Matt Eberflus has the 1 defense in the NFL

[rnr_honeybadger]

I didn't read all the tweets but I found it funny that McCarthy seemed to focus his presser on the offense and things he can do better to get the offense rolling early.

It's like he knows he has to protect Nolan.

That's because he knows that Nolan was given a losing hand and that fixing the defense isn't just going to happen in a single offseason and a few draft picks. We are stuck with bad contracts for players who cannot execute on the defense - compounded with injuries at the LB group. Not sure how you fix all of that while still claiming that you can stay competitive.

 

[TheMarathonContinues]

Word was that they even offered to give him Marinelli's honorary 'defensive coordinator' title in an effort to keep him around. And even when Josh McDaniels backed out of the Colts head coach deal, he still didn't want to come back to the Cowboys. That says a lot.

Yeah all things point to him wanting to leave. Smart move for him. He should be in line to be a head coach next year.

 

[CowboysFaninHouston]

The Jones boys' limitations are limitless................Their ability to spot talent at the playing and coaching level are pretty much non-existent............

but you missed the point....dallas is the most valuable franchise in the NFL and one of the most in the world.....wins and championships are secondary to jones

 

[TheMarathonContinues]

That's because he knows that Nolan was given a losing hand and that fixing the defense isn't just going to happen in a single offseason and a few draft picks. We are stuck with bad contracts for players who cannot execute on the defense - compounded with injuries at the LB group. Not sure how you fix all of that while still claiming that you can stay competitive.

Nolan created his losing hand. This defense wasn’t nearly this bad when he inherited it. His scheme is why they suck.

 

[rnr_honeybadger]

MM hit on exactly ZERO on his FA signings.

ZERO

And? None of those guys are in the long term plan for anything - it was to patch the serious deficiencies on this defense. Didn't work but what's to be done? Do nothing? The defense is a testament to what happens when you do nothing.

 

[TheMarathonContinues]

but you missed the point....dallas is the most valuable franchise in the NFL and one of the most in the world.....wins and championships are secondary to jones

I can’t say that. Jerry wants to win. He just doesn’t know how. Hell no one does.

But if someone wanted to make the argument that if he really wanted to win he’d stay out of the way of a real GM? I can respect that too.

 

[TheMarathonContinues]

And? None of those guys are in the long term plan for anything - it was to patch the serious deficiencies on this defense. Didn't work but what's to be done? Do nothing? The defense is a testament to what happens when you do nothing.

He signed players that don’t even fit the personnel of this defense. It was moronic. You are basically trying to fit 4-3 guys into this hybrid mess that mimics a 3-4.

 

[Sydla]

That's because he knows that Nolan was given a losing hand and that fixing the defense isn't just going to happen in a single offseason and a few draft picks. We are stuck with bad contracts for players who cannot execute on the defense - compounded with injuries at the LB group. Not sure how you fix all of that while still claiming that you can stay competitive.

Or more likely Nolan isn't that good of a DC and it was a poor hire and McCarthy is starting to realize he may have made a mistake.

Blaming the talent solely for a historically bad defense is chuckleworthy at this point.

Barring some great turnaround by the defense over the remainder of the season, if they bring Nolan back it will be a massive mistake just like they made with Garrett when it was obvious he wasn't good enough.

 

[rnr_honeybadger]

Nolan created his losing hand. This defense wasn’t nearly this bad when he inherited it. His scheme is why they suck.

Hahaha, that defense has sucked for the last 2 years and has had severe problems getting any pressure against good teams. The LB corp has been manned by two guys who cannot stay healthy in Sean Lee and LVE. The third seems to have no idea how to play linebacker which is amazing really given that he is in the NFL. Lastly, safety has been an issue for the Dallas Cowboys since Darren Woodson retired - what has this franchise done to fix any of that? Year after year, you go get undrafted free agents and plug the line claiming that Marinelli would "coach them up" and year after year it failed - but you are right, Mike Nolan who showed up here after the last regime was fired is to blame.

 

[charron]

He is certainly the one that got away.

 

[Zordon]

Word was that they even offered to give him Marinelli's honorary 'defensive coordinator' title in an effort to keep him around. And even when Josh McDaniels backed out of the Colts head coach deal, he still didn't want to come back to the Cowboys. That says a lot.

@MikeB80 correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe the story was Eberflus didn't feel comfortable replacing Marinelli out of respect for him? This never sounded believable to me. Sounds like one of those "it's not you, it's me" reasonings for a breakup. My guess is Eberflus knew his worth and potential as a coach, and figured building a successful defense here would always be a challenge because of the culture. Also, it probably annoyed him having to work under a head coach that had a fraction of Eberflus' coaching experience and an owner that was totally enamored with him.

https://lh3.***BROKEN***/proxy/PC95QM0VkSv-7U9BynHMWgw6zbQtE2zkw-3bujmnCZB_yfaJtKhFewXwrls3UXD_Ep_hikhEvkjxBRXQ7Ljdyi5QAFbyS-NGx4JRWZ37dU6_O1okgZyiLz-xNJqzvS9EOiW5Q8Ona_QVqownuP73E9ySvOyWaVPM6sCne6AcyzNLxMFtNt9WpmxRVQdVuqgq4l4lVNGm8EyNghmND_-5ganPZYdIlAis

 

[rnr_honeybadger]

He signed players that don’t even fit the personnel of this defense. It was moronic. You are basically trying to fit 4-3 guys into this hybrid mess that mimics a 3-4.

