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Cowboys position series: Will defensive line additions lead to more sacks?
Jon Machota Email jmachota@dallasnews.com
Published: July 6, 2015 11:48 pm
To give you an idea of what the Cowboys roster looks like with training camp less than a month away, we’re breaking it down position by position.
Here’s the situation on the defensive line.
Players predicted to make the 53-man roster:
1.) Jeremy Mincey, DE
2.) Tyrone Crawford, DT
3.) DeMarcus Lawrence, DE
4.) Randy Gregory, DE
5.) Terrell McClain, DT
6.) Nick Hayden, DT
7.) Jack Crawford, DE
8.) Ken Bishop, DT
9.) Ben Gardner, DE
10.) Ryan Russell, DE
Outlook for the 2015 season:
Is 10 too many? Maybe. But it’s difficult to predict how deep the Cowboys will go up front with 2013 Pro Bowl defensive end Greg Hardy facing a suspension to open the season.
However, when Hardy returns – it could be anywhere from two to 10 games – the Cowboys should be significantly better at getting to opposing QBs than they were in 2014.
The starting group Week 1 will likely be Jeremy Mincey at right end, DeMarcus Lawrence on the left, Tyrone Crawford at the three-technique tackle spot and Nick Hayden next to him at the one-technique.
Rod Marinelli, who likes to send his “rushmen” in waves, should have the best D-line depth of his time with the Cowboys. Second-round pick Randy Gregory and veteran Terrell McClain will also play important roles in that rotation.
During offseason workouts there was a lot of mixing and matching. On pass-rushing downs, the combinations even included Gregory, Crawford, Hardy and Lawrence lining up together. That group is likely to become a fan favorite in the upcoming months.
“Certainly we’ve tried to make that a point of emphasis in how we’ve drafted and how we addressed free agency this year,” Cowboys coach Jason Garrett said. “I think if you look at our roster right now you see a lot of that competition and that’s really good for that unit, for our defense.
“It’s also good for the offensive line. When those guys break the huddle they know they’re going to be challenged. We feel like we’ve tried to upgrade in that area and we’re excited about training camp to see how those guys respond.”
The Cowboys finished 28th in the league last season with 28 sacks. Marinelli will be the first to say that wasn’t nearly enough.
“I think there’s just a lot of competition across the board, there’s 10-12 guys that can really play,” second-year defensive end Ben Gardner said. “It’s going to make for one heck of a training camp and hopefully a heck of a season where we can put up some better sack numbers.”
Gardner will battle Jack Crawford and rookie Ryan Russell for snaps. Bishop will see time behind Hayden and McClain. If the Cowboys only keep nine defensive linemen, it’ll be a tough call on which one of these four don’t make the cut.
Future at the position:
Lawrence, Gregory and Crawford represent the future. All three are 25 and younger and all were drafted in the early rounds.
Lawrence, a second-round pick in 2014, started to come on at the end of the year. He missed the first half of his rookie season with a broken foot but was at his best during the playoffs, recording a pair of sacks.
“I think when he came back [from the injury], we saw him grow from practice to practice and week to week and by the end of the year he was really making a lot of impact plays for us,” Garrett said. “We think the sky is the limit for him.”
Dallas is looking for similar impact plays from this year’s second-round pick. Gregory had 17.5 sacks and 29 tackles for loss the last two seasons at Nebraska.
“It’s easy to see his talent, very easy to see,” Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said of Gregory. “His willingness to take coaching from his teammates, as well as the coaches themselves – all of those things, you like.”
Crawford, a third-round pick in 2012, emerged as the team’s top three-technique option last season. He turned in his best year, totaling three sacks and 29 QB pressures.
“He’s getting better technically, he understands the position better, and you really see him growing before your eyes,” Garrett said of Crawford. “He’s one of those players on the team that really kind of sets the pace for everyone. He’s a great practice player, he plays hard in the games, and I think he’s one of those guys that you point to as a coach and say, ‘Play the way he plays.’ That’s always a good sign, and he’s going to get better and better as a result of that.”
