JJT: Cowboys' pass rush remains suspect after draft

Cotton

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Cowboys' pass rush remains suspect after draft

10:31 AM ET
Jean-Jacques Taylor
ESPN Staff Writer

IRVING, Texas -- Last season, the New York Giants finished 30th in the NFL with 23 sacks.Their response? Signing free agent defensive end Olivier Vernon to an $85-million deal and praying Jason Pierre-Paul regains his form as one of the league’s best pass-rushers.

The Dallas Cowboys' pass rush was among the worst in the NFL last season, too. They responded by drafting Oklahoma’s Charles Tapper in the fourth round, re-signing versatile defensive lineman Jack Crawford and signing defensive end Benson Mayowa, who has two career sacks.

Yawn.

Drafting Ezekiel Elliott in the first round was great, and adding linebacker Jaylon Smith in the second round could prove to be the shrewdest move of the 2016 draft.

None of that, however, will help the Cowboys’ improve their sorry pass rush.

Dallas had just 31 sacks in 2016, but defensive ends DeMarcus Lawrence and Greg Hardy accounted for 14. Lawrence is appealing a suspension for the first four games of the 2016 season, and the club has chosen not to re-sign Hardy. Second-year defensive end Randy Gregory, drafted in the second round to help the pass rush, has been suspended for the first four games of the season.

That is why the Cowboys are talking about moving Tyrone Crawford from defensive tackle to defensive end.

"He can play the position," owner Jerry Jones said. "He can give you some push off the edge. He’s done it before."

True, but part of the reason the Cowboys moved him to defensive tackle is because he’s not good enough to be a dominant pass-rusher on the edge. His combination of power and quickness does give him an advantage inside, where he goes against guards, who are traditionally weaker pass-protectors.

Denver, the reigning champion, finished last season with 52 sacks and terrorized Pittsburgh's Ben Roethlisberger, New England's Tom Brady and Carolina's Cam Newton in the playoffs. Carolina finished sixth in the league with 44 sacks.

The more pressure the better, because quarterbacks under duress tend to make mistakes.

Lawrence led the Cowboys with eight sacks last season, and Jeremy Mincey led the club with six sacks the season before, when they went 12-4 and won the NFC East.

Still, a poor pass rush means defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli must blitz more, leaving the defense vulnerable.

The Cowboys took Elliott with their first pick, believing he would impact the offense and the defense.

Though Elliott will keep the defense off the field if he has the kind of rookie year most folks expect, he’s not going to impact the pass rush -- and that’s a problem.
 

BipolarFuk

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Um, didn't we draft a couple of D linemen?

Every article I read, its like you can't play football unless you're drafted early.
 

Hawkeye19

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Um, didn't we draft a couple of D linemen?

Every article I read, its like you can't play football unless you're drafted early.
Yah-- exactly.

Also, getting a healthy Scandrick back will really help solidify us. His absence really hurt us on 3rd downs and long down and distances. I realize that he's not the answer to our pass rush-- but I think he does make our D better when he's on the field. Only looking at the DL is a mistake in trying to judge an entire unit. I think they will be better than the sum of their parts in 2016.

Top 10 D? No. Middle of the pack? Yes-- and I think we force more turnovers because our offense controls the clock and makes teams play from behind which will make them put the ball up more often.

Also-- in terms of forcing turnovers-- this team can only get better after last year's crapfest.
 

ravidubey

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Our last two Superbowl winning teams had 35 and 34 sacks total.

The 2014 team had 27, so the 2015 team improved. That must have impacted the W/L record, right?

By that measure, the 2008 team with 58 sacks should have been Superbowl champs.

It's a direct correlation, right??

Jesus, these numbers are so fucking stupid.

Control the clock, punish the opposing defense, stay balanced offensively, Triplets healthy, keep defense fresh, force opposing offense to make mistakes catching up == winning formula.

Pass rush, defensive stoutness, tight coverage are bonuses.

You add those last few elements and you become dominant, not just a contender. Haven't seen a team like that in decades.
 

Jiggyfly

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Our last two Superbowl winning teams had 35 and 34 sacks total.

The 2014 team had 27, so the 2015 team improved. That must have impacted the W/L record, right?

By that measure, the 2008 team with 58 sacks should have been Superbowl champs.

It's a direct correlation, right??

Jesus, these numbers are so fucking stupid.

Control the clock, punish the opposing defense, stay balanced offensively, Triplets healthy, keep defense fresh, force opposing offense to make mistakes catching up == winning formula.

Pass rush, defensive stoutness, tight coverage are bonuses.

You add those last few elements and you become dominant, not just a contender. Haven't seen a team like that in decades.
Oh the irony.:lol

This coming from the guy who will twist any number available to fit his narrative.

I agree with you but you are not the person to be questioning anybodies numbers.:lol
 

ravidubey

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Oh the irony.:lol

This coming from the guy who will twist any number available to fit his narrative.

