To build a pass rush..with what?

[erod]

Nigh a year ago, Jerry called the defensive line a team strength right before the draft.

The worst smokescreen of all time, we thought, because no one could believe such an exaggerated tall-tale lie. Kiffin and Marinelli chimed in like good foot soldiers, but both had to look at their feet to maintain their poker faces. Baghdad Bob had more credibility.

And then....they drafted not a single one. My God, Jerry actually believed this. A tight end, receiver, and safety later, reality set in.

The "thought" was, a Ware would return like new from the infirmary, Ratliff would resurrect, Spencer would repeat what he'd never done before, and a fat guy would seamlessly be woven in.

Then, football happened.

Come September, some dude named George Selvie was the only good lineman on the team. Ratliff was AWOL as usual, Spencer had a bum knee, and Ware spent a year getting manhandled by backup linemen yet again as his body continued to disintegrate. An assembly line of nightclub bouncers took turns not rushing the passer for the duration.

That alone cost Dallas the playoffs. Again.

And now, that same Achilles heel looms even larger over the prospects for 2014. Spencer can barely walk. The Ratliff illusion has vanished. Ware is about to get cut most likely, and he's done anyway.

Dallas has to build a pass rush around, yep, George Selvie. And no, there is no money to compete for a big name free agent. It's got to happen in the draft and off the scrap heap. Nick Hayden probably returns. Tyrone Crawford has to come back as an impact player. Ben Bass, too, though he breaks when the whistle blows.

That's right. Your starting Cowboys defensive line today is Selvie, Hayden, Bass, and Crawford. Is that still a "team strength", Jerry?

It wouldn't be insane for Dallas to draft seven defensive linemen. That's how bare the cubbard is. We're down to Raman noodles and a questionable bottle of barbeque sauce.

With a strong pass rush, all would be very promising. Without it, another pointless year lies ahead. The Cowboys have to hit on THREE defensive linemen that can play right now, and two have be impact level performers. Nothing less.

Dilly-dallying with the offensive and defensive lines is football blasphemy. Dallas continues to pay the price for exactly that. Careers are being wasted over it.

Now we sit, stew, and wait.

 

[Alexander]

Nigh a year ago, Jerry called the defensive line a team strength right before the draft.
The worst smokescreen of all time, we thought, because no one could believe such an exaggerated tall-tale lie.

A lot of people believed that, still do think that it "would have been" the case were it not for those darn injuries.

Besides, we have Marinelli. He can build a pass rush from nothing, you know.

 

[dbonham]

Funny how pro bowler Jason Hatcher is conspicuously absent from this story... Didn't fit the narrative I guess

 

[erod]

Funny how pro bowler Jason Hatcher is conspicuously absent from this story... Didn't fit the narrative I guess

That's an oversight. My fault. I was thinking to much of 2014.

Hatcher was definitely the best player they had, but he's good as gone now.

 

[Alexander]

Funny how pro bowler Jason Hatcher is conspicuously absent from this story... Didn't fit the narrative I guess

Why would it be necessary to mention Hatcher?

He was a pleasant surprise, sure, but he could not do it alone. At this stage last year, according to everyone Ware and Hatcher were set to terrorize from the end position and Ratliff was poised to do his Warren Sapp imitation. Nobody was sure how Hatcher would play as the one technique and were even thinking he would rotate with Crawford.

 

[erod]

I'd amend it if I could, but the edit button won't allow me. But Alexander is right, Hatcher was expected to be a useful player, but position was a concern. He was good though, no doubt, and now he's probably a Raider or whoever backs the truck up.

The OP still stands. It's an enormous problem, and they'd better be spending 23 hours a day on it.

 

[jterrell]

That's an oversight. My fault. I was thinking to much of 2014.

Hatcher was definitely the best player they had, but he's good as gone now.

Thinking "to" much can be a problem.

TODAY Dallas' starting DL is:
Spencer, Hatcher, Hayden, Ware.

