Credit is due

by rhodri2112 on Nov 27, 2009 1:10 PM CST

To Jerry Jones and here is why:

The decision to let Greg Ellis go and promote Anthony Spencer was a good one.

First, let's look at Greg Ellis in 2008 and 2009

2008 36 Tackles (25 solo/11 assist) 1 tackle for loss for 3 yards 1 pass defensed 8 sacks 0 fumbles forced 0 recovered 1 int

2009 23 tac (20/3) 0 tfl for 0 yards 1 pd 5 sacks 1 ff 0 frec 0 int

Now look at Spencer in the two years:

2008 34 tac (22/12) 0 tfl for 0 yards 0 pd 1.5 sacks 0 ff 0 frec 0 int

2009 40 tac (29/11) 6 tfl for 14 yards 6 pd 2 sacks 0 ff 0 frec 1 int

Yep, Ellis is more accomplished with sacks... and that's it. Spencer is a better run defender, by far it looks like to me, and a better pass defender. Plus, I would love to compare hurries but I don't know where to find that stat. I suspect Spencer's doing well there. So, from a production standpoint it's at least been a push and I think the Cowboys are better.

And let's take three intangibles. One, Ellis's experience, which was nice to have around but Ware, Spears, Spencer, Ratliff, et. al. are not in their first trip anymore. It wasn't as needed as last year and in 2007. Two, media stuff. I don't think Ellis's whining did much more than irritate us as fans and provide columns for writers, nevertheless I for one am glad not to hear about it. Three, age. Ellis is definitely on the back end of his career bell curve. He was a good player for us, and I don't even regret taking him over Randy Moss because of the other stuff at the time, but Spencer is still on the up slope and will get better for a while, as we have seen this year.

So, whatever else you want to complain about Jerry's GM decisions, this should not be one of them. He went with the younger, faster, more dynamic, more versatile player in Spencer and he's getting rewarded. You can say that we'd like to have the depth Ellis provides, and we would, but we all know Ellis would not accept not starting, and that's what Spencer is now, a starting OLB and a good one.

Another user-created commentary provided by a BTB reader.

Tweet Comment 24 comments | 0 recs |

Do you like this story?

Comments

To be fair, they split time last year.

Raf has noted that Spencer was effectively the starter, as he played the majority of downs while Ellis played in pass rush situations. Also, he is in a different scheme this year.

But Spencer is definitely the better overall package of the 2. I still think it might have been smart to keep Ellis here as the backup and pass rush guy, if only his ego would have allowed it.

Their stats appear to be from prior to Thursday, but www.profootballfocus.com says that Ellis has 15 pressures + 2 QB hits, while Spencer has 15 pressures + 16 QB hits. They rank Spencer as the 5th best 3-4 OLB in the league.

by Baked Potato Soup on Nov 27, 2009 1:37 PM CST reply actions

that is an absurd website, their numbers say that Roy Williams (CIN) is a top ten safety (combining both the free and strong safety positions)

Who cares?

by Zak on Nov 27, 2009 2:01 PM CST up reply actions

I haven't been following him this year.

I know that he’s hurt right now, but he was starting for the #10 yardage and #4 scoring defense in the league. I disagree with some of their findings, also, but I haven’t done the research and game logging that they have, either. Perhaps Zimmer just figured out a smarter way to use him this year.

One area where I think they lack is that they don’t differentiate between a bad play and a really bad play or a good play and a great play.

by Baked Potato Soup on Nov 27, 2009 2:16 PM CST up reply actions

Okay, here's part of it:

I guess Roy only played in 4 games this year, and according to this article from Cincy Jungle, he was a monster in them, particularly at stopping the run. It seems like he has been providing some valuable leadership to them, as well.

So, part of it might be that he was just not in enough games to rack up the negative plays that we saw out of him, and also that he may truly be a better fit in Zimmer’s scheme than he was in Wade’s, as he has always maintained.

by Baked Potato Soup on Nov 27, 2009 2:35 PM CST up reply actions

Baked Roy could have turned completely around and nobody here would give credit

I also had read (and have a friend that is a Bengals fan, poor guy) that said Roy was playing out of his mind this year. Zimmer I think just knows how to use him, and most importantly how to protect him in the passing game.

by mhuff13 on Nov 27, 2009 4:23 PM CST up reply actions

good point about zimmer.

by foyesboys on Nov 27, 2009 9:16 PM CST up reply actions

Also, remember that Williams has Leon Hall line up

on his side of the field and Hall definitely dissuades QB’s from throwing to his side of the field.

If I had a nickel for every Super Bowl the Eagles have won, I would have zero nickels.

by Cowboyfan729 on Nov 28, 2009 12:01 AM CST up reply actions

Top 5 CB to be sure...

"Emotion is highly overrated in football. My wife Corky is emotional as hell but can't play football worth a damn."

