I believe if you can't win your matchups upfront, you can't consistently win in the NFL. Without the ability to clear space in the running game and pick up blitzes offensively, and to hold the point/penetrate upfield against the run, and collapse the pocket on the pass rush, a coordinator has to resort to too much gimmickry to gain an edge. This can result in as much confusion for your own players as for the opposition.
As far as the Cowboys are concerned, here's how I would rate their players in that regard:
KEY
Blue Chip - top level talent - can start for most teams
Red Chip - solid player - can start for other teams
Yellow Chip - average player - best served as a backup
Cow Chip - self explanatory
OFFENSIVE LINE
Tyron Smith - a blue chip player. Struggled at times on the left side, but is scheme diverse (can play well in both a man-power and zone-blocking scheme), and has tons of upside. Needs to improve in his handling of inside counter moves.
Nate Livings - a red chip player, if healthy. When he was healthy last season, he was solid and workman like. A poor foot athlete, he does a good job of keeping himself between the DL he's blocking and the QB, but he has a hard time with laterally quick linemen. Down the stretch last season, he really struggled with blitz recognition and moving laterally. As he is over 30, I don’t expect him to get healthier. A candidate to be replaced after this year.
Phil Costa – a yellow chip. For one game last year, against the Ravens, he played well. Due to both back and leg injuries, he couldn’t hold up physically to get a real gauge as to his progress overall. He has built in limitations with his short arms, and an inability to effectively reach block. When he gets his hands on a player, he can steer them around. Costa is a try hard guy who maximizes his ability, but is one that you will always look to replace.
Mackenzy Bernadeau – a yellow chip. Bernadeau was hurt in camp, and never seemed to find his stride as a player. A better foot athlete than Livings, he struggled with lateral quickness as well, and seemed to have at least one block per game where he did not react to a counter, and allowed a free rusher at Romo. Bernadeau needs to commit to getting himself in better condition (he has quite the roll around his waist). He can compete for a role on the team, and would be best served as a multi-positional backup (both guard slots and center) rather than start.
Doug Free – a yellow chip at best. Free has been in a freefall (no pun intended) for the last two seasons once he was determined to have poor grip strength. Unless his technique is perfect, he will get walked back to the QB or beaten to either side. His strength deficiency is more of an issue at RT than LT. His lateral quickness aids him in stretch blocking in the running game, but he cannot consistently drive block opposing linemen, and has lost his confidence in blocking in the passing game. The fact that he was benched a year ago tells you all you need to know. Needs to be replaced immediately.
Jermey Parnell – a yellow chip. Parnell physically looks the part of an athletic tackle option, but needs to improve his lower body strength. When he locks out a defender, he can win a matchup against anyone. He struggles to generate movement in the run game in short yardage situations (see opening game against the Giants). With some growth this offseason, could progress to a red chip.
Ryan Cook – a cow chip. Decent positional blocker against the pass, but has no base strength due to his height, and is a complete liability in the running game. Positional flexibility is the only thing that would save him, but the addition of Travis Frederick and the hoped for growth from Ronald Leary and Jermey Parnell will likely result in his cut from the roster.
David Arkin – to this point, a cow chip. Lacks the anchor and base strength to hold up inside. The jump in competition for him was known to be a big hurdle, but his lack of functional strength plagued his in his ability to play and be active on the roster. Unless he had a miraculous transformation of his body this offseason, he will be another person in the cut line.
Ronald Leary – at this time, at best, a yellow chip. Leary has the base strength and anchor to play, but was clueless in the preseason in handling twists and recognizing blitzes. Hopefully his year of seasoning improved his recognition skills, as without those, he has little chance for success.
Travis Frederick – at this time, unproven, but likely a red chip. Frederick is well schooled, and a true power player. Position flexible and a player who will slug it out and win most of his battles. Forget the 40 time – he can make all of the necessary blocks at both guard and center. He will be an upgrade to either position that he starts at.
OVERALL – a mishmash of skills and players. The positions were put together seemingly without a lot of consideration for the complementary skills of the players (Free and Smith more mobile types, Livings and Bernadeau plodders). They operate at a significant talent disadvantage to any team with a good defensive front. Frederick will help, but the team needs significant upgrades at RG and RT, and seem to be banking on Costa and Parnell improving significantly this offseason. With Costa’s back issue as well as his physical limitations, this could be a mistake.
