Cowboys Camp - Early Observations

By:  Bobby Shores

Safety

As Barry Church showed up to camp with a “re-shaped” body more suited for safety than linebacker and started making plays while Pool ran laps around the field trying to get in good enough shape to be given the password into practice, it didn’t take long for Captain Obvious to show up and let us all know that he would be cut sooner rather than later. When the Cowboys signed him there were a lot of skeptics out there that didn’t think he would make the 53-man roster (myself not included). With the lack of proven guys, and the difficulty of Rob Ryan’s defense, I thought that Pool would be the veteran fallback option during the season at the least. You know, in case somebody gets hurt (like the 20% of the training camp roster currently is), but when a guy comes in that out of shape and gives off a vibe that he just doesn’t care, then let him go, they don’t need that around the team.

Not Signing Montrae Holland

I have been a big Holland fan for a couple of years, I thought he was what held our O-line together last year and when I heard that he actually showed up in good shape and had a very good tryout, I was AMAZED that they didn’t sign him! Instead they went with Derrick Dockery (understandable) and Daniel Loper (what?!?!?!?), I understand Dockery as he was one of the best guards in football a few years ago and can probably still play. Loper on the other hand has bounced around from team-to-team and barely seen any real action. I am afraid they shied away from Holland because they knew he would come in and instantly snatch a starting position away from one of the young guys (Nagy, Kowalski, Costa, Arkin) that they have failed to properly develop, or one of the free agent signings (Livings and Bernadeau), and one thing that NFL people don’t like to do is admit they were wrong or take ANY blow to their ego. Regardless I think that Holland may be brought in at some point soon, because they will not let the interior of the line sink the season before it starts….hopefully.

Cornerback STILL a problem?

All off season we long we raved (or I did) about how the 2011 Cowboys biggest weakness was about to become the 2012 teams biggest strength, cornerback! They went out and signed arguably the best CB on the market in Brandon Carr, drafted not only the best CB in the draft but the best defensive player in the draft Morris Claiborne, coupled with Mike Jenkins and Orlando Scandrick plus a young guy or two and we were gonna be stacked! Well Jenkins is still out with a shoulder injury, Claiborne has missed nearly every practice since the draft with injuries. Now we are looking at possibly starting Carr, Scandrick and “insert name” on September 5 against the Giants! Then they release Isaac Madison from Arkansas who had been making plays according to people that are watching practices, but they keep AOA and some others? I hope that this becomes a non-issue as the CB’s get healthy and do become the strength that I envisioned.

Speaking of Corners, what about Mike Jenkins?

I know that Jenkins had a “complicated” shoulder surgery, and I have had two of those in the past 18 months so I can sympathize with him. What I can’t sympathize with though is that he decided to rehab on his own away from the team because he wanted to get traded. Now his shoulder is STILL not right and it looks like he will be out for the entire preseason! So not only is he of little use to the Cowboys, we can’t even trade him! Looks like he “cut off his nose to spite his face”. I am starting to think that he may end up on the PUP list to start the season which means he will not be able to play until between weeks 7-10. BUT, there is a new wrinkle this year, what is being called the “One Player Exemption”, where if a player is on the roster for week 1, then he can come back and play anytime after week 6 and does not take up a roster spot. Couple that with the extended trade deadline and Jenkins could come back in time to show what he has on the field and then the Cowboys can either keep him for a playoff run, or possibly trade him to a team like the Lions.

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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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Deal or No Deal - Cowboys CB Mike Jenkins

By:  Bobby Shores

One of the biggest story lines so far during this OTA season is what is going to happen with former first round draft pick Mike Jenkins, you know the incumbent starting cornerback that was put on the trade block after the Cowboys picked Morris Claiborne #6 overall, and then once no team offered a high enough pick during the draft Jenkins has now become an important part of the future of the Dallas Cowboys, to paraphrase Jones.

So why is Jenkins staying away from the Cowboys "voluntary" off-season activities? Well for starters they key word is "voluntary", which according to dictionary.com means:

•  "done, made, brought about, undertaken, etc., of one's own accord or by free choice

In layman's terms that means he is not required to show up. Jenkins's agent Drew Rosenhaus has already informed Jones that he will be there for the mandatory sessions, probably because players can get fined up to $10,000 each day which for a player making "only" about $1 million this year could add up quickly. Which brings me to my next point....

