More Cowboys D-Line Prospects: The Defensive Ends

Bjoern Werner

Cowboys Nation's week-long chat with our draft expert TD continues today with a breakdown of 4-3 defensive ends.

CN:  Let's move from 3-techniques to guys who can put their hands down and play 4-3 end. If you put those two groups together, where would the top 4-3 rush ends line up in relation to the top interior rushers from the 3 spot?

TD:  There are a lot of talented guys in that group who will also come into play really early.  Start with Bjoern Werner. One, he's seen as a safe pick; two, he works really hard and three, he's got a lot of upside.  Demontre Moore from Texas A&M also comes into play really early.  Both of those guys likely go top 10.

These 6'4" 250 lb. guys can play standing up, but they're also 4-3 ends as well.   Barkevious Mingo played with his hand down at LSU, even though he's a bit light.  Datone Jones from UCLA had a really strong Senior Bowl week.  He's 6'4", 280.  I think he's a 1st rounder.  He could certainly play on that left side against right tackles and really anchor.

Then you have Ezekiel Ansah.  I think he's going to wind up somewhere in the 1st round.  Sam Montgomery is in play, though he may last a little longer.  Alex Okafor from Texas didn't have a great Senior Bowl week.  Then Dion Jordan from Oregon will get some attention.  He's 6'6", 250.  He's a bit thin, but I think he can play in a 4-3.  I see him right now as more of a 2nd round prospect.

CN:   You just named six guys, before you get to a guy like Alex Okafor, who sounds a lot like this year's Nick Perry, a talented guy who got lost in a numbers shuffle and landed on a very good team at the bottom of the 1st round.

Combine these guys with the defensive tackles and there are about 14-15 defensive linemen with a shot at going in the 1st round.

Let's talk more about Ziggy Ansah. He's a bit of a wild card here.  Everybody talks about his talent but I see some waffling on where he'll end up.  What have you heard now that the Senior Bowl has finished?

TD:  I was talking to a scout this week about Ansah and Margus Hunt, the really big (6'8", 280 lbs.) defensive end from SMU.  Hunt is from Estonia and Ansah is from Ghana.  He told me that with these players, it's hard to find a comparison.  He said, "we've seen a player a little like Ansah, in [Jason Pierre-Paul.  It worked out in Pierre-Paul's case, but that doesn't mean it always will.  We don't have any other guys to compare Ansah to.  With Hunt, they've never seen anybody like him."

He's so big and he runs really well.  The scout said, "these guys are 'luxury picks' for teams.  Until you get them into camp, you're not going to understand where they fit your scheme best and how they're going to help you."  They do so many things well, but they're so raw at other things, you have to get them on the field with your players to get a real good idea of where and how you can use them.

You see big guys with speed who have some pass rush ability, especially in Hunt's case, but is he best inside?  Outside?  Do you rush him standing up?  With his hand down?  The scout said, "when can teams afford to spend that luxury pick on these guys?"   He thought Ansah was a 1st rounder, and Hunt is more of a 2nd, but he would not be surprised to see Hunt at the 1st/2nd round turn, especially to a 3-4 team that wants a big rusher.

CN:  Any other names sneaking under the radar?  Is there a guy who's just a good football player who is hard to categorize?  He doesn't have to be raw like a Margus Hunt or a Ziggy Ansah, but maybe he's not your central casting 5-technique, but he can get the job done.

TD: We have not talked about him much but Datone Jones from UCLA may be one of those guys.  He's 6'4".  He's a legit 280.  Teams don't want that from an edge rusher anymore but he was the best pure Senior Bowl defensive end last week.  Can you kick him inside and get him up the field?  Yes.  Can he play the end and get up the field?  Yes, he can do that too.

CN:  He sounds like an old Ron Wolf defensive end.  He drafted Vonnie Holliday from North Carolina for the Packers.  He was a 295-300 lb. defensive tackle in college and Wolf got him to play defensive end opposite Reggie White, who was also in that 295-300 lb. range.  Wolf liked taking four big guys and putting them across the line of scrimmage.

TD:  He's a good football player, Datone Jones.  I think he can be a good pro.

CN:  Is he a solid 1st rounder, in your opinion?

TD: That's what I'm hearing.  That's what everyone was saying.  Jones was another one of those buzz players this past week.

Next:  We return to the quarterback position and TD will run down the more athletic, Colin Kaepernick types.  

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Can the Cowboys pick a DT in Round 1? And Which One?

This old DC needs more young DLs

Part three of Cowboys Nation's chat with our draft analyst TD sizes up the deep 4-3 defensive tackle crop. 

Cowboys Nation:  Let's move to the defensive line.  It sounds like Purdue's Kewann Short had a very good Senior Bowl week and was the North player of the game.

TD:  Yes. He was one of those players who built up some buzz.

CN:  Where has Short positioned himself?

TD:   I think he's a 1st rounder.  He's 6'3", 310 with some good get off.  Those guys usually end up going pretty high. Sharrif Floyd is up there.  It's shaping up to be a really good defensive tackle class, with Star Lotulelei leading the way.  Sheldon Richardson from Missouri is in that group.  Jesse Williams is up there.  John Jenkins, who we have discussed, is that nose tackle prospect. Johnathan Hawkins from Ohio State is another name to add.   That's seven defensive tackles who could go in the 1st round.

CN:  And defensive tackles rise, historically speaking.

TD:  You're going to see those guys go higher than a running back, or a wide receiver or a tight end or a safety or a linebacker.  If you're going to miss in the 1st, you want to miss on a defensive lineman.

CN:  If there's depth at defensive tackle and you have a shot at one, you don't want to miss that train because those guys won't be around in the 2nd.  I can think back to 2001, I think eight defensive linemen went in the top 20 picks, and two years later ten were taken in the first round.  This draft is not full of blue-chipper, can't miss types, so I think that Dallas might have a shot at one of the top tackles at pick 18.

How would you prioritize this list?  Break it down this way.  Last week we talked about 3-techniques and 1-techniques and you put the 3-techniques higher because that's the rush, play-making position in the under-shirted fronts that Monte Kiffin plays.  Rank the 3 techniques first, if you will, then the 1s, then the whole group.

TD:  As pure 3s?  Star is a hybrid type.  He can play 1 or 3.  But he's your best tackle overall, run or pass. He's first.  Now, everyone's list is going to be different but I like Sharrif Floyd a lot as a 3.  I'd put him next. Then Sheldon Richardson, then Kewann Short.

If you're looking at nose tackles, I'd say Johnathan Hawkins, then John Jenkins.  Jesse Williams?  I think he's more of a 1-technique in a 4-3 than a 3-4 nose, which the first two guys can play.  Now, in a 4-3, I'd rather have Star Lotulelei playing on the nose than these other three, but he's got a lot of 3 skills as well.  I think he's got the ability to play both spots very well.

CN:  Listening to you and some others, it seems that despite the depth, there's no Warren Sapp in this group.

TD:  No.  Now, there are guys with some athleticism that group.

CN:  Let me ask you one more question concerning ranking.  Would you rank any of the 1-techniques, Hawkins, Jenkins or Williams, above Kewann Short?

TD:  No.

Tomorrow:  TD ranks the 4-3 defensive ends in comparison to the 3-techniques.

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Playing the Numbers: Can Dallas Get a Quality Offensive Lineman in the 2nd?

Could Jonathan Cooper fall to the 2nd?

Part two of Cowboys Nation's chat with our draft analyst TD handicaps the chances that a quality offensive lineman will reach the team's 2nd round pick (47th overall).

Cowboys Nation:  Let's stick with offensive line.  If we're looking at guys in the 15 to 45 range, where does Chance Warmack fit?  Is he a top 15 pick?  Is he at the top of this 15 to 45 group?  Do we not know at this point, given that interior offensive linemen often slide?

TD:  I think he's top 25.  I think he's the guard that definitely goes in the 1st round, but does a team pull the trigger on him at 15, at 20, or at 25?  When does a team say, "he's the guy we want?"  All I can say with some certainty is he's a top 25 pick.  We'll get a clearer picture after the Combine.

