Are Cowboys Better Suited For A 4-3?

By: Bobby Shores

Cowboys Defense during OTA's

The other day when I was writing about the impact that the Cowboys free agent signings will have on our season, particularly Dan Connor, I started thinking that this defense really is a 4-3 that does a good job playing a 3-4. In fact before I realized it I had basically written an entire article under the Connor part and decided that I would take what I had and cut it for a new piece, so bear with me if it doesn't seem to "flow" as well.

While the Cowboys claim their base defense is a 3-4, in 2011 they played 58% of their defensive snaps in formations with 5 or more defensive backs, which also shows why the Cowboys will keep Mike Jenkins.. The nickel is most effective at stopping 3 receiver sets, which is probably what most teams play the majority of the time on offense.

Look at the Cowboys defense, it really is a bunch of 4-3 players that are versatile enough to play a 3-4. I think that most of the players would probably be more efficient in a 4-3. So what are the main differences between a 3-4 and a 4-3? Well for starters it is harder for opposing signal callers to know where the rush is coming from in a 3-4, typically you know that the three linemen are going to be coming (or at least holding the lineman so the linebackers can make a play) and after that you don't know what combination of linebackers are rushing, making it harder for everybody to get the protection calls. The majority of the time in a 4-3 you know that all 4 down linemen are rushing and then maybe a linebacker, so it makes it easier to get protection calls.

With all the versatility of all the defensive players, it really fits perfect for Rob Ryan who likes to throw lots of exotic looks at teams, and just like his father and brother he likes to mix up formations! Looking at the Pro Football Focus breakdown of defensive snaps, Cowboys defensive coordinator Rob Ryan played with 1 down lineman on 8% of the Cowboys defensive snaps, and that number was surpassed by none other than the Jets with Rob's twin brother Rex controlling that defense.

Let's start with the big guys up front, Ratliff is and has always been an undersized nose guard that would be better suited as a 3-technique. Ratliff would be able to use his quickness much more effectively as a 3-tech and get to the quarterback more often, I mean we all know that he is a pass rusher more than a run stopper. Marcus spears could easily slide inside as the other 3-technique and command double teams while clogging the interior run lanes forcing teams to go 1-on-1 with the other linemen. Josh Brent is good against the run and decent against the pass who would probably remain as a sub even in a 4-3.


I really believe that Ratliff and Spears/Brent would create a formidable team of interior D-Linemen that would be similar to the "William's Wall" that dominated the NFL for the Vikings for so many years. This move would also help extend Ratliff's career as he would not get beaten up so much, and they need to extend him quickly as he seems to be breaking down at a rapid rate.

Cowboys Defensive Coordinator Rob Ryan

Their current rush linebackers all made names for themselves as pass rush defensive ends in college, and the Giants have proven that you can never have to many pass rushers. Think about a rotation of Ware, Spencer, Victor Butler, Jason Hatcher, and rookie Tyrone Crawford. My breakout star of year, Sean Lissemore, is a high motor guy that can literally play any position on the line in any style of defense.

Currently Ware rushes the passer probably 96% of the time and would never leave the field, Spencer excels making plays on the ball carrier in the backfield and in hurrying the quarterback (sack numbers are low because he rushes from the QB's front side where he can see him coming) and Butler is a situational pass rusher who is a liability against the run but is great putting his hand on the ground and getting after it. All these guys would be able to drop back into coverage and really throw a QB off rhythm as they are not used to seeing linemen drop and would never see them. Hatcher has improved the most the last few years and he would probably start opposite Ware, but rotate constantly, again look at the Giants, there are enough snaps to go around.

The next level of the defense is the linebackers where I believe that Connor would play middle linebacker, Lee would be the right outside linebacker and Carter would be the left outside linebacker. While all 3 guys have a lot of range, Connor is the slowest while also being the surest tackler out the group and would be best suited to play the middle where he made a name for himself in Carolina. The ROLB position in this 4-3 needs to be the most versatile, and without a doubt that makes it Lee's position. Lee is a very instinctual player who has that "feel" when rushing the passer but is great at making plays on the running back or dropping back in coverage, he had 105 tackles and 4 interceptions last year while injured. Carter is not as instinctual but which is why he would be better off playing the run and dropping into coverage on the left side of the defense.

Defensive backs typically are not "scheme specific" like the front seven, but the Cowboys have a few unique safety's that Ryan has used in multiple ways, and I have made it clear that you do not need safety's in the traditional role anymore. In this new look 4-3 I would have Gerald Sensabaugh as the primary 1-deep safety as he is the most versatile safety that they have, he is good against the run and pass both. I would probably keep Brodney Pool as his primary backup until rookie Matt Johnson is ready to take that spot.

