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A STRONG BOND
Despite the stiff competition they face with each other, the players that make up the Cowboys' defensive line remain a close-knit unit.
by Josh Ellis
http://www.dallascowboysstar.com/article-details&nid=3550&vid=3551&uid=35812
On the one night of training camp in San Antonio that the players had their curfew extended until 1 a.m., it would've been fair to expect them to all hit the River Walk. See a movie. Anything. Training camp's a grind, and the coaches rarely throw such bones.
Many on the team had evening plans, going their separate ways, but one position group in particular stuck close to home. Rather than hit the clubs in search of new friends, they gathered around a cross-shaped table in the team hotel's drinking hole, Bar Rojo, as upscale a spot as there is in the Alamo City, the vibe sort of a relaxed-riche. Elbows on the table, starters shared stories and big, loud laughs with the very guys trying to take their jobs. And when they were ready to call it a night, a backup graciously went and bought Denny's to-go for the whole group.
On any other night the same guys would just as likely be huddled together in a hotel room playing UFC video games. The Cowboys' defensive line is about as tightly-knit a group as there is on the team. That relationship is reflective of the way they play together on Sundays, each guy fitting into his role, giving way for others to make plays in the heavy rotation, and celebrating one another's success.
Every football team has its big central room, where the lockers are, where everyone leaves their stuff, where coaches gather players before a game to give a thought or encouraging word to the entire bunch. It's the place cornerbacks and wide receivers, linebackers and running backs, can come together to bond. But there are also these satellites of the big room, where individual positions gather after practice to discuss technique or study film. That's where the Cowboys defensive linemen have formed a strong bond over the last five or six years, an example to their teammates.
"I think all of our guys are real professionals," coach Wade Phillips says. "They're helping each other. They're all competing, you know, it's a competition all the time. The players know that and they know there're only 53 spots. But the real pros help everybody because they're not scared of their job. They want somebody to come in and help the team. We have that in almost all the rooms, and I think in that room especially.
"There're going to be a few guys in the room that aren't going to make it, but they're all working toward the same thing, and that's having a great football team and working together to do that. And that's what you want from your team and your teammates."
It's true, some of the defensive linemen on the roster will not make the team. Last year there were six front men. Jay Ratliff is safe, as are ends Igor Olshansky, Marcus Spears, Jason Hatcher and Stephen Bowen. The team likes veteran nose tackle backup Junior Siavii, but he's being pressed by practice squad vet Marcus Dixon, along with rookie supplemental draft pick Josh Brent and seventh-rounder Sean Lissemore. Both rookies have been battling injuries since close to the beginning of camp. Brent broke his hand, but has returned with a heavy cast. Lissemore's groin strain has kept him out almost two weeks.
The most costly injury, though, has been Spears' sprained left MCL, which occurred when he had his legs rolled up in practice. He is expected to be out 4-6 weeks, putting his availability for the season-opener at Washington on Sept. 12 in some doubt. Injuries are a fact of life in football, and during training camp there always seems to be one position or another thinning out with guys who have to rehab with athletic trainers on the sidelines.
Unluckily for this year's Cowboys, early in camp it was the defensive line, probably the worst place for the injury bug to strike during the summer series of endless practices. It's not long before those players wear out from the constant pounding that happens at the line of scrimmage, anyway. The Cowboys entered camp with 10 defensive linemen, but not even a week passed by before four of them were on the shelf.
Lorenzo Washington, an undrafted rookie end from Alabama never got started, a pre-camp hamstring strain keeping him out until he was released and replaced by Jimmy Saddler-McQueen of Texas A&M-Kingsville. Then Brent broke his hand while being double-teamed, the former Illinois run-stopper originally mistaking the injury for a jammed finger and continuing to practice, then lifting weights before checking with trainers. Hatcher hyperextended his elbow a few days in, costing him several practices, and Lissemore's injury followed soon thereafter. None of the injuries were considered overly serious, but the adverse affect of the depth crunch was immediately felt by those players left standing. The numbers were down, but something else was up.
"Being tired," Spears said prior to his injury. "That's what's up. But we've got to keep fighting. That's it. It's hard for D-linemen to go with limited numbers because of the banging, but it's just the situation right now. The extra reps are good sometimes, but it starts to take a toll on you."
