News: DMN Chat: Bob Sturm: A look at my ideal Cowboys LB corps for 2015

[big dog cowboy]

I'd rather use that pick on defensive line and bring back Carter for the right price.

Now we're talking. Signing Carter also means saving a draft pick to use on DL or DB.

 

[CCBoy]

I'm still in favor of paying for a positional group of:

Rolando McClain
Sean Lee
Bruce Carter
Anthony HItchens
Kyle Wilbers

That is a group with talent, experience, and depth across the linebacker positions. It also provides a depth for packages.

To optimize this group, a top shelf cornerback needs to be added, that would open them door on play within them box area. That would highlight this group greatly.

Go get a cornerback that puts true dominance into a zone that he is in, and that opens the entire area behind the line of scrimmage.

This should read, a top corner would open the box area for full participation of both the linebackers and safeties. And expand how they are used in a variety of ways, both for run defense and pass defense.

 

[CCBoy]

Cowboys position reviews: LBs
January, 29, 2015
Jan 29
2:00
PM ET
By Todd Archer
http://espn.go.com/blog/dallas/cowboys/post/_/id/4740191/cowboys-position-reviews-lbs

Lee

Carter

McClain
Under contract: Sean Lee, Anthony Hitchens, Dekoda Watson, Kyle Wilber, Cam Lawrence, Keith Smith, Will Smith
Free agents: Bruce Carter, Rolando McClain, Justin Durant, James Anderson

A look back: It started out poorly last May when Lee was lost for the season because of a knee injury. He was their best playmaker on defense and the heart of the unit. It just added a question to a defense full of questions.

Throughout the season, linebackers coach Matt Eberflus mixed and matched his guys because of injuries, but as a group the linebackers performed well.

McClain was picked up in a next-to-nothing trade with the Baltimore Ravens and finished second on the team in tackles despite missing three games. Durant was having his best season before it ended because of injury. Carter was maddening at times, but led the Cowboys with five interceptions and played better down the stretch.

Hitchens proved to be a jack of all trades, starting games at all three linebacker spots. He finished with 100 tackles, according to the coaches’ breakdown. When he was picked, the Cowboys hoped the fourth-rounder could be a serviceable backup to Lee and play special teams. Wilber also had some moments in spot duty as a strongside linebacker.

A look ahead: Lee will be back in 2015, which is good news, but the rest of the group is in a state of flux because of free agency.

If the Cowboys re-sign McClain, then Lee can play the weakside spot. If not, he will return to his middle linebacker spot. It will be difficult to define how much McClain is worth because this was the first time he has had success at this level. The Cowboys got lucky with him and he might realize this is a good spot for him to remain and not just go to the highest bidder in free agency.

Carter and Durant are also interesting studies. Carter has all the athletic ability in the world, but there are stretches of play where you wonder how much he likes football. Durant was lighting it up but has durability concerns. Carter turns 27 next month. Durant turns 30 in September.

Hitchens showed incredible toughness playing through a high ankle sprain late in the season that earned him points throughout the organization. Is he a full-time starter or a fill-in replacement? What’s his best spot? It might be the Will linebacker, but he has some natural middle linebacker skills, too.

A look out: If they are unable to keep their free agents – or unwilling, depending on price level – the Cowboys have to find help.

Without McClain, Carter or Durant, the starters going into the season would be Lee, Hitchens and Wilber and plenty of questions with the depth. The answers would likely be low-cost free agents, such as Durant two years ago, and the draft, such as Hitchens in 2014. They had better be able to run and rally to the ball. That's what made the group successful in 2014.

McClain was a Pro Bowl alternate. With a full offseason of work and another year in the system, his play should improve. Putting him and Lee on the field together could give the Cowboys their best 4-3 linebacker pairing since Dexter Coakley and Dat Nguyen.

In Eberflus, the Cowboys have a coach who can develop players and teach new pickups on the fly. He might be a coordinator of the future for another team because he knows the 3-4 and 4-3 schemes.

 

[TheMarathonContinues]

Now we're talking. Signing Carter also means saving a draft pick to use on DL or DB.

Right. And that's sort of my thing about Demarco too. If you're not going to bring him back......fine. But this team should not invest a draft pick into that position either. This team can't lose players and then replace them with rookies who more than likely won't be a upgrade.

 

[xwalker]

Now we're talking. Signing Carter also means saving a draft pick to use on DL or DB.

Yes if the right price means low cost; otherwise, I would lean towards saving money to use on a free agent DL. They can find guys to play LB in the scheme much easier than finding pass rushers, IMO.

 

[CATCH17]

I feel like we did the keep-everyone-together strategy in 2008 and then in 2010. Just because you had success doesn't mean you will repeat it. I say follow whatever strategy you were going with the last few years. Don't change things up just because you want to repeat 2014.

Agreed but as long as we have this Oline and Romo is standing we should be pretty good.