We have four starters on defense

[gimmesix]

Was planning on doing a roster analysis, but don't have time right now.

The defensive synopsis is that we need a lot of help. There are only four starters who we should not be looking for opportunities to replace/upgrade: DeMarcus Ware, Jay Ratliff, Sean Lee and Mike Jenkins. We need to see how free agency and the draft falls to find out how many of the others we can realistically replace next season. Obviously, it won't be all of them, but we need to be very opportunistic in trying to fix this defense.

On the offensive side, it obviously just comes down to putting together a quality line. That probably entails flipping tackles to put the more athletic Tyron Smith on the left side and doing what we can to upgrade all three interior linemen. It also means getting a different line coach, as other teams seem to be better at plugging in players without disastrous results.

That's a lot to accomplish in one offseason, and we probably won't get it all done, but hopefully the team recognizes that we've got to move toward this and quickly if we're going to stand a chance of competing for a Super Bowl before the careers of players like Ware and Romo are wasted.

 

[dboy214]

i agree with you, but we are already behind the eight ball with the scandrick/sensy contracts.

 

[DallasDomination]

Ware,Lee and Jenkins...that's 3 starters.

 

[Cowboys&LakersFan]

Ratliff should be moved to DE. It's pretty sad tho we only have 5 starting caliber players on defense.

 

[Don Corleone]

Ratliff is not a 3-4 NT. That position needs more size and needs to be able to bring heat up the middle.

 

[CowboyMike]

With all honesty I am pretty happy with our D-line and our DE rotation. We get Josh Brent back healthy and I think we'll be fine there. Ratliff is an unorthodox NT, but they said in last night's broadcasts that he was the player the Giants were most worried about. I think that speaks volumes. When we have Brent back to give us some size and spell him, Ratliff will be better. This defense was much better when it had a full time line rotation at the beginning of the season rather than when we started to get some injuries.

I'm concerned about an ILB to replace Brooking and/or James and provide depth there. I'm not sure if we'll keep Spencer, but I have a feeling we will. We need his eventual replacement and depth there.

And we need Newman's replacement. Period.

 

[StevenOtero]

Ratliff is not a 3-4 NT. That position needs more size and needs to be able to bring heat up the middle.

You're not allowed to say that on here. The Ratliff apologists will come up with every excuse you can think. ...but I agree with you.

 

[NumOneQB]

Ratliff is not a 3-4 NT. That position needs more size and needs to be able to bring heat up the middle.

Though a "tad" undersized, Ratliff is an excellent NT. The 3-4 NT has to be able to control both gaps and he does that very well. Bull rushing, or heat up the middle as you say, means nothing as he will usually see the Center getting help from either guard. He's very good at the point of attack...

 

[Cowboys&LakersFan]

Ratliff is not a 3-4 NT. That position needs more size and needs to be able to bring heat up the middle.

No he isn't, but he's a better NT than abyody we have on the roster.

 

[gimmesix]

With all honesty I am pretty happy with our D-line and our DE rotation. We get Josh Brent back healthy and I think we'll be fine there. Ratliff is an unorthodox NT, but they said in last night's broadcasts that he was the player the Giants were most worried about. I think that speaks volumes. When we have Brent back to give us some size and spell him, Ratliff will be better. This defense was much better when it had a full time line rotation at the beginning of the season rather than when we started to get some injuries.

I'm concerned about an ILB to replace Brooking and/or James and provide depth there. I'm not sure if we'll keep Spencer, but I have a feeling we will. We need his eventual replacement and depth there.

And we need Newman's replacement. Period.

I can't agree with you on the D-line and DE rotation. I think we have several solid backups and Ratliff. We need at least one more guy there that teams have to worry about to take the pressure off Ratliff, Ware and whoever the other OLB will be. I do think this current line plays the run fine most of the time, but we need more from the group, even in a 3-4.

I do think we can get by at ILB with James. I'd love to see us upgrade there, but we might have to live with bringing James back fairly cheap and hoping Carter or another ILB we draft can step up. I'm certainly less worried about having James there than I am having Spencer at OLB. I'm not totally down on Spencer because I think he does some good things. He just doesn't do them consistently or provide much pressure.

And as a former Newman supporter, I could not agree with you more. He has just lost it and gone from being a solid player to a total liability.

 

[CowboyMike]

I can't agree with you on the D-line and DE rotation. I think we have several solid backups and Ratliff. We need at least one more guy there that teams have to worry about to take the pressure off Ratliff, Ware and whoever the other OLB will be. I do think this current line plays the run fine most of the time, but we need more from the group, even in a 3-4.

