Twitter: Here's Stephen's statement of what they expect from the D

[JW82]

Looks like a fluff say nothing piece.

It probably is, but as I am reading it, I am thinking, they are really going to make a serious run at Adams.

 

[Corso]

I hold a scotch party that is very similar. But not on draft day. About 50 scotches to choose from. Top end food.

And you have never bothered to even think of inviting me?
You are my Judas.


I will fly to a Scotch Party!

 

[Cowfan75]

Instead of trying to emulate what the Patriots did well, how about we find our own identity for once?

 

[Verdict]

And you have never bothered to even think of inviting me?
You are my Judas.


I will fly to a Scotch Party!

You are in like flint!

 

[kskboys]

About the same with my recollection, although I don't think Taco was sub 20.
Taco in the 20s, TJ mid 20s- early 30s. Taco had the slight edge by most accounts.

Even w/ knowing what I know now, Taco was simply way too much of a project for me.

 

[xwalker]

Instead of trying to emulate what the Patriots did well, how about we find our own identity for once?

Nolan was doing it first...

 

[buybuydandavis]

Even w/ knowing what I know now, Taco was simply way too much of a project for me.

At first our brain trust made noises that Taco would be ready before Watt. Big enough already, didn't need to make a major position change. That didn't last long, though.

 

[DuncanIso]

I always cringe when Stephen speaks, certainly.

id love to know the thinking behind hiring Nolan and Edwards.

Edwards is senior defensive assistant, what ever that means. Wasn’t that Montes old title? I can’t see MM pushing to hire him.

Nolan was all MM. big buddies from 2005.

at some point, someone at the star realized there was a problem.

thus, Edwards is hired.

 

[xwalker]

id love to know the thinking behind hiring Nolan and Edwards.

Edwards is senior defensive assistant, what ever that means. Wasn’t that Montes old title? I can’t see MM pushing to hire him.

Nolan was all MM. big buddies from 2005.

at some point, someone at the star realized there was a problem.

thus, Edwards is hired.

Edwards in in the prime of his coaching career at 53 years old. Kiffin was 74 the year he served as senior defensive assistant.

They hired Edwards to coach LBs.

McCarty was hired on Jan 5th while Edwards team was still in the playoffs.

Edwards was hired about 1 week after his team had been eliminated from the playoffs. He likely had some interviews in the time frame, possibly for DC jobs.

Edwards was the Vikings DC. His contract was not renewed following a season when the Vikings defense was 6th in points allowed.

They hired Scott McCurley as LB coach. He had been the assistant LB coach in Green Bay.

At the point McCurley was hired they didn't know if Edwards would be take the job.

Also, they're likely paying Edwards more than other position coaches.

The Cowboys approach with the new coaching staff is obviously focused on hiring several coaches with a significant amount of experience.

This comes a season after they had LB and ST coaches with near zero experience.

 

[ondaedg]

Yep. I am nervous that they think Smith could play it, hence the off-ball linebacker video visits.
I hope their first plan is a Chaisson, Baun, Weaver with Gregory. A lot to put on a rookie and a suspended player though

I can't get the futility of Jaylon from last season out of my head. My prediction is big Mike reduces his playing time especially if he avoids blockers like he did last year.

 

[xwalker]

I can't get the futility of Jaylon from last season out of my head. My prediction is big Mike reduces his playing time especially if he avoids blockers like he did last year.

Marinelli's scheme made it a no win situation for the LBs, especially against Zone running teams.

The 2018 season play game vs the Rams exposed the scheme weakness against Zone runs. In 2019 several Cowboys opponents copied what the Rams did to the Cowboys.

On outside zone runs, offenses routinely got 2 OL out to block the LBs. That means they occupied 4 DL with 3 OL.

The outside zone run spreads out defenses horizontally similar to how the West Coast Offense spread out defenses horizontally.

LBs moving horizontally are at a big disadvantage vs OLinemen.

