Cowboys are about to make a big mistake with LB deployment

[Stash]

Yah... the beat reporters love him. But they are probably over-selling him lol

But— hey, maybe there is something there?

Yeah, who knows? I see a long term opening at strongside backer, but I don't see too many candidates that fit the physical characteristics.

 

[HoplessCowboysFan36]

I had a ton of responses to this thread, but has I scrolled down yall are covering all my bases.
Yes that would be a dumb way to deploy the best young LB duo in the league.. thankfully that is not going to happen.

 

[LatinMind]

And ....No this isn't about signing Dak to this horrendous extention....

It's about how they are gonna deploy their linebackers.

From what is being heard through the grapevine....Your starting unit is...

SLB-Lee
MLB-J.Smith
WLB-LVE

I don't even know how you begin to quantify this...

SLB- Lee.....Can't cover
MLB-J. Smith...taking on O-linemen @ the point of attack isn't his strong suit.
WLB-LVE...playing him here...takes away his greatest attibute...being able to play from sideline to sideline. Your basically taking half the field away from him..making him a hash to hash player. Big mistake.

Then in the nickle package....they are gonna take out LVE..and deploy Lee and Smith.

I'm sorry....any defense without LVE as your primary middle LBer...is asking for trouble. He is the heart of your defense.

We will see if the whispers coming out of camp are true...hopefully...not.

Since when hasnt Lee been able to cover? He's one of the best cover Lbers in the league.

Saying that, there is no way Dallas reduced his pay to up his participation. Classic overreaction on you part. In any form of Jaylon and Vander Esch is a good thing. Both can play either spot as good as eachother.

Smith is the aggressive thumper thats classic MIKE, And Vander Esch is the playmaking LBer you want at WILL. Why would you bottle him up inside when he can make plays on the edge and in pursuit.

 

[GenoT]

JS and LVE are pretty interchangeable. They subbed for each other last year but started and played a majority of their snaps at Mike and Will, respectively. Sean Lee is a better linebacker right now than Damian Wilson has ever been, regardless of position. I don't see a problem.

Do you mean qualify, because if the quantities you're considering are the stats from last year it seems pretty easy to me. Smith totaled four sacks to go with his 121 tackles on the season. Vander Esch racked up 140 tackles, along with two INTs and seven PBUs as he established himself as one of the best all-around sideline-to-sideline players in the game. Even if you're going by the eyeball test I don't see the argument here. At all.



Sean has actually been one of the best cover LBs in the league over his career and is certainly better than Damian Wilson has ever been. The position doesn't see a ton of snaps anyway, perfect for a player in a limited role. Big-time upgrade if Lee can stay healthy, but that's always a huge if.



Wasn't a problem last year as he tackled guys 121 times and took on O-linemen en route to the QB.



Running fast and making plays all over the field is exactly what Rod Marinelli's WLB is supposed to do and exactly what got LVE to the Pro Bowl and almost won him Defensive Rookie of the Year.



Says who? Lee played some nickel last year but once he missed games and LVE showed everyone what kind of player he was, LVE and JS played a vast majority of the LB snaps, in all packages, even when Lee was healthy. Heck, Lee was a healthy scratch one game. No?



Oh, I disagree there, all around. I think Jaylon showed everybody what a fantastic MLB he is in '18, and he's only going to get better. If there is a heart of this Dallas defense not named Sean Lee I'd say that it's this pair of young LBers. LVE is passionate about playing football and it shows on the field, but Smith calls the defense and is unquestionably the emotional and inspirational leader of the group. IMHO, anyway.

Dallas was the only team in the league last year with two guys in the top-15 in tackles.

Somebody’s really FEELING this thread, lol!!?!

 

[eromeopolk]

And ....No this isn't about signing Dak to this horrendous extention....

It's about how they are gonna deploy their linebackers.

From what is being heard through the grapevine....Your starting unit is...

SLB-Lee
MLB-J.Smith
WLB-LVE

I don't even know how you begin to quantify this...

SLB- Lee.....Can't cover
MLB-J. Smith...taking on O-linemen @ the point of attack isn't his strong suit.
WLB-LVE...playing him here...takes away his greatest attibute...being able to play from sideline to sideline. Your basically taking half the field away from him..making him a hash to hash player. Big mistake.

Then in the nickle package....they are gonna take out LVE..and deploy Lee and Smith.

I'm sorry....any defense without LVE as your primary middle LBer...is asking for trouble. He is the heart of your defense.

We will see if the whispers coming out of camp are true...hopefully...not.

This is a country club and not a football team. Lee deserves to be on the field because he is in the club.

Jerry loves his players to a fault. Belichick moves on from players and then when its time, he moves back (see Jamie Collins).

 

[Mannix]

I want Lee gone almost as much as I wanted Miles Austin gone years ago...."Move the flip on!!!"

 

[tyke1doe]

I love Lee
But honestly, if he makes it through TC I'll be shocked
End of controversy.
If you need a controversy ask why is Witten here.
I love JW but it's time to buy a car dealership.

 

[TwentyOne]

And ....No this isn't about signing Dak to this horrendous extention....

It's about how they are gonna deploy their linebackers.

From what is being heard through the grapevine....Your starting unit is...

SLB-Lee
MLB-J.Smith
WLB-LVE

I don't even know how you begin to quantify this...

SLB- Lee.....Can't cover
MLB-J. Smith...taking on O-linemen @ the point of attack isn't his strong suit.
WLB-LVE...playing him here...takes away his greatest attibute...being able to play from sideline to sideline. Your basically taking half the field away from him..making him a hash to hash player. Big mistake.

