Great comparison on Eli Manning. Couldn’t have said it better myself. Ironically the Giants have done a pretty good job with their other picks, but the Eli trade will turn out to be a bust in my opinion.

Also some nice break downs on Witten’s plays. I am a true believer that he spreads defenses, especially when he lines up out wide. Sometimes its not just pure speed that stretches a defense, its the play calling, and Parcells is a genious at it.

Maybe it was missed, but Coakley was horrible in zone coverage, last year and the year before that too. I noticed a few big plays that the Boys gave up simply because a LB wasn’t were they were supposed to be. Some teams schemed to dump a lil’ pass to the RB just off the line of scrimmage, and sure enough they resulted in huge plays (i.e. Minnesota and Philly). A few times a Dallas player wasn’t even 10 yards within the vacinity. So I think K.C.‘s answer to question 21 isn’t exactly right on the money. The linebackers gave up a few GAME BREAKING plays from what I remember.

…. Thank you K.C. and Rafael!! Nice stuff!!

Superb analysis! I have to get that book!!

thank you guys good questions and excellent answers.

finally we see someone give whitten his due credit, byt the way it looks with kc’s numbers whitten looks like what we all thought… elite.

and i think without many injuries bledsoe could get close to 4,000 yards, true are wr are a lil older but thats not always a bad thing, good hands in the middle (key, and whitten) speed on the outside (glenn) bledsoe hopefully will prove alot of people wrong….

mike:

4000 yards? I don’t think so…. Not with the type of running attack the ‘Boys could get if the stable remains healthy. Last season Vinny reached the number because for half the season didn’t had a running game, and I guess that’s the reason for some “mediots” to downgrade the play of Witten, because his numbers could come down a bit next season…. But I do see him with 70 passes and 800 yards….

thanks a bunch this was absolutly fantastic !!!

Thanks guys for some great analysis. The statements and conclusions are easy to accept because they are fact based.

could get close to 4,000. why do you not think thats a possibility? if the offense is much improved, you dont think jj could get close to 1,500 and bledsoe could have 3,700 (which is close to 4,000)? i wrote could get close to 4,000. not will get 4,000. vinny had over 3,500 and i thinkk if the offense is improved jj will get his and drew will get his as well…. IMO

indianapolis peyton had 4557 yds and edgerin had 1548 yds. now i dont think we have that kind of offense but if healthy i do think think we will be very good.

My reasoning has more to do with JJ, Barber and Thompson taking something close to 40 grabs a game, with JJ getting 20+, Barber 10+ and Thompson 10+. Those are 40 plays of a game, if the Cowboy’s get a healthy OLine and Campbell, the main focus of the Offense will be to open lanes with an open passing game and the play of the 2 TE set. So, I say that, if everything goes as expected (OLine, Campbell and WR healths) Bledsoe is going to average something near to 200 yards a game, multiplying that for the 16 game schedule= 3200 yards, and I don’t see him over the 3500. Again, Vinny had over 3500 because he was forced to throw more for half the season than what he was supposed to.

BTW, if you checked that there’s no A-Train on my list of carries is because I don’t see him making it through Training Camp. Barber is kind of the same type of back, but can also catch the ball and play Special Teams. And Thompson is the speedy kind, Parcells always likes to have.

Chandus you had me convinced until you indicated A Train won’t make the team. How do you figure that? This is not an attack on you…just won’t to know what you base your conclusions on.

Tyson Thompson?? ….. Yeah the Cowboys may run the ball more this season, but I don’t think Thompson will get 25% of their touches. Ouch!

As far as the debate on how many yards Drew will pass for, it depends on a lot of factors. The biggest being, can he stay healthy? Can the line protect him? My guess is Bledsoe will average about 225 yards per game. If he stays healthy that is about 3,500 yards.

It’s going to be very interesting to see which guy (Thompson or Thomas) makes the final roster. It seems pretty certain that Barber will make the team, and that leaves probably one more spot. At this point, I’d have to guess that A-Train has the inside track on making the team, but with Thompson’s speed, it’s no done deal.

Thompson is a very fast back, which Parcells likes. Barber can be that punishing short yardage back that he is looking for if Thompson shows him something. A-Train has two advantages: 1. He is a proven player who has shown that he can be the lead back, if necessary, and 2. Even though he does not have speed Thompson and Jones have, he can move through the middle of a line pretty well to pick up that extra yard or two in 3rd and short situations.

I’m looking for this to be a good battle between the two, but if only one spot remains, I’d put my money on A-Train, but only because he has played in the NFL and shown himself to be capable of taking over the #1 spot if Julius goes down, and Barber is not ready to assume the role.

Thompson provides the speed I would prefer, but A-Train provides the insurance. I think Parcells will ultilmately choose the insurance if he’s forced to. Hopefully, Thompson can make the team because of special teams play. We’ll see.

(0ff topic)

I’m growing a little tired of commentaries about Ellis being too small for the 3-4. Read this from Nick Eatman on Dallascowboys.com in the article “3-4 Switch, New Players Highlight D-Line Changes”

about Ellis: “At 6-6, 271, he is considered an undersized end in the 4-3, much less the 3-4”

about Chris Canty: “At 6-7, 280, Canty has ‘dominating’ potential’.”

about Kenyon Coleman,: “certainly has the size (6-5, 285) to play in either scheme”

Does this make any sense? Canty’s extra inch and 9lbs make him dominating while Ellis is undersized for even the 4-3? And Coleman, who has done little with a star on his helmet, has potential at either scheme because he’s 14 lbs heavier than Ellis? C’mon guys. Please report on reality, not just conjecture. Sure, Ellis won’t be the biggest 3-4 DE around, but I’m sure he’ll not be the only one playing under 280.

