Damone Clark was PFF's 3rd-lowest graded LB in Week 16

Bobhaze

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I like Damone Clark as long as he’s not expected to be our best LB. He‘s good but not great player that every team needs. He’s got good instincts as a LB, plays hard, is rangy, and has avoided major injury and from what I’ve read is an excellent character guy.

But there are reasons he lasted until round 5 of the draft. He tends to fall for misdirection more easily and sometimes struggles to get off blocks. As I said, I’m glad Clark is a Cowboy but he’s probably not going to ever be more than a decent starter.

IMO one of the biggest mistakes this FO made this off-season and trade deadline is not acquiring more help at LB. LVE is an injury magnet and is just a decent LB. We could find a much better replacement in FA or the draft next year. LB is not a strength for this team. Marvion Overshown will hopefully be healthy next summer but he’s another undersized guy with some skills. We will see.
 

Creeper

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Clark has been a huge disappointment this year. So has Gallimore. Improvement from the rookie to second year should be expected. Clark has been so inconsistent. And when he is bad, he is really bad.

I wonder if the Cowboys would have been better off with Harper instead of Clark. Harper seemed a little more stout than Clark.

I remember last year thinking that this would be the year when the Cowboys would have an elite set of LBs with LVE, Jabril Cox and Micah Parsons, with Clark backing them up. Cox never developed. Clark hasn't developed, and LVE appears to be out of football with his latest injury. Throw in Diggs getting hurt at CB and now Hankins out and the entire defense has been a disappointment.

I guess this is what happens when you rely on day 3 picks to anchor your defense.

.
 

Robster8989

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I like Damone Clark as long as he’s not expected to be our best LB. He‘s good but not great player that every team needs. He’s got good instincts as a LB, plays hard, is rangy, and has avoided major injury and from what I’ve read is an excellent character guy.

But there are reasons he lasted until round 5 of the draft. He tends to fall for misdirection more easily and sometimes struggles to get off blocks. As I said, I’m glad Clark is a Cowboy but he’s probably not going to ever be more than a decent starter.

IMO one of the biggest mistakes this FO made this off-season and trade deadline is not acquiring more help at LB. LVE is an injury magnet and is just a decent LB. We could find a much better replacement in FA or the draft next year. LB is not a strength for this team. Marvion Overshown will hopefully be healthy next summer but he’s another undersized guy with some skills. We will see.
Good points Bob.
Clark is really an off ball LB, and is now being asked to play on ball. He's not big and strong enough to hold up against OL players getting to the 2nd level. LVE was better, but IMO he wasnot the ideal on ball LB we need.
I hate to sound like a broken record, but Bobby Wagner is an on ball LB. He's big, strong and has great insticts. When reached by an guard, he's strong enough not to get totally swallowed up. He's also able to cover a TE or back in the pass game.

Think back to the chamopinship teams in the 90s. Robert Jones and Ken Norton were on ball LBs. Darrin Smith was an off ball LB. Obviously, the NFL was a run first league then, and has changed. An off ball LB is like a big Safety. We have a lot of these guys on our team. Clark, Kearse, Bell etc. What we lack is a big on ball LB. Ideally that guy can step in and stop the run, but also cover a TE. I think Overshown is in the same mold as players we currently have, so thinking he can solve the problem won't work. We need to sign, or draft, a traditional, big, on ball LB.
 

RoboQB

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Clark 3rd worst LB in the NFL and "fans" stilling crapping on LVE...lol/smh
 

kskboys

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The problem is, Jerry fell for it yet again. Instead of reading his skillset and using Damone accordingly, we fell for the hoopla that he'd be this awesome LB. How does Jerry fall for this over and over and over? Just got done falling for it w/ Cox, Damone has the same issues.
 

