I like to hear some opinions Damone Clark's second season

[big dog cowboy]

Not the impact player we had hoped for.

Keep in mind he was the 176th player taken making him a late 5th rounder (4 picks away from being a 6th rounder) last year.

The chances of him making the 53 was below 5%. He did and is now starting and getting significant snaps.

How many players drafted that late are teams hoping to find impact players? Very very few. In fact it's rare.

 

[RonWashington]

When I watched Buffalo continually gash the Cowboys on the ground I thought Warner & Greenlaw over in Santa Clara would have put a stop to it . I’m to the point where I’m nostalgic for 55 and it’s a shame he’s probably hit the Sean Lee too many injuries in a career fork in the road .

 

[RonWashington]

Keep in mind he was the 176th player taken making him a late 5th rounder (4 picks away from being a 6th rounder) last year.

The chances of him making the 53 was below 5%. He did and is now starting and getting significant snaps.

How many players drafted that late are teams hoping to find impact players? Very very few. In fact it's rare.

DaRon Bland

 

[buybuydandavis]

I'd still prioritize adding another LB in the offseason. Assuming Vander Esch calls it a day, Clark is the only "real" MLB we have on the roster. Overshown isn't the answer there, he looks like a good player, but he's another 220 lb hybrid type. I would sign a vet as insurance in case Clark doesn't develop.

We have another real MLB in Parsons. We should be using him there more often.
Especially when a team gets ahead and runs on us all day. We have better run defenders at DE than Parsons, but not better MLBs. We could have improved at both positions, and reduced wear and tear on Parsons.

Really too bad about LVE. Looked to me like he had turned the corner the end of last year. But that they didn't spend time pretending he would come back this season is a good sign he's done. Or should be.

 

[CCBoy]

Why did the Cowboys do this? Why did they stay in nickel-and-dime packages when Buffalo went heavy? Countering with more beef would be a good start.

The Cowboys being undersized is not a new development. They have been operating this way all year and it hasn’t been a problem. How is it that more teams aren’t exploiting this area? The defense has been dominant for a large part of the season, and how is that happening?

(Damone Clark helps some as to size and natural skills...and size is needed to meet demands when run is the focus.)

It’s important to realize that this Cowboys defense is who they are. There is nobody coming to rescue their run defense and they are not going to displace their best edge rusher. But they can be better against the run by doing some of these other things. Will it be enough? We don’t know. All we can say is that they’ve been successful before and they can do it again. It’s going to take a near-perfect game to hang with a team like the San Francisco 49ers, but this team has looked great at times. Anything is possible.

https://www.bloggingtheboys.com/202...s-miami-daolphins-dan-quinn-johnathan-hankins

 

[Jarntt]

Clark has been ok. People expect too much too early and then act as if the book on a guys career is written. They all want to quote the 3 year rule about a player developing, but in reality they ignore it when watching young guys play. He makes some plays but has some flaws he hopefully can work on. He's only right now a year of starts into his career and had no offseason his first year and is only 23 years old. IMO if he worked on just two little things he'd be fine: not take bad angles to the ball and get caught up in the muck and especially on misdirection and be more aware in coverage. I think he has the skillset to be a successful starter in this league. He also would benefit from playing next to a true Mike and behind a DL that clogs things up more which would led him do more of what he is good at.

The problem is people (here and elsewhere) have to immediately assume what a guy is or isn't. Let him develop and see. Look at Overshown. People have him as a guy who in their minds is going to make a huge impact on this team and we don't know if he will ever even be good enough to start. Look at Schoonmaker and Mazi, people had them down as busts 3 games into their careers. Not everyone is ready to go week 1 of year 1.

 

[blueblood70]

In one word?

.....Inauspicious.

Yeah, he's there. I would say he is doing an average job. It's not easy being the only true starting LB for the Cowboys that weigh more than 205.LBS.

However, I expected a much steeper rise in performance given his late season development in 2022. The narrative was that he would have been a much higher pick had it not been for his injury and that taking a risk on him was going to pay dividends, he was considered a steal.

He's functional and the design of the defense is not his fault. He's having to dodge the big boys to get to the ball carrier.

Those O-linemen should be engaged with some huge DT cluttering up the middle. However, Hankins is hurt and Mazi is inexperienced, so Clark is trying to do his job with a huge target on his back. He should be in search and destroy mode, not the opponent's blockers.

It's a combination of team design and Clark's inability to play up to the next level. I had him contributing with a breakout season, it's disappointing.

Evans is 6'1 235, LVE bigger, so they have big LBers when healthy.. in my opinion they need to start using evans more.

the bigger issue here is dan quinn's scheme don't use these alignments very much.. literally half the defensive snaps the one Mlber set like Clarke and bell/hybrid with no NTs in ie a lot of nickel and dime.. this is more of a scheme issue why isnt Evans& clark on the field more than bell?

IMHO dan quinn has been losing these games because he refuses to get out of nickel and dime... we have some great payers and more coming they can fit any scheme, he's the weak link and if he leaves i won't be that disappointed,

i mean people have fell in love with the boom or bust opportunistic defense they are in luv with Turnovers but ignore the long top eating drives that they have issues making stops without a T/O... which i find really odd because this looks like rod marinelli defense to me.. people wanted him gone but want DQ as the next HC lol.

