Jay Ratliff taking this defense to another level

[Doomsdayblitz]

Not since the Dallas defense went to the 3-4 alignment has it had such a dominant lineman as Jay Ratliff. He is flat out taking over games with more & more ferocity. We have needed a dominating lineman like him since 2005, and now we have one. With his power, speed, and tenacity, teams now have a player from each edge, plus another blowing up the middle to worry about.

Having been selected in the 7th round in the 2005 draft, Ratliff is one of the team's all-time steals. A magazine I read that covered each teams' draft stated the the Ratliff pick was one of the best in the 7th rd. Now that's an understatement. What a draft year that was for the Cowboys:

1. DeMarcus Ware, OLB, Troy. A devastating player who covers the run & is one of the best pass rushers in recent history. Will end up in Canton if he stay healthy.
2. Marcus Spears, DE, LSU. A dominating play-maker at the collegiate level, Spears has never reached expectations. This is his best season so far, however, but he still needs to learn how to get to the QB more consistently to ever make it to Hawaii.
3. Kevin Burnett, OLB, Tennessee. Spent the first two seasons with the team fighting various injuries. Has come in to his own the past two years. Has safety speed, and rarely misses a tackle.
4. Marion Barber III, RB, Minnesota. This Barbarian is a beast. Talk about old school. This guy wouldn't go out of bounds if the game depended on it. Gotta love him.
5. Chris Canty, DE, Virginia. Between Barber & Canty, one of the Cowboy's best 4th rounds ever. A battering ram for a RB, then a 6-7, 300 lb. DE who stops the run like someone stole something.
6. Justin Beriault, FS, Ball State. Who knows, he may have made it had it not been for health problems.
7. Rob Petitti, OT, Pittsburg. A big fan favorite. The only player who couldn't make it on ability.
8. Jay Ratliff, DT, Auburn. Funny how the first & last players taken by the team in this draft turn out to be the two best.

I still say that, unless Tank Johnson steps it up a notch or two, we're going to need one more penetrating defensive lineman to be a dominating "D". Come on, Tank, we're pullin' for ya.

 

[Achozen]

Jay Ratliff, DT, Auburn. Funny how the first & last players taken by the team in this draft turn out to be the two best.

I love me some Jay Ratliff, but Marion Barber is the second best pick behind Ware.

 

[Homer]

Wow, that was a great draft.

 

[Bob Sacamano]

I have to drop this guys name in here

Auburn DT Sen'Derrick Marks

remember the name, this guy is a stud, and is a Jay Ratliff clone, started off as an end, but is a better fit inside at DT, which he's playing this year, and which is a position that he loves

he would make a great fit as a DE in our 3-4, right next to Ratliff

 

[alby]

Goes to show how important building your team through the draft is.

 

[BigDinAZ]

Wow, what a great draft!!!

 

[adamknite]

Justin Beriault, FS, Ball State. Who knows, he may have made it had it not been for health problems.

I seem to remember him really turning heads before that injury too, it was a shame that injury hit and ended to his career before it really got started. I still think he would have turned out to be a great steal if he could of just gotten healthy, but I believe nobody had ever returned from the type of surgery he had (or at least not many), if memory serves me.

 

[ThreeSportStar80]

Yeah I would put MBIII right behind D-Ware. Ratliff is third on the list.

 

[CrazyCowboy]

Canty needs to pick it up.

 

[JackMagist]

Canty needs to pick it up.

Maybe a little but he is still ahead of Spears. The problem is that their positions are not really ment to get sacks in this D. They are supposed to eat up blockers so that Ware and Ellis can get sacks. It is not surprising that Ratliff get more sacks than either of them (Canty and Spears) because all of the attention to the outside rushers (Ware and Ellis) softens up the middle and leaves him one on one with the Center in many instances. I'm not saying that he isn't turning into a great player because I believe that he is but he does have some advantages that the scheme and the quality of his teammates give him.