News: Dorance Armstrong excited about his future with the Cowboys

[Dre11]

He's added weight but the only time he's going inside is in pass rush situations.

You're on the staff? You have no idea when he's playing inside. He himself acknowledged he's moving inside.

 

[Praxit]

..I think his Promo Mgr, is talking things up with him. ..."Dorance one good 2 digit sack year with these guys, Bam! .payday boys" ...

 

[Pass2Run]

I don't blame him ..... I would be happy being paid to play a handful of plays a game.

Exactly.

The thing is, if we are going to have rotational, role players, I want them to at least produce some.

 

[quickccc]

I think a lot of fans just don't get that players make incredible plays without being sack machines and they're just as necessary as the ones that get all of the sacks.

It's not ... you think Dlaw would have received that first mega contract off the one single sack season as he had in 2016 ..?

You think if Robert Quinn did not have the big sack year with Dallas, ..that would not have led to the FA big mega deal that he signed up with Bears for ...?

Sacks help bring your next big contract.

 

[xwalker]

Still think he was over payed.
Hope he earns the contract.
I am hoping he does and pulling for him to do so.

6M per on a 2 year contract when the top NFL player at the position is making 28M per.

 

[john van brocklin]

6M per on a 2 year contract when the top NFL player at the position is making 28M per.

He's only proven to be a role player after several years.
You gotta be careful with your dollars when you have to pay 53 players.....

 

[AKATheRake]

Dante Fowler is not our starter?

 

[gimmesix]

“He may take more snaps as an interior defensive lineman than a he would as an edge rusher…. They want him to be versatile and right now, he’s showing off that versatility in the early part of OTAs.”

5-tech is basically an interior DL, especially the way that Quinn uses it. He'll have a DE/OLB lined up outside of him. It's the position we played Brent Urban at last year, used primarily in our scheme to get more size out there against the run. Golston, Odighizuwa and Watkins all can and possibly will play 5-tech. Of course, they also all will probably line up at times as DTs in the nickel fronts, if Watkins doesn't have to spend a lot of time at 1-tech if Bohanna and/or Ridgeway can't handle it.

 

[gimmesix]

He's added weight but the only time he's going inside is in pass rush situations.

Again, it depends on what you consider inside. He'll be at 5-tech in the pseudo-3-4 fronts because we like to put a little size out there in that package.

Essentially, I consider that a five-man front, with Armstrong and Lawrence bookending Golston, Watkins and Odighizuwa. Other players will rotate in and out of that group and that might not end up as the main five, but I wanted to draw a picture of that look: Armstrong-Golston-Watkins-Odighizuwa-Lawrence. I'm hopeful Ridgeway takes the 1-tech spot from Watkins, and if that happens, Watkins might take the 5-tech or 3-tech spot since he provides more size than either Golston or Odig. Be nice to see the two big guys (Ridgeway and Bohanna) both out there on run downs, but I'm not expecting that.

 

[gimmesix]

Dante Fowler is not our starter?

Depends what you mean by starter. He won't be out there in the pseudo-3-4 because he's not a great run defender, but we'll be primarily in the nickel, and he should be out there for that, especially early in the season unless Williams just takes off. Even then, we might use both Williams and Fowler at end and kick Lawrence inside when it's a clear passing down.

 

[Starforever]

It's not ... you think Dlaw would have received that first mega contract off the one single sack season as he had in 2016 ..?

You think if Robert Quinn did not have the big sack year with Dallas, ..that would not have led to the FA big mega deal that he signed up with Bears for ...?

Sacks help bring your next big contract.

That is why Dallas was willing to pay him, and Denver did pay him; sacks aside.

 

[kskboys]

I can't say that I see a reason to believe at this point in his career that he can be anything more than what he has been — a solid rotational player. I see him as a run-down edge defender who gives way to either Fowler or Williams in passing situations. He's not a bad player to have unless neither Fowler nor Williams is able to establish himself as a pass rusher.

Possibly, but he did have 5 sacks last season in limited playing time.

 

[kskboys]

I have seen nothing from this guy in college or pro that says NFL player. My .02. Wasted pick

Then go watch his play in the Senior Bowl, where he stood out. The Senior Bowl is often a good indicator of pro success. Most likely a quality rotational type, solid, tough.

 

[TheCoolFan]

Nothing wrong with how much he got paid...it was close to market value for a player in his role and experience. In comparison:

Dorance Armstrong (age 25 - 8 career sacks in 8 games started): 2 years, 12 mil
Jake Martin (age 26 - 14 career sacks in 15 games started): 3 years, 13.5 mil
Derek Barnett (age 26 - 22 career sacks in 45 games started): 3 years, 15.2 mil
Charles Harris (age 27 - 14 career sacks in 23 games started): 2 years, 13 mil

2021 Free Agents:
Samson Ekubam (age 26 - 14.5 career sacks in 24 games started): 2 years, 12 mil
Dawuane Smoot (age 26 - 11.5 career sacks in 7 games started: 2 years, 10 mil

Considering 2021 was the first season Armstrong became a regular member of the defensive rotation and had 5 sacks, it's not unusual to think he couldn't maintain production like those other players who got paid the same range but had more opportunities/starts. Plus he is one of their best special teamers

 

[Hardline]

Love Osa, but we need him at DT and that is where his future is. Plenty of options at DE.

Zeke gutting it out? You mean Zeke refusing to sit out for the good of the team so that he could get his 1000 yard season?

Farniok "playing pretty good"

You mean against 3rd string Eagles players the last week of the season? When he ran over the same #30 3rd string safety twice?

Looks I noticed a lot more than you did.

Why is CowboyRoy ALWAYS RIGHT?

Why is Dak our franchise QB? Why does Zeke continue to fade and get worse and worse? Why is Biadasz still the strarting center? Why is Cooper gone and Lamb our #1? Why is Garrett gone and was a disaster just like CowboyRoy said he was? Why did Garrett never get another HC job in the NFL like CowboyRoy predicted?

At some point you just start listening to those of us that know football.

Perfect example of Dunning-Kruger.

 

[erod]

OU fan here.

I remember beating Kansas by a billion points, and in the fourth quarter, Dorrance Armstrong was playing like his life depended on it with the same spirit he had at the beginning of the game.

Big fan of his. Every team needs role guys like him.

 

[gimmesix]

Possibly, but he did have 5 sacks last season in limited playing time.

Yes, but we need to consider how he got those sacks and how much pressure was he getting beyond the sacks. Some fans just care about sacks, but consistent pressure is actually more important. You can get a sack because the offensive line didn't really prioritize blocking you on a blitz or was so focused on a more dangerous player that they doubled him and left you free.

I have not reviewed all of Armstrong's sacks nor rewatched each play to see if he was getting consistent pressure. I just remember a few years ago that some were excited about Maliek Collins because he got five sacks as a rookie, but when I reviewed those sacks, many of them came on "trickery" that got Collins a free shot at the quarterback.

I think this is actually where Gregory is being done a disservice compared to Armstrong. Their sack numbers were similar, but Gregory was more disruptive with his speed and ability to get skinny. He was forcing quicker throws, causing extra protection to be used to stop him, etc. Until he got dinged up, Gregory was one of our primary pressure players. Armstrong was not. He played better last year than he previously had, but he's still more of a run-down defender than pass rusher IMO.

 

[plasticman]

I remember when Armstrong was the most popular cut bait on this forum during one particular preseason.

I think that Armstrong's increased level of play is a direct consequence of being surrounded by guys like Lawrence, Parsons and Gregory. I see him now as an experienced utility player and have little expectation that he is ever going to be a main contributor. I think if he ever had that ability, we would have seen it by now.