Archer: Rod Marinelli plans more man coverage

boozeman

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Rod Marinelli plans more man coverage

June, 4, 2014



By Todd Archer | ESPNDallas.com


IRVING, Texas -- When the Dallas Cowboys made the move to the Tampa 2 scheme last year under Monte Kiffin, many people wondered how cornerbacks Brandon Carr, Morris Claiborne and Orlando Scandrick would fit.

The trio is viewed as better man-to-man corners than zone.

For a ton of reasons, the Cowboys defense was bad in 2013. Historically bad. The secondary was not up to snuff and the Cowboys could not affect the quarterback enough.

Out is Monte Kiffin as coordinator. In is Rod Marinelli, who has run largely the same system as Kiffin but with some differences. Marinelli used more single-high safety looks while with the Chicago Bears, than two deep safeties.

He plans on allowing Carr, Scandrick and Claiborne to play more man in 2014.

"These guys are really good man corners," Marinelli said. "They can go up and get you and press you. They really add something to the defensive package."

Bears cornerbacks Charles Tillman and Tim Jennings made the Pro Bowl under Marinelli, but their skill set is different.

"They were solid," Marinelli said. "They were good, but they were really good Cover 2 guys and physical, but they could play man also. These guys are like them a lot. They're really good outside man cover (guys)."

Last year Carr and Claiborne asked to play more man coverage but they didn't get to play it as much as they wanted. And they did not play it well enough to inspire confidence in the coaches to use more man coverage.

"We have to go out during practice and stuff like that and show those guys we're able to come back to the line constantly and line up man-to-man constantly, each and every play, to give those guys some comfort in us," Claiborne said.

So far in the organized team activities, Claiborne said the Cowboys have played more man.

"We've got three good corners that can go up and play with anybody," Claiborne said. "When you have those types of weapons on your team, you have to use them. I don't know how much man or what we'll actually be in, but I know we'll be in a good majority of it."

If they can play it well, then that will help Marinelli make adjustments with a pass rush that will be more about a committee than reliant on one or two players.

"You can add maybe a few more guys to the rush or you can buy some time for the rush," Marinelli said. "Those are all good things."
 

Stars

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Well we can't play zone defense worth a damn, maybe try some man coverage with our non-existent pass rush.
 

boozeman

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They played man coverage at times last year and sucked anyways. Depends entirely on the pass rush.
 

Cotton

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Nothing in his quotes gives me any confidence that Marinelli "plans more man coverage".
 

p1_

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They played man coverage at times last year and sucked anyways. Depends entirely on the pass rush.
I agree, but it seemed like they sucked more when playing zone.
 

ravidubey

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They played man coverage at times last year and sucked anyways. Depends entirely on the pass rush.
If they are on their game, you can throw more bodies at the LOS and from different angles. I'm much, much more worried about our linebackers' weakness in coverage right now. Their shitty play undermined the entire pass defense last year.
 

cpredsox

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Do you guys think Claiborne has been, or will be good? I don't see it.
 
D

Deuce

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Do you guys think Claiborne has been, or will be good? I don't see it.
If he's healthy and we plan man coverage, we'll find out this year. That's the situation I've been waiting for so he can prove himself.
 

L.T. Fan

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Do you guys think Claiborne has been, or will be good? I don't see it.
He has the tools to become very good. It's a matter of whether he can stay healthy long enough to sharpen them.
 

Cotton

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If he's healthy and we plan man coverage, we'll find out this year. That's the situation I've been waiting for so he can prove himself.
Same.
 

Karbala

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Do you guys think Claiborne has been, or will be good? I don't see it.
I am still cautiously optimistic.

He's pretty fluid as an athlete. Long arms. He displayed some good ball skills in college.
.
 

boozeman

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I am still cautiously optimistic.

He's pretty fluid as an athlete. Long arms. He displayed some good ball skills in college.
.
Maybe in college but in the pros he has not shown good ball skills at all.
 

NoDak

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Maybe in college but in the pros he has not shown good ball skills at all.
I think the speed of the NFL game overwhelmed him some, and he never really had time to adjust with all the injuries. Hopefully, he can stay healthy long enough to see if he can adjust to the speed of the game, and the awareness he once showed can again show itself. Not saying he'll ever be the same guy we thought we were getting, but he does have natural talent. Hopefully it will show up before he gets the axe.
 

Karbala

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Maybe in college but in the pros he has not shown good ball skills at all.
That is true. But I think that is more of a confidence issue. He's missed time due to injuries.

I don't think he forgot how to locate a ball
 

ravidubey

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I think the speed of the NFL game overwhelmed him some, and he never really had time to adjust with all the injuries. Hopefully, he can stay healthy long enough to see if he can adjust to the speed of the game, and the awareness he once showed can again show itself. Not saying he'll ever be the same guy we thought we were getting, but he does have natural talent. Hopefully it will show up before he gets the axe.
This is spot on.

When healthy and confident Claiborne has made a difference outside of some penalties, at least two of which were ticky-tack.

His wrist, concussion, shoulder, and leg issues have fucked up his head. I worry if he'll ever get right.

But the biggest issue is the speed of the game completely taking away his ball-instincts. In college it was often like he knew where the passes were going. I was excited because I thought he was the anti-Newman, and instead I've been half missing Newman.
 

hstour

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This year will tell. He didn't take to the game as fast as Peterson, but he had some injury issues and scheme change issues that Peterson didn't have to deal with. But they had very similar skills/histories when they came out.

Hopefully some consistency and health will allow him to adjust. If he can't, then you have to start thinking that maybe he can't adjust.
 
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