Spears was covered in sweat after the second of two practices in what was just another day in the grind. At the very least he did get a little break, Phillips going easy like a Sunday morning on his veterans the second weekend of camp. While most players in their second- or third-year and older were given the first of two sessions off, Bowen, 26, and Siavii, 30, had to be at the Alamodome just to fill out the three-man unit.
If not for the need to give their fellow vets a break, Bowen and Siavii might've had bigger plans.
"Sleeping," Bowen says. "It's something I had to do. I didn't think negatively of it. I know that if we had somebody else (healthy) I probably wouldn't have been there, but we didn't have anybody else, so I've got to do what's best for the team. You've got to make some sacrifices.
"We all try to pick each other up. When you see somebody else working hard out there it just makes you work even harder for them. That's the way our unit is. It's always been like that. You just try to take one play at a time. That's how I approach it. Not to think about all these plays I have, but just this one right now. Think about my assignment and try to perform the best I can and move on to the next one."
It didn't bother a fifth-year player like Bowen too much to work extra so a guy in his sixth, like Spears, could take a break. But even more impressive has been the way those two ends and Hatcher have put aside any awkwardness that might have risen from the fact all three are now entering the last year of their respective contracts. Along with Siavii, each is a restricted free agent who could be on the open market next year or, should the Cowboys extend a fair offer, back in Dallas.
But each knows that this is as much an industry as a game. They've seen former teammate and friend Chris Canty leave for a big contract with the New York Giants, perhaps a clue the Cowboys front office might not be in love with the idea of long, lucrative deals for players who have their knees cut and face two 330-pounders on any given play. The three restricted guys also saw the Godfather of their group, nose tackle Jason Ferguson, traded away to Miami after Ratliff rose to prominence in 2007. Each member of the defensive front says Ferguson's veteran leadership taught them how to approach the business, the game and how to treat one another.
So what would Ferguson tell Spears, Hatcher and Bowen, all hoping for financial security on top of a starting job this season? What would he tell Siavii, Brent, Lissemore and Dixon, each trying to forge their spot on the roster?
"He would say big hats, just ball," Hatcher says. "Just ball, put it on the film. At the end of the day you don't just play for the Cowboys, you play for the NFL. There are 31 other teams out there and you've got to fill out your own résumé by going out and making plays. And the rest will take care of itself. ... We talk about it, but it doesn't affect us as a group or affect our work ethic. We go out there and give 110 percent every day. We don't let it come between us. We're grown ups, we know it's a business. And it's a replacement business - sometimes it's a money thing or a numbers game. Whatever, just go with the flow and let the chips fall where they may."
Hatcher, Spears, Bowen, Ratliff, Olshansky and Siavii are all tight. They'd be sad to see one of their own go, but would be welcoming to another member of the fraternity. Human nature prevents them from blocking the competition and its affect on the future out of their mind entirely. But it doesn't stop them from playing their video games or hanging with each other on a night off. It doesn't change anything in the room.
"I wouldn't say awkward, but it's a thought in the back of your head," Hatcher says. "You're kind of curious about what's going to go on after the season's over with, but at the end of the day, all you can do is play. Just go out and play. We're not going to let it get between us on the field as far as who starts and who backs up. At the end of the day we're quality players. We'll be OK either way it goes.
"All we've got to do is play and leave it on the field."
Meet the Challengers
By defensive line coach Paul Pasqualoni
Josh Brent: I want to see more consistency. I'd like to see him drop a few more pounds. He came in probably in the 325-330 range. I think that might be a little heavy - if we get him down a little bit we might see more quickness, which at that position is important. I like his toughness. I think he plays with good flexibility. He can play with low pad level. The next few weeks we have in camp are going to be very important for his development.
Sean Lissemore: Sean's got some pass-rush ability. He's quick, he's a good matchup on the guard inside. He an explosive guy, a strong guy, a tough guy. These techniques and fundamentals are all new to him. He's making good progress. It's too bad he got hurt because it set him back, no question, but the next three weeks or so will be really important for him, too.
Jimmy Saddler-McQueen: He learns well. He has good quickness with his feet and his hands and can get off on the snap of the ball. He's got good flexibility too, but again, technique is the issue. He was a good player in college, Division II football is good football, but this is quite a step up. He's up against it every snap. But he's making progress. We just keep grinding away with him.
Marcus Dixon: He's been around a while, but he's new for me. He learns well and can play multiple positions. I think he's really developed some activeness in his pass rush. His explosiveness at the point of attack is improved, and I'm anxious to see him in the preseason games against outside competition.