Jenkins is unahppy with his contract and feels slighted that he is still playing on his rookie deal signed when he was drafted in 2008 and that the Cowboys have taken care of Orlando Scandrick by signing him to a 5-year $27 million extension with $10 million guaranteed, and he was taken 4 rounds later (calculator out....yep he was taken in the 5th round) in that same draft. He is also upset because ANOTHER 2007 5th round draft pick, Brandon Carr, just signed a 5-year $50.1 million contract with $25.5 million guaranteed, the richest contract signed by any free agent defensive back in 2012. And what does Jenkins have that NEITHER of these two corners the Cowboys have richly rewarded this past year have? A Pro Bowl to their name, that's right, Mike Jenkins was named to the Pro Bowl back in 2010.

Mo Claiborne(24) & Brandon Carr(39)

Even though Jones says that Jenkins is going to be a part of the Cowboys future, and is saying that nothing a team can offer will be worth what he is worth to the team, the reality of NFL Economics says that this will be the last year Jenkins is a member of the Cowboys, barring an injury and a highly unlikely 2013 franchise tag. Teams can't afford to devote that much money to one position.

While there are plenty of teams out there that could greatly improve with the addition of Jenkins, and a couple of those teams (Lions and Colts) supposedly making offers for him, the fact is he is more valuable to America's Team than most anything they would give for him. Think about it this way, Jenkins played almost the 2011 season injured, from a busted shoulder (that required major surgery), to lingering knee, hamstring and neck injuries and won't be ready to resume practicing until training camp at the earliest. So any team that trades for him will be taking a risk that he won't be ready to go, will play as well as he has at times when healthy and can pick up a new defense on an accelerated schedule. 

So what is that worth, in terms of a draft pick? Probably a 5th round pick that maybe goes up to a 4th round pick depending on playing time. Well guess what happens if the Cowboys let him walk next off-season? They most likely get a 3rd round compensatory pick.

Besides the compensatory pick, what is Jenkins value to the Cowboys? Remember last year, when the Cowboys secondary was regularly torched by opponents due to injury and ineffectiveness? I believe it was the Jets game when Terence Newman was out, Jenkins was out, Scandrick rolled an ankle and the 2 corners were Alan Ball and Bryan McCann with Barry Church coming in on the Nickel package. You forgot about that, didn't you? In my opinion, having 4 corners capable of starting is a luxury, it's a luxury the Cowboys can afford and should take advantage of this year, especially if you can find a way to get them all on the field at once (remember my article a while back about the declining value of NFL Safety's....read it now).

So taking all this into account the starting point for me to even consider trading Jenkins is a 2nd and 5th round pick. Even then I wouldn't talk about it unless another cornerback (my money is on Mario Butler) steps up during training camp while other teams suffer crippling injuries and/or realize that their hopes for a playoff run are unreachable without another starting corner.

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Morris Claiborne & The Effect on Mike Jenkins

By:  Bobby Shores

**Editor's Note:  Sorry this is not all linked up like usual, I was writing on a plane and would have been posted early this morning but the stupid WiFi on American Airlines didn't work, but better late than never!!**

When I saw the Cowboys were trading up to the number 6 overall pick my first thought was confusion, followed immediately by extreme joy as I thought to myself that Jerry Jones had finally listened to me and was selecting Mississippi State DT/DE Fletcher Cox. When I started hearing that they were instead choosing LSU cornerback Morris Claiborne I was filled with more thoughts of confusion……

Let me start by saying I am very high on Claiborne, I feel he is the best all around defensive back in this draft and probably the best DB that the Cowboys could have taken. His physical style is ideal for Rob Ryan’s press man scheme and he is versatile enough to play outside corner or slide in and play the slot. He also has the ability to return punts, which the Cowboys are in desperate need of, after averaging over 26 yards per return at LSU. This is not a bad pick for America’s Team.

Now I know what most of you are saying, “What a flip-flopper, this guy has been banging the Janoris Jenkins drum for months!”. Yes, you are right, I do believe that Janoris is by far the best pure cover guy in this draft, and I had designs of taking him in the 2^nd (possibly the 3^rd) round where the value would be unbeatable. I think Claiborne has much more versatility than Janoris and never even thought there was a remote chance of landing him, so I never even thought of what would happen if we picked him until late last night.

So what does this mean for the Cowboys defense/secondary now? That is a good question and one that I am currently working on still…..

My initial thought was “Well, you can never have to many cornerbacks”, and then I remembered that the Eagles had three excellent cornerbacks last year and they couldn’t stop Blaine Gabbert from looking like a an actual NFL quarterback if they tried. Still, with the injury history of Mike Jenkins, having four solid cornerbacks is a good problem to have, as a Cowboys fan I know the problems of not having any good ones…..

