Why does the media keep saying we don't have a LB to drop in coverage?

[xwalker]

I'll admit, I don't know everything about the Tampa 2 but from what I've seen, Sean Lee is pretty darn good at covering guys as well as getting his hands on the ball. I think Carter may be faster but Lee has great instincts and has a nose for the ball. Doesn't Lee's position require him to drop back in coverage? If so, what's to worry about?

Sean Lee had a 1.60 forty and 1.54 ten-yard time while still recovering from a knee injury. That's fast for a LB and faster than many Safeties. Lee has been better at coming up with interceptions than any Cowboy's LB in a long time.

Bruce Carter is one of, if not the fastest LB in the NFL. There are no official times for him because he could participate in pre-draft workouts due to a knee injury; however, multiple reports indicate that he ran a 4.38 at a Junior Day workout the prior year.

 

[jobberone]

Lee is remarkable about not only moving quickly as per his times but he's so instinctive he just gets to the ball very quickly. Carter is faster but doesn't have his instincts....yet.

 

[xwalker]

That's not even really a requirement in today's Cover 2 schemes because offenses will just beat them with an athletic TE or slot WR running down the deep middle. LB's can't catch up to them.

There are on a only few TEs that are faster than Sean Lee and probably Zero that are faster than Bruce Carter.

Durant (4.51 forty) and Sims (4.5 forty) are probably faster than most TEs also.

They still have MLB's do that occasionally, usually more of a way to provide an over and under coverage with the safety helping over the top. But, Cover 2 coaches have adapted this so you don't need that type of MLB. It's not 1998 anymore.
YR

The Tampa-2 is defined by having the MLB cover the deep middle of the field between the 2 safety zones. The Tampa-2 is not really a Cover-2.

I don't know how much of the actual Tampa-2 that they will run, but when they do run it, the MLB will be dropping into the deep middle zone; otherwise, it wouldn't be a Tampa-2 coverage.

 

[MichaelWinicki]

Sean Lee had a 1.60 forty and 1.54 ten-yard time while still recovering from a knee injury. That's fast for a LB and faster than many Safeties. Lee has been better at coming up with interceptions than any Cowboy's LB in a long time.

Bruce Carter is one of, if not the fastest LB in the NFL. There are no official times for him because he could participate in pre-draft workouts due to a knee injury; however, multiple reports indicate that he ran a 4.38 at a Junior Day workout the prior year.

Oh I know Carter is athletic.

And yes Lee has done well in the int department but I'm still not sold on either one being effective as "deep-drop" linebackers until we've seen them do it... successfully. It's not just speed, it's awareness. And there's a difference (of course) between Lee patrolling the short zones against backs and patrolling deep zones against wide receivers.

 

[xwalker]

Who is the nickel and dimer guy who will fill in for Durant? Albright or Sims?

The nickel replaces 1 LB with a DB. The dime replaces 2 LBs with 2 DBs.

As you indicated, Durant would be the LB that would be replaced by a DB in the nickel package; however, the replacement will not be another LB. It will be CB Orlando Scandrick.

I don't expect to see the Cowboys use a lot of the dime package if both Carter and Lee are healthy.

 

[speedkilz88]

Oh I know Carter is athletic.

And yes Lee has done well in the int department but I'm still not sold on either one being effective as "deep-drop" linebackers until we've seen them do it... successfully. It's not just speed, it's awareness. And there's a difference (of course) between Lee patrolling the short zones against backs and patrolling deep zones against wide receivers.

I don't think Kiffin could find two other LBs that fit his scheme any better.

 

[jobberone]

The Tampa 2 is a cover 3 when the Mike drops deep.

 

[durrrr]

Literally haven't heard anyone say this, but I also don't pay much attention to the talking heads, especially during this time of year.

 

[jobberone]

Literally haven't heard anyone say this, but I also don't pay much attention to the talking heads, especially during this time of year.

Just creates basically 3 players deeper when the Mike drops deep. S M S with the corners and other LBs underneath.

 

[durrrr]

Just creates basically 3 players deeper when the Mike drops deep. S M S with the corners and other LBs underneath.

that was directed at the OP/thread title fwiw

 

[jobberone]

that was directed at the OP/thread title fwiw

Sry. Shouldn't have assumed it was directed above since you didn't quote it. My bad.

 

[Next Years Champ]

I'll admit, I don't know everything about the Tampa 2 but from what I've seen, Sean Lee is pretty darn good at covering guys as well as getting his hands on the ball. I think Carter may be faster but Lee has great instincts and has a nose for the ball. Doesn't Lee's position require him to drop back in coverage? If so, what's to worry about?