Robster8989

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Same thing happened two years in a row. People crap on LVE and the run games to crap when he gets hurt
For my own part, I'm not crapping on LVE.
My issue is with the front office, who left us so razor thin at such an important position, again.
It's been the same for several years now.
LVE was a huge injury risk, yet we resigned him and then had no back up plan.
Similar to the Tyron situation, where we knew we have a player that will miss time, and had no plan (or at least a poorly thought out plan) in reserve.
I actually don't think LVE was a great on ball LB either. He was better off ball due to his injury risk (he played tentative at times).
So for a team that has lost the last few years by being beaten by a more physical team, that ran the ball on us at key moments to close out games, to address the on ball LB position with a guy who was just OK at it, and a guy who was always a hit away from ending his career, and then have no real back up plan (I guess playing an off ball LB like Clark on ball was the backup plan), is a condemnation of that front office, not of LVE. I respect LVE and wish him the best.
 

Whyjerry

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He has really regressed this year. I think the LB coach has been a total failure this year. Scheme doesn’t help either. I don’t know what Dallas LBs are expected to do. They aren’t helping support the run. Can’t cover. Intermediate routes in the middle of the field have killed them all year. McCurly needs to go.
 

Havic

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He has really regressed this year. I think the LB coach has been a total failure this year. Scheme doesn’t help either. I don’t know what Dallas LBs are expected to do. They aren’t helping support the run. Can’t cover. Intermediate routes in the middle of the field have killed them all year. McCurly needs to go.
Maybe because we have SS / FS playing the LB position
 

CowboyStar88

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So disappointed in his development. Dude has talent, I don’t get it. Is it the scheme? The coaching? Playing out of position? He should have some development in his 2nd year.

Honestly, I ask this because Cox was also a talented player that never developed.
 

Creeper

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I really think Dallas needs to go LB in the first round, if the right guy is there. They need a banger, with size and range. He needs to be intelligent. In other words, the need to draft a football player, not just an athlete. A guy can run a 4.3 40 and if he is slow to recognize the play or understand his assignment, he might as well be on crutches because he will not make the play.

Other than Donovan Wilson, who are the bangers on the Cowboys defense? Who will consistently deliver a hard hit on a runner and stop him in his tracks? We need that guy.
 

JohnsKey19

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I really think Dallas needs to go LB in the first round, if the right guy is there. They need a banger, with size and range. He needs to be intelligent. In other words, the need to draft a football player, not just an athlete. A guy can run a 4.3 40 and if he is slow to recognize the play or understand his assignment, he might as well be on crutches because he will not make the play.

Other than Donovan Wilson, who are the bangers on the Cowboys defense? Who will consistently deliver a hard hit on a runner and stop him in his tracks? We need that guy.
Overshown is exactly the player you are describing. He'll be a major addition next season.
 

VaqueroTD

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Good points Bob.
Clark is really an off ball LB, and is now being asked to play on ball. He's not big and strong enough to hold up against OL players getting to the 2nd level. LVE was better, but IMO he wasnot the ideal on ball LB we need.
I hate to sound like a broken record, but Bobby Wagner is an on ball LB. He's big, strong and has great insticts. When reached by an guard, he's strong enough not to get totally swallowed up. He's also able to cover a TE or back in the pass game.

Think back to the chamopinship teams in the 90s. Robert Jones and Ken Norton were on ball LBs. Darrin Smith was an off ball LB. Obviously, the NFL was a run first league then, and has changed. An off ball LB is like a big Safety. We have a lot of these guys on our team. Clark, Kearse, Bell etc. What we lack is a big on ball LB. Ideally that guy can step in and stop the run, but also cover a TE. I think Overshown is in the same mold as players we currently have, so thinking he can solve the problem won't work. We need to sign, or draft, a traditional, big, on ball LB.
:hammer: Nice take. On the money.
 

VaqueroTD

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I know. It’s a roster thing too. Quinn convinced Jerry he only needed a couple LBs because his scheme is so revolutionary he could have 200 pound safeties play LB.

Such a joke.
They never should have assumed LVE was going to stay healthy, and will make the same mistake if they do it with Overshown.

At least with the safeties, other than Hooker when he was younger, they didn't have injury history but have been banged up all year. So hard to knock them for that.

Rough pick too with Mazi. You don't pick him that high if you don't suspect he'll fight Hankins and Osa for some playing time. So far, he's only increased time due to injuries.
 
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