Cowboys quietly upgraded every group on defense

[bayeslife]

Every "group", yes, technically.

The middle of the defense, mainly defensive tackle and safety has been untouched or even weaker by attrition (if you think Brent counts).

They still look like they prefer building outside in, which I do not necessarily agree with.

Outside in, as in secondary first d-line second? I think they've at least spent more resources this year trying to build D-line first.

 

[TrailBlazer]

I think the talent level on defense is slightly better than last year with the additions of hardy, gregory, and jones. Hitchens stepping up, sean lee hopefully playing 10 games or so. It's all about getting pressure on quarterbacks. I think they will be better in that area. I expect a middle of the pack defense.

 

[Alexander]

Outside in, as in secondary first d-line second? I think they've at least spent more resources this year trying to build D-line first.

It happened to be that way, but priority one was a cornerback. Jones stated that was the number one priority that would keep them awake. He could have taken a "nap" with no DL.

“We never tempted to move around for any other players. I can sleep if we come out of the draft without a running back or a pass rusher. We would have had trouble getting a nap without help in the secondary.”

 

[erod]

One thing all sports have in common....build from the middle out on defense. Strength comes from the middle.

We don't know what their true opinions are of Whaley, Bishop, and Coleman. I know they like Terrell McClain and Tyrone Crawford, and they can move Lawrence and Hardy inside if needed on pass downs.

Keep an eye on a Brockers trade, too.

 

[AsthmaField]

Marinelli may be considered a rain maker, but what is the harm in making his job even easier by adding talent?

I see it like this:

1. Marinelli is going to rotate his DL, period. He just believes in keeping everyone fresh and I agree with that idea.

2. On run downs, he is probably going to have Hayden in there because he stops the run as well as anyone on the team. He might not be a star player but he is more than fine against the run.

3. So, had Dallas drafted Malcom Brown in the first round, he would have primarily seen snaps in the nickle/dime.

4. However, Hardy, Mincey and maybe even Lawrence will be rotated into the 1-tech spot in the nickle/dime packages, and any of those 3 are a superior pass rusher to Brown.

5. So, if Hayden is as good a run stopper as Brown... and Mincey, Hardy, and Lawrence are better pass rushers than Brown, Dallas didn't need Brown very much.

6. With Brown not really being needed, the team would rather strengthen the secondary where they really didn't have anyone who could rotate there from another position.

By adding Gregory, they made it where one of Mincey, Hardy, or Lawrence could move down to the nickle 1-tech spot and Gregory could play the designated rusher spot... So they strengthened the DE's, the DT's, and the secondary with two picks (Jones and Gregory). Even though they didn't specifically draft a DT... they still added a body there in this draft.

I would like to add that I understand where you're coming from and I did like M Brown as a player... but with the defensive staff thinking like I outlined above, I also very much understand their line of thinking as well.

 

[xwalker]

I think you may have underestimated how well our LBers who are gone played last year. Carter made this team better along with Justin Durant. Press the brake a little on Sean Lee returning to full steam ahead. I also was expecting big things from our troubled Dline especially with Josh Brent who I think would of been a handful if he made it through training camp.
If Claiborne comes back it will be a huge surprise in my mind. In three years I think we have seen the real player and that guy did not get an extension of his contract.

In weeks 12-16 Carter was active but didn't start. Hitchens, a rookie, did start in those games. The difference between Hitchens as rookie and Durant was minimal. The difference between Lee and Durant will be huge.

The Josh Brent situation is unfortunate. If he was in shape, which he never was last season, he is a very powerful DT that would be nice to have in the base at the 1tech. I had some doubts based on the fact that he couldn't get into shape even by the time of the playoffs. He was still reported to be over 330 and needed to be back at his 2012 weight of 320.

I don't count on anything from Claiborne. He is coming back from a major injury so counting on him to exceed his previous performance levels from times when he was healthy seems unlikely.

