The Defense Without Smith is Just Average

[Maxmadden]

The defense may just be average this year but we are getting younger and more talented slowly and surely. We just need a couple of the young guys to step up this year. Next year I think we will get there.
In any other draft Collins would have been a second and Tapper a third rounder. Pretty sure I saw Marinelli fist pump when we took Collins. These guys will pay dividends down the road if not sooner.

Marinelli is starting to get the guys he wants. He didn't want Floyd and this year he wanted Elliot. He only wants particular guys to play in his system and he is looking at the big picture. Hopefully we are getting close.

 

[plymkr]

I think you meant "it will be our foot drop this year"

Jokes like this are starting to get on my nerves, ah get it, nerves.

 

[Gameover]

Good that you know this before a single practice!

People never add in what effort and smart and playing hard can bring to a unit, especially a defensive unit.

As I look at it, we're the weakest in the back half of the defense, and that's probably the best place to be at your weakest(if you're going to have a weakness). My opinion.

We will not have the Broncos defense. We will not have the Seahawks defense.

Have you seen the defense the Packers have played during the Rodgers era?

We ran the ball for 171 yard on them without a QB.

Put some points on the board and the defense will be fine!

We took out the garbage, that there should make the defense better.

 

[Irvin88_4life]

Wow these guys are young and will improve. Give them a chance first

 

[Scandri100]

Jaylen Smith is and will be the best linebacker in the league since Ray Lewis.

 

[Hoov]

We still did not draft a real pass rusher, so where do we stand? My analysis is that the defensive line is solid but not great. The defensive team seams to be run stop first, then where is the QB. The LBs are solid but not deep. This will be our Achilles heel this year unless Smith is ready. The secondary will get a break with a solid DL. However, it is still not good enough against elite talent. The defense will need the offense to help this year but in the end defense wins championships and we do not have that.

So, I don't have any idea how anyone thought this team was fielding a dominant defense this year.

Ramsey over Elliot and a different player in the second but then taking a rb on the 3rd or 4th - I just don't see how there is anyway they had the salary cap dollars or number of draft picks to get to a great defense in one offseason.

 

[CATCH17]

I'd sign for average defense right now.

 

[DogFace]

What did we finish? 17th or whatever while countless 3 and outs were what they dealt with. No to mention the youth on the line both rookies and other new guys. As others have said Irving could be a real surprise.

We also get our best CB back from injury. That could help.

 

[JW82]

We aspire to be average.

Average would be a huge improvement!

 

[big dog cowboy]

We still did not draft a real pass rusher, so where do we stand? My analysis is that the defensive line is solid but not great.

Our DL has the chance to surprise people by midseason. There are some quality players that have a chance to be better than just average.

 

[ghst187]

I'm trusting, somewhat, the effusive praise for Smith but his highlight reels show nothing special.
I didn't watch ND football this past season so I don't know a lot about him, just that I would've taken Jack there instead because that guy was a highlight reel of big plays in college.
I actually loved our third and fourth round picks this year, which is not the norm. I would've also loved to have grabbed Sanchez but I like most of the picks. That Jackson kid looks like lightning, goodbye Dunbar.

 

[vicjagger]

Jokes like this are starting to get on my nerves, ah get it, nerves.

Excellent example!

 

[CyberB0b]

We have pass rushers. Not stars, but good pass rushers. They are young, just need to grow up and show consistency.

Like who? No one here has proven they can pass rush, except one of the guys suspended for a quarter of the season.

 

[Oh_Canada]

An average defense should be fine this season if the offense is as explosive as we think it could be. We know there are some holes and question marks on the defensive side, but there is enough talent at each level to make plays. Even though we didnt upgrade de with a highly touted rookie or veteran the pass rush may be better with the upgrades at dt. The Cowboys biggest problem last year was our inability to get pressure up the middle and force qbs to move around. With a healthy Crawford, additions of Thorton and Collins this group is much improved and thats not even factoing in Mcclain or irving into the mix. At DE Lawrence looks to be turning the corner with his pass rush abilities and we have a lot of role players opposite him that are each capable of generating sacks and pressure with limited snaps.

At LB Sean Lee is a difference make when healthy, Mcclain at times can be a difference maker, while Hitchens is solid. LB depth is ok, a lot depends on Wilson and the progress he makes. Jaylon Smith if he fully recovers could make this lb core one of the better units in the nfl.

I'm failing to see what makes this offense soooooo explosive? You added Zeke, nothing else. Witten and Romo are a year older, Escobar is hurt (don't use him anyhow) and Dez is coming off injury. Top ten maybe if everything falls right, hardly explosive.

 

[PJTHEDOORS]

Like who? No one here has proven they can pass rush, except one of the guys suspended for a quarter of the season.

Didn't say all stars, just some good/decent pass rushers. These guys are young, so consistency has to improve.

Lawrence, Gregory, TCrawford, David Irving, Jack Craword, Ryan Russell, Charles Tapper, Maliek Collins.

 

[conner01]

I'd sign for average defense right now.

I agree. The real key is not how the defense ranks but can we get back to what we did well in 14 and that's get turnovers. That was a huge factor in the last two years. 14 we got turnovers and 15 we didn't

 

[CATCH17]

I'm failing to see what makes this offense soooooo explosive? You added Zeke, nothing else. Witten and Romo are a year older, Escobar is hurt (don't use him anyhow) and Dez is coming off injury. Top ten maybe if everything falls right, hardly explosive.

Yeah I don't think explosive would be a good way to describe our offense.

We may be one of the more frustrating offenses to play against but we're not a team that's just going to put up 30+ points consistently.

 

[Craig]

I agree. The real key is not how the defense ranks but can we get back to what we did well in 14 and that's get turnovers. That was a huge factor in the last two years. 14 we got turnovers and 15 we didn't

If romo doesnt get hurt and therefore the offense isnt inept, teams will be forced to take more chances and the turnivers will come.

 

[Doomsay]

Our defense without Smith, is our defense.

 

[JoeKing]

We don't know what this defense is without Smith because it's never been with Smith. There is no way to quantify what his contribution could be, so you can't subtract it from what we have right now. Poor, average or otherwise... Smith is not a factor right now. I suspect the defense will be better than the low expectations being bandied about.