Carioca:

The undersized term has more to do with Ellis body frame, he’s already in the limit between being productive and being overweight. While Canty and Coleman have the frame to add some more weight and still be productive. Frame? Leg and arms length, chest diameter, etc.

carioca, i am not sure but by size i think they may mean stuff like his bone structure and how he is built, for example i have seen canty and coleman and they are both a lot thicker throughout than ellis, still love ellis though wouldn’t get rid of him for the world

good timing chandus, back to the running backs dont forget about bickerstaff, remember parcells cut lee before bickerstaff maybe he sees something in him

….or it could be that bickerstaff is eligible for the practice squad and lee was not

Darrell W:

I do know about the proven player A-Train is, but I also know that he hasn’t played ST’s in the NFL or in college (he was a starter for 3 years), and being in a backup position he needs to play special teams, and also, he isn’t the best pass catcher on the team.

Meanwhile, Barber and Thompson are proven ST’s players, Barber is a powerful runner who can catch the ball real well and Thompson might be a proven commodity in KRs and caching passes out of the backfield, if he learns how to pass protect he might be a complete Reshard Lee, I know that giving him 10 balls a game is a reach, I just made the statement of 40 balls a game to the running stable and I just kind of went with the flow….. make it JJ 20+, Barber 15+/- and Thompson 5+/-, is that better?

Jeff24:

Perfect timing, I might add.

You’re right, Bickerstaff might have something, but I don’t see the Parcells carrying 4 players in the RB chart, especially with the health questions on the WR corps, the fact that he always likes to have 4 TE’s and that he always likes to have an OL heavy roster (last year he was carrying 9).

dont you guys think len pasquerelli from espn.com looks alot like DON VITO from VIVA LA BAM???

chandus i really hope either of us is right, i would like to see him have an excellent year

carioca,
i agree with you there, besides theres alot of guys undersized that had more heart, aka dat, dexter. i know its different positions but undersized is undersized…

I miss aikman to Irvin!!

Chandus,

Thanks for clarifying your point….very articulate and informative. Maybe the RB situation will go something like this: JJ 23+, MB III 15+, A Train 8+ and Thompson KR and PR with possibility of 4t carries. The reason I think BP keep A Train is the guy has talent and he has a lot to prove. I know BP usally only keep 4 RB on the roster, but Thompson is a 4.3 in the 40, that is Bob Hayes type speed (this is only a comparison).

First of all, Ellis isn’t undersized by any means playing in the 4-3 defense. The “experts” say Dallas will go with a 3-4 defense the majority of the time, but I seriously doubt that. Parcells will match up a lot. Meaning against teams that try to run the ball predominately, he will use a lot of 4-3 sets to get more size into the front 7. Against teams like Indianapolis,who like to use 3 and 4 WR sets, he will use the 3-4 for the most part. Why are the so called experts overanalyzing Parcells’ decision to start mini camp with the 3-4 defense? Just think about it: How much work does the defense need to work on the 4-3? They all have been playing in that scheme for their entire football lives (with a few players being the exception). Also he has already said that Ware will not line up over a tackle for long stretches of a game. So the “experts” think that moving him to OLB lines up over a guard? No it doesn’t! I think Parcells will use Ware in passing situations and sparingly on other downs. That is what is meant by not lining him up over a tackle for long stretches. A rotation if you will!! In the 4-3, Ellis, Glover, Ferguson, and Spears makes up a pretty darn good defensive line! When they switch to the 3-4 Dallas will bring in Ware and rotate out either Ellis or Spears. My guess is Ellis will get his 20% (the % Parcells would like to reduce his plays) off mostly in 3-4 sets. Ware will sit out on a good % of 4-3 sets. It makes sense when you read between the lines. I believe he said he would like to get Glover and Ellis down to 70% of the defensive plays. There is probably not a better way to play to each players strength, than to split the two sets pretty evenly. Parcells will get the rotation and rest for each player he desires and also achieve the ability to match up against what the offense put out on the field, all while playing to his players strengths.

Tyson Thompson played a whole 1 year in college. Averaging 70 sumptin yards per game and 5.4 yards a carry at lowly San Jose State. Not exactly a candidate for 25% of the Cowboys’ carries. Oh by the way in case you all missed it, they have their speed guy >>>> his name is Julius Jones!!

Chandus, I believe I read some place that the Boys might carry 4 RB’s. I believe Jones made that statement. If you stop and think about it they may decide to carry only one FB. The FB position does not seem to be in their plans much with all the 2 tight end sets they will use. I guess we will see.

Tony:

Well, have you seen Parcells carrying 4 Tailbacks on his team? With a FB, those are 5 roster spots on the backfield. I’m sorry, but even last year, with al the uncertainty of Eddie George, JJ, and Bickerstaff injury we only had 3 RB’s on the roster. And this year, the level of talent, is ways over that, which makes difficult, for me, to think that Parcells might bring 4 Tails and a FB.

A-Train might have some trade value if some team grows desperate if their starter comes down with an injury in Training Camp, something like a 4th rounder would become handy next year (we don’t have one)…..

Eric:

I’m sorry, but JJ doesn’t have the kind of speed Thompson has, and the one and only year of college he has of experience has more to do with him being academy unelegible for being sloppy and not smart enough. And as far as I’m hearing, he was mentioned as apparently the best pass catcher in the RB corps. I don’t need to remind to you the value of a fast RB that can catch the ball, right? Just look at players like Faulk, Tiki Barber and Westbrook and there’s your evidence.

just wanted to apologize for throwing the Ellis stuff in there off topic. I was (and continue to be) tired of reading comparative comments about someone being too small followed by height & weight figures that are 3% less than the supposed ideal. Not to discount comments about the frame/thickness made earlier. Those are valid points, but I don’t see the mediots adding such detail to their commentaries. They clearly need our help.

On the RB topic, Thompson’s speed may be alluring, but I’m from the Bay Area and I just can’t have too much confidence towards a 1-year SJ Spartan being such a wonder-stud in the NFL. If he were, he’d have some teams taking a chance on him in the 7th round of the draft. Or the 6th. Or at least we’d have been talking about him prior to the ‘Boys signing him. I don’t want to throw the kid under the bus — maybe he’s all that… but I’ll reserve further judgement until mid-way through camp when we have something to talk about. For sure, Jones, A.Thomas and Barber make the team and 1 FB. A fourth RB could be either Bickerstaff or Thompson and then we’d certainly add either of them to the development squad if another team doesn’t snatch them.

