Expected defensive lineups?

[Rockport]

This was my problem with the draft. Not much on field impact

You could say that about most teams draft picks unless you’re picking in the top 10. Personally, I think both the 2nd and 3rd round picks are going to have a big impact.

 

[CowboysFaninHouston]

Figuring out what the first-down lineup will look like is a bit difficult for me because I don't know what Eberflus wants to do with Parsons on the early down. Does he play him at linebacker even though he doesn't like to blitz his linebackers? Does he leave him off the field on first down? I don't think that's likely, though it would be good to give him some rest on that down and save him for pass rush situations even though obviously teams do pass on first down. Eberflus's defense overall have been pretty good at stopping the run, so I do think there will be an emphasis on playing the bigs out there on first down.

1st and 10, 2nd and 6 or less, 3rd and 3 or less
RDE Marshawn Kneeland
NT Jay Toia/Mazi Smith
3T Mazi Smith/Osa Odighizuwa
LDE Payton Turner
WLB Kenneth Murray/Marist Liufau
MLB Jack Sanborn/Kenneth Murray
SLB Micah Parsons/Jack Sanborn
CB Shavon Revel
CB DaRon Bland
S Malik Hooker
S Donovan Wilson

The defensive line gives us size and potential run-stopping ability, but not much pass rush. Eberflus likes to rush four, but I see him using Parsons as an attack-the-line player and dropping a DL into zone if the offense decides to pass in these situations.

2nd and 7 or more, 3rd and 4 or more
RDE Micah Parsons/Dante Fowler
DT Osa Odighizuwa
DT Solomon Thomas/Mazi Smith
LDE Dante Fowler/Donovan Ezeiruaku
LB Marist Liufau
LB Kenneth Murray
CB Shavon Revel
CB Kaiir Elam
NCB DaRon Bland
S Malik Hooker
S Juanyeh Thomas

Still have to protect against the run some, but we'll want to get the pass rushers on the field.

2nd and 10-plus, 3rd and 8-plus
RDE Micah Parsons/Dante Fowler
DT Marshawn Kneeland/Payton Turner
DT Osa Odighizuwa/Sam Williams
LDE Donovan Ezeiruaku/Dante Fowler
LB Markquese Bell
LB Marist Liufau
CB Shavon Revel
CB Kairr Elam
NCB DaRon Bland
S Malik Hooker
S Juanyeh Thomas

This is essentially the NASCAR package.

Obviously, some of this will depend if players we picked up end up busting. It's hard to project whether the rookies will be ready to contribute from the start, and whether the trades will net us starters. Considering there's not much competition for the starting spots at linebacker and corner with Overshown and Diggs projected to start the season on PUP, I think Murray and Elam will play even if they aren't great. In fact, Elam may start over Revel if Revel is slow coming off his injury.

that is not a very good looking line up. safties SUCK. CBs all are coming off major injuries. the 3rd round pick is going to start the season on PUP list. the LBs are meh.

too many times I see Mazi smith on your lineups and it makes me cringe.

looks like a bottom 10 type defense.

 

[gimmesix]

that is not a very good looking line up. safties SUCK. CBs all are coming off major injuries. the 3rd round pick is going to start the season on PUP list. the LBs are meh.

too many times I see Mazi smith on your lineups and it makes me cringe.

looks like a bottom 10 type defense.

I think we'll get pressure because of Parsons, Fowler, Odighizuwa and Ezeiruaka, but it may not matter if teams can run on us and the coverage isn't great. Eberflus likes to use Cover 3, though, so technically you don't have to have great corners. Everyone just has to do their job. They can't if they are having to cheat up for run defense because the line is porous.

 

[Cowboyny]

I figure Kneeland and Turner to be the base ends to keep offensive linemen from leaning on Parsons in the run game and wearing him down. Both players have shown more ability to play the run better than the pass. The question for me is whether we'll put Parsons out there at LB during those downs. I mean, we've got to take him off the field some, so it's best to do it on downs with a higher probability of a run.

I'm not sure on the NASCAR package if we'll think Williams is a better option than Odighizuwa. I'm not even sure if Williams will make the team.

Time will tell how these formations will occur. As for Parsons, two DC's didn't move him off the DL, I need to see it to believe that Eberflus would make that change. In theory makes a ton of sense, but two legitimate DC's thought otherwise.

