More worried about line than corners

[Idgit]

I just hate to see this offense being wasted, even though I long accepted the reality of this defensive line.

It is a mirror image of the offensive line a few years ago when we tried to BandAid it by picking up Nate Livings and Bernadeau while starting Phil Costa at center. We've "slowly" fixed that line with Leary, Frederick and Martin.

With the defensive line, maybe Lawrence is our first slow fix for it (to pair with Melton) so we can either remove the BandAids of Mincey, McClain/Hayden and Crawford/Selvie and make them what they likely should be: backups to higher-quality linemen. Hopefully, Spencer is able to come all the way back to add another higher-quality lineman to the current line, but it will surprise me if we get much production out of him this year.

My concern is that by the time we get the defense slowly fixed, players like Romo and Witten will be gone, so I will enjoy the offense but long for what could have been with these guys.

It is the exact same process we did with the OL. And similar to the process we went through with the secondary. We'll be doing it at QB next, probably.

It's hard to plug holes when you lose players as fast as you can replace them. You need either an abundance of picks, or a higher hit-rate than the rest of the league. Abundance of picks is the way to go.

Re: Spencer, though...I agree that he's a huge long-shot, though I'm not expecting that question mark to linger all year. When he's healthy enough to play, we'll see what he's got. Even if his stamina is down early, he'd be effective in a rotation. We've got good depth at his position. I do expect him to be strong when he comes back. And I do think there's a reasonable chance that he's a better fit as a down lineman in this defense than he was in the last one. My only real question about his is whether or not his knee would even be healthy enough for him to play on again. If it is, I'd expect him to perform at a high level for us, which would be really helpful right about now. With him and Melton and Crawford and Lawrence, we'd at least have some pieces that are worth something along the DL.

 

[Idgit]

Not sure where that pressure is going to come from unless we blitz like mad. Not even sure Melton will be up to getting near the QB on a regular basis.

I'm counting on Melton too. The strong side rush will cause some problems, too, with either Selvie or Crawford. And, yeah, I think we're blitzing the WIL in behind Melton a fair amount on passing downs.

 

[Zimmy Lives]

Not sure where that pressure is going to come from unless we blitz like mad. Not even sure Melton will be up to getting near the QB on a regular basis.

Melton, Lawrence, Mincey, Crawford, Selvie, and Spencer must play at or better than expectations for the Cowboys to be able to generate pressure.

 

[TimHortons]

Melton, Lawrence, Mincey, Crawford, Selvie, and Spencer must play at or better than expectations for the Cowboys to be able to generate pressure.

That lineup can be at least respectable.

It is the exact same process we did with the OL. And similar to the process we went through with the secondary. We'll be doing it at QB next, probably.

Herein lies the problem. It took uswhat, 3, 4 years to really build to O line up to this point? By the time we can get this defense up to par, Romo will most likely be pretty close to done. We wasted his prime years, and now that we have what seems to be an excellent O line and are going to start building to defense, it's too late. We are going to have to build up the defense while also searching for Romo's replacement, which could very well command 1st round draft picks.

 

[GimmeTheBall!]

They will light us up ... because the lack of pressure will make it too tough for the secondary to keep up. Then some will place the blame where it doesn't belong.

In this defense particularly, the rushmen have to disrupt the timing of the quarterback. I don't see us being able to do that on any kind of consistent basis.

Sad that we half to debate which unit is worst.
Great lineman in the sky, just git us through this season without being laffed at too much and I will recite a novena ever Sunday and not chuckel during sunday sermons.

 

[Blackspider214]

Well speaking in general, you can have the 4 best corners/safeties in the game on your team and if your d line is weak and can not get any pressure, any QB will pick that defense apart at this level. Especially with the rules slanted so far to the offense. So yes, my concern is with this d line. I don't see anyone who can get any real pressure consistently. I was never a huge fan of Ware but he did draw double teams and allowed others to do their thing. No one comes close to warrant a double team that we have.

Defensive line should always be addressed before corners. We seem to try and build that patchwork style.

 

[big dog cowboy]

Melton, Lawrence, Mincey, Crawford, Selvie, and Spencer must play at or better than expectations for the Cowboys to be able to generate pressure.

Unfortunately it will take a while before all those players will be ready to play at the same time.

 

[Risen Star]

Am I wrong even with the loss of Scandrick to still be concerned about the defensive line than our cornerbacks?

No. That means you understand football.

 

[gimmesix]

Melton, Lawrence, Mincey, Crawford, Selvie, and Spencer must play at or better than expectations for the Cowboys to be able to generate pressure.

Depends on whose expectations. Mine aren't very high, so I hope they perform better than them.

I think out of that group, we might end up with fewer than 25 sacks. Of course, sacks aren't the end-all to pressure, but I don't think hurries will be that high either.

