News: Cowboys' FA strategy taking shape with pursuit of R McClain and Mo Claiborne

[CCBoy]

Jones is a great asset no doubt and has the speed and athleticism to play both zone and man coverage if needed. If we're playing the scheme he wants and mirror his success in CHI as a DC, who relied on pass rush and zone coverage to produce TOs we need to let go of Carr and Mo. Last season Marinelli admitted to scheming around his player's "assets; man coverage". They "schemed to average talent" and the schemes displayed last year that resulted in collapses.

If they are going to Man D as a primary coverage, they need to add a top player outside of 1st round bc we need a QB or go to FA. If they do add a top man corner like Norman/Johnson in FA to solidify their position as a Man D Defense, that would be one thing, but Mo/Carr both have proven to be average even in opps in man schemes (last season = no TOs).

Just a reminder, Carr has career stats in turn overs. Some may be how he is being asked to play.

 

[BigStar]

Just a reminder, Carr has career stats in turn overs. Some may be how he is being asked to play.

Not the last two seasons? 0 picks...maybe a severe pay cut if we go to Man D as a primary coverage but even that is rewarding unproductive play ESP for his salary AKA status quo/no accountability, etc. .

 

[casmith07]

Rolando and Morris were both key parts of the #5 rated passing defense in the league.

Hardy was a part of that as well, but the team probably feels that we will be able to replace his production (which tailed off to being invisible) by upgrading via BPA in the draft, particularly at strong safety and Sam linebacker if Hitchens is still not ready to be a fulltime starter.

Also, hopefully 1T DT.

 

[casmith07]

Not the last two seasons? 0 picks...maybe a severe pay cut if we go to Man D as a primary coverage but even that is rewarding unproductive play ESP for his salary AKA status quo/no accountability, etc. .

Solely counting interception totals is an extremely poor way to judge defensive back play.

Besides playing good football since the latter half of last season after his mother died, Carr has not missed a game in his 8 year career.

 

[BigStar]

Solely counting interception totals is an extremely poor way to judge defensive back play.

Besides playing good football since the latter half of last season after his mother died, Carr has not missed a game in his 8 year career.

But not worth his salary by a long shot...?

I agree with your initial statement (lack of good pass rush) but this is going on year 4 or 5 now?

 

[casmith07]

But not worth his salary by a long shot...?

I'm not one to get into counting another man's coins. His contract was market value when it was signed.

With the salary cap increase as well, his cap number remains the same percentage of the overall cap as it did last year. I don't think there's a problem with retaining him at his current cap value - it doesn't preclude us from doing what we want in free agency or hinder the rookie pool.

 

[BigStar]

I'm not one to get into counting another man's coins. His contract was market value when it was signed.

With the salary cap increase as well, his cap number remains the same percentage of the overall cap as it did last year. I don't think there's a problem with retaining him at his current cap value - it doesn't preclude us from doing what we want in free agency or hinder the rookie pool.

Why reward 0 interceptions in 2 seasons while being severely over paid at the time? He doesn't fit the zone scheme that Marinelli really wants to run as DC in CHI that consistently produced TOs?

 

[casmith07]

Why reward 0 interceptions in 2 seasons while being severely over paid at the time?

Because

Solely counting interception totals is an extremely poor way to judge defensive back play.

Your judgment of "severely overpaid" is conjecture/opinion.

 

[BigStar]

Because



Your judgment of "severely overpaid" is conjecture/opinion.

Writing for ESPN Insider, Nathan Janke says Carr is the fifth most overpaid player in the league. Here’s what he had to say:

“While most players on this list are still quality starters who are simply being paid more than they deserve, Carr was an outright liability for the Cowboys last season. When quarterbacks targeted the receiver Carr was covering, they had an NFL Passer Rating of 116.6. His 849 yards allowed was the seventh-most yards allowed by a cornerback last year. The Cowboys drafted UConn defensive back Byron Jones in the first round of the draft, so they could very well be planning for life without Carr already...”


Read more at http://cover32.com/2015/06/18/cowbo...ls-most-overpaid-players/#kPXSXi4es2Ivo3lD.99

Another source: Footballoutsiders.com
-Carr ranks 29th out of 32 as a starting CB.
-Paid 12 MIL
http://www.footballoutsiders.com/stat-analysis/2015/worst-cb-charting-stats-and-more-best

You can fire Marinelli or have this continue...his scheme doesn't fit man coverage while acknowledging there are more good ways to determine good CB play with minimal TOs; Newman/Scan throughout his tenure.

 

[CCBoy]

Pro Football Focus graded Jenkins with an 80.7 this past season (on a 1-100 scale), as the 27-year-old played in 1,064 snaps. His coverage defense graded at 79.8, and his run defense was graded at 77.0. Compare that to the Cowboys’ cornerbacks from last season, where the highest grade of any cornerback with at least 350 snaps was Brandon Carr at 54.7, followed by Morris Claiborne with a 38.5 grade.

Though Byron Jones can play cornerback, his spot on the Cowboys’ roster fits better at safety as he was graded there by PFF with a 79.8 overall for his rookie season.

Just on pure numbers alone, the Cowboys allowed 227.0 yards passing per game, fifth in the NFL, but look at the film and they didn’t have the fifth-best defensive backfield in the NFL, that is for sure. Plus, the Cowboys didn’t have Orlando Scandrick last season due to a torn ACL, leaving them in need of not only some new starters at CB (Scandrick will return for ’16 season), but they need better depth as well.
dallas-cowboys-janoris-jenkins-free-agency-target


But the real value is how the Cowboys grade on their specific scheme.

 

[BigStar]

Pro Football Focus graded Jenkins with an 80.7 this past season (on a 1-100 scale), as the 27-year-old played in 1,064 snaps. His coverage defense graded at 79.8, and his run defense was graded at 77.0. Compare that to the Cowboys’ cornerbacks from last season, where the highest grade of any cornerback with at least 350 snaps was Brandon Carr at 54.7, followed by Morris Claiborne with a 38.5 grade.

Though Byron Jones can play cornerback, his spot on the Cowboys’ roster fits better at safety as he was graded there by PFF with a 79.8 overall for his rookie season.

Just on pure numbers alone, the Cowboys allowed 227.0 yards passing per game, fifth in the NFL, but look at the film and they didn’t have the fifth-best defensive backfield in the NFL, that is for sure. Plus, the Cowboys didn’t have Orlando Scandrick last season due to a torn ACL, leaving them in need of not only some new starters at CB (Scandrick will return for ’16 season), but they need better depth as well.
dallas-cowboys-janoris-jenkins-free-agency-target


But the real value is how the Cowboys grade on their specific scheme.

Agree Jones @ FS works in either scheme as he has the smarts/drive to modify coverage based on the look they're seeing on Offense.
But you mentioned a good point in the real question it boils down to. Are they going to continue with man coverage or give Marinelli some tools with zone as the primary? I just don't get why they don't look into the zone coverage our own DC desires (ideally)?

We hired him for his success as DC with the Bears where zone coverage was the primary and lead to good TO numbers. His willing to work with less is becoming a determinant to a point and not sure if that is the implication as DC in DAL; JJ doesn't want to hear contradictions related to the abilities labeled by the FO on the team and scheme fit (Carr, Mo, Ro - 1 suspension away from 1 year ban), etc.