How bad/good is Spears?

[Scotman]

I wanted to general opinion of where most of you think Spears is as a DE in the 3/4.

Almost every article I see talking about our line blasts him as something just north of terrible.

I must be the only one who thought Spears was really improving last year. Sometimes linemen take a few years. I think Spears is going to be a good player for us. Maybe not great, but good.

I readily admit that I am not the best evaluator of talent. Many of you know more about football that I do. Especially when it comes to being able to focus in on one player and evaluate their individual performance.

So, I'd like to ask......

Is Spears improving? If so, is he, or can he, be the serviceable linemen we need him to be? Any chance he turns into a "good" lineman?

Thanks,
Scot

 

[Eddie]

I think he's fine as a 3-4 DE. He's doing this job in a workman like fashion. He plays the run very well, and eats his OLman.

He doesn't create alot of pressure but that's not his purpose.

I don't know where all the negativity about Spears comes from. We went into the draft knowing he wasn't going to be a 10 sack a year player ... heck, we knew he wasn't going to be a 5 sack a year player.

 

[burmafrd]

cannot fault his effort; but he did show in college a lot more ability to rush the passer then he has ever shown here. Did a little better this year.

 

[Sarge]

I think he's fine as a 3-4 DE. He's doing this job in a workman like fashion.... .

That's the first time I have ever heard someone label Spears as playing in a "workman like fashion..."



In fairness, he played better last year but playing better than the previous year wasn't too hard to do.

Carry on.....

 

[50cent]

He stinks and Ratliff deserves to start at his position, but now that Jerry has traded away Ferguson it would seem that Ratliff will be stuck at NT. Ratliff is head and shoulders better than Spears (who does nothing). Jerry just created another need by trading Ferg. Pathetic, just pathetic (Spears and Jerry that is).

 

[big dog cowboy]

Let me put it this way - when his contract is up, he won't have a lot of bargaining leverage. I'd call him solid but unspectacular.

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

Well, the problem with Spear, IMO, is that he's a better fit physically for a NT in Wade's scheme then a DE. Unfortunatly, I don't think he has the mental makeup to play the postition. He seems to have better short area burst then intermediate speed. This does not work well as a 34 DE. Those guys need to be able to run down 7 to 10 yard stretches of pursuit. Yeah, they tie up blockers, but ideally, your NT should be creating prenatration right up the middle. Now, he may take himself out of a play on occasion but but the idea is to create penatration that will either kill the play up the middle or funnel the play to a certain area of the field. The DE has to be able to disengage and pursue in that short area of 7 yards or so. That could mean latterally along the line or up field after the ball carrier. It's a little bit different then a normal 34. Spears really should work at DE but he just doesn't seem to produce. I don't know. As I said in another post, Antonio Smith is a guy that I would love to have in Dallas. To me, he is a perfect match to Canty at DE.

 

[sago1]

I was surprised by the Ferguson trade. I really felt he'd come back and have a good year & the NT we need to keep OL players off Zack Thomas so he can make lots of tackles along with breaking up pass plays. Obviously the Cowboys like Ratliff & Tank Johnson at NT & needed the cap room trading Ferguson provides. I thought Spears played a little better in 07 then previously and his cap hit will kept him on the team maybe as a backup. I wouldn't be surprised if Cowboys draft a NT like Red Bryant or DT Ahtybe Rubin with Tank Johnson as starting NT & Ratliff as starting DE but frequently spelling Tank along with help from new NT.

 

[IronCowboy]

Canty





















Spears

 

[starfrombirth]

When did we trade Ferguson? I thought it was still just a rumor!

 

[Big Dakota]

When did we trade Ferguson? I thought it was still just a rumor!

NO he's gone.

 

[starfrombirth]

NO he's gone.

Yeah, I just found the thread on the other side. Crap! I liked him. I thought he was going to help provide a great Rotation. Well... best wishes Fegie...except when you play us

 

[theogt]

I think he's fine as a 3-4 DE. He's doing this job in a workman like fashion. He plays the run very well, and eats his OLman.

He doesn't create alot of pressure but that's not his purpose.

I don't know where all the negativity about Spears comes from. We went into the draft knowing he wasn't going to be a 10 sack a year player ... heck, we knew he wasn't going to be a 5 sack a year player.

Good post.

 

[burmafrd]

Eddie seems to miss the fact that he did a very good pass rush capability in college that he has NEVER shown in the pros. Also a capability to make plays which he also has shown little of in the pros.

 

[Big Dakota]

Eddie seems to miss the fact that he did a very good pass rush capability in college that he has NEVER shown in the pros. Also a capability to make plays which he also has shown little of in the pros.

Did he play the 3-4 at LSU?

 

[Duane]

The biggest negative on Spears is that he's a 1st round draft pick. If we were getting the same production from a 3rd or 4th round pick I think everyone would be pretty happy.

 

[zrinkill]

I think Spears is an above average 3-4 DE

 

[theogt]

Eddie seems to miss the fact that he did a very good pass rush capability in college that he has NEVER shown in the pros. Also a capability to make plays which he also has shown little of in the pros.

19 sacks over 4 seasons in college isn't much to write home about.

And if you look at his final season, he went something like 7 or 8 games without a sack.

 

[Redball Express]

I think he's fine as a 3-4 DE. He's doing this job in a workman like fashion. He plays the run very well, and eats his OLman.

He doesn't create alot of pressure but that's not his purpose.

I don't know where all the negativity about Spears comes from. We went into the draft knowing he wasn't going to be a 10 sack a year player ... heck, we knew he wasn't going to be a 5 sack a year player.

But under the Phillips 3-4, there is a lot of higher expectations. I think Spears was one of those vocal guys we heard from in the off-season that seemed to echo that the change from Parcells was going to do him alot of good and set him free on defense to be a better player.

Didn't really materialize for Spears.

I've thought from the second year on that Spears is another one of those guys that came from a 4-3 defense at LSU and was asked to become a 3-4 DE in the NFL and he just hasn't made the transition mentally.

He's stuck somewhere b/w wanting to be a big play, pass rushing demon like he was in college but has been asked to gain about 25 lbs and anchor the end for the team on the strong side of the defense.

This is like asking a lion to be a lamb. It's going to screw up the lion's head.

Which I think is what has happened with Spears.

Like Carp and like Roy Williams, I think they are all playing out of position and out of their schemes when asked to play the 3-4.

Spears would excel in a straight 4-3. Slim him back down and turn him loose on the OL. Let him play aggressive and forget about him.

We can't do that in a 3-4.

So I think we are stuck with his play.

:starspin ReDBaLL ExPreSS:starspin

 

[austintodallas]

Did he play the 3-4 at LSU?

Exactly.