Durant agrees to terms with Cowboys

[DFWJC]

Well, we lost F Jones, Jenkins, Phillips and V Butler. I guess it depends on what we consider "real" losses. They're contracts were up and they are FA's now, but we knew that going in so no SURPRISE FA losses as of yet. Of those 4 guys, I think Jenkins will be significant. When he signs elsewhere, he'll be starting and probably play pretty well. In an prefect world, I wouldn't mind having Jenkins around. Phillips got a nice paycheck. Even with Hanna's rise, it's chalked up as a loss.

But basically, if by real, you mean losses that would significantly hurt us and we'll miss, then I agree.

Guess I should have said we lost nobody that we wanted to keep.
To me if you no longer have something that you did not want to keep in the first place, it is not a loss.
I would think Jenkins at the right price may have been ok though, but was getting the inpression that they thought the locker room was better without him.

 

[JohnsKey19]

I agree with what someone said earlier...cant remember who made the point. Durant looks more like a S on the field and has very good athleticism for a LB. Now obviously there must be some holes in his game given his availability, but athleticism or range certainly isn't one of them.

 

[Rogerthat12]

Looks like a solid LB and decent pick up. He looks the part of the right type of guy, thanked Detroit fans and organization for the opportunity, I like the gratitude even though they did not try to resign him to the team.

 

[StarBoyz83]

Dont know much about him but I do like that hes only 27.

 

[juck]

Any good?

 

[Ultimategamer5567]

Any good?

Everything I've read point towards him being very good against the run, and decent in coverage. Faster than Connor, too, I believe.

 

[gimmesix]

Everything I've read point towards him being very good against the run, and decent in coverage. Faster than Connor, too, I believe.

I just like that some competition is being created for that strongside spot. I wouldn't want it to just be handed to Kyle Wilber (or anyone else) based on hope. Dallas has done too much of that.

 

[Eskimo]

He was drafted in 2007 and had a pretty good Combine.

He was 6-1 and 230 pounds which is about as small as you want to go at OLB in a 4-3.

But his athleticism was through the roof:

40 yard dash: 4.51
short shuttle: 4.09
3cone drill: 6.77
vertical: 36
broad jump: 10-1
Bench press: 25


I this current draft he would have the 2nd fastest 40, fastest short shuttle, second best 3cone drill, 4th best vertical, 6th best bench and 7th broad jump.

So this guy actually has above average athleticism for a Safety and maybe close to an average CB. I bet he can cover a lot of ground and it would be something to have him and Carter in there patrolling the flats and matching up against RBs and TEs in coverage. No one could get away from these two guys.

It is almost getting to the point with Carter and Durant that you have two extra DBs patrolling around back there except both are big and can hit and play the run.

I think it'd give us a great advantage when we try and matchup with large athletic 2-TE systems and some of the spread offenses. These guys can get out in space to provide support in the passing game like an extra DB but can still be in there to provide support against the run.

I really think our defense is going to look a lot different next year even though not many of the players have changed (maybe just Sensy and Coleman gone and replaced by Matt Johnson and Durant). I have been so tired of our slow LBs not getting out there and playing the passing lanes and clamping down on the flats for the past several years. It will be a welcome change from the days of Brooking and James or James and Ayodele.

 

[MartinRamone]

Another solid depth.

 

[Ultimategamer5567]

I just like that some competition is being created for that strongside spot. I wouldn't want it to just be handed to Kyle Wilber (or anyone else) based on hope. Dallas has done too much of that.

That's something I gotta give Garrett credit for. I've seen more competition and less entitlement with him as HC. I mean, we've cut Sensabaugh, Spears and Connor. Let Butler and Felix hit the market. For that, I'm impressed.

 

[CowboyMcCoy]

Everything I've read point towards him being very good against the run, and decent in coverage. Faster than Connor, too, I believe.

I thought Connor was good, but I don't know much about this guy. Can someone fill me in and maybe point me towards some film on this guy?

