THE NEW ERA IN BIG D PART 2
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| Xavier Woods #25 & Chido Awuzie #24 @ The Star in Frisco
We talked about the offense in part 1, this time we will be discussing the defensive side of the ball. There is some great talent and youth on this side of the ball, just like the offense. Some of these players made some big strides last season and I am looking forward to see who steps up now. Just like last week, were going to discuss some strengths and some concern spots on this side of the ball.
The D-Line - Strength
Taco Charlton #97 at OTA's
The defensive line made strides last year and looks to build on that this season. Although they lost David Irving the first 4 games again, they filled in some good pieces. They brought in Jihad Ward from Oakland, in exchange for Ryan Switzer and this move helps the current situation. Ward, was a bust in Oakland, but he should fit the defensive scheme very well. He has been playing with the starters at defensive tackle during OTA's and seemingly could be Irving's replacement. Ward matches Irving's build and can play inside and outside like Irving.
Kony Ealy is another guy they went out and got from the New York Jets this year. He did not have the best year in New York, but it was not his scheme. When he was one of the best performers in the superbowl in 2016, he was in Carolina's 4-3 scheme. He was 2nd in the NFL in pass deflections in 2017 though and I can see him being a strong part of the rotation.
Demarcus Lawrence is on his 17.143 million franchise tag and is looking to get that pretty extension. He finished 2nd in the NFL in sacks last year and lead the league in hurries, he will be looking to repeat that. If you sprinkle in veteran Tyrone Crawford and sophomore Taco Charlton, this group has some versatility and power.
The Linebackers- Neutral
Dallas lost Anthony Hitchens to free agency and decided to cover their loss, with the first round pick Leighton Vander Esch. Defensive Captain Sean Lee, called him Brian Urlacher 2.0 and visually he fits the bill. Standing at 6'4 and weighing 255, he was a tackling machine at Boise State. He racked up 141 tackles, 4 sacks, and two interceptions in 2017. He is a great covering linebacker and will help this defense inside.
Jaylon Smith is ready to have a huge year. He is coming off an 81 tackle season and is out of his knee brace! He has said he is feeling the best he has since playing at Notre Dame. Considering many thought he wouldn't even play again, this bodes well for the team for believing in him.
You know what your going to get with Sean Lee on the field, it's just a matter of him staying healthy. He is the leader and the glue of this defense and they are much better with him, then without him in the past. If he plays a full season this trio will be strong. Outside of linebacker Damien Wilson, the remaining core is mainly special team experienced. If Rod Marinelli can get them prepared it will be great, but due to the depth concerns I am giving the LB's a neutral grade.
Corners-Strength/ Safeties-Weakness
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Cornerback Jourdan Lewis #27 at the Star in Frisco
I am looking for to seeing what this secondary can do this season. A few of them were thrown in the water last season as rookies and exceeded many expectations. They are moving veteran Byron Jones back to corner this year and think that is a smart move. I can see him making a lot more plays at that spot. My favorite off-season move besides resigning big names, was bringing in secondary guru Kris Richard from Seattle. He was coaching during the legion of boom years and he has some good talent in Dallas to work with. Jourdan Lewis got some good minutes last season and seemed comfortable in his rookie season. He had 10 deflected passes and a pick. My assumption for now is he will be filling the slot position, due to his skill-set and height. Chidobe Awuzie only played 10 games last season, but looked more and more comfortable as the season went on. I imagine him playing opposite Jones on the outside. Anthony Brown is still a contributor as well, he will be battling Lewis for the starting slot position. Brown had been getting first team reps at OTA's, but he is far from winning the spot. He gave up the most touchdowns at a point last season, while playing outside corner. He ended up filling Orlando Scandrick's slot position and looked like a much better player in that role. The safety position concerns me, do to inexperience and depth. Don't get me wrong, I am a Jeff Heath and Xavier woods fan. Woods I believe is going to be a really good player for this team and Heath has shown the ability to make big plays; meeting Derek Carr at the pylon anyone? It's just a ton to ask from these two, to cover that back end. Neither of the two have much experience starting and will be facing a schedule of deadly QB/WR combos. This is why the Earl Thomas deal just makes too much sense to me. The cap space is there and Dallas has his old coach Kris Richard, I say pull the trigger. We have played safe as of late and need the help on the back end. ET would be an immediate game changer and teams would have to plan against him. Overall, I think this defense is better on paper than it was last year. The experience some of the young guys got from last year was big! Dallas quietly fell into 9th place in overall defense in 2017. They are fast, young, hungry and can't wait to see what they do this year.
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