Player by player

[burmafrd]

Since this is the most boring time of year, I guess this is as good a time as any to go over the starters.

FS: Hamlin or Watkins. Watkins did play somewhat better later in the season, but Hamlin should be the starter. If Wade really wants a QB in the secondary, it has to be Hamlin. If he returns to pre injury form he could be almost as good as Woody.

SS: Roy. Enough said about him. Need to use his strengths which is intimidation and enforcement. As long as you do not expose him in unsupported coverage he is very dangerous.

CB: Newman & Henry. When Healthy Henry is a very good #2 CB. Physical and solid and canny. Quick receivers give him trouble. Newman is at least a top 5 CB and should be higher when on his game. Can take any WR in the NFL and shut him down. Hope he is used more in this way under Wade- when you have a Steve Smith or someone like that just have Newman climb in his shirt and stay there the whole game. Aaron Glenn was as good a #3 CB as you will find through the first half of last year. I hope his downturn was not a sign of things to come.

OLB: Ware: top 3 OLB in the NFL and should have even more sacks under wade. Ellis/Spencer; Ellis needs to show recovery- he was good as a OLB last season and a legitamate pass rusher. Spencer has all the raw ability- just needs to show it in the NFL.

ILB: Ayodele steadily improved last season and is very solid. James is under threat by Carpenter and if James does not improve his coverage skills he becomes a part time player; if Carpenter continues to improve he becomes the starter- he has more physical ability, more quickness and speed then James.

DE: Spears needs to step up- has not produced as a first rd pick should.
Canty as well needs to produce more. Ratliff and Hatcher are serious threats to push for more playing time here.

NT: Ferguson is very good- hope he is not starting to lose ability as he ages. At this time there is no real depth here; a concern.

WR: TO and Glenn. As good a combination as there is in the NFL. Crayton makes a good #3. Probably the greatest strength on the team.

TE: Witten has been to 3 Pro Bowls and he earned them. Fasano is a good #2 TE- needs to work on his blocking.

LT: The Hotel should be a top 5 tackle- sometimes he is and sometimes he is not. Should be fully recovered from his ACL.

LG: Kosier is a very solid guy- very mobile and very good getting out there and makeing blocks. A little small and sometimes can be bull rushed and pushed around. If McQ is on his game there could be a serious fight here for playing time.

C: Gurode had his last shot and made it. Pro Bowl and almost earned.
Very good. I am worried about his backup- whoever it is will be someone that has never played as a center.

RG: Davis. If he plays even close to his ability he will rival LA at his best.
But of course that is the big IF.

RT: Colombo should get better since he still is relatively inexperienced and is still gaining strength back from his injury. If he improves a lot a Pro Bowl is NOT out of the possibility.

FB: Hoyte hit like a ton of bricks but was not much else. Polite is too polite as a blocker. Anderson could step right in and do well.

RB: JJ/MB3. the two headed monster should do well.

QB: Romo. fluke or real thing. we find out this season- I think he will be better then what he showed later, but probably not as good as he showed earlier.

P: McBriar. thunderfoot, nuff said

K: Automatica should be the guy- but the kid has potential.

 

[AbeBeta]

Good post Burm (really)

I'd add that it really isn't Hamlin vs. Watkins so much as it is Watkins vs. Davis -- if Roy is going to line up at LB in then nickel (like Woody used to do for us) then we'll see both Hamlin and Watkins/Davis on the field at the same time for about 50% of the plays. You need 3 safeties for this D. From Wade's statements about Hamlin lining the guys up right and Stewart's man love for him, he's pretty much a lock to be the starter at FS and the nickel SS.

 

[adamknite]

very good stuff. There's not really anything I can add here, just very well done.

 

[burmafrd]

I really wonder how often they will play 3 safeties. I am thinking it more likely to be 4 CBs- if Brown or one of the others show some talent.

 

[DCfaninDC]

RB: JJ/MB3. the two headed monster should do well.

Should do well?? That is it?

I think this is the area that you could have elaborated on and talked about the most. You could've talked about how JJ might get better w/out BP, according to JJ himself, because he has disappeared the last two years. The word I would love to see associated with JJ is consistency.

 

[AbeBeta]

I really wonder how often they will play 3 safeties. I am thinking it more likely to be 4 CBs- if Brown or one of the others show some talent.

That would surprise me because what that would mean is 4 CBS, 1 S, Roy at LB, and a real LB in there. That's a very light back 7 and you have to worry about being able to tackle RBs and TEs with that group.

Do you have a sense of how SD ran it last year?

 

[burmafrd]

He was very consistent for the first 10 games. So was MB3. I think BP worried unnecessarily about JJ wearing down.

 

[HardHittingRoy31]

Looks like we are going a little West Coast on offense. Expect T.O. to have huge numbers.