By March 11th it 'may' be as you posit. But assumptions we tear down to that group as if we were ever going to sit there for any length of time are pointless.

Last year was a fairly terrible draft. DL especially. The few who could play went plenty high.
Dallas was actually quite wise to opt out of that DL group in the draft.
They had and still have better players in place here.

Come August we could be looking at:
Crawford, Round 1 pick, Brent, Ware
with
Selvie, Bass, Hayden, Round 3/4 pick behind them.

 

[jterrell]

Why would it be necessary to mention Hatcher?

He was a pleasant surprise, sure, but he could not do it alone. At this stage last year, according to everyone Ware and Hatcher were set to terrorize from the end position and Ratliff was poised to do his Warren Sapp imitation. Nobody was sure how Hatcher would play as the one technique and were even thinking he would rotate with Crawford.

if you have to ask that question you are worried more about the narrative than reality.
if the team was supposed to have foresight that all the injuries would occur seems fair to take credit for the breakout season as well, no?
i get why we'd want to ignore the lone pro bowler on the defense tho.

 

[Risen Star]

A lot of people believed that, still do think that it "would have been" the case were it not for those darn injuries.

Besides, we have Marinelli. He can build a pass rush from nothing, you know.

Marinelli has "rushmen"

I'm not worried about it.

 

[Alexander]

Marinelli has "rushmen"

I'm not worried about it.

Do not forget about the nicknames that give them the power of Greyskull.

Look what being branded "Golden cock" did for Hayden. And Selvie, the "bricklayer"? Forget about it.

 

[jterrell]

Marinelli has "rushmen"

I'm not worried about it.

I think you should worry about it A LOT.
Because you worrying about it clearly the key to things.

 

[erod]

Thinking "to" much can be a problem.

TODAY Dallas' starting DL is:
Spencer, Hatcher, Hayden, Ware.

By March 11th it 'may' be as you posit. But assumptions we tear down to that group as if we were ever going to sit there for any length of time are pointless.

Last year was a fairly terrible draft. DL especially. The few who could play went plenty high.
Dallas was actually quite wise to opt out of that DL group in the draft.
They had and still have better players in place here.

Come August we could be looking at:
Crawford, Round 1 pick, Brent, Ware
with
Selvie, Bass, Hayden, Round 3/4 pick behind them.

First, since the NFL doesn't play in March, I think my supposition makes just a bit more sense.

If Brent comes back, he's looking at a long suspension. Ware is now Selvie's sidekick. Demarcus is done. Crawford, as far as we know, is no better than Rayford or Nevis. And that first round pick might be a safety if form holds.

And by the way, you call me on a typo, then post that paragraphical mess? LOL

 

[FuzzyLumpkins]

We have to keep Ware and hope that elbow surgery stops him from losing strength in that arm again.

 

[erod]

if you have to ask that question you are worried more about the narrative than reality.
if the team was supposed to have foresight that all the injuries would occur seems fair to take credit for the breakout season as well, no?
i get why we'd want to ignore the lone pro bowler on the defense tho.

Hatcher will not be here.

This thread is about 2014. My head was stuck on players who have at least a remote chance of being here. Unless Hatcher falls down a flight of stairs or pulls a Brent, he's gone.

 

[starfrombirth]

Thinking "to" much can be a problem.

TODAY Dallas' starting DL is:
Spencer, Hatcher, Hayden, Ware.

By March 11th it 'may' be as you posit. But assumptions we tear down to that group as if we were ever going to sit there for any length of time are pointless.

Last year was a fairly terrible draft. DL especially. The few who could play went plenty high.
Dallas was actually quite wise to opt out of that DL group in the draft.
They had and still have better players in place here.

Come August we could be looking at:
Crawford, Round 1 pick, Brent, Ware
with
Selvie, Bass, Hayden, Round 3/4 pick behind them.

by your own logic you can't include spencer as a starter

 

[casmith07]

Revisionist history doesn't make it true.

