Worst defensive depth chart of past decade?

[TheFinisher]

Every. Year. People overreact one way or the other to the preseason games.

Expectations around here took a nosedive after we looked so bad in SD. They'll be up again if we look good on Sat. The reality is it doesn't matter. The games don't count, and they're a poor predictor of the likely outcome of the season.

Unfortunately, this concern was there wayyyy before that first preseason game.

 

[Fredd]

my goodness, we should just pack it in at this point if you listen to about 90% of the posters in here.....please, it's pre-season...these games mean nothing...you SHOULD be seeing the unheralded,
got-something-to-prove" kinda guys in the pre-season games to see if they have anything worth keeping/developing...they just need to stay relatively healthy and the defense will be passable....the offense and special teams will need to carry the team...nothing that all of us didn't already know....harping on defensive players that are young and inexperienced in the pre-season means as much as the w/l records of the pre-season games

 

[birdwells1]

my goodness, we should just pack it in at this point if you listen to about 90% of the posters in here.....please, it's pre-season...these games mean nothing...you SHOULD be seeing the unheralded,
got-something-to-prove" kinda guys in the pre-season games to see if they have anything worth keeping/developing...they just need to stay relatively healthy and the defense will be passable....the offense and special teams will need to carry the team...nothing that all of us didn't already know....harping on defensive players that are young and inexperienced in the pre-season means as much as the w/l records of the pre-season games

Unfortunately, this concern was there wayyyy before that first preseason game.

I posted this again, maybe you missed it.

 

[Brooksey]

http://www.***BANNED-URL***/sports/...st-defensive-depth-chart-in-over-a-decade.ece

It's no secret that our defense has drawn some unfavorable reviews to put it mildly. But do you guys buy that this may be the worst group of defenders a team has fielded since the new millennium? The front 7 probably has a case for that distinction, that group looks like someone's idea of a sick joke. Even the most blind of optimists and sunshine pampers are grasping for straws when asked about this defense, except "well, it can't get any worse... Right??"

I think we will rank top 20. This Defense will improve. There's a lot of men working towards that on a daily basis, I don't see it getting worse or it would be a complete failure for this defensive staff.

 

[Frosty]

Stop making sense.

the Defense is a MASH unit of players... its worse when it looks bad on paper......usually it looks good on paper then sucks during the season....not this year..LOL.........Lost Ware, and Hatcher.....now its all about HOPE....Hope there is no more injuries...Hope these guys can get back on the field.... Hope they can be productive......HOPE is the plan at this point...

Melton (coming off an ACL/Groin)
Spencer (knee)
Lee (ACL)
McClain (with a high ankle sprain)
Crawford (coming off an ACL)
Cailborne (Shoulder, Neck, Knee)

Now add Scndrick with 4 game suspension......

 

[casmith07]

What do hyperbole mean?

 

[punchnjudy]

It's a mess ain't it sheriff?

If it ain't it will do until the mess gets here.

 

[big dog cowboy]

Adding players who could not make other teams will not do anything at all to help.

It will when players like Nick Hayden are on our roster.

 

[JohnnyHopkins]

Every. Year. People overreact one way or the other to the preseason games.

Expectations around here took a nosedive after we looked so bad in SD. They'll be up again if we look good on Sat. The reality is it doesn't matter. The games don't count, and they're a poor predictor of the likely outcome of the season.

I agree about taking too much stock in the first preseason game, but the reality is still that they did not add much to a defense that ended the season as one of the worst I have seen. That people look at what Dallas is rolling out on paper and draw the conclusion that they could possibly be worse than last season is very reasonable, if not expected imo. If Dallas can actually show some semblence of improvement over the next two games then people may decide to take stock in that, but there is currently nothing that suggests Dallas improved on the disaster that we saw on the field last season. The first game only gave reason to roll eyes for those that were already skeptical.

 

[jday]

I'd be comforted by a lack of starters in that game if there weren't question marks with starters who were out.

True; there are certainly question marks across the defense. But I'm not just talking about the starters missing on defense. The best player on defense this year very well may be the offense. Sometimes, albeit rarely, a great offense can yield a servicable defense, which if we have any luck this year, that is all we need.

 

[burmafrd]

It is Ross Tucker who is at least right twice day if he was a clock.

he is a lot better at it then you are.

 

[burmafrd]

Lets be brutally honest here: he said the defensive DEPTH was the worst it has been. Can you at this time argue otherwise honestly?

 

[jazzcat22]

And you are so sure of this Ross Tucker, and we are supposed to believe this garbage. But some will.

let's just forfeit the entire season already: get a #1 draft pick, rest all the players, heal all the injuries.
use the entire 2015 draft on defense.

problem solved.

we know the offence is ok.

But then we will get...they all sat out for a year, what kind of shape can they be in....another losing season...JJ sucks, fire Jason...

 

[PA Cowboy Fan]

I'd be comforted by a lack of starters in that game if there weren't question marks with starters who were out.

And that's the way I feel. I wasn't that concerned by the offense only scoring 7 points because I've seen what they can do when they are playing. Most of the defensive players that were out are not great to begin with and some are injury prone. I just don't think they're going to make that much of a difference.

