JJT: Safety J.J. Wilcox fighting for roster spot with Cowboys

Genghis Khan

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Who from our defense could you picture starting in this year's pro bowl? Be honest.
Lee, McClain, Gregory, Lawrence, Jones, Scandrick.

I don't think all or even most will. But I could picture any of those guys. We actually have some talent on defense if we can get our act together.
 

Simpleton

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Lee, McClain, Gregory, Lawrence, Jones, Scandrick.

I don't think all or even most will. But I could picture any of those guys. We actually have some talent on defense if we can get our act together.
I think Crawford is probably more likely than definitely McClain or Gregory and probably Lawrence and Scandrick.

I could see any of those guys making it, certainly some more than others (McClain and Gregory are extreme longshots) but I think Crawford is right there with Jones, a little bit below Lee who is the most likely.
 

Cowboysrock55

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I think Crawford is probably more likely than definitely McClain or Gregory and probably Lawrence and Scandrick.

I could see any of those guys making it, certainly some more than others (McClain and Gregory are extreme longshots) but I think Crawford is right there with Jones, a little bit below Lee who is the most likely.
Crawford has a chance because it's possible for him to put together a Hatcher type season at that three technique spot if healthy. I agree with you on that.

I'm not sure Gregory is as extreme longshot as you make him sound though. People seem to have a very short memory with him. He was a terror before the high ankle sprain and is now up to 255 + pounds. DE's seem to make their greatest leap from year one to year two. The four game suspension though I guess could cause problems with that though. Getting a late start to putting stats together makes that difficult.
 

Simpleton

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Crawford has a chance because it's possible for him to put together a Hatcher type season at that three technique spot if healthy. I agree with you on that.

I'm not sure Gregory is as extreme longshot as you make him sound though. People seem to have a very short memory with him. He was a terror before the high ankle sprain and is now up to 255 + pounds. DE's seem to make their greatest leap from year one to year two. The four game suspension though I guess could cause problems with that though. Getting a late start to putting stats together makes that difficult.
The 4 game suspension is the primary reason I think he's an extreme longshot. It seems Lawrence has a chance to get his knocked down to 2 but Gregory is staying at 4 and if he gets caught once more he's out for what, 10 more games? The season?
 

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The 4 game suspension is the primary reason I think he's an extreme longshot. It seems Lawrence has a chance to get his knocked down to 2 but Gregory is staying at 4 and if he gets caught once more he's out for what, 10 more games? The season?
I think it's 10. And yeah I think Lawrence has a great shot to get his knocked down either to 2 games or to 0. I sort of expect two since it will probably be the "compromise" solution to his appeal. I don't much care about guys actually making the probowl though. And if Gregory plays at a probowl level for those 12 games that's all that really matters. The potential 10 game suspension for Gregory down the road is the scary part. Von Miller is a great example of how a guy can come back from that sort of thing though.
 

Genghis Khan

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I think Crawford is probably more likely than definitely McClain or Gregory and probably Lawrence and Scandrick.

I could see any of those guys making it, certainly some more than others (McClain and Gregory are extreme longshots) but I think Crawford is right there with Jones, a little bit below Lee who is the most likely.
True, I could see Crawford, though I'm not his biggest fan and I additionally wonder how moving him to end part of the time affects his production if they do it.
 

Genghis Khan

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Crawford has a chance because it's possible for him to put together a Hatcher type season at that three technique spot if healthy. I agree with you on that.

I'm not sure Gregory is as extreme longshot as you make him sound though. People seem to have a very short memory with him. He was a terror before the high ankle sprain and is now up to 255 + pounds. DE's seem to make their greatest leap from year one to year two. The four game suspension though I guess could cause problems with that though. Getting a late start to putting stats together makes that difficult.
True that's a good point; even good pass rushers often struggle their 1st seasons.

Which is all the more reason to ridicule pundits who wanted us to address pass rush in the draft because it's a "need."
 

Cowboysrock55

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True that's a good point; even good pass rushers often struggle their 1st seasons.

Which is all the more reason to ridicule pundits who wanted us to address pass rush in the draft because it's a "need."
Pundits are always so reactionary when it comes to the draft. You have to actually give players some time to develop. Just because they aren't stars as rookies is no reason to write off a really talented player. Now drug stuff is a little different but pundits were already pushing the DE need with Dallas before Gregory ever got suspended. I have high hopes for Tapper too. I think DE in our defense will be a whole new learning experience for him but the tools appear to be there. He has basically been playing like a 3-4 5 technique, so getting to rush the passer full time should be pretty exciting for him.
 
