This defense will surprise people

[big dog cowboy]

No it's not. I said 'this year.' And I didn't say anything at all about picks from the 3rd or 4th rounds.

 

[CCBoy]

No it's not. I said 'this year.' And I didn't say anything at all about picks from the 3rd or 4th rounds.

Your statement premised on wasted picks...Elliott?

And yes, the 2nd pick was on who can be a premier linebacker...but onto the original premise of waste, a defensive tackle and defensive end were both added next.

 

[Idgit]

Your statement premised on wasted picks...Elliott?

And yes, the 2nd pick was on who can be a premier linebacker...but onto the original premise of waste, a defensive tackle and defensive end were both added next.

I know who we took in the later rounds. My point was we missed the opportunity to help the defense in the first, and we missed the opportunity to help the defense his year in the second. So that no matter how improved that unit may not may not be this season, it could have been better.

 

[FuzzyLumpkins]

I know who we took in the later rounds. My point was we missed the opportunity to help the defense in the first, and we missed the opportunity to help the defense his year in the second. So that no matter how improved that unit may not may not be this season, it could have been better.

Seeing what happened with Ramsey and with Bosa off the board I'm not sure what opportunity with value we had on defense in the first. Trade down I guess?

Over Jaylon, I see your point with a DB or LB, not Ragland, there in the second. I don't know enough about neuromuscular regeneration to be overly confident with Smith.

 

[stilltheguru88]

You betting a discussion on THAT? How about if there are less than 3 completions of over 20 meters charged to Morris Claiborne...that's my bet. Anything over that number, is YOUR bet. The loser has to at the conclusion of the regular season, state in a thread on site, that he was an idiot for doubting the other's statement.

Let's go...or get real.

Lol I'm not betting because I hope I am wrong and he miraculously stops playing stupid football. I just doubt he will change. Get mad at him, not me

 

[CCBoy]

Lol I'm not betting because I hope I am wrong and he miraculously stops playing stupid football. I just doubt he will change. Get mad at him, not me

 

[CCBoy]

I know who we took in the later rounds. My point was we missed the opportunity to help the defense in the first, and we missed the opportunity to help the defense his year in the second. So that no matter how improved that unit may not may not be this season, it could have been better.

The defense improved up front, with Benson Mayowa, and Cedric Thornton in free agency. In the draft, the Cowboys added Charles Tapper and Maliek Collins. Happy or not, that is a direction that fully has potential to be developed up. The defensive interior has been improved inside, and with Gregory/Lawrence coming back after the start of the season, the whole box area has been elevated of the past three seasons...and largely through the draft.

Right now, a linebacker group, (in the future), of Sean Lee, Rolando McClain, and Jaylon Smith - definitely has the potential of being one of the very best linebacker groups in the NFL.

Naw, I'm not going to be crying over adding the likes of Zeke Elliott for the nest eight seasons, up front...at all.

 

[casmith07]

I know who we took in the later rounds. My point was we missed the opportunity to help the defense in the first, and we missed the opportunity to help the defense his year in the second. So that no matter how improved that unit may not may not be this season, it could have been better.

You don't know that at all. Maliek Collins and Charles Tapper could end up being world-beaters better than anybody selected ahead of them.

This defense could come back better with the addition of Orlando Scandrick from injury than it was last year too, which would put us squarely in the top 10 of defenses.

The absolutist view of a total unknown like the draft is flat out terrible. You're a seasoned poster and fan, c'mon, man.

 

[speedkilz88]

Seeing what happened with Ramsey and with Bosa off the board I'm not sure what opportunity with value we had on defense in the first. Trade down I guess?

Over Jaylon, I see your point with a DB or LB, not Ragland, there in the second. I don't know enough about neuromuscular regeneration to be overly confident with Smith.

Had they traded down they were looking to draft DE Leonard Floyd, another Randy Gregory type. In the 2nd Ragland doesn't even fit the Marinelli mold. He didn't even cover in the nickel in college, they had him rush. Looks more like a 3-4 ILB.

