Manster68
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Well, here it is folks. The Pro Bowl is complete and the book on the 2005 season has been concluded.
Some thughts:
A year ago at this time I insisted that teh 2005 season was going to be better than the 2004 season. THAT IT WAS!
Did it go exactly as I thought? No. I thought Dallas was somehow going to be a playoff team and they didn't get there.
After last year's free agency and the draft, I was very confident Dallas was going to see the post-season.
As disappointed as I am that Dallas didn't make the postseason, I am a lot more excited over the direction this team is eventually going.
- The biggest hole a year ago was the non-existent pass rush. You have to admit, PASS RUSH IMPROVED SIGNIFICANTLY!
Is pass rush at a level where we fans are truly satisfied? No, but it was a heck of a lot better than 2004. The improvements of Dallas' pass rush begins with Demarcus Ware.
Remember this about Ware: This season he learned the outside linebacker position for the first time. Like Petitti, he learned his new position on the run. What I like about Ware is that, despite his inexperience, he became the #1 concern for opposing defensive coordinators.
Yes, Ware struggled some, but he enhanced oportunities for his teammates to make plays. Dallas had one of the better defenses in 2005 - its main reason points toward a smallish rookie defensive end from a smallish school in Troy State.
Oh, I love this kid's future.
- Another hole was the cornerback play. Terrance Newman finally played healthy and many of us are wondering why we did not see him in Hawaii.
Would you trade Newman straight up for any of the other corners in the NFL? NOT ME!
The acquisitions of Henry and Aaron Glenn was a major improvement from Lance Frazier.
Dallas' defensive acquisitions netted them a pot of gold. This is particularly true when factoring in the draftees of Ware, Spears, Burnett, Canty, and even Ratliff and Beriault.
Jason Ferguson might not have put up numbers that many fans love so much, however, please take this into consideration: Ferguson was a major focal point, a very experienced veteran, anchoring a defensive line for a team that just learned the 3-4 defense for the first time in its history. That said, I think some of you need to tone down the criticism on Ferguson. The man was a leader to such young pups like Spears, Canty, Ratliff, and T. Johnson. Ferguson was well worth the money Dallas dished out in my opinion. The true dividends of Ferguson will come to fruitation in the next couple of years.
The area I was most disappointed in was inside linebacker. Dat Nguyun just wasn't healthy and Scott Shanle made way too many tackles 5-10 yards downfield. It was good to see Bradie James establish himself and Dallas really does not know what they have in Kevin Burnett (will he be inside or outside and how effective can he become?).
Many of you are touting taking Bobby Carpenter in the first round. If he does become a Cowboy, I am really hoping you are correct about everything you say about him. I sure hope Parcells will somehow find a Harry Carson or Gary Reasons type player playing insde for the Cowboys next season.
Of course, if you have been remembering the guy I want Dallas to take in the first round, it would be Manny Lawson. Just the though of having Lawson on one side, and Ware on the other, would give the Cowboys one of the more devestating pass rushes the NFL hasn't seen in quite a while.
Remember what Tom Landry said about pass rush in 1966: "When you have a pass rush as great as ours have been, it is like having two sets of defensive backs in your backfield".
And the more I think about it, the more convinced I am that Dallas is going linebacker in the first round in April. IOW - Lawson or Carpenter.
Some thughts:
A year ago at this time I insisted that teh 2005 season was going to be better than the 2004 season. THAT IT WAS!
Did it go exactly as I thought? No. I thought Dallas was somehow going to be a playoff team and they didn't get there.
After last year's free agency and the draft, I was very confident Dallas was going to see the post-season.
As disappointed as I am that Dallas didn't make the postseason, I am a lot more excited over the direction this team is eventually going.
- The biggest hole a year ago was the non-existent pass rush. You have to admit, PASS RUSH IMPROVED SIGNIFICANTLY!
Is pass rush at a level where we fans are truly satisfied? No, but it was a heck of a lot better than 2004. The improvements of Dallas' pass rush begins with Demarcus Ware.
Remember this about Ware: This season he learned the outside linebacker position for the first time. Like Petitti, he learned his new position on the run. What I like about Ware is that, despite his inexperience, he became the #1 concern for opposing defensive coordinators.
Yes, Ware struggled some, but he enhanced oportunities for his teammates to make plays. Dallas had one of the better defenses in 2005 - its main reason points toward a smallish rookie defensive end from a smallish school in Troy State.
Oh, I love this kid's future.
- Another hole was the cornerback play. Terrance Newman finally played healthy and many of us are wondering why we did not see him in Hawaii.
Would you trade Newman straight up for any of the other corners in the NFL? NOT ME!
The acquisitions of Henry and Aaron Glenn was a major improvement from Lance Frazier.
Dallas' defensive acquisitions netted them a pot of gold. This is particularly true when factoring in the draftees of Ware, Spears, Burnett, Canty, and even Ratliff and Beriault.
Jason Ferguson might not have put up numbers that many fans love so much, however, please take this into consideration: Ferguson was a major focal point, a very experienced veteran, anchoring a defensive line for a team that just learned the 3-4 defense for the first time in its history. That said, I think some of you need to tone down the criticism on Ferguson. The man was a leader to such young pups like Spears, Canty, Ratliff, and T. Johnson. Ferguson was well worth the money Dallas dished out in my opinion. The true dividends of Ferguson will come to fruitation in the next couple of years.
The area I was most disappointed in was inside linebacker. Dat Nguyun just wasn't healthy and Scott Shanle made way too many tackles 5-10 yards downfield. It was good to see Bradie James establish himself and Dallas really does not know what they have in Kevin Burnett (will he be inside or outside and how effective can he become?).
Many of you are touting taking Bobby Carpenter in the first round. If he does become a Cowboy, I am really hoping you are correct about everything you say about him. I sure hope Parcells will somehow find a Harry Carson or Gary Reasons type player playing insde for the Cowboys next season.
Of course, if you have been remembering the guy I want Dallas to take in the first round, it would be Manny Lawson. Just the though of having Lawson on one side, and Ware on the other, would give the Cowboys one of the more devestating pass rushes the NFL hasn't seen in quite a while.
Remember what Tom Landry said about pass rush in 1966: "When you have a pass rush as great as ours have been, it is like having two sets of defensive backs in your backfield".
And the more I think about it, the more convinced I am that Dallas is going linebacker in the first round in April. IOW - Lawson or Carpenter.
