DMN: Bob Sturm: Safe bet to be Cowboys’ sack leader hardly a safe bet at all

[jobberone]

Bob Sturm: Safe bet to be Cowboys’ sack leader hardly a safe bet at all
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Bob Sturm Follow @sportssturm Email sturm1310@me.com
Published: June 12, 2015 6:29 pm
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Dallas Cowboys defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence (90) is pictured after his fumble recovery during the Detroit Lions vs. the Dallas Cowboys NFL playoff game at AT&T Stadium in Arlington on Sunday, January 4, 2015. (Louis DeLuca/The Dallas Morning News)

The Ticket’s Bob Sturm, a Dallas Morning News special contributor, recently hosted a chat to talk all things football. Here are some of the highlights:

Question: Best guess, who do you think leads this team in sacks next year? Greg Hardy, DeMarcus Lawrence, Randy Gregory?

Sturm: Wow. Nice question. I have seen Hardy destroy too many OL in his career to bet against him, but the amount of blind faith required to know how much he will actually be on the field is substantial. That said, what do we do with a rookie year for Gregory? Tough to say how much he will play right off the bat because you have to play Jeremy Mincey at one DE (strong side) unless someone absolutely blows him out of the water. He is too good to ignore. So, in answer to your question, I guess I go with Lawrence as the safe bet, even though he is hardly safe at all. He showed flashes in the playoffs, but still, not enough to pencil in 8-10 sacks. That is a big number. Oh well.

Question: Any word on the Hardy appeal?

Sturm: Nothing. And I really don’t get it. Our Jon Machota indicated that Stephen Jones told him it takes a few weeks which I don’t fully understand either. I guess lawyers are going to lawyer and we all need to wait, but it isn’t like the NFL doesn’t understand the case or that this was coming. I still expect he will get reduced to 4-6 games, but I am absolutely blindly guessing.

Question: If you’re the Cowboys, have you seen enough from Tyrone Crawford to try to lock him up to a long team deal this summer? On the other hand, if you’re Crawford, would you bet on yourself and say I’m going to have a big year and wait to sign a new deal?

Sturm: I would happily lock Crawford down quickly. He is very good. Not sure the prices that both sides feel is appropriate, but DT is a weird market. Suh was handed the keys to the world and Fairley got almost nothing. So, evidently, there is a wide range on the going rate for a 4-3 DT.

Click here to read the full chat transcript

DeMarcus Lawrence expecting Cowboys' pass rush to 'improve a lot' with Hardy, Gregory

• Stephen Jones: DeMarcus Lawrence, Ryan Russell could play DT; why Texas' Malcom Brown didn't fit

• Bob Sturm's 2014 Cowboys Sack Registry Part 3 (Weeks 9-12): What didn't work against the Eagles

• Bob Sturm's 2014 Cowboys Sack Registry Part 2 (Weeks 5-8): Commanders loss was unmitigated disaster

 

[big dog cowboy]

Question: Best guess, who do you think leads this team in sacks next year? Greg Hardy, DeMarcus Lawrence, Randy Gregory?

Depends on what Hardy's suspension gets reduced to. Overall I don't really care I just know it will be fun to watch.

 

[jobberone]

Just put some pressure on. It's an everyone is responsible stat anyway.

 

[Redball Express]

Just put some pressure on. It's an everyone is responsible stat anyway.

For sure.

The pass rush depends a ton on how Marinelli employs his personel and who he trusts.

I think there is a lot of new moving parts from the DL to the secondary to the LBers.

So its probably going to take the first half of the season to really know.

When I think back to the famous Dallas defenses..

back in the 70's it took Bob Lilly to rise to greatness..

in the 80s it was Randy White.

Back in the 90s it was Charles Haley needing to arrive.

Now..is it Hardy?

Or Lawrence ?

Or our #2 pick?

Who?

 

[jobberone]

For sure.

The pass rush depends a ton on how Marinelli employs his personel and who he trusts.

I think there is a lot of new moving parts from the DL to the secondary to the LBers.

So its probably going to take the first half of the season to really know.

Well, there are times one guy does it all but for a season it's a combined effort of the DL even front seven.

 

[Redball Express]

Well, there are times one guy does it all but for a season it's a combined effort of the DL even front seven.

