Chuck 54
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Disclaimer: I’m not saying this was a great free agent period thus far. Clearly, most of us wish we had signed 2-3 star studs and were thinking about a championship. Yeah, that ain’t happening in Dallas. However, this has been a departure from the norm, and Dan Quinn has already made some changes in the Jones think tank.
What was our biggest problem last year outside of injuries? Defense
What was wrong with the defense? Couldn’t stop the run and routinely blown coverages in the secondary first half of season, surrendering easy TDs. Play-action also killed us because we couldn’t stop the run.
Why couldn’t we stop the run no matter how hard we tried? DL, especially DT issues, again thanks to season injuries to McCoy, Hill, part time injury to Woods, signing a DT who sucked in Carolina the previous year just because of his name, and a general lack of attention to the position. This also caused the DEs to play poorly....trying to do too much at times. This also caused the LBs to play on skates because OLinemen were always at the second level too easily. Some blame the LBs and say they should have made plays anyway. I’ll be honest...I don’t know what we have at LB. I’ve lost confidence. I know I’ve seen them play well and touted as one of the best young groups in the division, but even if they are just average, the best LBs in the league need quality, disciplined play in front of them. No LBs are going to beat 300 lb linemen and make tackles at the line of scrimmage.
So, what have we accomplished in FA. No, we didn’t sign some big name DT to a big contract just to have a run stuffer who can’t rush the QB. We have two young DTs in Hill and Gallimore. We added a very good 3-4 DE who is a 300 pounder, a guy who now will play DT, but can play DE in run situations. We signed a 6’7” DT who played in rotations with Tenn, Baltimore, and Chicago (all good defenses)...he’s another 300 pounder and graded out as the 3rd best run defender in the NFL, another guy who can play DT or DE in situations. Great pro bowlers? No, but maybe the deepest, strongest, heaviest DT group of 4 we’ve fielded in years.
DE, we have one of the best run defenders in Lawrence + Gregory who really came on during the year, a guy who plays the run better than one would expect at his size. We added a DE to rotate with Gregory, a guy who didn’t rack up sacks in NY, but was good vs the run, a guy who excelled as a DE in college but was playing OLB in NY. I don’t expect a star, but he will be better with his hand in the dirt, as will our own Armstrong, who was also out of position last year as a stand up OLB.
Secondary? I was hoping for Adore Jackson on a reasonable contract, but the man got PAID. So we finally addressed the safety position, and while people complain about 1-year contracts, we signed young guys who have been successful. Both Neal and Kazee have played very well when healthy. Both have created plenty of turnovers via either fumbles or INTs. Neal can play WLB, improving the run defense, covering RBs and TEs, but he can also play the deep half at times or SS when needed. Kazee had some great stats at single high safety before this year’s injury. They are both young players. We signed Kearse, primarily as a very good special teamer, but also as a young guy with great size and range who can provide depth and possibly develop. Let’s not dismiss the value of having Neal and Kazee on the field, guys who know and played the defense at the safety positions in Atlanta. Hopefully, that will also cut down on blown coverages and improve quick communication on the back end.
Neal and Kearse and even Hooker are all coming off injury, all young, all very talented, so 1-year contracts were smart. 1. You need to see if they fully recover and play well and avoid further injury before offering more. Aside from injury, we would all be thrilled with even 1 signing. 2. I’m betting their contracts contain an option that allows us to extend and resign any or all who play well and avoid injury.
And on offense, despite all the experience gained by Knight and Steele, we signed the best swing tackle we’ve had since Parnell. Big, tall, experienced OT who was on the field this past year and is healthy and available!
Simply compared with recent years in FA, recent lack of attention to DT or Safety, this has been a very good start and departure from Dallas practices. No, we didn’t find healthy superstars at big prices, but we found proven players who are very good at what we need them to do, and at least those coming off injury have been good players and are very young.