 

[xwalker]

I just hate to see this offense being wasted, even though I long accepted the reality of this defensive line.

It is a mirror image of the offensive line a few years ago when we tried to BandAid it by picking up Nate Livings and Bernadeau while starting Phil Costa at center. We've "slowly" fixed that line with Leary, Frederick and Martin.

With the defensive line, maybe Lawrence is our first slow fix for it (to pair with Melton) so we can either remove the BandAids of Mincey, McClain/Hayden and Crawford/Selvie and make them what they likely should be: backups to higher-quality linemen. Hopefully, Spencer is able to come all the way back to add another higher-quality lineman to the current line, but it will surprise me if we get much production out of him this year.

My concern is that by the time we get the defense slowly fixed, players like Romo and Witten will be gone, so I will enjoy the offense but long for what could have been with these guys.

I think next season is a realistic timeframe to have a good defense. They need some young players to develop, some vets like Melton to get back to form and then fill in the gaps with a couple of quality free agents and another draft.

The more young players that they keep, the higher the probability of hitting on some. Keeping Hayden for this season is not going to help next season. I'm not sure that keeping Spencer is helping either.

 

[MichaelWinicki]

It's a bad loss for the defense... but I agree with others in that with Scandrick, without Scandrick, it's going to come down to the defensive line and linebacking corp.

I like my corners, but Scandrick isn't a very good corner or even a good one IMO. He's competent but that's about it. I think Moore can come in and do a fairly good job replacing him.

But unless the DL and LB corps improve, it won't matter if Scandrick is back there or not.

 

[Risen Star]

It's a bad loss for the defense... but I agree with others in that with Scandrick, without Scandrick, it's going to come down to the defensive line and linebacking corp.

I like my corners, but Scandrick isn't a very good corner or even a good one IMO. He's competent but that's about it. I think Moore can come in and do a fairly good job replacing him.

But unless the DL and LB corps improve, it won't matter if Scandrick is back there or not.

I think Scandrick is a pretty good cornerback. I don't know why you would say he wasn't.

 

[MichaelWinicki]

I think Scandrick is a pretty good cornerback. I don't know why you would say he wasn't.

He's a little better than OK. But he's not a #1 corner and probably a middle-of-the-pack #2.

 

[Alexander]

He's a little better than OK. But he's not a #1 corner and probably a middle-of-the-pack #2.

On this team with our overpaid and underachieving CBs, he is a #1 CB.

 

[Rogerthat12]

Yes, the DL is a problem to be sure!

 

[wileedog]

I think next season is a realistic timeframe to have a good defense.

If Lawrence turns into Ware overnight maybe. But that is pretty darn unlikely, Ware was/is a HOF talent.

Other than that. with Lee's inability to stay on the field we are still a long, long way to go on the front 7 to fix in one off-season IMO. There is a lot of hot garbage we are trotting out there this year, even as starters.

 

[Risen Star]

If Lawrence turns into Ware overnight maybe. But that is pretty darn unlikely, Ware was/is a HOF talent.

Other than that. with Lee's inability to stay on the field we are still a long, long way to go on the front 7 to fix in one off-season IMO. There is a lot of hot garbage we are trotting out there this year, even as starters.

I think it's pretty realistic to go from the worst defense, right now, to a good defense in one year.

 

[MichaelWinicki]

On this team with our overpaid and underachieving CBs, he is a #1 CB.

Only in Dallas.

 

[gimmesix]

I think next season is a realistic timeframe to have a good defense. They need some young players to develop, some vets like Melton to get back to form and then fill in the gaps with a couple of quality free agents and another draft.

The more young players that they keep, the higher the probability of hitting on some. Keeping Hayden for this season is not going to help next season. I'm not sure that keeping Spencer is helping either.

But counting on sixth- and seventh-round picks to develop or UDFAs isn't very realistic. The likelihood that we get the next Ratliff or Lett out of it is lower than the probability that we get the next Lissemore or Willie Blade (who was a third-round pick but my mind went blank on other late-round DL "busts").

It doesn't mean it will happen, but it does mean that our best hope for getting anything DL-wise out of this draft is DeMarcus Lawrence. That would give us two quality starters and a bunch of backups, so next year we'd need two more studs, if Melton and Lawrence reach that status. If Dallas takes the same route it did with the offensive line, then that means it will try to find those studs in the draft, which as we know is a crapshoot. Maybe Jerry won't have the patience for that, and will add another quality DL next year in free agency. If he does that, then I do believe next season is a realistic timeframe.With four top-quality DL, all these young later-round and UDFA backups can give us the depth we need to succeed.

Of course, we all hope that we will hit on some of those young players because it will certainly make the process quicker, easier and better for our team.

 

[Craig]

Id rather play someone out of position at cb than have glaring holes on the dline. A good pass rush covers up serious holes in the secondary. The secondary can never consistently do that for the front 7.