 

[shabazz]

If he plays like a 7th rounder, the idea of Toia and Mazi anchoring the center should give you night terrors.

Additionally, who is the PROVEN mauler at LB to back them up?

We will most likely have issues with run heavy offenses

 

[erod]

Meanwhile, Trevon Diggs is counting his money and playing video games.

The player is hurt. I don't think he wants to be.

He's hurt because he half-assed his rehab last year and didn't heal it the first time. Jerry and others have even said as much.

 

[gimmesix]

Time will tell how these formations will occur. As for Parsons, two DC's didn't move him off the DL, I need to see it to believe that Eberflus would make that change. In theory makes a ton of sense, but two legitimate DC's thought otherwise.

Well, I wouldn't expect him to play more than 25 percent of his snaps at linebacker at most.

 

[gimmesix]

Meanwhile, Trevon Diggs is counting his money and playing video games.

He's hurt because he half-assed his rehab last year and didn't heal it the first time. Jerry and others have even said as much.

Sometimes players have to learn the hard way. I'm sure Diggs wasn't thinking, "Hey, I'll get to sit out another year with an injury if I don't do this." When you've never had a certain type of injury before, you may think you know what's best for your body when you don't.

I try not to judge players too harshly when I haven't walked in their shoes. Some of these players play through injuries that would have me holed up in my recliner begging my wife to wait on me hand and foot.

 

[conner01]

I

Meanwhile, Trevon Diggs is counting his money and playing video games.

don’t expect him back till second half of season. And then how effective will he be? The only bright side is he’s had injuries before and came back to play solid right away

 

[Jarntt]

Micah isn't sitting early downs other than when resting.
The base D isn't going to look all that different than last year I'm afraid. I'm not happy typing Mazi's name. I think we are going to see mostly nickel again...

Micah
Mazi Smith
Osa Odighizuwa
Kneeland
Liufau
Kenneth Murray
CB Elam? Diggs when/if healthy
CB Shavon Revel
CB DaRon Bland
S Malik Hooker
S Donovan Wilson

I'd love to say the NT we drafted will be good enough to play run downs but let's see if he even makes the team first. Hopefully Overshown is back by midyear. Going to be a heavy rotation on the DL but most of the guys are better against the pass than the run so that's worrisome for our run defense.

 

[Jarntt]

that is not a very good looking line up. safties SUCK. CBs all are coming off major injuries. the 3rd round pick is going to start the season on PUP list. the LBs are meh.

too many times I see Mazi smith on your lineups and it makes me cringe.

looks like a bottom 10 type defense.

The offseason, not the season...

 

[Acceptablename]

This was my problem with the draft. Not much on field impact

?

 

[Kwyn]

Figuring out what the first-down lineup will look like is a bit difficult for me because I don't know what Eberflus wants to do with Parsons on the early down. Does he play him at linebacker even though he doesn't like to blitz his linebackers? Does he leave him off the field on first down? I don't think that's likely, though it would be good to give him some rest on that down and save him for pass rush situations even though obviously teams do pass on first down. Eberflus's defense overall have been pretty good at stopping the run, so I do think there will be an emphasis on playing the bigs out there on first down.

1st and 10, 2nd and 6 or less, 3rd and 3 or less
RDE Marshawn Kneeland
NT Jay Toia/Mazi Smith
3T Mazi Smith/Osa Odighizuwa
LDE Payton Turner
WLB Kenneth Murray/Marist Liufau
MLB Jack Sanborn/Kenneth Murray
SLB Micah Parsons/Jack Sanborn
CB Shavon Revel
CB DaRon Bland
S Malik Hooker
S Donovan Wilson

The defensive line gives us size and potential run-stopping ability, but not much pass rush. Eberflus likes to rush four, but I see him using Parsons as an attack-the-line player and dropping a DL into zone if the offense decides to pass in these situations.

2nd and 7 or more, 3rd and 4 or more
RDE Micah Parsons/Dante Fowler
DT Osa Odighizuwa
DT Solomon Thomas/Mazi Smith
LDE Dante Fowler/Donovan Ezeiruaku
LB Marist Liufau
LB Kenneth Murray
CB Shavon Revel
CB Kaiir Elam
NCB DaRon Bland
S Malik Hooker
S Juanyeh Thomas

Still have to protect against the run some, but we'll want to get the pass rushers on the field.