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Simpleton

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True that's a good point; even good pass rushers often struggle their 1st seasons.

Which is all the more reason to ridicule pundits who wanted us to address pass rush in the draft because it's a "need."
What we did as far as the DL in the draft was perfectly fine.

Buckner is certainly no edge rusher, his pass-rush in the NFL will come on the interior when matched up in a phone booth either in the A or B gap. I wanted A'Shawn Robinson at 34 but again, he isn't doing anything for us on the edge and we got a better pass-rusher than him in the 3rd in Collins. Shilique Calhoun would've also been nice in the 3rd if we wanted an edge rusher but there probably won't be a huge difference between him and Tapper honestly, and Tapper may have the higher ceiling.

The only real opportunities I think we missed were trading down and taking Rankins and then Spence at 34, although I understand not taking that character risk with our last two 2nd round DE's on suspensions. I would've taken Ronald Blair over Prescott in the late 4th as well but I can't see those late picks having a huge impact this season.

All it comes down to is we didn't really have the opportunity to upgrade our pass-rush in the first 2 rounds. Bosa was gone, although we probably would've still taken Elliot, and Dodd/Ogbah went at 32/33. Can't do anything about that.
 

Cowboysrock55

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All it comes down to is we didn't really have the opportunity to upgrade our pass-rush in the first 2 rounds. Bosa was gone, although we probably would've still taken Elliot, and Dodd/Ogbah went at 32/33. Can't do anything about that.
The only real argument I think that you could make is that we should have moved up for Ogbah or Dodd at the top of the second round. They were going to be our pick at that point over Jaylon but instead they weren't right before us.

Someone could argue Floyd, but jesus that rail thin guy as a DE would have been a disaster. He wasn't even a good pass rusher in college.
 

ravidubey

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Lee, McClain, Gregory, Lawrence, Jones, Scandrick.
I see none as legit probowl starters. They aren't close to the levels of Aaron Donald or Fletcher Cox.

Lee had his best season last year and barely made the roster.

Lawrence can never seem to put a full productive season together, and unless he's a total beast he won't have a shot this year missing 4 games.

Scandrick's career high is 2 picks.

McClain had one fine comeback year where he faded at the end.

Crawford can't stay healthy.

Gregory? That's a real stretch. He's suspended and likely to get caught again since he'll be constantly tested from now on. On top of it he got injured and barely made a dent the entire season. Not impressed.

Again, we're sand without rocks. You can't build around anyone, you're kind of left hoping it will all solidify somehow.

The one guy I'm looking forward to seeing is Maliek Collins. I think we finally somehow lucked onto a guy with real size and power who perfectly fits Marinelli's scheme. I see a strong rotation with Collins and Crawford, and I don't think it favors Crawford long term.
 

Genghis Khan

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I see none as legit probowl starters. They aren't close to the levels of Aaron Donald or Fletcher Cox.

Lee had his best season last year and barely made the roster.

Lawrence can never seem to put a full productive season together, and unless he's a total beast he won't have a shot this year missing 4 games.

Scandrick's career high is 2 picks.

McClain had one fine comeback year where he faded at the end.

Crawford can't stay healthy.

Gregory? That's a real stretch. He's suspended and likely to get caught again since he'll be constantly tested from now on. On top of it he got injured and barely made a dent the entire season. Not impressed.

Again, we're sand without rocks. You can't build around anyone, you're kind of left hoping it will all solidify somehow.

The one guy I'm looking forward to seeing is Maliek Collins. I think we finally somehow lucked onto a guy with real size and power who perfectly fits Marinelli's scheme. I see a strong rotation with Collins and Crawford, and I don't think it favors Crawford long term.

I retract scandrick, I didn't realize you said pro bowl starters.

The rest are way better than you give them credit for.
 

DLK150

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Until Byron Jones, that is.
Even a blind squirrel finds a nut now and then. He's the third Dallas has stumbled across in the secondary in 13 years, the other being Roy and Newman. You can put Scandrick in there as well but when you consider all the draft picks, etcetera that have been thrown at the secondary, the recent history is awful. Shoot, it used to be a running joke that Dallas would draft at least one DB in the first couple of rounds every year.

I do have some hope for the kid out of Purdue after reading up on him.
 
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