With a trade down in the first for a pass rusher I think they would have been more aggressive to get the qb in the 2nd and got Lynch. Had they stayed put I think they might have over-drafted Collins or maybe went safety Vonn Bell who didn't go much higher than Collins. WR Michael Thomas would have been another possibility. Don't think they had interest in Derrick Henry.

 

[Macnalty]

If our best CB, Scandrick,and our best overall defender, Lee, can both stay healthy it will be very big.

I am also excited that our two weakest positions over the last few years, FS and the 1-tech have both been upgraded with potentially above average players.

Besides staying healthy, I think the thing that would help us the most is if one of our young RDEs, Mayowa, Tapper, or Gregory can develop into a top-notch pass rusher that demands double teams.

Just an observation I have my doubts about Scandrick, he seems to have lots of off field issues going on with his personal life and the number of people who can handle those kind of distractions are few and far between. I hope I am wrong but the writing's on the wall if people choose to look. Adding a injury to this mix makes me very nervous.
I do not think we are keeping any offensive coordinators up at night in the NFC east. IMO

 

[CowboyRoy]

I find it hilarious how many people are talking about just how bad our defense is, definitely laughable.

The prior year the Panthers made the playoffs with a losing record. They had the 21st ranked defense in the NFL. They had Greg Hardy, but he was suspended for the entire year and they did not re-sign him.

They had the 19th ranked offense in the league.

The next year they were the 1st ranked offense in the league and the 6th ranked defense in the league.

Are there a lot of IFs on this defense? Absolutely, there are, but people are ignoring the investments we've made that have yet to bear fruit.

Second year defensive players - Randy Gregory, Byron Jones. Two players with first round grades and while Randy Gregory is suspended for 4 games, I believe once he returns he will have an impact. I think Jones at safety full time will have a large impact.

Returning players - Orlando Scandrick. I think a couple years ago Scandrick was one of our best players on defense. Probably the second best player on defense behind Sean Lee at the time. His return seriously bolsters the secondary.

I fully expect this defense to look different this year especially given the position the offense will put it in. Despite going 4-12, that defense was ranked 16th in the NFL in points... Certainly not as bad as people would suggest, but that is the narrative people are running with.

The only thing that is hilarious is your unfounded faith in this defense. It has no grounds what so ever. Stop mucking up the board with this kind of nonsense. Maybe we should make a board for overzealous homer rants.

 

[CCBoy]

The only thing that is hilarious is your unfounded faith in this defense. It has no grounds what so ever. Stop mucking up the board with this kind of nonsense. Maybe we should make a board for overzealous homer rants.

A bit insultive, wouldn't you agree...and no, not on topic but feeling.

 

[sideon]

Greg Jackson will be very important to this defense, if he can make the secondary look respectable then that changes everything.

 

[CyberB0b]

Claiborne playing for a new contract could be a huge.

He did that last year.

 

[Idgit]

You don't know that at all. Maliek Collins and Charles Tapper could end up being world-beaters better than anybody selected ahead of them.

This defense could come back better with the addition of Orlando Scandrick from injury than it was last year too, which would put us squarely in the top 10 of defenses.

The absolutist view of a total unknown like the draft is flat out terrible. You're a seasoned poster and fan, c'mon, man.

I don't need to keep repeating myself, and the point I'm making ought to be self evident. We had a chance to address the defense for next season further with the 4th pick overall and the 34th pick overall. We didn't, and I think that was a mistake because it's been the lack of defensive talent that's kept us from really contending for years now. We need impact players on that side of the ball, and those are a lot tougher to find from the third round down.

 

[casmith07]

I don't need to keep repeating myself, and the point I'm making ought to be self evident. We had a chance to address the defense for next season further with the 4th pick overall and the 34th pick overall. We didn't, and I think that was a mistake because it's been the lack of defensive talent that's kept us from really contending for years now. We need impact players on that side of the ball, and those are a lot tougher to find from the third round down.