On the analysis from KC – this is fantastic. Thanks so much for sharing insight with us hungry fans.

Chandus,

JJ has game speed. Excellent burst through the whole!! Who cares about 40 times and all that crap. Look at what Jones does on the field!! … Starting to get the feeling Chandus is => Tyson Thompson. Very optimistic about a kid that:

#1. Wasn’t drafted.
#2. Played only one full season of college ball, sitting out 2 of 3 years.
#3. Averaged only 5.4 yards per carry and 74 yards per game rushing against mostly mid-major colleges.
#4. Wasn’t even rated on NFL.com’s prospect profiles.

Now saying that he will get 25% of the Cowboys carries is a bit more than a stretch!!!

Thompson won’t get 25% of the carries. IF he makes the team, he might see 10 – 15% at best. Barber will most likely be the lead backup, unless this kid is everything they hope he will be in training camp. Once the pads go on, we should know a little bit more about him. I’d love to have another speed guy in the backfield, and especially one who is a sure pass catcher. That gives me some comfort for us in 3rd down situations, but as I said before, my gut says Parcells will go with A-Train as insurance.

I’m not so worried about where he came from. Some real superstars came from smaller schools. By the way, our first pick didn’t exactly come from a program ready to compete with Auburn.

Anyway, the battle hasn’t even begun yet, so we’ll really just have to wait and see. There will undoubtedly be some surprises when the final roster is settled. Thompson could be one of them.

I agree with Rob2, in that BP will go with JJ, MB, and AT Train. However, Dallas was notorious for finding gems at small colleges: Larry Allen and Leon Lett just to mention a few.

On the point of Ellis, he will be productice in any scheme he is placed in. This guy is a football player. Look at what he and Glover did over the last 3 years with little to no defensive help. This guy played literal four full quarters and that speak volumes of his physical abilities. BP will have Ellis for a strong 65 to 75% of the games. Just imgaine what a healthy and well restful Ellis can bring to the table.

For those who have forgotten, take a look at the Boys Defense and you should be impressed. I know must nay sayers will say that’s only on paper, but you have to start from somewhere. I certainly like this years paper start over the last 10 years.

with all the speed im hearing about thompson he is def built like a WR what about giving him a shot at that? we could def use someone with some speed out there and im worried about what we have now making it through a whole season.

Thompson apparently has talent, and that is something you just can’t coach. But a ton of guys get DRAFTED on talent alone every year, i.e. Ekuban, Dixon, Bryant, Larrimore, Carter, etc.

Don’t fool yourselves into thinking he is going to get in that backfield this year, that would be unrealistic but a nice surprise. KR and special teams coverage units sound more likely, which would be an awesome contribution for an undrafted player.

Ellis is one of the most underrated players in the league. He has more talent around him this year than ever before. Having Roy Williams, Ware, and Spears near the line of scrimmage as pass rush threats will free up Ellis a little more (Not to mention the double team that Ferguson will absorb, which will free up Glover some). With all that I am guessing Ellis has his best year yet.

While there may not seem to be a big difference between 271lb and 280lb, in the NFL there is. An I deal 3-4 DE is 285+. While Ellis is only 9lbs lighter than Canty, Ellis isn’t getting any bigger. He’s already the slowest guy on the field as it is to put on anymore weight would not only make him slower, but wear him down even more than he was at the end of games last season. Canty is young and has room to grow. So while Ellis isn’t undersized in the same was as say Ware would be if he were to line up at DE in a 3-4 he is undersized by about 14 pounds. Canty will have a much easier time weighing in at 285+ if he isn’t already from inactivity due to his surgeries.

He is too small!! He is too slow!! … Can any one tell me who has led the Cowboys in sacks 4 straight years? Just about every year he has played, he has led the team’s defensive linemen in tackles. …. Ellis’ size and speed should be a non issue, but for the fact that the Cowboys are switching to the 3-4 defense. He has been productive in the 4-3. It’s been the other players around him that have failed miserably. Ellis is absolutely too small to play every down in a 3-4 scheme, but Nick Eatman is feeding you all mumbo jumbo when he says Ellis is “undersized” for the 4-3. That would make half the DEs in the league undersized, including some of the better DEs like Berry, Kerney, Rice, Freeney, and KGB. ….. Like I had posted earlier, I doubt Dallas will go with a predominate 3-4 defense, but will use their flexability to match up against teams. Expect Ellis to play mostly in the 4-3 sets and Ware to come in and play in the 3-4 sets. Then Ware will at times relieve Spears in the 4-3, and Ellis will at times relieve Glover (at the DE spot) in the 3-4 sets. Do the math!! It will get all of his players the amount of playing time Parcells wants. But most of all it will allow Parcells to play to his players strengths!! Carson can give Ferguson a break, and then Canty will work into the rotation too.

Eric,

We don’t have to do the math, Parcells has already done the math. He wants Ellis and Glover to play about 60% of what they did last year. Their base will be a 3-4 not so sure why some of you are having such a hard time reading the writing on the wall, because it’s right in front of your face.

I assume that Ellis will start at DE in the 3-4 sets to start, but if all goes well with Canty’s surgery I’d expect him to be starting by mid season at the latest. The guy already knows the defense better than any other DE out there so its not a stretch to assume that he will be starting sooner rather than later. Ellis is a quality player as is Glover, but they got worn down last year all year, and were unable to make an impact late in games.

The youth we’ve brought in along with Ferguison should be a positive to you guys because it will extend the careers of Ellis and Glover.

i hope a-train makes it we need a punisher back there, i wouldnt have any problem with a duce staley jerome bettis 1-2 punch, and thats what youd have. a-train isnt a bad player by any means, he just hit some bad luck in chicago. i say thompson goes to the practice squad (for now). and i dont think theres any way you give 5 roster spots to the backfield. who knows maybe thompson will beat out barber…. but we need a bruiser in the backfield to go with jj…

lets just agree no matter what defense we will play we have ALOT of interchangeable parts, and that makes me for 1 real happy.

i just read that brock marion might still be in the cowboys plans. id like to have this guy back to give davis and berioult some time to grow.

