News: BTB: Cowboys’ Secondary Overhaul May Be Necessary, But It’s Very Risky

[NewsBot]

The Cowboys let four defensive backs leave as free agents. It may have been the right thing to do, but not certain that it’s going to turn out for the best.

A few days ago, after Brandon Carr and Mo Claiborne left the Cowboys with new contracts, I wrote an article on why revamping the secondary was now the Cowboy’s most important need. At the end of the article, I supported the general idea of turning over an aging secondary to get better, but started to raise some of the risks.

If the Cowboys are done in free agency, they must be expecting to fill these holes in the draft. That’s not a terrible strategy. Certainly, the Cowboys need to get younger, and much better, in the secondary, and it’s hard to get much better returning older free agents. But it’s a very risky one, since the team doesn’t know who will be available when they draft, and if they want to draft the best player available, what do they do if a defensive back isn’t the best player when they are on the clock?
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The next day, our Michael Sisemore took a somewhat different view, arguing that the Cowboys needed to let these players leave to get younger and better, without really accounting for any risks.

This exodus was a long time coming and it should be a welcome sight for sore eyes. The Cowboys will be a better defense next year despite being quite youthful. They have plenty of time between now and September to bring guys in that can make a difference.

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Continue reading...

 

[jobberone]

Looks like there isn't a choice to me.

We need one or two playmakers back there.

 

[LocimusPrime]

Is that jones giving up a play on defense again. Comeon jones, I got hopes for you still.

 

[big dog cowboy]

The Cowboys let four defensive backs leave as free agents.

10 words into the story and I stopped reading.

That simply isn't true. Good grief.

Is it just me or has BTB gone downhill the last year or so?

 

[CWR]

Yes there is a middle ground between panic and dismissing the guys we lost as being of little worth.

We are rolling the dice on our ability to plug in new players and roll with prior backups becoming starters. However, Id like to believe the staff has seen enough in practice and game film to realize our former back ups are ready and finding DBS in this draft that can run our defense wont be as difficult as imagined.

I really could see it go either way. There's a part of me that believes our dbs were the least of our defensive problems. But another part that tells me to trust in the staff and believe in Heath and Brown and our draft process.

Either way I see this as just as big of a need as DE.

 

[kiheikiwi]

Ha !
See, told ya it is risky ! Stealing my thunder ...

 

[Noclaf]

If you can't rush the passer who cares who is in the secondary, problem is now they have to draft 2 corners and a safety, less picks to find someone that can get to the QB. And don't forget they suck at drafting guys that can rush

 

[jobberone]

Church and Wilcox.
Carr and Mo.

Gone With the Wind

 

[Q_the_man]

If we don't get a pass rusher we are doomed come playoff time.

 

[stilltheguru88]

That's why you need a guy to come in and be smart enough to keep communication smooth. Which is why Peppers shouldn't even be an option. He never showed the ability to be a field general and line guys up. Baker is the guy. If we cry so much about average Church leaving because of his leadership and lining people up then get a guy twice the player he is and a leader in his own right.

 

[Hardline]

The front seven determines how your secondary looks.

 

[Sydla]

Yes there is a middle ground between panic and dismissing the guys we lost as being of little worth.

We are rolling the dice on our ability to plug in new players and roll with prior backups becoming starters. However, Id like to believe the staff has seen enough in practice and game film to realize our former back ups are ready and finding DBS in this draft that can run our defense wont be as difficult as imagined.

I really could see it go either way. There's a part of me that believes our dbs were the least of our defensive problems. But another part that tells me to trust in the staff and believe in Heath and Brown and our draft process.

Either way I see this as just as big of a need as DE.

Which is why I think it was silly to just jettison everyone. You can remake the secondary without burning the whole thing down. Carroll at $3.3MM is a downgrade from Claiborne.

I would have brought Claiborne back at $5MM and that would have not prevented you from still remaking the secondary. I think it was an unnecessary risk to take.

 

[Sydla]

That's why you need a guy to come in and be smart enough to keep communication smooth. Which is why Peppers shouldn't even be an option. He never showed the ability to be a field general and line guys up. Baker is the guy. If we cry so much about average Church leaving because of his leadership and lining people up then get a guy twice the player he is and a leader in his own right.

Is that really true?

 

[Denim Chicken]

The front seven determines how your secondary looks.

I think the earlier portion of last season proved it can go either way.

 

[JoeKing]

Need outweighs risk.

 

[stilltheguru88]

Is that really true?

From what I've seen he just plays.

 

[Irvin88_4life]

That's why you need a guy to come in and be smart enough to keep communication smooth. Which is why Peppers shouldn't even be an option. He never showed the ability to be a field general and line guys up. Baker is the guy. If we cry so much about average Church leaving because of his leadership and lining people up then get a guy twice the player he is and a leader in his own right.

Sean Lee is the leader of the defense. We need playmakers period

 

[CWR]

Which is why I think it was silly to just jettison everyone. You can remake the secondary without burning the whole thing down. Carroll at $3.3MM is a downgrade from Claiborne.

I would have brought Claiborne back at $5MM and that would have not prevented you from still remaking the secondary. I think it was an unnecessary risk to take.

I really wanted Mo back. I absolutely hate the idea of suffering through his early failures only to have him develop into a great player for someone else. I was hoping for another short term deal.

But I have to believe Carroll was more about fitting within the scheme rather than money. I dont know Xs and Os well enough to call it fact, but perhaps Marinelli was tired of being limited due to his DBs inability to play zone.

 

[CyberB0b]

10 words into the story and I stopped reading.

That simply isn't true. Good grief.

Is it just me or has BTB gone downhill the last year or so?

What isn't true?

 

[Sydla]

I really wanted Mo back. I absolutely hate the idea of suffering through his early failures only to have him develop into a great player for someone else. I was hoping for another short term deal.

But I have to believe Carroll was more about fitting within the scheme rather than money. I dont know Xs and Os well enough to call it fact, but perhaps Marinelli was tired of being limited due to his DBs inability to play zone.

For some reason, we've been obsessed with Carroll for two offseasons now.

He's a mediocre CB. I don't get it.