The problems with the defense, exclusive to the Cowboys?

Bullflop · Jun 8, 2021

We're likely to field a better team than we did last year but some other teams can claim the same.

The results are about to be discovered in the weeks and months that lie ahead. It'll be interesting.

plasticman · Jun 8, 2021

A while back I discussed how the average number of INT's for a season in the 70's for a team was twice as much as what we see today. That doesn't mean the DB's are less skilled or athletic, quite the opposite. It's just far more difficult to get them these days.

Throughout the entire 70's an NFL team had single digit INT's for their season 8 times. That is a ten year period, a full decade. During the decade of 2010-2019, that number is 46 times, 5 of those seasons belong to the Dallas Cowboys.

CowboyoWales · Jun 8, 2021

CouchCoach said:
I've been noticing this trend for the last 10 years or so but there seems to be this growing chasm between defensive and offensive players.

When you think of the stars in the NFL, in the top 10, how many are on the D side?

There just aren't enough strong D players to go around.

Look at this draft and the D players, even the CB's. Horn, Surtain and Farley all get picked in the 1st but isn't that by default? Pick of a homely litter?

The picking is slim so if a team finds one, they've got to hold onto him and when they let him walk, does that really make a real difference on either team?

Look at Byron Jones. He isn't great but I was concerned about losing him because of what they didn't have to replace him. His absence and presence on either team went unnoticed.

Aren't most of the teams composed of JAG's on defense? Some player will show up one week and then what? There's the exception of Aaron Donald and who else? The inconsistent play is the most consistent element.

I think building a defense in the NFL is the toughest challenge and if they build it, keeping it together poses the next problem. Let's watch the WFT try and do that without sacrificing a real QB.

I am in no way excusing the poor job of building Cowboys defenses for so long but the margin for error is ever so thin when they pick just two wrong players.

The other side of the ball is just better. The OL's are better than the DL's and the receivers are better than the secondary's and we've got a lot of QB's making it look easy because it is.

The WFT has built a nice defense, now lets see them keep it together because this isn't 2000 or 2003 where a team can take a shut down D to a ring, one ring. If a team doesn't have the offense, the QB, they're not winning a ring. And the majority of talent is on the O side because that's where the money is.

I do not see this changing, only getting more inequitable to the D side because the growth in money has been going to the O side and it's not even close.

The rules changed to favor the offense and the money followed and players follow the money.

The problem we have is that recently the Jones' have tried to build the Defense around 1 or 2 expensive leaders and hoped they would pull the JAGS together into a unit.

The lack of available CAP (when compared to other teams) results in us getting low end JAGS (Poe, Worley, Clinton-Dix)...... you pay peanuts you get monkey's.

Unlike an offense, which can rely on a couple of superstars, Defense is only as good as it's weakest element.

Even the Jones' had to concede that the Defense is just got not good enough, hence the 2021 draft.

Hadenough · Jun 8, 2021

CouchCoach said:
I've been noticing this trend for the last 10 years or so but there seems to be this growing chasm between defensive and offensive players.

When you think of the stars in the NFL, in the top 10, how many are on the D side?

There just aren't enough strong D players to go around.

Look at this draft and the D players, even the CB's. Horn, Surtain and Farley all get picked in the 1st but isn't that by default? Pick of a homely litter?

The picking is slim so if a team finds one, they've got to hold onto him and when they let him walk, does that really make a real difference on either team?

Look at Byron Jones. He isn't great but I was concerned about losing him because of what they didn't have to replace him. His absence and presence on either team went unnoticed.

Aren't most of the teams composed of JAG's on defense? Some player will show up one week and then what? There's the exception of Aaron Donald and who else? The inconsistent play is the most consistent element.

I think building a defense in the NFL is the toughest challenge and if they build it, keeping it together poses the next problem. Let's watch the WFT try and do that without sacrificing a real QB.

I am in no way excusing the poor job of building Cowboys defenses for so long but the margin for error is ever so thin when they pick just two wrong players.

The other side of the ball is just better. The OL's are better than the DL's and the receivers are better than the secondary's and we've got a lot of QB's making it look easy because it is.

The WFT has built a nice defense, now lets see them keep it together because this isn't 2000 or 2003 where a team can take a shut down D to a ring, one ring. If a team doesn't have the offense, the QB, they're not winning a ring. And the majority of talent is on the O side because that's where the money is.

I do not see this changing, only getting more inequitable to the D side because the growth in money has been going to the O side and it's not even close.

The rules changed to favor the offense and the money followed and players follow the money.

I agree with the money and talent going to the offense. The problem I see is Dallas isnt getting enough production from their later round drafted players.

G2 · Jun 8, 2021

No. Everything is geared toward the offense.

Diehardblues · Jun 8, 2021

CouchCoach said:
I've been noticing this trend for the last 10 years or so but there seems to be this growing chasm between defensive and offensive players.

When you think of the stars in the NFL, in the top 10, how many are on the D side?

There just aren't enough strong D players to go around.

Look at this draft and the D players, even the CB's. Horn, Surtain and Farley all get picked in the 1st but isn't that by default? Pick of a homely litter?

The picking is slim so if a team finds one, they've got to hold onto him and when they let him walk, does that really make a real difference on either team?

Look at Byron Jones. He isn't great but I was concerned about losing him because of what they didn't have to replace him. His absence and presence on either team went unnoticed.

Aren't most of the teams composed of JAG's on defense? Some player will show up one week and then what? There's the exception of Aaron Donald and who else? The inconsistent play is the most consistent element.

I think building a defense in the NFL is the toughest challenge and if they build it, keeping it together poses the next problem. Let's watch the WFT try and do that without sacrificing a real QB.

I am in no way excusing the poor job of building Cowboys defenses for so long but the margin for error is ever so thin when they pick just two wrong players.

The other side of the ball is just better. The OL's are better than the DL's and the receivers are better than the secondary's and we've got a lot of QB's making it look easy because it is.

The WFT has built a nice defense, now lets see them keep it together because this isn't 2000 or 2003 where a team can take a shut down D to a ring, one ring. If a team doesn't have the offense, the QB, they're not winning a ring. And the majority of talent is on the O side because that's where the money is.

I do not see this changing, only getting more inequitable to the D side because the growth in money has been going to the O side and it's not even close.

The rules changed to favor the offense and the money followed and players follow the money.

The Salary Cap is probably the biggest factor. There just isn’t enough to retain Defensive talent assuming you’ve invested on offense.

And why drafts are so critical to retain a solid defense. It’s why our defense has been so bad as we’ve missed( bust or risk) too many times on top picks( 1st and 2nd round) on defense.

Drafts have never been so critical than Salary Cap era as teams churn rosters every year.

garyo1954 · Jun 8, 2021

Are we missing Taco yet?

The problems with the defense, exclusive to the Cowboys?

Bullflop

Cowboys Diehard

plasticman

Well-Known Member

CowboyoWales

Well-Known Member

Hadenough

Well-Known Member

G2

Taco Engineer

Diehardblues

Well-Known Member

garyo1954

Well-Known Member