feet, and what I saw from Revel after his injury just doesn’t look good.