DeMarcus Ware: "It's Going To Be An Easy Transition To The 4-3"

When the Cowboys hired Monte Kiffin as their new defensive coordinator and it became clear that the defense would be moving to a 4-3 scheme, there was a lot of Angst expressed over the move.

Some argued that the combination of Ware and Spencer would leave the Cowboys with one of the lightest DE duos in the league, while conveniently neglecting to point out that the Cowboys already used a lot of four-man lines, particularly in the nickel defense in which Ware and Spencer played defensive end.

Others pointed to some of the more obvious holes at safety and SAM linebacker and wondered how the Cowboys would be able to address those, but Kiffin’s version of the 4-3 in particular, known as a 4-3 Under, will likely be able to accommodate the current Cowboys players better than most other 4-3 schemes.

Think about the key players on the Cowboys defense. DeMarcus Ware and Anthony Spencer can rush the passer on every play. Sean Lee will be the Cowboys equivalent of Brian Urlacher, with the speed and ball skills to cover the middle of the field; Bruce Carter can chase down anybody as the WILL linebacker. Brandon Carr and Morris Claiborne can play to their strengths in a press-coverage scheme. Jay Ratliff and Jason Hatcher become 4-3 defensive tackles, with quite some young depth behind them. Overall, that looks pretty good for the Cowboys.

And DeMarcus Ware agrees:

"We’re excited. We’re ready," Cowboys defensive end DeMarcus Ware said. "There have been some changes, but they’ve been changes for the good. I feel like everybody on the team has grasped that concept. Let’s get ready for the season."