 

[AsthmaField]

He was drafted in 2007 and had a pretty good Combine.

He was 6-1 and 230 pounds which is about as small as you want to go at OLB in a 4-3.

But his athleticism was through the roof:

40 yard dash: 4.51
short shuttle: 4.09
3cone drill: 6.77
vertical: 36
broad jump: 10-1
Bench press: 25


I this current draft he would have the 2nd fastest 40, fastest short shuttle, second best 3cone drill, 4th best vertical, 6th best bench and 7th broad jump.

So this guy actually has above average athleticism for a Safety and maybe close to an average CB. I bet he can cover a lot of ground and it would be something to have him and Carter in there patrolling the flats and matching up against RBs and TEs in coverage. No one could get away from these two guys.

It is almost getting to the point with Carter and Durant that you have two extra DBs patrolling around back there except both are big and can hit and play the run.

I think it'd give us a great advantage when we try and matchup with large athletic 2-TE systems and some of the spread offenses. These guys can get out in space to provide support in the passing game like an extra DB but can still be in there to provide support against the run.

I really think our defense is going to look a lot different next year even though not many of the players have changed (maybe just Sensy and Coleman gone and replaced by Matt Johnson and Durant). I have been so tired of our slow LBs not getting out there and playing the passing lanes and clamping down on the flats for the past several years. It will be a welcome change from the days of Brooking and James or James and Ayodele.

Yep, exactly the type of OLB I've been thinking we need since we made the change to Kiffin's 43.

A guy who has the movement skills and speed to shut down read option QB's... IMO, one of the big reasons we made the switch. Having a 34 OLB chase a quick QB around is like a DL doing it. Having Durant (43 OLB) chase a quick QB around is like asking a DB to do it. Durant can catch and shut down a running QB.

There is a night and day difference between a guy like Bradie James chasing a fast QB and a guy like Durant doing it.

 

[Eskimo]

I have been saying for a while now that Wilber just doesn't fit in this defense. He's too tall and lacks the movement skills for a Kiffin 43 OLB, and he's too small to play DE for us.

Albright is in the same boat... but he's big enough where he might be able to play some DE (ie. Ware's backup on the weakside).

It doesn't surprise me at all to see us bring in a 6-1 230 lb guy... which is about right for a 43 OLB.

Wilber is quite a bit different than Albright. Wilber ran 4.73 in the 40 at the Combine and 4.64 at his pro day. That is actually not all that bad for an OLB. OTOH, you could try and bulk him up a bit and transition to DE as I believe he was a fairly physical player and was supposed to be Spencer's backup due to his ability to play the run.

I think they'll have to make a decision about where he fits best but I think it is probably at DE.

Now Albright is different because he has the instincts and physicality to play MLB and he is surprisingly good in coverage despite his size because of his quickness and agility (short shuttle of 4.03 and 3cone at 6.98 are both really good for a Lb).

So I think it makes most sense to put Wilber at DE and Albright as Lee's backup.

 

[cowboysooner]

Wilber is quite a bit different than Albright. Wilber ran 4.73 in the 40 at the Combine and 4.64 at his pro day. That is actually not all that bad for an OLB. OTOH, you could try and bulk him up a bit and transition to DE as I believe he was a fairly physical player and was supposed to be Spencer's backup due to his ability to play the run.

I think they'll have to make a decision about where he fits best but I think it is probably at DE.

Now Albright is different because he has the instincts and physicality to play MLB and he is surprisingly good in coverage despite his size because of his quickness and agility (short shuttle of 4.03 and 3cone at 6.98 are both really good for a Lb).

So I think it makes most sense to put Wilber at DE and Albright as Lee's backup.

Nice post. I agree.

 

[AsthmaField]

Wilber is quite a bit different than Albright. Wilber ran 4.73 in the 40 at the Combine and 4.64 at his pro day. That is actually not all that bad for an OLB. OTOH, you could try and bulk him up a bit and transition to DE as I believe he was a fairly physical player and was supposed to be Spencer's backup due to his ability to play the run.