The OLinemen don't need to move the LB out of position like they do in man blocking. They just need to prevent the LB from moving horizontally.

During the 2018 season Belichick was running primarily a 4-3 defense. For the Super Bowl against the Rams he made a simple change that totally screwed up the Rams precision zone run scheme.

Belichick moved 1 LB from behind the DL to outside and up on the line. He then changed the gap assignments of his DL to balance out that change. The result was that the LB on the outside couldn't get boxed out horizontally because his responsibilities were all in that outside area and he didn't need to move a significant distance horizontally. The DE on the side with that LB would now defend the gap inside the OT leave edge contain to the big LB. The Rams ran way less outside zone plays and resorted to more inside zone or man blocking which was not their strength because the didn't have a big powerful type OL.

Outside zone runs are a somewhat slower developing play. The RB has time to "read" the LBs and all he needs to do is go inside if the LBs are outside of the OL that have come out to block them or run outside if the LBs get boxed inside of those OL.

When new DC Mike Nolan was last a DC in 2014, his defensive front used many of the same concepts that Belichick was using in 2018 and 2019.

I don't know how good the defense will be overall with Nolan as DC but it should be far far better against the outside zone run which was the #1 problem in the Cowboys-Rams playoff game and most games in 2019.

 

[xwalker]

I can't get the futility of Jaylon from last season out of my head. My prediction is big Mike reduces his playing time especially if he avoids blockers like he did last year.

Another issue with the LBs in 2019 was that the LB coach, Ben Bloom had minimal experience.

Bloom started with the Cowboys as a quality control assistant in 2011 and morphed into an assistant LB coach then became the LB coach in 2019.

In 2020 the Cowboys have hired ex Vikings DC George Edwards as senior defensive assistant, but he was really hired as the LB coach. They have a guy that was the assistant LB coach in Green Bay with the title of LB coach but they didn't know if they would be able to hire Edwards initially because his team was still in the playoffs.

New DC Mike Nolan is also specializes in coaching LBs. He was an NFL LB coach since his last DC job in 2014.

 

[kskboys]

Marinelli's scheme made it a no win situation for the LBs, especially against Zone running teams.

The 2018 season play game vs the Rams exposed the scheme weakness against Zone runs. In 2019 several Cowboys opponents copied what the Rams did to the Cowboys.

On outside zone runs, offenses routinely got 2 OL out to block the LBs. That means they occupied 4 DL with 3 OL.

The outside zone run spreads out defenses horizontally similar to how the West Coast Offense spread out defenses horizontally.

LBs moving horizontally are at a big disadvantage vs OLinemen.

The OLinemen don't need to move the LB out of position like they do in man blocking. They just need to prevent the LB from moving horizontally.

During the 2018 season Belichick was running primarily a 4-3 defense. For the Super Bowl against the Rams he made a simple change that totally screwed up the Rams precision zone run scheme.

Belichick moved 1 LB from behind the DL to outside and up on the line. He then changed the gap assignments of his DL to balance out that change. The result was that the LB on the outside couldn't get boxed out horizontally because his responsibilities were all in that outside area and he didn't need to move a significant distance horizontally. The DE on the side with that LB would now defend the gap inside the OT leave edge contain to the big LB. The Rams ran way less outside zone plays and resorted to more inside zone or man blocking which was not their strength because the didn't have a big powerful type OL.

Outside zone runs are a somewhat slower developing play. The RB has time to "read" the LBs and all he needs to do is go inside if the LBs are outside of the OL that have come out to block them or run outside if the LBs get boxed inside of those OL.

When new DC Mike Nolan was last a DC in 2014, his defensive front used many of the same concepts that Belichick was using in 2018 and 2019.

I don't know how good the defense will be overall with Nolan as DC but it should be far far better against the outside zone run which was the #1 problem in the Cowboys-Rams playoff game and most games in 2019.

Amazing stuff.

I absolutely appreciate the facts, Walks.

