Mendez: Cowboys wonder if Kyle Wilber has found a spot

Cowboys wonder if Kyle Wilber has found a spot after encouraging games against Giants, Raiders

Kyle Wilber, playing strongside linebacker for a second game, had four tackles, a quarterback hurry and a fumble recovery. It encouraged the Cowboys about the third-round pick from 2012, who hasn’t been able to find a position since he was drafted to be a 3-4 outside linebacker.

“I think he played 25 plays in the game last week against the Giants and had 24 production points,” coach Jason Garrett said. “That doesn’t mean anything to you guys, but that was a really positive performance. He was around the ball a lot, had tackles for loss, forced some fumbles, recovered some fumbles. He certainly is still learning the position. He doesn’t always pull the trigger as quick as he needs to just because he hasn’t seen the looks as much. But he is playing better and better.”

Wilber had seven tackles against the Giants, playing 48 percent of the snaps. He had four tackles, a quarterback hurry and a fumble recovery against Oakland, playing 55 percent of the snaps.

“He has shown us the last couple of weeks that he is just a good player,” Garrett said. “He played off the ball, he played that Sam linebacker spot, and he gets around the ball.”

Wilber’s time may become less soon, however. Sean Lee is expected back at middle linebacker in time for the Chicago game, which could free up veteran Ernie Sims for Sam linebacker duty.

But for now, Wilber – who had 18 tackles and two sacks coming into the game – has at least gotten the Cowboys’ attention.

“That may be a blessing for us,” owner Jerry Jones said.

-- Carlos Mendez

Even with Lee back we should just leave Wilber at SLB in base packages and running situations.

Cowboys with options at strongside linebacker

December, 4, 2013

By Todd Archer | ESPNDallas.com


IRVING, Texas -- Like all coaches, Jason Garrett prefers to have options.

When he had options to make changes in the starting lineup earlier in the season, he was not afraid to make changes, be it Brian Waters for Mackenzy Bernadeau at right guard,Orlando Scandrick for Morris Claiborne at cornerback or Ernie Sims for Bruce Carter at weakside linebacker.

Injuries have taken away some options, but the Cowboys have an option at strongside linebacker with Kyle Wilber playing well in his two starts and Justin Durant coming back from a hamstring injury.

Wilber had 13 tackles, two quarterback pressures and a tackle for loss in the wins against the New York Giants and Oakland Raiders. Durant, who earned praise from defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin, has 28 tackles, two quarterback pressures and one tackle for loss in nine games.

“It’s just good to have those guys playing,” Garrett said. “We’ll figure out the best guys. It was just nice to see Kyle Wilber step in there and be a contributor. We talked about it the other day – really, really productive in both games, around the football, making plays on the ball, tackles for loss. So that’s been a real good thing for our team that he’s been able to step up and really step up and have more of a role at that position than he did at the defensive end position. That’s certainly been positive for us. But Justin Durant has done a real nice job for us when he’s played this year. So just having both those guys is good for our team.”

Wilber might finally be settling into a position that fits him most after the Cowboys tried him at outside linebacker in a 3-4 last year and at defensive end in their 4-3 this year.

“He’s just been productive,” Garrett said. “He’s been around the ball. He’s made tackles. He’s made tackles for losses. He’s made plays on the ball, fumble recoveries, caused fumbles. It’s just a really good thing. We thought he was a good football player coming out of school, [and] that’s why we drafted him in the fourth round. The scheme that we were playing, we felt like he was best suited to play the outside linebacker, essentially a rush linebacker, in a 3-4 scheme. I think he probably benefitted from some of the times that he’s dropped in that 3-4 scheme and he draws from some of that experience playing as an off-the-ball linebacker. But you literally saw him get better diagnosing things over the last couple weeks. Sometimes he was a little hesitant at the beginning, but I think he was seeing schemes better and pulling the trigger more quickly and just making more plays – a real positive thing for our team.”