Let's talk linebackers

[Verdict]

The Cowboys don’t really seem worried about the linebacker position. I believe the Cowboys have a plan at linebacker(s) and I believe that’s a position that will mostly be filled in the draft.

Ironically, we are moving to a 3/4 which will require MORE linebackers in theory than a 4-3 and yet we have made moves there. Again, I think the Cowboys are more focused on that position in the draft than any other.

Here’s my question for the board. HOW MANY linebackers do you believe we need to fill out this roster? I would think at least 4 more.

What we don’t know is how many of the potential “linebackers” will be hybrid linebacker/safety guys. Keep an eye out for Kendal Daniels. As a safety “tweener” his physical safety traits are exceptional. He may be a guy that, if drafted, counts as both a safety and a linebacker.

The more mock drafts I do the more I am convinced thy the Cowboys will trade down from 12, and it would take something pretty incredible to prevent the Cowboys from moving off of 12.

I’m not convinced that the Cowboys would not trade down even if Styles were on the board. The value between 20-75 is going to really be phenomenal, if the right picks are made.

There’s also a lesser sweet spot between about pick 95-130 that will also produce some really great value picks at safety, linebacker and offensive positions.

 

[conner01]

Styles likely will be gone but this draft hss some nice LB that will be there late first early second

 

[gimmesix]

The Cowboys don’t really seem worried about the linebacker position. I believe the Cowboys have a plan at linebacker(s) and I believe that’s a position that will mostly be filled in the draft.

Ironically, we are moving to a 3/4 which will require MORE linebackers in theory than a 4-3 and yet we have made moves there. Again, I think the Cowboys are more focused on that position in the draft than any other.

Here’s my question for the board. HOW MANY linebackers do you believe we need to fill out this roster? I would think at least 4 more.

What we don’t know is how many of the potential “linebackers” will be hybrid linebacker/safety guys. Keep an eye out for Kendal Daniels. As a safety “tweener” his physical safety traits are exceptional. He may be a guy that, if drafted, counts as both a safety and a linebacker.

The more mock drafts I do the more I am convinced thy the Cowboys will trade down from 12, and it would take something pretty incredible to prevent the Cowboys from moving off of 12.

I’m not convinced that the Cowboys would not trade down even if Styles were on the board. The value between 20-75 is going to really be phenomenal, if the right picks are made.

There’s also a lesser sweet spot between about pick 95-130 that will also produce some really great value picks at safety, linebacker and offensive positions.

I don't know if we can say they weren't worried about it, but more that they seemed to miss out on the ones they prized because other teams were willing to pay more. It appeared that we were in on trying to acquire Quay, then Dean, then Lloyd. That doesn't seem like a team that isn't worried about the position.

Now, after those players were taken, we haven't been rumored to be involved with any other linebackers, so maybe we are just skipping to the draft or planning to add some cheap fill-ins once the prices are right.

 

[rambo2]

A good chance that they draft C J Allen at 20 or in a trade down from 20. I wonder if they are interested in trading for Jordyn Brooks?

 

[Tabascocat]

If Styles is there and he isn’t drafted, I will fly to Frisco and punch dumb and dumber in the mouth!

Dallas needs at least three more with one of them being a stud(Mike).

 

[Dalmations202]

Best guess by me. Dallas if they can trade down and pick up a second rounder is to trade down from 12 to get the 2nd rounder and (wishful thinking) another 3rd.
In the first Dallas gets a 5T like PWoods or Banks. They also pick up a S like Thienaman or a DE like CHowell to play OLB.
In the 2nd they look to take LB JRodriguez -- 100% due to what he has done on the field.
In the 3rd they take either the S or DE they missed and an OT.
In the 4th or early 5th they take another LB like Jack Kelly.

The rest of the picks would probably be dbs.

With that said. If they want to stop the run you have a bigger dl with the three current DT and either Woods or Banks. You have a couple OLB now, and add a dl pass rusher like CHowell or others. You get a high S safety in Dillon Thieneman or later like Genesis, You have interior LB like JRod, Overshown, JKelly, and SJames.

So I guess my best answer is that they will add a couple LB starting in the 2nd if they can get one and it will probably start with JRodriguez. I also expect them to add another OLB that specializes in pass rush in the first.

 

[Chuck 54]

4 more LBs? Nope.
Gary and Eze are our current OLBs. Sam Williams will be a backup OLB. They are trying Fiafau and Houston at OLB. We will likely draft 1 edge to play OLB. Odelelei, Fowler, Wheat, and Clowney are still options.

The real issue is our inside LBs. Overshown is 1. We still have Land, Barron, James, and Murray on the roster to see if any of them can step up in a scheme where they are almost never blocked but can simply make tackles. I’m sure we will draft at least 1 inside LB.

