Pat Kirwan over at NFL.com thinks he has the free-agency recipe for fixing the Cowboys defense. Actually, he says it's the fans' recipe, he's just relaying back what he keeps hearing from the Cowboys faithful. Kirwan wrote a while back about pressure players, the Cowboys defense and how a Rob Ryan defense might compare to a Wade Phillips defense when it comes to creating pressure.
The basic outcome from that exercise is that Ryan is much more of a gambler at trying to generate pressure than his predecessors at Cleveland and in Dallas. To make that happen, he's going to need some guys to help our current roster. So the answer is:
The most interesting scenario -- and the one that is on top of the wish list -- is to go out and sign CB Nnamdi Asomugha from the Raiders and defensive lineman Cullen Jenkins from the Packers. Those two players would be key ingredients for new defensive coordinator Rob Ryan to turn a bend-don't-break defense of recent years in Dallas into an attacking package much like his brother, Rex, runs with the New York Jets.
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Well, I don't think it's a secret that Nnamdi Asomugha is on a lot of teams' and fans' wish-list. Cullen Jenkins is someone who could help along the defensive line where the Cowboys seem to be a little short of quality bodies. But there's one more fix Kirwan suggest, that's at safety.
Brodney Pool started the last eight games of the 2010 season for the Jets and had 44 tackles, a sack, six passes defended and an interception in Rex Ryan's defense. Michael Huff might come free after five years of service in Oakland, depending on the rules of free agency, and he played for Rob Ryan in Oakland from 2006-08 when he was in on 191 tackles, a sack and 17 passes defended.
To make room for such a haul of free-agents, the Cowboys could release Marion Barber, Marc Colombo (both of whom might be gone anyway), and Terence Newman if they could get Asomugha on board.
I don't know about you, but something along these lines would be sweet music to my ears whenever free agency becomes a reality.
What do you guys think?