Defensive Snap Count, 7 game evolution

[Galian Beast]

The Cowboys played their most defensive snaps in a game against the Giants since they had 76 against St. Louis. They had 63 snaps. I think this was due to some sloppy defense, and some poor calls by the officials. The amount of snaps they played is not a recipe for consistency. So that has to be looked at going forward.

Tyrone Crawford and Mincey have become the stables of this defensive line so far this year. They had 43 and 44 snaps respectively.

Defensive Line by snapcount:

Defensive Ends
DE1 Mincey - 44
DE2 Selvie - 37
DE3 Spencer - 29
DE4 Edwards 16

DT1 Crawford - 43
DT2 Hayden 31
DT3 Melton 31
DT4 McClain 21

You'll notice that but numbers turn out as 126 (63x2). And I didn't notice during the game, and haven't rewatched it, but that tells me that we probably didn't see much of DEs playing DT and vice versa. I think we've seen roles solidify a lot, with Crawford becoming a steady 3 technique, as opposed to a DE/DT hybrid. This is a really good thing for us.

The other thing you'll notice is that if you add up Crawford and Melton's (64) numbers they are higher than Hayden and McClains (52). This is because sometimes Crawford is being lined up with Melton.

McClain has played in only 5 games, and has a total of 84 snaps. Averaging 16.8 snaps per game. If you subtract this recent game though that changes his average. It was previously 15.75 snaps per game. You're seeing McClain's role increase.

Nick Hayden on the other hand has played all 7 games. He has 201 snaps on the year for an average of 28.7 snaps per game. He had 31 snaps in this game which is actually above his average, but I think as time continues you'll see McClain eat his playing time a bit more. It'll be interesting to see what they end up doing with Brent.

Anthony Spencer has played in 4 games and has a total of 74 snaps, averaging 18.5 snaps per game. In this game he had 29 snaps. I think we should be cautiously optimistic about Anthony Spencer going forward.

Melton has played in every game, and has 160 snaps, averaging 22.85 snaps per game. He had 31 against the Giants. I think the more Melton we see the better as well.

I have to agree with people now that I don't think you'll see Crawford return to defensive end. I think he is going to work to keep his body at it's best for defensive tackle this season, and work exclusively towards becoming a better tackle in the offseason.

I know a lot of people are happy with Mincey's play, but in general, the less we see of Mincey, Selvie, and Edwards the better we're going to be doing on defense. Once Lawrence returns, Edwards will disappear from the snap sheet if he isn't cut altogether. Someone will be the odd man out at defensive tackle as well. Davon Coleman will likely be the player cut, but it'll be interesting to see who becomes inactive (for Brent). It'll also be interesting to see if they even bother activating Okoye. With Crawford and Melton, it'll be tough to add Okoye on without releasing either Hayden or McClain (assuming they add Brent). I was surprised when we didn't add Bishop to the PS.

The defensive line is the most interesting position group on our team, and the most in need of improvement.

The linebackers are playing well, but need to stay healthy. I'm glad that we'll be getting Carter back. It's also a great thing for some of these players to have a Monday night game, just one more day to get healthier.

Not much to say about the secondary, but one of the most interesting players on our team has to be Wilcox who has 341 snaps in 7 games. The more snaps this kid sees the better off we're going to be, especially going forward towards the playoffs. He has played the 2nd most snaps on defense, second only to Carr, who might be limited going forward.

Ultimately, I think this defense could still really use an infusion by making a trade for a defensive lineman before the trade deadline. I think we have a real opportunity this year, but not having a pass rush will kill us when it comes to playing playoff caliber passing games week in and week out. I think you have to think strongly about making a trade. If you could get someone who would let you drop Selvie completely, I think we'd be a lot better off.

 

[Wolfpack]

You stay with the girl you brought to the dance plus I don't trust Jerry to trade anything. They gave up a lot for Lawrence so you have to see how that works out. They also lowballed Allen & Ware and you'll have to pay someone worth the trade in the 1st place.

 

[maxdallasfan]

McClain was a force yesterday. His snap count will increase.

 

[JoeyBoy718]

The Cowboys played their most defensive snaps in a game against the Giants since they had 76 against St. Louis. They had 63 snaps. I think this was due to some sloppy defense, and some poor calls by the officials. The amount of snaps they played is not a recipe for consistency. So that has to be looked at going forward.