 

[burmafrd]

One thing to remember is that we have a better secondary then SD had. So it is more likely that wade will be willing to gamble more. You want more CBs when you are in a serious passing down. I think that it would only be used in 3rd and 10 and more. the Nickel is more likely in other situations. The extreme pass rush/coverage scheme is probably not going to be used that much.

 

[AbeBeta]

One thing to remember is that we have a better secondary then SD had. So it is more likely that wade will be willing to gamble more. You want more CBs when you are in a serious passing down. I think that it would only be used in 3rd and 10 and more. the Nickel is more likely in other situations. The extreme pass rush/coverage scheme is probably not going to be used that much.

Under Parcells -- a very conservative coach, the nickel was used about 50% of the time. Pretty much any 2nd down following a short or no gain play on first brought out the nickel.

 

[burmafrd]

The nickel was used a lot- but I doubt that this package- which is really beyond the Dime as well- will get used very often.

 

[bobtheflob]

The nickel was used a lot- but I doubt that this package- which is really beyond the Dime as well- will get used very often.

I agree, I see it more as something reserved for 3rd and long with a more traditional nickel package in at other times.

 

[AbeBeta]

The nickel was used a lot- but I doubt that this package- which is really beyond the Dime as well- will get used very often.

From http://www.dallascowboys.com/news.cfm?id=87B2557B-CB4F-2D17-985B260C3A1DC299 - sounds like the nickel to me.

Roy at Linebacker?

When the Cowboys went to their nickel defense in Sunday's practice, safety Roy Williams teamed with Burnett as the inside linebackers in the 4-2-5 package.

The idea is to get Williams closer to the line of scrimmage, where he is more effective, and out of coverage. Williams had trouble at times last season covering tight ends and receivers down the middle as a safety.

Ken Hamlin and second-year safety Pat Watkins manned the two safety spots in the package, while the corners remained unchanged from last season, with Glenn and Anthony Henry covering the outside receivers and Terence Newman jumping into the slot.

Up front it was DeMarcus Ware at right end and Anthony Spencer at left end, with Chris Canty and Jay Ratliff inside at the tackle positions. Ellis, though, said new head coach Wade Phillips has talked to him about rushing from an inside spot once he's healthy.

This might be the type of player Phillips wants at one of the nickel linebacker spots since Keith Davis was manning the same spot on the seconnd-team defense.

 

[burmafrd]

That certainly will be tried, but I really wonder if having 3 safeties is better then having 4 CBs.

 

[AbeBeta]

That certainly will be tried, but I really wonder if having 3 safeties is better then having 4 CBs.

It isn't 3 safeties -- you've got Roy playing LB. It is 2 safeties and 3 corners.

 

[burmafrd]

come on aber- Roy is a safety. With Watkins and Hamlin that makes it 3 safeties. Only one LB. Probably Burnett. Who is not much bigger then Roy. The big TEs are something of a worry there.

 

[AbeBeta]

come on aber- Roy is a safety. With Watkins and Hamlin that makes it 3 safeties. Only one LB. Probably Burnett. Who is not much bigger then Roy. The big TEs are something of a worry there.

Why would 3 S be worse than 4 CBs if the size issue is a concern? Watkins and Hamlin outweight Brown and Reeves -- who I assume would be 4th CB contenders by at least 10 pounds, Reeves by almost 20.

 

[burmafrd]

I think I would rather have another LB to rush the passer then keep Williams that close. Get to the QB. Have Williams roam the middle looking to lay wood. Rush 5; have one LB play contain ; have williams as the roaming safety and Hamlin and the top 3 CBs doing the coverage; or rush 4 and have a 4th CB.

 

[WoodysGirl]

Just to be clear...

From Wade's presser

Roy at LB in nickel?
We’re looking at it now. Some people call it linebacker or dime back, but we’re looking at him as a short zone coverage and blitz guy up near the line of scrimmage. That’s one package we’ll have.
http://cowboyszone.com/forums/showthread.php?t=87783&highlight=dime

From DMN Blog
Roy's officially a dime back, not a nickel linebacker

The Cowboys are calling the package they worked on yesterday their dime defense. That means Roy Williams technically isn't playing any linebacker.

The terminology doesn't matter. The fact that Wade Phillips and Co. are finding ways to emphasize Williams' strengths while hiding his weaknesses is what's important.

"Some people call it a linebacker, some people call it a dime back," Phillips said. "Whatever. But he's not playing deep half or deep quarter or anything like that. He's playing short zone and blitz."

Phillips said that look will be one of several packages the Cowboys could use in passing situations.

Posted by Tim MacMahon at 1:55 PM (E-mail this entry) | Comments (0)

http://cowboyszone.com/forums/showthread.php?t=87784&highlight=dime

 

[bobtheflob]

It's impossible to say now until we see some games, but I'm guessing that's not the defense you're going to see on 2nd and 8 or 3rd and 4, it's just too vulnerable to the run.