Obviously we would keep Brandon Carr, Morris Claiborne and Mike Jenkins as the 3 "starters", with Orlando Scandrick coming in against 4 receiver sets or playing more of a free safety role. The "wild cards" in this scheme are Barry Church and Danny McCray, both of these guys are "tweeners" to me, and would be best suited a hybrid safety/linebacker role, we have already seen Church lining up in that spot and wreaking havoc in the backfield.

This would work, wouldn't it? I really think the defense is built more for a 4-3 style than a 3-4 and that the Cowboys may do what the Patriots did last year which was claim that they are a 3-4 defense, but play 4-3 majority of the time. Both teams have similar personnel and can do anything they want. Let me know what you think of this theory in the comments, am I wrong, do you have any other creative ways of using these players?

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What Do The Cowboys Free Agent Signings Bring? Pt 2

By:  Bobby Shores

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The Cowboys had a strange free agent period, instead of going after the "big name" players (even though Brandon Carr is a fairly big name), they instead filled a lot of holes with guys that can contribute in multiple ways and provide some MUCH needed depth which is needed to make it through the long NFL season! I've been holding this (and other) articles to not only "refresh"people's memory on the off-season transactions, but also as a way to get ready for the season! Enjoy reading Part 2 as much as I enjoyed writing it!!

Brandon Carr - CB - The Cowboys signed him to the biggest contract for any free agent defensive back, a 5-year $50.1 million deal and we all know that his primary responsibility will be to lock down the opposition's #1 receiver. Carr is just what Rob Ryan needs as a #1 corner, he plays a physical press-man style coverage that will hamper receivers trying to get off the line and screw up the offense's timing allowing rushers to get to the quarterback

Cowboys CB Brandon Carr

But Carr brings something else to the team, his physical style of play (press man) carries over into practice where he is regularly jamming guys like Dez Bryant and Miles Austin at the line. Both of these guys have struggled in the past getting off the line when people are in their face, now they have to learn how to use their hands properly and get a good release. I really believe that his practice value is just as good as his defense will be in real games, he is forcing our receivers to get better! While a lot of people don't think that he was worth $50.1 million, and he might not be when it comes to on-field production, but $10 million per year was the going rate for the top corners on the market this year, and being a big physical corner that will interrupt the rhythm that is so important to quarterbacks and receivers (especially in west coast style offenses which both Eagles and Redskins run) I believe  he is more than worth it.

If Carr is so valuable, then why did the Chiefs let him go? Well you can only devote so much money to the defensive side of the ball, especially one group like the secondary. Remember that they have huge contract obligations to safety Eric Berry, they also resigned Brandon Flowers at corner who was drafted the same year as Carr. I believe Carr is better but remember as a second round pick, they sometimes get priority over a later round pick, it's just the economics of the NFL. The Chiefs also don't play as physical defense as the Cowboys do, making Carr expendable. 

The other benefit that Carr brings is his durability, as a 5th round pick out of Grand Valley State he has been in the NFL for 64 games (4 years) and has NEVER missed a start. If you have watched the Cowboys much lately then you know how banged up our secondary has been. I honestly can't remember the last time we had our secondary at or near 100% for a game. Carr's durability will help with the continuity, especially as the #1 cornerback.

Dan Connor - ILB - My thoughts on this signing were nothing but positive, and it even spawned a separate article that will be posted in the next few days. The first thing Connor brings to the team is depth at the important inside linebacker position where I think him Sean Lee, and Bruce Carter will all get a lot of snaps.We aren't sure yet what we have in Carter, but I believe that at the worst he is Kevin Burnett, a linebacker that can cover any tight end or running back in the league. His speed is probably his best atrribute while one of the knocks I have on him is that he seems to be a robotic type player and less instinctual than the other guys. This is not necessarily a bad thing as he gets himself into position and will not do a lot of freelancing, meaning he will not have huge "impact" plays but should also not make many "impact" mistakes.

Cowboys Backup QB Kyle Orton

Before signing him the Cowboys had the motor of the defense Lee and 2nd year player Carter, both players that have struggled with injuries during their football careers with Carter only being healthy for about half of his rookie year due to a knee injury suffered in college and Lee having both a knee injury, thigh bruise and broken hand among others. Connor and Lee both excelled playing together at Penn State, and I think they will have great chemistry again.

Connor is a smart instinctive player that can diagnose plays quickly, much like Lee, and while I hear a lot of people claiming that he is a liability against the pass and that we will see the back of his jersey chasing linebackers, I don't see it in my film study, and I think he is more than capable. He is a strong tackler and has good sideline-to-sideline range.

