An optimistic view of the Defensive Line

[Killerinstinct]

I think everyone agrees that one of the areas that needs upgrading is the defensive line but I would like to offer an optimistic view of what to expect in 2017.

Mayowa - led the team in sacks. Is still young and could continue to get better. Maybe he could get 8 sacks this year on a part time basis. That would be pretty good.

Demarcus Lawrence - has been suspended, injured and partially ineffective but this could be the year he shows something. It is a contract year after all and he could go from an afterthought to a guy that earns a big pay check in one year. I expect to see the best DLAW we have seen so far.

David Irving - flashed a couple of times and was downright dominant in a couple of games. He may be just scratching the surface and could take another leap forward this year. He also could be in line for a big pay day if he does continue to improve.

Randy Gregory - He will miss most of the season but if he can avoid trouble he will be added to the roster when we need him the most. Late in the year for playoff push and play offs. He needs to stay motivated and in shape and obviously avoid trouble but he could be a late season addition right when we need a boost the most.

Jack Crawford - I don't know if he will be re-signed but if he is this could be the year he starts to put it all together. He has the traits and has shown ability in limited capacity. Now is the time for him to step it up.

Tyrone Crawford - Injured and moved around quite a bit. He did apply a decent amount of pressure though even if his sack total was disappointing. If we can keep him at DT and he can stay healthy, this might be the year where he earns his bloated contract. Otherwise he could end up a June 1st cut next offseason.

Collins - had a decent rookie year and could make strides this year as well. He looks like a nice player and maybe he can become more than that.

Thornton - a little disappointing this year but has had a full year in his new surroundings and could take a leap forward.

Terrell Mcclain - If he is re-signed could continue to improve. He had by far his best year since being here and stayed healthy most of the year for the first time.

This is without considering contributions made by new additions. I think it is highly doubtful we don't see a couple of new pieces added. Even if it's not a first rd pick or a major FA acquisition there will be some talent added to the roster for the DL.

With a couple of breaks the D line could go from a weakness to a strength very easily.

 

[Vinnie2u]

I see a bunch of ifs and maybes. Collins and Irving and a bunch of question marks. I won't be mad if we use 3 Draft picks in the DLine.

 

[AsthmaField]

Irving and Collins are the only two guys that I feel good about. Those two can be really good players. Mayowa has some potential and is a nice young guy to have around.

I also liked McClain as a complimentary piece in the DL rotation but he'll never be more than he was this year (solid player).

The rest haven't really proven that they're anything but guys who you'd like to upgrade.

Dallas is a couple/three good DL away from being able to be a good defense. The good news is that I think one or two might come this offseason. I hope so. It is time to make it happen if at all possible.

 

[waldoputty]

I think everyone agrees that one of the areas that needs upgrading is the defensive line but I would like to offer an optimistic view of what to expect in 2017.

Mayowa - led the team in sacks. Is still young and could continue to get better. Maybe he could get 8 sacks this year on a part time basis. That would be pretty good.

Demarcus Lawrence - has been suspended, injured and partially ineffective but this could be the year he shows something. It is a contract year after all and he could go from an afterthought to a guy that earns a big pay check in one year. I expect to see the best DLAW we have seen so far.

David Irving - flashed a couple of times and was downright dominant in a couple of games. He may be just scratching the surface and could take another leap forward this year. He also could be in line for a big pay day if he does continue to improve.

Randy Gregory - He will miss most of the season but if he can avoid trouble he will be added to the roster when we need him the most. Late in the year for playoff push and play offs. He needs to stay motivated and in shape and obviously avoid trouble but he could be a late season addition right when we need a boost the most.

Jack Crawford - I don't know if he will be re-signed but if he is this could be the year he starts to put it all together. He has the traits and has shown ability in limited capacity. Now is the time for him to step it up.

Tyrone Crawford - Injured and moved around quite a bit. He did apply a decent amount of pressure though even if his sack total was disappointing. If we can keep him at DT and he can stay healthy, this might be the year where he earns his bloated contract. Otherwise he could end up a June 1st cut next offseason.

Collins - had a decent rookie year and could make strides this year as well. He looks like a nice player and maybe he can become more than that.

Thornton - a little disappointing this year but has had a full year in his new surroundings and could take a leap forward.

