Sturm’s camp observations: Secondary ‘pretty loaded’; impressions of Randy Gregory

Cotton

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Bob Sturm’s camp observations: Secondary ‘pretty loaded’; impressions of Randy Gregory

It’s been said that this camp has a different feel, maybe more positive, than any camp during the Jerry Jones regime? What’s your take?

Bob Sturm: I would say this about this Cowboys camp. There’s definitely a perception that this team is a contender. I don’t know what that is worth, considering what we thought about this team last year at this time. This team, from the top of their roster to the bottom, it looks like they’ve got a lot of good competitions going. It looks like there’s a lot of depth. There have been years that the Cowboys had to get down to 53, but they didn’t have 53 NFL players to select. I don’t think that’ll happen this year. I think the Cowboys will cut guys in the final round of cuts and they’ll get scooped up by other teams.

What’s the positional battle you’ve been keeping an eye on?

Bob Sturm: The one that comes quickly to me is the linebacker battle. We saw this last year, it’s tough to keep three linebackers healthy. Linebacker is kind of the running back of the defense; you don’t need one, you need lots of ‘em. We know (Rolando) McClain will miss September. We know injuries are coming. That’s why I’ve been watching Jasper Brinkley, Kyle Wilber, Damien Wilson. They’ve got a group of about six linebackers that we really have to know and study because they’re probably all going to play a bunch of snaps.

What are your impressions of the secondary thus far?

Bob Sturm: I think the secondary is pretty loaded right now. They’ve got four or five corners they feel really good about. Safety is a little thinner. As a group, they’re far more fortified than they’ve been in other years. Obviously, drafting (Byron) Jones in the first round changes the depth in the entire group. They seem to have a far more populated roster, talent wise, than I’ve seen in a while.

Are the Cowboys doing a good job of balancing the need to be physical in camp with the need to keep everybody healthy?

Bob Sturm: That’s something they attempt to do every single year, with a limited amount of success. You really can’t prepare for an NFL season without contact. That’s what every team in the league right now is trying to develop. I would say overall that Cowboys practices feel like they have an edge to them, a competitiveness to them, but overall, their physicality seems about right for first week in August. You really gotta pace yourself this time of year.

Heard a report that Randy Gregory is at about 240 pounds? Is there a concern that he’s too light?

Bob Sturm: Randy Gregory’s weight question is one of the great mysteries in camp. I’ve seen him listed at 255. I’ve seen him say that he weighs around 250. Looking at him right now, he looks bigger than he did at the combine, bigger than he did at Nebraska. But I’ll tell you this. In his uniform and standing next to his colleagues, he looks the part of a very athletic edge rusher. Wearing that 94 jersey, he certainly wears it well and looks in some ways like DeMarcus Ware.
 

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Seriously, "loaded at corner"? "Four or five corners they feel really good about"? "Far more fortified than they've been in other years" after adding one unknown low first rounder to the crud that was back there?

Bob's really drinking the Kool Aid.
 

Smitty

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Our DBs aren't crud. They just looked that way because of the DL's problems.

Scandrick is more than fine, Carr should be fine unless he's losing a step, Claiborne there is obviously some worry about, but White and Patmon are going to be above-average depth as the 4th/5th corners and that's before we even get to Jones, who should very obviously be playing safety and I do think he'll end up there.

If Carr can play like he did 2 years ago and Claiborne can give us anything, then I'd have to say it's our best CB group since like 2005 when we had Newman, Henry and Glenn.

I wouldn't sleep on Patmon perhaps being a decent starting #2 CB someday and I would be even less surprised to see him flashing signs of that progress this very season.
 
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Cowboysrock55

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Our DBs aren't crud. They just looked that way because of the DL's problems.

Scandrick is more than fine, Carr should be fine unless he's losing a step, Claiborne there is obviously some worry about, but White and Patmon are going to be above-average depth as the 4th/5th corners and that's before we even get to Jones, who should very obviously be playing safety and I do think he'll end up there.

If Carr can play like he did 2 years ago and Claiborne can give us anything, then I'd have to say it's our best CB group since like 2005 when we had Newman, Henry and Glenn.

I wouldn't sleep on Patmon perhaps being a decent starting #2 CB someday and I would be even less surprised to see him flashing signs of that progress this very season.
Patmon is actually looking solid in the training camp stuff I saw. I know it's early but I'm starting to realize why the team was ok letting Moore leave the team. The depth at corner is great. Claiborne is way further along then most of us expect. Jones is looking good. The only real question is do we have the high end corners. Which we don't. We don't have any corners on this team that are at an elite level. I'd rather have 2 stud corners and less depth but the depth looks good at corner this year.
 

