Watkins: Fixing personnel is key to Dallas' success

Carp said:

I do want to keep an eye on Mack and Barr though...I could see one falling to us and LB is another weak spot now. If we got one of them and put him with Lee and Holloman, I'd feel alright.

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I doubt we get within earshot of either.

boozeman said:

I doubt we get within earshot of either.

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A lot of people have been giving Barr shit lately, probably hoping it'll make his slip. But I keep reading that he's not as explosive as once thought and he has trouble disengaging from blockers. I didn't see either of that the once or twice I've seen him play, but who knows. Maybe he could fall a little.

Iamtdg said:

So, Smitty prefers Dix over a stud.

So noted.

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Unfortunately I think he prefers a stud to Dix which isn't nearly as funny.

mschmidt64 said:

I'd be ok with a safety but not over a stud DL.

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Even if it an elite and dominant safety?

perhaps depends on how he is in man-dingo coverage

This team has no pass rushers. At all. The entire front seven has major question marks.

The #1 need? Anything in the defensive front seven carries equal long and short term need.

BipolarFan said:

LOL Clinton-Dix

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LoL. He was a fan of Cox as well.

ravidubey said:

This team has no pass rushers.

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No question about it, we need to increase our pass rush. The scariest part is we are likely going to lose our top pass rusher from last year in Jason Hatcher. That's why we are desperate for a DT. Selvie and his 7 sacks at LDE are the least of my concern. If we were to dump Ware, RE would be at the top of the need list as well. The problem is I doubt we move on from Ware so our best hope is that he has a bounce back year. We still need a backup DE with excellent pass rush ability and 2 DT.

LBer doesn't concern me as much. We aren't going to get a pass rush out of them but that is hardly a requisite in this defense. I'm comfortable with Lee, Durant, Wilber, Carter, and Holloman as a LBer group. I'd like to add a middle linebacker for depth/mid season starter but that's really the only "need" I see at LBer.

Cowboysrock55 said:

LBer doesn't concern me as much. We aren't going to get a pass rush out of them but that is hardly a requisite in this defense. I'm comfortable with Lee, Durant, Wilber, Carter, and Holloman as a LBer group. I'd like to add a middle linebacker for depth/mid season starter but that's really the only "need" I see at LBer.

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Adding a better weakside linebacker in this defense is almost as important as the 3-technique. I don't think Carter is that guy and I would prefer not taking another year to have that suspicion affirmed.

boozeman said:

Adding a better weakside linebacker in this defense is almost as important as the 3-technique. I don't think Carter is that guy and I would prefer not taking another year to have that suspicion affirmed.

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I couldn't disagree more. Carter wasn't anything special this year but replacing him is way down on my list of problems with this defense. I'd rather wait a year when Carter is a free agent and we have a better idea of what Holloman is capable of.

Cowboysrock55 said:

I couldn't disagree more. Carter wasn't anything special this year but replacing him is way down on my list of problems with this defense. I'd rather wait a year when Carter is a free agent and we have a better idea of what Holloman is capable of.

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I guess you aren't familiar with the Kiffin defense or even what Marinelli had in Chicago. Neither was crap without Brooks or Briggs.

boozeman said:

I guess you aren't familiar with the Kiffin defense or even what Marinelli had in Chicago. Neither was crap without Brooks or Briggs.

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I am extremely familiar with both defenses. If you watched last year and thought Carter was our biggest problem then I don't think you watched the Cowboys last year at all. He was far from one of the biggest problems with our defense.

Cowboysrock55 said:

I am extremely familiar with both defenses. If you watched last year and thought Carter was our biggest problem then I don't think you watched the Cowboys last year at all. He was far from one of the biggest problems with our defense.

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He was picked on repeatedly by San Diego and was even benched. For Ernie Sims. 'Nuff said.

I am not diminishing the needs at DL and at S. We need help all over the D, including his spot.

boozeman said:

He was picked on repeatedly by San Diego and was even benched. For Ernie Sims. 'Nuff said.

I am not diminishing the needs at DL and at S. We need help all over the D, including his spot.

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You can't put that much stock in one game. The man still ended up with 96 tackles and 5 tackles for loss. I'm not saying we couldn't upgrade over Carter because his coverage ability was certainly disappointing but he is definitely down the list below DT, Safety and DE on defensive needs. I'd actually be more concerned about backup MLBer right now. This defense just looks so much worse once Sean Lee gets hurt.

Cowboysrock55 said:

You can't put that much stock in one game. The man still ended up with 96 tackles and 5 tackles for loss. I'm not saying we couldn't upgrade over Carter because his coverage ability was certainly disappointing but he is definitely down the list below DT, Safety and DE on defensive needs. I'd actually be more concerned about backup MLBer right now. This defense just looks so much worse once Sean Lee gets hurt.

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I agree with this.

Carter was disappointing but nowhere near as bad as safety or DL.

Plus... there's the whole bit about how the LBs will look better once the DL is better.

1st pick: Aaron Donald
2nd pick: Daquan Jones

Let's go the Panther's route of last year.

BipolarFan said:

1st pick: Aaron Donald
2nd pick: Daquan Jones

Let's go the Panther's route of last year.

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Or

Ra'Shede Hageman
Dominick Easley

I might like that even better.

BipolarFan said:

1st pick: Aaron Donald
2nd pick: Daquan Jones

Let's go the Panther's route of last year.

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No Daquan Jones. Thx.

mschmidt64 said:

Or

Ra'Shede Hageman
Dominick Easley

I might like that even better.

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No Hageman. Thx.

I like Hageman alot.