Terrell Mcclain - If he is re-signed could continue to improve. He had by far his best year since being here and stayed healthy most of the year for the first time.

This is without considering contributions made by new additions. I think it is highly doubtful we don't see a couple of new pieces added. Even if it's not a first rd pick or a major FA acquisition there will be some talent added to the roster for the DL.

With a couple of breaks the D line could go from a weakness to a strength very easily.

Sorry, there is no optimistic view of the dline.
QBs could hangout with a cheerleader in the backfield before throw the ball.
the team is in a championship window - most of the existing DL need to go.

dlaw - back injury issues - do not resign after rookie contract
jcrawford - garbage - do not resign
tcrawford - waste of cap space - question is the cap structure of his contract - possible june 1
gregory - completely unreliable for a championship run
mayowa - rotation only
irving - inconsistent - may be slightly better than rotational player
mcclain - not good enough to demand double team - use $ and a player to demand a double team.
collins - hope for the future - demand a double team - cannot count on it

 

[Irvin88_4life]

Sorry, there is no optimistic view of the dline.
QBs could hangout with a cheerleader in the backfield before throw the ball.
the team is in a championship window - most of the existing DL need to go.

dlaw - back injury issues - do not resign after rookie contract
jcrawford - garbage - do not resign
tcrawford - waste of cap space - question is the cap structure of his contract - possible june 1
gregory - completely unreliable for a championship run
mayowa - rotation only
irving - inconsistent - may be slightly better than rotational player
mcclain - not good enough to demand double team - use $ and a player to demand a double team.
collins - hope for the future - demand a double team - cannot count on it

There is always positives in everything. The best thing going for this DL is they are very young and will only get better. I do agree we need to add some more talent but by no means is this DL "no optimistic" like you say

 

[big dog cowboy]

2 high draft picks and a FA need added. Anything less is expecting Marinelli to do more with less again next year.

Next year I spend another high draft pick or 2 on the DL. The Cowboys need to stop messing around and fix it like they did the OL.

 

[waldoputty]

There is always positives in everything. The best thing going for this DL is they are very young and will only get better. I do agree we need to add some more talent but by no means is this DL "no optimistic" like you say

There is not a single player currently that demands a double team.
JCrawford was only brought back last year because we could not land other FAs.
TCrawford has vastly underperformed his contract.
Instead of getting a top FA DT, we got a 2nd tier in Thornton - who again is not good enough to demand doubles.
Instead of rotational players, we need a couple that demands attention.
Does anybody have any confidence whatsoever in Gregory staying clean for 1 year?

You need one and preferably two.
1st year draft player generally do not become that level.
Looking at this glass at 1/4 full does not get us what we need - stop wasting our championship window with garbage.

 

[Nightman]

I really like our DTs- TCrawford, MCollins, Irving, Thornton

Our DEs need a 'War Daddy'- DLawrence, Mayowa, Tapper are all OK

Draft one early and sign a vet WDE and we are nice

RGregory is not coming back this year and probably never..... he has to pass a lot of drug tests in the next 10 months

 

[Irvin88_4life]

There is not a single player currently that demands a double team.
JCrawford was only brought back last year because we could not land other FAs.
TCrawford has vastly underperformed his contract.
Instead of getting a top FA DT, we got a 2nd tier in Thornton - who again is not good enough to demand doubles.
Instead of rotational players, we need a couple that demands attention.
Does anybody have any confidence whatsoever in Gregory staying clean for 1 year?

You need one and preferably two.
1st year draft player generally do not become that level.
Looking at this glass at 1/4 full does not get us what we need - stop wasting our championship window with garbage.

You said not a single player on the DL demanded a double team........you didn't watch every game this year did you

 

[waldoputty]

I really like our DTs- TCrawford, MCollins, Irving, Thornton

Our DEs need a 'War Daddy'- DLawrence, Mayowa, Tapper are all OK

Draft one early and sign a vet WDE and we are nice

RGregory is not coming back this year and probably never..... he has to pass a lot of drug tests in the next 10 months

Why settle for Crawford when you can have Poe or the guy from the Panthters.
DLaw's back made him a non-factor
Tapper has never played a down.

 

[waldoputty]

You said not a single player on the DL demanded a double team........you didn't watch every game this year did you

I watched every game.
If you are talking about Irving, he flashed a couple times but did not played consistently.
Rodgers could light his victory cigar in the backfield with our DL.