Mike:

Don’t confuse A-Train with The Bus, they’re not built the same, A-Train is more like a Troy Hambrick, they are high stance (6-1) runners with some power (230lbs), while Bettis is a small (5-11) and heavy (250lbs) RB with a lot of power based on his low center of gravity.

Eric:

I don’t think I’m Thompson, ‘cause I live in Mexico, and Tyson Thompson isn’t a normal name in this latitudes and longitudes….

Everyone:

I really don’t believe Parcells will carry 4 Rb’s and a FB for the main fact that he needs to carry heavy numbers on some other positions, be it LB, DL, OL and WR (LB and DL because they will play with 2 schemes, and WR and OL because there should be some uncertainty according to age) and Bill Parcells always likes to have 4 TE’s, guys do the maths!

I’m putting Thompson on the staff becuase if you make the mistake of placing him in the PS he’s as well as gone, he had the most heavy signing bonus in the undrafted signees Dallas got, because I believe they got competition, and with a guy with that speed and ST’s capability (KRs) is understandable.

How many teams has as good of a RB corps, in the paper, as what the Cowboys have right now? Minnesota comes to mind inmediately, Denver, Kansas, Baltimore, and I don’t remind other team with a 3 deep rotation….. and Kansas doesn’t have one anymore, Blaylock is gone now. That’s what I mean, one of those teams not having a legitimate third RB, will sign him, and what if he becomes a KR freak in 2 years and a pass catching threat? And really, the lack of evidence with him in College has more to do with his lack of stuff to survive on school, stuff that’s not so needed playing RB.

Now, considering Parcells keeping just 3 RB’s and a FB, which players do you keep along with JJ? Barber and A-Train? Barber is a bit more powerful than JJ and also can catch the ball and play St’s. A-Train is a punisher kind of back who at times might reminds us to Hambrick (not hitting the line hard enough) based on his play in Chicago, he looked soft at times in the past seasons. And isn’t a known ball catcher and hasn’t played ST’s since High School. And then comes Thompson, a high stance runner, that in shorts impressed Parcells with his pass catching ability out of the backfield, again there’s not much evidence on him, but he doesn’t play QB, he plays RB, and a RB with such an athletic ability can be groomed.

Now, if Parcells keeps 4 RB’s and a FB I did all this for nothing, but then I would be worried for the position in which a player was cutted.

Josh,

First of all, Ellis is not a full time 3-4 DE. Secondly, Parcells is cutting their time to keep them fresh, but not by 40. Call the 3-4 the base, or the 4-3 the base if you want!! It doesn’t matter because they’ll be using both sets. As Mike stated we have a lot of interchangable parts. Ellis’ weakness is he doesn’t have the size at 271lbs to take on repeated double teams, which is demanded of him if he were to play DE in the 3-4. Ware doesn’t have the size to line up at DE in the 4-3 for long stretches, and you really want to keep a motor like his fully charged. Therefore, THINKING LOGICALLY, Ellis will play to his strength, which will be DE in the 4-3 sets. Ware will play LB in 3-4 sets, taking advantage of his speed and keeping him away from the blocks of big offensive tackles. Now throw in OCCASIONAL plays with Ware at DE in the 4-3 and Ellis in at DE in the 3-4, and there you have the % Parcells is looking for each of them to play. Glover might see some time playing NT behind Ferguson, but might also see some time at DE in 3-4 sets. Of course he will play DT too, when the defense turns back over to the 4-3. Spears and Canty will play DE in both defenses. Ferguson will be backed up by Carson. Carson might spell Glover at times too. Then you have a bunch of others competing for playing time. ….. So you do the math!! That is 5 players (Glover, Ware, Ferguson, Ellis, and Spears) each playing about 70 at 4 positions (RDE/ROLB, LDE. DT, NT/DT). That accounts for 87% of the plays at those positions. That leaves Carson, Canty, and possibly Ratliff competing for about 13% of the defensive snaps. With injuries and as time goes by this will change, but when you talk about “the writing on the wall” its there for YOU to read!!

lol i meant youd have something similar.

I said I miss Aikman to Irvin!!!!!?

dont you guys think len pasquerelli from espn.com looks alot like DON VITO from VIVA LA BAM???

With a 4-3 defensive line of Ellis, Ferguson, Glover, and Spears, we have a good chance of controling the line of scrimmage. I get a strong sense that this formation will be used a lot on 1st downs, trying to get a good push into the backfield on the down and yardage most teams like to run.

On passing downs, the 3-4 should be more effective. Presnap, linebackers sit in the QB’s passing lanes (most importantly the QBs hot read routes are often taken away from him). The QB and offensive line often don’t know where the rush is coming from, so it could be confusing when blitzes are disguised well.

Expect Parcells to match up to the situation with downs and yards to go, and also match up against the oppositions personel on the field.

Eric,

Correction he said he wanted to reduce their roles 15 to 20 percent. And I guess you don’t pay much attention to the Cowboys, as Ellis was lining up at on DE spot in the 3-4 set with the starters. If not Ellis then who is going to start? Canty right away? Doubt it we don’t even know if he is healthy yet. So while you want to claim Ellis isn’t a starting 3-4 DE, might I suggest you pay a little more attention to those who report on the Cowboys past mini camps and training camp coming up.

Eric,

Ware 6-6 255 is as big as Dwight Freeny 6-1 260, he starts in a 4-3 every down. So how is it Ware is too small again? KBG 6-4 252 from GB starts every down as a DE in a 4-3 and he’s smaller than Ware.

Correction Ware is 6-4.

Bertrand Berry is also smaller.