Despite the stiff competition they face with each other, the players that make up the Cowboys' defensive line remain a close-knit unit.
by Josh Ellis
http://www.dallascowboysstar.com/article-details&nid=3550&vid=3551&uid=35812
On the one night of training camp in San Antonio that the players had their curfew extended until 1 a.m., it would've been fair to expect them to all hit the River Walk. See a movie. Anything. Training camp's a grind, and the coaches rarely throw such bones.
Many on the team had evening plans, going their separate ways, but one position group in particular stuck close to home. Rather than hit the clubs in search of new friends, they gathered around a cross-shaped table in the team hotel's drinking hole, Bar Rojo, as upscale a spot as there is in the Alamo City, the vibe sort of a relaxed-riche. Elbows on the table, starters shared stories and big, loud laughs with the very guys trying to take their jobs. And when they were ready to call it a night, a backup graciously went and bought Denny's to-go for the whole group.
On any other night the same guys would just as likely be huddled together in a hotel room playing UFC video games. The Cowboys' defensive line is about as tightly-knit a group as there is on the team. That relationship is reflective of the way they play together on Sundays, each guy fitting into his role, giving way for others to make plays in the heavy rotation, and celebrating one another's success.
Every football team has its big central room, where the lockers are, where everyone leaves their stuff, where coaches gather players before a game to give a thought or encouraging word to the entire bunch. It's the place cornerbacks and wide receivers, linebackers and running backs, can come together to bond. But there are also these satellites of the big room, where individual positions gather after practice to discuss technique or study film. That's where the Cowboys defensive linemen have formed a strong bond over the last five or six years, an example to their teammates.
"I think all of our guys are real professionals," coach Wade Phillips says. "They're helping each other. They're all competing, you know, it's a competition all the time. The players know that and they know there're only 53 spots. But the real pros help everybody because they're not scared of their job. They want somebody to come in and help the team. We have that in almost all the rooms, and I think in that room especially.
"There're going to be a few guys in the room that aren't going to make it, but they're all working toward the same thing, and that's having a great football team and working together to do that. And that's what you want from your team and your teammates."
It's true, some of the defensive linemen on the roster will not make the team. Last year there were six front men. Jay Ratliff is safe, as are ends Igor Olshansky, Marcus Spears, Jason Hatcher and Stephen Bowen. The team likes veteran nose tackle backup Junior Siavii, but he's being pressed by practice squad vet Marcus Dixon, along with rookie supplemental draft pick Josh Brent and seventh-rounder Sean Lissemore. Both rookies have been battling injuries since close to the beginning of camp. Brent broke his hand, but has returned with a heavy cast. Lissemore's groin strain has kept him out almost two weeks.
The most costly injury, though, has been Spears' sprained left MCL, which occurred when he had his legs rolled up in practice. He is expected to be out 4-6 weeks, putting his availability for the season-opener at Washington on Sept. 12 in some doubt. Injuries are a fact of life in football, and during training camp there always seems to be one position or another thinning out with guys who have to rehab with athletic trainers on the sidelines.
Unluckily for this year's Cowboys, early in camp it was the defensive line, probably the worst place for the injury bug to strike during the summer series of endless practices. It's not long before those players wear out from the constant pounding that happens at the line of scrimmage, anyway. The Cowboys entered camp with 10 defensive linemen, but not even a week passed by before four of them were on the shelf.
Lorenzo Washington, an undrafted rookie end from Alabama never got started, a pre-camp hamstring strain keeping him out until he was released and replaced by Jimmy Saddler-McQueen of Texas A&M-Kingsville. Then Brent broke his hand while being double-teamed, the former Illinois run-stopper originally mistaking the injury for a jammed finger and continuing to practice, then lifting weights before checking with trainers. Hatcher hyperextended his elbow a few days in, costing him several practices, and Lissemore's injury followed soon thereafter. None of the injuries were considered overly serious, but the adverse affect of the depth crunch was immediately felt by those players left standing. The numbers were down, but something else was up.
"Being tired," Spears said prior to his injury. "That's what's up. But we've got to keep fighting. That's it. It's hard for D-linemen to go with limited numbers because of the banging, but it's just the situation right now. The extra reps are good sometimes, but it starts to take a toll on you."
