Linebackers, IL and OLB

[CT Dal Fan]

Let me quote DeMarcus Lawrence when asked about his "slow" 40 yard dash time coming out of the 2014 draft.

"I never had to run 40 yards to sack a quarterback".

At least I think it was D-Law that said it. I know somebody did.

 

[stilltheguru]

Teams will try to match him.gainst TEs and take.advantage.

He has to be very smart player and for sure a good tackler.

We'll see. When I saw him play in Maryland I didn't think slow. But I gotcha

 

[LouBrown]

We'll see. When I saw him play in Maryland I didn't think slow. But I gotcha

I don't think Barham is slow but I also kind of don't think it's the point.

His game is playing downhill and being physical, it's not really running sideline to sideline or playing in space.

 

[stilltheguru]

I don't think Barham is slow but I also kind of don't think it's the point.

His game is playing downhill and being physical, it's not really running sideline to sideline or playing in space.

We'll see

 

[DuncanIso]

It's not just that Barham runs 4.65, he's also 240 lbs. If he was 210 lbs, then a 4.65 would be extremely questionable speed. But at 240, it's NFL average or a smidge above.

Barham….terrible pick for the 3rd round. They could have taken him easily in the 4th.

Especially since Trost was taken with the next pick.

Instant fix for our mess at LT.

Keagan Trost

Awards and highlights
First-team All-American (2025) First-team All-SEC (2025)

 

[DuncanIso]

Let me quote DeMarcus Lawrence when asked about his "slow" 40 yard dash time coming out of the 2014 draft.

"I never had to run 40 yards to sack a quarterback".

At least I think it was D-Law that said it. I know somebody did.

Barham combine scores stink.

They passed over Trost for Barham.

Crazy pick.

 

[DuncanIso]

I don't think Barham is slow but I also kind of don't think it's the point.

His game is playing downhill and being physical, it's not really running sideline to sideline or playing in space.

CP blew up everyone’s phone at the Star to get his picks in.

 

[gimmesix]

Yea so the "traditional" 3-4 is a subpackage that we'll see on like a dozen snaps a game. That's my point. Nickel is base.

The way you stop teams from throwing with a 5-man front - regardless of personnel - is man coverage and a passrush. Dallas doesn't have the bodies to do either one of those things well.

OK, you weren't clear on that. In fact, you laid out the players like a 3-4 or 5-2. When we are in the 3-4, I don't think it will look like what you laid out.

I expect to see the 3-4 front with our three bigs, two DEs as OLBs and two ILBs on first down and possibly on second if we gave up too much yardage on first. I do expect teams to try to pass against that front and force us out of it. The key will be how well we play zone behind that front IMO. We have to fill passing lanes and force the ball to be held until the pass rush can get there.

 

[gimmesix]

Agreed. Two gap is often wait and react and puts defense on their heels.

One gap is effective but needs right scheme and alignments

I think Parker wants the linemen to attack the gaps, not to sit back and let the action come to them. If you have good DTs, this forces the OL to double them at least briefly and allow the linebackers to shoot the gaps before the OL can reach them. I've compared this to the Phillips' 3-4 before. It's not your daddy's 3-4 where the DL just try to block the blockers. This is why Parker talks about the 4-3 spacing. They are going to be trying to get into those gaps and put pressure on the OL to reach them, which should force the OL on either side of them to have to detain them at least briefly if they can't slide in front of them because you are not going to block Quinnen Williams with half your body.

 

[gimmesix]

Will the fifth DB be a third safety like Locke, or a third corner? I suppose that depends on the down and distance, as well as the opponent, and it’ll be interchangeable. This being the case, no reason to fret over the LB room. They are deep and flexible at safety. The corners will be fine given the DL upgrade.

I really can’t wait to see these guys play together. I think there’s a good chance they play well together as a unit early on, and can ride that momentum. Unfortunately we won’t see much at all until week one and two….the real preseason.

I don’t want injury as much as anyone, but I don’t like that the starters don’t play at least one series together in two of the three games.

My guess is that it will be Downs, Thompson and Hooker, with Hooker and Thompson playing the deep safety spots and Downs in the slot. One of the good things about having Thompson and Downs both out there is Thompson has slot ability as well, so if we bring Downs up to blitz, Thompson can slide into coverage over the slot receiver.

 

[fivetwos]

My guess is that it will be Downs, Thompson and Hooker, with Hooker and Thompson playing the deep safety spots and Downs in the slot. One of the good things about having Thompson and Downs both out there is Thompson has slot ability as well, so if we bring Downs up to blitz, Thompson can slide into coverage over the slot receiver.

Exactly. I’d figure that certainly helps in disguising coverages.

 

[CT Dal Fan]

Barham combine scores stink.

They passed over Trost for Barham.

Crazy pick.