And that’s what makes me think that all that about the definite move to the 3-4 is a big smoke screen, yes, they are gonna play some 3-4, especially against teams like Philly, that spread the ball a lot, but the majority of the snaps will be played in a 4-3 formation, becuase the probabilities are against a total change to the 3-4, because you need to develop a rotation at End with players like Ellis, Glover, Spears and Coleman, then you might add Canty if he gets healthy and Carson, who might have something as a DE in the 3-4. But you finish with 2 undersized players at End, 2 rookies and one that right now isn’t healthy, a player that hasn’t develop to his potential and a DT playing out of position.

I don’t think that Training Camp is enough time to do all this….

KC,

Thanks again for the interview and good job getting him Rafael.

Great analysis, I exclude you PERSONALLY whenever I use the word mediots. Keep up the great work, and I look forward to the book.

You sentiments on Bryant and Morgan were right on. I did not see Morgan quitting on routes, but then I hardly saw him catch anything either, but I certainly saw Bryant quit on routes. He just outright quit, hopefully Morgan straightens up, we could use a good third wideout. Great insight into the secondary’s we face too. Drew could light it up, especially when you mix in a coach that ain’t afraid to throw it, a good RB, a TE, and what I think might become the best offensive line in football. Drew could have his 4000 yards and JJ can still get 1500 rushing. Let’s see another 1200 for Witten, 1200 for KJ and 1000 for Glenn………that aint out of reach…………..then mix in the third wideout and hopefully some catches out of the backfield……….and a stingy defense. I think we are going to be a good team that gets better every week.

Look out NFC East the Boys are Back!!!

yea the possibilitys are very exciting arnt they.
  Look people BP will play people where they are going to be the most effictive. If he steps back and sees that the 4-3 will be better then the 3-4 then you can put your money on the 4-3. Our coach is not a jackass and i couldnt be more grateful. So if we find the boys in a similar situation to the raiders of last year(they switched to the 3-4 D and a move that was very bad they had people out of position and nothing was working) then BP will go right back to a 4-3 base d-fence. rest assured our coach will make the right move.

Yeah, Gino, but is a slow month, at least I need to express some of the things in which I have my doubts… ARE WE READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL!!!?? I know I am…

Josh,

By the way, I made the point about Freeney, KGB, and Berry being smallish but effective, in comparison to Ellis’ size. So what is your point? Listen I am not the first person to say Ware can’t line up across of a tackle for long stretches, that would be Mr. Bill Parcells himself who started that rumor. Secondly, you are the person saying that the 3-4 will be the Cowboys base defense. So again what is your point about Ware’s ability to play the in the 4-3? ….. Oh Ellis started in 3-4 sets at mini camp. Might I suggest that that is how they will start the season. So I guess Glover will start the season as a back up!!! ‘Cause he started the same mini camp with the second team! And I never said Ellis won’t start … I said, my guess is that Dallas won’t play the 3-4 as much as the “mediots” are reporting that they will be playing. And they, just as you, are reading way too much into what is being done at mini camp. Its mini camp!! Why was Glover with the second team? Hmmm, maybe because he is the only NFL defensive lineman that the Cowboys have that has actually seen time in the 3-4 scheme. If you actually think the Cowboys will mostly play in the 3-4 defense, with Glover in a back up role, you are nuts. … I am not going to explain it again Josh! Go read my earlier posts on how I think the rotation will work, and how my logic fits into Parcells idea on what % he wants to play each guy. The numbers work and splitting time between the 3-4 and 4-3 goes to Ellis’ and Ware’s strengths, as opposed to taking away from their games.

Eric,

You said Ware couldn’t start in a 4-3 as a DE, I showed you players of similar size that do, so I’m not sure what you are arguing here.

Eric,

How am I nuts for thinking they will play a 3-4 as their base defense? You are kidding yourself if you don’t think that will be their base defense. Remember Parcells could care less if Glover is on the sidlines if he feels that’s what’s best for his defense. And if he doesn’t care what Glover thinks I doubt he cares what you think. Just a guess.

Chandus,

Remember while the 3-4 is new to the Cowboys, its not new to Ferguison, Canty, Spears, or Glover, all of whom are versed in the defense.

Eric,

Parcells says glover will play the NT position in the 3-4 scheme. So if that’s the case he is a backup, they didn’t shell out 9mil in bonus money to Ferg to have him sit. You guys are all in an uproar because your favorite players are going to see a reduced role. It’s not a bad thing, you should see it as positive and embrace it, as it will extend their careers.

Josh:

I know that, Ferguson played the 3-4 for Parcells and Al Groh and Glover played one season in the 3-4 under Haslett. Canty and Spears aren’t new to the 3-4, but there’s something new there, they’re playing in the NFL! And Canty isn’t even healthy right now.

And I really don’t believe Parcells or anyone should think that Glover best place is the bench, just think in one thing for a moment, imagine Glover playing next to Ferguson, who takes the double team? Glover has been taking the double teams for almost his whole career, while Ferguson was constantly double teamed even on the 4-3 D played under Herman Edwards. And imagine that right behind them, there’s Nguyen, a player that in 2003 was in his environment, free to roam the field, and this year has Ferguson in the place of Blade, guess that’s an upgrade…

Are you really gonna tell me that a 3-4 base D, with all the questions surrounding it, is the safest bet to our D problems? Nope, the best answer was given in FA and Draft, with the corners signed, Spears to man one side at DE and Ware to enter as a pass rusher in some 4-3 formations.

Of course, the Cowboys will play some 3-4, but make it a 40 or 30% of the snaps.

Another point of how ready is our roster for a 3-4 D:

Last year NE D:
DEs: Ty Warren
        Position: DE
        Height: 6-5
        Weight: 300

        Richard Seymour
        Position: DT
        Height: 6-6
        Weight: 310

        Jarvis Green
        Position: DE
        Height: 6-3
        Weight: 290

DTs: Keith Traylor
        Position: DT
        Height: 6-2
        Weight: 340

        Vince Wilfork
        Position: NT
        Height: 6-1
        Weight: 325

Last year Pitt D:
DEs: Aaron Smith
        Position: DE
        Height: 6-5
        Weight: 298

        Kimo von Oelhoffen
        Position: DT
        Height: 6-4
        Weight: 299

        Travis Kirschke
        Position: DT
        Height: 6-3
        Weight: 298

DT’s: Chris Hoke
        Position: NT
        Height: 6-2
        Weight: 296

        Casey Hampton
        Position: DT
        Height: 6-1
        Weight: 325

I placed 3 man rotations at DE and a 2 deep NT, and you could compare the NT position of Pitt with what we would have (Ferguson, Glover), but not the same case with NE. And you just can’t compare the DE’s rotations, because the only players that can stand to those measures are rookies Spears and Canty, and the chances are against them, and Kenyon Coleman, and about him I guess we don’t need much comments…

No way BP/JJ commit $20 mil plus on FA and the draft for 3-4 players and not commit to it as the base defense…no way.