As I am a fan of putting your best eleven players on the field at all times, and obviously our top four cornerbacks will be part of the “best 11” defensive players no matter what combination you try and use, how do we get them all on the field at once, especially if the offense isn’t running a 4-receiver set? NFL teams use 3-receiver sets for the majority of plays, and many times more, but they don’t run 4-receiver or more sets the majority of the time. So I will be researching this dilemma today, right now I am leaning toward my previous article of eliminating or minimizing the Safety’s on the field, running with either a “single high” or possibly no “true” safety. Ryan has the creativity and now has the personnel to make this a truly unique, one of a kind defense.

My second thought when I heard that the Cowboys were taking Claiborne, was who does this make expendable? Obviously Claiborne and the team’s new $50 million defensive back Brandon Carr are going to be on the field, that leaves Orlando Scandrick and Mike Jenkins.

Scandrick just signed a 5-year $27 million contract this last season, so I don’t expect them to even try and move him, whether by trade or outright release. Scandrick has been our best defensive back against the run, and plays aggressively, not afraid to take a chance and I think that is the kind of player Ryan likes. Yes, he did struggle quite a bit last year, but I believe that was largely due to the ineffectiveness of the rest of the defense, and constantly shuffling him from position-to-position to cover up for other players inefficiencies and injuries. Scandrick is not going anywhere, he is a young cornerback that is still growing and we have him at a good rate for the next few years.

That leaves Mike Jenkins, the former 2008 first round pick who became a full time starter in 2009. While he has basically been the best cover corner that the Cowboys have had for the last few years, the guy is literally always injured. I can’t remember a game he played where he did not have an ankle, knee, shoulder, hamstring, etc injury slowing him down. Also the fact that he is in the final year of his deal and is wanting Carr type money I think it’t time to move him…..and I mean now!!

Mike is recovering from shoulder surgery and will miss the beginning of off-season workouts, but it should not limit him during the season. Since he is owed a VERY reasonable salary of about $1.5 million this year, any team with a corner need who missed on their first round prospects should be calling the Cowboys (I’m talking to you Vikings, Patriots, Lions). I think that Mike is worth a 2^nd round pick, especially if more than one team is fighting for him, realistically though we will probably get a 3^rd and maybe a 6^th.

Regardless, if we want to trade him (and I said last night I thought he would be on the trade block after the Claiborne pick) we need to move him early in the 2^nd round so that we can package picks and move back into the 2^nd if there is a player we covet (Ronell Lewis)

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Q & A: Mid-to-Late Round Corners for Cowboys

By:  Bobby Shores
Check out recent articles:  First Round Cornerbacks, NFL Draft Quick Hits on - Dontari Poe (Biggest Potential Draft Bust), Andrew Luck, Robert Griffin III, Jake Bequette, My 2012 NFL Draft Player Rankings By Position and the Evolution of NFL Defense's What will happen to the Safety Position?

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Question:  You recently addressed potential first round cornerbacks, but what about mid-to-late round corners that could be available for the Cowboys if they go in a different direction with their first round pick?

ReclinerQB Thoughts:  I am going to start this off the same way I started off the previous article about first round corners, and that is talking about our current defense and what we need:  while most fans want to put the failure of the defense this past season on the secondary, I believe the lack of a consistent pass rush made it nearly impossible for our defensive backs to cover and that a good pass rush is a secondary's best friend. I am also not naive enough to think that we don't need to upgrade the secondary, particularly the depth at cornerback and the starters at safety.

When healthy, Mike Jenkins and Orlando Scandrick are solid starters, but we have next to nothing behind them.While Brandon Carr is a great addition, you can never have to many quality starters, especially since Jenkins will be a free agent this year and if he doesn't come back then we are shallow again at a critical position.

So who are possibilities in the second or later rounds? Some of the CB's that I like are Georgia's Brandon Boykin, Nebraska's Alfonzo Dennard and Oregon's Cliff Harris.

2012 NFL Draft Hopeful CB Brandon Boykin

Brandon Boykin-Georgia - Undersized for an NFL corner (barely 5'9) but plays taller as he can jump very well, has great speed and plays very physical. He will probably never be a teams #1 corner, but with his quick feet I think he will be the nickel corner and play the slot immediately and battle until he is the #2 guy. He has good ball skills and is constantly improving. I love what I have heard about him, that he is a natural leader, will outwork everyone and plays every practice like it is a game; these are the kind of players I like and the Cowboys need (I have a feeling that the players take practices a little to lightly at Valley Ranch)

If the Cowboys got him, he would be able to contribute on defense as well as special teams as he is a returner which is a major need, and I think he would instantly become the heart and soul of the special teams, something we have not had since Keith Davis left the team 5 or so years ago.

