How do you feel about this defensive line?

[silver]

Who is our backup 3-tech? I don't know if I trust Coleman just yet. I hope Okoye gets healthy but I'm not counting on it. I feel decent about 1-tech if Brent comes back. But I can't see Melton playing 90% of the snaps in all 16 games.

Bass maybe, if he ever hits the field.

 

[JoeyBoy718]

Bass maybe, if he ever hits the field.

I forgot he was on the team. Another unproven youngster who can't stay healthy.

 

[Zimmy Lives]

Melton and the misfits....

Lol!

I don't think I can recall the Cowboys having a d-line this bad since the replacement season. There is a lot of potential but, as is, this is an underwhelming group. If there is any consolation (for me), I think they are just as good as last year's starting defense and have a chance too be better.

 

[BlindFaith]

I think we'll be in the nickel more than the base. I read somewhere that teams averaged 60% of plays in the nickel last year. That's not bad because I actually think our secondary is pretty solid.

Nickel

Lawrence - Melton - Crawford - Selvie
Carter - McClain
Claiborne - Carr - Scandrick - Church - Wilcox

Base vs pass

Lawrence - Melton - McClain - Selvie
Carter - McClain - Wilber
Scandrick - Claiborne - Church - Wilcox

Base vs run

Mincey - Melton - Brent - Crawford
Carter - McClain - Holloman
Scandrick - Claiborne - Church - Wilcox

If teams run on us like SD did then we will never see a nickel defense trot out there.

 

[xwalker]

I think we'll be in the nickel more than the base. I read somewhere that teams averaged 60% of plays in the nickel last year. That's not bad because I actually think our secondary is pretty solid.

Nickel
Lawrence - Melton - Crawford - Selvie
Carter - McClain
Claiborne - Carr - Scandrick - Church - Wilcox

Base vs pass
Lawrence - Melton - McClain - Selvie
Carter - McClain - Wilber
Scandrick - Claiborne - Church - Wilcox

Base vs run
Mincey - Melton - Brent - Crawford
Carter - McClain - Holloman
Scandrick - Claiborne - Church - Wilcox

You have Holloman and Wilber reversed. Holloman is the better pass defender.

Also, I doubt if McClain plays in the Nickel. The Nickel LBs are most likely Holloman and Carter or Durant.

 

[erod]

Anthony Spencer is critical to this equation if it's going to be reasonably good this year.

 

[Idgit]

Anthony Spencer is critical to this equation if it's going to be reasonably good this year.

How scary is that? I like Spencer more than most, but micro fracture and the scheme change and the year off makes him a giant question mark.

 

[perrykemp]

You have Holloman and Wilber reversed. Holloman is the better pass defender.

Also, I doubt if McClain plays in the Nickel. The Nickel LBs are most likely Holloman and Carter or Durant.

I was wondering about this. McClain looks nothing like a Cover 2 MLB -- he is what, 260?

What I am wondering about is who the heck is going to be the LB running down the field with TEs and slot WRs -- ie the Brian Urlacher / Derrick Brooks type LB who is the lynch-pin of the Cover 2 defense.

I know it was supposed to be Lee -- however, what is the backup plan?

 

[erod]

How scary is that? I like Spencer more than most, but micro fracture and the scheme change and the year off makes him a giant question mark.

I mean in terms of generating a legitimately consistent pass rush.

Spencer-Crawford-Melton-Lawrence could do that, with Selvie playing much of the time in place of Spencer.

 

[CCBoy]

I mean in terms of generating a legitimately consistent pass rush.

Spencer-Crawford-Melton-Lawrence could do that, with Selvie playing much of the time in place of Spencer.

Now that sounds socially redemptive to this fan...

 

[xwalker]

I was wondering about this. McClain looks nothing like a Cover 2 MLB -- he is what, 260?

What I am wondering about is who the heck is going to be the LB running down the field with TEs and slot WRs -- ie the Brian Urlacher / Derrick Brooks type LB who is the lynch-pin of the Cover 2 defense.

I know it was supposed to be Lee -- however, what is the backup plan?

McClain was actually reasonably good in coverage in 2012. I reviewed all of his snaps in over half of the games that season. He often dropped deep similar to a Tampa-2 MLB.

He originally played 100% of the defensive snaps; however, after a game in Denver, they pulled him from the Nickel defense. He fell apart in the 2nd half of that game in Denver due to fatigue. He can cover, but doing it and playing all defensive snaps at his size caused too much fatigue, although that probably happens to other player in the Denver elevation.

He appears to have lost significant weight since 2012. He could probably function in the Nickel, but his primary value is as the MLB in the base defense where he is superior to most LBs at getting off blocks by OLinemen. IMO, it would be a good way to keep players fresh if they used Carter, McClain and Wilber in the base with Holloman and Durant in the Nickel. It would be similar to the rotation that they will use on the DLine.

