DMN: Blog: Breer: Scouts love the Cowboys talent

[Cbz40]

Scouts love the Cowboys talent

11:00 AM Thu, Jun 26, 2008 | Permalink | Yahoo! Buzz
Albert Breer


Scouts, Inc., over at ESPN.com, has an NFC East preview that asked each of the experts which team had the best offense and which had the best defense in the division.


The Cowboys took a unanimous 4-0 decision on the offensive side, while getting edged 3-2 by the Giants on defense. Here's one particularly gushing assessment of the Cowboys offensive talent:

Keith Kidd: Outside of the Patriots, the Cowboys have the best offense in the NFL. Garrett has a tremendous supporting cast to put around Romo, who has a strong arm and quick release which allow the Cowboys to strike from anywhere on the field. Owens and TE Jason Witten are a dangerous combination, while Barber will be the feature back this season running behind one of the best offensive lines in the NFL. The addition of Jones should make this offense even more dangerous in 2008.​

On defense, the majority of these guys -- rightly -- cited the Giants' defensive line, even with Michael Strahan, as a reason to put New York on top. Jeremy Green, the son of former Vikings and Cardinals coach Dennis Green, saw it a bit differently ...

Green: Even though it was a little inconsistent at times when the team needed it to step up, the Cowboys' defense is one of the most versatile in the NFL. Dallas' defense will not only be the best in the NFC East, but among the best in the NFL. Head coach Wade Phillips and defensive coordinator Brian Stewart use an aggressive 3-4 scheme to create pressure up front. That pressure should allow a much-improved Dallas secondary with the additions of Adam Jones (provided he is fully reinstated) and rookie Michael Jenkins to be ball hawks along with veteran CB Terence Newman. However, the biggest change will occur when CB Anthony Henry moves to safety, putting Roy Williams on the bench and eliminating the Cowboys' weakest link versus the pass in the back end.​

Two key points there -- Henry to safety and no sign of a certain nickname that's been trashed recently. So what do you guys think?

 

[NextGenBoys]

I think a nickel lineup consisting of:
Ware,Tank,Ellis,Spencer
Thomas Roy/Burnett
Newman, Pac, Jenkins
Henry, Hamlin

That will be a very good package that will be able to negate several matchup problems that offenses will try to throw at us.

I've been saying this all offseason, but three things stick out to me with this defense.
1. Year 2 in the Wade Phillips defense.
2. Improved talent in our secondary, along with a new coach.
3. An improved pass rush, with a combination of the previous two, and this defense WILL be top 3. And top 5 or 10 in almost every major category.

 

[tomson75]

I think Green needs to update his "Henry to Safety" research database.

....and I think our defense will be as dominant as our offense this year. While our offense is as potent as any in the league, few teams, if any, have the talent and depth we have on the defensive side of the ball.

Special teams is going to be key this year...

 

[cowboyjoe]

cbz. i think its a good post, thanks for the review,

i do think our defense will be even better this year, due to adam jones, jenkins, and hamlin with henry at free safety to cover the tight ends, that will ohly make pass rush better, and if you guys remember that ware is a year or two behind omahiariim the giants fierce pass rusher, and now with greg ellis and spencer coming on, our defense will be even better.

then add in improvement of tank johnson at NT, that will enable ratliff to be at LDE on obvious pass rushing schemes, and more blitzes,

then you add in experience of zach thomas at ILB, whom is kinda like dat nyugen, whom was great at intercepting and big fumbles etc, this will improve our defense, and finally with improving speed of courtney brown at FS, whom is really fast, faster than any safety we have, then lookout our DEFENSE IS GOING TO BE AWESOME!!!!!!!

 

[cowboyjoe]

YES, special teams will be tough i am thinking the first 3-6 games, after that, with the maturity of jenkins, orlando scandrick, felix jones, anderson at fb and on speciial teams, along with adam jones returning punts, our special teams should come on by the 6th game or so.

then become awesome, so lookout, only thing that can stop us is a key injury to romo or T O. other than that, we should be extrememly tough.

 

[ThreeSportStar80]

Until they play like it on the field I would pick the Giants defense over Dallas. I will agree with the offensive side of the ball.

 

[theogt]

Our defensive DVOA was better than theirs last year and we significantly upgraded our defense, whereas they downgraded theirs.

Easy call.

 

[Vintage]

I am hopeful we can win a playoff game this year.

We have too much talent to be one and done; again...

 

[reddyuta]

If our Defense plays to its potential then it will be really hard for our offense to lose games and this is especially true in the playoffs.

 

[David276]

i like it. but that is alot of money (roy) to just be sitting on the bench

 

[Stash]

The Cowboys' defensive investment and talent 'on paper' looks better than the rest of the division, but it did last year too and the Giants ultimately did a much better job of maximizing theirs.

With a 2nd year's worth of experience in Phillips "34", and the number of positives added and negatives subtracted, I think there's no reason for the Cowboys not to be the division's best defense - and possibly the league's best as well.

 

[CrazyCowboy]

After this year.....the Cowboys will be the BEST offense in the NFL