I believe you’ll see it the vast majority of the time. And don’t worry about Glover, he made the Pro Bowl as a 3-4 NT.

Josh,

O.K. one comment at a time.

#1. I never said that Ware can’t start in a 4-3. I simply reiterated exactly what Bill Parcells was quoted as saying. That is, “Ware doesn’t have the size to play long stretches lined up across from an OT.” Parcells said it first, so are you arguing that he is saying that but will do something else? Josh, I will quote you too “While there may not seem to be a big difference between 271lb and 280lb, in the NFL there is.” Well then how big is the difference between 255 lbs and 320 lbs!! Because that is what Ware will have to face as a DE in the 4-3. That is why even when he gets his reps in that defense it will be on pass rushing downs, otherwise teams will run off tackle plays all day.

#2. Chandus beat me to the punch, but I was looking at the Patriots starters too. Dallas doesn’t have that type of size right now. Parcells is ready to play the 3-4, but not every down. Like I stated before the flexability he has gives Parcells the distinct advantage to match up to down and distance and match up against what the opponent put out on the field. Therefore what I am saying is he may start one game in the 3-4, and the next one with the 4-3. That decision will be based upon what offensive set the opposition likes to use, and how Bill feels the defense best matches up against an opponent.

#3. Glover will not start the season riding pine. If that were the Cowboys intentions, don’t you think a trade would have taken place during the draft. Would have been a heck of a lot of suitors for Glover. Really too, Glover was a Pro Bowl NT, so wouldn’t have been more intelligent to use the $$ spent on Ferguson for another position, and just upgrade the depth at NT? They signed Ferguson to play next to Glover, not to replace him. He had a plan all along to reduce Ellis’ and Glover’s playing time, and he wants a rotation, not only of players but also formation. … Like I stated before, do the math!! There are 5 players each playing 70% of the snaps at 4 different positions. That is 87% of all the defensive line snaps plus the snaps of the ROLB in the 3-4 sets. Here I will break it down for you since you are having a hard time getting it. For arguements sake lets say the plays are split 50-50 between 3-4 and 4-3 sets:

Ellis – 100% in 4-3 sets = 50% of all plays
           40% in 3-4 sets = 20% of all plays (70% total)

Ware – 100% in 3-4 sets = 50% of all plays
             40% in 4-3 sets = 20% of all plays (70% total)

Glover – 90% in 4-3 sets = 45%
             50% in 3-4 sets = 25% (70%)

Ferguson – 70% in 4-3 = 35%
                 70% in 3-4 = 35% (70%)

Spears – 50% in 4-3 = 25%
              90% in 3-4 = 45% (70%)

Now they are all at 70% of the defensive snaps, whivh keeps them all fresh. Since Ellis doesn’t have the idea size to play end in the 3-4 defense, the majority of his snaps will be in the 4-3 sets. Parcells has stated as much that Ware won’t be used in long stretches lined up across from OT, because it will wear on him because of his size. Therefore getting him in on passing downs, were his responcibilty is less and he can consentrate on just rushing the QB. Also, getting Ware playing OLB in 3-4 sets so his gap assignment isn’t always between the G and OT, but more to the outside of the OT. He will get worn down quickly if he had to play both gaps, like lining up at DE in the 4-3 asks him.

Chandus,

Glover also played the 3-4 in Oakland. And what you guys are failing to see is that our DL sucked balls last year. Glover and Ellis are getting old, they don’t need to be on the field as much so they can have impact at the end of the game.

Eric,

So I guess you must be Bill Parcells. Note Glover was on the sidline while the first team lined up. Anything you want to say about glover not being on the bench at the begining of the game is only your OPINION not the reality of the changes taking place. When you want to bring some facts to the table and quit all this homer opinion crap based on what you think is best then the conversation can take on some meaning.

Chandus,

Spears and Canty may be new, but Spears will be starting from day one because as a rookie he’s the best option we have, and Canty should slide in on the other side by mid season if all goes well. I understand that that might not happen but what will happen is the 3-4 as the base. If the 3-4 isn’t the base then Ware doesn’t have a place on the field. I could see a scenario where Ware or Spears get injured and the 3-4 is scrapped until next season but that’s the only thing I could see derailing it.

Yes Parcells wants flexibility, but he also said he’s going with one or the other as the base defense. So while and Eric don’t need to convince of the logic of what you are saying its not the reality of what’s taking place.

I thought we burried this Ellis Glover Ferguson argument a long time ago. I also thought Bill Parcells and some statistics burried the argument.

Glover and Ellis both had weak 4th Quarter play. When we needed that sack to kill a 3rd and Long they were both breathing hard. NOTHING against either player. Just that they were both playing 95% of the time, and uh………the offense was turning the ball back over either on a 3 and out or a great Testaverde 3rd down pass or whatever. THAT WILL CHANGE…………time of possession is going to rejuvenate our D. Also, all these guys will play and contribute. Do not be surprised to see Glover and Ferguson lined up Ferg at NT and GLover as a DE in the 3 man front……..sure Ellis will be out there as will Spears, Canty, and hopefully Ratliff and some of the other men that answer to DE.

The stats proved that Glover, a PRO BOWLER was gassed by the 4th quarter for pressuing the QB. That will change. His moves and power even in an undersized frame for NT will be awesome come 4th Quater. Parcells played with undersized NT at NYG and did fine. A couple of super bowls if I remember right. Ferguson will be fine.

