Star: STAR: Cowboys Defense Still Has The Same Questions

[xwalker]

Mickey is managing expectations.

Pretty much the whole fan base is expecting better than last season... but there are a lot of questions that are still to be answered. Heck, even just the schedule can make this year more difficult than last.

There are way more answers this year.

Pick a position and then think about the current answers compared to what the answers would have been as of game 1 last year.

DE
2014 game 1: Mincey new to the team. Selvie. Spencer still out injured. DLaw injured.

Now: DLaw healthy with some experience. Gregory. Mincey with experience in this scheme and good season last year. Hardy after suspension. Redshirt player Gardner. Draft pick Russell. Several backups that got playing time last year like J. Crawford, Boatright, Edwards.


LB
2014 game 1: Lee out for the season. Carter at what position. Durant, could he stay healthy. RoMc new to the scheme and no time to get into shape. Hitchens a rookie. Wilber probably looked like the 4th LB then.

Now: Lee healthy. Hitchens with 11 starts last season including starting over Carter in multiple games. RoMc suspended 4 games but with the team all of training camp and "should" be in shape. Wilber might not be in the top 7. Brinkley and Gachkar replacing Cam Lawrence and Keith Smith is a big upgrade. Draft pick Wilson and former top 10 pick Rivers.


DT 3-tech
2014 game 1: Melton coming off ACL. T. McClain as 3/1 tech but injured in TC. T. Crawford was the SDE.

Now: T. Crawford as proven NFL 3tech. T. McClain is healthy and has experience in the scheme. Hardy/Mincey can play here on passing downs. Multiple other options with some talent Whaley was terrific in college, J. Crawford had his best game in 2014 at this position, Coleman with some experience, Gardner/Russell with ability to move inside.


Safety
2014 game 1: Church with Wilcox only having a few NFL starts and only 1 year of playing defense in college.

Now: Same as last year plus Jones and White with the ability to play here also. Wilcox with a full year of starting.


CB
2014 game 1: Claiborne and Carr as the starters with Scandrick as #3 and suspended. Sterling Moore as defacto #3.

Now: Scandrick, Carr and Claiborne the same with Jones replacing Sterling Moore. Experienced player White added. Patmon has more experience.


DT 1tech
2014 game 1: Hayden and an injured T. McClain. Bishop a small college rookie.

Now: Hayden and a healthy T. McClain. Bishop with some NFL experience including a playoff game.

Coaching
2014 game 1: Marinelli's 1st game as Cowboys DC. Cowboys 2nd season in 4-3.

Now: Marinelli's scheme firmly in place and Cowboys 3rd year in 4-3. All assistants retained from last season.

 

[MichaelWinicki]

some questions will remain, "will Sean Lee stay healthy" cant deny that one. "Will Rolondo make the season? Loss or Bruce Carter or Melton affect us?

When the defense was sucky, not many questions needed to be ask unless someone was just filling space. more questions arise as the defense was better because you dont know how this defense will react with the new changes and if it can relive that success from last year. We are hardly a staple of a good defense.

I think the questions this season are not quite as desperate as those of last season.

I mean Lee was gone by time of year... Lee being healthy at this point is a big plus.

And then you look at the collection of talent overall and this year blows away last year.

 

[CowboyGil]

“We’re rushing the air pretty good, but when we get in pads that’s when it counts. … We’re beating air.”

 

[Doomsday101]

I'm very encouraged about the defense this year. Health will be the key.

 

[ShiningStar]

I think the questions this season are not quite as desperate as those of last season.

I mean Lee was gone by time of year... Lee being healthy at this point is a big plus.

And then you look at the collection of talent overall and this year blows away last year.

thats the thing, thats just speculating, honestly we dont know about Whaley, Gardner, any of the rookies. So our questions are more because our pieces will really make a differnce. A lot of people assumed our offseaosn success last year rested on Melton. Such was not the case so it wasnt really a question. Turned out it really was.

It can go on and on and on and on, im not arguing with you per say, but i understand the reasoning.