2nd and 10-plus, 3rd and 8-plus
RDE Micah Parsons/Dante Fowler
DT Marshawn Kneeland/Payton Turner
DT Osa Odighizuwa/Sam Williams
LDE Donovan Ezeiruaku/Dante Fowler
LB Markquese Bell
LB Marist Liufau
CB Shavon Revel
CB Kairr Elam
NCB DaRon Bland
S Malik Hooker
S Juanyeh Thomas

This is essentially the NASCAR package.

Obviously, some of this will depend if players we picked up end up busting. It's hard to project whether the rookies will be ready to contribute from the start, and whether the trades will net us starters. Considering there's not much competition for the starting spots at linebacker and corner with Overshown and Diggs projected to start the season on PUP, I think Murray and Elam will play even if they aren't great. In fact, Elam may start over Revel if Revel is slow coming off his injury.

A couple of comments and opinions.

Toia is going to have to be crazy good in preseason to start ahead of Mazi.

They are not paying Fowler that much money to not be on the field. He’ll get lots more snaps until someone takes them from him.

 

[Pass2Run]

To be sure, a healthy Dak is way better than the healthiest Cooper Rush, as much as I love the guy.

 

[CowboyoWales]

Figuring out what the first-down lineup will look like is a bit difficult for me because I don't know what Eberflus wants to do with Parsons on the early down. Does he play him at linebacker even though he doesn't like to blitz his linebackers? Does he leave him off the field on first down? I don't think that's likely, though it would be good to give him some rest on that down and save him for pass rush situations even though obviously teams do pass on first down. Eberflus's defense overall have been pretty good at stopping the run, so I do think there will be an emphasis on playing the bigs out there on first down.

Yep, the first question is how/if we play Micah on 1st D's. To me he plays every down as a pass-rush (over run-D), im not sure whether he plays without discipline or he's more interested in the stat, that counts for him Sacks/Pressures (possibly because he's going to paid on those stats).
I suppose that can be overcome if Jerry just pays him and they discuss (with Eberflus/Schott) the expectations.....im certainly in the camp of playing him at LB on early downs (I still remember Hurts killing him with RPO's a number of years ago).

 

[StuckMojo]

Weak at 1T and Safety.

 

[Kwyn]

Meanwhile, Trevon Diggs is counting his money and playing video games.

He's hurt because he half-assed his rehab last year and didn't heal it the first time. Jerry and others have even said as much.

A vague comment from Jerry and a lot of speculation from clickbait “content creators” and now it’s spreading through the zone.

We are like a bunch of hens on a party line

 

[gimmesix]

Yep, the first question is how/if we play Micah on 1st D's. To me he plays every down as a pass-rush (over run-D), im not sure whether he plays without discipline or he's more interested in the stat, that counts for him Sacks/Pressures (possibly because he's going to paid on those stats).
I suppose that can be overcome if Jerry just pays him and they discuss (with Eberflus/Schott) the expectations.....im certainly in the camp of playing him at LB on early downs (I still remember Hurts killing him with RPO's a number of years ago).

I still think if we play him at LB, we'll have him attacking the line and a lineman dropping out most of the time if it's a pass, especially if we play a bigger lineup on early downs and shorter-yardage situations. He's not really a player you want to waste in coverage.

We may just play him at DE on all downs and sub for him here and there, but that invites offenses to run on first and in shorter-yardage to try to wear him down by leaning on him with linemen. His strength is as a disruptor, so we need to put him in situations where he can disrupt.

I'm not sure that's Eberflus's style, though. He doesn't like to blitz, but technically bringing Parsons from a linebacker spot and dropping a lineman isn't blitzing. Eberflus likes to keep it simple, though, so I won't be surprised if we just play Parsons at end and rotate our DL quite a bit.

 

[Pass2Run]

I think you are more of an optimist than I given where he was drafted, but fingers crossed.

You realize this was the most loaded DT class in like 30 years....?

7th round means nada if he has a higher grade than that. I believe the cowboys had him graded higher.