After a fairly lengthy debate w/ a few bloggers concerning Demarcus Ware and his utlization vs. capabilities, I thought I'd post a quick note.

Demarcus Ware, when it's all said and done, might possibly the best pass rusher to ever play the game. Bruce Smith, the all time sack leader w/ 200, played 19 seasons. That's a little better than 10 sacks a season. Phenomenal. Reggie White has 198 gathered over 16, which equates to an ever higher sack rate. Right now, Ware has 112 in 8 seasons; or 14 sacks per season.

Both White and Smith were defensive ends. They played along the line and rarely dropped into coverage. Why should they - they're greatest asset was getting after the QB.

DeMarcus is that same rare talent. He's a pass rusher, through and through. Yet, his title of Outside Line Backer can seem somewhat misleading if you compare his stats with other OLBs.

The OLB position, traditionally, is one that has many responsibilities. Of course, pass rushing is one of them. But so is run stopping, outside containment, blitzing and pass coverage. The whole idea of a 3-4 defense was supposed to confuse the offense about where the 4th pass rusher was coming from.

OCC produced a very good BtB article on the matter of the Cowboys pass rush efficiency as compared to other players around the league. HERE! From the article, we notice the # of snaps and rush attempts by some of the best DEs and OLBs in the league and the efficiency of doing so. One point to notice is that of the 12 names listed, 8 are DEs. Names like Suggs, Barwin and other notable 3-4 OLBs are noticeably absent.

Which brings me to the poll...