Observation (and problem): Cowboys really have 4 RDEs

[LatinMind]

Seems to me that Hardy, Gregory, Mincy, and Lawrence are all, in <their> perfect world, right defensive ends.

Maybe that's one of the issues. Greg Hardy is literally the only guy generating consistent pass rush.

Does it make any sense to move Hardy to LDE, where presumably he'd still be able to do pretty well and then rotate Lawrence, Mincy, and Gregory at RDE?

Hardy IMO should be playing on that strong side. The guys speed would be too much for any RT to handle. He would take away one of them dump off options or create that inside mismatch for crawford. Lawrence is a waste, I have no idea how he is starting over mincey. I think this team is hoping for a miracle with him, the same miracle they hoped with Wilcox. IMO Hardy and Gregory should be starting once Gregory is healthy. Next yr i could see a DL of :
LDE Hardy
3tech ?
1tech Crawford
RDE Gregory

I still have hope they move crawford to the 1tech. People tried to say he cant handle double teams he'd never be a 1tech. The guy is getting doubled and he doesnt move. He is so strong. He just doesnt have the movement to be a 3tech IMO. The guy has a straight line mentality. If the QB has any movement in him Crawford isnt getting him.

 

[mattjames2010]

You feel like on Sunday they got pressure? We aren't getting any pressure from the middle. All Bradford did was drop back and run back into the middle of his pocket.

Crawford, the guy we are criticizing, had 4 hurries himself.

There was pressure.

 

[LocimusPrime]

I would like to caution everyone already considering gregory as starting material. He's an injured rookie drafted in the second round due to off field issues and who is undersized. Give him time but he may be a JAG. Look at Clowney He was one of the most touted defensive prospects drafted. Now hes a JAG.

 

[Yakuza Rich]

We had a great one here from 2007-2014, but people endlessly wanted him run out of town. He was supposedly "garbage" to them. They finally got their wish.

Spencer?

His knee was shot.




YR

 

[daveferr33]

We had a great one here from 2007-2014, but people endlessly wanted him run out of town. He was supposedly "garbage" to them. They finally got their wish.

Wait. The FO cuts the guy because of cap issues and your mad at anonymous fans?

 

[Deep_Freeze]

I agree with that. Not getting enough from the DT's. I'd work on that before I worry about our DE's.

Yeah our DT play has been alot worse than I thought it would be. Watching Hayden on his back at the goaline made me want to puke.

I don't think the DEs are playing that bad, but the DTs are playing like junior varsity. You have to have balance to have a great pass rush, we are still lacking in the middle.

 

[TheDude]

Seems to me that Hardy, Gregory, Mincy, and Lawrence are all, in <their> perfect world, right defensive ends.

Maybe that's one of the issues. Greg Hardy is literally the only guy generating consistent pass rush.

Does it make any sense to move Hardy to LDE, where presumably he'd still be able to do pretty well and then rotate Lawrence, Mincy, and Gregory at RDE?

No...just play hardy 90% of the snaps and wear him out like Ware. Keep Gregory on the bench. This is the strategy that will work of we stay with it, do things correctly, play the right way in National Football League games

 

[Pessimist_cowboy]

I don't think mincey is getting enough snaps. He is one of our better players vs the run . This defensive coaching staff is all screwed up . Fire everyone except Eberflus .

 

[tm1119]

I think the real problem is an outdated vanilla scheme. We are rushing 4 with no stunts/blitzes/anything way too often. When a team has 5 o lineman and a rb/te to chip vs 4 rush men staying in their lanes it's usually not going to end well.

 

[craig71]

I understand that you cannot have an all-pro at every position. I also understand that you have to depend on role players to fill in the voids not filled by a superior athlete. What I cannot understand is having Nick Hayden start the year on a team with super bowl aspirations. Hayden will never sniff a pro bowl and isn't even a role player on a team planning to make a title run. What Nick Hayden is though is a starting tackle for a sub 500 team. Oh wait! Dallas is a sub 500 team. Back to what I really think, I would send Hayden down the road kicking rocks. If the DC didn't like it he could go with him.

Craig

 

[texbumthelife]

I haven't seen the Gregory-Hardy-Crawford-Lawrence line we were all salivating for very much at all. We saw it against New York in the first week and then it went away with Gregory. Even since he has worked his way back, I haven't seen that combination on the field once. I think there may be some fear (over coaching) in the thought that if they put all those guys in together, they won't have anyone who can rush if those guys get gassed.

