Twitter: Derrick Brooks will work with the Cowboys

[Zman5]

I'm real important to you, got you following me around with some ridiculous agenda. I'm bouncing around in your head like a pinball....ding-ding-ding! lol

I think you need to seek medical help.

 

[KJJ]

I think you need to seek medical help.

Speak for yourself and zip it!

 

[Zman5]

Speak for yourself and zip it!

Stop looking me up. LOL.

 

[KJJ]

Stop looking me up. LOL.

You looked me up, lose my number!

 

[Zman5]

You looked me up, lose my number!

Are you hearing voices in your head too?

 

[jobberone]

I remember when people were praising Durant for playing so well. I was kind of shocked because it was just an average at best job to me. He simply doesn't have the speed we needed. He was a liability in coverage, being exposed on crossing routes and in zone, and was only average at best in the run game. He did an admirable job for what he was, but if Jaylon isn't healthy, LB is a huge need. Its either a huge need or not a need at all depending on Jaylon and I fear they won't know enough by draft time to know for sure one way or another. If Jaylon is healthy, the Mike and Will are set with depth enough for the Sam and any injuries that may occur.

I see LB as a need anyway. We have Lee then everyone else can be upgraded. Now I have hopes for Wilson and I think Hitchens is a decent LBer. But I'm not counting on Wilson as a huge asset. And I think Hitchens is upgradeable at the least. We need a solid backup for Lee, competition at Mike and Sam as well as depth. If you want to diminish the priority for a LBer with the argument that Jaylon will have a big role then ok. But I see cover LBer as a need although that may be in place with Wilson, Lee, and Jaylon. There's not a fourth that I trust that much.

One way to fill that as depth perhaps more is to get an OLB/pass rusher who can cover reasonably well. Obviously their pass coverage is secondary to their primary mission to rush the passer.

I think Durant is a decent player who is upgradeable. There is a reason he was available. I disagree in that he does have speed but he has problems covering including as you said crossing patterns. We've suffered there for awhile no matter the personnel with exceptions.

I'd be on the lookout for a cover LBer in the draft and less so a VFA. I'm not sure where to place the priority there but it would be close to S and CB but not nearly as much as pass rusher. If you can get an edge rusher who can drop into coverage then great. Just remember how people felt about Spencer and Ware dropping into coverage instead of rushing.

 

[jobberone]

I think Lee and Smith will be able to give us all we need at linebacker, and I feel better about Wilson, too, after last year. There's no doubt that both Wilson and Smith can use some tutoring ... but I think the talent of Smith and Lee is what we need more than Brooks' teaching.

The LB group has talent to work with that we don't have on the other two levels.

I just replied to something like this. I tend to agree with you but I could argue Wilson is still unproven even though I stated I have hopes for him. He's still not a certain commodity. And depth is a concern if you're talking cover LBer and having a known commodity. Despite Durant's shortcomings he spent a significant number of snaps on the field which speaks to our depth at LBer.

 

[gimmesix]

I just replied to something like this. I tend to agree with you but I could argue Wilson is still unproven even though I stated I have hopes for him. He's still not a certain commodity. And depth is a concern if you're talking cover LBer and having a known commodity. Despite Durant's shortcomings he spent a significant number of snaps on the field which speaks to our depth at LBer.

Not going to disagree with you on depth. However, while depth is an issue at linebacker, starters are an issue along the defensive line and the secondary.

I agree that Wilson is still unproven at linebacker, and for that matter, we don't really know what we have in Jaylon, but we have reason to hope that Lee and Jaylon will be a star-caliber 1-2 punch, while strongside linebacker is much less important in this scheme.

Depthwise, we've got Hitchens, who is at least serviceable, and Nzeocha, who we don't know enough about. Wilber's also set to stick around although I don't think he adds much more than special teams ability. I wouldn't be surprised to see these six be the linebackers we carry, although I'm certainly all for upgrading the depth.

 

[jobberone]

Not going to disagree with you on depth. However, while depth is an issue at linebacker, starters are an issue along the defensive line and the secondary.

I agree that Wilson is still unproven at linebacker, and for that matter, we don't really know what we have in Jaylon, but we have reason to hope that Lee and Jaylon will be a star-caliber 1-2 punch, while strongside linebacker is much less important in this scheme.

Depthwise, we've got Hitchens, who is at least serviceable, and Nzeocha, who we don't know enough about. Wilber's also set to stick around although I don't think he adds much more than special teams ability. I wouldn't be surprised to see these six be the linebackers we carry, although I'm certainly all for upgrading the depth.

You made my case. Jaylon=complete unknown. Wilson=unknown. Lee=injury troubles. Depth=unknowns or mediocre. We need another LBer at least.

 

[gimmesix]

You made my case. Jaylon=complete unknown. Wilson=unknown. Lee=injury troubles. Depth=unknowns or mediocre. We need another LBer at least.

For me it's about priorities. I can live with adding another linebacker at some point, but I'd rather go with the complete unknown of Jaylon, the unknown of Wilson and the injury troubles of Lee than to add another linebacker at the expense of addressing the defensive line and secondary.

For me, I'd rather see two quality defensive linemen added and two defensive backs than cut one of those positions short because of the unknowns at LB. I'm for adding real players at those four spots rather than just throwing bodies at them, which is going to limit addressing other positions. If we want to add a linebacker in the fourth round or later, I'd be OK with that.

We've potentially got two superstars at linebacker. We need some superstars on those other levels.

 

[Bluefin]

For me it's about priorities. I can live with adding another linebacker at some point, but I'd rather go with the complete unknown of Jaylon, the unknown of Wilson and the injury troubles of Lee than to add another linebacker at the expense of addressing the defensive line and secondary.

Agreed.

Dallas is a base Nickel defense, the SLB just doesn't play that much.

Only two LBs logged over 50% of the snaps this season, Sean Lee (92.4%) and Anthony Hitchens (55%).

Hitch will be demoted to a reserve role this year with the debut of Jaylon Smith.

Damien Wilson will play sparingly, Mark Nzeocha will likely replace Kyle Wilber on special teams and a rookie may take the last spot.

While we only had two LBs take 50% of the snaps, there were six such DBs and three DL (two more were over 40%).

 

[jobberone]

For me it's about priorities. I can live with adding another linebacker at some point, but I'd rather go with the complete unknown of Jaylon, the unknown of Wilson and the injury troubles of Lee than to add another linebacker at the expense of addressing the defensive line and secondary.

For me, I'd rather see two quality defensive linemen added and two defensive backs than cut one of those positions short because of the unknowns at LB. I'm for adding real players at those four spots rather than just throwing bodies at them, which is going to limit addressing other positions. If we want to add a linebacker in the fourth round or later, I'd be OK with that.

We've potentially got two superstars at linebacker. We need some superstars on those other levels.

I agree about the priorities and adding DL is more important, as I've said.