Video: Will McClay talking about DLaw playing in 3-4

[TheMarathonContinues]

I can bet he won't whine like Greg Ellis did.

Ellis bought in though.

 

[doomsday9084]

Someone mentioned this in a previous thread. The base package for most teams is a nickel. The 3-4 / 4-3 debate is largely moot. As someone said, the Cowboys should just use hybrid looks, switching based on situation. Overall, the need for a pass rusher if Quinn leaves and a run stuffing DT doesn't change.

 

[LatinMind]

Very true. He came in at Atl and they had a 43 and he kept it that in 2012 and 13. He went to a 34 in 2014, but still ran a lot of hybrids like he did when he ran the 43 the first 2 years. I think the 43 or 34 is talked about too much with as much nickle as every team runs. The personnel changes and scheme changes but the fronts dont change much with all the nickle. You just different type of players running it

2014 def is why he got fired too.

I dont think Dallas brought in McCarthy to change up whats here but coach it up. With experienced assertive coaches. Make what you have better. Not rebuild. You need a Dt lets go get him. You need a S lets get a good one. As they have tried 2 twice this past yr

 

[Seven]

I can bet he won't whine like Greg Ellis did.

Oh Lord that was epic.........

 

[quickccc]

Not in favor of 3-4. Harder to find players for it. Also Jerry has been in love with Seattle's 4-3 for the better part of a decade.

but like we do most of the time, we always seemingly end up mimicking what another, other NFL teams do ..instead of finding our own identity.

we want to mimic Ravens 3-4 so we pick up another Ryan brother to do so.
we want to mimic the Tampa 2, so we bring over the Kiffin/Marinelli crew to install it.,
we want to mimic the Pats 2 TE approach (when they had both Gronk and Hernandez) so we're drafting Bennett as high as the 2nd round.
we want to mimic the Legion of Boom success, so we're hiring Kris Richard in.
we want to mimic the Sean McVey's Rams pre-snap motion offense, so we go to Kellen Moore to implement that.

otherwise all we know if the 90's offense from the Garrett era.

 

[Bowdown27]

That's the current presumption, no???

That’s what I thought too lol seems from will and people on here that we’re switching lol

 

[Little Jr]

2014 def is why he got fired too.

I dont think Dallas brought in McCarthy to change up whats here but coach it up. With experienced assertive coaches. Make what you have better. Not rebuild. You need a Dt lets go get him. You need a S lets get a good one. As they have tried 2 twice this past yr

yeah they were horrible in 2014. It takes, or CAN, take a couple of year to get players in to fit what you want to do. Then it CAN take a couple of more to get them going in the new system.

 

[Runwildboys]

I'm guessing he meant to write "couldn't".

 

[gjkoeppen]

Is this a hint we may switch to 3-4??????? I mean why talk about it ......

This is the first thing I thought of when reading this tweet. The guy who's job is scouting players they may want to acquire in the draft or free agency is now speculation on an actual coaches call. Now if McCarthy told him to start scouting 3-4 players I still can't see why a scout would be playing coach and evaluating a current player. Teams that switch from a 4-3 to a 3-4 don't make that switch all in a single off season. That first year the 3-4 is seldom ever better or even more consistent than the inconsistent defense last season. If the Cowboys truly think they are in a window for competing for a Super Bowl then why would they intentionally try expanding that window by changing to a 3-4 defense. The Cowboys not only not having the linemen for a 3-4 but don't have the LB's either and that's a lot of talent that will be needed.
.

 

[cern]

Whatever we do on defense, it can't be any worse than last year.

 

[mmohican29]

The typical heads on this forum would be doing the same crying about this staff next yr waiting for the 3-4. Because even Parcells took 2 yrs to transition.

And still the FB was left wide open. Parcells' stint in Dallas was a joke imo.

 

[DCwarrior]

As much as the front office avoids big nose tackles I sure hope hope we don’t go 3-4.

 

[Hawkeye0202]

Ellis bought in though.

Yea he did but...........lol
Don't know there's ever been a Cowboy player that betch and moaned as much Greg Ellis did WITHOUT pssing off coaching staff. (lol)

 

[ScipioCowboy]

Outside of Dallas, there’s really no such thing as a pure 3-4 or 4-3 anymore. Generally, you get a couple two-gapping linemen.

 

[ItzKelz]

Has the 3-4 been confirmed?

 

[NorthTexan95]

IMO, having DLaw in a two point stance isn't a big deal at all in most situations. He may feel more comfortable with his hand on the ground but that can be overcome in a single off season as long as he's open to change. The biggest issue would be if he's asked to drop back into coverage. That could take a lot of work. But would they ask him to do that?

When Wade was here Demarcus Lawrence played the weak side and almost always rushed. He rushed so often that most teams considered us a 4-3 when it came to pass blocking us. I'd imagine if we did go to a 3-4 Lawrence would be rushing the vast majority of the time so we'd regularly have four rushers.

 

[Hawkeye0202]

Has the 3-4 been confirmed?

No

 

[John813]

Someone mentioned this in a previous thread. The base package for most teams is a nickel. The 3-4 / 4-3 debate is largely moot. As someone said, the Cowboys should just use hybrid looks, switching based on situation. Overall, the need for a pass rusher if Quinn leaves and a run stuffing DT doesn't change.

Cowboys even used a 3-2-6 and a 3-1-6 at times. Think they went to that defense vs the Cardinals in 2017 IIRC and it changed the bleeding on defense.

Obviously on plays where they expected a pass, but some guys have played in that 3 down setup.
Back in 2017 they ran a lot of those packages early on. Think it was Law, Collins and Crawford.

 

[Alexander]

I would prefer a return to th 3-4, they need to be smart and strategic. They need to avoid kidding themselves that they are just a couple players away.

 

[SackMaster]

Not in favor of 3-4. Harder to find players for it. Also Jerry has been in love with Seattle's 4-3 for the better part of a decade.

"Harder to find players for it" all goes in cycles.

It is really hard to find that true 4-3 passrushing DE that is also a good run defender. It makes it even harder to find those guys when over half the league is playing in a 4-3.

Just like it is really hard to find that 3-4 OLB that can pashrush, hold the edge and not be a complete dunce in coverage. Again, even harder when half the league is playing in a 3-4.

Dallas originally move to a 3-4 Defense is because they tried and failed over and over again at finding good passrushing DEs while using high draft picks with guys like Ebenezer Ekuban, Kavika Pittman, Shante Carver and even, to some extent, Greg Ellis. The first 3 were garbage and Ellis was never an "elite" passrusher. A darn good player, yes. An elite passrusher, no. BTW, Ellis' best passrushing season, by far, was when he played as a 3-4 OLB.

Then Dallas really had to move back to the 4-3 due to missing on Bobby Carpenter and Anthony Spencer. And none of their later draft picks, Erik Walden, Victor Butler, Brandon William or Kyle Wilber was able to step up either. Then to top it all off, they refused to find a TRUE NT to anchor the middle of the D, instead opting for the "1-Gap 3-4", which to me is an oxymoron.

Either way, it is hard to find those great cornerstone pieces of ANY defense, but it can become even harder when fighting with most of the league for the same types of players.