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Who Have the Cowboys Assembled on Defense?
http://www.bloggingtheboys.com/2016...art-2-defense-and-special-teams-rod-marinelli
Here is the full list of defensive players on the 2016 roster along with some key data for each player. The table is sortable, just click on the blue column headers to sort.
Cowboys active roster overview 2016, Defense
Position Name Age Source Joined Controlled till 2016 Cap in M$
DE Mayowa, Benson 25 FA 2016 2018- 1.8
DE Crawford, Jack 27 FA 2014 2016- 1.1
DE Tapper, Charles 23 4th Round 2016 2019- 0.6
DE Irving, David 23 FA 2015 2016- 0.5
DT Crawford, Tyrone 26 3rd Round 2012 2020- 4.4
DT Thornton, Cedric 28 FA 2016 2019- 2.3
DT McClain, Terrell 28 FA 2014 2016- 1.1
DT Collins, Maliek 21 3rd Round 2016 2019- 0.7
LB Lee, Sean 30 2nd Round 2010 2019- 6.2
LB Gachkar, Andrew 27 FA 2015 2016- 1.9
LB Wilber, Kyle 27 4th Round 2012 2017- 1.5
LB Hitchens, Anthony 24 4th Round 2014 2017- 0.7
LB Durant, Justin 30 FA 2016 2016- 0.7
LB Wilson, Damien 23 4th Round 2015 2018- 0.6
LB Nzeocha, Mark 26 7th Round 2015 2018- 0.5
CB Carr, Brandon 30 FA 2012 2016- 10.2
CB Scandrick, Orlando 29 5th Round 2008 2019- 4.8
CB Claiborne, Morris 26 1st Round 2012 2016- 2.7
CB Brown, Anthony 22 6th Round 2016 2019- 0.5
CB Swanson, Dax 25 FA 2016 2017- 0.5
S Church, Barry 28 UDFA 2010 2016- 4.8
S Jones, Byron 23 1st Round 2015 2018-19- 2.0
S Wilcox, J.J. 25 3rd Round 2013 2016- 1.8
S Heath, Jeff 25 UDFA 2013 2019- 1.4
S Frazier, Kavon 22 6th Round 2016 2019- 0.5
Largest cap hits for 2016 on defense:
Carr 10.2
Lee 6.2
Scandrick 4.8
Church 4.8
T Crawford 4.4
Claiborne 2.7
Thornton 2.3
Jones 2.0
Follow the Money
One thing that jumps out from this data is where Dallas has spent the most resources on the defensive side of the ball. It’s in the defensive backfield. Is this what you thought before you read this article?
Almost $29 million in cap space is being devoted to the 10 defensive backs on the roster, which is far more than any other position group on offense or defense this year. (The offensive line will pass them by next year.) A big chunk of this is the carryover of Brandon Carr’s contract, which is more than $10 million even after he took a pay cut, but it’s not the only reason.
Note that three defensive backs have bigger cap hits than anyone on the defensive line. The Cowboys have also spent two first-round draft picks on the DBs, one of whom — Mo Claiborne — cost a first- and second-round pick to acquire.
So, unlike on offense, where Dallas has heavily invested in the big boys who play in the trenches, on defense, Dallas has built its current team from the back end first.
Suspensions Are Hurting the Defense
On offense, it’s injuries. On defense, it’s suspensions. The roster list above is missing two second-round draft picks and a former first-rounder that Dallas signed as a free agent on the cheap. I’m talking about Demarcus Lawrence, Randy Gregory, and Rolando McClain, or the Cowboys best pass rusher, its speediest end rusher, and a linebacker sturdy enough to stop the run and fast enough to cover. Their absence is sorely missed.
Of course, we expect Lawrence back after four games, and thank goodness, as he made huge strides from his first to his second season.
But it’s a total mystery if or when we’ll see Randy Gregory again. Does he have four-game suspension, or a 10-game suspension, or something else? Leave it to the NFL to make these situations maddening. Most have written Gregory off for the season, but it’s too bad. In the preseason match against Seattle, wouldn’t you have preferred watching Gregory try to chase down Russell Wilson than Ryan Russell? My guess is that Kyle Wilber is going to be used this year to impersonate Gregory when Dallas needs some speed off the edge.
At least Randy Gregory has a locker at the Star, unlike Rolando McClain. Dallas hasn’t cut the other McClain, but they also haven’t rolled out the welcome mat. And why should they given his enigmatic history? He’s likely played his last game in the NFL, but who knows? If he were in shape and motivated, he’d certainly be Dallas’s second-best linebacker (behind Sean Lee), and was a key player on that 2014 defense.
