jobberone
Kane Ala
- Messages
- 54,219
- Reaction score
- 19,659
Position Series: Linebacker Corps Overcame Adversity, Now Faces Plenty Of Uncertainty
Tuesday, February 10, 2015 11:00 AM CST
By David Helman DallasCowboys.com Staff Writer @HelmanDC
(Editor's Note: This is the third of an 11-part series analyzing every position on the Cowboys roster, providing a quick look back before addressing the needs of each spot on the field and how it can be improved heading into the 2015 season. The series continues with the linebackers.)
Pressing Matters: It’s anyone’s guess what this unit is going to look like when the 2015 season eventually rolls around. Three of the four primary linebackers from last season – Bruce Carter, Justin Durant and Rolando McClain – are about to enter free agency. It’d be unwise to let all three walk away, leaving Sean Lee and Anthony Hitchens without much in the way of help. At the same time, it’s hard to predict how much each player is going to command on the open market. They all have their pros and cons. Carter might be the best athlete of the three, and he’s still young – albeit inconsistent. McClain has rare size and physicality, even for an NFL linebacker, but his checkered past and his 2014 injury issues are sure to raise question marks. Durant has plenty of experience and has proven himself to be a productive player – with the all-too-familiar caveat that he can’t stay healthy. The Cowboys have to weigh all these considerations – not to mention the offers all three are bound to receive from other teams -- and decide who stays and who goes.
2014 Evaluation: Considering everything that went wrong for the linebackers in 2014, their overall performance was pretty miraculous. The best of the bunch, Sean Lee, went down after one hour of preseason practice. When McClain was acquired in a trade, the expectations for him were absurdly low. The best bet was that a fourth-round rookie, Hitchens, would be partnered with two veterans who underperformed in 2013, Carter and Durant. That bleak outlook obviously never came to pass, as McClain was one of the highlights of the first half of the season. His physicality set the tone for the entire defense in the first six or seven weeks, and he and Durant turned into an outstanding pairing. Amazingly enough is that the unit once again bounced back when Durant tore his biceps in October. The Cowboys reorganized with Hitchens and Carter helping to replace Durant’s production, while McClain continued to man the middle despite various injuries. This isn’t to say the linebackers were All-Pro caliber. They struggled in coverage, particularly with tight ends, among other things. But considering the obstacles facing this unit from the get-go, all of the Cowboys’ linebackers and linebackers coach Matt Eberflus deserve kudos for rising to the occasion.
http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2...ercame-adversity-now-faces-plenty-uncertainty
Tuesday, February 10, 2015 11:00 AM CST
By David Helman DallasCowboys.com Staff Writer @HelmanDC
(Editor's Note: This is the third of an 11-part series analyzing every position on the Cowboys roster, providing a quick look back before addressing the needs of each spot on the field and how it can be improved heading into the 2015 season. The series continues with the linebackers.)
Pressing Matters: It’s anyone’s guess what this unit is going to look like when the 2015 season eventually rolls around. Three of the four primary linebackers from last season – Bruce Carter, Justin Durant and Rolando McClain – are about to enter free agency. It’d be unwise to let all three walk away, leaving Sean Lee and Anthony Hitchens without much in the way of help. At the same time, it’s hard to predict how much each player is going to command on the open market. They all have their pros and cons. Carter might be the best athlete of the three, and he’s still young – albeit inconsistent. McClain has rare size and physicality, even for an NFL linebacker, but his checkered past and his 2014 injury issues are sure to raise question marks. Durant has plenty of experience and has proven himself to be a productive player – with the all-too-familiar caveat that he can’t stay healthy. The Cowboys have to weigh all these considerations – not to mention the offers all three are bound to receive from other teams -- and decide who stays and who goes.
2014 Evaluation: Considering everything that went wrong for the linebackers in 2014, their overall performance was pretty miraculous. The best of the bunch, Sean Lee, went down after one hour of preseason practice. When McClain was acquired in a trade, the expectations for him were absurdly low. The best bet was that a fourth-round rookie, Hitchens, would be partnered with two veterans who underperformed in 2013, Carter and Durant. That bleak outlook obviously never came to pass, as McClain was one of the highlights of the first half of the season. His physicality set the tone for the entire defense in the first six or seven weeks, and he and Durant turned into an outstanding pairing. Amazingly enough is that the unit once again bounced back when Durant tore his biceps in October. The Cowboys reorganized with Hitchens and Carter helping to replace Durant’s production, while McClain continued to man the middle despite various injuries. This isn’t to say the linebackers were All-Pro caliber. They struggled in coverage, particularly with tight ends, among other things. But considering the obstacles facing this unit from the get-go, all of the Cowboys’ linebackers and linebackers coach Matt Eberflus deserve kudos for rising to the occasion.
http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2...ercame-adversity-now-faces-plenty-uncertainty