Yep..

JJ Watt comes along once a generation.

I still can't believe we just missed drafting him.

Woulda shoulda coulda.

 

[big dog cowboy]

JJ Watt comes along once a generation.

I still can't believe we just missed drafting him.

We didn't miss drafting him. We took Smith at 9 and Watt was still there.

 

[erod]

Sacks are the most overrated stat in football. Consistent pressure is the goal.

Ware always had sacks, but he disappeared for long stretches.

Give me consistency. Leads to interceptions, incompletions, and erratic quarterback play.

 

[Idgit]

Sacks are the most overrated stat in football. Consistent pressure is the goal.

Ware always had sacks, but he disappeared for long stretches.

Give me consistency. Leads to interceptions, incompletions, and erratic quarterback play.

Ware was a great all-around player, and the myths that he disappeared have been pretty effectively debunked for a long time now, but I agree with you that pressure is the name of the game and that doesn't necessarily mean just sacks.

 

[Little Jr]

Ware was a great all-around player, and the myths that he disappeared have been pretty effectively debunked for a long time now, but I agree with you that pressure is the name of the game and that doesn't necessarily mean just sacks.

The last 2 yrs he was her he disappeared the last 8 games.

 

[Idgit]

The last 2 yrs he was her he disappeared the last 8 games.

He did appear to wear down as the seasons' injuries accumulated the last few years. But that's not really what erod's argument was. In his prime, Ware was a player the offense had to account for the entire game, and he got both sacks and pressures, despite being the focus of the offensive game plan every week.

 

[darthseinfeld]

Im betting on Gregory. Lawrence will be on the field more but I think limited snaps amd responsiblities will make Gregory the most effective rusher. I think Gregory has 10, Hardy misses 6 games and finishes with 8. Lawrence gets 8. Crawford get 5, Mincey 4, Russell and Gardner 2.

I think we get 6 more sprinkled in from others

 

[Little Jr]

He did appear to wear down as the seasons' injuries accumulated the last few years. But that's not really what erod's argument was. In his prime, Ware was a player the offense had to account for the entire game, and he got both sacks and pressures, despite being the focus of the offensive game plan every week.

I agree.

 

[Proximo]

Ware was a great all-around player, and the myths that he disappeared have been pretty effectively debunked for a long time now, but I agree with you that pressure is the name of the game and that doesn't necessarily mean just sacks.

One thing I do not miss: the never ending parade of threads declaring that Ware was "not clutch" and therefore incredibly overrated.

 

[Idgit]

One thing I do not miss: the never ending parade of threads declaring that Ware was "not clutch" and therefore incredibly overrated.

It'll morph into something similar about somebody, eventually. Not sure who the best candidate on the current roster is. I'm kind of surprised we're not getting complaints about Witten with any frequency yet. A few seasons back, he'd forgotten how to block and was losing a step. With him moving into a bigger blocking role last season and the hit to his receiving stats, I thought sure it was coming hard. So far, not so much. Which is cool, because Witten is the man in Dallas.

 

[theogt]

It'll morph into something similar about somebody, eventually. Not sure who the best candidate on the current roster is. I'm kind of surprised we're not getting complaints about Witten with any frequency yet. A few seasons back, he'd forgotten how to block and was losing a step. With him moving into a bigger blocking role last season and the hit to his receiving stats, I thought sure it was coming hard. So far, not so much. Which is cool, because Witten is the man in Dallas.

Death, taxes, and stupid opinions on internet forums.

 

[Section446]

Yep..

JJ Watt comes along once a generation.

I still can't believe we just missed drafting him.

Woulda shoulda coulda.

Eh, we did okay in that draft, I'm not complaining.

 

[Redball Express]

We didn't miss drafting him. We took Smith at 9 and Watt was still there.

Exactly.

Love me some Smith, no prob.

But considering what ended up happening with our following drafts and FA signings like Collins..

still would have liked Watt..

It would have taken up alot of the slack when Ware had his problems.

Whatever.

 

[Redball Express]

Eh, we did okay in that draft, I'm not complaining.

No complaint.

Just reflection.

Then we wouldn't have to take risks like with Hardy.

Just my personal observations .

Hey..if I were clairvoyant..

Jerrah would hire me as GM.

Nay..

(Grin)