- John McKay, the first coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers

by 5Blings on Nov 28, 2009 10:59 PM CST up reply actions

Roy's done for the season

Bengals placed him on IR on 11/13/09…fractured forearm

Drinking the Blue Kool-Aid since 1980. "Ohhhhhh yeeeaaaaahhhh!"

by ImpactNate on Nov 28, 2009 2:08 AM CST up reply actions

I think that we can be basically satisfied with Spencer's play so far this season

he’s gotten progressively better and appears about to take off.

How well has Spencer been playing this year? Well, I haven’t seen Bye Dawk criticizing him on this blog since about week 5.

by DavidH22 on Nov 27, 2009 4:57 PM CST reply actions

Just check that Profootballfocus

They have Miles as the #8 receiver in the league and Kosier as the number 3 guard.
Bigg Davis is in at #10, and Bowen is our top DE according to them.. Those were the more interesting and it is a good formula but way too many backups are put much higher than starters and the issue w/ that is that backups get in there esp. on Defense to give a break to the starters, as well as lower CBs typically go against lower WRs. It isn’t perfect but it is pretty cool. And D-Ware is the best OLB against the run =), I think the first few weeks hurt him Rush-wise but he should be #1 at the end of the year

"We play to win the game" - Herm Edwards

by nicholas.rodriguez on Nov 27, 2009 7:46 PM CST reply actions

There is a % of snaps filter in the top right corner.

The default is 25% of snaps, but if you switch it to 50%, it weeds out most of the backups and guys like Roy that only played in 4 games.

by Baked Potato Soup on Nov 27, 2009 8:01 PM CST up reply actions

i was never against the idea of making spencer the primary starter

What I disagree with, and I honestly still somewhat do, is I do not see why we had to actually cut Greg. It would be VERY helpful to have a guy who can spell spencer or ware for a total of 15-20 snaps a game. We’ve been lucky to avoid injury this year. If one of these guys went down, Jerry would be roasted for this decision.

But spencer is undoubtedly a better player. He looks to be the complete package at olb. Hes very good in run support, seems to cover ok for an olb and even though he didn’t get there till last week, he really has been solid rushing the passer.

by foyesboys on Nov 27, 2009 9:19 PM CST reply actions

Because Greg was a whiney crybaby at the end

Who complained every single offseason about something. He asked to be cut, and Jerry made the smart business decision.

by mhuff13 on Nov 27, 2009 10:12 PM CST up reply actions

Spencer has 11 QB hurries

by the official NFL stats (which you can find in the Game Book from each game page on NFL.com). I heard Wade use a different number last week, so I think there are different ways to count it and the team has their own numbers, but that the official stat from the league.

(I didn’t bother to go count Ellis’ but that’s where you can find them if you want to.)

by scottmaui on Nov 28, 2009 3:51 AM CST reply actions

Spencer

You can see the pressure he is applying, he seems to play better and better every week.

Spencer is really starting to ball. It would be awesome if he could get to 10 sacks.

"No matter where you go, you are what you are playa"-Jay Z
Twitter Account

by Wmillion on Nov 28, 2009 12:41 PM CST up reply actions

He would have to go crazy to get that

Hell Ware isn’t even there yet. I’d be happy if Spencer got to 6

by mhuff13 on Nov 28, 2009 3:08 PM CST up reply actions

Six would be great

But, I have to say, he’s played well all season, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he got 5 to 7 total, depending on what Ware ends up with.

You can't stop Patrick Crayton, you can only hope to contain him.

by APerfectStar on Nov 29, 2009 5:03 AM CST up reply actions

I think the Defense will get better

Spence seems to be breaking out more and more

Sensi will get his cast off

This team is so much more experienced and mentally tough than last year.

I do have an issue with play calling on the ossense at times but that, really is the only flaw in my mind at this point.

MacGruber!

by Mojoness on Nov 28, 2009 9:12 AM CST reply actions

....

‘offense’….. yeash…

MacGruber!

by Mojoness on Nov 28, 2009 9:12 AM CST up reply actions

I would definitely think that Jerry is in contention for GM of the Year

Probably won’t get it, but he’s made some major and very public offseason moves that have paid real dividends for the team: cutting TO & Ellis, signing Brooking (esp. after everyone thought he was done), Sensi & Olshansky… The biggest fault would be the not-so-great draft class, but even that’s provided some great role players in Buehler, Butler, and Phillips who have done their part to help us win, esp. the first two.

by Joon on Nov 29, 2009 2:27 PM CST reply actions

cannot judge that draft class yet

Too many injuries to our rooks …Brandon Williams, brewster and of course jason williams who has missed tim good draft …If those 3 pan out it would be a pretty good draft..Buehler been a great pick, Butler looks the part and phillips has shown he can help this squad..

by scandrick32 on Nov 29, 2009 6:11 PM CST up reply actions