 

[Typhus]

What I like the most about this group, is there is potential for a very strong camp this year, with the addition of a few new faces.
This DL could look dramatically different, if a few cards drop the right way.

 

[Nightman]

Why settle for Crawford when you can have Poe or the guy from the Panthters.
DLaw's back made him a non-factor
Tapper has never played a down.

You are bit Pollyanish on Free Agents.........their success rate is low

Poe or Short have nothing to do with TCrawford......they would replace Thornton or TMcClain ...the irrational piling on TCrawford around here is ridiculous

Tapper had a great camp....that was real
DLawrence will get healthy or he will be gone but he is good when healthy

We reached 15th in sacks with all these bums playing out of place.....I see improvement just from positioning and health.... Still add a FA SDE and draft a DE and DT

 

[gmoney112]

Sure, if everyone stays healthy there's a lot of potential in this group. The problem is, they haven't been able to achieve that.

Lawrence didn't fully participate in one practice last season. Not one. He was limited all year. If he can come into camp fully able to participate, that'll be a big boost in itself.

Crawford tore his rotator cuff week 2. He's going to spend a lot of time rehabbing that shoulder this offseason. But again, if he can stay healthy the entire season that's a definite boost, even if he is overpaid.

Mayowa is interesting. I didn't realize he's a SPARQ guy, who came into college around 200 pounds. A big weakness of his was strength coming out, and as we saw earlier in the season he just looked terrible. As the season went on he improved. He's just going to be 26 when camp starts. He ran a 4.65 40, his vertical jump at his Pro Day would have been 2nd among combine DL, and his shuttle would have been tied with Ziggy for fastest among DL. He's a complete question mark but he has tools and athleticism. The reps last year obviously did him some good.

Irving will just be turning 24 when the season starts. I picked him before the season as a breakout candidate and we saw some of it in flashes. He's loaded with potential at this point.

Collins is a beast. If they'd kept him as a penetrating DT instead of 2-gapping, he would have gone in the 2nd round. Thanks Nebraska. He's going to get better and he's going to be a fixture on this line for years.

If Tapper truly is healthy and won't have problems with his back thing, he's going to spend 10 years in Dallas. Another SPARQ "lunch pail" guy. The dude ran down Amari Cooper in college. The stupid frog position at OU ruined his tape, which is good for us. It may not be this year since he's missed a lot of time and will need to catch up, but he's going to be a complete steal if he back isn't an issue. Book it. He'll be our Michael Bennett. Dude had the same split as Clowney.

But, there are questions and potential doesn't always pan out. We need to bring in as much talent as we can, and let the chips fall where they may. If these guys do stay healthy and play up to their potential, even better. You can't go wrong with quality depth on the DL.

If everything works out for us regarding health and we pick up some quality talent, I could see where we're quite easily the "most improved" DL this offseason.

 

[Reverend Conehead]

I would be ecstatic if Randy Gregory would get some psychotherapy and quit being such an irresponsible punk. He has way potential that he's been throwing away.

 

[Teague31]

Did you really just say this might be the year Jack Crawford puts it together?

 

[Melonfeud]

I saw some brick wall stops by T Crawford last year nothing as famous as, say like a , K Norton Jr. goal line stuff, but a pretty clear exhibit of dominant strength, and I'm looking forward to the mystery box that's C Tapper,,,, we all loved the Irving-ator in I think the T.B. /Detroit games,,, but Ya, we're hurting in the trenches

 

[CWR]

What I like the most about this group, is there is potential for a very strong camp this year, with the addition of a few new faces.
This DL could look dramatically different, if a few cards drop the right way.

I agree whole heartedly. Add one stud DE to this mix and if Collins, Irving and Mayowa keep improving....plus I think (hope) Crawford, Thorton and Dlaw have better days ahead.

 

[xwalker]

I think everyone agrees that one of the areas that needs upgrading is the defensive line but I would like to offer an optimistic view of what to expect in 2017.

Mayowa - led the team in sacks. Is still young and could continue to get better. Maybe he could get 8 sacks this year on a part time basis. That would be pretty good.
He should be good a backup RDE but as a starter he's probably always limited.