Then in the nickle package....they are gonna take out LVE..and deploy Lee and Smith.

I'm sorry....any defense without LVE as your primary middle LBer...is asking for trouble. He is the heart of your defense.

We will see if the whispers coming out of camp are true...hopefully...not.

Sam usally comes off the field in passing situations.

At the sam lee will take around 25% of the snaps if not even less. Jaylon and LVE will be on the field alot.

Its more about Lee getting a less important role then LVE or Jaylon playing the will or the middle.

 

[AbeBeta]

This thread should be pinned as a great example of how not to post.

Numerous false statements. A fundamental misunderstanding of the different LB roles. Unsubstantiated claims.

This one has it all!

 

[InTheZone]

Lee can't cover? end thread

 

[morat1959]

This is a country club and not a football team. Lee deserves to be on the field because he is in the club.

Jerry loves his players to a fault. Belichick moves on from players and then when its time, he moves back (see Jamie Collins).

That’s why he wins SBs and we are stuck in mediocrity.

 

[Rayman70]

This thread should be pinned as a great example of how not to post.

Numerous false statements. A fundamental misunderstanding of the different LB roles. Unsubstantiated claims.

This one has it all!

interesting

 

[Rockport]

And ....No this isn't about signing Dak to this horrendous extention....

It's about how they are gonna deploy their linebackers.

From what is being heard through the grapevine....Your starting unit is...

SLB-Lee
MLB-J.Smith
WLB-LVE

I don't even know how you begin to quantify this...

SLB- Lee.....Can't cover
MLB-J. Smith...taking on O-linemen @ the point of attack isn't his strong suit.
WLB-LVE...playing him here...takes away his greatest attibute...being able to play from sideline to sideline. Your basically taking half the field away from him..making him a hash to hash player. Big mistake.

Then in the nickle package....they are gonna take out LVE..and deploy Lee and Smith.

I'm sorry....any defense without LVE as your primary middle LBer...is asking for trouble. He is the heart of your defense.

We will see if the whispers coming out of camp are true...hopefully...not.

You really outted yourself as clueless on this one. You obviously don’t understand Marinellis defensive scheme, or the pro scheme for that matter, as he coaches situational defense. Meaning he puts the players in per down based on yardage and down. Sure a hurry up offense can negate that but that’s when the talent of the players has to come through. This isn’t Madden. It’s the real NFL.

 

[America's Cowboy]

There are people on this site that would agree with you. Jaylon at strong, Lee at weak, and LVE in the middle. But once you use the word horrendous and associate that with Dak, you're just asking for trouble.

What does this thread's topic and the Cowboys starting 3 LBs have anything to do with Dak?

 

[Rayman70]

What does this thread's topic and the Cowboys starting 3 LBs have anything to do with Dak?

zippo.

 

[America's Cowboy]

And ....No this isn't about signing Dak to this horrendous extention....

It's about how they are gonna deploy their linebackers.

From what is being heard through the grapevine....Your starting unit is...

SLB-Lee
MLB-J.Smith
WLB-LVE

I don't even know how you begin to quantify this...

SLB- Lee.....Can't cover
MLB-J. Smith...taking on O-linemen @ the point of attack isn't his strong suit.
WLB-LVE...playing him here...takes away his greatest attibute...being able to play from sideline to sideline. Your basically taking half the field away from him..making him a hash to hash player. Big mistake.

Then in the nickle package....they are gonna take out LVE..and deploy Lee and Smith.

I'm sorry....any defense without LVE as your primary middle LBer...is asking for trouble. He is the heart of your defense.

We will see if the whispers coming out of camp are true...hopefully...not.

I totally agree with your LBs take on all 3 players' issues for the same reasons you mentioned. Seems like Marinelli and Richard are the ones making the final decision for how to play Lee, Smith and Vander Esch, so the coaches are responsible.

 

[conner01]

And ....No this isn't about signing Dak to this horrendous extention....

It's about how they are gonna deploy their linebackers.

From what is being heard through the grapevine....Your starting unit is...

SLB-Lee
MLB-J.Smith
WLB-LVE

I don't even know how you begin to quantify this...

SLB- Lee.....Can't cover
MLB-J. Smith...taking on O-linemen @ the point of attack isn't his strong suit.
WLB-LVE...playing him here...takes away his greatest attibute...being able to play from sideline to sideline. Your basically taking half the field away from him..making him a hash to hash player. Big mistake.

Then in the nickle package....they are gonna take out LVE..and deploy Lee and Smith.

I'm sorry....any defense without LVE as your primary middle LBer...is asking for trouble. He is the heart of your defense.

We will see if the whispers coming out of camp are true...hopefully...not.

Lee can cover better than Wilson
LVE play will last year and that’s the spot he was drafted to play
Smith played mike last year

 

[Rayman70]

Lee can cover better than Wilson
LVE play will last year and that’s the spot he was drafted to play
Smith played mike last year

only issue with Lee is his perpetual hammy issues. WHEN HEALTHY, he can cover well.Does little good if he's on the training table.

 

[Rockport]

Horrible thread. Just horrible.

 

[Verdict]

There are people on this site that would agree with you. Jaylon at strong, Lee at weak, and LVE in the middle. But once you use the word horrendous and associate that with Dak, you're just asking for trouble.

We seem to be reworking the linebacker lineup to force fit Lee on the field. This appears to be a disaster in the making. They just need to put Lee out to pasture, and fine a replacement for Wilson who only played about 1/3 of the snaps anyway.