 

[erod]

I see it like this:

1. Marinelli is going to rotate his DL, period. He just believes in keeping everyone fresh and I agree with that idea.

2. On run downs, he is probably going to have Hayden in there because he stops the run as well as anyone on the team. He might not be a star player but he is more than fine against the run.

3. So, had Dallas drafted Malcom Brown in the first round, he would have primarily seen snaps in the nickle/dime.

4. However, Hardy, Mincey and maybe even Lawrence will be rotated into the 1-tech spot in the nickle/dime packages, and any of those 3 are a superior pass rusher to Brown.

5. So, if Hayden is as good a run stopper as Brown... and Mincey, Hardy, and Lawrence are better pass rushers than Brown, Dallas didn't need Brown very much.

6. With Brown not really being needed, the team would rather strengthen the secondary where they really didn't have anyone who could rotate there from another position.

By adding Gregory, they made it where one of Mincey, Hardy, or Lawrence could move down to the nickle 1-tech spot and Gregory could play the designated rusher spot... So they strengthened the DE's, the DT's, and the secondary with two picks (Jones and Gregory). Even though they didn't specifically draft a DT... they still added a body there in this draft.

I would like to add that I understand where you're coming from and I did like M Brown as a player... but with the defensive staff thinking like I outlined above, I also very much understand their line of thinking as well.

And if Sean Lee and Ro McClain can stay healthy.....he'll have his Urlacher and Briggs.

 

[NinePointOh]

I think you may have underestimated how well our LBers who are gone played last year. Carter made this team better along with Justin Durant.

Yet at this point last offseason, everybody thought both of those guys were trash and wondered how we would ever stop anybody without Ware and Hatcher.

 

[hornitosmonster]

But the media (and some posters on this board) thinks that one often injured/fumbling running back is going to cause us to go 8-8.

 

[BAT]

This a joke about the outside in philosophy? We have our 3 tech with some interesting backups to Crawford.

Why people continue to wail and gnash their teeth over our 1 tech indifference I'll never quite understand.

To be fair, the comment was about the middle of the D, and not just the 1 tech. That aside, Cowboys are not done rebuilding this D, so there is still time to improve FS as well as the nose tackle spots. Quietly or with much fanfare, makes no difference to me, just keep on building this beast.

 

[texbumthelife]

No one is equating any of that with a wildly different defense this year. And Greg Hardy wasn't the noisiest FA signing this year. It barely registered a blip despite the circumstances. Greg Hardy was signed well into free agency, and no one really cared about the signing. Especially with many people thinking (wrongly) that he will miss most of the season.

The Greg hardy signing, regarded by everyone as the best pass rusher and by many the best defensive FA, was barely a blip? The timing of his signing had to do with the circumstances surrounding his off the field issues. Almost every site I went to after the signing did nothing but talk about it (for whatever reason) for the next week. It was plastered all of ESPN, CNNSI, FSSW. That was a big time signing and everyone knows/knew it.

And yes, everyone is equating ALL of that (Hardy, Gregory, Jones) with us having a very different defense this year.

 

[thisiscowboyscountry]

Secondary - Only added one player, but it was first rounder Byron Jones. And as I've said, I think there is real potential to get some investment back from a returning Morris Claiborne, especially in a reduced role, with an improved pass rush.

Linebacker - Not only did they draft a linebacker fairly high, but the return of Sean Lee is like adding a pro bowl player in the off-season.

Defensive line - Defensive line was the greatest weakness on this defense last year, and is why people are still overlooking the Dallas defense now. We signed Pro Bowler Greg Hardy, who I think we can all be more confident about not missing more than 2 games now. We didn't just stop there, but we also drafted first round talent Randy Gregory, and Ryan Russell in the 5th round.

We could easily have 6 (out of 11) new starters on defense this year, and people think we still have the same defense as last year? Have fun with that. I'm including a healthy Terrell McClain as a replacement for Hayden.

