Brent would have been the Perfect 1 Technique for this Defense.

As many of you know by now Josh Brent is no longer with the Cowboys and could see his NFL career end. Its sad for a young player who was really blossoming to have his this happen to him, but one must accept the consequences. The Injuries to Ratliff & Brent left the Cowboys handicapped at the NT position and Lissemore did not adapt well to facing constant double teams. In this post I will explain the importance of the 1 Technique, his responsibilities, and which current NFL players thrive in this position.

Importance: The 1 Technique in the "4-3 One Gap Scheme" is of major importance because it makes everyone elses job so much easier. Since the NT/DT is double teamed by the Center & Guard, the other Lineman face one on one blocking. This also free's up the Linebackers, Safeties, & even CB's to attack the ball carrier known as "Gang Tackling."A great 1 technique can drastically improve the run defense because he gets push & penetration so the RB has to run to the edges where the DE's are waiting.

Responsibilities: The biggest responsibility of the 1 Technique in the "4-3 One Gap Scheme" is to attack the "A" gap. The A gap is between the center and strong-side guard. He has to avoid getting pushed back and should be able to hold his ground & provide penetration. The Prototypical NT or 1 Tech is often about 300 pounds. Tall players often struggle in this position because they loose leverage & anchor.

Players to Benefit from this: DeMarcus Ware, Jason Hatcher, Jay Ratliff, Tyrone Crawford.

Alignment: The 1-technique, lines up on the strong side shoulder of the center.

Examples: Haloti Ngata(5.0 sacks), Brandon Mebane (3.0 sacks), Vince Wilfork (3.0 sacks), Jonathan Babineaux (3.5 sacks).

In conclusion, we do not have a 1 technique on our roster that could push the line. This need will have to be addressed either through Free Agency or the Draft. Possible draftees include: Alabama's: Jesse Williams, Ohio State: Jonathan Hankins, & North Carolina: Sylvester Williams.

Thanks for reading, and leave your comments below

-Moses.