CN: Is Oklahoma's Lane Johnson roughly even with Warmack, because he plays a priority position?  Is he just behind Warmack?

TD:  I'd say Johnson is going to be a bit below Warmack.  He's a borderline 1st/2nd rounder, based off talent.  I think Johnson had a good Senior Bowl week, but Chance Warmack is simply a better player.

CN:  Once you're past those two, how do the offensive linemen stack up?  If we're looking at 1st and 2nd round offensive linemen and putting them in tiers, how do those break down?

TD:  You have D.J, Fluker, the offensive tackle from Alabama.  He's massive. He's 6'5", 355.  He carried his weight really well, but he's more of a right tackle only.  I think he does have late 1st round potential.  Oday Aboushi, the Virginia offensive tackle is 6'5", 310, and he's got pretty good feet.  But like Fluker, I think he's more of a right tackle only prospect.

Jonathan Cooper from North Carolina is in that 1st-round mix, just like Warford.  He's about the same as Warford, in that late 1st, early 2nd range.  Justin Pugh from Syracuse is a junior who red-shirted, so he played at the Senior Bowl this week. He's probably a solid 2nd, early 3rd round.

Looking at centers you have Barrett Jones. He's a solid 2nd with a chance to slip into the 1st.  Travis Frederick from Wisconsin is a center who's in that 2nd/3rd round mix.  That's the next group of guys.

CN:  You've just named eight guys, from Chance Warmack to Barrett Jones.  Add Joeckel and Fisher and that's ten offensive linemen.  I can see a lot of them going in the 1st, but I have a hard time seeing ten offensive linemen going in the top 32 picks, especially when three of them are guards, one is a center and two are pure right tackle prospects.  Dallas' second pick comes at 47 and there's a pretty good chance at least one of those top 10 slides to that spot.

TD:  Right now, when I say a guy is in the mix, I'm saying he has a chance of landing in a certain range.  If you put a gun to my head I'd say Barrett Jones will go in the top 40 picks.  I would say Warmack and Warford go in the top 40.  I'd say there's a chance Jonathan Cooper goes in the top 40 but if he goes top 50 or 60 you really don't know.

In my opinion, I think there are seven guys who are pretty certain top 40 picks -- Joeckel, Fisher, Warmack, Johnson, Warford, Fluker and Jones.

CN:  That will probably make Cowboys fans happy, because it means there can be a quality offensive lineman in the 2nd.  The team needs help on both lines and the sense I get, from what I've read and what I've heard, is that Dallas will prioritize defensive line in the 1st round.

Next:  TD breaks down the deep defensive line crop. 

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Draft 2013: Cowboys Linemen of Interest, Post Senior Bowl

Senior Bowl week has concluded.  Here, in the first of a several part series sizing up prospects that are likely to interest the Dallas Cowboys, is Cowboys Nation's draft expert TD:

Cowboys Nation:  The Senior Bowl has just finished, TD.  I have a lot of linemen I want to discuss, on both sides of the football, but I'm going to open with a more general question.  Which players carried the most buzz out of Mobile, regardless of position?

TD:  If you watched the coverage on the NFL Network you know the guy getting the most buzz is probably Eric Fisher, the offensive tackle from Central Michigan.  He's 6'7", 310 lbs.  He's one of those guys who will likely run sub 5.0 at the combine. He has flexibility.  I don't know if jumps particularly well.  I don't think he's going to challenge [Luke] Joeckel for the top tackle spot, but he's certainly in the discussion to be the second offensive tackle off the board.  When everything shakes out I think he's certain to go in the top 10-15 picks.  But you can read that last part anywhere.

Lane Johnson from Oklahoma is a very interesting guy.  He didn't have as much natural power as Fisher, but he's got a body which can continue to add weight.  He had a strong week.

Desmond Truffant, Marcus Truffant's younger brother, also had a strong week.  A lot of people thought he was a pure nickel guy entering the week but he played well.  He played bigger than some people thought he would.  I think he can start in the league. 

Larry Warford, the guard from Kentucky, had a pretty dominant week to my eyes.  He was heavy handed.  He was tough to disengage from.  He can move people off the ball.  He's got pretty good feet.  He's not Chance Warmack but I think he closed the gap.  He's probably a late 1st, early 2nd round guy who can come in and contribute for you early.  Those were the guys who helped themselves.

CN:  I want to stay with Warford because you just said some good things and some bad things from a Cowboys perspective.  Good in that he's a guy who I've heard the Cowboys like.  A lot of Cowboys fans I've read and talked to are hoping for him as a 2nd round option.

Based on what you just told me he may have played himself out of the mid-2nd.  He may just be too good a pick to drop that far. I think that will bring frowns to a lot of fans faces because he's building some momentum for that second pick.

How much have you seen of Warford?  What can you tell us about him?

TD:   He sets well.  He's got a wide base.   He's got leverage.  I wouldn't say he's overly fast, but he's quick on his feet and balanced, which is what you need from a guy inside, and he can anchor against bull rushers.  You need interior linemen who can set quickly and anchor, especially against the bigger defensive linemen who just want to penetrate and get up the field. 

He's not just flashy either.  He's got some power.  He can pull from the backside if you need him to.  Some scouts I talked to this week think he's secured a 1st round spot, but with interior offensive linemen, you never know.  I do think that the middle of the 2nd is now his floor and the top 25 probably his ceiling.  He's one of those guys of whom you say, 25 to 40, but it seems that every year you have about 70 players like that.

Next:  TD ranks the offensive linemen who could go in the 15 to 45 range. 

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Cowboys Play Calling: What is Callahan's Plan?

Jerry Jones' "uncomfortable over Dallas 2013 tour" continues with a change at the offensive coordinator position.  The play sheet has apparently passed from head coach Jason Garrett to offensive line coach Bill Callahan.

While that answers the primary question of who calls the 2013 Cowboys offensive games, that decision raises several more.  What style of offense will Callahan run, for instance?  My guess is that he'll keep the basic contours of the current Cowboys playbook, which is a near carbon copy of the one Mike Martz ran for the Rams in the "Greatest Show on Turf" days.

Callahan spent most of his early years working in the Bill Walsh family of the West Coast tree.  He was hired  to the the line coach for the Philadelphia Eagles by former 49ers DC Ray Rhodes, when Rhodes became the Eagles head man in 1995.  Callahan worked closely with a young coach named Jon Gruden, who handled Philly's play sheet.  When Gruden claimed the Raiders head job years later, he took Callahan west with him.

Gruden and Callahan parted ways in 2002 when the Buccaneers gave draft picks to Oakland to acquire Gruden.  Al Davis elevated Callahan to the head coaching job and he handled much of the play calling for the 2002 Raiders, who reached the Super Bowl and faced Gruden's Buccaneers.

Callahan kept Gruden's offense intact, and worked off it's principals.  Lots of three-step drop passes.  Lots of bunch and spread formations.  Lots and lots of short and intermediate crossing routes. Plenty of throws to the backs, who operated from split backfields or from single back, broken-split sets.  Callahan could incorporate some, or a lot of this system.

On the other hand, Callahan worked for years under Jets coordinator Brian Schottenheimer, who's playbook bore a strong resemblance to the one Garrett has run since 2007, and which Norv Turner and Ernie Zampese ran in the '90s.  That system takes more of an an attacking, down-the-field approach than Callahan's. which worked short passes patiently, lulling a defense to sleep before hitting it with a vertical pass.

-- Will Callahan try to remake Tony Romo in the Rich Gannon mold?  Gannon worked Callahan's West Coast scheme perfectly in '02, and won the league MVP award.  He operated behind a huge offensive line which ran pretty well, but which pass blocked better.  Those Super Bowl Raiders threw first and ran second.  That's not much a departure from Garrett's more pass-happy mixes.  Given the current talent that Callahan has on his line -- and he knows their limitations better than anybody -- I can see more passing-rich game plans regardless of which philosophy Callahan applies.