I do think we can get by at ILB with James. I'd love to see us upgrade there, but we might have to live with bringing James back fairly cheap and hoping Carter or another ILB we draft can step up. I'm certainly less worried about having James there than I am having Spencer at OLB. I'm not totally down on Spencer because I think he does some good things. He just doesn't do them consistently or provide much pressure.

And as a former Newman supporter, I could not agree with you more. He has just lost it and gone from being a solid player to a total liability.

We think along the same wavelengths. I, too, think we would be fine with Bradie in there, but would not be opposed to an upgrade. I still think he has a bunch left in the tank, though, if you control his snaps correctly.

I'm a believer that you don't necessarily need a consistent pass rush from your line in a 3-4, you just need push. I think we have a good combination. The run play and space eating ability of our DEs is what lets Ratliff do his thing. I think Spears turned it on a little because he was shown some love from us. I think he is ecstatic that he's going to retire a Cowboy and it sort of renewed him. Lissemore is someone I really like. I don't want to get rid of any of our guys in order for someone new, unless they're a clear upgrade. JJ Watt caliber. Upgrading d-line is a luxury, in my opinion. I think we can get to the promised land with what we have, because we need to concentrate on upgrading other areas.

I'm okay with Spencer because I don't think he is a liability. He applies pressure and plays the run well. He just doesn't seem to be able to get to the quarterback in time for the sack. While I'd like another dominant force out there, I think we can live with him if we have to.

I was a Newman supporter as well, but last night turned me. And it wasn't even his coverage. It was his tackling effort. Wrap a guy up, man. And when teams start attacking you when they used to avoid throwing at you at all, you know you're done.

 

[BIGDen]

I'd add Sensabaugh to make it 5. He has been good for us overall. He played with a foot injury over that last month of the season which, I believe, affected his play. I think Scandrick has the potential to be a good 3rd CB with better coaching, but he has to prove it. We have some depth on the DL with Brent, Hatcher, and Lissemore but need an impactful starter on the DL.

Major holes on D (starters):

CB, ILB, OLB, S, DE

We clearly need some young guys like Carter and maybe Church to step up, but this cannot all be solved in the draft. A couple of FAs must be brought in. We need pass rushers like the Eagles and Giants have. It's a passing league and those are the guys that can throw off a good passing game (and cover for weakness in the defensive backfield). This isn't even addressing needing at least 2 new starters on the OL. Time for a great offseason... because we're gonna need it. :

 

[RoyTheHammer]

Though a "tad" undersized, Ratliff is an excellent NT. The 3-4 NT has to be able to control both gaps and he does that very well. Bull rushing, or heat up the middle as you say, means nothing as he will usually see the Center getting help from either guard. He's very good at the point of attack...

He's not good at the point of attack or controlling both gaps. On passing and rushing downs he usually chooses a side to try and attack, leaving the other side wide open and he's easily taken out of the play on runs. He gets no push whatsoever on passing downs either, and QB's usually have a giant pocket to step up into when our OLB's come on the outside rush.

 

[GoCowboysGo]

With all honesty I am pretty happy with our D-line and our DE rotation. We get Josh Brent back healthy and I think we'll be fine there. Ratliff is an unorthodox NT, but they said in last night's broadcasts that he was the player the Giants were most worried about. I think that speaks volumes. When we have Brent back to give us some size and spell him, Ratliff will be better. This defense was much better when it had a full time line rotation at the beginning of the season rather than when we started to get some injuries.

I'm concerned about an ILB to replace Brooking and/or James and provide depth there. I'm not sure if we'll keep Spencer, but I have a feeling we will. We need his eventual replacement and depth there.

And we need Newman's replacement. Period.

I think that the one of the most important steps needed to improve the D is finding a "big-nasty" to replace Ratliff. No doubt Ratliff is a great player, but it seems to me that he fades at the end of games allowing the opposition to double Ware, reducing Ware's effectiveness.

The front also badly needs another body. Ratliff may need to go. In fact, I wouldn't be opposed to trading Ware for a OG a safety and a draft pick (if they could pull it off).

It's too bad that Ware, Romo, and Witten have wasted so much time playing for Jerry Jones' Cowboys. I don't have another team that I like and I've been following the team since 1971 when I was four, but I am so down on ownership that I don't see this as a legendary team any more, it's become a joke, like the Raiders of the last ten years. Tony Romo, Ware and Witten have been a bandage for the sucking chest wound they were surrounded by.