So we're writing off Barham's career because of poor combine results??

By the way, look at this list: Calias Campbell, Vontaze Burfict, Jarvis Landry, Tom Brady, Terrell Suggs, Cooper Kupp, Navarro Bowman, and Anquan Boldin.

What do they have in common? All became NFL all-pros after failing the underwear olympics.

 

[LouBrown]

OK, you weren't clear on that. In fact, you laid out the players like a 3-4 or 5-2. When we are in the 3-4, I don't think it will look like what you laid out.

I expect to see the 3-4 front with our three bigs, two DEs as OLBs and two ILBs on first down and possibly on second if we gave up too much yardage on first. I do expect teams to try to pass against that front and force us out of it. The key will be how well we play zone behind that front IMO. We have to fill passing lanes and force the ball to be held until the pass rush can get there.

The point is that they are going to use some 3-4 gapping with nickel personnel.

It doesn't matter what down it is if teams are in 11

 

[gimmesix]

Exactly. I’d figure that certainly helps in disguising coverages.

I do want t say that I have a tendency to try to define what we're likely to see from Parker, but he's probably going to play all kinds of fronts and coverages. The best thing we may be able to say is he's not liable to be predictable whether we're in a 3-4, 4-3, 4-2-5 or 3-3-5.

 

[exciter]

4.65 40 speed...not very fast. not side line to side line type

4.65 is the prototype for Mike LB.
Lavontae David and Fred Warner ran 4.65.
Ever see Warner have trouble getting sideline to side or in coverage. He's probably the best zone coverage LB in the league.
Hell even Zack Baun ran a 4.65 at 225lbs.
Sure haven't noticed him having any speed issues!
Instincts, play recognition, short area quickness are the skillset Barham is going to need. If he can display those skills he'll be fine.
If not, it wouldn't matter if he ran 4.3s!

 

[gimmesix]

The point is that they are going to use some 3-4 gapping with nickel personnel.

It doesn't matter what down it is if teams are in 11

I don't think Parker has mentioned using 3-4 gapping at all. Maybe I'm misunderstanding you.

I do think we could have some alignments where we have three bigs out there without having two OLBs/DEs, but I'm not sure anyone will consider that a 3-4 front. Most likely, it will look like a 4-3 with a big end (Ogbonnia) and a small end (Gary or Eze) with the extra linebacker/DB playing off the line and then possibly moving down before the snap.

I would consider this an atypical alignment, though, and not our base. If the three bigs are out there, then I would bet we'll have two DEs/OLBs out there with them on most downs because the purpose of having the three bigs out there is to stop the run. Neither Ogbonnia or Bullard are going to be out there much when we are in pass defense because they are not pass rushers. Not sure Clark is going to be either. I think we'll have Gary as the other DT a lot (next to Quinnen) when we are in nickel, but probably not until we're almost certain the play will be a pass.

 

[CowboysFaninHouston]

4.65 is the prototype for Mike LB.
Lavontae David and Fred Warner ran 4.65.
Ever see Warner have trouble getting sideline to side or in coverage. He's probably the best zone coverage LB in the league.
Hell even Zack Baun ran a 4.65 at 225lbs.
Sure haven't noticed him having any speed issues!
Instincts, play recognition, short area quickness are the skillset Barham is going to need. If he can display those skills he'll be fine.
If not, it wouldn't matter if he ran 4.3s!

Agreed.

IMHO straight line speed is just an indicator, but as you said most important is instincts, play recognition
and speed and ability for change of direction... 3 cone drills to me are better indicators, too many players don't plant correctly, don't have the lean, and the hips to change direction, etc

Hopefully Braham has the right instincts unlike Murray

 

[CowboysFaninHouston]

It's not just that Barham runs 4.65, he's also 240 lbs. If he was 210 lbs, then a 4.65 would be extremely questionable speed. But at 240, it's NFL average or a smidge above.

True

 

[CowboysFaninHouston]

I agree with all of this except for the fact that it's a pretty big assumption that he can play man coverage against NFL receivers.

I don't doubt his ability in zone and being effective in the box, but the defense is going to be really limited if he can't play man.

He probably will do a little bit of both. That's the flexibility you get with him ala Woodson, whoch makes him a chess piece. He is not a DB, but has enough skills and speed to play man if needed at times, whoch allows Parker to disguise his defenses and keep offense guessing.

 

[exciter]

Agreed.

IMHO straight line speed is just an indicator, but as you said most important is instincts, play recognition
and speed and ability for change of direction... 3 cone drills to me are better indicators, too many players don't plant correctly, don't have the lean, and the hips to change direction, etc

Hopefully Braham has the right instincts unlike Murray

Think instincts and play recognition are going to be his issue.
It's why he was chosen to be the player moved to Edge when Michigan had an overload at the ILB position at the beginning of last season!