Those unanswered questions raise more.  For instance:

-- will he and Garrett hire a lieutenant?  In Oakland, Callahan called the game much of the time, but leaned heavily on offensive coordinator Marc Trestman, who ran the 49ers offense in the mid-'90s after Mike Shanahan left, and who just took the Bears head job.   Might the need for another skilled play-calling hand have motivated Hue Jackson's interview?  Maybe, maybe not.

If Jackson does join the Cowboys, he suggests that the team will keep Garrett's system. Jackson has worked at several NFL outposts and has been a coordinator for USC, the Redskins and the Raiders. His most recent assistants stop before running the final Al Davis Raiders was tutoring Cam Cameron's receivers in Baltimore.  Cameron is one of the Coryell-Zampese-Turner disciples.  Jackson knows what Dallas has done and likely will continue doing.

-- will Callahan ask for his own version of Charlie Garner?  The speedy former Eagles back followed Gruden and Callahan to the West Coast and was a major factor in Oakland's '02 Super Bowl run.  Garner produced over 1900 yards from scrimmage that year and it was split almost evenly between rushing yards (962) and receiving yards (941).  Garner caught 91 passes that year.

Does Callahan have somebody like this on his current roster?  DeMarco Murray had his issues with drops.  Is he a guy who can handle this type of passing load?  If the Cowboys go in search of a new back in this running backs-rich draft, they may look for a slippery back with good hands in the Garner mold.

The Garrett playbook can certainly feature a back or backs who catch the football.  As I've pointed out earlier, it's almost identical to the system Mike Martz used when he had Marshall Faulk.  In his glory years, Faulk averaged over 80 catches a year in this system.

Start scouring the draft lists for mid-round guys with good hand, some shake and good blocking skills.  Felix Jones is likely gone.  A younger, fresher version of him -- he and Garner do have similar games -- could be take by the team in the 4th or 5th rounds.

-- Can Callahan reverse the recent offensive trend towards slow starts?  That alone would make him valuable to the team.  In Oakland, he and Trestman were masters of orchestrating fast starts.  That AFC championship team topped the NFL in 1st quarter scoring.  Contrast that to a Cowboys team that lived among the league worst in that category, and we may have a fit.

So many questions, and it's still only January.

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Cowboys 2013 Off Season Defensive Depth Chart v.1.0 (Updated)

UPDATE: Confirmed via twitter from Calvin Watkins of ESPNDallas.com, "Garrett isn't calling offensive plays. Bill Callahan is calling the plays."

Welcome to the 2013 Off Season Defensive Depth Chart version 1.0. This chart is a starting point. Where we try and visualize the many aspects of the off season process. For instance if Ware goes down, Hatcher may become a starting DE, versus a starting DT. These types of things are reflected, where possible, in the depth chart. We charted all players under contract, including futures players, were we believe they will gain the majority of camp time, which of course, can change at any given moment, based on information harvested via our sources, and from that which we share with each other here.

Special Teams - Offensive - Defensive

We are using color to denote the depth of a position according to the legend on the chart. The safety position jumps out at you, much like the interior offensive line did in the previously published Offensive Depth Chart. Conversely you can see the depth of the Interior LB position and the tenuous layer of quality along the defensive line.

Cowboys 2013 Off Season Defensive Depth Chart v1.0

LB/CB3 and LB/CB4 positions are connected to two position groups denoting players for each group. DB's are diamonds, LB's squares and Linemen triangles. "Rookie" equates to a drafted player, with one pick possibly represented in multiple positions.

Where to put Alex Albright was a fun process. Ultimately it doesn't matter, yet I believe he could be a superior player versus K. Wilber in the SOLB position, due to Albright demonstrating the ability to cover. However, will Albright play himself out of a starters gig because of his ability to play any LB position? Is McSurdy suited to the WOLB, MLB, SOLB position, or a Special Teams Ace Only?

Spencer is a cap casualty. Between Lissemore and Hatcher, one, perhaps both are going to shine in this scheme. Callaway and Bass are our best bets behind Ratliff. Spears may have a resurgence in this scheme, perhaps not, however he can play inside or outside along this line.

With Jenkins gone, we are again thin at CB. There are a "LOT" of questions in the 4th, 5th and 6th CB positions. Might Safety M. Johnson take practice for an extended period of time?

Exact placement of some 2nd  year players due to the defensive scheme shift, and with futures players, due to lack of interaction, leaves much to be updated. Pellerin could have an impact at Safety or possibly as a 4th CB. Igbinosun along the DLine is a particularly intriguing size/speed/strength prospect! The scheme shift actually helps his case.

Review the chart, then offer your thoughts on who belongs where in the over all scheme of things, then see how it all shakes out in the next version.

I am seeing four draft picks spent on the defensive side of the ball this year. A quality Safety prospect in round one, defensive line in rounds two through four, finishing out with linebackers and cornerbacks in the later rounds.

What positions do you see differently? What answers do you propose? Comment below.

On Twitter: Steven Van Over

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Championship Week Notes

I spent the last few days chewing through tape of the Cowboys 2012 D, the Bears 2012 D, old Jimmy Johnson Cowboys D tapes and here's what I know, in short form.   Most of these pieces will be fodder for longer, stand-alone pieces later in the week.

1.  There's not much difference between the J.J. Ds of the '90s and Monte Kiffin's defenses.  The former used a lot of quarters coverage zones and the latter a lot more cover-2 as its base.  Otherwise, they used the same two fronts, and under and an over 4-3.  The major difference up front comes in the use of the weakside outside linebacker.  He's much more in the action in the Tampa-2, which only strengthens my belief that we'll see Bruce Carter in that spot.  Much more on the over and under looks and their counterparts in the J.J. wide-end 4-3 shortly.

2.  You can find lots of lessons on how a base Tampa-2 works and where it came from, but looking at Lovie Smith's Bears, the most successful practitioners of the Kiffin-2 in the NFL this year, it became clear that these base fronts don't make the field very much.

That's because Chicago, like most every other defense, now plays in an NFL where spread attacks are the base. The Bears play the pass-happy Packers and Lions four times a year.  Even the Vikings, the most balanced team in the division, play funky unbalanced lines.  Very few opponents put a "regular" offense on the field.

Subsequently, I saw the Bears nickel package on the field for more 1st and 2nd down plays than I did a straight-up over or under 4-3 base.  Chicago has six key front players -- ends Julius Peppers and Israel Idonije, tackles Henry Melton and Stephen Paea and linebackers Brian Urlacher and Lance Briggs.

They were only together for two games this season, but the Cowboys counterparts are the ends DeMarcus Ware and Anthony Spencer, the tackles Jason Hatcher and Jay Ratliff and linebackers Sean Lee and Bruce Carter.  Given the reliance that Lovie Smith and his DC Rod Marinelli, the Cowboys new D-line coach, placed on their Bears front six, I suspect Dallas may lean on its key six just as much in 2013.  This means that I take the team's claims that it wants Anthony Spencer back very seriously.

-- Given the emphasis Chicago placed on a nickel back, the search for a strong-side backer who can fit the 4-3 may be a lower priority than first believed.  I think a play-making safety, who can line up in a linebacker spot and play decent coverage, might be a greater need.  Look for somebody in the old Darren Woodson or current Cam Chancellor mold.  Their much easier to envision than they are to find, unfortunately.

-- I've spent some time parsing Nevada's pistol offense and feel it's not a gimmick.  It's here to stay and will put pressure on six-man and seven-man fronts to challenge it.

That said, I'm looking at the Cowboys early match-up against Carolina and the two games against Washington.  Dallas was rather effective at stopping Cam Newton's option package, where it had far less success solving Robert Griffin.  The front's discipline, evident in the first game, dissolves in the last two.  This may be one more reason why Rob Ryan was let go.

--  Looking for a pet cat to groom for April's draft?  Read this Eric Galko interview from early October, where he introduced us to Kentucky guard Larry Warford.  He gets far less attention than Chance Warmack and Jonathan Cooper, the top two guards in the 2013 class, but he reads like a guy who could challenge any guard already on Dallas' roster.  I know he's getting a lot of attention in Dallas' circles and his ability to kick slide with power, puts him into play in the 2nd round.

