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Is It Time For Cowboys To Re-Think Their Pass Rush?
http://www.bloggingtheboys.com/2016/2/12/10965932/is-it-time-for-cowboys-to-re-think-their-pass-rush
Over the last two years, the Cowboys have invested heavily into their defensive line. Perhaps not as heavily as they did into their offensive line, but heavily nonetheless.
They spent a second and a third to move up to take DeMarcus Lawrence with the 34th overall pick in 2014 and then followed that up by investing another second in Randy Gregory a year later. They also signed defensive tackle Tyrone Crawford to a 5-year, $45 million contract extension in 2015 and brought in defensive end Greg Hardy for roughly $9 million on a one-year deal in 2015.
Yet despite their efforts, the Cowboys haven't made much progress in their sack totals, going from 34 in 2013 to 28 in 2014 and 31 in 2015. In their desperation to get more pressure on the QB, the Cowboys even started blitzing more late in the season, most effectively in the first game against the Commanders, when the Cowboys kept pressure on Kirk Cousins all night with a barrage of pressures from linebackers and safeties that ultimately limited the Commanders to 266 yards and a 4.4 yards average per play and gave the Cowboys their final win of the season.
But Rod Marinelli hates blitzing. His defensive scheme is predicated on a four-man rush getting pressure on the QB, which leaves seven players to play pass coverage. If the scheme works, QBs can find themselves in big trouble, but if the pass rush can't get to the QB, the pass defense is in big trouble. Because then the QB has more time to go through his progressions and find open receivers.
With this backdrop, and as the draft and free agency approaches, there's once again talk about bringing in more edge rushers, perhaps by bringing back DeMarcus Ware or signing Olivier Vernon in free agency, or possibly using the Cowboys' top draft pick on an edge rusher like Joey Bosa.
But are more edge rushers really the solution to the Cowboys' pass rush woes?
Over the last 10 drafts, more defensive ends were selected in the first round of the draft than any other position group except defensive backs. Yet defensive ends have the lowest percentage of Pro Bowl players of any position group selected over the last 10 years, as the table below shows:...
http://www.bloggingtheboys.com/2016/2/12/10965932/is-it-time-for-cowboys-to-re-think-their-pass-rush
http://www.bloggingtheboys.com/2016/2/12/10965932/is-it-time-for-cowboys-to-re-think-their-pass-rush
Over the last two years, the Cowboys have invested heavily into their defensive line. Perhaps not as heavily as they did into their offensive line, but heavily nonetheless.
They spent a second and a third to move up to take DeMarcus Lawrence with the 34th overall pick in 2014 and then followed that up by investing another second in Randy Gregory a year later. They also signed defensive tackle Tyrone Crawford to a 5-year, $45 million contract extension in 2015 and brought in defensive end Greg Hardy for roughly $9 million on a one-year deal in 2015.
Yet despite their efforts, the Cowboys haven't made much progress in their sack totals, going from 34 in 2013 to 28 in 2014 and 31 in 2015. In their desperation to get more pressure on the QB, the Cowboys even started blitzing more late in the season, most effectively in the first game against the Commanders, when the Cowboys kept pressure on Kirk Cousins all night with a barrage of pressures from linebackers and safeties that ultimately limited the Commanders to 266 yards and a 4.4 yards average per play and gave the Cowboys their final win of the season.
But Rod Marinelli hates blitzing. His defensive scheme is predicated on a four-man rush getting pressure on the QB, which leaves seven players to play pass coverage. If the scheme works, QBs can find themselves in big trouble, but if the pass rush can't get to the QB, the pass defense is in big trouble. Because then the QB has more time to go through his progressions and find open receivers.
With this backdrop, and as the draft and free agency approaches, there's once again talk about bringing in more edge rushers, perhaps by bringing back DeMarcus Ware or signing Olivier Vernon in free agency, or possibly using the Cowboys' top draft pick on an edge rusher like Joey Bosa.
But are more edge rushers really the solution to the Cowboys' pass rush woes?
Over the last 10 drafts, more defensive ends were selected in the first round of the draft than any other position group except defensive backs. Yet defensive ends have the lowest percentage of Pro Bowl players of any position group selected over the last 10 years, as the table below shows:...
http://www.bloggingtheboys.com/2016/2/12/10965932/is-it-time-for-cowboys-to-re-think-their-pass-rush