I think they'll have to make a decision about where he fits best but I think it is probably at DE.

Now Albright is different because he has the instincts and physicality to play MLB and he is surprisingly good in coverage despite his size because of his quickness and agility (short shuttle of 4.03 and 3cone at 6.98 are both really good for a Lb).

So I think it makes most sense to put Wilber at DE and Albright as Lee's backup.

We will see if you are correct. I don't think Wilber can play DE, even on the weakside... and I don't really see him as a 43 OLB, but I've been wrong before. I see Albright as the more likely of the two to play DE, but who knows? I know Albright was a very solid DE at Boston College and his speed and agility is more like a Kiffin DE than a Kiffin OLB. Maybe at MLB like you say, but I have my doubts.

And while Wilber might have had a decent 40 time... I don't think he has the movement skills and lateral agility to play OLB in a 43 effectively. He's a straight lineish edge rusher who lacks the bulk to play as a DE. If he had Bruce Irvin's freakish athleticism, then maybe they'd put him at weakside end like Seattle did Irvin... but he doesn't.

Time will tell what the coaches are thinking.

 

[Eskimo]

We will see if you are correct. I don't think Wilber can play DE, even on the weakside... and I don't really see him as a 43 OLB, but I've been wrong before. I see Albright as the more likely of the two to play DE, but who knows? I know Albright was a very solid DE at Boston College and his speed and agility is more like a Kiffin DE than a Kiffin OLB. Maybe at MLB like you say, but I have my doubts.

And while Wilber might have had a decent 40 time... I don't think he has the movement skills and lateral agility to play OLB in a 43 effectively. He's a straight lineish edge rusher who lacks the bulk to play as a DE. If he had Bruce Irvin's freakish athleticism, then maybe they'd put him at weakside end like Seattle did Irvin... but he doesn't.

Time will tell what the coaches are thinking.

Yes, I think it will be tough to find a spot for Wilber in the defense but it probably has to be DE because he has pass rush skills, size and agility. His problem is lack of strength at the point of attack to hold up as a DE.

OTOH, he apparently had good ability in coverage which is part of the reason we drafted him in the first place. Now maybe it would be best to have him drop 10 pounds to add extra quickness and see how he can do as an OLB. The 4.64 40 at his pro day is reasonable for a SLB in a 4-3. The shuttle is okay at 4.31. The 3 cone drill is also okay at 7.11.

He's definitely a tweener.

I do wonder if a 3-4 team would like him in exchange for a 7th rounder so we could fill up that hole in our draft. He definitely has good value in a 3-4 system with his size, speed, coverage ability and pass rush ability. It's just that he isn't quite big enough for a DL and may not be quite fast enough for what Kiffen wants at LB. If you look at our two signings since Kiffen came we brought in LBs who ran in the 4.5s and have excellent coverage skills.

The more I think about it the more I think we should be trying to swing a trade with a 3-4 team who would rather have him than some 7th round longshot.

 

[BAT]

Everything I've read point towards him being very good against the run, and decent in coverage. Faster than Connor, too, I believe.

Durant is very good against the run. He was an ILB at Hampton. And he is much faster than Connor. Not even close.

Durant is very similar to Sims. Both are fast DB sized LBs who love to hit. And both are former Lions with injury concerns.

 

[AsthmaField]

Yes, I think it will be tough to find a spot for Wilber in the defense but it probably has to be DE because he has pass rush skills, size and agility. His problem is lack of strength at the point of attack to hold up as a DE.

OTOH, he apparently had good ability in coverage which is part of the reason we drafted him in the first place. Now maybe it would be best to have him drop 10 pounds to add extra quickness and see how he can do as an OLB. The 4.64 40 at his pro day is reasonable for a SLB in a 4-3. The shuttle is okay at 4.31. The 3 cone drill is also okay at 7.11.

He's definitely a tweener.