If the Cowboys go defensive line or safety in the 1st round, Warford will be a top name to track in the 2nd.  He might be worth tracking even if Dallas goes for an offensive lineman in the first.

Warford is at this week's Senior Bowl, and he's definitely worth your time, if you can view some of the week's practices on the NFL Network.

     *     *     *     *

I'm working on getting Eric back for a chat as soon as possible, hopefully after this week.  Rotoworld's Josh Norris has committed to more chats, but has deferred them until the Combine's end.

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Draft 2013: "Luxury" Corners and 1-Technique Prospects

Too much CB, or a target of a
misguided meme?

Part three of Cowboys Nation's chat with our draft analyst TD examines how the cornerbacks Brandon Carr and Morris Claiborne will fit and adapt to Monte Kiffin's new defensive scheme.  He also runs down some top prospects to play the 1-technique tackle in Monte Kiffin's Tampa-2 front.

Cowboys Nation:  I get a lot of questions about Morris Claiborne, and I'll let you take this, since you've seen  far, far more of his tape.  Tampa-2 teams play a lot more zone.  Their corners play a lot more press-bail, they play more off-man.  Therefore, the more pessimistic fans have jumped to the conclusion that Morris Claiborne is a luxury, that he's more cornerback than the Cowboys need to run this scheme, and therefore the team was wasteful spending a 2nd to acquire him and "burned" 50 million dollars to sign Brandon Carr to play opposite him.

I'm baffled that anybody would think a blue-chip rated cornerback is somehow a bad thing, but project his game into Monte Kiffin's defense.

TD:  If Morris Claiborne was Nnamdi Asomugha or was one of those guys who's 6'2", who needs to get his hands on people.  You look at Seattle with their big corners.  When they get in trouble is when they play off-man in coverage and receivers get behind them.

I thought that Claiborne as a pure corner rated on the same plane with his college teammate Patrick Peterson.  Peterson is bigger and more physical, and adds that punt return dimension, but as a pure cover man I thought coming out that Claiborne was a better player.  He had better footwork.  He kept himself lower.  He was more explosive making his breaks.  Guys like him can do whatever they want, regardless of the scheme.

Might he take a step back because he's not going to be playing press-man every time?  I don't think so.  It's not like the Cowboys never played zone.

CN:  On that point, when the injuries stared to rack up, the Cowboys did play a lot more zone.  The corners were all talking about it.

TD:  Might he take a small step back then learning the new scheme?  Maybe, but that happens to any player any time you have a new coach and a new scheme.  If he commits himself with his athletic skills he should be fine.  He's not an overly tall corner.  He's 5'11'' and a half, 6'0".  That's the perfect size for any corner in any scheme.   I think that's ludicrous.  You don't think of dumping a kid, or dismiss him this early in his career just because he's moving to a scheme that will play press-man less.  He's too talented.  He's going to make plays.

The thing with these cover-2 corners is they play on the boundary more, when they're in that 5-under zone, so they'll have to come up and tackle more.  Going to Brandon Carr, I know he's a physical corner, and he can handle that.

CN:  Let's move to the defensive line and turn to the college game.  The Cowboys have relied on Jay Ratliff and Jason Hatcher a lot the last two to three years.  Those have been the two three-down linemen on the squad, who play base 3-4 and line up as tackles in the nickel.  Both are over 30 now.  We talked earlier about Tyrone Crawford playing 4-3 end, but with Josh Brent out the Cowboys have a major age and a depth problem at the two DT spots in the Tampa-2.

There's a lot of debate about whether the Cowboys should prioritize a 3-technique, who is the play-maker inside in that under 4-3 look, but they also need a 1-technique to line up slanted on the center, regardless of how Ratliff rebounds from his ankle and hernia problems this year.

Let's start at the 1-technique.  We've talked about Alabama's Jesse Williams in the past, but that was when Dallas was committed to a 3-4 and we were kicking around nose prospects who could one or two gap. Is Williams a good fit as the 1-technique in this scheme, and who are some other players who could play there?

TD:  Before I was thinking of Jesse Williams as that hybrid 1-technique, 5-technique, who could play inside and outside in a 3-4 front.  If you're looking strictly for a 1-technique, especially in the 1st round, you evaluate guys in comparison to the best 1-3 technique combos.  You look at Tampa Bay, when they had Warren Sapp as the 3 and Booger McFarland as the 1.  You look at the Bears when they had Tommy Harris as the 3 and Anthony Adams as the 1.

Your 1-technique almost has to have some 3-technique type tendencies.  He's got to be able to anchor and eat up some more trash, but he's also got to be able to knife up the field and disrupt plays.  When you start looking at those guys, Star Lotulelei, Sylvester Williams and Kawann Short are guys who come to mind. These guys have 1-technique value because they have some 3-technique ability.  At the same time, they might not be elite 3-technique.

Also, take a look at Kaleb Ramsey from Boston College.  I was impressed by his junior tape.  He's listed at 6'2", around 300 lbs.  He's listed as a 3-technique, but I think he's got some 1-technique ability.  He's a guy in the middle rounds who could have a lot of value.

CN:  Let's go back to Jesse Williams.  You seem more excited about him in a more controlled scheme, from the sounds of it.

TD:  With Williams, you've got some athleticism.  I would never consider him a 3-technique.  He has the game to be a 1-technique, but I don't see enough dynamism to him. If I'm playing a lot of cover-2, I'm relying on my front four to pressure the quarterback without much help and I want my interior linemen to give me some pass rush.  I'd say he's more of a power player who can overwhelm as a 5-technique but if he's getting combo blocked inside you're not going to consistently overpower guys in the NFL.  You need some get-off the snap, like an Anthony McFarland.  I don't see that from him, and that's why I don't think he would be a great fit for the Cowboys.

CN:  Let's go to Kawann Short.  You brought him up early in the fall as somebody worth watching.  He was another name who fit the swing tackle, hybrid 3-4, 4-3 mold.  You appear to like more as a 4-3 1-technique than Williams.  Why?

TD: He needs to find the football a little better, but he's 6'3", he's 315 lbs.  He's flexible. He's a good athlete. I think he can give you some flexibility inside at either tackle spot.  He's good versus the run and he can be a pressure rusher.  He's got enough get-off burst so he can be effective playing the 1.

CN:  Any guys that we've skipped, who could produce inside?  Guys who are sneaky, in that they can press a pocket or have a little slipperiness and can get past guards inside?

TD: Josh Boyd from Mississippi State fits that description.  He's 6'3", 300 lbs. Also Brandon Williams from Missouri Southerns State.  He's 6'2", about 325.  Those are guys you'll start eyeing in that 2nd to 3rd round range.  They have enough athleticism and quickness off the ball to penetrate and get up the field, but they also have enough girth to anchor against the run.

Those are the two qualities you look for.  The 3-technique is always creating havoc on 1st, 2nd and 3rd downs.  The 1-technique has to be able hold up and keep the 3-technique clean on run downs and on passing downs he's got to be able to win some one-on-one match-ups as well.  You're not looking for elite pass rushing talent from him but you need some rush ability.

Next:  TD breaks down the best 3-technique prospects. 

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Cowboys 2013 Off Season Offensive Depth Chart v.1.2 (Updated)

*Updated to version 1.2 - includes futures players and position depth by color

Special Teams - Offensive - Defensive

We now have a Defensive Coordinator and are not certain if we will have the same Offensive Coordinator in 2013, what a perfect time to break out the 2013 Off Season Offensive Depth Chart version 1.2 (already updated from 1.0). This chart is not a weak, early version. It takes things head on and addresses some critical issues up front.