Our Nickel which is the package we're in the most, could look like this


Scandrick - Claiborne - Jones - Wilcox - Carr

Lee* - McClain* (though there are thoughts he wouldn't be in the nickel)

Gregory^ - Lawrence* - Crawford* - Hardy*

* - Clear pro bowl potential
^ - Clear defensive rookie of the year potential

I dont think the lb position is upgraded over last year. Yes Lee and McClain are back, Hitchens should be better but there are a lot of unknowns in this group.It would have been nice to keep Carter or Durant

 

[maxdallasfan]

I think MO is gonna have a good year.

Players on their final year tend to do that in Dallas.

 

[maxdallasfan]

I dont think the lb position is upgraded over last year. Yes Lee and McClain are back, Hitchens should be better but there are a lot of unknowns in this group.It would have been nice to keep Carter or Durant

LB depth is deep this year. No longer a weakness.

 

[thisiscowboyscountry]

Big difference here is that I don't consider Terrell McClain and Chris Whaley "interesting" until they either learn to stay healthy or do, well, anything. Until then it is just a bunch of finger crossing that has not much behind it. These are not undeniable talents here.

It is not just griping about 1-T. It is bad with Hayden, worse after him with Bishop and Coleman.

Aside from Crawford, each and every one of them is replaceable and the group reminds me of what we had in 2013.

Crawford is the only one of the six on the roster at DT that I would keep if I blew up the roster.

And no, it is not a joke about building outside in. They were serious about adding talent at the perimeter (corner, end) and did next to nothing through the middle.

It would have been very hard to upgrade the 1 tech this offseason in addition to all the other defensive positions. Brent isnt really any real loss and what we have will be servicable especially if some of our outside rushers get doubled teamed.

 

[JBell]

I see it like this:

1. Marinelli is going to rotate his DL, period. He just believes in keeping everyone fresh and I agree with that idea.

2. On run downs, he is probably going to have Hayden in there because he stops the run as well as anyone on the team. He might not be a star player but he is more than fine against the run.

3. So, had Dallas drafted Malcom Brown in the first round, he would have primarily seen snaps in the nickle/dime.

4. However, Hardy, Mincey and maybe even Lawrence will be rotated into the 1-tech spot in the nickle/dime packages, and any of those 3 are a superior pass rusher to Brown.

5. So, if Hayden is as good a run stopper as Brown... and Mincey, Hardy, and Lawrence are better pass rushers than Brown, Dallas didn't need Brown very much.

6. With Brown not really being needed, the team would rather strengthen the secondary where they really didn't have anyone who could rotate there from another position.

By adding Gregory, they made it where one of Mincey, Hardy, or Lawrence could move down to the nickle 1-tech spot and Gregory could play the designated rusher spot... So they strengthened the DE's, the DT's, and the secondary with two picks (Jones and Gregory). Even though they didn't specifically draft a DT... they still added a body there in this draft.

I would like to add that I understand where you're coming from and I did like M Brown as a player... but with the defensive staff thinking like I outlined above, I also very much understand their line of thinking as well.

Very logical way of looking at it, and I wouldn't be surprised if this was the exact same train of thought the front office has.

 

[windjc]

Secondary - Only added one player, but it was first rounder Byron Jones. And as I've said, I think there is real potential to get some investment back from a returning Morris Claiborne, especially in a reduced role, with an improved pass rush.

Linebacker - Not only did they draft a linebacker fairly high, but the return of Sean Lee is like adding a pro bowl player in the off-season.

Defensive line - Defensive line was the greatest weakness on this defense last year, and is why people are still overlooking the Dallas defense now. We signed Pro Bowler Greg Hardy, who I think we can all be more confident about not missing more than 2 games now. We didn't just stop there, but we also drafted first round talent Randy Gregory, and Ryan Russell in the 5th round.

We could easily have 6 (out of 11) new starters on defense this year, and people think we still have the same defense as last year? Have fun with that. I'm including a healthy Terrell McClain as a replacement for Hayden.

