Is it Quinn's defense or lack of talented players?

[Coogiguy03]

What's the pick, I wish I knew how to do the poll stuff! Please give your thoughts

 

[The Quest for Six]

This Defense needs a run Stuffing DT, two linebackers, a corner and a safety..

 

[TheMarathonContinues]

There's talent there. The were top 5. They need better linebacking play. Realistically....sign one Linebacker and sign one DT or 3T and your defense will be improved.

 

[slick325]

It's nuanced. Quinn is a dynamite DC. No question about it. However, he doesn't seem to make in game adjustments well.

Not having good DTs nor LBs didn't help either.

Dallas needs to upgrade the front 7 this offseason, via early free agency AND the draft. They also need to ensure they pick a heckuva DC should Quinn get a HC job as we all expect.

 

[jazzcat22]

What's the pick, I wish I knew how to do the poll stuff! Please give your thoughts

When you create a thread, below the title there are 2 tabs. One for discussion, the other for a poll. At the bottom you can add the poll info.
However, I never created one so you would need to figure that part out. Maybe someone with more knowledge with that can help.

 

[thunderpimp91]

I struggle to say it's a lack of talent because about 25 teams in the league would love to have the Cowboys talent on defense. Teams would be lining up to get guys like Parsons, Dlaw, OSA, Bland, etc. The issues in my mind are:

1) They basically don't have an NFL linebacker on the roster...at least one that actually plays linebacker. This sort of falls into a talent issue, but I think the bigger issue is roster construction which revolves around scheme IMO.
2) The league has caught up to DQs scheme. I don't think the guy is a bad D Coordinator, but it seems obvious to me that he struggles to proactively adjust year to year. You can't come into year three with the same safety heavy, pass first approach that you've used since you got to the Cowboys. Teams have caught up to what the Cowboys are doing which exploited them, and the lack of viable players in the middle of the field just became too much.

DQ is a smart guy, but if he comes back to the Cowboys this year he HAS to throw some wrinkles into this defense and possibly even humble himself and look to rebuild in a different way.

 

[jazzcat22]

Better players ... and healthy players.

When LVE went down, DQ used too many S's at LB. Did he ask for replacements, did the FO fail to get them. I can't remember if LVE went out before or after the trade deadline.

However they still entered the season with lack of aLB's on the roster. So in a way his fault as well.
He got his DT in Mazi. Now we will need to wait to see his progress. But still need 2 more, as Hankins can't make a full season.

 

[Quickdraw]

The problem lies with the lack of players in key positions and lack of depth at key positions.

 

[Mac_MaloneV1]

Well it's both.

DQ's defense is predicated on being able to play man coverage. He doesn't make any effort to confuse offenses, so he needs premier talent. That fundamental is why it would make no sense to hire him as a HC.

 

[jazzcat22]

Bring Gilmore back for a year. Diggs will be healthy. Bland back to nickel.
Sign Leiw to a decent 2 year deal. Draft a CB. Even sign a FA.

Time for the Nashon Wright experiment to end.

 

[roy31]

There were no linebackers!

 

[raven55]

don't worry after the jone's buy super bowl tickets for the players and there selves and that's the only way they will get there. Ad after the big boat party, they will set down and the first thing out of there mouth is we like our own so don't worry come and BUY our BS

 

[CowboysFaninHouston]

What's the pick, I wish I knew how to do the poll stuff! Please give your thoughts

both. small LBs. safties playing LB. DTs sucked. pass rush was spotty. scheme didn't fit the players.

 

[kskboys]

What's the pick, I wish I knew how to do the poll stuff! Please give your thoughts

Lack of talented players, clearly. We have no LB's and a tweener at DT. That is a recipe for failure no matter how you play whom. No D coach in the history of the NFL could've stopped the run w/ this olio.

 

[kskboys]

I struggle to say it's a lack of talent because about 25 teams in the league would love to have the Cowboys talent on defense. Teams would be lining up to get guys like Parsons, Dlaw, OSA, Bland, etc. The issues in my mind are:

1) They basically don't have an NFL linebacker on the roster...at least one that actually plays linebacker. This sort of falls into a talent issue, but I think the bigger issue is roster construction which revolves around scheme IMO.
2) The league has caught up to DQs scheme. I don't think the guy is a bad D Coordinator, but it seems obvious to me that he struggles to proactively adjust year to year. You can't come into year three with the same safety heavy, pass first approach that you've used since you got to the Cowboys. Teams have caught up to what the Cowboys are doing which exploited them, and the lack of viable players in the middle of the field just became too much.

DQ is a smart guy, but if he comes back to the Cowboys this year he HAS to throw some wrinkles into this defense and possibly even humble himself and look to rebuild in a different way.

Your 1st sentence and #1 completely contradict each other!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Kolemmitt]

Weak in the middle. DTs are either small or blech. The two LBs that probably would have started, Overshown and LVE, were lost for the season. Kearse, who I thought would be a force against the run, was a disappointment.

 

[CowboysLakerBamaFan]

When u can't stop the run....teams can avoid the strength of this defense: pass rush and corner.

This philosophy of surrendering the 5 yard gain, while preventing the long quick strike plays and "forcing teams to string together 10 play drives" in hopes that a Holding Call or negative play derails the drive was all the rage these last handful of years, but offenses are now catching up to it, and are content and skilled at making those 10 play drives, death by a 1000 cuts offense.

This is epitomized by the Vic Fangio defense....but teams have caught onto his brand of defense which 7 or 8 of his acolytes run league wide...and it just doesn't work anymore.

 

[WillieBeamen]

Both

 

[thunderpimp91]

Your 1st sentence and #1 completely contradict each other!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Why? It's not that these guys aren't talented. Honestly I think Bell could be a star in this league, and situationally could move down to LB no issue, but it's the scheme DQ has put in place that has a guy like him playing out of position full time. He has Parsons who could play off the ball, but DQ chooses to line him up at DE 90% of the time. That to me comes down more to scheme than talent levels. The issues at LB has more to do with the scheme DQ wants to have which created a lack of urgency in the offseason to actually create depth at the position.

 

[kskboys]

Why? It's not that these guys aren't talented. Honestly I think Bell could be a star in this league, and situationally could move down to LB no issue, but it's the scheme DQ has put in place that has a guy like him playing out of position full time. He has Parsons who could play off the ball, but DQ chooses to line him up at DE 90% of the time. That to me comes down more to scheme than talent levels. The issues at LB has more to do with the scheme DQ wants to have which created a lack of urgency in the offseason to actually create depth at the position.

Because we have no LB's. If we have the talent, then we'd have competent LBs.