Who’s to blame for this situation? The players themselves are responsible for their actions, but the Dallas personnel department could have made different choices instead of risking draft and cap capital on unstable players...
http://www.bloggingtheboys.com/2016...art-2-defense-and-special-teams-rod-marinelli
Here is the full list of defensive players on the 2016 roster along with some key data for each player. The table is sortable, just click on the blue column headers to sort.
Cowboys active roster overview 2016, Defense
Position Name Age Source Joined Controlled till 2016 Cap in M$
DE Mayowa, Benson 25 FA 2016 2018- 1.8
DE Crawford, Jack 27 FA 2014 2016- 1.1
DE Tapper, Charles 23 4th Round 2016 2019- 0.6
DE Irving, David 23 FA 2015 2016- 0.5
DT Crawford, Tyrone 26 3rd Round 2012 2020- 4.4
DT Thornton, Cedric 28 FA 2016 2019- 2.3
DT McClain, Terrell 28 FA 2014 2016- 1.1
DT Collins, Maliek 21 3rd Round 2016 2019- 0.7
LB Lee, Sean 30 2nd Round 2010 2019- 6.2
LB Gachkar, Andrew 27 FA 2015 2016- 1.9
LB Wilber, Kyle 27 4th Round 2012 2017- 1.5
LB Hitchens, Anthony 24 4th Round 2014 2017- 0.7
LB Durant, Justin 30 FA 2016 2016- 0.7
LB Wilson, Damien 23 4th Round 2015 2018- 0.6
LB Nzeocha, Mark 26 7th Round 2015 2018- 0.5
CB Carr, Brandon 30 FA 2012 2016- 10.2
CB Scandrick, Orlando 29 5th Round 2008 2019- 4.8
CB Claiborne, Morris 26 1st Round 2012 2016- 2.7
CB Brown, Anthony 22 6th Round 2016 2019- 0.5
CB Swanson, Dax 25 FA 2016 2017- 0.5
S Church, Barry 28 UDFA 2010 2016- 4.8
S Jones, Byron 23 1st Round 2015 2018-19- 2.0
S Wilcox, J.J. 25 3rd Round 2013 2016- 1.8
S Heath, Jeff 25 UDFA 2013 2019- 1.4
S Frazier, Kavon 22 6th Round 2016 2019- 0.5
Largest cap hits for 2016 on defense:
Carr 10.2
Lee 6.2
Scandrick 4.8
Church 4.8
T Crawford 4.4
Claiborne 2.7
Thornton 2.3
Jones 2.0
Follow the Money
One thing that jumps out from this data is where Dallas has spent the most resources on the defensive side of the ball. It’s in the defensive backfield. Is this what you thought before you read this article?
Almost $29 million in cap space is being devoted to the 10 defensive backs on the roster, which is far more than any other position group on offense or defense this year. (The offensive line will pass them by next year.) A big chunk of this is the carryover of Brandon Carr’s contract, which is more than $10 million even after he took a pay cut, but it’s not the only reason.
Note that three defensive backs have bigger cap hits than anyone on the defensive line. The Cowboys have also spent two first-round draft picks on the DBs, one of whom — Mo Claiborne — cost a first- and second-round pick to acquire.
So, unlike on offense, where Dallas has heavily invested in the big boys who play in the trenches, on defense, Dallas has built its current team from the back end first.
Suspensions Are Hurting the Defense
On offense, it’s injuries. On defense, it’s suspensions. The roster list above is missing two second-round draft picks and a former first-rounder that Dallas signed as a free agent on the cheap. I’m talking about Demarcus Lawrence, Randy Gregory, and Rolando McClain, or the Cowboys best pass rusher, its speediest end rusher, and a linebacker sturdy enough to stop the run and fast enough to cover. Their absence is sorely missed.
Of course, we expect Lawrence back after four games, and thank goodness, as he made huge strides from his first to his second season.
But it’s a total mystery if or when we’ll see Randy Gregory again. Does he have four-game suspension, or a 10-game suspension, or something else? Leave it to the NFL to make these situations maddening. Most have written Gregory off for the season, but it’s too bad. In the preseason match against Seattle, wouldn’t you have preferred watching Gregory try to chase down Russell Wilson than Ryan Russell? My guess is that Kyle Wilber is going to be used this year to impersonate Gregory when Dallas needs some speed off the edge.
At least Randy Gregory has a locker at the Star, unlike Rolando McClain. Dallas hasn’t cut the other McClain, but they also haven’t rolled out the welcome mat. And why should they given his enigmatic history? He’s likely played his last game in the NFL, but who knows? If he were in shape and motivated, he’d certainly be Dallas’s second-best linebacker (behind Sean Lee), and was a key player on that 2014 defense.
Who’s to blame for this situation? The players themselves are responsible for their actions, but the Dallas personnel department could have made different choices instead of risking draft and cap capital on unstable players...