Demarcus Lawrence - has been suspended, injured and partially ineffective but this could be the year he shows something. It is a contract year after all and he could go from an afterthought to a guy that earns a big pay check in one year. I expect to see the best DLAW we have seen so far.
We know he can be good at LDE when healthy and when they have a legit RDE. We saw that in 2015 with Hardy at RDE.

Even if he is good in 2017, is he worth the injury risk for a new contract?

David Irving - flashed a couple of times and was downright dominant in a couple of games. He may be just scratching the surface and could take another leap forward this year. He also could be in line for a big pay day if he does continue to improve.
Where does he play, LDE or DT? If DT, then does Collins play 1-tech and Irving play 3-tech?

Randy Gregory - He will miss most of the season but if he can avoid trouble he will be added to the roster when we need him the most. Late in the year for playoff push and play offs. He needs to stay motivated and in shape and obviously avoid trouble but he could be a late season addition right when we need a boost the most.
He will be out for all of the regular season. I'm not sure about the playoffs, but I would not count on a player in the playoffs that didn't play in the regular season.

Jack Crawford - I don't know if he will be re-signed but if he is this could be the year he starts to put it all together. He has the traits and has shown ability in limited capacity. Now is the time for him to step it up.
Come on, mayne. If Jack Crawford is still on the team, then they likely didn't upgrade the DL. He is what he is and is unlikely to get better.

Tyrone Crawford - Injured and moved around quite a bit. He did apply a decent amount of pressure though even if his sack total was disappointing. If we can keep him at DT and he can stay healthy, this might be the year where he earns his bloated contract. Otherwise he could end up a June 1st cut next offseason.
He could definitely improve. He was injured again to some extent and he changed positions after the start of the season. Ideally he needs to know if he will play DE or DT. He'll train to keep his weight low for DE and keep it up for DT.

They need several better players on DL before they consider cutting him for cap purposes.

Collins - had a decent rookie year and could make strides this year as well. He looks like a nice player and maybe he can become more than that.
He started most games and played the most snaps on the DL as a rookie. He should definitely improve. He'll likely get stronger.

One question is if he will play some 1-tech. He played mostly 3-tech in 2016 but did play some snaps a 1-tech. If they upgrade at DE then Irving and/or Crawford will be back at DT. Both would likely play 3-tech.

Thornton - a little disappointing this year but has had a full year in his new surroundings and could take a leap forward.
He is good enough to be part of the rotation. He salary is 3M. If they re-sign McClain there's a small chance Thorton could be cut, but if they re-sign McClain then Thorton will likely play a lot of the 1-tech snap even if he does not start. He could improve. He looked too light in 2016 compared to 2015. Also, he came from 3-4 so it took some time for him to adjust to the scheme.

Terrell Mcclain - If he is re-signed could continue to improve. He had by far his best year since being here and stayed healthy most of the year for the first time.
Proven very good player. The only way for him to improve is to stay 100% healthy. He didn't miss games in 2016 but his effectiveness decreased at the end of the season due to some nagging type injuries.

This is without considering contributions made by new additions. I think it is highly doubtful we don't see a couple of new pieces added. Even if it's not a first rd pick or a major FA acquisition there will be some talent added to the roster for the DL.
Adding 1 legit high-end talent on the DL will do wonders for the surrounding players.

Adding a high-quality RDE would:
Allow Mayowa to be a quality backup RDE.
Allow DLaw to play LDE.
Moving DLaw to LDE could help at DT because one of Irving or T.Crawford would move to DT full time.

With a couple of breaks the D line could go from a weakness to a strength very easily.

I don't think you mentioned Tapper, but if healthy he is like having an extra draft pick at DE. He has very impressive physical ability. He is a bit of a freak size/speed athlete.

 

[xwalker]

I saw some brick wall stops by T Crawford last year nothing as famous as, say like a , K Norton Jr. goal line stuff, but a pretty clear exhibit of dominant strength, and I'm looking forward to the mystery box that's C Tapper,,,, we all loved the Irving-ator in I think the T.B. /Detroit games,,, but Ya, we're hurting in the trenches

Yes, run defense is the reason they moved T.Crawford to LDE. It make them bigger/stronger at LDE and also made the 311 pound Collins the starter at 3-tech in place of the 285 pound Crawford.