Star4Ever;2796850 said:
Ah, I don't think so. Ellis played DE in college, he was drafted as a DE, and he played DE most of his career with the Cowboys. What in the hell would make him appreciative of learning a new position after all that time. I'm not saying he was treated wrongly or that moving him was a bad thing, but it was done for the team not for him personally. Therefore, I have no idea why you made the statement about getting down on his knees regarding the switch. Ellis was a DE. He never had the mobility or cover skill to play an OLB anywhere near as well as Ware. And why would he? He had always played DE. That having been said, I think he played fairly well considering he had to learn a new position on the fly. If you don't give him credit for that, then all I can say is you're a hater in regards to him.
Well, we have to look at that a bit more closely.
Greg Ellis played 4-3 defensive end in college. He was drafted as a 4-3 defensive end. Until Bill Parcells' arrival, he played as a 4-3 defensive end.
As a 4-3 defensive end, Ellis' primary responsibilities were to hold the point of attack during rushing downs and rush the quarterback in passing situations. He always played well versus the run, but he only had moderate success rushing the passer. In the 4-3, he had ideal size as a defensive end, but only average speed.
In the 3-4, Ellis would have been asked to bulk up to not only fend off tackle-tight end/tackle-guard double teams, but to shield offensive lineman from linebackers. That type of conversion is usually reserved for 4-3 defensive tackles, not ends. Defensive tackles are better equipped to handle the weight increase (if any), shed blockers from a down stance and protect linebackers.
Asking Ellis to convert to a 3-4 defensive end would have mandated that he increase his body mass which would have helped further negate his average speed. He would have been asked to stay in a down stance on practically every down, which he had not been accustomed to doing his whole football career. Another thing which he would have been required to do was hold up blockers first and then consider rushing the passer second on most passing downs. This is yet another condition of being a 3-4 defensive end which he would have had to adopt.
To keep him on the roster as a starter, Parcells had two choices:
- Convert Ellis to a position which subtracted from his strengths as a player or
- Convert Ellis to a position which maintained his strengths and possibly enhance some of them too
By having Ellis change to a 3-4 outside linebacker, Parcells reduced his body mass. The change aided Ellis by optimizing his average speed and endurance. It allowed him greater freedom to rush the quarterback than what would have been possible as a 3-4 defensive end--further playing to his strengths as an ex-defensive end. And it allowed him more freedom during rushing downs to flow more easily from sideline-to-sideline. The only real disadvantage for him making the change was in passing situations where he had to execute his coverage assignments due to his average speed.
Ellis hated the change. Any player would normally resist moving out of their comfort zone, but the general defensive philosophy changed with Parcells coming aboard. He was going to struggle more with a position that he was more closely acquainted with; or he was going to be as good as before or better at a new position (which he himself proved); or he wasn't going to be on the field much or at all.
For the good of the Cowboys and himself, he accepted the change and he should feel grantful. The move helped lengthen his career. As he enters the market, his position options are not limited to only one. Parcells multiplied them by two and Ellis will benefit from his foresight at this later stage of his career.