Spears was covered in sweat after the second of two practices in what was just another day in the grind. At the very least he did get a little break, Phillips going easy like a Sunday morning on his veterans the second weekend of camp. While most players in their second- or third-year and older were given the first of two sessions off, Bowen, 26, and Siavii, 30, had to be at the Alamodome just to fill out the three-man unit.
If not for the need to give their fellow vets a break, Bowen and Siavii might've had bigger plans.
"Sleeping," Bowen says. "It's something I had to do. I didn't think negatively of it. I know that if we had somebody else (healthy) I probably wouldn't have been there, but we didn't have anybody else, so I've got to do what's best for the team. You've got to make some sacrifices.
"We all try to pick each other up. When you see somebody else working hard out there it just makes you work even harder for them. That's the way our unit is. It's always been like that. You just try to take one play at a time. That's how I approach it. Not to think about all these plays I have, but just this one right now. Think about my assignment and try to perform the best I can and move on to the next one."
It didn't bother a fifth-year player like Bowen too much to work extra so a guy in his sixth, like Spears, could take a break. But even more impressive has been the way those two ends and Hatcher have put aside any awkwardness that might have risen from the fact all three are now entering the last year of their respective contracts. Along with Siavii, each is a restricted free agent who could be on the open market next year or, should the Cowboys extend a fair offer, back in Dallas.
But each knows that this is as much an industry as a game. They've seen former teammate and friend Chris Canty leave for a big contract with the New York Giants, perhaps a clue the Cowboys front office might not be in love with the idea of long, lucrative deals for players who have their knees cut and face two 330-pounders on any given play. The three restricted guys also saw the Godfather of their group, nose tackle Jason Ferguson, traded away to Miami after Ratliff rose to prominence in 2007. Each member of the defensive front says Ferguson's veteran leadership taught them how to approach the business, the game and how to treat one another.
So what would Ferguson tell Spears, Hatcher and Bowen, all hoping for financial security on top of a starting job this season? What would he tell Siavii, Brent, Lissemore and Dixon, each trying to forge their spot on the roster?
"He would say big hats, just ball," Hatcher says. "Just ball, put it on the film. At the end of the day you don't just play for the Cowboys, you play for the NFL. There are 31 other teams out there and you've got to fill out your own résumé by going out and making plays. And the rest will take care of itself. ... We talk about it, but it doesn't affect us as a group or affect our work ethic. We go out there and give 110 percent every day. We don't let it come between us. We're grown ups, we know it's a business. And it's a replacement business - sometimes it's a money thing or a numbers game. Whatever, just go with the flow and let the chips fall where they may."
Hatcher, Spears, Bowen, Ratliff, Olshansky and Siavii are all tight. They'd be sad to see one of their own go, but would be welcoming to another member of the fraternity. Human nature prevents them from blocking the competition and its affect on the future out of their mind entirely. But it doesn't stop them from playing their video games or hanging with each other on a night off. It doesn't change anything in the room.
"I wouldn't say awkward, but it's a thought in the back of your head," Hatcher says. "You're kind of curious about what's going to go on after the season's over with, but at the end of the day, all you can do is play. Just go out and play. We're not going to let it get between us on the field as far as who starts and who backs up. At the end of the day we're quality players. We'll be OK either way it goes.
"All we've got to do is play and leave it on the field."
Meet the Challengers
By defensive line coach Paul Pasqualoni
Josh Brent: I want to see more consistency. I'd like to see him drop a few more pounds. He came in probably in the 325-330 range. I think that might be a little heavy - if we get him down a little bit we might see more quickness, which at that position is important. I like his toughness. I think he plays with good flexibility. He can play with low pad level. The next few weeks we have in camp are going to be very important for his development.
Sean Lissemore: Sean's got some pass-rush ability. He's quick, he's a good matchup on the guard inside. He an explosive guy, a strong guy, a tough guy. These techniques and fundamentals are all new to him. He's making good progress. It's too bad he got hurt because it set him back, no question, but the next three weeks or so will be really important for him, too.
Jimmy Saddler-McQueen: He learns well. He has good quickness with his feet and his hands and can get off on the snap of the ball. He's got good flexibility too, but again, technique is the issue. He was a good player in college, Division II football is good football, but this is quite a step up. He's up against it every snap. But he's making progress. We just keep grinding away with him.
Marcus Dixon: He's been around a while, but he's new for me. He learns well and can play multiple positions. I think he's really developed some activeness in his pass rush. His explosiveness at the point of attack is improved, and I'm anxious to see him in the preseason games against outside competition.
