We played a lot of Nickel yesterday with the huge lead. Versatile DLine we have!
4 sacks - believe Rat had 1/2
Cowboys Open Mini-Camp Looking Like A 3-4 Defense
Nick Eatman - Email
DallasCowboys.com Staff Writer
May 27, 2005 6:37 PM Change Font Size A A A A
IRVING, Texas -If actions indeed speak louder than words, the Cowboys are now a 3-4 team on defense.
While head coach Bill Parcells hasn't verbally committed to the 3-4, everything the Cowboys have done in the past three months tends to scream the move has taken place.
The Cowboys signed nose tackle Jason Ferguson in free agency, and then drafted Demarcus Ware and Marcus Spears in the first round, all the time with the 3-4 scheme in mind. Then in the fourth round they brought in a another hefty, yet versatile defensive end, Chris Canty.
And if all that wasn't enough, the Cowboys kicked off a three-day mini-camp here Friday at Valley Ranch, and guess what defense they lined up in first when they went to team drills?
That's right, the 3-4 defense, and this alignment looks to be the new standard front for the Cowboys, who will squeeze five practices into the weekend, followed by a week of "on-field teaching" sessions - the last actual full team football activity until the Cowboys head off to Oxnard, Calif., for training camp, which begins July 28.
And that's when things will get more serious and the contact cranks up. That's when we'll be able to see just how much the Cowboys will be lining up in a 3-4 scheme, and exactly where everyone will be deployed.
Although Parcells said after Friday's practice "not to read too much into" who lined up where and when, there were a few surprises with the first and second groups.
On the defensive line, Greg Ellis lined up at right defensive end, with rookie Marcus Spears starting on the left side. At nose guard, Ferguson started off in the middle. While the eight-year veteran has experience in the 3-4, not seeing five-time Pro Bowler La'Roi Glover working with the first-team defense didn't seem right.
But Parcells has said several times this has nothing to do with what he thinks of Glover, but that he's just trying reduce the playing time of Glover and Ellis by 15 to 20 percent from last year.
"I think he fits in fine - he's already played this defense (3-4) in two other places," Parcells said of Glover, who has played the 3-4 in Oakland and New Orleans. "I think he'll be fine. I want to play him 60 percent of the time. He'll certainly be in our nickel (defense). That's half the plays right there. To me, I'm not worried about what anyone thinks about their roles or playing time. I don't care."
At linebacker, the Cowboys started off with Dat Nguyen and Scott Shanle in the middle, with Al Singleton and Kalen Thornton on the outside. The second unit of linebackers consisted of Demarcus Ware, the team's top draft pick, and rookie free agent Roger Cooper on the outside, with Bradie James and Keith O'Neil inside. Chances are once he's healthy, second-round pick Kevin Burnett will be playing behind Singleton at the left outside linebacker position - a spot Parcells said he wished they were bigger at.
So while Glover's absence was notable on the first-team defensive line, the same could be said for Ware's, too, especially considering his signing bonus in July will dwarf the no more than $20,000 Thornton received last year as a rookie free agent.
"Don't read into that," Parcells said. "We're just getting started."
In fact, when Parcells was asked about right offensive tackle, one of the key starting positions up for grabs this season, the coach said he didn't even know who worked with the first-team unit. While it was converted-guard Ben Noll, another small surprise, maybe that shows just how insignificant the starters are during a mini-camp in late May.
Clearly, the Cowboys have high hopes for Ware, considered by some draft experts as the best pass-rusher in the draft. While he might not play every snap, the Cowboys will have him in position to get to the quarterback, especially on passing plays.
But while he played defensive end four years at Troy, putting pressure on the passer doesn't concern Ware so much. Having to cover in the 3-4 defense might pose the rookie the most problems. However, like any confident top draft, Ware doesn't seem too bothered by the unaccustomed proposition.
"Yeah, I've been working a lot on that," Ware said of his coverage skills. "It's really no different. We did that some in college with zone blitzes. So it doesn't matter if I'm rushing or dropping back in coverage - I'm comfortable with both."
And for the most part, that was the tune of about every defensive player affected by the 3-4 switch. While players such as Glover and Ferguson even admitted to preferring the 4-3, neither said they are worried about playing in a new scheme, not that any voiced worries would make a difference.
"This is a defense I've played before," Glover said. "I've had success with it. I think once everyone buys into it - as a defense - that's when we'll start getting comfortable with it. That's when you start to build some good team chemistry on defense.
"I'm a football player. That's my strength. I can adapt. I can play the game."
Glover, who has made five straight Pro Bowls, including the last three in Dallas, said he doesn't view himself playing just one spot. In New Orleans, Glover said he found himself playing a variety of positions, and is open to doing so again with the Cowboys.
"I played both positions - end, nose and then we did some variation things with me in the two-technique and the three-technique," Glover said. "We played a lot of different things with it. I prefer the 4-3, obviously. But the defense is different now. You have to be a lot more patient in the 3-4."
And regardless what scheme is played, Glover said he expects to continually be double-teamed out there, just in a different manner than he was when playing tackle in the 4-3.
"It just depends what position you line up at," Glover said. "If you're at the nose, it'll be center-guard. If you're at the end position, you're going to see a tackle-tight end double team. So it's a little different. But you still have the same goal and that's to get by them."
Speaking of goals, Spears had one that he's already met, and it had nothing to do with the defensive scheme. The rookie from LSU who received a jab or three from Parcells concerning his weight in the April, rookie mini-camp, lost 13 pounds by the time he reported on May 16 to begin his off-season conditioning program.
The slim and trim Spears should be right at his playing weight of about 295 pounds. And he's also already where the Cowboys expected to him be - starting at one end position.
While Spears is unfazed by the defensive scheme of choice, the rookie seemed to pay more attention to the potential depth on this defense.
"I feel like, whatever defense we play, we're going to be versatile," Spears said. "It looks like we're getting the players in place to do both. And honestly, it doesn't matter to me, because I've played both. Other guys might have a preference, but I really don't. I like the 4-3 defense and I like the 3-4 defense.
"But right now, it seems like we're doing a lot more of the 3-4."
Yep, he's right, it's looking a lot like the 3-4 defense is here to stay.
Who says rookies don't catch on quickly?
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