I think this year is going to be a transition. LOTS OF 3-4 in Preseason and in practice. Come game time we will probably see the 4-3 in half the sets. Hey with Glenn, Williams, Henry, Newman and whoever wins the FS spot…….we may play a lot of nickel………especially against Oakland, Detroit, KC and other Pass happy teams………later in the year the Rams.

The 3-4 and 4-3 could be utilized in a passing down but typically teams use some type of nickel…….with their best pass rush up front. Having Ferguson and Glover and ELLIS is going to be one of the reasons why we are good for a change. We got a lot of youth on D, and those guys are going to be needed to play. Both are approaching or are past 30. I personally would like 5 more years out of both of em, even if it means 60- 70 of snaps vs. 99%……..in the NFL on Defense at 270+ there are not a lot of guys that are not going to be gassed by the 4th quarter. Even LT got breathers occassionally……..but he was on the field when it counted. Guaranteed.

For the first time in recent memory, we actually have some depth. Depth…….you know that thing that NE seems to have. A player goes down and another player steps in and they do not miss a beat……..

Gentleman, take a deep breath. Enjoy it, relish it. Yeah we actually might have to cut a RB or TWo………a couple might end up on somebody elses team………..so what………..we stole Lance Frazier from Baltimore cuz we needed him……….it happens……….Jones, Thomas, Barber sure look like a good trio at RB………DEPTH………..QB……..looks better than in YEARS………since TROY and Beurlein were both here. Couple of young guns and and old pro. Good solid line. Lots of vets on a Defense that was very good two years ago……..added FAs in Secondary………lots of rookie and youth at LB and DE………if this team gels……..learns……and gets better every week………it has a chance to be very good and very rested going into the playoffs.

Here we come Philly, your time has passed.

Eric Richard Says:

July 12th, 2005 at 4:51 pm
Josh,

First of all, Ellis is not a full time 3-4 DE. Secondly, Parcells is cutting their time to keep them fresh, but not by 40. Call the 3-4 the base, or the 4-3 the base if you want!! It doesnâ€â"¢t matter because theyâ€â"¢ll be using both sets. As Mike stated we have a lot of interchangable parts. Ellisâ€â"¢ weakness is he doesnâ€â"¢t have the size at 271lbs to take on repeated double teams, which is demanded of him if he were to play DE in the 3-4. Ware doesnâ€â"¢t have the size to line up at DE in the 4-3 for long stretches, and you really want to keep a motor like his fully charged. Therefore, THINKING LOGICALLY, Ellis will play to his strength, which will be DE in the 4-3 sets. Ware will play LB in 3-4 sets, taking advantage of his speed and keeping him away from the blocks of big offensive tackles. Now throw in OCCASIONAL plays with Ware at DE in the 4-3 and Ellis in at DE in the 3-4, and there you have the % Parcells is looking for each of them to play. Glover might see some time playing NT behind Ferguson, but might also see some time at DE in 3-4 sets. Of course he will play DT too, when the defense turns back over to the 4-3. Spears and Canty will play DE in both defenses. Ferguson will be backed up by Carson. Carson might spell Glover at times too. Then you have a bunch of others competing for playing time. ….. So you do the math!! That is 5 players (Glover, Ware, Ferguson, Ellis, and Spears) each playing about 70 at 4 positions (RDE/ROLB, LDE. DT, NT/DT). That accounts for 87% of the plays at those positions. That leaves Carson, Canty, and possibly Ratliff competing for about 13% of the defensive snaps. With injuries and as time goes by this will change, but when you talk about â€Å"the writing on the wall” its there for YOU to read!!
——————————————————————————————————————————-

In the above post you clearly state that Ware doesn’t have the size to be a full time 4-3 DE. So you are incorrect in your denial.

FOR LONG STRETCHES … read the whole statement!!

Josh,

Read further were I state in caps “OCCASIONALLY ….”

Again Josh, it is Bill Parcells’ statement not my own original statement. So I guess you know more about what Bill Parcells will do, than Bill Parcells himself!! .. dallascowboys.com reports, “Parcells has said many times, Ware will not line up across offensive tackles for long stretches of the game.”

Josh,

This Glover riding pine thing ……. IT WAS MINI CAMP!!!!!!!!!!!

Hmmm, does the fact that he is a Pro Bowl player factor into your logic!! Sure Josh you are right, Glover will be Ferguson’s back up in the 3-4 defense (the base defense). So I guess he will play less than 50% of the snaps?

He didn’t make that statement saying he couldn’t be a traditional 4-3 DE. He was talking about in the Defense he is now trying to implement, just saying that he would be an OLB that would on occasion put his hand down, it was not an indictment on whether the kid could be a full time 4-3 DE.

Parcells said he would be in on nickle defense packages so there is 50% right there, he made no further commitment. And while yes it was mini camp, what does that matter? None of the other starters were on the sideline. And yes I understand he’s a pro bowler as a 4-3 DT, but alas we are switching to a 4-3, so its not my logic that is flawed its your inability to understand that even though you don’t agree with the switch its happening, get used to it, live it, love it. You’ll be much happier.

Correct, I meant to say switch to a 3-4.

Eric,

And your point was that he didn’t have the size which is obviously wrong as has been pointed out in earlier posts.

Ware that is.

Fighter15:

As I remember, Ferguson has been a 4-3 DT for the last 3 years. Other than him, we didn’t sign any other so called 3-4 guy. In the draft Parcells got 2 others posible 3-4 players, Ware and Spears, but they can also play the 4-3, so your argument isn’t well cimented.

Josh:

You seem to take too much value on what Parcells tries to do in the mini-camps and in what is programed for the early days of training camp, maybe what he’s trying to do, is find out how good the 3-4 could be with the mix of players he´s got, because he needs to find out if the mix of players at DE can man the position, Ware needs to learn several things of the OLB position and there’s the other OLB position (Singleton? Burnett? Ogbogu?) still to be put in place. You’re right, the D needs a change, but if those questions aren’t answered, they don’t need a change for the worst.