Don’t be surprised if they draft another 300+ DT who will rotate at both nose and DE. All of our edges, even guys in the draft like Parker and Faulk, along with the smaller guys like Howell will be OLBs, setting edges and rushing the passer. None of them, not even Faulk at 280+ will be playing DE. That’s for the big boys in this scheme.

 

[Carson]

4 more LBs? Nope.
Gary and Eze are our current OLBs. Sam Williams will be a backup OLB. They are trying Fiafau and Houston at OLB. We will likely draft 1 edge to play OLB. Odelelei, Fowler, Wheat, and Clowney are still options.

The real issue is our inside LBs. Overshown is 1. We still have Land, Barron, James, and Murray on the roster to see if any of them can step up in a scheme where they are almost never blocked but can simply make tackles. I’m sure we will draft at least 1 inside LB.

Don’t be surprised if they draft another 300+ DT who will rotate at both nose and DE. All of our edges, even guys in the draft like Parker and Faulk, along with the smaller guys like Howell will be OLBs, setting edges and rushing the passer. None of them, not even Faulk at 280+ will be playing DE. That’s for the big boys in this scheme.

Murray is a free agent (thank god)

 

[rambo2]

4 more LBs? Nope.
Gary and Eze are our current OLBs. Sam Williams will be a backup OLB. They are trying Fiafau and Houston at OLB. We will likely draft 1 edge to play OLB. Odelelei, Fowler, Wheat, and Clowney are still options.

The real issue is our inside LBs. Overshown is 1. We still have Land, Barron, James, and Murray on the roster to see if any of them can step up in a scheme where they are almost never blocked but can simply make tackles. I’m sure we will draft at least 1 inside LB.

Don’t be surprised if they draft another 300+ DT who will rotate at both nose and DE. All of our edges, even guys in the draft like Parker and Faulk, along with the smaller guys like Howell will be OLBs, setting edges and rushing the passer. None of them, not even Faulk at 280+ will be playing DE. That’s for the big boys in this scheme.

Murray is not on the roster.

 

[Verdict]

I don't know if we can say they weren't worried about it, but more that they seemed to miss out on the ones they prized because other teams were willing to pay more. It appeared that we were in on trying to acquire Quay, then Dean, then Lloyd. That doesn't seem like a team that isn't worried about the position.

Now, after those players were taken, we haven't been rumored to be involved with any other linebackers, so maybe we are just skipping to the draft or planning to add some cheap fill-ins once the prices are right.

That’s one interpretation and that would be a fair guess. On the other hand the Cowboys haven’t panicked and felt compelled to overpay for the linebackers that they may have had some interest in.

 

[Verdict]

4 more LBs? Nope.
Gary and Eze are our current OLBs. Sam Williams will be a backup OLB. They are trying Fiafau and Houston at OLB. We will likely draft 1 edge to play OLB. Odelelei, Fowler, Wheat, and Clowney are still options.

The real issue is our inside LBs. Overshown is 1. We still have Land, Barron, James, and Murray on the roster to see if any of them can step up in a scheme where they are almost never blocked but can simply make tackles. I’m sure we will draft at least 1 inside LB.

Don’t be surprised if they draft another 300+ DT who will rotate at both nose and DE. All of our edges, even guys in the draft like Parker and Faulk, along with the smaller guys like Howell will be OLBs, setting edges and rushing the passer. None of them, not even Faulk at 280+ will be playing DE. That’s for the big boys in this scheme.

I also believe that DTs are high on the list of priorities going forward.

 

[Verdict]

A good chance that they draft C J Allen at 20 or in a trade down from 20. I wonder if they are interested in trading for Jordyn Brooks?

CJ Allen has a decent probability of being available at 20, but most mock drafts have him going off the board before pick 30. So if we trade back far, it’s likely he’s gone soon after 20.

 

[gimmesix]

That’s one interpretation and that would be a fair guess. On the other hand the Cowboys haven’t panicked and felt compelled to overpay for the linebackers that they may have had some interest in.

I just think that's typical front office for us. I've compared it to Quinn wanting Bobby Wagner when he was our DC. He openly courted Wagner but couldn't get the front office to pay what it would have taken to get him. We know that that ended poorly. We re-signed LVE for much less, LVE got hurt and we moved the undersized Bell to linebacker.

I think any DC that comes here has to understand that we just do not use free agency the same way that other teams do. Fans hope that will change every year, but it's been basically the same since the Joneses adopted their strategy in 2013.

Seems to me that Parker could have wanted Crosby and Quay, but settled for Gary and ? because that's what the front office got him.

 

[phildadon86]

The Cowboys don’t really seem worried about the linebacker position. I believe the Cowboys have a plan at linebacker(s) and I believe that’s a position that will mostly be filled in the draft.

Ironically, we are moving to a 3/4 which will require MORE linebackers in theory than a 4-3 and yet we have made moves there. Again, I think the Cowboys are more focused on that position in the draft than any other.