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Smitty

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Is that symbolizing the headache you must be having from thinking so hard?

Our DBs are not crud. We all know Scandrick is good and we all know Carr's track record is not poor either. Patmon and White are above average for 4/5.

Nothing cruddy about that lineup.
 

boozeman

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Seriously, "loaded at corner"? "Four or five corners they feel really good about"? "Far more fortified than they've been in other years" after adding one unknown low first rounder to the crud that was back there?

Bob's really drinking the Kool Aid.
Patmon seems to be coming on and if Claiborne realizes his career mortality, it is not a huge stretch.

We have good enough CBs to compete if the rush does it's job. It is that simple.
 

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Patmon seems to be coming on and if Claiborne realizes his career mortality, it is not a huge stretch.

We have good enough CBs to compete if the rush does it's job. It is that simple.
The problem isn't the CB position, it's the S position.
 

Smitty

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The problem isn't the CB position, it's the S position.
And will be much better when Jones takes over there.

Excellent FS... The strong safeties are easy to find then. That's why it's so important that he plays there.
 

boozeman

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And will be much better when Jones takes over there.

Excellent FS... The strong safeties are easy to find then. That's why it's so important that he plays there.
Then the team needs to do as I have been suggesting all along.

Get him work at one position and leave him there.

None of this switching around bullshit. Make him a FS. Or a CB.

They are going CB.

I hope they switch that up soon. Like now.

Wilcox is absolutely horrific.
 

Cotton

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Then the team needs to do as I have been suggesting all along.

Get him work at one position and leave him there.

None of this switching around bullshit. Make him a FS. Or a CB.

They are going CB.

I hope they switch that up soon. Like now.

Wilcox is absolutely horrific.
They have already said that they would focus on him at one position, but it was too early to decide which, so there's that.
 

Cowboysrock55

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Then the team needs to do as I have been suggesting all along.

Get him work at one position and leave him there.

None of this switching around bullshit. Make him a FS. Or a CB.

They are going CB.

I hope they switch that up soon. Like now.

Wilcox is absolutely horrific.
From what I have read he has been getting work at both. Plus they have been using some 3 safety looks essentially as well. I think it is pretty simple. Use Jones as a FS who you can also use in man coverage. Ultimately based on our needs and depth chart FS makes the most sense this year. If Dallas isn't cutting Carr he is going to start. Scandrick will obviously start at the other spot. We have guys like Claiborne and Patmon to fill out the nickle and dime packages. Instead of seeing Jones fight to be a nickle or dime corner, why not let him play safety where he could easily beat out a Wilcox (Or Church, although Church has been anointed some kind of leader so he probably won't go anywhere) and he gives you the versatility to know you have a safety on the field who can man cover the other teams WRs and TEs.
 

dallen

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From what I have read he has been getting work at both. Plus they have been using some 3 safety looks essentially as well. I think it is pretty simple. Use Jones as a FS who you can also use in man coverage. Ultimately based on our needs and depth chart FS makes the most sense this year. If Dallas isn't cutting Carr he is going to start. Scandrick will obviously start at the other spot. We have guys like Claiborne and Patmon to fill out the nickle and dime packages. Instead of seeing Jones fight to be a nickle or dime corner, why not let him play safety where he could easily beat out a Wilcox (Or Church, although Church has been anointed some kind of leader so he probably won't go anywhere) and he gives you the versatility to know you have a safety on the field who can man cover the other teams WRs and TEs.
You're giving me Woodson flashbacks
 

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Is that symbolizing the headache you must be having from thinking so hard?

Our DBs are not crud. We all know Scandrick is good and we all know Carr's track record is not poor either. Patmon and White are above average for 4/5.

Nothing cruddy about that lineup.
Yes, it's cruddy. The best defense you can come up with is one good corner, one with a "not poor" track record, and above average 4s and 5s? Which is a completely subjective claim anyway -- who is to say those two guys off the scrap heap are above average anyway?

And as iam suggested, you didn't mention the safeties who were at times horrific last year.

Even if you want to quibble with the definition of cruddy, we aren't loaded as Sturm claimed. Seattle is loaded. Arizona might be loaded. We're not.
 

Smitty

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Why would I mention the safeties which would be having Byron Jones there, assuredly playing at a high level?

And no, that CB corps is still not crud. It's no worse than average. I said Carr is "not poor" because crud would be poor. As such... Carr is not poor, therefore further distancing us from crud.

I didn't say we were loaded. I said it was not crud. Which its not.
 
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