Cowboys 2013 Off Season Offensive Depth Chart v1.2

After review, there are questions aplenty brought forth by the Version 1.2 Chart, yet early calls on some difficult situations are made. Good bye to Doug Free, hello to J. Parnell at RT. I am not against re-signing Free as a veteran swing tackle, at a highly reduced rate, to have on hand as the young guys on the edges get seasoning, yet I don't consider that a likely possibility. Arkin should no longer be in the mix along the line. Bernadeau is demoted and could be a post June 1 cut if needed. TE Phillips is a cut only if something looks good and cheaper in FA or Rounds 6/7. If the starter at RG on opening day is Bernadeau then the GM/Scouts have failed the position. We Need to have draft picks rather than UDFA at both the QB and OLine positions. If we have not done this after the draft then the GM/Scouting department has also failed these positions. We need competition and a possible "find" from the FA/UDFA talent pool at the FB, and more importantly, the RB positions. We could spend a pick at WR, but we have depth at the position that needs to be given a chance so we can make more informed personnel decisions.

I am seeing two draft picks spent on the offensive side of the ball this year with one each at QB and OL, maybe two at OL bringing the total for the Offense to three. A possibility of spending a pick at RB, TE or WR could develop depending on how talent falls, yet I believe this to be unlikely. The rest of the picks should go to the defense, the depth chart I will post in a few days. What positions do you see differently? What answers do you propose? Comment below.

On Twitter: Steven Van Over

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Do the Newer Cowboys Fit the Kiffin-2? A look at the Linebackers

Bruce Carter

Cowboys Nation continues its review of recent Cowboys defensive draftees and how they might fit new coordinator Monte Kiffin's schemes.  Today, CN"s draft analyst TD looks at linebackers Kyle Wilbur and Bruce Carter. 

Cowboys Nation: Let's move to Kyle Wilbur, a guy the Cowboys drafted in the 4th round.  He was trying to switch into a 3-4 and play strong-side outside linebacker.  What position did he play at Wake Forest?

TD:  They stood him up a lot and let him rush off the edge, more as a hybrid type player.  He played with his hand down at the East-West Shrine Game and had his moments.  He's not a quick-twitch rusher but he's smooth, and he's agile.  He has some pass rush ability because of it.

In the 4-3 I think he could earn some reps as a 3rd down rusher off the strong side, and also perhaps as a strong-side linebacker.  Initially, I think he may play more as a nickel rusher.

CN: I think he's being projected as a strong-side backer in the 4-3.  Does he have drop skills?

TD:  I've never seen him do that.  I don't think Wake asked him to drop.  When you're a pass rusher in college you come off the edge.  I did see enough coordination from him to think he could do it.  I don't think he's fast enough or athletic enough to play on the weak-side in a 4-3, but I think he'll have a shot on that strong side.

CN:  Speaking of weak-side linebackers, Bruce Carter is moving back to his old college position.  He was the weak-side backer in Butch Davis' 4-3 at North Carolina.  Davis ran Jimmy Johnson's scheme and there are a lot of similarities between it and Monte Kiffin's 4-3/  It seems a natural fit for Carter to go back to his old job and use his speed to chase the football.

TD:  I remember the good Bruce Carter.  He had a very high grade among the draft people entering his senior year at North Carolina.  From an explosion standpoint, and this is both running laterally and as a striker, I think Carter was the best in that role in his class.  He can run like a deer.  His angles were a bit poor at times and his instincts were a bit inconsistent, but when he knew where the football was he could get to it in a hurry and he could deliver some thud.

I thought playing a run-and-hit backer in a 4-3 was his best position.  I think moving into the Tampa-2 opens a lot of opportunities for him, because now he can just play seek-and-destroy.  I think that's a great fit for him.

CN:  I know that in both of those systems, the Johnson 4-3 and the Kiffin 4-3, middle linebacker is important but it's the weak-side guy who's protected even more. That's where the coaches put their best linebacker athlete and set him up to make plays.

TD:  If he can stay healthy I think he's got the best chance to be a breakout player in that scheme. I thought he could be a good player for Dallas when they drafted him but I didn't think inside backer in a 3-4 played to his strengths.  I think he can be a 1st-round caliber talent in this new system.

Next:  TD looks at the Cowboys' corners and addresses the meme that Dallas has "over-invested" in Morris Claiborne and Brandon Carr now that it has gone back to a 4-3.

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Out With the Wade and In With the New

Update:  Hot off the twitter feed of the Chicago Tribune's Brad Biggs:

Marinelli would be a tremendous get for Kiffin's staff.  He was Kiffin's defensive line coach at Tampa Bay and helped develop Warren Sapp and Simeon Rice for that team.  He followed Lovie Smith to the Rams and the Bears, making an ill-fated detour to be the Lions head coach.  He's one of the most respected line coaches in the game.

     *     *     *     *

The assistant coaching churn continues this evening, with news that special teams coach Joe DeCamillis has left to join Mark Trestman's staff in Chicago.

DeCamillis  presided over some erratic special teams.  While his units did improve their play over the last half dozen games or so, and finally began to master effective punt return blocking for Dwayne Harris, the letdowns from the early weeks and from 2011 lingered.

Think of the blocked punt for a score that turned the Jets game in the 2011 season opener.  Or the punt blocked for a score in week two against Seattle this year.  Or Jacoby Jones' kickoff return touchdown in Baltimore.  The negatives accrued against DeCamillis and reached a critical mass.

From a staff standpoint, DeCamillis joins running backs coach Skip Peete as the latest Wade Phillips hires to leave the organization.  Should tight ends coach John Garrett claim the University of Delaware job, only Jason Garrett will remain from Jerry Jones' first post-Parcells staff, and Jason, as you know, was hired prior to Wade.

Garrett will likely get to pick the new special teams coach, and he'll have a tough chore ahead of him. Parcells hired Bruce DeHaven to revamp the special teams and Phillips brought Joe D.  Both were highly respected for their pre-Cowboys work but neither was able to revive a unit which has floundered since the late Joe Avezzano left roughly a decade ago.

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Playing the Kiffin 2: How Well Do Recent Defensive Draftees Fit?

DE Tyrone Crawford

We're ankle deep into the draft season, so talk has naturally swung to how well the top defensive line and safety prospects fit new coordinator Monte Kiffin's defense?

That's all good, but what about the players from last year's defense intensive draft?  What about Morris Claiborne, Tyrone Crawford and Kyle Wilbur?  What about 2011's 2nd round pick Bruce Carter?  He played in Butch Davis' 4-3 at North Carolina, a scheme that's nearly a carbon copy of Kiffin's scheme.  (A lot more on the similarities in part two of the Kiffin breakdown tomorrow.)

I've made some calls on the kids already on the Cowboys roster and got some good feedback on their prospects in the new 4-3.  I'm going to profile one of them every day this week, starting with Crawford.  Here's my draftnik TD on Crawford's game at Boise State:

Cowboys Nation: I've done some research on recent Cowboys defensive draft picks and found that a lot of them were standouts in big-time college 4-3s at places like LSU, Boise State and North Carolina.  Talk to us about Tyrone Crawford.  He played strong-side end in Boise's 4-3.   It seems that he'll got back to playing in that role.  How does he fit into Monte Kiffin's scheme?

TD: I think he'll be played at left defensive end, on the strong side, so he'll go against the right tackles.  When I watched him in his All Star game, I expected to find a high-motor, high-power, physical defensive end. I was surprised a bit by his athleticism.  He did a great job of turning the edge.  He could plant and turn.  He does not have elite speed.  He can't just duck down and get underneath tackles the way the elite rushers can, but he has exceptional balance, and could knock tackles off-balance and then disengage from them.

He's somewhat limited, because he's not a speedy rusher, but I believe he could be a 7-9 sack guy at the pro level at that position.  Where did the Cowboys take him in the draft?

CN:  3rd round.

TD:   I think that's a great value, regardless of whether he plays in a 3-4 front or in a 4-3.  I think switching back to his old system could help him speed the learning curve.

Next:  Kyle Wibur

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The New Cowboys Defense, Part I

We begin at the beginning.

Vince Lombardi, it is said, used to begin his lessons by holding up a football and saying, "gentlemen, this is a football."  We're going to begin our review of Monte Kiffin's, Tampa-2 scheme in a similar fashion.

The Kiffin-2 (he's not in Tampa anymore, so I'm not going to mention them anymore) is a 4-3 scheme.  

