The Cowboys essentially saved their season with their Week 4 win over the Giants, but the cost of victory was significant, losing both Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence in the process. Parsons, out 2-4 weeks with a high ankle sprain, and Lawrence, out 4-8 weeks with a Lisfranc injury, are by most accounts irreplaceable.
Parsons and Lawrence aren’t just Dallas’ top pressure players and key run defenders, but they are leaders on the field and the heart and soul of the defense. The falloff behind them appears to be immense with the rookie Marshawn Kneeland and longtime reserve Chauncey Golston slated to replace them in the starting lineup. In his fourth season, Golston has less than five career sacks to his name. Kneeland, sackless in the NFL, never logged more than 4.5 sacks in a single season in college. Based on their individual track records, it’s unlikely either player can replace half the production of the men they’re replacing.
It might be best if defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer flips the script.
Instead of inadequately filling the need at defensive end with role players, Zimmer may be better served to mix up front seven entirely. Given the strengths and weaknesses of the roster, the Cowboys could find it easier to employ a more traditional odd man front that leans on the defensive tackles rather than the defensive ends.
Contrary to popular belief many 3-4 and 4-3 fronts are extremely similar. Just because these are changes in personnel groupings doesn’t mean they change the system being played. The Cowboys already bounce between odd and even fronts frequently, using under, over and BEAR looks, including a 3-3-5. It wouldn’t be a fundamental change for Zimmer’s defense per say, just an effort to avoid plugging a round hole with a square peg.
Under this proposal the pressure players would come largely from the linebacker ranks. Dallas’ most explosive player, DeMarvion Overshown, could man an outside LB spot and serve as the chief pass rusher. The other outside LB spot could be filled by someone like Carl Lawson who has played that very role in both the NFL and back at Auburn.
Mazi Smith and Linval Joseph would rotate as the nose tackle and Osa Odighizuwa looks perfectly capable of being a playmaking defensive end. The other DE spot could be handled by a number of players including Kneeland and Golston. As 3-4 DEs they wouldn’t need to be the explosive players Parsons and Lawrence were because the playmaking roles would be on the edge LBs.
For the first time in a while the strength of the roster appears to be the LB position, so it only makes sense for the Cowboys to lean on it. And given Dallas’ issues defending the run this season, mixing things up could be just what this defense needs.
Moving to more three-man fronts sounds like a bigger change than it really is. It allows the Cowboys to lean on the strength of their roster and with any luck survive the losses of the team’s best playmakers.
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