And plenty of people looked at our starting line and the depth and felt good about it.

 

[CF74]

Funny how pro bowler Jason Hatcher is conspicuously absent from this story... Didn't fit the narrative I guess

Diamond surrounded by trash...

 

[Fansince64]

Revisionist history doesn't make it true.

And plenty of people looked at our starting line and the depth and felt good about it.

You, Jerry, Steven and who else?

Certainly a lot of fans on this site and most football "experts(?)" and "talking heads" mentioned the facts that there were questions on the DL because:
1. Ware was coming off of an injury-plagued but still relatively productive season in 2012
2. Spencer was coming off of the only really outstanding season during his career
3. Ratliff had not been dominant since 2009

So what actually happened?
1. Ware had a more injury-plagued and less productive season
2. Spencer didn't play at all
3. Ratliff ditto

But Jerry and Stephen (and apparently you too) insisted on regarding hope as a fait accompli instead. That belief that everything will always turn out the best that can be hoped for is one of our front office's greatest failures in the past 19+ years. You don't have to assume that everything will "go to h**l in a hand basket" like 2013 but you certainly don't regard 3 separate "hopes and prayers" as certainties when planning for the future.


Monte Sliger

 

[car351]

Nigh a year ago, Jerry called the defensive line a team strength right before the draft.

The worst smokescreen of all time, we thought, because no one could believe such an exaggerated tall-tale lie. Kiffin and Marinelli chimed in like good foot soldiers, but both had to look at their feet to maintain their poker faces. Baghdad Bob had more credibility.

And then....they drafted not a single one. My God, Jerry actually believed this. A tight end, receiver, and safety later, reality set in.

The "thought" was, a Ware would return like new from the infirmary, Ratliff would resurrect, Spencer would repeat what he'd never done before, and a fat guy would seamlessly be woven in.

Then, football happened.

Come September, some dude named George Selvie was the only good lineman on the team. Ratliff was AWOL as usual, Spencer had a bum knee, and Ware spent a year getting manhandled by backup linemen yet again as his body continued to disintegrate. An assembly line of nightclub bouncers took turns not rushing the passer for the duration.

That alone cost Dallas the playoffs. Again.

And now, that same Achilles heel looms even larger over the prospects for 2014. Spencer can barely walk. The Ratliff illusion has vanished. Ware is about to get cut most likely, and he's done anyway.

Dallas has to build a pass rush around, yep, George Selvie. And no, there is no money to compete for a big name free agent. It's got to happen in the draft and off the scrap heap. Nick Hayden probably returns. Tyrone Crawford has to come back as an impact player. Ben Bass, too, though he breaks when the whistle blows.

That's right. Your starting Cowboys defensive line today is Selvie, Hayden, Bass, and Crawford. Is that still a "team strength", Jerry?

It wouldn't be insane for Dallas to draft seven defensive linemen. That's how bare the cubbard is. We're down to Raman noodles and a questionable bottle of barbeque sauce.

With a strong pass rush, all would be very promising. Without it, another pointless year lies ahead. The Cowboys have to hit on THREE defensive linemen that can play right now, and two have be impact level performers. Nothing less.

Dilly-dallying with the offensive and defensive lines is football blasphemy. Dallas continues to pay the price for exactly that. Careers are being wasted over it.

Now we sit, stew, and wait.

Really honest and entertaining post as well. Enjoyed reading it and I couldn't agree with you more.

 

[erod]

Revisionist history doesn't make it true.

And plenty of people looked at our starting line and the depth and felt good about it.

Everybody wanted a defensive linemen or two in the draft that I remember. I thought Spencer would be the strength, but I was already convinced Ware was on a steep decline. Hatcher was a pleasant surprise we didn't see coming.

Jerry was actually counting big time on Ratliff. Ponder that for a second.