Kyle Orton - QB - This was the most surprising signing of the off season for me, Orton is good enough to
be a starter in this league, but I think he got tired of ALWAYS being the veteran guy and teams ALWAYS trying to replace him (much like Doug Flutie). He comes to Dallas as the clear cut backup, and with Tony Romo's injury history the last few years, there is a good chance he will get a chance to play. I honestly believe that having Orton on the roster gives the Cowboys the best quarterback depth chart in the NFL.

No matter how much Cowboys fans want Orton to be "the guy", it's not going to happen, the only facet of Orton's game that is better than Romo's is his awesome beard. Orton will never (and better never) threaten Romo's grip on the starting job, but what he can do is push Romo to be better. At no time in Romo's 6(?) years starting has he had anybody to push him (sorry A&M fans, Stephen McGee is better suited to be a "yell leader" than a starting NFL QB). And from what I know of Romo, particularly off the field when he is playing pickup basketball and golf, he loves to be pushed and challenged, and I think Orton will do that.

Signing Orton fills two needs, he gives the Cowboys arguably the best backup quarterback in the NFL, and he should bring out the best in Tony Romo. Orton may be the best Denver Broncos quarterback ever, but he  is barely even the best backup in the storied history of the Dallas Cowboys.

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What Do The Cowboys Free Agent Signings Bring? Pt 1

By:  Bobby Shores

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The Cowboys had a strange free agent period, instead of going after the "big name" players (even though Brandon Carr is a fairly big name), they instead filled a lot of holes with guys that can contribute in multiple ways and provide some MUCH needed depth which is needed to make it through the long NFL season! I've been holding this (and other) articles to not only "refresh" people's memory on the off-season transactions, but also as a way to get ready for the season! Enjoy!!

Lawrence Vickers - FB - This was my favorite pickup of the Cowboys, besides being the one of the best fullback's in the NFL, and the Cowboys running an offense that requires a  "true" fullback, he fits the mold perfectly. Vickers also prides himself on knowing what all the positions are supposed to do on any given play, this allows him to anticipate what a lineman is going to do before he does it, meaning that Vickers will be able to react and/or adjust quicker when the play starts.

Cowboys FB Lawrence Vickers

Besides just being a solid blocker, Vickers brings a passion to the game of football that I haven't seen since Ray Lewis. Listening to him talk in interviews, you can tell that this is one of the few guys that would probably play this game for free (which is a good thing as fullbacks don't get paid compared to most positions). That passion should rub off on guys like Bryant, Tony Romo, and some of our young offensive linemen. I believe that Vickers may be that vocal/emotional leader that everybody says the Cowboys need, he has everything that you need:  will play a lot, one of the best at his position in the NFL, respected, plays and practices hard, and is passionate!

Nate Livings & Mackenzie Bernadeau - G - Neither one of these signings are "flashy", but as the Cowboys have remade their entire interior line the last few years trying to get younger these guys are value signings. They got rid of Leonard Davis, Kyle Kosier and Montrae Holland, all stalwarts at the guard position, instead trying to get younger by drafting David Arkin and Bill Nagy to play guard and signing Phil Costa and Kevin Kowalski to battle for Center. This approach did not work very well last year and it was obvious that they needed to get bigger and more experienced.

While it looks like Livings is penciled in at left guard and Bernadeau (I hate typing that name!) is penciled in at right guard, I believe that the Cowboys will give their younger players every opportunity to win the starting jobs, which is where these 2 signings really help. They provide depth and some much needed veteran influence for the entire line, and their smart and hard working personality should rub off. It even looked like Bernadeau was going to get a chance to play some center before having hip surgery, which speaks to what these guys were really brought in for, ability to play all interior positions.

Brodney Pool - S - Safety has been the worst position for the Cowboys since Darren Woodson retired back in 2004 the safety position has been more like the "danger" position. Their has been a revolving door back there as the Cowboys have tried every combination and done everything but draft a safety before the 4th round (I think, may want to check on that one).

Last year the biggest problem that the secondary had was bad communication, nobody ever knew where they were supposed to be and Abe Elam was supposed to have been the guy that would get everybody lined up as he was familiar with Ryan's defense, playing for both Ryan brothers in past years. In my view Pool is a solid but not spectacular or "impact" player and plays smart. A lot of people seem to think that he will not even make the final 53, but I believe that his knowledge of the complex Rob Ryan defense and his ability against the pass (doesn't get lots of turnovers, but breaks up a lot of passes) makes him a must have for the Cowboys this year.

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