It is an attacking scheme, which asks its linemen to win off the snap of the ball.  It's not a passive, read-and-react scheme.  The front is to line up as tightly to the ball as possible, right on the front tip of the ball (linemen are advised to get a "credit card alignment," a credit card's width of space between themselves and the ball) and to launch themselves off the snap.  Plays are won by linemen getting out of  their stances before their opponents.  The linemen practice sprinters take-offs, getting into tight, coiled stances and exploding out of them as quickly as possible.  

The Kiffin-2 is a one-gap scheme.  The linemen rarely line up head-up over  their opponents.  They play over shoulders, "on the shade" as Wade Phillips used to advise his charges, and use their speed to penetrate gaps and disrupt them.  "Hat in a crack" is a phrase used frequently.  The Beavis and Butthead kidding aside, it's all about getting off the snap and preventing an offense from establishing the line of scrimmage.  

Cowboys fans have heard this before, under Phillips and under Rob Ryan, and have seen a defense that lacked discipline.  With so much emphasis placed on winning the snap, what guarantees are there that Kiffin's unit won't continue to rack up offsides penalties?

There are no guarantees.  However, the Kiffin-2 places a lot of emphasis on intelligent get offs.  Linemen are coached to play movement of the football, not any movement by the opponent.  Furthermore, they are taught to ignore sound.  Play with "cotton in your ears", is another admonition in this scheme, to prevent baiting by hard counts, something Eli Manning has done frequently to the Cowboys defense in recent years.  

My guess is that this emphasis on disciplined aggression helped sell Kiffin to the Dallas coaches.  

Can he and his scheme still work?

Kiffin ran Tampa's D for thirteen years, between 1996 and 2008.  He worked for Tony Dungy and then for Jon Gruden.  He mentored Lovie Smith, Rod Marinelli, Mike Tomlin and Raheem Morris, among other assistants. Look at Kiffin's Buccaneers and you'll see fluctuations in sacks, and wild fluctuations in turnover rankings from year to year.  Among the numbers, one line stands out. 

Regardless of his boss, and regardless of his staff, Kiffin stopped teams from scoring.  His units ranked in the top ten in scoring defense in twelve of those thirteen seasons.  They finished in the top 5 six times and were top of the heap in the 2002 Super Bowl year.

For a Cowboys defense that has regularly over-promised and under-delivered in recent years, that's the best place to begin.  

Next:  How does Kiffin do it?

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Chicken or Egg: Offensive or Defensive Line?

Any surprise that the 1st-round
pick is the best player on the line?

While we debate whether Dallas should draft an offensive or defensive lineman high, a look at what the final four have done to build their offensive lines:

AFC
New England
LT -- Nate Solder, 1st round pick
LG -- Logan Mankins, 1st round pick
C - Ryan Wendell, UFA
RG -- Dan Connolly, UFA
RT -- Sebastian Vollmer, 2nd round pick

Baltimore
LT -- Bryant McKinnie -- 1st round pick for Minnesota
LG -- Kelechi Osemele -- 2nd round pick
C -- Matt Birk -- 6th round pick for Minnesota
RG -- Marshall Yanda, 3rd round pick
RT -- Michael Oher, 1st round pick

NFC
San Francisco
LT -- Joe Staley, 1st round pick
LG -- Mike Iupati, 1st round pick
C -- Jonathan Goodwin, 5th round pick for Jets
RG -- Alex Boone, UFA
RT -- Anthony Davis, 1st round pick

Atlanta
LT -- Sam Baker, 1st round pick
LG -- Justin Blalock, 2nd round pick
C -- Todd McClure, 7th round pick
RG -- Peter Konz, 2nd round pick
RT -- Tyson Clabo, UFA

All of the finalists have invested heavily in their offensive lines.  All of them have had some luck on late-round selections and on un-drafted free agents, but the fact remains that at least three starters on each of these teams were high round picks by the home team.

Compare this to the projected starters on the current Cowboys line:
LT -- Tyron Smith, 1st round pick
LG -- Nate Livings, UFA
C -- Phil Costa, UFA
RG -- Mackenzy Bernadeau, 7th round pick
RT -- Doug Free, 4th round pick/Jermey Parnell, UFA

Now, compare it to the last above-average Cowboys line, the '07 edition, which had a strong pedigree:
LT -- Flozell Adams, 2nd round pick
LG -- Kyle Kosier, 7th round pick for 49ers
C -- Andre Gurode, 2nd round pick
RG -- Leonard Davis, 1st round pick for Cardinals
RT -- Marc Colombo, 1st round pick for Bears

You get what you pay for, and as we well know, the Cowboys have not been willing to pay for top round offensive linemen.   They can convince themselves that they don't need to do it, and lean on Bill Callahan one more year, but he likely knows what Hudson Houck learned in '09, '10 and '11, once that '07 bunch got old together.  There's no substitute for talent.

Sooner or later, you need to stop fooling yourself and make the investment.  It does not have to be in the first round, but it needs to be in the high rounds and in multiples of more than one.

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With Kiffin, Jerry Jones Tries Going Back to the Future

Your coaches are capable, GM
Jerry, but are you?

Jerry Jones, it seems, is always trying to get back into his comfort zone.  In the Cowboys glory days of the '90s, the team ran a power-heavy version of the Don Coryell-influenced passing attack run by offensive masterminds like Joe Gibbs and Ernie Zampese.  On defense, Dallas ran what was originally derided as a "college defense" a speed-heavy, wide-end 4-3 developed by Jimmy Johnson and his coordinator Dave Wannstedt at the University of Miami.

These two schemes, and an abundance of young talent, fortified by the Herschel Walker trade, gave the team a tactical edge.  Dallas' defensive speed proved an effective antidote to the West Coast offenses which were terrorizing the league at the time and Norv Turner's scheme, imported from Zampese's Rams, solved the blitz protection issues which sank his predecessor David Shula.

Our man Jerry has never strayed far from this tactical combo, and last week's hiring of the former Bucs defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin has brought him back to the formula which won Dallas Super Bowls.  It may not make all the fans in Cowboys land happy, but it puts Jones back in his comfort zone.

Jones had restored the offensive familiarity back in 2007, when he hired Jason Garrett to be his offensive coordinator.  While Garrett had worked under Zampese in Dallas and the West Coast maestro Jim Fassell in New York, his current playbook most closely resembles the version Mike Martz ran for the Rams, using big receivers and vertical passing to offset an erratic running attack.

On defense, Jones gets a coordinator who runs things in the manner that Wannstedt, Butch Davis and Dave Campo did in the go-go '90s.  Run a pressure-heavy 4-3 which plays more zone and minimizes mistakes.  Personnel packages are slimmed, defensive looks are reduced, and more zone coverage is used, increasing the odds for turnovers.

Can going back to the future work in an NFL which is abuzz with the words, "quarterback revolution" and "zone reads?"  It's possible.  If you look at this weekend's playoff games, you see quite a few teams playing variants of Kiffin's Tampa-2.  The Falcons and the Seahawks were both using under 4-3 front Kiffin prefers in their tussle yesterday, though Pete Carroll's scheme could be dubbed the Seattle-3, since it's base coverage is a cover-3 which parks free safety Earl Thomas in the middle of the field and challenges teams to throw at the 'Hawks massive corners Richard Sherman and Brandon Browner.

The Patriots coordinator emeritus Bill Belichick swapped his long-time base 3-4 scheme for a 4-3 in recent years, citing the difficulty in finding proper talent once the majority of teams began running 3-4 fronts.  Atlanta's head man Mike Smith worked with Marvin Lewis and Jack Del Rio on Brian Billick's 2000 Ravens, which used a simple Jimmy Johnson style 4-3 and set a record for fewest points allowed in a season.   Zone read QB or not, the under 4-3 remains alive and well.

The bigger Cowboys challenge may be re-stocking the offense. When I was writing for The Boys.com back in '95, I noted that the Triplets Cowboys were very offense-heavy, despite their defensive peaks.  They scored 28 points or more in every one of their eleven playoff contests between '92 and '95 save one, and won ten of those games.   The outlier was Super Bowl 30, where the victorious Cowboys scored 27.