I think most of this comes from now using Ware now as a defensive end and not being a LBer. The versatility he brought to the 3-4 allowed him to drop in coverage at times, which I never liked but Rob Ryan constantly did it and it just killed our pass rush in doing so.

So wondering how Kiflin is going to work it and who ends up being that LBer who can bring the ability to play that way will be a challenge.

But I think tight now, that quality isn't a high priority. I think the first priority has to be stopping the run and getting the offense into 3rd and long where it doesn't matter if we have a pass-covering LB because on 3rd down he'll be on the bench and safeties and CBs will be on the field anyway and the pass rush is not going to be looking for running plays.

Problems solved.No more hand-ringing. Kifin's defense has to do what Ryan's never did..dictate to the offense what to do, not the reverse.

We'll see.

 

[Yakuza Rich]

There are on a only few TEs that are faster than Sean Lee and probably Zero that are faster than Bruce Carter.

Durant (4.51 forty) and Sims (4.5 forty) are probably faster than most TEs also.



The Tampa-2 is defined by having the MLB cover the deep middle of the field between the 2 safety zones. The Tampa-2 is not really a Cover-2.

I don't know how much of the actual Tampa-2 that they will run, but when they do run it, the MLB will be dropping into the deep middle zone; otherwise, it wouldn't be a Tampa-2 coverage.

That's not exactly true.

Tampa 2 is also defined by the corners playing zone versus man-to-man. And TE's like Dustin Keller, Vernon Davis, and Jimmy Graham are as fast as Carter.

The old Tampa 2 coverages would have the MLB be mainly responsible for the deep middle. AT that time the league wasn't filled with athletic TE's, so often times a smaller, faster MLB could handle the deep middle. Now they've changed the TE's and thus the MLB doesn't usually have the sole responsibility to patrol the deep middle. There's usually a safety over the top




YR

 

[jobberone]

That's not exactly true.

Tampa 2 is also defined by the corners playing zone versus man-to-man. And TE's like Dustin Keller, Vernon Davis, and Jimmy Graham are as fast as Carter.

The old Tampa 2 coverages would have the MLB be mainly responsible for the deep middle. AT that time the league wasn't filled with athletic TE's, so often times a smaller, faster MLB could handle the deep middle. Now they've changed the TE's and thus the MLB doesn't usually have the sole responsibility to patrol the deep middle. There's usually a safety over the top




YR

Yeah, but you also have the evolution of that fast cover LB to help cover these guys as well. I suspect we'll see some plain ole vanilla Cover 3 Tampa 2 style but it won't be that simple all the time. I've tried to look at his coverage schemes but haven't gotten very far. I don't think the corners pinching receivers, coming up in rush and run support, and help in the soft areas is going to change a lot. There's only so many ways to play zone. I just hope our corners and all can tackle. O/W it might be not so pretty at times.

 

[Mrdude108]

I heard the exact same thing on ESPN, it was NFL Live (I think) and one of the bigger guys said the biggest problem/question Dallas has is going to 4-3 and his main reason was that we don't have a LB who can cover. I remember talking to fan of a different team about it and even he thought it was ridiculous.

 

[Clove]

They're probably referring to the "Urlacher" type of LB who can quickly drop into deep coverage, between the two safeties. Lee may not have the foot speed to be able to do that. I don't know if Carter has the awareness to do it.

Basically saying Carter is dumb. Okay

 

[dcstands4]

Sorry guys, I really don't remember but it was one of the analysts on ESPN. I want to say Mcnab but he it may not have been. I know he did say our D was in Shambles...

Yeah don't listen to Mcnabb, I swear since he got the job at NFLN he is tryna be the biggest jerk commentator after Skip Bayless. I never see him say anything good about anyone. I know Deion Sanders isn't on yet (regular season) but he provides harsh but truth for the Cowboys

 

[Fredd]

No one listened to McNabb when he was behind center (in his last few years), so why listen to him now...

 

[MichaelWinicki]

Basically saying Carter is dumb. Okay

Nope. Not at all.

Many seem to be forgetting that Urlacher was a DB before he became a linebacker. He had some experience reading routes, playing in a deep zone... All that sort of thing.

I think it's obvious when I say playing the pass is worlds different than playing the run. And all of a sudden you take a linebacker, who was a linebacker in college, who hasn't played much at the NFL level and you drop in in the middle deep zone of the secondary and expect him to flawlessly be able to read routes... Well...

 

[Trueboysfan]

Ya I like the 4-3 scheme. And I believe that we will in fact be in the Nickle package 40% of the time due to the passing attacks we will be facing this year.