Players Dallas Has Shown Interest In - 2017

Couldn't we use Anderson as a pass rushing SLB, like our very own T Suggs?, instead of reaching for a DE

I say do both. Find pass rushers at every position. When Cowboys play that 3-3-5, the 4th rusher could (or should) be from any position group.
 
Terrell Suggs ran a 4.84 forty.


But Suggs game is a lot more physical than some of these guys. If a guy is slow it handicaps his options. He better be quick as a cat off the snap or have one hell of a bull rush.
 
Suggs may have been slow in the 40, but that is irrelevant if he has short area quickness, power and explosion.


Yeah, that sounds great in theory. I just remember us drafting Victor Butler with his pedestrian 40 time and thought man that's really slow for a guy getting paid to to get to the QB and that didn't turn out so well for us.

If I remember correctly Ware was about a 4.5 or so weighing 270 lbs and that worked out much better for us. I know it's not 40 yards from the DE spot to the QB on most plays, but a good 40 time is a partial measure of explosiveness and speed and it sure doesn't hurt to have a good 40 time
 
Ware had 4.5 speed, or maybe slightly faster. 4.8 is DT speed.
DWare was 4.56 at NFL combine. But it's not 4.56 40 yd dash that made him a great pass rusher. Just Google stats before you make up crap.
 
D. Ware ran an official 4.61 (4.56 was the unofficial time) at 251 lbs.

I don't understand the infatuation with 40 times for defensive linemen. The more relevant metric is the 10-yard split.
Agreed...10 yard split much more important. I also look at vertical jump....

In the end, you gotta go with what you see on the field. I was one that thought Suggs would be too slow...will never be fooled by 40 times again.

Emmitt , Jerry Rice , Anquan Boldin, Michael Irvin all had slower forty times than the ideal.
 
D. Ware ran an official 4.61 (4.56 was the unofficial time) at 251 lbs.

I don't understand the infatuation with 40 times for defensive linemen. The more relevant metric is the 10-yard split.
A player's 10 yard split correlates extremely highly with his 40 yard times. Players don't tend to have good 10 yard splits and poor 40 yard times, or vice versa. It's really a distinction without much of a difference.

Now, 3-cone, shuttle, broad jump and vertical can vary widely from 40 times. Ideally you'd have a rusher perform well in the 40 as well as 3-cone and broad jump to show explosion and agility.
 
A player's 10 yard split correlates extremely highly with his 40 yard times. Players don't tend to have good 10 yard splits and poor 40 yard times, or vice versa. It's really a distinction without much of a difference.

Now, 3-cone, shuttle, broad jump and vertical can vary widely from 40 times. Ideally you'd have a rusher perform well in the 40 as well as 3-cone and broad jump to show explosion and agility.

It doesn't actuall, at least as much as you may think intuitively. Someone made the same claim last year (may have even been you) and I presented the numbers right after the Combine to demonstrate the wide ranging numbers. I'll be glad to do it again once this year's numbers come out.

10-yard split shows initial burst.

40-yard dash shows sustained speed over distance.

Larger athletes, like OL/DL typically don't sustain speed well.

In terms of what relates to a defensive lineman, the 10-yard split closely replicates the acceleration and distance required for a DE to capture the edge and get to a QB dropping back. Most sacks don't involve a DE in a foot race with a QB for 40+ yards.
 
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It doesn't actually. Someone made the same claim last year (may have even been you) and I presented the numbers right after the Combine to demonstrate.

10-yard split shows initial burst.

40-yard dash shows sustained speed over distance.

In terms of what relates to a defensive lineman, the 10-yard split closely replicates the acceleration and distance required for a DE to capture the edge and get to a QB dropping back. Most sacks don't involve a DE in a foot race with a QB for 40+ yards.
I've run correlation studies on this based on historical combine results over many years. It's a statistical fact.
 
It doesn't actuall, at least as much as you may think intuitively. Someone made the same claim last year (may have even been you) and I presented the numbers right after the Combine to demonstrate the wide ranging numbers. I'll be glad to do it again once this year's numbers come out.

10-yard split shows initial burst.

40-yard dash shows sustained speed over distance.

Larger athletes, like OL/DL typically don't sustain speed well.

In terms of what relates to a defensive lineman, the 10-yard split closely replicates the acceleration and distance required for a DE to capture the edge and get to a QB dropping back. Most sacks don't involve a DE in a foot race with a QB for 40+ yards.
I'd rather watch the film and see what kind of burst he gets off the snap, how he uses his hands, what type of bend he gets coming around the edge, what kind of upper body strength he displays with initial punch and what kind of moves and counter moves the guy might have. What has that guy done against the best pass blockers he's faced? Workout stats are fine, but the tape means way more.
 
Personally think Ryan Anderson would be a great pick if you're not worried about his domestic assault arrest. Anderson's a big thick athlete, the James Harrison comparison might be a good one (in a lot of ways).

He has a great first step, and made a ton of plays. He also came up big in their 2 playoff games.

He's a DE in our defense. I don't think his game is suited to be a LB for us. He's as big as Kahlil Mack and Olivier Vernon, so I think any worries about him being a full time DE are a bit overblown. Much like his teammate, the big question with him is the non-football risk. With our off the field defensive end issues, we can't afford a mistake with a high pick.
 
I'd rather watch the film and see what kind of burst he gets off the snap, how he uses his hands, what type of bend he gets coming around the edge, what kind of upper body strength he displays with initial punch and what kind of moves and counter moves the guy might have. What has that guy done against the best pass blockers he's faced? Workout stats are fine, but the tape means way more.

Completely agree, but if we're going to use metrics as a supplement to film, forty-times are pretty irrelevant to judging the DE position (not to be confused with an edge or smaller 34 OLB) is all I'm saying.
 
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