Dorance Armstrong Review

speedkilz88

Well-Known Member
Messages
35,997
Reaction score
21,855
We’ve got
1. Lawrence
2. Gregory
3. Smith
4. Crawford
5. Anae
6. Armstrong
7. Jackson
8. Jelks

McCarthy has indicated six DE’s will be on the 53 man roster so we’re looking at two players cut unless Gregory isn’t re-instated. I have Armstrong sliding into the last spot on the roster.
I think that's his minimum. The young guys could force him to go long. Some are also tweeners that could possibly considered OLB's.
 

Alexander

What's it going to be then, eh?
Messages
62,437
Reaction score
67,220
I think he definitely makes the team, the question is whether he improves this year. If he does he could challenge for starter reps, if not he is still solid depth IMO.
If he makes the team it is because Gregory did not get reinstated and Anae does not pan out. Carter could challenge him.

He is the epitome of mediocre.
 

Beaker42

Well-Known Member
Messages
9,050
Reaction score
7,366
Armstrong, a RD4 pick in 2018, is going into his third year with us.

I wanted to take the temperature from the zone.

He hasn't been able get playing time (in on 23% of snaps) & has been bad on special teams (missed all his tackle attempt last year). Though, he has a good first step and has flashed at times. 2.5 sacks and a FF last year in 257 snaps.

What do we think about him going forward? Any chance he doesn't make the team?
He’s a bust - give his snaps to Anae.
 

cowboyec

Well-Known Member
Messages
33,579
Reaction score
40,418
not a automatic that he makes the team.
he could but i think the final spot could be him or joe jackson...i like Jackson.
the DE group will be fun to watch.
 

ConstantReboot

Well-Known Member
Messages
11,197
Reaction score
9,872
His better than that Trystan "over the" Hill guy that we totally reached in the 2nd round for.

If Armstrong doesn't pan out I'm good with that. I think he's nothing more than a reliable backup.
 

America's Cowboy

Well-Known Member
Messages
32,792
Reaction score
46,287
Armstrong, a RD4 pick in 2018, is going into his third year with us.

I wanted to take the temperature from the zone.

He hasn't been able get playing time (in on 23% of snaps) & has been bad on special teams (missed all his tackle attempt last year). Though, he has a good first step and has flashed at times. 2.5 sacks and a FF last year in 257 snaps.

What do we think about him going forward? Any chance he doesn't make the team?
I like DE Jason Jelks more than I do DE Dorance Armstrong. Both have their work cut out for them if they want to make the team this year.
 

Jfconrow

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,269
Reaction score
672
I think RE is Smith or Greggory. Armstrong I’ve been pulling for since the Taco blunder, but he did nothing so not holding out for Armstrong.
 

Bullflop

Cowboys Diehard
Messages
24,533
Reaction score
29,885
Armstrong will see enough competition that he'll be tested as never before.

He'd better be the best version of himself if he intends to stay on the roster.

Those such as Joe Jackson and Aldon Smith will be tough DEs to beat out.
 

Typhus

Captain Catfish
Messages
19,558
Reaction score
22,447
Why at LDE? Smith seems a much better fit at RDE and we need someone there, Crawford is a better fit at LDE backing up DLaw IMO (if he returns, which I think he will after a paycut).
Correct, my bad.
 

ghst187

Well-Known Member
Messages
15,515
Reaction score
11,351
He looks like a run of the mill backup DE. That's not necessarily a bad thing; every team's got their Dorance Armstrong and every team needs their Dorance Armstrong, but he's not a difference maker at all. You give him a dozen snaps a game when you shift your starting DE inside on the diesel package or the starter wants a breather.

agree...he’s capable...might even pull 6-8 sacks out of him with more PT..
You need guys like him
 

quickccc

Well-Known Member
Messages
16,062
Reaction score
13,981
Armstrong, a RD4 pick in 2018, is going into his third year with us.

I wanted to take the temperature from the zone.

He hasn't been able get playing time (in on 23% of snaps) & has been bad on special teams (missed all his tackle attempt last year). Though, he has a good first step and has flashed at times. 2.5 sacks and a FF last year in 257 snaps.

What do we think about him going forward? Any chance he doesn't make the team?

Are you sure that snap count is right ?
Who else was on the depth chart to where Armstrong wasn't getting enough playing time i would wonder.
Hyder ?

- With Taco and Gregory out of the picture, there was no one else to rely upon behind Dlaw, Quinn and Crawford.
and Crawford was another that was so banged up from assorted injuries before eventually bowing out for the year.

- So where was the other DE re-enforcement was gonna come from ?
Marinelli eventually had Bennett playing some end ..and RDE at that (which was stupid, imo) so was that because of lack of respect and regard towards an overall healthy Armstrong ?

- At draft time i had heard how high Cowboys were on Dorace that they thought heavily
about trading up in the 3rd round to get him instead of
waiting for him to drop to his 4th round spot. They thought he was such a natural pass rusher - despite his poor workout numbers.