 

[ondaedg]

Marinelli's scheme made it a no win situation for the LBs, especially against Zone running teams.

The 2018 season play game vs the Rams exposed the scheme weakness against Zone runs. In 2019 several Cowboys opponents copied what the Rams did to the Cowboys.

On outside zone runs, offenses routinely got 2 OL out to block the LBs. That means they occupied 4 DL with 3 OL.

The outside zone run spreads out defenses horizontally similar to how the West Coast Offense spread out defenses horizontally.

LBs moving horizontally are at a big disadvantage vs OLinemen.

The OLinemen don't need to move the LB out of position like they do in man blocking. They just need to prevent the LB from moving horizontally.

During the 2018 season Belichick was running primarily a 4-3 defense. For the Super Bowl against the Rams he made a simple change that totally screwed up the Rams precision zone run scheme.

Belichick moved 1 LB from behind the DL to outside and up on the line. He then changed the gap assignments of his DL to balance out that change. The result was that the LB on the outside couldn't get boxed out horizontally because his responsibilities were all in that outside area and he didn't need to move a significant distance horizontally. The DE on the side with that LB would now defend the gap inside the OT leave edge contain to the big LB. The Rams ran way less outside zone plays and resorted to more inside zone or man blocking which was not their strength because the didn't have a big powerful type OL.

Outside zone runs are a somewhat slower developing play. The RB has time to "read" the LBs and all he needs to do is go inside if the LBs are outside of the OL that have come out to block them or run outside if the LBs get boxed inside of those OL.

When new DC Mike Nolan was last a DC in 2014, his defensive front used many of the same concepts that Belichick was using in 2018 and 2019.

I don't know how good the defense will be overall with Nolan as DC but it should be far far better against the outside zone run which was the #1 problem in the Cowboys-Rams playoff game and most games in 2019.

You hit the nail on the head as far as what i saw against the Rams and to some extent the Packers and Vikes. It doesn't quite explain his unwillingness to take on a blocker but i get how tough it is to take on a 300lb guard. What I'm hoping is the coaches force Jaylon to learn to stack and shed. Even with an improved DL he is still going to have to take on pulling lineman and trying to skate around them won't cut it.

 

[DanA]

You hit the nail on the head as far as what i saw against the Rams and to some extent the Packers and Vikes. It doesn't quite explain his unwillingness to take on a blocker but i get how tough it is to take on a 300lb guard. What I'm hoping is the coaches force Jaylon to learn to stack and shed. Even with an improved DL he is still going to have to take on pulling lineman and trying to skate around them won't cut it.

For all their size. College tape showed both Jaylon and LVE lacked the ability to stack and shed compared. It was obviously something our coaches didn't need, want or value in a LB.

 

[xwalker]

You hit the nail on the head as far as what i saw against the Rams and to some extent the Packers and Vikes. It doesn't quite explain his unwillingness to take on a blocker but i get how tough it is to take on a 300lb guard. What I'm hoping is the coaches force Jaylon to learn to stack and shed. Even with an improved DL he is still going to have to take on pulling lineman and trying to skate around them won't cut it.

I didn't see Jaylon being unwilling to take on blockers.

• I saw Jaylon appear a bit panicked in terms of not getting on the wrong side of an OL that had kicked out to block him.
• There is a video of 1 play from the Vikings game that people posted claiming that Jaylon was avoiding the blocker.
• In reality, he was focused on getting to the outside of the blocker. He might have over-committed a little on that play but his assignment was to error on the side of getting to the outside and not getting boxed to the inside.
• LVE was slightly late getting over because he was worried about some type of misdirection play to the backside and he didn't want to get boxed in if that happened.
• Even Lee had some of the same issues because Marinelli's DL scheme vs the outside zone run put the LBs in positions where they just had to either play their assignment and hope that other players got there in time or they had to start guessing.
• A 240 to 260 pound LB moving sideways is not going to win vs a 320 OL very often. The LB has to play to one side or the other in those situations.
• Against straight ahead man blocking runs, LBs can stack and shed OLinemen and delay committing to one side or the other because the LB in not moving sideways.
• It all came down to the fact that zone running teams could easily get 2 OL out to block the LBs.
• Not only didn't the alignment and assignments for Marinelli's DL cause problems, he also didn't coach DL to occupy blockers.
• In 2018 during the season they signed ex Packers DL Datone Jones. It was very obvious that Jones had been coached to occupy blockers in certain situations such as when he was the backside DT on zone runs.