2012 NFL Draft Hopeful CB Alfonzo Dennard

Alfonzo Dennard-Nebraska - I did not see Dennard play a lot in college, but I had heard that he was better than Prince Amukamara and was going to be a high first round pick. So I was excited when I got to sit down and watch the bowl game where he would be matching up against a potential first round wide receiver in Alshon Jeffrey. I quit watching him after the third quarter (and not just because he got thrown out), he had given up over 140 receiving yards to Jeffrey and a touchdown at that point.

Besides that one game, I did watch some other film on him and was never impressed with what I saw, did not have very good ball recognition or tackling skills (seems like he arm tackles instead of squaring up on ball carriers). He is also to easy to take out of the game, as he is routinely caught fighting with opponents instead of paying attention to the game. The Cowboys should take him off their draft board, no matter how far he falls (and I think he will fall).

2012 NFL Draft Hopeful CB Cliff Harris

Cliff Harris-Oregon - Best way to describe Harris is "talented but troubled". His style of play is Explosive! Harris comes from the Deion Sanders style of playing defensive back, he is great in man coverage as he is long, lean, plays the man and the ball well and could be an elite corner and showed it in 2010 when he had 6 INT's and 23 passes defensed. He also has skills as a punt returner, when he brought 4 back to the house, again in 2010. Notice a pattern here? He fell off the map in 2011 and did not play much after having multiple off the field problems. The weaknesses in his game is that due to his lean size he is not very welcoming when it comes to contact, he never seems to avoid it, but does not go looking for it.

Hopefully spending most of the 2011 suspended and seeing his future hang in the balance will humble Harris and make him realize that natural talent alone will not carry him to greatness. If he can interview well and stay out of trouble, he could be the next 5th round or later steal at corner for the Cowboys (remember that Orlando Scandrick had a 2nd round grade but fell to the 5th).

So if the Cowboys get a chance at these guys, where would I be comfortable drafting them right now? I would be happy grabbing Boykin in the 2nd round, as he can help in all aspects of the game (defense, returner and special teams ace), I want nothing to do with Dennard and if Cliff is around in the 5th round then grab him IF you feel that he has changed and is taking his life and talents seriously.

My main worry with cornerbacks this year is that they are all being overvalued in my opinion because every team needs more with the passing game explosion. It seems that 2nd round corners are being pushed into high first round (Stephon Gilmore) and small school "project corners" are being pushed up from 4th and 5th round to 2nd (Josh Robinson, Trumaine Johnson and Dwight Bentley).

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Q & A: Defensive Problems-Rob or Talent?

By:  Bobby Shores

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Question:  I have been asked this question in numerous forms over the past few months. What was wrong with the Cowboys Defense in 2011, lack of talent or is Rob Ryan just not that good?

Cowboys Defensive Coordinator Rob Ryan

ReclinerQB Thoughts:  I think the problems with the defense in 2011 are a combination of three things:  1) Ryan runs a complicated defense and with very little off-season he was unable to properly install it, 2) Lack of talent, and 3) Communication

Rob Ryan Defense - Ryan runs a complicated defense with lots of movement and complicated blitz and coverage schemes designed to confuse opposing offenses, and with the Cowboys coming from the over simplified Wade Phillips Defense the previous 4 years, they did not have time to properly install it and fully understand it.

Lack Of Talent - Lets be honest, the only "true" playmakers that the Cowboys have on defense right now are DeMarcus Ware and maybe Jay Ratliff, and Ratliff is a stretch as his numbers and effectiveness have been dwindling over the last few years. We think we have talented players in Sean Lee, Mike Jenkins and Orlando Scandrick, but none of them have been able to stay healthy or play consistently. We don't know what we have yet in Bruce Carter. And the rest of the guys are role players and nothing more. So while everyone also claims that the Cowboys are a very "talented" team, I don't see much of it on the defensive side of the ball.

Communication - Last and definitely not least, is communication. When running a complicated defense with multiple alignments and people constantly shifting pre-snap, you must make sure that there is communication on all levels. Players and Ryan alike mentioned multiple times this year that communication was a major problem. This problem should be solved with a full off-season and a better understanding of the scheme that Ryan runs.

As a big fan of Rob Ryan, and someone who has wanted him for years (you can ask my wife and she will tell you how bad I have been wanting him as our defensive coordinator), I was more disappointed than most fans in the collapse of the defense. The one thing I cannot figure out, is our defense was dominant the first few games of the season, and then it fell off the cliff, and besides our secondary seeming to forget how to cover, I did not notice any other glaring differences. It was almost like the defense got tired, Sean Lee and Mike Jenkins got a little banged up, Kenyon Coleman just flat stood there, Terence Newman looked lost and Bradie James and Keith Brooking lost what little they had.

With a full off-season of coaching, some new young talent added through the draft and a few smart veteran depth acquisitions I think we will see a huge jump in the defensive product on the field.

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