Tyrone Crawford and Mincey have become the stables of this defensive line so far this year. They had 43 and 44 snaps respectively.

Defensive Line by snapcount:

Defensive Ends
DE1 Mincey - 44
DE2 Selvie - 37
DE3 Spencer - 29
DE4 Edwards 16

DT1 Crawford - 43
DT2 Hayden 31
DT3 Melton 31
DT4 McClain 21

You'll notice that but numbers turn out as 126 (63x2). And I didn't notice during the game, and haven't rewatched it, but that tells me that we probably didn't see much of DEs playing DT and vice versa. I think we've seen roles solidify a lot, with Crawford becoming a steady 3 technique, as opposed to a DE/DT hybrid. This is a really good thing for us.

The other thing you'll notice is that if you add up Crawford and Melton's (64) numbers they are higher than Hayden and McClains (52). This is because sometimes Crawford is being lined up with Melton.

McClain has played in only 5 games, and has a total of 84 snaps. Averaging 16.8 snaps per game. If you subtract this recent game though that changes his average. It was previously 15.75 snaps per game. You're seeing McClain's role increase.

Nick Hayden on the other hand has played all 7 games. He has 201 snaps on the year for an average of 28.7 snaps per game. He had 31 snaps in this game which is actually above his average, but I think as time continues you'll see McClain eat his playing time a bit more. It'll be interesting to see what they end up doing with Brent.

Anthony Spencer has played in 4 games and has a total of 74 snaps, averaging 18.5 snaps per game. In this game he had 29 snaps. I think we should be cautiously optimistic about Anthony Spencer going forward.

Melton has played in every game, and has 160 snaps, averaging 22.85 snaps per game. He had 31 against the Giants. I think the more Melton we see the better as well.

I have to agree with people now that I don't think you'll see Crawford return to defensive end. I think he is going to work to keep his body at it's best for defensive tackle this season, and work exclusively towards becoming a better tackle in the offseason.

I know a lot of people are happy with Mincey's play, but in general, the less we see of Mincey, Selvie, and Edwards the better we're going to be doing on defense. Once Lawrence returns, Edwards will disappear from the snap sheet if he isn't cut altogether. Someone will be the odd man out at defensive tackle as well. Davon Coleman will likely be the player cut, but it'll be interesting to see who becomes inactive (for Brent). It'll also be interesting to see if they even bother activating Okoye. With Crawford and Melton, it'll be tough to add Okoye on without releasing either Hayden or McClain (assuming they add Brent). I was surprised when we didn't add Bishop to the PS.

The defensive line is the most interesting position group on our team, and the most in need of improvement.

The linebackers are playing well, but need to stay healthy. I'm glad that we'll be getting Carter back. It's also a great thing for some of these players to have a Monday night game, just one more day to get healthier.

Not much to say about the secondary, but one of the most interesting players on our team has to be Wilcox who has 341 snaps in 7 games. The more snaps this kid sees the better off we're going to be, especially going forward towards the playoffs. He has played the 2nd most snaps on defense, second only to Carr, who might be limited going forward.

Ultimately, I think this defense could still really use an infusion by making a trade for a defensive lineman before the trade deadline. I think we have a real opportunity this year, but not having a pass rush will kill us when it comes to playing playoff caliber passing games week in and week out. I think you have to think strongly about making a trade. If you could get someone who would let you drop Selvie completely, I think we'd be a lot better off.

I agree with most of what you said. It'll definitely be interesting to see how the D-line shapes up throughout the rest of the season. The D-line, in my opinion, is the least complete unit on the defense.

The LBers are absolutely set. It's just a matter of getting Carter back healthy. Carter-McClain-Durant is clearly our LBing corps from here on out.

Secondary also seems to be shaping up. Some people have called the Claiborne injury a blessing in disguise. I don't want to wish injury on anyone, but it might have made our secondary better. Scandrick is clearly our best CB, Church is definitely a stable on the defense, Carr isn't great but is a solid starter, Moore is playing very well and consistent, and Wilcox is improving every week. Our 4th CB and 3rd safety are question marks, but when healthy, our secondary should be solid.