I agree with you but you are not the person to be questioning anybodies numbers.:lol
Ahh... "twist" ... pass rush-- I get it
 

Cowboysrock55

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Yah-- exactly.

Also, getting a healthy Scandrick back will really help solidify us. His absence really hurt us on 3rd downs and long down and distances. I realize that he's not the answer to our pass rush-- but I think he does make our D better when he's on the field. Only looking at the DL is a mistake in trying to judge an entire unit. I think they will be better than the sum of their parts in 2016.
The way people talk it's like Gregory and Lawrence won't play at all again. I think it was Jerry or Stephen who said, "don't make a four year mistake over a 4 game suspension." Which is absolutely correct. That doesn't mean you pass up talent because of Gregory or Lawrence but the idea is you shouldn't force a need pick at the position when the answer could still be on the current roster. In my opinion the name of the game right now is to just survive the first 4 games at DE and then everything will get a lot better.

Early on you may be Tapper at RE, Collins at 3 tech, Crawford at LE and Thornton at NT. But that's mostly just to survive until week 5.
 

Plan9Misfit

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Cowboys' pass rush remains suspect after draft

10:31 AM ET
Jean-Jacques Taylor
ESPN Staff Writer

IRVING, Texas -- Last season, the New York Giants finished 30th in the NFL with 23 sacks.Their response? Signing free agent defensive end Olivier Vernon to an $85-million deal and praying Jason Pierre-Paul regains his form as one of the league’s best pass-rushers.

The Dallas Cowboys' pass rush was among the worst in the NFL last season, too. They responded by drafting Oklahoma’s Charles Tapper in the fourth round, re-signing versatile defensive lineman Jack Crawford and signing defensive end Benson Mayowa, who has two career sacks.

Yawn.

Drafting Ezekiel Elliott in the first round was great, and adding linebacker Jaylon Smith in the second round could prove to be the shrewdest move of the 2016 draft.

None of that, however, will help the Cowboys’ improve their sorry pass rush.

Dallas had just 31 sacks in 2016, but defensive ends DeMarcus Lawrence and Greg Hardy accounted for 14. Lawrence is appealing a suspension for the first four games of the 2016 season, and the club has chosen not to re-sign Hardy. Second-year defensive end Randy Gregory, drafted in the second round to help the pass rush, has been suspended for the first four games of the season.

That is why the Cowboys are talking about moving Tyrone Crawford from defensive tackle to defensive end.

"He can play the position," owner Jerry Jones said. "He can give you some push off the edge. He’s done it before."

True, but part of the reason the Cowboys moved him to defensive tackle is because he’s not good enough to be a dominant pass-rusher on the edge. His combination of power and quickness does give him an advantage inside, where he goes against guards, who are traditionally weaker pass-protectors.

Denver, the reigning champion, finished last season with 52 sacks and terrorized Pittsburgh's Ben Roethlisberger, New England's Tom Brady and Carolina's Cam Newton in the playoffs. Carolina finished sixth in the league with 44 sacks.

The more pressure the better, because quarterbacks under duress tend to make mistakes.

Lawrence led the Cowboys with eight sacks last season, and Jeremy Mincey led the club with six sacks the season before, when they went 12-4 and won the NFC East.

Still, a poor pass rush means defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli must blitz more, leaving the defense vulnerable.

The Cowboys took Elliott with their first pick, believing he would impact the offense and the defense.

Though Elliott will keep the defense off the field if he has the kind of rookie year most folks expect, he’s not going to impact the pass rush -- and that’s a problem.
I love how this asswipe points out what he considers to be "a problem" without ever pointing out what his solution would have been.

It's easy to point fingers, you fucking nose picking mouthbreather. But it's hard to provide solutions.
 
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Cowboys' pass rush remains suspect after draft

10:31 AM ET
Jean-Jacques Taylor
ESPN Staff Writer

IRVING, Texas -- Last season, the New York Giants finished 30th in the NFL with 23 sacks.Their response? Signing free agent defensive end Olivier Vernon to an $85-million deal and praying Jason Pierre-Paul regains his form as one of the league’s best pass-rushers.

The Dallas Cowboys' pass rush was among the worst in the NFL last season, too. They responded by drafting Oklahoma’s Charles Tapper in the fourth round, re-signing versatile defensive lineman Jack Crawford and signing defensive end Benson Mayowa, who has two career sacks.

Yawn.

Drafting Ezekiel Elliott in the first round was great, and adding linebacker Jaylon Smith in the second round could prove to be the shrewdest move of the 2016 draft.

None of that, however, will help the Cowboys’ improve their sorry pass rush.

Dallas had just 31 sacks in 2016, but defensive ends DeMarcus Lawrence and Greg Hardy accounted for 14. Lawrence is appealing a suspension for the first four games of the 2016 season, and the club has chosen not to re-sign Hardy. Second-year defensive end Randy Gregory, drafted in the second round to help the pass rush, has been suspended for the first four games of the season.