 

[CalPolyTechnique]

Is this like......homework?

If you disagree with my opinion, stating the reasons would be the next step. Feel free to make use of this scouting report.

Nothing more impotent when someone points to someone else’s scouting report and says “Here!!! Look it says it right here!”

 

[conner01]

He's been better than last year but I still haven't seen the hype that I heard pre-draft. (First rounder in the 5th).

That’s exactly how players develop. Improve year over year. Fans get blinded by a few rookies who come in an have great early success. Many of those have a sophomore slump. But most players just improve year or year and generally lol y year 3 is when you see the true talent of the player. He’s at the end of his first full year of healthy play and he’s played fairly solid. Let’s see what the end of next year looks like and we will know what we got.

 

[kskboys]

Nothing more impotent when someone points to someone else’s scouting report and says “Here!!! Look it says it right here!”

Except when someone ignores the experts, that's far more impotent!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[conner01]

Overshown and Fred Warner are the same height and weight......look it up.

Warner is just a complete LB. He reads plays at an elite level. He’s good against run and pass but it’s not because he’s this big thumper. It’s because he reads plays and is always in the right position to make the play. If Overshown can learn to read and react like Warner he will be a star player

 

[blueblood70]

Warner is just a complete LB. He reads plays at an elite level. He’s good against run and pass but it’s not because he’s this big thumper. It’s because he reads plays and is always in the right position to make the play. If Overshown can learn to read and react like Warner he will be a star player

in my opinion Overshown is still a like a hybrid ss/lb he might need to put on some weight to be a fulltime playmaking linebacker... i mean he's donovan wilson right now...if he can add 10-15lbs of muscle and not lose his speed sure i can see him as good opitn as a better LB..

 

[conner01]

in my opinion Overshown is still a like a hybrid ss/lb he might need to put on some weight to be a fulltime playmaking linebacker... i mean he's donovan wilson right now...if he can add 10-15lbs of muscle and not lose his speed sure i can see him as good opitn as a better LB..

He will need to add 10 or so but that’s easy. He’s exact same height as Warner but 9 lbs lighter. Now Warner may not still be 229 but I think Overshown need to be around 230 but players can easily add 10 lbs in a single off season. But what makes a LB great isn’t size but instinct and being really good at reading plays

 

[blueblood70]

He will need to add 10 or so but that’s easy. He’s exact same height as Warner but 9 lbs lighter. Now Warner may not still be 229 but I think Overshown need to be around 230 but players can easily add 10 lbs in a single off season. But what makes a LB great isn’t size but instinct and being really good at reading plays

you don't have to sell me man i'm a longhorn fan i saw this dude raise havoc in college.. but right now it still looks like a really good strong safety/hybrid backer is why DQ drafted him but i agre add 10lbs and he might be pretty darn good.. hes got that motor and instinct you cant teach,. Hope the injury doesn't take that asway ala we see guys like Steele, pollard, gallup and others struggling to regain their old form.

 

[stilltheguru]

That’s exactly how players develop. Improve year over year. Fans get blinded by a few rookies who come in an have great early success. Many of those have a sophomore slump. But most players just improve year or year and generally lol y year 3 is when you see the true talent of the player. He’s at the end of his first full year of healthy play and he’s played fairly solid. Let’s see what the end of next year looks like and we will know what we got.

I don't have to wait until the end of next year. I'll know what he is by the first few games next year. You're welcome to give him more time though.

 

[RoboQB]

Keep in mind he was the 176th player taken making him a late 5th rounder (4 picks away from being a 6th rounder) last year.

The chances of him making the 53 was below 5%. He did and is now starting and getting significant snaps.

How many players drafted that late are teams hoping to find impact players? Very very few. In fact it's rare.

His draft selection placement was only due to injury.
He graded out as a 2nd round talent.
Every NFL pundit was saying he was a steal in the draft.

So far, I have two defining memories of Clark.
One was seeing him sprint down the seem in "coverage" as a
RB ran up the middle, essentially following Clark for 15-20 yards.
(That was a game against the Commodes, last year)
The other was Jason Kelce primal screaming in his face after a TD
in Philthy. (This year)

I thought he'd be better, but "he snot"... lol j/k

 

[Captain43Crash]

Overshown and Fred Warner are the same height and weight......look it up.

I don’t believe that for a second!

Warner looks bigger than Clark and Clark is supposed to be 245lbs.

 

[Typhus]

DC is still young and green but he is fast tracking his skill set that Q requires, kid is adapting well IMHO.

 

[charron]

He's an average player. He misses on some things, makes other plays. Nothing special and that's ok. They need to keep looking for potentially better player.

 

[SlammedZero]

I was more hopeful he would have a bigger impact. Like a few others have said in this thread already, this is pretty much his rookie season, so there is chance for him to improve. Time will tell.

Bryan Broaddus and crew talked briefly about him on The Break the other day. Pretty much said that he hasn't been great, but he is capable of making a good play here and there.