I do wonder if a 3-4 team would like him in exchange for a 7th rounder so we could fill up that hole in our draft. He definitely has good value in a 3-4 system with his size, speed, coverage ability and pass rush ability. It's just that he isn't quite big enough for a DL and may not be quite fast enough for what Kiffen wants at LB. If you look at our two signings since Kiffen came we brought in LBs who ran in the 4.5s and have excellent coverage skills.

The more I think about it the more I think we should be trying to swing a trade with a 3-4 team who would rather have him than some 7th round longshot.

Yeah, that's what I think. He simply doesn't fit this defense. Too bad for him because he's a RKG and has some potential as a 34 OLB. Teams will know the reason we are trading him is because he doesn't fit our 43, and not because he's a turd... so we might be able to get a late round pick for him rather than simply cutting him. A team that liked him in last year's draft would probably use a 6th or 7th in this year's draft to get him. If they wanted him last year and was willing to use, say, a 5th on him... why wouldn't they use a 7th now with him having a year's experience in the NFL and a year in Woicik's strength program?

Anyway, I just don't see him fitting what we're doing. Just look at the two LB's we've signed (Durant and Sims). Both 6-1 and 230'ish. Basically the prototypical 43 OLB... and the antithesis of Wilber.

I see either him being cut or traded... but I could be wrong.

 

[AsthmaField]

Durant is very good against the run. He was an ILB at Hampton. And he is much faster than Connor. Not even close.

Durant is very similar to Sims. Both are fast DB sized LBs who love to hit. And both are former Lions with injury concerns.

Yeah, Durant is light-year's more athletic than Connor.

Like Eskimo pointed out, Durant's combine numbers are through the roof. Had he been in this year's combine he would have been first or second in most tests vs. other LB's:

Durant would have been second to Zaviar Gooden in the 40 - 4.51 to 4.47 (and Gooden blew people away with his athleticism, so that let's you know about Durant)
He would have been second to Gooden in the 3 cone - 6.77 to 6.71
He would have been 1st in the short shuttle - 4.09 to 4.18 (Gooden)
3rd in bench press with 25 (Sio Moore 29 and Gooden 27)

In his draft his 6.77 3 cone was the best by a LB and better than many CB's.
His 4.51 40 tied Patrick Willis and was better than many DB's.
His broad jump of 10'1" was better than Patrick Willis' 9'11" and better than many DB's.

Durant is a RKG, a fantastic athlete and a perfect kind of player for Kiffin's 43. Connor is a RKG but he isn't in the same universe as Durant as an athlete and is a questionable LB for Kiffin's defense even as a backup MLB.

 

[Eskimo]

Yeah, that's what I think. He simply doesn't fit this defense. Too bad for him because he's a RKG and has some potential as a 34 OLB. Teams will know the reason we are trading him is because he doesn't fit our 43, and not because he's a turd... so we might be able to get a late round pick for him rather than simply cutting him. A team that liked him in last year's draft would probably use a 6th or 7th in this year's draft to get him. If they wanted him last year and was willing to use, say, a 5th on him... why wouldn't they use a 7th now with him having a year's experience in the NFL and a year in Woicik's strength program?

Anyway, I just don't see him fitting what we're doing. Just look at the two LB's we've signed (Durant and Sims). Both 6-1 and 230'ish. Basically the prototypical 43 OLB... and the antithesis of Wilber.

I see either him being cut or traded... but I could be wrong.

If we want to trade him it makes sense to do it ASAP so he can integrate with the new team. Kiffen should probably make his mind up about whether he can convert to OLB or DE in his schemes.

I think they may see enough in him and not enough value from a trade partner to just try and convert him but I'm not convinced they can be successful.

I even think Wilber could fit in a 4-3 as a standard SLB. We've certainly had others who were worse athletes out there. He actually is a bit more agile and fast than Spencer who often dropped back into coverage for us in our 3-4. But I don't think this is what Kiffen wants based on the other LB signees and the ditching of Connor. He wants supreme speed at LB. Our OLBs (Durant, Carter and Sims) are faster than our Safeties (Church and Matt Johnson).