How Much Did We Improve on Defense?

[Beaker42]

Not a downgrade. Same player. Gary is prolly a little better. Plus, Clowney is 34.

Nope, absolutely a downgrade. If Gary doesn’t get 8.5 then I’ll be right.

 

[Beaker42]

Clowney is probably a little better at the pass rush, Gary better at the run. But we'll see. I think they are pretty similar and wed be better with both.

I don't know if he ends up, no pun, available or not, but if he ends up being available, I think he's probably still in the mix, unless the younger guys really shine. But Clowney is gonna skip camp anyway.

Clowney was great against the run plus he’s faster than Gary. We will be underwhelmed I fear.

 

[Pass2Run]

If the price is right once we get in to camp, maybe we kick tires on a vet? I think LB and OLB are both still thin and could be liabilities if a starter goes down inside or or outside.

Safty and DT are tight, but LB and CB have plenty of unknowns.

I'd like sure up another position group by signing another vet like Clowney or Bosa to stabilize our defensive front while Lawrence and EZ develop. Houston is a situational PR, Williams is wild card, Liufao?, Snowden? etc.. who knows?

When you break it down, there's much to be desired when you get down the OLB depth chart:
EZ
Gary
Lawrence
Houston
Williams
Snowden
Liufao
Land
Wheat

Yeah, we still need depth at edge.

 

[Pass2Run]

Clowney was great against the run plus he’s faster than Gary. We will be underwhelmed I fear.

I'm saying we should bring him in. Injuries happen, etc etc

 

[DC Cowboy]

I expect an up and down defense until late in the season when they start to gell as a unit.

Hopefully not too late in the season. With the two practices against Rams and Saints, 3 preseason games, they will gel quicker than expected.

 

[kskboys]

I’m using a bit of hyperbole. But there are a lot of folks in the cowboys media world who are selling Christian Parker as the answer to the cowboys worried, and selling him hard. Without even waiting for one game to be played.

The hype around a first time DC has been crazy.

Ton of people on here proclaiming him as the next coming.

 

[big dog cowboy]

Ton of people on here proclaiming him as the next coming.

He is on a path to become a HC soon.

 

[HungryLion]

Ton of people on here proclaiming him as the next coming.

And I truly hope he is.

I’m very excited the front office hired a young, up and coming, high level coaching prospect as DC. I am glad they went that route, rather than an old retread or somebody they were familiar with.

But we still need to see him in action.

Shoot Parker may need time too. He could turn out being the next legit thing but may need time to build the defense and get things in line. It’s not an overnight process I don’t think.

 

[kskboys]

Nope, absolutely a downgrade. If Gary doesn’t get 8.5 then I’ll be right.

Poor way to judge.

 

[kskboys]

He is on a path to become a HC soon.

Yup, just like Eberflus!!!!!!!

 

[cityochamps]

It should be better, but it's not going to be by how much most on this forum seem to think. I suspect it will be a mid 20s ranked defense by the end of the year. That is an improvement, but it will still be a below average defense.

We end up ranked mid 20 or even low 20's we in all likelihood miss the play offs again., I'm optimistically hoping for much better, closer to just above average, from this D with the top-down changes that we made.

 

[Pass2Run]

Nope, absolutely a downgrade. If Gary doesn’t get 8.5 then I’ll be right.

If you're using strictly sacks as a measure of his value.

 

[kskboys]

If you're using strictly sacks as a measure of his value.

Gary's and Clowny's sacks are about the same.

It's beyond me why some are so overvaluing journeyman Clowney. He's just OK.

Is it because he was one of the only guys who could play on a very very bad D?

 

[big dog cowboy]

It's beyond me why some are so overvaluing journeyman Clowney. He's just OK.

Not sure I get those proclaiming he is what we need. If he were so valuable, why is he unemployed just 3 weeks before camp?

 

[kskboys]

Not sure I get those proclaiming he is what we need. If he were so valuable, why is he unemployed just 3 weeks before camp?

He's a journeyman that no one cares about paying or keeping. Overall, Gary is a better player. And how many teams has Clownboy been on? It's like 6 in the last 8 years or something like that.

 

[Cowpolk]

We will know by mid season if not sooner

 

[Stash]

Not sure I get those proclaiming he is what we need. If he were so valuable, why is he unemployed just 3 weeks before camp?

I can’t help but to wonder if Clowney would be as popular had he not had 3 sacks in the last game of the season and finished with 5.5 instead of 8.5?

 

[jaybird]

To me the jury is still out. If CB can just stay healthy it could be a lot. If bland and revel plsy up to potential it could be a huge leap

Not disagreeing with this, just lil more to it. Also not sure we have a dog that can rush off the edge

 

[GMO415]

There's a thread projecting that Dak will get over 5,000 yards. Does that sound like a team with a decent DEF or a team who has to score 35 + points a game just to possibly win.

 

[big dog cowboy]

There's a thread projecting that Dak will get over 5,000 yards. Does that sound like a team with a decent DEF or a team who has to score 35 + points a game just to possibly win.

Sounds like an offense that was 2nd in yards and 7th in points last year and returning all 11 starters and is ready to roll this year.