 

[CowboysFaninHouston]

http://www.***BANNED-URL***/sports/...st-defensive-depth-chart-in-over-a-decade.ece

It's no secret that our defense has drawn some unfavorable reviews to put it mildly. But do you guys buy that this may be the worst group of defenders a team has fielded since the new millennium? The front 7 probably has a case for that distinction, that group looks like someone's idea of a sick joke. Even the most blind of optimists and sunshine pampers are grasping for straws when asked about this defense, except "well, it can't get any worse... Right??"

its bad. no doubt. its also a defense that's put together with no plan or perhaps multiple plans. the parts don't mesh together and no coach can really make it work. we went from wade, to ryan, to a 4-3 and now marinelli 4-3 and over the years never allowed the group to mesh. on top of that we invested a lot on defense. but it didn't work out. just see the list of draft picks and FA dollars we have thrown at it over the past decade and its been one bad investment after another. the hope was that we build a defense which never happened and we never focused on the offense and everyone one of us complained.

with that said, we changed strategy. we have invested in offensive side now, and at least it seems they are paying off. we had to sort of rebuild the defense, which is going to take a couple of years. first step is to admit you need to rebuild it. then you tear it down and then you start to add pieces. we started the tear down, with rat, hatcher, ware all gone. the first piece to the puzzle is Lawrence but he got injured. there is more to be done and I am sure that's where we will be investing in the upcoming years. hopefully its not too late, because as young as the offense is, the QB is critical piece and romo doesn't have that many years left.

 

[CCBoy]

Enough of this worst, horrible, couldn't be any worse, crying in the truck. Hell, a cowboy doesn't go to the truck and cry.

A NCO is taught to know his men, and to develop them up...and not wait for a nother batch of recruits to do the job. Now, that takes some faith in a common MAN, view.

But you are taught to evaluate those in your keep, and react upon what they do or do not do.

As to a bunch of youthful players, no such group projects at the top echelons of projected winners from the start. That is just a fact of life for ANY group, whether on the battlefield, in the workplace, or on the sports field.

Now, when I see this group, this is what I see:

The Cowboys players weren't intimidated in the least. Yesterday, I felt that they were the more passive of the two teams, perhaps because they had been warned specifically not to start any fights. Today, I saw more of the competitiveness that had been one of Camp 2014's hallmarks. Indeed, a fan I spoke to noted, correctly, that it looked like the fights today (and, again, there were several of them, were all started by the Cowboys, most of them by an under-manned defensive unit that refused to back down. All camp, this has been a salty bunch.

http://www.bloggingtheboys.com/2014...report-practice-number-fifteen-into-the-black

I know, unless injured, each and every one of these players, are going to give their all.

Now I don't have to have ANY conditional reason to like and support them fully now.

They all have been selected because of personal ability and a degree of actual accomplishment on the playing field.

Now I detest fans who go 'window shopping' for heroes as if they were walking down the aisle at a local Walmart, and following the price tags exhibited. This is MY team. And they already are earning my respect.

But you won't find this Cowboys fan running the truck and continually CRYING!!

These guys are already showing the heart of a true Cowboy.

 

[Aven8]

How did that great defense down in Houston do in there first preseason game?? 32-0 wasn't it?? JJ Watt and all world #1 pick Clowney? Oh yeah, that's right, they don't have a QB.

 

[NoLuv4Jerry]

I will admit....it does not look good on paper. But it looked BETTER on paper last year...and turned out to be the worst this organization has ever fielded. And in SPITE of that....let's recap how we performed

Swept the Giants
Swept the Commanders
Beat Philly in Philly....and with the playoffs on the line....we lose with our backup QB playing for the 1st time in years....and we had the ball with a chance to score an make the playoffs. Again, we lost to the team that won the division in the FINAL game of the season.

Stood toe to toe with Denver...who went to the Super Bowl. Lost by 2 or 3 points
Was up by 25+ points to Green Bay...and lost in comical fashion
Was up on Detroit in Detroit. And lost in comical fashion
In ALL 3 of those losses the offense left the field with the lead LATE in the 4th quarter....the defense gave up the lead! And the offense was unable to regain the lead

I honestly do not have the schedule in front of me, but their probably were more comical losses last year.

So what I hope...is that Garrett has matured enough as a coach....to manage a game to accent the strengths of the team. Hopefully he has come to grips with what he has on defense....and manage the game to protect the defense. Does that mean we are Super Bowl contenders? Heck no! But can we compete in this division? Absolutely!

For years we have wanted the organization to fix the OL..they have FINALLY done it. And the DL will take a couple of more drafts to be fixed. Until then....it is going to be tough sledding. But this is not the NFC West. Even as we rebuild the defense over the next 2 years...we have enough to compete in this division. Not to mention...our cap situation will also be better in a couple of years. So this is a chance for Garrett to prove he deserves to be here long term...and for our young offense line to prove that all the hype is real

 

[DanTanna]

The first preseason game does not scare me as much as the actual names on our defensive roster. We are counting on injured "never has beens", regular "never has beens", busts, whiffs, reaches, cast-offs, quitters and dummies to carry our defense. But if they can come together like those guys did in Revenge of the Nerds, maybe we can surprize some people.

 

[cowboyblue22]

I know yesterday on talking cowboys they were talking about the defense and it was not good a fan called in and said that he though they could win 10 games they laughed and cut him of.