This is where those big contracts become problematic when team isn't nailing the draft and needs to address a position in FA. Last two games (Giants & Rams) the starting DTs have gotten run off the field. In Rams game, Dallas allowed 5.7 avg yards per rushing attempt for total of 273 rushing yards. Against Giants, Dallas allowed 8.9 avg yards per rushing attempt for total of 151 rushing yards.
Trysten Hill was drafted in 2nd round to address this glaring weakness on DL. He was inactive for week 1. If he is inactive for week 2 its unreasonable to expect solid production from him this rookie year. This leaves Dallas with what I consider a semi-major problem - they have 2 back up DT playing as starters (Woods & Collins). Collins is in contract year and highly unlikely to get resigned. Its also time Dallas come to conclusion that Antwaun Woods is a feel good story but not starter.
How to fix this:
1) Move Tyrone Crawford inside permanently. This likely means increase in injury potential so not long term fix but might help Dallas get thru this season.
2) Trade Taco, Hyder & draft pick for DT who can rotate and is better than Joe Jackson inside.
3) Sign DT who has question marks on another teams practice squad. This is how they got David Irving.
Oh great, another "the sky is falling" post early in the season.
1. Dallas has enough cap space, especially next year, to sign a "big time" DT. So "the big contracts become problematic" is just wrong.
2. Sick of hearing about the Rams game. Yes, they blew us out in the run game. But it's ONE GAME, last year Dallas was 5th in the league in rush defense over the whole season, giving up 94 ypg, only 14 less than the top two teams. And one of those was the Saints, who put so many points other teams had to throw the ball a lot to keep up, which reduces their opponent's rushing attempts, so their stats may be skewed. Ever think maybe the Cowboys were out-coached?
3. Yes Barkley did well this game. Last year, with basically the same DTs, he rushed for 28 yards in the first game against Dallas, if the personnel was the issue they wouldn't have been able to slow him down so much.
4. Hill is a rookie, not unusual to sit a rookie, even a high draft pick rookie, since he's not familiar with the defense that much. Taco was inactive, also, and he had a very good preseason. Maybe Hill's not in game shape, maybe there was a discipline problem, maybe a lot of things. Can't take "he was inactive" and assume he can't have "solid production", the only thing we know is that he was inactive, for what reason(s) we don't know, based again on one game.
5. So part of the solution is to sign a DT on somebody else's practice squad? Hill's on the active roster, why isn't the other team's DT? Teams don't hide great players on the practice squad, they are on there because they're not "ready for prime time", and some other team would have picked them up if they're that good.
6. Marinelli's defense is based on quickness, not size, the Cowboys aren't going to sign or draft some giant 335 lb DT, it doesn't fit their system. They could have drafted Poe or other NT-type players, if they didn't then they're not going to now, so if you hope for the monster "1 tech" tackle to appear on this team, good luck with that.
Yes the DT spot isn't as strong as the DE, though as some mentioned here, the DEs didn't "shine" either, ONE sack against an aged Eli who was never "fleet of foot". Hardly a sparkling performance, though admittedly a better DT rush might have improved that.
It's the first game, many of these guys didn't play that much in the pre-season, let's give it a few games before we hit the panic button...
