DL troubles again

[Kaiser]

We have a draft and FA upcoming. Gregory can be replaced. It's not a huge loss. Stop.

What Gregory was this year is not a huge loss, its possible and even probable that Dorance Armstrong can make the contribution Gregory did this year. What can't be replaced is what Gregory COULD become.

That said, from the team comments this could be zero or four games suspension, which is not a big deal.

 

[Kaiser]

BTW, this is interesting to see side by side. It pretty much confirms what you thought of both players -

 

[jobberone]

Seattle doesn’t play any two gap either.

Both Marinelli and Richard want quick, penetrating Defensive Linemen that shoot a gap and try to clog running lanes and get on the QB quickly on passing plays. They just won’t ask any of their DL to head up on a man and try to control both gaps on each side. They don’t play that way.

Now, if you mean just a bigger guy who is difficult to move off a spot and can stalemate double teams, then yeah, I see where you’re coming from, and Seattle did get a couple of guys like that.

It’d still be a one gap defense though.

Not trying to get caught up in semantics here, but there’s a big difference between a 1 gap and a 2 gap defense.

They were when Marinelli made that statement. We play it a few snaps a game but mostly a variety of fronts in front of variety of SPs.

 

[risco]

Did Dallas lose Tyrone Crawford? last time i checked he was starting RDE. Gregory played on passing downs. He was very successful on the snaps he played but it wasnt much. Too much is being made about this. This defense isnt dependent on one guy anymore. Irving was a noshow and the team moved on.

Ditto- I’m not sure why people are all riled up about this. Irvin played about 10 snaps all year and we are concerned. Give me a break! As for Gregory, his production can be replaced in free agency.

 

[Falco78]

Did Dallas lose Tyrone Crawford? last time i checked he was starting RDE. Gregory played on passing downs. He was very successful on the snaps he played but it wasnt much. Too much is being made about this. This defense isnt dependent on one guy anymore. Irving was a noshow and the team moved on.

Well said, Irving didn't play for us last year so no loss there. Tyrone Crawford did a great job when put inside and he can play all over the line. I'd day add a FA or draft a DE and DT and we are at close to the same level we were last year

 

[LatinMind]

So after several posts of chest pounding you agree with what I said in the first place. Not suprising.

SMH, you were chopped up and spit out several times my dude. i was just trying to end the convo and let you have a little dignity lol

 

[Little Jr]

They were when Marinelli made that statement. We play it a few snaps a game but mostly a variety of fronts in front of variety of SPs.

I don't remember any snaps that we ran a 2 gap but like you said it was a FEW, maybe on short yardage run downs.

Everyone wants a big fat guy who's a run stuffer but that's not going to happen with this team or at least it won't be through a higher draft pick or a high price FA. There is a reason we don't draft one in the first when they have been there in the past drafts. The 1 tech is the 2nd least important position on this defense behind the SLB. A big run stuffing DT would have minimum snaps in this defense so there would be no reason to spend a high draft pick on one or lot of money in one in FA.

Personally I hate 2 gap defenses especially in today's NFL. My son plays dt and his high school team plays it and I ***** every game about it, mostly because they don't have the kids to run it. Wanting a dl to run into a ol, hold them up, then react just doesnt make sense to me. If you have the right personnel I get it to a degree but just not my cup of tea.

 

[Little Jr]

As far as the OP, I don't see us being in any more trouble than we were heading into last year or at the end of the season.

We had no clue how much Irving was going to play and he ended up not playing at all, pretty much . We had no clue how Gregory was going to play being out pretty much 2 years and he was looked at as anything he gave us was a plus. He ended up giving us some quality snaps. So in the end what have we lost? A guy who gave us quality snaps? Another guy who played in 2 games, I believe?

You can never have to many quality DL so I dont see it changing anything. If the Cowboys FO was depending on either of these guys with their past, like a lot of fans are/were, then they have bigger issues than I thought.

 

[millennial_legend]

Where are you getting your pass rushing OLBs? Are you going to try to get Lawrence to fill that role at his size? Or do you propose to neuter him instead by making him a 5-tech.

It took time for Parcells to get his 34 personnel. It would take time today too.

Edit: sorry, I see you’re proposing to let Lawrence walk. Tell me again how this gets us closer to solving our pass rush issues?

Parcells made the brutal mistake of drafting a 3-4 DE (the guy Crawford replaced in Marcus Spears who was basically Crawford before Crawford) when we could have had both Ware and Aaron Rodgers which would have been the greatest draft in franchise history and one of the greatest by any team ever. Especially since we knew Bledsoe was about done and we didn't know yet what we had in Romo who was still considered a project.

