sherck
01-24-2018, 12:40 PM
Matt Eberflus, our new Defensive Coordinator, has been the Dallas Cowboys linebacker coach since 2011 and was added the duty of “passing game coordinator” in 2015. His primary previous coaching was as various defensive position coaches at the University of Toledo (1992 – 2000) and then as the Defensive Coordinator at Missouri (2001 – 2008). His first NFL experience was as the linebacker coach for the Browns (2009 – 2010) prior to moving onto Dallas.
It should be noted that both Toledo and Missouri during his time at those universities ran a 4-3 defense similar to what the Seahags and Cowgirls now run in the NFL. It is loosely based on a Tampa 4-3 but plays a whole lot more man coverage on the outsides and sliding zones by the safeties and linebackers up the middle (i.e. “mixed” coverage instead of straight zone or straight man).
Defensive line responsibilities return more to the single gap penetrator that we are familiar with from our Dungy days instead of the 2-gap responsibilities we currently run. 4 D-linemen jail break downfield penetrating the O-line and play the run on the way to the quarterback. Linebacker responsibilities much like in the old days; SSLB holding the edge and funneling, MLB roaming the middle, playing the pass and captaining the defense, and WSLB playing cleanup from the backside from sideline to sideline.
So, based on the above research, I decided to try and determine where our current defensive players would fit into a new 4-3 defense run by “Flus (rhymes with plus, I think).” I looked at both Dallas’ and Seattle’s defensive players, read some draft profiles and looked at where players had played before and what sort of schemes had they had success in.
My conclusions:
RDE: Jabaal Sheard
NT: Jonathan Hankins, Al Woods, Hassan Ridgeway (need to drop to the 310 pound range)
UT: Henry Anderson, Margus Hunt (need to drop to the 290 pound range)
LDE: Barkevious Mingo, Tarell Basham
Our defensive line is pretty well stocked with some quality players. Our old DT/DE will need to drop some weight in order to “conform” to desired weight from an article or two I saw but that should make them quicker with their first step and theoretically better able to penetrate quicker by shooting gaps. Our interior group should rock in 2018.
We need to re-sign Mingo or add some higher end guy in free agency. We are also in glaring need of drafting another top quality DE. I am not convinced that Chubb is that guy but a 1st or 2nd round pick needs to be invested in anther DE to add to Sheard, Basham and Mingo/Free Agent. You can never have too many guys who can get after the QB.
SSLB: John Simon, Anthony Walker
MLB: Jeremiah George, Edwin Jackson
WSLB: Jon Bostic, Antonio Morrison
Simon and Walker at SSLB is a pretty solid group. Simon has demonstrated the ability to set the edge, cover TEs and shed blocks. Walker has all of that in his draft profiles although we did not get to see a ton of it on the field in 2017.
MLB is in glaring need of upgrade. I did not mind George as a depth guy and Jackson could still have potential but if we open the season with either as the starter, we will have failed the off-season.
WSLB is also in need of an upgrade. Morrison is just a loss at this point and while Bostic showed that he did okay for us in 2017 in a 3-4, his early years in a 4-3 in Detroit were just terrible. I am unsure if he could play the WSLB role any better this time around than he did in his first 3 years in the league.
CB1: Rashaan Melvin, Kenny Moore
SS: Mattias Farley, Clayton Geathers
FS: Malik Hooker, T.J. Green
CB2: Quincy Wilson, Pierre Desir
NCB: Nate Hairston
I love our secondary pieces. I think that we found some great talent to develop in rookies Hooker, Wilson, Hairston and Moore. Farley also was a developmental find as a 2nd year player. Re-sign Melvin, hope that Geathers is fully recovered in 2018 and add another rookie or 2 to the secondary and we are in great shape moving forward.
Surprising enough, almost every player acquired last year via free agency or the draft (Hankins, Sheard, Hunt, Woods, Simon, Wilson, Hooker, Hairston, Moore, Walker, Basham, Stewart) fits a 4-3 defense as well or better than they fit the 3-4 we ran in 2017. Methinks that Ballard already knew what he wanted starting last year. I thought that was a little strange considering that he came from Kansas City who has run a 3-4 defense for quite a while until I looked at where he had been previous to that. Ballard was an area scout for the Chicago Bears (2001 – 2011) and then their Director of Pro Scouting in 2012 before joining the Chefs. Aha, Lovie Smith running a similar 4-3 defense as the Tampa 2. Interesting.
Critical Priorities for running a 4-3 in 2018:
Must re-sign CB Rashaan Melvin to a high-end starter contract ($10m a year)
Should re-sign DE Barkevious Mingo to a low-end starter contract ($4m a year)
Might re-sign WSLB Jon Bostic to a low-end starter contract ($4m a year)
Find a starting MLB in free agency.
Find a starting WSLB in free agency (if we did not re-sign Bostic).