 

[Floatyworm]

I haven't seen the Gregory-Hardy-Crawford-Lawrence line we were all salivating for very much at all. We saw it against New York in the first week and then it went away with Gregory. Even since he has worked his way back, I haven't seen that combination on the field once. I think there may be some fear (over coaching) in the thought that if they put all those guys in together, they won't have anyone who can rush if those guys get gassed.

Good point.....

 

[30yrheel]

All of our DL are getting double teamed? No wonder there's no pressure!

 

[CowboyMike]

Wait. The FO cuts the guy because of cap issues and your mad at anonymous fans?

I'm saying the fans didn't appreciate what we had while he was here. He was ridiculed because he didn't put up huge sack numbers because people don't understand what a LDE/SOLB is. He was a great one while we had him and most fans never recognized that.

As @AbeBeta said, "People don't appreciate a great LDE. Don't even know what it looks like." Spencer was the perfect example of that. Too many people think all DL positions should be racking up sacks, devalue pressures, and think that pass rush ability equals run support.

We're seeing it with Crawford now. (Yes I know he's not an LDE.) Statistically he's having the same type of season he had last year, but fans are railing on him because he got an extension.

 

[FuzzyLumpkins]

Seems to me that Hardy, Gregory, Mincy, and Lawrence are all, in <their> perfect world, right defensive ends.

Maybe that's one of the issues. Greg Hardy is literally the only guy generating consistent pass rush.

Does it make any sense to move Hardy to LDE, where presumably he'd still be able to do pretty well and then rotate Lawrence, Mincy, and Gregory at RDE?

DLaw has prototype size and has been solid in his first year starting. As he gains consistency, I think he is going to be very good.
Mincey has the size and strength to play LDE.
Bradford was completing throws no farther than 15 yards which means the ball is out in 2 seconds. Our LB and Church were excoriated in the middle of the field.

 

[LittleBoyBlue]

The OP is right.

Hardy is a match-up nightmare, meaning he can line up all over the place and cause fits, but he is best as a blindside pass rusher.

Gregory is definitely a RDE.

Lawrence is a natural RDE but could bulk up some and fully convert to LDE.

Mincey is a rotational guy.

Now, David Irving, who also has position flexibility, has some real LDE or "anchor" potential.

Another issue is we don't have a true 3Tech (quick penetrator) or a true 1Tech (two gap defender).

Very nice breakdown. Thank you!

 

[darthseinfeld]

Seems to me that Hardy, Gregory, Mincy, and Lawrence are all, in <their> perfect world, right defensive ends.

Maybe that's one of the issues. Greg Hardy is literally the only guy generating consistent pass rush.

Does it make any sense to move Hardy to LDE, where presumably he'd still be able to do pretty well and then rotate Lawrence, Mincy, and Gregory at RDE?

It does. Hardy fits the profile of a LDE better then anyone else we have. Nothing says you cant have your best rusher on the left side. Carolina did it with Peppers and New York did it with Strahan

 

[Alexander]

How much has Hardy been moving around the last two weeks?

I will be honest, I usually know these things because I watch the games over and over after they are played most of the time.

I just can't manage the energy to bother re-watching the last couple of weeks.

 

[texbumthelife]

I'm saying the fans didn't appreciate what we had while he was here. He was ridiculed because he didn't put up huge sack numbers because people don't understand what a LDE/SOLB is. He was a great one while we had him and most fans never recognized that.

As @AbeBeta said, "People don't appreciate a great LDE. Don't even know what it looks like." Spencer was the perfect example of that. Too many people think all DL positions should be racking up sacks, devalue pressures, and think that pass rush ability equals run support.

We're seeing it with Crawford now. (Yes I know he's not an LDE.) Statistically he's having the same type of season he had last year, but fans are railing on him because he got an extension.

Honestly, Crawford probably should be the LDE. If Hardy doesn't get extended, I think you'll see Crawford go to LDE, Gregory at RDE and Lawrence play both with Crawford going inside on some nickle and dime.

I was always a big Spencer fan. No one and nothing is more responsible for Demarcus Ware's gaudy numbers here (outside of Ware himself obviously) than Spencer. Ware got a lot of run down sacks because Spencer was so good at holding and extending the edge of the offense. Players, quarterbacks couldn't get around him.

 

[texbumthelife]

How much has Hardy been moving around the last two weeks?

I will be honest, I usually know these things because I watch the games over and over after they are played most of the time.

I just can't manage the energy to bother re-watching the last couple of weeks.

He's been inside very little, but he has played both DE spots quite a bit. It seems like Irving coming on has taken his inside snaps away.