DEFENSIVE LINE
DeMarcus Ware – a blue chip player. Ware is a premier pass rusher who is underrated against the run. The scheme change, though, introduces an issue and challenge for Ware. Playing on his feet gave him the ability to play more with his hands in the run game, and fend off TEs crashing down on him. He will have to be even more stout now holding up in the run game. Coming off of the injuries that he was plagued with down the stretch, it will be interesting to see how his overall play is late in the season.
Jason Hatcher – a red chip player. Hatcher was the best DL on the team a season ago, finally putting it all together as a five technique. Hatcher is a solid interior pass rusher, and improved against the run. Playing as a 3T will be a benefit to him with the 1 on 1 matchups, but he would be miscast as a 1T, as he has a tendency to play high against the run. A solid player who should play well as a 3T.
Jay Ratliff – a yellow chip. Ratliff has been a declining player for a couple of seasons. He still has his initial quickness, but has been injury plagued (hernia, back problems), and less effective as a player. The years of pounding that he took as an undersized 3-4 nose may have finally caught up with him. While the Kiffin 4-3 is tailor made for his ability, we may be remembering him more for his past than his present. May need to start as the 1T, as there is not a current Cowboy player with any skins on the wall capable of playing the position as a starter.
Anthony Spencer – as a DE, he is a red chip. As a LB, he’s a blue chip. Spencer parlayed his best season as a Cowboy into a second consecutive franchise tag. Spencer is a jack of all trades, and a master of most, capable of setting the edge in the running game as a LB, solid in playing over the TE, and finally finishing off sacks in the passing game. As a DE, he will face a much bigger challenge in holding the point and generating a pass rush. I feel he will lose some of his effectiveness in this role, and would be best suited starting at SLB in this defense, moving to a rush position on passing downs.
Sean Lissemore – a yellow chip. Lissemore is a try hard guy who understands leverage, and flashes pass rush skill, but he majorly regressed in 2012. Lissemore did not hold up well in the run game, and needs to step up his game. He could play the 1T, but seemed to be worse the longer that he was on the field. He is one of two players who need to take a step forward in terms of production for this scheme to work properly.
Tyrone Crawford – at this time, a yellow chip. Crawford flashed the ability to collapse the pocket as a 5T, and was generally solid. The question becomes where does he play. Is he better suited as a 3T inside, or as a 7T as a base LE? I believe that he is best suited as a 7T, where he can use his hand strength and leverage to be a strong end in the running game. I have a feeling that the team will use him as a 3T. Either way, he is the second player who needs to take a major step forward in production, as the team is aging upfront and needs to provide quality snaps in reserve.
Kyle Wilber – at this time, a yellow chip at best. Wilber was injured most of last season, and was generally a non-producer. Now, the Cowboys are asking him to move from LB to DE. While Wilber has the frame to add some weight, his play is not suited to being an end with his hand in the dirt. He is not a strong run player, and is more of a rangy type with the quickness to rush the passer. He is not a great scheme fit for Kiffin’s defense, and I can easily see him not making the team. He will need to greatly improve his strength in order to stick.
Ikponmwosa Igbinosun – at this time, an unknown. A late add last year to the practice squad from the Steelers, Igbinosun is a young player who was a developmental prospect as a 5T. How he fits into Kiffin’s defense is anyone’s guess. Will he be a 7T along the lines of a Chidi Ahanotu, or will he be a candidate as a 3T? To expect much from him would be a stretch, but the Cowboys like his potential.
Brian Price – a yellow chip. Price comes with some decoration – a former second rounder with the Buccaneers who logged some starts in the league. Price has battled personal issues and major physical issues with his hamstrings, and has been out of football for a year. When he came from UCLA, Price was a solid 1T candidate when drafted by Tampa, with the ability to hold up against the run and to push the pocket. This could be his last shot in the NFL, so the Cowboys will get his best effort. The question is, after the hamstring reattachment surgery, how much does he have left? The Cowboys cannot expect much from him, but he could be a vitally important cog to the scheme change.
OVERALL – to the degree that the offensive line is a weakness, the Jones’ are correct – the defensive line is a strength. They have solid players across all four starting positions. The questions come with regards to age, health, the reserve players and the ability to hold up against the run. Without major improvement in play from the likes of Lissemore, Crawford and either Wilber or Price, the starters run the real risk of being worn down by the final stretch of the season. This position is a bit of a question mark, but not nearly as much as the OL.