That is why the Cowboys are talking about moving Tyrone Crawford from defensive tackle to defensive end.

"He can play the position," owner Jerry Jones said. "He can give you some push off the edge. He’s done it before."

True, but part of the reason the Cowboys moved him to defensive tackle is because he’s not good enough to be a dominant pass-rusher on the edge. His combination of power and quickness does give him an advantage inside, where he goes against guards, who are traditionally weaker pass-protectors.

Denver, the reigning champion, finished last season with 52 sacks and terrorized Pittsburgh's Ben Roethlisberger, New England's Tom Brady and Carolina's Cam Newton in the playoffs. Carolina finished sixth in the league with 44 sacks.

The more pressure the better, because quarterbacks under duress tend to make mistakes.

Lawrence led the Cowboys with eight sacks last season, and Jeremy Mincey led the club with six sacks the season before, when they went 12-4 and won the NFC East.

Still, a poor pass rush means defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli must blitz more, leaving the defense vulnerable.

The Cowboys took Elliott with their first pick, believing he would impact the offense and the defense.

Though Elliott will keep the defense off the field if he has the kind of rookie year most folks expect, he’s not going to impact the pass rush -- and that’s a problem.
Uh, hello there mutherfucker we also got Cedric Thornton. Damn these idiots spend all this time writing a bitch article but don't actually research what they are bitching about.. Wow
 

Simpleton

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The way people talk it's like Gregory and Lawrence won't play at all again. I think it was Jerry or Stephen who said, "don't make a four year mistake over a 4 game suspension." Which is absolutely correct. That doesn't mean you pass up talent because of Gregory or Lawrence but the idea is you shouldn't force a need pick at the position when the answer could still be on the current roster. In my opinion the name of the game right now is to just survive the first 4 games at DE and then everything will get a lot better.

Early on you may be Tapper at RE, Collins at 3 tech, Crawford at LE and Thornton at NT. But that's mostly just to survive until week 5.
Jack Crawford, Irving and probably Mayowa will get snaps before the two rookies although I do think Collins and Tapper will be rotated in. I'm honestly not too worried about our DL when you consider that we went 12-4 and weren't far from the Super Bowl with Jeremy Mincey/Tyrone Crawford/Nick Hayden/George Selvie/Henry Melton/rookie DeMarcus Lawrence coming off a broken foot and missing half the year.

Our DL in the 2014 playoffs consisted of: Mincey/Selvie/Spencer/Lawrence at DE and Crawford/Hayden/Josh Brent/Ken Bishop at DT.

I'd argue that Crawford/Thornton/Irving/Crawford/Mayowa/Collins/Tapper is already better than that, even without Lawrence/Gregory.
 

townsend

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Is Ryan Russell still on this team? I remember him getting some good buzz in training camp, but I don't know if he ever ended up on the active roster.
 

Simpleton

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Is Ryan Russell still on this team? I remember him getting some good buzz in training camp, but I don't know if he ever ended up on the active roster.
Yea, he probably can't be any worse than a Ken Bishop or Josh Brent.
 

townsend

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Yea, he probably can't be any worse than a Ken Bishop or Josh Brent.
He was one of those damned SPARQ players, but even with a ton of injuries/suspensions on the d line, we never used him. Maybe in year 2 he'll develop into something.
 

Cowboysrock55

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Is Ryan Russell still on this team? I remember him getting some good buzz in training camp, but I don't know if he ever ended up on the active roster.
Yeah I forget about him sometimes because we didn't use him at all last year. In Dallas and most other places it seems like it take a year for DEs to really be ready to make any sort of an impact. I know Marinelli rode him hard about his technique last year. Hopefully this year he is ready to make a leap.

As far as the rookies, I actually expect Collins to get the most playing time. The coaches have talked a lot about Crawford's ability to play DE and Collins basically played that exact defense his first 2 years at Nebraska. Plus I don't think the 3 techniqie spot is roclet science in our defense.
 

shane

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It would have been nice to get a pass rusher with the #1, and then maybe draft a RB in the mid rounds. But all in all, I can't complain on anything except the Second Rounder. Not a bad haul in total.
 

boozeman

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Is Ryan Russell still on this team? I remember him getting some good buzz in training camp, but I don't know if he ever ended up on the active roster.
He was Marinelli's whipping boy, so unless he has matured, he hardly is a lock for a spot. Had we drafted a guy or even got more UDFAs, he might have been in more jeopardy.
 

Cotton

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What week? Seems like he didn't show up in the injury report until November.
I think the last week he was active was week 3.
 

townsend

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I think the last week he was active was week 3.
It's amazing how difficult tracking down that kind of information can be. Especially for an inconsequential player. Usually if they're even a rotational guy there's some archived article or another discussing their injury. I got nothing on Russell.
 
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