Last issue is the D-line. It's clear we're running an 8-man front, two at each position (with DT switching up a little from time to time).

Spencer and Selvie at SDE is what it's been since Spencer got back. Spencer has been getting more and more snaps. He actually got more than Selvie last week, but Selvie got more this week. As you mentioned, this is probably because the Giants had so many snaps. They clearly want Spencer to get more snaps but don't feel like he's yet ready for 30+. I don't know if I see us making a trade. I agree that Selvie has been a disappointment (it's scary that he was actually being considered our most consistent DE going into the season). I think the more snaps Spencer gets, the better we'll be at SDE. We'll be much better by the end of the season.

WDE is interesting. Mincey has been getting the majority of the snaps all year. That's obviously because they didn't have anyone else they trusted (the #2 WDE only had 5 snaps last week). But I'm wondering if it's also because they love Mincey (the same way they seem to love Hayden). Sure, Mincey has been a pleasant surprise, but we really need to reduce his snaps when Lawrence comes back. I really hope Lawrence can prove himself quickly. My hope is that Spencer and Lawrence get the majority of snaps at their respective positions by season's end. I see that for Spencer, but I doubt it for Lawrence. I'd at least be happy if Mincey and Lawrence split the snaps 50/50.

We have a lot of guys who can play the 3-tech. This seems to be a position of strength (and we were panicking over 3-tech prior to the season). Crawford is the starter, but Melton gets a lot of snaps too. I'm not sure if they're limiting his snaps because they want to give Crawford the bulk of the snaps or because they don't feel like Melton is completely healthy yet. I'd love to see Melton get a lot of snaps. Our best D-line is when Crawford and Melton are on the field.

Last but not least, the 1-tech. McClain made things very interesting yesterday. He was easily the guy I saw getting cut in order to bring Brent in. Now, I'm not so sure. They seem to like the 4th DT being a guy who can play 3-tech or 1-tech. That's McClain without a doubt. I don't see him being a starter at the 1-tech. He's more of a 3-tech in my opinion. I also don't know where this leaves Okoye. I just don't think there's any room for him. It's a shame because I like him and his story is inspirational. Lastly, there's the true 1-tech. I feel this roster only has room for one true 1-tech. That's been Hayden the past two years. I think Brent would be the better option, but I can't just see them cutting a guy who's been a stable on this defense for two years. It'll be interesting to see how they work Brent in. Do they have Brent and Hayden split the 1-tech snaps 50/50 and compete for the position going into the playoffs?

 

[xwalker]

Last but not least, the 1-tech. McClain made things very interesting yesterday. He was easily the guy I saw getting cut in order to bring Brent in. Now, I'm not so sure. They seem to like the 4th DT being a guy who can play 3-tech or 1-tech. That's McClain without a doubt. I don't see him being a starter at the 1-tech. He's more of a 3-tech in my opinion. I also don't know where this leaves Okoye. I just don't think there's any room for him. It's a shame because I like him and his story is inspirational. Lastly, there's the true 1-tech. I feel this roster only has room for one true 1-tech. That's been Hayden the past two years. I think Brent would be the better option, but I can't just see them cutting a guy who's been a stable on this defense for two years. It'll be interesting to see how they work Brent in. Do they have Brent and Hayden split the 1-tech snaps 50/50 and compete for the position going into the playoffs?

Yes, I posted some similar thoughts the other day about Josh Brent and the DT rotation. I don't see Marinelli wanting to bench Hayden for Brent but I also don't see him wanting two 1-techs active for the game. T. McClain seems like exactly what Marinelli wants in the 4th DT because he can play 1-tech or 3-tech.

Jerry needs to be careful about forcing Josh Brent onto Marinelli if he wants Marinelli to return next season. I don't know why RM likes Hayden so much, but it seem evident that he does.

 

[Galian Beast]

I agree with most of what you said. It'll definitely be interesting to see how the D-line shapes up throughout the rest of the season. The D-line, in my opinion, is the least complete unit on the defense.

The LBers are absolutely set. It's just a matter of getting Carter back healthy. Carter-McClain-Durant is clearly our LBing corps from here on out.