 

[Idgit]

I mean in terms of generating a legitimately consistent pass rush.

Spencer-Crawford-Melton-Lawrence could do that, with Selvie playing much of the time in place of Spencer.

Yeah, I agree that, if Spencer comes back at anything near is previous level, and if Lawrence is back relatively quickly and overcomes the early injury, that's at least a serviceable lineup.

The reality is, we're a poor team in terms of DL talent this season no matter how we slice it. It's the weakest area of the team (the whole front 7, really). The bandaids and blue birds can help, if we get them. But our best bet is to have the relatively poor players we're going to be playing play as sound football as they possibly can, hope we get some help on the back end (where we do have some depth and some talent) in the form of some bought time and some contested turnovers, and then to play well offensively. I don't have even hopes for anything more than that. Maybe by the end of the season guys like Wilcox and Crawford and Lawrence and Claiborne start gelling and we finish on a relative high note. But there's a reason why we're not a realistic contender right now, and that reason is this DL. We didn't do enough to change that this offseason, so we're going to have to find other ways to be competitive.

 

[xwalker]

Who is our backup 3-tech? I don't know if I trust Coleman just yet. I hope Okoye gets healthy but I'm not counting on it. I feel decent about 1-tech if Brent comes back. But I can't see Melton playing 90% of the snaps in all 16 games.

Crawford spits practice reps between LDE and 3-tech DT.

Mincey has played the 3-tech position on passing downs in the past and has practiced there in training camp.

Terrell McClain practiced at both 3-tech and 1-tech before getting injured.

Coleman played most of the snaps as the 3-tech in the game.

Ben Bass can play the 3-tech but is injured and doubtful to make the team.

Okoye played both the 3-tech and 1-tech in Chicago.

 

[Tawney88]

RE: Mincey
DT: Hayden
DT: Melton
LE: Selvie

Ugh!

 

[Tawney88]

Best post ever!

 

[burmafrd]

I mean in terms of generating a legitimately consistent pass rush.

Spencer-Crawford-Melton-Lawrence could do that, with Selvie playing much of the time in place of Spencer.

One Year Wonder Spencer? One year wonder Selvie? that is consistent?

 

[xwalker]

Yeah, I agree that, if Spencer comes back at anything near is previous level, and if Lawrence is back relatively quickly and overcomes the early injury, that's at least a serviceable lineup.

The reality is, we're a poor team in terms of DL talent this season no matter how we slice it. It's the weakest area of the team (the whole front 7, really). The bandaids and blue birds can help, if we get them. But our best bet is to have the relatively poor players we're going to be playing play as sound football as they possibly can, hope we get some help on the back end (where we do have some depth and some talent) in the form of some bought time and some contested turnovers, and then to play well offensively. I don't have even hopes for anything more than that. Maybe by the end of the season guys like Wilcox and Crawford and Lawrence and Claiborne start gelling and we finish on a relative high note. But there's a reason why we're not a realistic contender right now, and that reason is this DL. We didn't do enough to change that this offseason, so we're going to have to find other ways to be competitive.

Wilber has looked decent at RDE. He will be off the field as a LB in the Nickel defense which makes him available as a DE.

Mincey should be good in the base defense if somebody can step up as the Nickel RDE. There seems to be 1 spot available for Wilson, Bush, Rayford or Boatright. I've been the most impressed by Bush of that group.

 

[perrykemp]

Ben Bass can play the 3-tech but is injured and doubtful to make the team.

Please say it isn't so!

 

[JoeyBoy718]

Crawford spits practice reps between LDE and 3-tech DT.

Mincey has played the 3-tech position on passing downs in the past and has practiced there in training camp.

Terrell McClain practiced at both 3-tech and 1-tech before getting injured.

Coleman played most of the snaps as the 3-tech in the game.

Ben Bass can play the 3-tech but is injured and doubtful to make the team.

Okoye played both the 3-tech and 1-tech in Chicago.

I agree we have a lot of potential at the moment, but

Okoye may never play again

Bass probably won't make the team

Crawford only plays 3-tech in the nickel

McClain is poised to be the starting 1-tech, which means Hayden would be starting if McClain moved to the 3

Coleman is an undrafted rookie

And, do you really want Mincey as the primary 3-tech if Melton goes down for a significant amount of time?

 

[xwalker]

I agree we have a lot of potential at the moment, but

Okoye may never play again

Bass probably won't make the team

Crawford only plays 3-tech in the nickel

McClain is poised to be the starting 1-tech, which means Hayden would be starting if McClain moved to the 3

Coleman is an undrafted rookie

And, do you really want Mincey as the primary 3-tech if Melton goes down for a significant amount of time?

I was thinking in terms of sharing the snaps with Melton. If Melton can't play, then that's obviously a huge problem. Crawford would probably become a full time 3-tech if Melton couldn't play.