- Although i have yet to see anything flashy and impressive about Dorace besides a decent try hard guy, the way i see it with Armstrong may be the same way i will see it with Trysten Hill.
We have to see it through the new coaches eyes. they way they evaluate, scheme and see the intangibles of a player will very likely be
different than what was emphasized in what Marinelli implemented.

It's a fresh start and a renewed focus.
Armstrong will likely go up against what rookie Bradley Anaes, and leftovers Jelks and jackson also will likely bring to the table.

:cool:
 

Mr_437

Well-Known Member
Messages
16,910
Reaction score
18,816
We’ve got
1. Lawrence
2. Gregory
3. Smith
4. Crawford
5. Anae
6. Armstrong
7. Jackson
8. Jelks

McCarthy has indicated six DE’s will be on the 53 man roster so we’re looking at two players cut unless Gregory isn’t re-instated. I have Armstrong sliding into the last spot on the roster.
RG, Smith n Crawford are on 1 year deals, so the more youngsters they can hold on to thru 2020 sets them up better for 2021 depth wise.
 

CATCH17

1st Round Pick
Messages
66,922
Reaction score
84,274
4th round pick, from a small school that needed to add a lot of strength and weight? Probably takes time to develop.

Kansas is a big enough school and he got to play pretty decent competition.

He’s also had opportunities in the NFL and hasn’t done anything with it yet.

He needs to show something this year.
 

xwalker

Well-Known Member
Messages
56,909
Reaction score
64,318
CowboysZone ULTIMATE Fan
Armstrong, a RD4 pick in 2018, is going into his third year with us.

I wanted to take the temperature from the zone.

He hasn't been able get playing time (in on 23% of snaps) & has been bad on special teams (missed all his tackle attempt last year). Though, he has a good first step and has flashed at times. 2.5 sacks and a FF last year in 257 snaps.

What do we think about him going forward? Any chance he doesn't make the team?

I just reviewed him in game 2 of 2019. Quinn was out and Armstrong had his highest percent of snaps played in that game for the season.
  • He is strong and gets off blocks in the run game with good hand usage.
  • He has decent quickness but he is more of a power to speed rusher than speed to power if that makes sense.
  • That's OK because DLaw play that style.
  • He played more of an obvious run defense 1st mentality.
  • There was an obvious difference the few times that he was all-out pass rushing which was primarily on empty backfield sets.
  • He has a good chance to be able to perform as well at DE as T.Crawford.
  • It's impossible to predict much about DLine players this year due to the new scheme.
    • Some players will fit better and some won't be good fits in the new scheme relative to the old scheme.
    • There will be a lot of competition for that last DE spot. They'll likely keep 5 DEs.
      • DLaw
      • Crawford
      • Anae
      • Aldon Smith
      • Maybe Randy Gregory
      • Armstrong
      • Joe Jackson
      • Multiple UDFAs that looked better in college than the average UDFA.
 

quickccc

Well-Known Member
Messages
16,062
Reaction score
13,981
I just reviewed him in game 2 of 2019. Quinn was out and Armstrong had his highest percent of snaps played in that game for the season.
  • He is strong and gets off blocks in the run game with good hand usage.
  • He has decent quickness but he is more of a power to speed rusher than speed to power if that makes sense.
  • That's OK because DLaw play that style.
  • He played more of an obvious run defense 1st mentality.
  • There was an obvious difference the few times that he was all-out pass rushing which was primarily on empty backfield sets.
  • He has a good chance to be able to perform as well at DE as T.Crawford.
  • It's impossible to predict much about DLine players this year due to the new scheme.
    • Some players will fit better and some won't be good fits in the new scheme relative to the old scheme.
    • There will be a lot of competition for that last DE spot. They'll likely keep 5 DEs.
      • DLaw
      • Crawford
      • Anae
      • Aldon Smith
      • Maybe Randy Gregory
      • Armstrong
      • Joe Jackson
      • Multiple UDFAs that looked better in college than the average UDFA.

" Maybe Randy Gregory " ...?? are you basing the Maybe off Ole goody Goodell yet to reinstate Randy ?

i know it's been quite awhile off again... but when it comes to first step get off and agile- bend, there's no one that surpasses Randy
in those areas. Hes' the most athletic player and probably the most explosive of the pass rushers.

Alden has considerable amount of bend and agility himself but i don't think it's on the level of Gregory. but Alden has the enormous power
in his arms and upper body that Gregory doesn't, many of his sacks i've seen is more where he just overpowered blockers and twist-bend to
get " skinny" past blockers into gapes towards the QB.

Maybe in your extensive research you can please evaluate randy's run defense as for a guy that is around his mere 250 pounds, he uses
his length, arms and surprising play strength to string out run plays. i've seen that on quite a bit of his clips.

of course RG being out so long, only so limited amount games played for his career, still quite some inexperience and never been committed to the Cowboys
off season strength programming that plays into some uncertainty in him possibly starting...imo.

o_O
 
Top