Jon Machota Email jmachota@dallasnews.com
Published: July 6, 2015 11:48 pm
To give you an idea of what the Cowboys roster looks like with training camp less than a month away, we’re breaking it down position by position.
Here’s the situation on the defensive line.
Players predicted to make the 53-man roster:
1.) Jeremy Mincey, DE
2.) Tyrone Crawford, DT
3.) DeMarcus Lawrence, DE
4.) Randy Gregory, DE
5.) Terrell McClain, DT
6.) Nick Hayden, DT
7.) Jack Crawford, DE
8.) Ken Bishop, DT
9.) Ben Gardner, DE
10.) Ryan Russell, DE
Outlook for the 2015 season:
Is 10 too many? Maybe. But it’s difficult to predict how deep the Cowboys will go up front with 2013 Pro Bowl defensive end Greg Hardy facing a suspension to open the season.
However, when Hardy returns – it could be anywhere from two to 10 games – the Cowboys should be significantly better at getting to opposing QBs than they were in 2014.
The starting group Week 1 will likely be Jeremy Mincey at right end, DeMarcus Lawrence on the left, Tyrone Crawford at the three-technique tackle spot and Nick Hayden next to him at the one-technique.
Rod Marinelli, who likes to send his “rushmen” in waves, should have the best D-line depth of his time with the Cowboys. Second-round pick Randy Gregory and veteran Terrell McClain will also play important roles in that rotation.
During offseason workouts there was a lot of mixing and matching. On pass-rushing downs, the combinations even included Gregory, Crawford, Hardy and Lawrence lining up together. That group is likely to become a fan favorite in the upcoming months.
“Certainly we’ve tried to make that a point of emphasis in how we’ve drafted and how we addressed free agency this year,” Cowboys coach Jason Garrett said. “I think if you look at our roster right now you see a lot of that competition and that’s really good for that unit, for our defense.
“It’s also good for the offensive line. When those guys break the huddle they know they’re going to be challenged. We feel like we’ve tried to upgrade in that area and we’re excited about training camp to see how those guys respond.”
The Cowboys finished 28th in the league last season with 28 sacks. Marinelli will be the first to say that wasn’t nearly enough.
“I think there’s just a lot of competition across the board, there’s 10-12 guys that can really play,” second-year defensive end Ben Gardner said. “It’s going to make for one heck of a training camp and hopefully a heck of a season where we can put up some better sack numbers.”
Gardner will battle Jack Crawford and rookie Ryan Russell for snaps. Bishop will see time behind Hayden and McClain. If the Cowboys only keep nine defensive linemen, it’ll be a tough call on which one of these four don’t make the cut.
Future at the position:
Lawrence, Gregory and Crawford represent the future. All three are 25 and younger and all were drafted in the early rounds.
Lawrence, a second-round pick in 2014, started to come on at the end of the year. He missed the first half of his rookie season with a broken foot but was at his best during the playoffs, recording a pair of sacks.
“I think when he came back [from the injury], we saw him grow from practice to practice and week to week and by the end of the year he was really making a lot of impact plays for us,” Garrett said. “We think the sky is the limit for him.”
Dallas is looking for similar impact plays from this year’s second-round pick. Gregory had 17.5 sacks and 29 tackles for loss the last two seasons at Nebraska.
“It’s easy to see his talent, very easy to see,” Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said of Gregory. “His willingness to take coaching from his teammates, as well as the coaches themselves – all of those things, you like.”
Crawford, a third-round pick in 2012, emerged as the team’s top three-technique option last season. He turned in his best year, totaling three sacks and 29 QB pressures.
“He’s getting better technically, he understands the position better, and you really see him growing before your eyes,” Garrett said of Crawford. “He’s one of those players on the team that really kind of sets the pace for everyone. He’s a great practice player, he plays hard in the games, and I think he’s one of those guys that you point to as a coach and say, ‘Play the way he plays.’ That’s always a good sign, and he’s going to get better and better as a result of that.”