Our Nickel which is the package we're in the most, could look like this


Scandrick - Claiborne - Jones - Wilcox - Carr

Lee* - McClain* (though there are thoughts he wouldn't be in the nickel)

Gregory^ - Lawrence* - Crawford* - Hardy*

* - Clear pro bowl potential
^ - Clear defensive rookie of the year potential

There will be injuries. Multiple ones. So while we have more and deeper talent, we don't know yet who will be going to war.

 

[Parcells4Life]

Sean Lee will play 10-12 games.

Hardy at minimum is going to serve a 6 game suspension. It's illogical to think a 180 will happen. The NFL won't allow such a huge suspension to be cast aside to 2 games because it cripples their power going forward. I also think if Ryan Russell gives the team anything to be excited about for this season then Garrett will have Hardy on a less than 0 tolerance policy. That Twitter stunt around the draft ticked Garrett off.

Why do people think Claiborne will be good? He may start camp on PUP.

McClain had two concussions I believe last year. That's a bad sign.

Bottom line is Gregory will help and Jones is a good player but this is still going to be a 15-20 ranked D because of inability to stop the run. This team will be fun to watch on 3rd down but it will be hard to keep teams out of 3rd and 4-5 which makes it tougher on pass rush.

 

[BAT]

I see it like this:

1. Marinelli is going to rotate his DL, period. He just believes in keeping everyone fresh and I agree with that idea.

2. On run downs, he is probably going to have Hayden in there because he stops the run as well as anyone on the team. He might not be a star player but he is more than fine against the run.

3. So, had Dallas drafted Malcom Brown in the first round, he would have primarily seen snaps in the nickle/dime.

4. However, Hardy, Mincey and maybe even Lawrence will be rotated into the 1-tech spot in the nickle/dime packages, and any of those 3 are a superior pass rusher to Brown.

5. So, if Hayden is as good a run stopper as Brown... and Mincey, Hardy, and Lawrence are better pass rushers than Brown, Dallas didn't need Brown very much.

6. With Brown not really being needed, the team would rather strengthen the secondary where they really didn't have anyone who could rotate there from another position.

By adding Gregory, they made it where one of Mincey, Hardy, or Lawrence could move down to the nickle 1-tech spot and Gregory could play the designated rusher spot... So they strengthened the DE's, the DT's, and the secondary with two picks (Jones and Gregory). Even though they didn't specifically draft a DT... they still added a body there in this draft.

I would like to add that I understand where you're coming from and I did like M Brown as a player... but with the defensive staff thinking like I outlined above, I also very much understand their line of thinking as well.

I think Crawford becomes the 1 tech on 3rd and long situations. Hardy and Mincey are more often than not, the 3 techs in that situation. Hardy is big and strong enough to play 1 tech at times, like he did in Carolina, but he was more effective at the 3 when sliding inside.

Gardner, Russell and Jack Crawford could also see time in those spots as well. And IMO, Cowboys have too many 2 down nose tackles on the roster: Hayden, McClain, Bishop

And who knows where Whaley and Coleman will eventually play either.

 

[speedkilz88]

Sean Lee will play 10-12 games.

Hardy at minimum is going to serve a 6 game suspension. It's illogical to think a 180 will happen. The NFL won't allow such a huge suspension to be cast aside to 2 games because it cripples their power going forward. I also think if Ryan Russell gives the team anything to be excited about for this season then Garrett will have Hardy on a less than 0 tolerance policy. That Twitter stunt around the draft ticked Garrett off.

Why do people think Claiborne will be good? He may start camp on PUP.

McClain had two concussions I believe last year. That's a bad sign.

Bottom line is Gregory will help and Jones is a good player but this is still going to be a 15-20 ranked D because of inability to stop the run. This team will be fun to watch on 3rd down but it will be hard to keep teams out of 3rd and 4-5 which makes it tougher on pass rush.

Judge Doty trumps anything the nfl wants.