 

[ondaedg]

For all their size. College tape showed both Jaylon and LVE lacked the ability to stack and shed compared. It was obviously something our coaches didn't need, want or value in a LB.

Totally agree. They play best in pursuit as opposed to a point of attack type of LBers. It's been said many times they need big DTs to eat up blockers. Now they're getting it so we'll see if they can perform.

 

[unionjack8]

All I take out of this statement is that they will take whatever pieces they have and use them to best for those talents, not be rigid, ignorant, stubborn and arrogant like Marinelli.

 

[ondaedg]

I didn't see Jaylon being unwilling to take on blockers.

• I saw Jaylon appear a bit panicked in terms of not getting on the wrong side of an OL that had kicked out to block him.
• There is a video of 1 play from the Vikings game that people posted claiming that Jaylon was avoiding the blocker.
• In reality, he was focused on getting to the outside of the blocker. He might have over-committed a little on that play but his assignment was to error on the side of getting to the outside and not getting boxed to the inside.
• LVE was slightly late getting over because he was worried about some type of misdirection play to the backside and he didn't want to get boxed in if that happened.
• Even Lee had some of the same issues because Marinelli's DL scheme vs the outside zone run put the LBs in positions where they just had to either play their assignment and hope that other players got there in time or they had to start guessing.
• A 240 to 260 pound LB moving sideways is not going to win vs a 320 OL very often. The LB has to play to one side or the other in those situations.
• Against straight ahead man blocking runs, LBs can stack and shed OLinemen and delay committing to one side or the other because the LB in not moving sideways.
• It all came down to the fact that zone running teams could easily get 2 OL out to block the LBs.
• Not only didn't the alignment and assignments for Marinelli's DL cause problems, he also didn't coach DL to occupy blockers.
• In 2018 during the season they signed ex Packers DL Datone Jones. It was very obvious that Jones had been coached to occupy blockers in certain situations such as when he was the backside DT on zone runs.

I saw both Jaylon and LVE get caught in the blocking frays by trying to maneuver through the mess rather than fight through it. They both would play the run with the physicality of a cb or a fs. In pursuit it's a different story.

In the end i prefer that you are correct on them and they have great seasons.

 

[johneric8]

I'm not sure if I shared this story before.

A friend of mine holds these awesome draft [parties. He really rolls out the red carpet and goes nuts with it. It's his big hosting event of the year. He buys a ton of food and makes all kinds of different dishes. He goes so far as to print up a Draft Day Menu. The whole nine yards. He's also big onto craft beers and creates a beer menu as well. And a bunch of us bring over all kinds of different brews to have a tasting events as well. It's a great time.

So anyway, 2017 and I'm having an awesome time, gorging myself on all of the food, sampling the brews, and watching TJ Watt - my pet cat - still on the board. I was all set to cap off a great night, when the name 'Taco Charlton' comes through the speaker. I let out a scream of curses and my night was ruined. An otherwise perfect day just trashed. And I told everyone who asked that the Cowboys had just made a huge mistake.

And every draft since, the subject comes up, and they tell me how right I was about that one.

Sadly, given current conditions and the fact that he and his wife just had twins a few months ago, no draft party this year...

Great story except the part that ended with a flavorless Taco! HA... Speaking of draft day parties, my son whom is 15 wants to watch the draft unfold with me for the first time which should be fun. Where would you suggest watching it? There are tons of options so I'm wondering what might be the best source? Jamie Foxx?