Here’s my question for the board. HOW MANY linebackers do you believe we need to fill out this roster? I would think at least 4 more.

What we don’t know is how many of the potential “linebackers” will be hybrid linebacker/safety guys. Keep an eye out for Kendal Daniels. As a safety “tweener” his physical safety traits are exceptional. He may be a guy that, if drafted, counts as both a safety and a linebacker.

The more mock drafts I do the more I am convinced thy the Cowboys will trade down from 12, and it would take something pretty incredible to prevent the Cowboys from moving off of 12.

I’m not convinced that the Cowboys would not trade down even if Styles were on the board. The value between 20-75 is going to really be phenomenal, if the right picks are made.

There’s also a lesser sweet spot between about pick 95-130 that will also produce some really great value picks at safety, linebacker and offensive positions.

I love how fans think this team has a plan.

They probably did. It was Dean or walker.

When this FO plans don’t go according to how they believe they will, they either panic (Kelvin Joseph, Luke Schoonmaker) or they say they are happy how they are and bring in a bunch of JAGs at the vet minimum.

It’s like clockwork with this team.

How they let every single linebacker get snatched is criminal.

Now what’s the plan? Overdraft a LB at 12 not named styles or Reese? Or hope one is there at 20 when the entire league knows your plan.

Y’all need to stop acting like this FO has currency with its fan base to play with. They don’t. They have repeatedly done this and it’s exhausting.

 

[gimmesix]

CJ Allen has a decent probability of being available at 20, but most mock drafts have him going off the board before pick 30. So if we trade back far, it’s likely he’s gone soon after 20.

I would think right now that Allen is one of the first-round picks if our OLB coach that we got from Georgia thinks highly of him. We seem to telegraph our first-rounder every year, and not getting a top ILB in free agency and having coaches from that staff would seem to telegraph it to me. I think 12 is too high, though, while somewhere between 20 and 30 sounds about right.

 

[rambo2]

I don't know if we can say they weren't worried about it, but more that they seemed to miss out on the ones they prized because other teams were willing to pay more. It appeared that we were in on trying to acquire Quay, then Dean, then Lloyd. That doesn't seem like a team that isn't worried about the position.

Now, after those players were taken, we haven't been rumored to be involved with any other linebackers, so maybe we are just skipping to the draft or planning to add some cheap fill-ins once the prices are right.

I think that Walker and Dean wanted to play together. I think that the Cowboys would have taken one or the other, but not both. I think that is why they ended up with the Raiders.

 

[gimmesix]

I think that Walker and Dean wanted to play together. I think that the Cowboys would have taken one or the other, but not both. I think that is why they ended up with the Raiders.

I think the Raiders offered them more money and that's why they ended up with the Raiders. It's usually that simple.

Dean got three years, $36 million, with $23 million of it guaranteed. Walker got three years, $40.5 million, with $28 million guaranteed. Our top FA contract was for Jalen Thompson at 3 years, $33 million with $22 million guaranteed, and that's the best contract we've offered an FA since 2012.

 

[rambo2]

I love how fans think this team has a plan.

They probably did. It was Dean or walker.

When this FO plans don’t go according to how they believe they will, they either panic (Kelvin Joseph, Luke Schoonmaker) or they say they are happy how they are and bring in a bunch of JAGs at the vet minimum.

It’s like clockwork with this team.

How they let every single linebacker get snatched is criminal.

Now what’s the plan? Overdraft a LB at 12 not named styles or Reese? Or hope one is there at 20 when the entire league knows your plan.

Y’all need to stop acting like this FO has currency with its fan base to play with. They don’t. They have repeatedly done this and it’s exhausting.

I think that they would have taken Dean or Walker, but not both. They lost them. I wouldn't call that criminal. That's just they way it turned out. I do think that they are interested in trading for Brooks and would have interest in drafting Allen or Rodriguez in the 20's.

 

[fivetwos]

I love how fans think this team has a plan.

They probably did. It was Dean or walker.

When this FO plans don’t go according to how they believe they will, they either panic (Kelvin Joseph, Luke Schoonmaker) or they say they are happy how they are and bring in a bunch of JAGs at the vet minimum.

It’s like clockwork with this team.

How they let every single linebacker get snatched is criminal.

Now what’s the plan? Overdraft a LB at 12 not named styles or Reese? Or hope one is there at 20 when the entire league knows your plan.

Y’all need to stop acting like this FO has currency with its fan base to play with. They don’t. They have repeatedly done this and it’s exhausting.

They will absolutely leave huge holes in the 22 before “overpaying” in the eyes of talent evaluator Stephen Jones….and it burns them every time.

 

[rambo2]

I think the Raiders offered them more money and that's why they ended up with the Raiders. It's usually that simple.

I'd say that that they didn't overpay and have interest in trading for Brooks or drafting Allen or Rodriguez.