And I rest my case, I can’t wait for Training Camp and then the regular season.

Josh,

I simply stated exactly what Parcells has stated, about Ware. He doesn’t have the size to play DE in the 4-3 FOR LONG STRETCHES!!!!! He will wear down easily! Go to Parcells post mini camp press conference @ dallascowboys.com. He does explain that Ware couldn’t handle playing lined up against offensive tackles FOR LONG STRETCHES!!!!!!

Josh,

Explain this one: If Glover is playing 50% of the plays at NT in the 3-4, how much % is Ferguson playing?

Eric,

It was never an indictment on his size. Parcells never cited his size in relation to a 4-3 DE. It was in reference to the 3-4 NOT the 4-3. The line of questioning was how he was going to use Ware, which he went on to say at OLB. And he certainly never suggested that Ware wears down easily, otherwise they would never have drafted the guy. He wants Ware to be his free lancing QB sack machine ala Lawrance Taylor. Not to be fighting offensive linemen all day. He wants the kid fresh the whole game to run down QB’s. You’ve read too much into his remarks which were brief.

Josh,

You are wrong, Parcells did comment about the rigors of playing DE in the NFL and lining up on the line against OT for long stretches at a time, and thought it wouldn’t best suit Ware. Your own comment of “Not to be fighting offensive lineman all day” proves the point!! Ware is best suited to play LB, and OCCASIONALLY play DE in pass rushing situations.

Josh,

You are wrong, Parcells did comment about the rigors of playing DE in the NFL and lining up on the line against OT for long stretches at a time, and thought it wouldn’t best suit Ware. Your own comment of “Not to be fighting offensive lineman all day” proves the point!! Ware is best suited to play LB, and OCCASIONALLY play DE in pass rushing situations. That is what I have been saying the entire time.

Just a question too: If Parcells doesn’t want him to be fighting with OT all day, what does that suggest? Hmmm, that he wouldn’t want him to wear out!!

I am starting to thing that Josh and Eric are so butch sports loving girls that are at that time of thier month???

relax guys…

There is no telling how they are going to implement the diffrent defensive schemes. The only safe bet is to say that parcells has the option of using which ever one he feels will match up best at what ever random game situation the boys get into. Enough said.

Knuckle up boyz!

Cowboys rock! KC’s book rocks, and the Florida gators rock!!!!!!!!

exclude the so in the first sentence of my last post.

That would be all

One thing I really like about all of the alternatives raised here is how much more confusion it will present to opponents defensive coordinator trying to come up with a game plan to counter all of the possibilities.

A bit off the subject, but one thing that has been bothering me is BP preceived Ego thing. I still haven’t figured out why he dusted a pro-bowl linebacker and didn’t get squat for him. I’m sure that he could produce many reasons for getting rid of Coakley and that is certainly within his rights as a head coach to deo so, but it seems as if he could have got something in return. I mean the guy didn’t even bounce when he hit the street before SL was giving him major bucks and a long term contract.

“Offensive” coordinator, that is. WTH maybe defensive coordinators too if everything works as planned.

Bonzer he got this in return $$$. more cap room to sign henry, ferguson, bledsoe, rivera, glenn,

with all this 3-4 and 4-3 talk i have a question. I remember reading something that dallas plays a great numbers of plays in the nickel D-fence (something around 50%). I think that with our nickle D being strong looking at who is in newman, glenn, and henry, along with hunter, frasier and co. subbin in. the number of nickel D plays will stay the same . Does this mean a 3 down lineman with 3 linebackers type of approach that was like last year to desguise the blitz. or is this when we have 4 linemen with 2 linebackers. or will it depend on situation?

Yes, Geno, depending on the base defense, the nickel defense would change from 4-3 to 4-2 and from 3-4 to 3-3, or some mixed schemes… I only hope for the Cowboys to have something similar of what the Pats have, a D that can change from 3-4 to 4-3 to 3-3 to 4-2 and even to 2-5, just becuase I would like a D that can adjust to what the offense places on the field.

Geno,

You mentioned Hunter in your last post. You may want to hold off on counting on him. I read on Cowboysplus.com that he expects to be traded today. If you’ve been reading this blog or watching Parcells work, you probably already know who he’ll be traded to if he goes. Yeah, that’s right, the Jets.

We’ll have to wait and see if he passes his physical, but word has it that a deal is done once he passes it. I’ll be interested in seeing what we get for him.

Have any of you guys seen Jay Glazer’s article on Fox Sports.com about the NFL teams who deserve to be optimistic about their off-season moves? Notice anyone missing?

ALDS,

First of all, this site allows people to express their opinions. Whether we disagree with each other or we agree, its always a nice forum. So what!! Josh and I disagree, if we all had the same ideas this blog wouldn’t be so fun.

Chandus,

Nice points about Dallas switching into the 4-2 and 3-3. That is why it doesn’t matter what our base defense is, because we will probably see a bunch of different looks, maybe even having only 2 down linemen, just like New England did against Indy last year.

Good comment, Eric. The differences of opinion do make this site a lot of fun. None of us knows it all, so when someone else comes in with a different insight, it’s always good to pay attention. I’ve learned a few things here and have had a ball discussing my opinions with the guys here. I also agree that we will use at least a couple of different alignments on defense.

ALDS,

I’m glad to see you here representing the rainbow coalition. Welcome aboard, most of us are hetero, but we welcome your kind as well.

LOL thats funny man. Relax guys, just messin with ya a bit.

Mike,

He would have got rid of Coakly’s Salary anyway had he traded him instead of cut him. I see where John Madden has Dextrer rated as the sixth best player on the Rams with a rating of 90. He is too good of a player to just let go for nada.

i agree i was the biggest coakley homer when we drafted him, and he is real good, but i also think hes not the player he was a few years ago. now dont bash me because im not by any means saying hes washed up. but with the possible 3-4 switch we have dat and thats getting smaller with coakley in. i do wish he was still here though.

Coakley was a free agent. We either had to sign him or let him go. No team had to give us anything.

i thought we cut coakley????

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