28 points used to guarantee a playoff win.  Now, it merely keeps you from getting run out of the park.  Every team in this weekend's divisional playoffs scored at least 28 points.  How can the Cowboys again reach that rarified offensive air?

By channeling early '90s GM Jimmy Johnson and beefing up the offensive line.  The current team has receivers and tight ends who can perform on par with the starters off those squads and Jason Witten could play on any Cowboys team in any era.  DeMarco Murray is a capable back and Tony Romo led an offense which averaged 28.4 points per game in Garrett's inaugural year of 2007.  It's no coincidence that '07 was the last year the Cowboys had a massive, healthy, relatively youthful offensive line.  Today, Tyron Smith is the only starter who could challenge for a spot on the '90s squad.

Monte Kiffin may have the defensive nous, but if GM Jerry can't get Monte and Jason the line talent they require, '90s style football will remain nothing more than a fond memory.

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Walking the Mock: Cowboys Nation Mock Draft 1.0

New year, new Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator, new outlook.

Does that mean the team will look to give the new DC a present in the 1st round come April?  Not according to this mock, assembled by my draft expert, TD, who sees last year's big assistant hire, Bill Callahan, getting a long overdue present in his football X-mas stocking.

Because this is a Cowboys site, TD has taken the inaugural mock eighteen picks deep:

1.  Kansas City Chiefs: Geno Smith, QB, West Virginia
2.  Jacksonville Jaguars: Bjoern Werner, DE, Florida State
3.  Oakland Raiders: Luke Joeckel, OT, Texas A&M
4.  Philadelphia Eagles: Dee Milliner, CB, Alabama
5.  Detroit Lions: Xavier Rhodes, CB, Florida State
6.  Cleveland Browns: Jarvis Jones, OLB, Georgia 
7.  Arizona Cardinals: Matt Barkley, QB, USC 
8.  Buffalo Bills: Manti Te'o, LB, Notre Dame
9.  New York Jets: Damontre Moore, DE, Texas A&M
10. Tennessee Titans: Star Lotulelei, DT, Utah
11. San Diego Chargers: Eric Fisher, OT, Central Michigan
12. Miami Dolphins: Keenan Allen, WR, California
13. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Ezekiel Ansah, DE, BYU
14. Carolina Panthers: Johnathan Hankins, DT, Ohio State
15. New Orleans Saints: Kenny Vaccaro, S, Texas
16. St. Louis Rams: Chance Warmack, OG, Alabama
17. Pittsburgh Steelers:  Barkevious Mingo, DE/OLB LSU
18. Dallas Cowboys: Barrett Jones, OL, Alabama

A center at 18?  Not unprecedented.  It's not unprecedented, but only a handful of centers have heard their names called in the first round the last 15 years.  The Pete Carroll-led Patriots took Damien Woody 17th in t back in 1999.  The Steelers took Maurkice Poucey 18th in 2010.  The Jets selected Nick Mangold 29th in the 2006 draft and the Browns have picked two first round centers in that span, taking Jeff Faine 21st in 2003 and Alex Mack in the 21st slot six years later.  

This pick will please some Cowboys partisans, but I suspect we'll see several other players cycle into this spot in future mocks.  

Your turn.   

Starting Monday:  A multi-part series breaking down Monte Kiffin's Tampa-2 scheme and how Dallas' talent fits and doesn't fit what Kiffin likes to do.   

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Meet the New Dallas DC

It's official! The mothership is reporting that Monte Kiffen has "agreed" to become the new Dallas Cowboys Defensive Coordinator.

As fans, we can be upset about the Ryan firing or not, however that is apples and oranges insofar as analyzing how Kiffen will fit with the current Cowboys. Regardless of anyone's thoughts on how that fit may work out, what is not up for debate is the man's bona-fide credentials. At 72 years old he is an acknowledged defensive guru at the NFL level, being touted as one of the greatest in the history of the NFL by many.

There has been no solid information in regards to what scheme he will implement, however it makes since that the words "Tampa Cover 2" will become synonymous with Dallas Cowboys. Think of the incredible Bucaneers defenses that were able to shut down any offensive attack brought at them, that is what this man brings to the table. Any way you slice it, this is an upgrade. We may not have the perfect players to fit the scheme at this point, but we did not have a complete stable for the defense we were trying to play anyhow. Changing lanes now should not really slow the progress of the defense. A quick review of his past players reveal a host of hall of fame individuals that speak of him in glowing terms.

We will do a breakdown of the Tampa Cover 2 defensive philosophy in the next few days, until then let's all take a moment and welcome our new DC. He is a rare bird who has earned every bit of the praise that is lauded at him and he is now a Dallas Cowboy.

On Twitter: Steven Van Over

Addendum: Cowboys Nation will post it's 1st Mock Draft 7PM EST tonight!

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If It Makes You Happy...

... then why the hell are you so sad?

Have the Cowboys actually hired Monte Kiffin yet?  To my knowledge they've only interviewed him.  Despite that fact, there's been a lot of hesitancy and mockery of Dallas' decision to bring the 72 year old former Bucs and Vikings assistant in.  Questions have arisen about his age.  About the viability of his system.  About his ability to coach.  While we're all waiting, let's kick at some memes which are circling the Cowboys' parking lot.

-- He's too old.  Is a 72 year old assistant too old?  We don't see many so maybe that's why some people are so down on the idea.  There are quite a few 60 somethings around, and they seem to do okay.  Tom Coughlin is 66, and nobody is saying he's too old to do his job.  Romeo Crennel, whose name immediately came up once Rob Ryan was dismissed as the Cowboys defensive coordinator, is 65.

It's a sad commentary on fandom, but when we don't like a guy, we often pick on a personal trait.  Wade Phillips was the butt of endless fat jokes once things went sour.  Kiffin's hairline appears an early target for attack.  The amount of how-old-is-Kiffin jokes on Twitter yesterday, from all corners of the sportswriter universe, was out of control.

--  He was bad at USC.  The Trojans did crater this year, and Kiffin's defense did not play well.  Does that mean he can no longer coach?  I often wonder about this, about "touch" and whether coaches lose it?  Kiffin was a very good coordinator for a very long time at Tampa Bay.  He was one of those Mike Zimmer types, who didn't get head coaching interviews when he was in his prime, and then reached a point where people considered him too old to be the head man.

The argument suggests that we can look at a coach's last stop and draw a definitive answer from it.  So, do we weigh his large body of NFL work more, or his three years of college work, at Tennessee and USC?
I'd do the former.  You can point to lots of assistants who came off losing teams and were able to perform when given good talent.  Take Norv Turner.  He was an assistant on a 5-11 Rams team when Jimmy Johnson hired him to coordinate the Cowboys offense.  It took one year for Norv to help that offense reach the playoffs and a second to win a Super Bowl.

Look at Mike Martz.  He was an assistant on a 6-10 Redskins team when Dick Vermeil hired him to coordinate the '99 Rams offense.  Within the year, Martz had a Super Bowl ring.  For every negative example, you can find a positive one.

-- Teams are not using the Tampa 2 anymore.  The league has swung away from teams that play exclusive cover-2, but it should be noted that the Tampa 2, even in it's heyday, was never a one cover system.  The defense mixes cover-2 zones, cover-3 zones, combination zones and man-to-man.  Look at the Colts.  Tony Dungy won a Super Bowl in 2006 when his DC Ron Meeks ran a more traditional Tampa-2.  Three years later, the Colts were again the championship game, and their new DC Larry Coyer kept the base philosophy but blitzed more from it.

As always, how you use the scheme depends on the players available.  More on that -- if the Cowboys actually hire Kiffin.

-- You need two good safeties to run the system and Dallas does not have them.

I think this is a gross exaggeration.  Kiffin's Bucs had John Lynch, and Dungy's Colts had Bob Sanders, but name the superstar safety Lovie Smith's Bears have had all the years they've run the system.

