I think we all have to change our mindset with next year's defensive scheme. For year's Marinelli, employed a bend, don't break defense with the Cowboys. Rarely blitzed, forced teams to throw underneath, secondary's biggest job was to prevent the big play. The scheme was based on, offenses needing to drive the entire field and toughening up in the redzone. The scheme wasn't game specific, where it was quite easy for opposing teams to exploit their weaknesses.
In my opinion, this year's defense under Mike Nolan is going to be complete opposite to what Marinelli ran. We should expect to see more of an aggressive scheme, that employs multiple defensive fronts and is game specific. You would think, we would see far more blitzing, more press coverage in hopes of creating more impact defensive plays.
As the front office starts to retool their defense, you would think they build inside out. Fortify the defensive line with players who can play any scheme is first on the list. As for the secondary, they need to target players with high level instincts. Balls should be coming out quicker, which means players need to read and react faster. No more playing their man, but more about being around the football.
Cowboys wanted to change from Marinelli's Tampa 2 defense to Seahawk's more aggressive Legion of Boom.. thus enter Kris Richard who immediately changed Byron Jones from an average FS safety to a very solid man coverage CB, even despite a lack of ball hawk INT skills. but there was too much discension in the ranks between Marinelli and his one gap DL and Bloom's mutiny among the LB unit
plus add to it that the team supposedly refused to let Richard hire his own LB coach but insist that Bloom stay on as LB coach - so as whole the defense was bound to fail .. that's why it needs to fall on Mike Nolan alone instead of this co-DC.
i dunno whee the rare blitz theory among fans is coming from ...they blitzed quite a bit percentage but the problem was -- it was so poorly designed, it just wasnt' gettign home as it needed to be .. and ironically that played a part of Richard being allowed to walk in Seattle as Pete Carroll did not care for his penchant to blitz and leave too much of the defense exposed and vulnerable,
But the bulk of the problem was marinelli's out of control, lack of discipline and physicality in his DL unit. Marinelli practically gave up the back seven up to Richard as well as the signal calll duties - but why this team did not go ahead and give Richard the entire defense if they really thought so highly of him, i have no idea. i can only speculate that they had a high on infatuation with Marinelli that they did not want to hurt his feellings - did the same with matt Eberflus and the big confusion and departure involved too.
-His preference for more movement vs bigger bulk 1 tech,
-his low regards for the 1 tech role that no doubt played a part of the ongoing decents and JAGs revolving door we've had
over the years - and never a highly regarded 1 tech-er
-his odd rotation packages that had his best players on sideline even in red zone spots,
- and unfortunately Rod's draft involvement and preference that led to Taco over TJ Watt was one that will burn for years to come as
Watt is just ballin' in Steelers nation, while Taco was cut before his rookie contract was played out.