There is a lot of enthusiasm about adding Rob Ryan as DC.
I’ll abstain. I understand, that Garrett didn’t want to wait too long and be left holding the bag.
In Jason Garrett’s search for a defensive coordinator he has shown patience but he doesn’t want to wait too long before the hole closes.
It might be time to pull the trigger on Ryan, who has been a coordinator in Oakland and Cleveland and won Super Bowl rings in New England as an assistant coach.
The Cowboys do not want to be caught without an experienced 3-4 coordinator when the music stops. Garrett has eight games of head coaching experience. I would think he would like to have an experienced coordinator with him in 2011.
With that said, it’s not an appointment that I’m excited about. Why? Here’s where Rob Ryan’s defenses ranked in defensive pass efficiency (Here on why defensive pass efficiency is key)
Year |
Defensive Pass Efficiency Rank |
Team |
2004 |
31st |
OAK |
2005 |
23rd |
OAK |
2006 |
5th |
OAK |
2007 |
28th |
OAK |
2008 |
20th |
OAK |
2009 |
26th |
CLE |
2010 |
27th |
CLE |
You know what Dallas’s problem was this year? Yes … they dropped to 28th in defensive pass efficiency.
Now a lot of people are saying that Ryan had worse talent in Oakland and Cleveland. Is that objectively true? Let’s look at the roster Ryan inherited in Oakland in 2004.
|
Defensive Starters |
Age |
Drafted By |
Rd |
Pick |
Year |
LDE |
Tyler Brayton |
25 |
1st |
32 |
2003 |
|
LDT |
Ted Washington |
36 |
1st |
25 |
1991 |
|
RDT |
Warren Sapp |
32 |
1st |
12 |
1995 |
|
RDE |
Bobby Hamilton |
33 |
|
|
UDFA |
|
LLB |
DeLawrence Grant |
25 |
Oakland Raiders |
3rd |
89 |
2001 |
MLB |
Danny Clark |
27 |
7th |
245 |
2000 |
|
RLB |
Napoleon Harris |
25 |
Oakland Raiders |
1st |
23 |
2002 |
LCB |
Phillip Buchanon |
24 |
Oakland Raiders |
1st |
17 |
2002 |
RCB |
Charles Woodson |
28 |
Oakland Raiders |
1st |
4 |
1998 |
RCB |
Nnamdi Asomugha |
23 |
Oakland Raiders |
1st |
31 |
2003 |
FS |
Ray Buchanan |
33 |
3rd |
65 |
1993 |
|
Avg |
|
28.0 |
|
|
71 |
|
And here’s the roster he’ll inherit in Dallas
|
Defensive Starters |
Age |
Drafted By |
Rd |
Pick |
Year |
LDE |
Marcus R. Spears |
27 |
1st |
20 |
2005 |
|
NT |
Jay Ratliff*+ |
29 |
Dallas Cowboys |
7th |
224 |
2005 |
RDE |
Igor Olshansky |
28 |
2nd |
35 |
2004 |
|
LOLB |
Anthony Spencer |
26 |
Dallas Cowboys |
1st |
26 |
2007 |
LILB |
Bradie James |
29 |
Dallas Cowboys |
4th |
103 |
2003 |
RILB |
Keith Brooking |
35 |
1st |
12 |
1998 |
|
ROLB |
DeMarcus Ware*+ |
28 |
Dallas Cowboys |
1st |
11 |
2005 |
LCB |
Terence Newman* |
32 |
Dallas Cowboys |
1st |
5 |
2003 |
RCB |
Mike Jenkins* |
25 |
Dallas Cowboys |
1st |
25 |
2008 |
SS |
Gerald Sensabaugh |
27 |
Jacksonville Jaguars |
5th |
157 |
2005 |
FS |
Alan Ball |
29 |
Dallas Cowboys |
7th |
237 |
2007 |
Avg. |
|
28.6 |
|
|
77.7 |
|
Let’s see, he’ll be inheriting a defense in Dallas that is older 28.6 years (and actually I think you add a year) vs. 28.0 years and has was drafted lower 71st overall on average vs. 78th overall on average. That Oakland defense featured 7 1st round draft picks versus 6 1st round draft picks on Dallas. That defense also had 3 players (Sapp, Woodson, and Asomugha) who are HOF candidates. The point being that defense wasn’t devoid of "talent".
Here’s a fun one from Bob Strum.
It is really difficult to measure his tenures in Oakland and Cleveland. The easiest way to see this reality is to name his best pass rusher for his 7 years as a DC. In Oakland, was it Tommy Kelly? Derrick Burgess? Old Warren Sapp joined him in 2006
I guess that Strum doesn’t know that Derrick Burgess led the NFL in sacks in 2005 and that Sapp joined Oakland in 2004 (coming off 7 straight pro-bowl seasons).
Then there’s Cleveland.
|
Defensive Starters |
Age |
Drafted By |
Rd |
Pick |
Year |
LDE |
Kenyon Coleman |
30 |
Oakland Raiders |
5th |
147 |
2002 |
NT |
Shaun Rogers |
30 |
2nd |
61 |
2001 |
|
NT |
Ahtyba Rubin |
23 |
6th |
190 |
2008 |
|
RDE |
Robaire Smith |
32 |
6th |
197 |
2000 |
|
LOLB |
Kamerion Wimbley |
26 |
Cleveland Browns |
1st |
13 |
2006 |
LILB |
David Bowens |
32 |
5th |
158 |
1999 |
|
LILB |
D'Qwell Jackson |
26 |
Cleveland Browns |
2nd |
34 |
2006 |
RILB |
Eric Barton |
32 |
Oakland Raiders |
5th |
146 |
1999 |
RILB |
Jason Trusnik |
25 |
|
|
|
|
ROLB |
Matt Roth |
27 |
2nd |
46 |
2005 |
|
ROLB |
David Bowens |
32 |
Denver Broncos |
5th |
158 |
1999 |
ROLB |
Jason Trusnik |
25 |
|
|
|
|
LCB |
Eric Wright |
24 |
Cleveland Browns |
2nd |
53 |
2007 |
RCB |
Brandon McDonald |
24 |
Cleveland Browns |
5th |
140 |
2007 |
RCB |
Mike Adams |
28 |
|
|
|
|
SS |
Brodney Pool |
25 |
Cleveland Browns |
2nd |
34 |
2005 |
SS |
Mike Adams |
28 |
|
|
|
|
Cleveland's roster looks worse. However, to me it was notable that Ryan couldn’t get on the same page with his best players. Shaun Rogers … 3 time pro bowl nose tackle gets benched. Kamerion Wimbley, their best pass rusher (11 sacks, 5 sacks, 4.5 sacks, 6.5 sacks) traded to Oakland for a 3rd round pick (where he had 9 sacks this year). I don’t know if the Wimbley trade was Ryan’s decision but you have to think he had a say. When I see a team trade away their best pass rusher and subsequently be one of the bottom 5 teams in pass defense it makes me question their competency. It's hard for me to say it's all because of inferior talent when the coach can't use the talent on the roster.
Maybe Ryan will flourish in a stable disciplined environment. Maybe Ryan’s defenses need the right framework to be successful. Maybe Ryan will be the perfect yin to Garrett’s yang. I don’t know. I'm certainly rooting for it. And I understand that in these circumstances Ryan is probably the best Dallas could do. But I’m definitely not celebrating this morning.