In 2001, Smith was hired by Martz to run a Rams defense that had been 31st in scoring in 2000.  The next year, Smith raised them to 7th in scoring defense and the team won the NFC for a second time.  Bonus points if you can name Lovie's safeties.  (Answer at the bottom.)

It's always helpful if you can get a great safety, but the system runs just fine if you have good ones.  The problem for Dallas is that they haven't had a good one since Darren Woodson retired nine seasons ago.  That problem would trouble any coordinator, regardless of his scheme.

-- The Cowboys wasted money and picks getting Rob Ryan Brandon Carr and Morris Claiborne.

Did the Cowboys corners stink in 2011?  You bet they did.  Were the new guys better in 2012?  Yes, they were.

There's a school of thought that says you don't need ace man-to-man guys because the Tampa-2 plays a lot more zone.  I think that's nonsense.  You need good corners to excel in the NFL.  Carr and Claiborne are good corners.  They'll play well in any scheme.

The problem in Dallas, as it always seems to be, is lack of overall talent.  The Cowboys will need to find two good young linemen and a safety, whether they stay in the 3-4, or move to a 4-3.  They might need different types of linemen, but they'll still need them. 

That points the fickle finger of fate back at Jerry Jones. You can love Monte Kiffin, or you may detest his candidacy, but he -- and any other hire -- will rise or fall depending on how Jerry, Stephen, Jason and Tom pick the groceries in April.  

There's no magic man who will turn things around with a play sheet alone.  

(Did you get those superstar safeties who quarterbacked Lovie Smith's Rams D to a Super Bowl against the Patriots?  They were Adam Archuleta and Kim Herring.)

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Whose Fault?

Let's take a closer look at the recent decision to fire DC Rob Ryan and correlate it with the reported reasoning, as put forth recently by Jerry Jones, in an interview on KTVT-TV. In the interview, it becomes plain that Jerry is responding to the outcry about releasing Ryan in light of the critical team injuries. Jones reasoned the defense was healthy in both a week two loss in Seattle (27-7) and a week four loss versus the Bears (34-18).

Final scores can be misleading. Were the scores due to turnovers, field position issues, Special Teams failures or did the defense get man-handled? Was the offense ineffective? Did the winning team extend the score in the 4th quarter due to one team making wild decisions as the clock ran down? Ebb and flow often dictates the outcome of a final score.  So does the quality of the opponent. Were the Cowboys facing a solid, playoff caliber team, or did they get beat up by a cellar dweller?

Did Jerry Jones use these two games to come to a reasonable, thoughtful decision? Or was he just reaching for justification in order to support a move made in the mold of a carnival ringmaster? Rather than pontificate the wisdom of firing someone based on two games out of a 16 game season, let's break down the flow of the game, then ask Cowboys Nation what they would do as the Owner/GM of the team.

Week Two - Seattle: A team that is a candidate to be in this years Super Bowl, it was early in the season and the league was not yet aware of the quality of this team, or of the new offense that was tailored to the exciting rookie QB Wilson.

1st Quarter - Seahawks 10 Dallas 0

• Seahawks held to 3 points after Felix (pet cat) Jones fumbled the opening kickoff.
• Seahawks Special Teams scored a TD on a blocked punt
• Cowboys D held again after a Tony Romo interception at the Cowboys 24 yard line

2nd Quarter - Seahawks 13 Dallas 7

• Cowboys score a TD after a solid drive
• Seattle gets another FG 

3rd Quarter - Seahawks 20 Dallas 7

• Seahawks TD on a pass from Wilson to McCoy

4th Quarter Seahawks 27 Dallas 7

• Seattle TD by Marshawn Lynch

Dallas had 296 yards, 49 rushing and 247 passing. Seattle had 315 yards, 182 running and 133 passing. With the Cowboys unable to run the ball or score, Seattle resorted to the running game in the 2nd half and the Cowboys D only forced one punt in the half. Early in the game Dallas consistently gave the ball up in their own territory. With a half time score of 13-7, the defense gave up 6 points to field goals after stopping the Seahawks in the red zone each time. Dallas was unable to get a turnover.

Week Four - Chicago: A team that played very well early, then tailed off, unable to respond to injuries and sub-par quarterback play.

1st Quarter - Chicago 0 Dallas 0

• Neither team could score

2nd Quarter - Chicago 10 Dallas 7

• Bears score a FG
• Bears Tillman scores a pick six off Tony Romo
• Cowboys Austin gets a TD on pass from Romo

3rd Quarter - Chicago 24 Dallas 10

• Bears D. Hester gets a TD on a pass from Cutler
• Bears L. Briggs scores a pick six off Tony Romo
• Cowboys get a FG

4th Quarter - Chicago 34 Dallas 18

• Bears get a FG
• Bears Marshall scores a TD on pass from Cutler after an interception
• Witten gets a TD on pass from Orton

Dallas had 430 net yards, 41 rushing and 389 passing. Chicago had 360 net yards, 93 rushing and 267 passing. Romo gave up five interceptions, Cutler had none. The Dallas D stiffened in the red zone multiple times after turnovers, keeping the game close until near the end of the third quarter.

It's now the end of the season, you are looking back at these two games in order to make a decision about your team. What would you do? Fire coaches? Cut/Trade players? Give certain people another year? Clean house and start over? Use the poll below (closes 11 Jan 4PM) to indicate your decisions and (of course) the comments to explain your choices.

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He is Jerry, Hear Him Roar

He's mad

...with power too big to ignore.

My gracious, did I just make a Helen Reddy reference?

I've reserved comment on the doings at Valley Ranch, because they still seem to be very much in progress.  Whatever musings or predictions I can attempt could be obsolete the minute I post them.  Because it's obvious that Jerry was not exaggerating about his "make everybody uncomfortable" comments.  On that count, I was hasty to define him.

He's not lashing out, but he's doing a slow burn.  Is that a good thing, or a bad thing?  We're not witnessing an explosion, but perhaps a slow-motion demolition?

There's no harm in change, if done deliberately.  For this team, change is necessary.  But how much, and what type?

All we can tell at this point is that a new running backs coach and a new defensive coordinator will be needed.  The team's exclamation yesterday that assistants would have to interview with the new DC does give some minor comfort, suggesting a solid chain of authority, from the DC on down.  It also tells us the currents assistants are not in the team's thinking to succeed Rob Ryan.

So who then?  I'll make two tentative stabs at it.  I do believe that we're looking at somebody who isn't necessary working right now, but for candidates who have DC experience.  I don't think the Cowboys are waiting for a coordinator on a final-8 team.  Those guys can't make lateral moves unless their teams grant permission, and why would they?

Dallas could be waiting for a position coach who had coordinator experience from one of those clubs, but who?

More likely, the Cowboys are waiting on some of the bigger coordinators still in head coaching hunts.  The usual names apply here.  A Lovie Smith.  A Ray Horton.  I don't think Jason Garrett's "change of philosophy" statement precludes either 3-4 or 4-3 scheme.  What we're seeing in football today is that most coordinators mix both packages freely.  Rob Ryan certainly did.  I think he meant a philosophy different from Ryan's.

And I do believe he'll get a strong say in the hiring of that coordinator.  He's had sway over all the hires so far.  The position coaches on offense, Jimmy Robinson and Bill Callahan, were his hires.  He gave his blessing to Ryan two years go, and then Ryan was given discretion to hire this own staff.  That's how it will likely go again.

I look for a safer pick.  Jerry wants to win now, that's clear.  But that's why his anger gives me pause.  It's justified, but if he's trying a controlled burn of his Cowboys range.  As we've seen far too often, his blazes can flame out of control.  And you can't move forward if your anger burns the house down.

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Ranch Renovation: Cowboys Fire Rob Ryan

An interesting twitter blurb from the last few minutes, providing some maximum "boom" from Valley Ranch.

Update: Pardon the mis-reading of the tweet.  I took it to read that Thurman was being taken to replace Rob, but as the New York Daily News reported this morning, he's taking over the Mike Pettine as the Jets' DC. 

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