You can repeat yourself until you're blue in the face. Your myopic view doesn't excuse the lack of seeing the big picture or the complete landscape of the team and the league in general when it comes to trying to build a team that can compete long term.

There is absolutely no guarantee that your idea of "addressing the defense" with the first two picks would work out any better than what transpired thus far this offseason.

 

[Idgit]

You can repeat yourself until you're blue in the face. Your myopic view doesn't excuse the lack of seeing the big picture or the complete landscape of the team and the league in general when it comes to trying to build a team that can compete long term.

There is absolutely no guarantee that your idea of "addressing the defense" with the first two picks would work out any better than what transpired thus far this offseason.

That's really the argument you're going to stick with, huh? That devoting more and more valuable resources to the defense doesn't guarantee that it would be better? It's not myopic to see what gets us beat and to want to improve it so it doesn't happen. It's myopic to not see it in the first place because you're too busy addressing the offense and just hoping the hodgepodge of DLs we've brought in is going to come together. Not to mention the question of what we're going to do in the secondary next season when Church, Wilcox, Carr, and Claiborne might all need to be replaced in the same offseason.

 

[casmith07]

That's really the argument you're going to stick with, huh? That devoting more and more valuable resources to the defense doesn't guarantee that it would be better? It's not myopic to see what gets us beat and to want to improve it so it doesn't happen. It's myopic to not see it in the first place because you're too busy addressing the offense and just hoping the hodgepodge of DLs we've brought in is going to come together. Not to mention the question of what we're going to do in the secondary next season when Church, Wilcox, Carr, and Claiborne might all need to be replaced in the same offseason.

No, what's myopic is not taking a total talent approach to improving your football team. You're focused entirely on players that you've bandied about for two seasons now as being clearly on your shitlist and are myopically focused on one side of the ball.

The Cowboys felt that the best player available was Ezekiel Elliott. Are you suggesting that as a general manager you would reach for need over BPA in the draft as your way of doing business?

Are you further suggesting that the return of Scandrick and additions like Benson Mayowa will do absolutely nothing for this defense in the way of improvement over last year's comparable players? Which, I might add, the defense is the ONLY reason we were within 1 score for the vast majority of our losses while the offense sputtered away anemically.

I'm of the belief that you do what you can as it presents itself to put your team in the best possible position to compete going forward based on examining what you have. We addressed needs within financial parameters by re-signing our own players that we liked, and then adding free agents that we liked as well, like Mayowa. The Cowboys always try to use free agency to plug gaps and to then go into the draft able to select the best player on the board at their selection since Jason Garrett took over as head coach.

What would you have done differently that would've made the team over the top better? Because I haven't seen in this thread where you have suggested any specific pieces or players -- its all just been general wailing and gnashing of teeth.

 

[LandryFan]

It's surprising to me how many people think it was horrible in 2015.

I gotta question: Why did the Cowboys play Tampa Bay 2 times in 1990?

They played twice in the regular season under a scheduling system that had last place teams in the 5 divisions of each conference play a home and home series. Out of curiosity, I had to go look that up...I had completely forgotten about the old scheduling system.

 

[casmith07]

The defense improved up front, with Benson Mayowa, and Cedric Thornton in free agency. In the draft, the Cowboys added Charles Tapper and Maliek Collins. Happy or not, that is a direction that fully has potential to be developed up. The defensive interior has been improved inside, and with Gregory/Lawrence coming back after the start of the season, the whole box area has been elevated of the past three seasons...and largely through the draft.

Right now, a linebacker group, (in the future), of Sean Lee, Rolando McClain, and Jaylon Smith - definitely has the potential of being one of the very best linebacker groups in the NFL.

Naw, I'm not going to be crying over adding the likes of Zeke Elliott for the nest eight seasons, up front...at all.

I completely forgot about Cedric Thornton!