Before free agency ends, before the draft even arrives, I can say confidently that we are going to be better in 2021 at OL, QB, DL vs the run, and at Safety than we were in 2020. That’s not GREAT, but it’s something to go with having a better DC and more sound defensive scheme.
What was our biggest problem last year outside of injuries? Defense
What was wrong with the defense? Couldn’t stop the run and routinely blown coverages in the secondary first half of season, surrendering easy TDs. Play-action also killed us because we couldn’t stop the run.
Why couldn’t we stop the run no matter how hard we tried? DL, especially DT issues, again thanks to season injuries to McCoy, Hill, part time injury to Woods, signing a DT who sucked in Carolina the previous year just because of his name, and a general lack of attention to the position. This also caused the DEs to play poorly....trying to do too much at times. This also caused the LBs to play on skates because OLinemen were always at the second level too easily. Some blame the LBs and say they should have made plays anyway. I’ll be honest...I don’t know what we have at LB. I’ve lost confidence. I know I’ve seen them play well and touted as one of the best young groups in the division, but even if they are just average, the best LBs in the league need quality, disciplined play in front of them. No LBs are going to beat 300 lb linemen and make tackles at the line of scrimmage.
So, what have we accomplished in FA. No, we didn’t sign some big name DT to a big contract just to have a run stuffer who can’t rush the QB. We have two young DTs in Hill and Gallimore. We added a very good 3-4 DE who is a 300 pounder, a guy who now will play DT, but can play DE in run situations. We signed a 6’7” DT who played in rotations with Tenn, Baltimore, and Chicago (all good defenses)...he’s another 300 pounder and graded out as the 3rd best run defender in the NFL, another guy who can play DT or DE in situations. Great pro bowlers? No, but maybe the deepest, strongest, heaviest DT group of 4 we’ve fielded in years.
DE, we have one of the best run defenders in Lawrence + Gregory who really came on during the year, a guy who plays the run better than one would expect at his size. We added a DE to rotate with Gregory, a guy who didn’t rack up sacks in NY, but was good vs the run, a guy who excelled as a DE in college but was playing OLB in NY. I don’t expect a star, but he will be better with his hand in the dirt, as will our own Armstrong, who was also out of position last year as a stand up OLB.
Secondary? I was hoping for Adore Jackson on a reasonable contract, but the man got PAID. So we finally addressed the safety position, and while people complain about 1-year contracts, we signed young guys who have been successful. Both Neal and Kazee have played very well when healthy. Both have created plenty of turnovers via either fumbles or INTs. Neal can play WLB, improving the run defense, covering RBs and TEs, but he can also play the deep half at times or SS when needed. Kazee had some great stats at single high safety before this year’s injury. They are both young players. We signed Kearse, primarily as a very good special teamer, but also as a young guy with great size and range who can provide depth and possibly develop. Let’s not dismiss the value of having Neal and Kazee on the field, guys who know and played the defense at the safety positions in Atlanta. Hopefully, that will also cut down on blown coverages and improve quick communication on the back end.
Neal and Kearse and even Hooker are all coming off injury, all young, all very talented, so 1-year contracts were smart. 1. You need to see if they fully recover and play well and avoid further injury before offering more. Aside from injury, we would all be thrilled with even 1 signing. 2. I’m betting their contracts contain an option that allows us to extend and resign any or all who play well and avoid injury.
And on offense, despite all the experience gained by Knight and Steele, we signed the best swing tackle we’ve had since Parnell. Big, tall, experienced OT who was on the field this past year and is healthy and available!
Simply compared with recent years in FA, recent lack of attention to DT or Safety, this has been a very good start and departure from Dallas practices. No, we didn’t find healthy superstars at big prices, but we found proven players who are very good at what we need them to do, and at least those coming off injury have been good players and are very young.
Before free agency ends, before the draft even arrives, I can say confidently that we are going to be better in 2021 at OL, QB, DL vs the run, and at Safety than we were in 2020. That’s not GREAT, but it’s something to go with having a better DC and more sound defensive scheme.
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