Secondary also seems to be shaping up. Some people have called the Claiborne injury a blessing in disguise. I don't want to wish injury on anyone, but it might have made our secondary better. Scandrick is clearly our best CB, Church is definitely a stable on the defense, Carr isn't great but is a solid starter, Moore is playing very well and consistent, and Wilcox is improving every week. Our 4th CB and 3rd safety are question marks, but when healthy, our secondary should be solid.

Last issue is the D-line. It's clear we're running an 8-man front, two at each position (with DT switching up a little from time to time).

Spencer and Selvie at SDE is what it's been since Spencer got back. Spencer has been getting more and more snaps. He actually got more than Selvie last week, but Selvie got more this week. As you mentioned, this is probably because the Giants had so many snaps. They clearly want Spencer to get more snaps but don't feel like he's yet ready for 30+. I don't know if I see us making a trade. I agree that Selvie has been a disappointment (it's scary that he was actually being considered our most consistent DE going into the season). I think the more snaps Spencer gets, the better we'll be at SDE. We'll be much better by the end of the season.

WDE is interesting. Mincey has been getting the majority of the snaps all year. That's obviously because they didn't have anyone else they trusted (the #2 WDE only had 5 snaps last week). But I'm wondering if it's also because they love Mincey (the same way they seem to love Hayden). Sure, Mincey has been a pleasant surprise, but we really need to reduce his snaps when Lawrence comes back. I really hope Lawrence can prove himself quickly. My hope is that Spencer and Lawrence get the majority of snaps at their respective positions by season's end. I see that for Spencer, but I doubt it for Lawrence. I'd at least be happy if Mincey and Lawrence split the snaps 50/50.

We have a lot of guys who can play the 3-tech. This seems to be a position of strength (and we were panicking over 3-tech prior to the season). Crawford is the starter, but Melton gets a lot of snaps too. I'm not sure if they're limiting his snaps because they want to give Crawford the bulk of the snaps or because they don't feel like Melton is completely healthy yet. I'd love to see Melton get a lot of snaps. Our best D-line is when Crawford and Melton are on the field.

Last but not least, the 1-tech. McClain made things very interesting yesterday. He was easily the guy I saw getting cut in order to bring Brent in. Now, I'm not so sure. They seem to like the 4th DT being a guy who can play 3-tech or 1-tech. That's McClain without a doubt. I don't see him being a starter at the 1-tech. He's more of a 3-tech in my opinion. I also don't know where this leaves Okoye. I just don't think there's any room for him. It's a shame because I like him and his story is inspirational. Lastly, there's the true 1-tech. I feel this roster only has room for one true 1-tech. That's been Hayden the past two years. I think Brent would be the better option, but I can't just see them cutting a guy who's been a stable on this defense for two years. It'll be interesting to see how they work Brent in. Do they have Brent and Hayden split the 1-tech snaps 50/50 and compete for the position going into the playoffs?

I think Hayden may be a surprise cut. It'll come down to if Brent comes in and plays like people think he can play, and who plays better between Hayden and McClain going forward.

I think they'll extend it to a 9 man defensive line. Keith Smith will be cut once Carter is healthy again.

Having Crawford, Melton, and Okoye, could allow you to reduce their snaps to about the 20-25 range. That will allow them to go full bore, basically every snap. It will also allow interesting combinations with two of them on the field at a time, though probably leaving Okoye at the 3 technique. I think that's how we'll get the best pass rush, especially if we have Josh Brent in there to help stop the run. I don't know if you can let Okoye go if he is one of the best pass rushers you have available, and you desperately need to improve your pass rush.

I really do think that our current edge rushers leave a lot to be desired though.

Spencer
Lawrence
TRADE PLAYER
Mincey

Would be the best possible outcome we could get.

Guys we might want to look at

Brandon Graham - Eagles
Dion Jordan - Dolphins
Derrick Morgan - Titans

 

[Galian Beast]

You stay with the girl you brought to the dance plus I don't trust Jerry to trade anything. They gave up a lot for Lawrence so you have to see how that works out. They also lowballed Allen & Ware and you'll have to pay someone worth the trade in the 1st place.

You'd be surprised by how cheap some midseason trades are...

A trade wouldn't do anything to Lawrence, you gotta play two defensive ends...

 

[xwalker]

I think Hayden may be a surprise cut. It'll come down to if Brent comes in and plays like people think he can play, and who plays better between Hayden and McClain going forward.

