News: Durant Tries Will As Cowboys Evaluate McClain

[morasp]

Sounds like Durant took over for Carter in practice.

David Helman DallasCowboys.com Staff Writer

IRVING, Texas – Justin Durant has performed admirably at middle linebacker in place of Sean Lee , but it’s hardly his natural position.

Durant has played seven seasons in the NFL to this point, with both the Jaguars and the Lions, before coming to Dallas. During the vast majority of that time, he was a weak side linebacker rather than a Mike.

“I played the Will basically my whole career,” Durant said. “Before I got here, in Detroit, we played left and right so I played half-Sam, half-Will. And in Jacksonville I played Will for three years. It’s just getting back to it.”

Cowboys Practice 8/19

It makes sense, then, that the Cowboys would experiment with Durant on the weak side during practice, while Rolando McClain continues to audition in the middle. Cowboys coach Jason Garrett said Tuesday that the Cowboys took first-team reps in practice with McClain as the starting Mike linebacker and Durant as the starting Will – part of the ongoing effort to evaluate McClain after more than a year away from football.


“We’re balancing those things and trying to create an environment for him to somehow, someway be his best and show us what he can do,” Garrett said. “He’s done that over the last week or so and hopefully he can continue that trend.”

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/a...-McClain/e8c45f00-a4c8-40a3-8da2-d799b27c4445

 

[casmith07]

Durant at Will, Ro McClain at Mike, Carter at Sam. Lets play football.

 

[xwalker]

Sounds like Durant took over for Carter in practice.

David Helman DallasCowboys.com Staff Writer

IRVING, Texas – Justin Durant has performed admirably at middle linebacker in place of Sean Lee , but it’s hardly his natural position.

Durant has played seven seasons in the NFL to this point, with both the Jaguars and the Lions, before coming to Dallas. During the vast majority of that time, he was a weak side linebacker rather than a Mike.

“I played the Will basically my whole career,” Durant said. “Before I got here, in Detroit, we played left and right so I played half-Sam, half-Will. And in Jacksonville I played Will for three years. It’s just getting back to it.”

Cowboys Practice 8/19

It makes sense, then, that the Cowboys would experiment with Durant on the weak side during practice, while Rolando McClain continues to audition in the middle. Cowboys coach Jason Garrett said Tuesday that the Cowboys took first-team reps in practice with McClain as the starting Mike linebacker and Durant as the starting Will – part of the ongoing effort to evaluate McClain after more than a year away from football.


“We’re balancing those things and trying to create an environment for him to somehow, someway be his best and show us what he can do,” Garrett said. “He’s done that over the last week or so and hopefully he can continue that trend.”

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/a...-McClain/e8c45f00-a4c8-40a3-8da2-d799b27c4445

I don't expect Carter to be back with the starters at the Will.

 

[erod]

Durant at Will, Ro McClain at Mike, Carter at Sam. Lets play football.

Wilber is a far more physical player at Sam than Carter.

 

[Yakuza Rich]

Doesn't look good for Carter.





YR

 

[JoeyBoy718]

Can anyone explain "half and half" to me? Is that a thing?

Also, evaluating our DE position (in my opinion, we only have Selvie, Crawford and Mincey until Spencer and Lawrence cover back) why don't we move Wilber back to DE? He isn't exactly a world beater at LB, and we don't have anyone else at DE. If Carter or Durant can be decent at SLB (maybe doing half and half), then we can really use the help at DE.

 

[CyberB0b]

Can anyone explain "half and half" to me? Is that a thing?

Also, evaluating our DE position (in my opinion, we only have Selvie, Crawford and Mincey until Spencer and Lawrence cover back) why don't we move Wilber back to DE? He isn't exactly a world beater at LB, and we don't have anyone else at DE. If Carter or Durant can be decent at SLB (maybe doing half and half), then we can really use the help at DE.

They probably just played a straight 4-3 and didn't flop when the TE moved.

 

[jobberone]

Durant at Will, Ro McClain at Mike, Carter at Sam. Lets play football.

I'm so confused.

 

[casmith07]

I'm so confused.

That's who I would like to see.

 

[jobberone]

That's who I would like to see.

I can't remember what movie that came from. I watch too much TV.

 

[xwalker]

Can anyone explain "half and half" to me? Is that a thing?

Also, evaluating our DE position (in my opinion, we only have Selvie, Crawford and Mincey until Spencer and Lawrence cover back) why don't we move Wilber back to DE? He isn't exactly a world beater at LB, and we don't have anyone else at DE. If Carter or Durant can be decent at SLB (maybe doing half and half), then we can really use the help at DE.

“I played the Will basically my whole career,” Durant said. “Before I got here, in Detroit, we played left and right so I played half-Sam, half-Will. And in Jacksonville I played Will for three years. It’s just getting back to it.”

If the Right LB always stays on the right, then he is a Sam sometimes and a Will sometimes depending on the offensive formation.

 

[gimmesix]

Can anyone explain "half and half" to me? Is that a thing?

Also, evaluating our DE position (in my opinion, we only have Selvie, Crawford and Mincey until Spencer and Lawrence cover back) why don't we move Wilber back to DE? He isn't exactly a world beater at LB, and we don't have anyone else at DE. If Carter or Durant can be decent at SLB (maybe doing half and half), then we can really use the help at DE.

The Cowboys seem to like what Wilber is doing at SLB, essentially giving it to him without a challenger. I haven't really seen why they feel that way this preseason.

 

[JoeyBoy718]

The Cowboys seem to like what Wilber is doing at SLB, essentially giving it to him without a challenger. I haven't really seen why they feel that way this preseason.

He's definitely a natural pass rusher. He was drafted to be a 3-4 OLB and has gotten sacks in limited time. I was surprised when they made him a 4-3 SLB last year. Maybe they thought he could be a poor man's Von Miller.

 

[AsthmaField]

By the same token, an old adage in this league is when somebody has once been a blue player, a blue, not just Cowboys blue, but blue in general, then look for him to be a good player again.”

Jerry is just flat out special needs sometimes... Why can't he simply talk normally?

Wish he just wouldn't talk to the media at all.

 

[BAT]

Can anyone explain "half and half" to me? Is that a thing?

Also, evaluating our DE position (in my opinion, we only have Selvie, Crawford and Mincey until Spencer and Lawrence cover back) why don't we move Wilber back to DE? He isn't exactly a world beater at LB, and we don't have anyone else at DE. If Carter or Durant can be decent at SLB (maybe doing half and half), then we can really use the help at DE.

Detroit does not differentiate with WILL and SAM, OLB positions are identified as Right or Left and do not move even if the TE shifts from strong to weak side. So the Detroit OLB had to be able to play both WILL or SAM, hence "half and half".

 

[BAT]

Jerry is just flat out special needs sometimes... Why can't he simply talk normally?

Wish he just wouldn't talk to the media at all.

LOL. Jerry means blue as in blue chip talent. But I agree, he should stop talking but he will not, you and I both know know it - he loves the attention too much.

 

[BAT]

Doesn't look good for Carter.





YR

Carter may still be in play as a starter, at least for now.

http://cowboysblog.***BANNED-URL***...cowboys-coaches-are-trying-to-demote-me.html/

 

[bayeslife]

Durant at Will, Ro McClain at Mike, Carter at Sam. Lets play football.

Wilber is going to be the Sam. Carter sucks.

 

[CF74]

Ok somebody refresh my memory, did Carter play Will or Sam in college?

 

[unionjack8]

people are vastly overestimating durant at the will.