Draft a DE early in the draft (no later than 3rd pick of second round)
Find a few more low round draft pick studs like Hairston or UDFA studs like Kenny Moore for depth
That is completely doable for 2018, leaves a lot of resources to help fix the offensive line and add offensive specialty players and could deliver a defense that is much more towards NFL average than we were this past season.
Walk Worthy,
It should be noted that both Toledo and Missouri during his time at those universities ran a 4-3 defense similar to what the Seahags and Cowgirls now run in the NFL. It is loosely based on a Tampa 4-3 but plays a whole lot more man coverage on the outsides and sliding zones by the safeties and linebackers up the middle (i.e. “mixed” coverage instead of straight zone or straight man).
Defensive line responsibilities return more to the single gap penetrator that we are familiar with from our Dungy days instead of the 2-gap responsibilities we currently run. 4 D-linemen jail break downfield penetrating the O-line and play the run on the way to the quarterback. Linebacker responsibilities much like in the old days; SSLB holding the edge and funneling, MLB roaming the middle, playing the pass and captaining the defense, and WSLB playing cleanup from the backside from sideline to sideline.
So, based on the above research, I decided to try and determine where our current defensive players would fit into a new 4-3 defense run by “Flus (rhymes with plus, I think).” I looked at both Dallas’ and Seattle’s defensive players, read some draft profiles and looked at where players had played before and what sort of schemes had they had success in.
My conclusions:
RDE: Jabaal Sheard
NT: Jonathan Hankins, Al Woods, Hassan Ridgeway (need to drop to the 310 pound range)
UT: Henry Anderson, Margus Hunt (need to drop to the 290 pound range)
LDE: Barkevious Mingo, Tarell Basham
Our defensive line is pretty well stocked with some quality players. Our old DT/DE will need to drop some weight in order to “conform” to desired weight from an article or two I saw but that should make them quicker with their first step and theoretically better able to penetrate quicker by shooting gaps. Our interior group should rock in 2018.
We need to re-sign Mingo or add some higher end guy in free agency. We are also in glaring need of drafting another top quality DE. I am not convinced that Chubb is that guy but a 1st or 2nd round pick needs to be invested in anther DE to add to Sheard, Basham and Mingo/Free Agent. You can never have too many guys who can get after the QB.
SSLB: John Simon, Anthony Walker
MLB: Jeremiah George, Edwin Jackson
WSLB: Jon Bostic, Antonio Morrison
Simon and Walker at SSLB is a pretty solid group. Simon has demonstrated the ability to set the edge, cover TEs and shed blocks. Walker has all of that in his draft profiles although we did not get to see a ton of it on the field in 2017.
MLB is in glaring need of upgrade. I did not mind George as a depth guy and Jackson could still have potential but if we open the season with either as the starter, we will have failed the off-season.
WSLB is also in need of an upgrade. Morrison is just a loss at this point and while Bostic showed that he did okay for us in 2017 in a 3-4, his early years in a 4-3 in Detroit were just terrible. I am unsure if he could play the WSLB role any better this time around than he did in his first 3 years in the league.
CB1: Rashaan Melvin, Kenny Moore
SS: Mattias Farley, Clayton Geathers
FS: Malik Hooker, T.J. Green
CB2: Quincy Wilson, Pierre Desir
NCB: Nate Hairston
I love our secondary pieces. I think that we found some great talent to develop in rookies Hooker, Wilson, Hairston and Moore. Farley also was a developmental find as a 2nd year player. Re-sign Melvin, hope that Geathers is fully recovered in 2018 and add another rookie or 2 to the secondary and we are in great shape moving forward.
Surprising enough, almost every player acquired last year via free agency or the draft (Hankins, Sheard, Hunt, Woods, Simon, Wilson, Hooker, Hairston, Moore, Walker, Basham, Stewart) fits a 4-3 defense as well or better than they fit the 3-4 we ran in 2017. Methinks that Ballard already knew what he wanted starting last year. I thought that was a little strange considering that he came from Kansas City who has run a 3-4 defense for quite a while until I looked at where he had been previous to that. Ballard was an area scout for the Chicago Bears (2001 – 2011) and then their Director of Pro Scouting in 2012 before joining the Chefs. Aha, Lovie Smith running a similar 4-3 defense as the Tampa 2. Interesting.
Critical Priorities for running a 4-3 in 2018:
Must re-sign CB Rashaan Melvin to a high-end starter contract ($10m a year)
Should re-sign DE Barkevious Mingo to a low-end starter contract ($4m a year)
Might re-sign WSLB Jon Bostic to a low-end starter contract ($4m a year)
Find a starting MLB in free agency.
Find a starting WSLB in free agency (if we did not re-sign Bostic).
Draft a DE early in the draft (no later than 3rd pick of second round)
Find a few more low round draft pick studs like Hairston or UDFA studs like Kenny Moore for depth
That is completely doable for 2018, leaves a lot of resources to help fix the offensive line and add offensive specialty players and could deliver a defense that is much more towards NFL average than we were this past season.
Walk Worthy,