Cowboys Front 7

What you guys think our front 7 will look like this year? Who wins spots, who replaces Canty? Also what you think our nickel and dime fronts will look like.

 

I think Igor will pretty much be Canty's equivalent. I think he will be more stout, but he isnt quit as athletic as Canty. Going from one to the other its pretty much give a little, get a little

Brooking is the only other new face. I have fairly low expectations, I think he could be a solid 2 down guy, and at this point in his career is a poor mans James, but I think J-Will will get alot of snaps this season, more so than expected considering neither James or Brooking are coverage backers

I expect a very good year from Spencer. I can see 10+ sacks opposite Ware. he has gotten good pressure his first two years, he just hasnt finished sacks. I beleive at one point in 2007 he had more actual pressure than Ellis

Rat will be Rat

Spears really seemed to play well heavy last year.....I believe 315 or 320. I would like to see him take some reps at NT to allow rat to float across the line

 

I'm really excited to see what Igor can do for us. Wasn't the biggest fan of the pickup at first but he's starting to grow on me. He looks much more powerful than Canty, and Canty didn't even have any explosiveness to him when he was starting. And now I see him ranked as the 5th best defensive tackle? by sportingnews or whatever it was. I'm guessing he's going to excel in New York but whatever I could care less that we let him walk.

For a first round pick their sure hasn't been alot of pressure put on Spencer up until this point. He'll probably surprise a few of the fairweather fans, but the rest of us know what he brings to the table.

 

4 man fronts will probobly be Ware, Rat, Hatcher, Spencer depending on how the rook's play. I can see brandon Williams getting some sub package reps at DE

At LB, I think we will see J-Will get alot of snaps in Nickel along with Carpenter, with Stewart and hodge being wildcards there (I think its gonna be a battle between Carpenter and Stewart for a roster spot)

Dime, Im thinking its gonna be J-Will

 

IMO there is too much noise about him with the pure sack numbers. We've had a problem getting our conversion guys to finish sacks. Take away Ware's monster game against Carolina as a rook and he had 5 sacks as a starter. Not impressive, but he got consistant pressure thrpught the year, just could finish. Same with Ellis his first year at OLB. He was a major impact player, but had all of 4 sacks when he went down, couldnt finish sacks at that point (and I think Ware had the same amount at that point in the season too)

I think Igor slides over to Spears spot if Spears walks. I think he played LDE in SD

 

Most overhyped FA this offseason. His agent should win the nobel prize if anyone considers him a top 5 anything (he sure as crap isnt a 4-3 DT). He is a solid player and all, but he is no more than adequate. What are these guys seeing that we didnt?

 

Yeah, I don't really see us letting Spears go though. If he has another year like last season or better we will keep him, plus he was a huge pick in 2005. I think we just stick with him no matter what, he really could have had 4 or 5 sacks last season as opposed to 1. Plus he was great against the run. I don't really see us giving up on him. Bowen has a great opportunity to fight for playing time, he's a guy I like. And yeah I'm thinking this is the year Hatcher sticks in the middle.

 

Ive kinda given up on Hatcher. He's got more talent that anyone on our front 7 minus Ware, but he's just not a player I guess. I think its him or Bowen inside in the Nickel. hard to tell who wins out. Hatcher has the tools, but Bowen is a scrapper former UDFA thats hung around for 3 years. You can never count a guy like that out.

 

im pretty sure castillo was and still is the LDE in SD, oshlansky has been on the right side from what i remember

 

Yep, thats why i think ultimatly Oshlansky will move to Spears spot if Spears leaves

I wouldnt discount Spears playing LDE this year either. He is more athletic than people give him credit for

 

First i think it a bad sign for Carp that the talk is about him fighting for the nickle spot with a rookie instead of getting a chance to start. As far as Bookings I do not see much difference between his and Zack's production.

Igor does not have the skills that Canty did but he will produce about the same because he works the whole game. With the great players we have as backup DT I think that Dixon will make the roster and we only have Rat as a DT with Spears and others sharing some of the role at DT.

Spencer at times last year played very well and was a lot better than Ellis at other times during the same game you could not even tell if he was on the field. I am hoping that is because his lack of playing time. I worry about our backup OLBs. We seem to be counting on one or two rookies to be able to some in and take some snaps from Ware and Spencer. In college they both were able to get after the QB, but now they are being asked to learn a new position.

 

Im honestly not too worried about ROLB. Despite his sack total, Ellis was much of a factor. It just seemed that often times he was flat out innefective. Truthfully, take aout the NY game and he got 5.5 sacks in 15 games. Not real impressive for a guy playing oppiste someone with 20 sacks.

If we didnt get a single sack from his spot, we still tie with Pitt for the league lead in sacks with 51

 

On a side note, Ware is on pace to smash the all-time leading sack record... the sooner we resign him the better.

 

I think for something like that to happen you would need Wade as the DC for a few more years and I am not sure that will happen.

 

Depends on who he gets replaced with

Im likeing Corwin Brown, ND's DC, an NFL guy and one of the rising assisnats in the college ranks. he runs a very similar 3-4 to Wades

 

Not a bad choice but if JG becomes the HC i think he would go after someone like Capers.

 

I would LOVE Capers, and I think he is Garretts to choice. Problem is i think he is locked into GB as there DC

Freaking Stewart......we could have had Capers in our pocket as our DB coach, but noooooooooo, Stewart felt threatened

 

He could tell his job was on the line and he did not want anyone that could replace him easily. In the end I think it worked out for the best he was able to show that he could not be a DC.