I think they'll extend it to a 9 man defensive line. Keith Smith will be cut once Carter is healthy again.

Having Crawford, Melton, and Okoye, could allow you to reduce their snaps to about the 20-25 range. That will allow them to go full bore, basically every snap. It will also allow interesting combinations with two of them on the field at a time, though probably leaving Okoye at the 3 technique. I think that's how we'll get the best pass rush, especially if we have Josh Brent in there to help stop the run. I don't know if you can let Okoye go if he is one of the best pass rushers you have available, and you desperately need to improve your pass rush.

I really do think that our current edge rushers leave a lot to be desired though.

Spencer
Lawrence
TRADE PLAYER
Mincey

Would be the best possible outcome we could get.

Guys we might want to look at

Brandon Graham - Eagles
Dion Jordan - Dolphins
Derrick Morgan - Titans

I don't see Hayden getting cut this year; although it makes sense if Brent of T. McClain out perform him at the 1-tech spot. Marinelli just seems dedicated to playing Hayden. I could see having 9 DL active, but probably with Hayden and Brent instead of Okoye.

I don't expect a trade, but you never know when a team just wants to dump salary like Seattle and Percy Harvin.

 

[JoeyBoy718]

Yes, I posted some similar thoughts the other day about Josh Brent and the DT rotation. I don't see Marinelli wanting to bench Hayden for Brent but I also don't see him wanting two 1-techs active for the game. T. McClain seems like exactly what Marinelli wants in the 4th DT because he can play 1-tech or 3-tech.

Jerry needs to be careful about forcing Josh Brent onto Marinelli if he wants Marinelli to return next season. I don't know why RM likes Hayden so much, but it seem evident that he does.

I didn't even think about that. You bring up an interesting point. Jerry has invested a lot into Brent. He's helped him through the whole situation and has basically been saving a seat for Brent for almost two years.

In comes Marinelli. He came in after the whole Brent ordeal occurred, so we don't even know what Marinelli's feelings on the matter are (the whole drunk driving killing a teammate matter). Just because Jerry and the Boys seemed to be okay with it, doesn't mean Marinelli came in all open arms.

Also, Marinelli seems to only like one true 1-tech on the roster, and Hayden has been his guy since he came in. So I don't think he really wants any more 1-techs.

Now, this can all be resolved if Brent comes in and plays like an absolute beast and makes Hayden expendable. In that case, Marinelli couldn't deny his skill and he'd probably be okay with cutting ties with Hayden. But I don't remember Brent ever being All-Pro.

 

[Galian Beast]

I don't see Hayden getting cut this year; although it makes sense if Brent of T. McClain out perform him at the 1-tech spot. Marinelli just seems dedicated to playing Hayden. I could see having 9 DL active, but probably with Hayden and Brent instead of Okoye.

I don't expect a trade, but you never know when a team just wants to dump salary like Seattle and Percy Harvin.

There's no way we have three 1 techniques on this active day roster...

 

[xwalker]

There's no way we have three 1 techniques on this active day roster...

Who's the third 1-tech. T. McClain has probably played his best snaps at the 3-tech spot.

 

[xwalker]

I didn't even think about that. You bring up an interesting point. Jerry has invested a lot into Brent. He's helped him through the whole situation and has basically been saving a seat for Brent for almost two years.

In comes Marinelli. He came in after the whole Brent ordeal occurred, so we don't even know what Marinelli's feelings on the matter are (the whole drunk driving killing a teammate matter). Just because Jerry and the Boys seemed to be okay with it, doesn't mean Marinelli came in all open arms.

Also, Marinelli seems to only like one true 1-tech on the roster, and Hayden has been his guy since he came in. So I don't think he really wants any more 1-techs.

Now, this can all be resolved if Brent comes in and plays like an absolute beast and makes Hayden expendable. In that case, Marinelli couldn't deny his skill and he'd probably be okay with cutting ties with Hayden. But I don't remember Brent ever being All-Pro.

Marinelli is really big on loyalty and chemistry. I just don't know if he will agree to bench Hayden, especially if they keep winning. I think T. McClain might already be on the verge of really cutting into Hayden's snaps if they play the best players.