It's either sign what you can get or show up with a defense that does not have enough guys. Personally I see no difference but I'd give McCarthy and Nolan a couple of years seeing as to how we gave the idiot carrot a decade.

 

[Sydla]

Hahaha, that defense has sucked for the last 2 years and has had severe problems getting any pressure against good teams. The LB corp has been manned by two guys who cannot stay healthy in Sean Lee and LVE. The third seems to have no idea how to play linebacker which is amazing really given that he is in the NFL. Lastly, safety has been an issue for the Dallas Cowboys since Darren Woodson retired - what has this franchise done to fix any of that? Year after year, you go get undrafted free agents and plug the line claiming that Marinelli would "coach them up" and year after year it failed - but you are right, Mike Nolan who showed up here after the last regime was fired is to blame.

The defense is even worse today than it was at any point over the last 2 years. One of the beat writers looked at the 12 new DCs hired this offseason. The Cowboys, under Nolan, have the worst differential in both yards per game and points per game compared to the previous year's defense.

He was a bad hiring. That doesn't mean we shouldn't spend the offseason trying to add talent to the defense, but if Nolan is still involved, it's likely this defense will continue to have issues.

 

[rnr_honeybadger]

For those of us lusting after Matt Eberflus - do you legitimately think he could have done any better with the garbage this team has on defense? Look at our areas of need in this last draft and we burn a 1st round pick on a WR and justify it by claiming it was a great pick. Meanwhile the defense is falling apart.

 

[Sydla]

It's either sign what you can get or show up with a defense that does not have enough guys. Personally I see no difference but I'd give McCarthy and Nolan a couple of years seeing as to how we gave the idiot carrot a decade.

The fact they wasted nearly a dozen years with Garrett is the reason why you don't give Nolan more years. It was obvious Garrett was not the guy well before that last season. If this defense stinks all year, I am not sure why you'd think, gee, Nolan is a good DC, let's keep him around.

 

[rnr_honeybadger]

The defense is even worse today than it was at any point over the last 2 years. One of the beat writers looked at the 12 new DCs hired this offseason. The Cowboys, under Nolan, have the worst differential in both yards per game and points per game compared to the previous year's defense.

He was a bad hiring. That doesn't mean we shouldn't spend the offseason trying to add talent to the defense, but if Nolan is still involved, it's likely this defense will continue to have issues.

Yes, that generally happens year after year when you make poor decisions and hand out massive contracts to spare guys like Tyrone Crawford and Demarcus Lawrence - guys that can be replaced easily. It happens when you fail to dedicate adequate resources to develop your defense through the draft and instead rely on undrafted free agent projects to man the line.

 

[Sydla]

For those of us lusting after Matt Eberflus - do you legitimately think he could have done any better with the garbage this team has on defense? Look at our areas of need in this last draft and we burn a 1st round pick on a WR and justify it by claiming it was a great pick. Meanwhile the defense is falling apart.

I tend to think yes. I don't think the sole issue here is talent. Nolan has an up and down resume as a DC. He was pretty shoddy in his last gig in Atlanta where he got fired. In 2011, the Falcons defense's DVOA was 5th. They hired Nolan and in 2012, the defense slipped slightly to 9th. Then in 2013, it dropped to 26th. It then fell to 31. So the trajectory was poor there.

Now some here have excused him saying the Falcons lacked talent. But in 2015, the year after he was fired, the Falcons D went to 18th and in 2016 was 19th, much improved over his horrendous 2014 season.

Now do I think some DC would have this as a really good defense? No. There are definitely some talent issues here - S, DT and now it appears LB for sure. But Nolan is making a middling group worse IMO.

 

[rnr_honeybadger]

The fact they wasted nearly a dozen years with Garrett is the reason why you don't give Nolan more years. It was obvious Garrett was not the guy well before that last season. If this defense stinks all year, I am not sure why you'd think, gee, Nolan is a good DC, let's keep him around.

Everyone knew Garrett was not the guy back when he was the Assistant HC under Wade. Yet they still gave him 10 years along with Rod Marinelli. How many years did Marinelli continue his experiment of trying to coach up talentless guys and make them into linemen? We can thank him for Taco and Hill - yet Hill now under Nolan has improved considerably.

Last year we had Rod and this year we have Nolan - the defense still has a considerable amount of the guys that played here last year and a few free agents who are past their prime. It's the same result this year and the common denominator in all of it is the lack of talent.

 

[stilltheguru]

If Nolan comes back next year barring obvious improvements immediately next year on defense he will be officially Fat Garrett. Same nepotism bs going on with mediocre results

Or more likely Nolan isn't that good of a DC and it was a poor hire and McCarthy is starting to realize he may have made a mistake.

Blaming the talent solely for a historically bad defense is chuckleworthy at this point.

Barring some great turnaround by the defense over the remainder of the season, if they bring Nolan back it will be a massive mistake just like they made with Garrett when it was obvious he wasn't good enough.

 

[Blast From The Past]

I thought he actually came from the Rob Ryan tree?

Actually your right he did