 

[Outlaw Heroes]

Parcells made the brutal mistake of drafting a 3-4 DE (the guy Crawford replaced in Marcus Spears who was basically Crawford before Crawford) when we could have had both Ware and Aaron Rodgers which would have been the greatest draft in franchise history and one of the greatest by any team ever. Especially since we knew Bledsoe was about done and we didn't know yet what we had in Romo who was still considered a project.

Yeah nobody seems to remember that we passed on Rodgers twice. The first time was, of course, forgivable. But the second?

Saying that, my guess is the team knew by then what it had in Romo, even though the rest of the world didn’t.

 

[millennial_legend]

Yeah nobody seems to remember that we passed on Rodgers twice. The first time was, of course, forgivable. But the second?

Saying that, my guess is the team knew by then what it had in Romo, even though the rest of the world didn’t.

It's still impossible to say you "know what you have" in a QB who has never actually played any meaningful regular season snaps. It'd be like "knowing" we had something great in Cooper Rush if Dak went down with a career ending injury.. Bledsoe was healthy enough to play, but he was very washed up by his time in Dallas, everyone knew by that point the Cowboys were going to need to upgrade at QB very soon if they wanted to get back into contention. I was sitting there hoping for a QB and a WR with those two first rounders (but I was 11 years old, little kids like offense). When they got Ware I was a little disappointed but hopeful he'd make the defense better because I saw how fast he was and some of the college highlights. But I really wanted a QB. When the pick was announced as... Marcus Spears (who?) I just turned the TV to basketball in disgust.

 

[Kaiser]

SMH, you were chopped up and spit out several times my dude. i was just trying to end the convo and let you have a little dignity lol

And you totally have a girlfriend. But she lives in Canada so we haven't met her.

 

[LatinMind]

And you totally have a girlfriend. But she lives in Canada so we haven't met her.

lol

 

[jobberone]

I don't remember any snaps that we ran a 2 gap but like you said it was a FEW, maybe on short yardage run downs.

Everyone wants a big fat guy who's a run stuffer but that's not going to happen with this team or at least it won't be through a higher draft pick or a high price FA. There is a reason we don't draft one in the first when they have been there in the past drafts. The 1 tech is the 2nd least important position on this defense behind the SLB. A big run stuffing DT would have minimum snaps in this defense so there would be no reason to spend a high draft pick on one or lot of money in one in FA.

Personally I hate 2 gap defenses especially in today's NFL. My son plays dt and his high school team plays it and I ***** every game about it, mostly because they don't have the kids to run it. Wanting a dl to run into a ol, hold them up, then react just doesnt make sense to me. If you have the right personnel I get it to a degree but just not my cup of tea.

Only 4 teams play the 2 gap.

 

[Nightman]

What Gregory was this year is not a huge loss, its possible and even probable that Dorance Armstrong can make the contribution Gregory did this year. What can't be replaced is what Gregory COULD become.

That said, from the team comments this could be zero or four games suspension, which is not a big deal.

I think DLaw has to move to RDE.... if he is getting big bucks he needs to battle the LT

TCrawford is a good LDE against the run and so is Taco

Let DArmstrong back up DLaw and sign a mercenary like DFowler or BGraham to fill out the rotation

Definitely Draft DT ....even trade next year's 1st to move up into early 2nd this year.... we need help pronto Tonto

 

[Kaiser]

Definitely Draft DT ....even trade next year's 1st to move up into early 2nd this year.... we need help pronto Tonto

I think DLaw plays where he matches up best and they adjust around that, but I agree the best spot for both guys is DLaw at RDE and Crawford (or Taco if he improves) at LDE.

I always thought the 2nd round pick would be a DT with TE in the 3rd, with the last few days I think the 3rd rounder is now a DE.

 

[CowboyRoy]

Did Dallas lose Tyrone Crawford? last time i checked he was starting RDE. Gregory played on passing downs. He was very successful on the snaps he played but it wasnt much. Too much is being made about this. This defense isnt dependent on one guy anymore. Irving was a noshow and the team moved on.

Gregory rushing the passer opposite Lawrence was what took our defense to the next level. Monster monster loss.

 

[charron]

Sign guys like margus hunt and Henry Anderson or other free agents that are not super exp.

LDE- DLaw, Crawford
DT1- Woods, Hunt
DT3- Collins, Anderson
RDE- Taco, Armstrong

Law, Crawford, Collins can and should change spots throughout games. We also have had success playing 3 man fronts or bear front at times and should mix in similar looks to confuse offenses as well.

 

[TheDank]

I’ve been pondering our DL/DE conundrum as well. Looks like Anthony Barr isn’t going back to the vikes. I remember us being heavily connected with him in the draft and I feel like we have a tendency to show interest in guys we likes as prospects that underperformed with other teams.

Barr started out his career hot but has had a couple down seasons lately and struggles some in coverage as a LB. I think he’d be excellent in our scheme and would be an upgrade from Gregory both on and off the field.

Anyone have any idea how much he’ll be looking for in FA?