JJ had a chance to continue the legacy, but the truth is blatantly clear now, he's used Romo, Witten and Ware to sell tickets and build his crown jewel. The standard is still Tom Landry and Tex Schramm.

/rant

 

[Little Jr]

Was planning on doing a roster analysis, but don't have time right now.

The defensive synopsis is that we need a lot of help. There are only four starters who we should not be looking for opportunities to replace/upgrade: DeMarcus Ware, Jay Ratliff, Sean Lee and Mike Jenkins. We need to see how free agency and the draft falls to find out how many of the others we can realistically replace next season. Obviously, it won't be all of them, but we need to be very opportunistic in trying to fix this defense.

On the offensive side, it obviously just comes down to putting together a quality line. That probably entails flipping tackles to put the more athletic Tyron Smith on the left side and doing what we can to upgrade all three interior linemen. It also means getting a different line coach, as other teams seem to be better at plugging in players without disastrous results.

That's a lot to accomplish in one offseason, and we probably won't get it all done, but hopefully the team recognizes that we've got to move toward this and quickly if we're going to stand a chance of competing for a Super Bowl before the careers of players like Ware and Romo are wasted.

I agree but i dont think ratliff fits ryans d as a nt. Like to see him as a de and bring in a good fat boy to play nt. He was great in wades 3-4 but not so much in ryans. Both the ryans usually have a big fat dude in the middle

 

[burmafrd]

No team has a starting line up that does not include players one step up from Jags. NO ONE.

Its a matter of WHERE you have your playmakers.

Our problem is two fold:

We DESPERATELY need another pass rusher to balance Ware.

And we BADLY need a DB that can make plays.

Our D line is good enough if we strengthen the LBS.

We need to find a ILB to replace James and frankly one OLB to replace Spencer.

If we can get a playmaking DB and a OLB that can get us 8-10 sacks a year and still be good against the Run then this D will be a LOT better.

 

[gimmesix]

I'm a believer that you don't necessarily need a consistent pass rush from your line in a 3-4, you just need push. I think we have a good combination. The run play and space eating ability of our DEs is what lets Ratliff do his thing. I think Spears turned it on a little because he was shown some love from us. I think he is ecstatic that he's going to retire a Cowboy and it sort of renewed him. Lissemore is someone I really like. I don't want to get rid of any of our guys in order for someone new, unless they're a clear upgrade. JJ Watt caliber. Upgrading d-line is a luxury, in my opinion. I think we can get to the promised land with what we have, because we need to concentrate on upgrading other areas.

I'm okay with Spencer because I don't think he is a liability. He applies pressure and plays the run well. He just doesn't seem to be able to get to the quarterback in time for the sack. While I'd like another dominant force out there, I think we can live with him if we have to.

I'd prefer to have Lissemore and Hatcher fighting it out for one starting spot and get someone who can really push one-on-one blocks back into the pocket for the other. To me, Ratliff's and Ware's problems all stem from the fact that they are the only "line" players defensive coordinators are truly concerned about. If you tie up Ratliff, how often are any of the other linemen going to get enough of a push to disrupt the play? If you double Ware, can any of the other players pressure the QB enough to make you pay for it?

If we add a pocket pusher next to Ratliff, it gives him and Ware more opportunities to be single-blocked. If we add another OLB who can rush the passer, it opens up even more opportunities.

At this point, I don't want to live with Spencer anymore. I think he flashes just enough to make it seem possible to get by with him, but I don't want to just get by anymore.

 

[gimmesix]

No team has a starting line up that does not include players one step up from Jags. NO ONE.

Its a matter of WHERE you have your playmakers.

Our problem is two fold:

We DESPERATELY need another pass rusher to balance Ware.

And we BADLY need a DB that can make plays.

Our D line is good enough if we strengthen the LBS.

We need to find a ILB to replace James and frankly one OLB to replace Spencer.

If we can get a playmaking DB and a OLB that can get us 8-10 sacks a year and still be good against the Run then this D will be a LOT better.

I think I addressed that there's no way we'll be able to make (or afford) all the changes we need for this defense and offense.

But I also don't want to delude myself any longer into thinking the guys we have are good enough.

We've got too many JAGs that we're trying to sell ourselves on, and this last game, if no other, should tell us that's just not good enough.

But I don't think you and I are far off on what the primary needs are. I just think adding one standout DL is more important than replacing James at ILB. (Plus, I think Carter might be able to do that ... although I would expect us to draft one to challenge, too.)