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Where does Cowboys defensive line rank among NFC East teams?
By Jon Machota , Staff Writer
I broke down the four NFC East teams last month, ranking each by position group. The Cowboys were first at offensive line, first at running back, second at quarterback and second at wide receiver/tight end.
The rankings won't be as kind to the Cowboys on the defensive side of the ball.
Today we begin with the defensive lines.
Here's how I currently rank the four teams.
1.) Philadelphia Eagles. The move from a 3-4 to a 4-3 defensive front doesn't change my opinion too much, but I think a unit that was already good could be even better under new defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz. Fletcher Cox is the best defensive lineman in the division and his supporting cast is very good. Defensive ends Connor Barwin, Brandon Graham, Vinny Curry and Marcus Smith can all get after the quarterback. Barwin and Graham combined for 13.5 sacks last season. Cox, who was ranked No. 49 on the NFL Network's Top 100 Players list, had nine. Bennie Logan will be the team's other starting defensive tackle. He has started 30 games over the last two seasons. The one criticism of this group is that there doesn't appear to be great depth.
2.) New York Giants. The offseason additions up front were significant. Olivier Vernon and Damon Harrison should improve this group significantly. Vernon, who had 25.5 sacks over the last three seasons with the Dolphins, signed a five-year, $85 million deal with the Giants in March. Many believe Vernon was overpaid. Either way, he makes New York's defensive line better. Harrison's five-year deal was for $46.5 million. The 2012 undrafted rookie free agent started every game over the last three seasons for the Jets. The Giants' other defensive tackle, Johnathan Hankins, is a year removed from a seven-sack season. If New York can get quality production out of defensive ends Owa Odighizuwa and Jason Pierre-Paul, their line should go from a weakness to strength. NFL.com's Gregg Rosenthal recently ranked the Giants's defensive line fourth among the entire league. Philadelphia was sixth.
3.) Washington Redskins. It's difficult to accurately compare a 4-3 defensive line to a 3-4 like the Redskins, but I'm going to include some of their pass-rushing linebackers to even things out. So throwing OLBs Ryan Kerrigan and Preston Smith into the mix obviously helps this group. Kerrigan had 9.5 sacks in 2015 and 13.5 in 2014. Smith, a second-round pick, led all rookies with eight sacks. Chris Baker and Trent Murphy are Washington's most notable defensive ends. They both played in all 16 games, combining for 9.5 sacks in 2015. The nose tackle spot will likely come down to Kedric Golston and Ricky Jean Francois. Washington was the worst team in the division last year when it came to stopping the run, but their ability to get to the QB gives them a slight edge over the Cowboys.
4.) Dallas Cowboys. There is too much uncertainty to rank the Cowboys above any of the other defensive lines in the division. If DeMarcus Lawrence and Randy Gregory weren't facing four-game suspensions to start the season it would be a little different. A front-four of Lawrence, Gregory, Tyrone Crawford and Cedric Thornton looks pretty good on paper. But how long will it take that group to get on the field together and hit on all cylinders? The depth up front is made up of Jack Crawford, Terrell McClain, Benson Mayowa, David Irving, Ryan Russell, Charles Tapper and Maliek Collins. They'll be asked to play key roles starting Week 1, but will they be able to provide enough pressure? Another concern is that the Cowboys didn't make any significant upgrades in the draft or free agency. Say what you will about Greg Hardy off the field, but he led the team with 32 QB pressures and was second with six sacks in 2015. His presence on the field also commanded valuable double teams that helped Lawrence record a team-high eight sacks. Who will step up and replace that production? There are just too many questions at this time to rank the Cowboys any higher.
By Jon Machota , Staff Writer
I broke down the four NFC East teams last month, ranking each by position group. The Cowboys were first at offensive line, first at running back, second at quarterback and second at wide receiver/tight end.
The rankings won't be as kind to the Cowboys on the defensive side of the ball.
Today we begin with the defensive lines.
Here's how I currently rank the four teams.
1.) Philadelphia Eagles. The move from a 3-4 to a 4-3 defensive front doesn't change my opinion too much, but I think a unit that was already good could be even better under new defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz. Fletcher Cox is the best defensive lineman in the division and his supporting cast is very good. Defensive ends Connor Barwin, Brandon Graham, Vinny Curry and Marcus Smith can all get after the quarterback. Barwin and Graham combined for 13.5 sacks last season. Cox, who was ranked No. 49 on the NFL Network's Top 100 Players list, had nine. Bennie Logan will be the team's other starting defensive tackle. He has started 30 games over the last two seasons. The one criticism of this group is that there doesn't appear to be great depth.
2.) New York Giants. The offseason additions up front were significant. Olivier Vernon and Damon Harrison should improve this group significantly. Vernon, who had 25.5 sacks over the last three seasons with the Dolphins, signed a five-year, $85 million deal with the Giants in March. Many believe Vernon was overpaid. Either way, he makes New York's defensive line better. Harrison's five-year deal was for $46.5 million. The 2012 undrafted rookie free agent started every game over the last three seasons for the Jets. The Giants' other defensive tackle, Johnathan Hankins, is a year removed from a seven-sack season. If New York can get quality production out of defensive ends Owa Odighizuwa and Jason Pierre-Paul, their line should go from a weakness to strength. NFL.com's Gregg Rosenthal recently ranked the Giants's defensive line fourth among the entire league. Philadelphia was sixth.
3.) Washington Redskins. It's difficult to accurately compare a 4-3 defensive line to a 3-4 like the Redskins, but I'm going to include some of their pass-rushing linebackers to even things out. So throwing OLBs Ryan Kerrigan and Preston Smith into the mix obviously helps this group. Kerrigan had 9.5 sacks in 2015 and 13.5 in 2014. Smith, a second-round pick, led all rookies with eight sacks. Chris Baker and Trent Murphy are Washington's most notable defensive ends. They both played in all 16 games, combining for 9.5 sacks in 2015. The nose tackle spot will likely come down to Kedric Golston and Ricky Jean Francois. Washington was the worst team in the division last year when it came to stopping the run, but their ability to get to the QB gives them a slight edge over the Cowboys.
4.) Dallas Cowboys. There is too much uncertainty to rank the Cowboys above any of the other defensive lines in the division. If DeMarcus Lawrence and Randy Gregory weren't facing four-game suspensions to start the season it would be a little different. A front-four of Lawrence, Gregory, Tyrone Crawford and Cedric Thornton looks pretty good on paper. But how long will it take that group to get on the field together and hit on all cylinders? The depth up front is made up of Jack Crawford, Terrell McClain, Benson Mayowa, David Irving, Ryan Russell, Charles Tapper and Maliek Collins. They'll be asked to play key roles starting Week 1, but will they be able to provide enough pressure? Another concern is that the Cowboys didn't make any significant upgrades in the draft or free agency. Say what you will about Greg Hardy off the field, but he led the team with 32 QB pressures and was second with six sacks in 2015. His presence on the field also commanded valuable double teams that helped Lawrence record a team-high eight sacks. Who will step up and replace that production? There are just too many questions at this time to rank the Cowboys any higher.