 

[AsthmaField]

There are way more answers this year.

Pick a position and then think about the current answers compared to what the answers would have been as of game 1 last year.

DE
2014 game 1: Mincey new to the team. Selvie. Spencer still out injured. DLaw injured.

Now: DLaw healthy with some experience. Gregory. Mincey with experience in this scheme and good season last year. Hardy after suspension. Redshirt player Gardner. Draft pick Russell. Several backups that got playing time last year like J. Crawford, Boatright, Edwards.


LB
2014 game 1: Lee out for the season. Carter at what position. Durant, could he stay healthy. RoMc new to the scheme and no time to get into shape. Hitchens a rookie. Wilber probably looked like the 4th LB then.

Now: Lee healthy. Hitchens with 11 starts last season including starting over Carter in multiple games. RoMc suspended 4 games but with the team all of training camp and "should" be in shape. Wilber might not be in the top 7. Brinkley and Gachkar replacing Cam Lawrence and Keith Smith is a big upgrade. Draft pick Wilson and former top 10 pick Rivers.


DT 3-tech
2014 game 1: Melton coming off ACL. T. McClain as 3/1 tech but injured in TC. T. Crawford was the SDE.

Now: T. Crawford as proven NFL 3tech. T. McClain is healthy and has experience in the scheme. Hardy/Mincey can play here on passing downs. Multiple other options with some talent Whaley was terrific in college, J. Crawford had his best game in 2014 at this position, Coleman with some experience, Gardner/Russell with ability to move inside.


Safety
2014 game 1: Church with Wilcox only having a few NFL starts and only 1 year of playing defense in college.

Now: Same as last year plus Jones and White with the ability to play here also. Wilcox with a full year of starting.


CB
2014 game 1: Claiborne and Carr as the starters with Scandrick as #3 and suspended. Sterling Moore as defacto #3.

Now: Scandrick, Carr and Claiborne the same with Jones replacing Sterling Moore. Experienced player White added. Patmon has more experience.


DT 1tech
2014 game 1: Hayden and an injured T. McClain. Bishop a small college rookie.

Now: Hayden and a healthy T. McClain. Bishop with some NFL experience including a playoff game.

Coaching
2014 game 1: Marinelli's 1st game as Cowboys DC. Cowboys 2nd season in 4-3.

Now: Marinelli's scheme firmly in place and Cowboys 3rd year in 4-3. All assistants retained from last season.

I don't disagree. Dallas should be much improved on defense.

But, I was just saying what I think Mickey was doing with that article.

 

[xwalker]

I don't disagree. Dallas should be much improved on defense.

But, I was just saying what I think Mickey was doing with that article.

I think Mickey might be pretending to be pessimistic and assuming that readers will see that he is wrong which will actually highlight just how much better the situation really is this year. Sort of a reverse psychology by ole Mick.

 

[AsthmaField]

I think Mickey might be pretending to be pessimistic and assuming that readers will see that he is wrong which will actually highlight just how much better the situation really is this year. Sort of a reverse psychology by ole Mick.

In all seriousness... I wouldn't doubt that one bit.

He is what they call a leveler. If anyone gets too low, he gives them reasons to feel better about things... but if people start expecting too much, he reminds everyone why they shouldn't be surprised it the team doesn't do as well as they think. Just like he did in this article.

 

[xwalker]

In all seriousness... I wouldn't doubt that one bit.

He is what they call a leveler. If anyone gets too low, he gives them reasons to feel better about things... but if people start expecting too much, he reminds everyone why they shouldn't be surprised it the team doesn't do as well as they think. Just like he did in this article.

Yes, I'm certain that in reality Mick is highly optimistic about the changes that have been made to the defense.

The sad thing about Mickey is that back in the nineties, before he was employed by the Cowboys, he was one of the best reporters at getting inside type information about the team. He was good at reporting details like the rules about PUP, IR contract issues, etc.. before all of that was easily accessible on the internet.