Tag: Damone Clark

Damone Clark or Sam Williams? Which breakout would have a bigger impact on Cowboys?

Looking at how the development of Sam Williams and Damone Clark impacts the Cowboys and which players breakout would help the team more. | From @cdpiglet

The ebb and flow of a team is always interesting to watch. Some veteran players step up, young players develop, and sometimes even rookies jump into big contributor roles out the gate. Last year was an excellent example in Dallas. Tyler Smith switched from left guard to left tackle right before the start of the season and helped salvage the offensive line after Tyron Smith was injured.

DaRon Bland, forced into the starting slot corner role, became a playmaker, intercepting five passes in eight starts. Leighton Vander Esch had his best season since his rookie year, Dorance Armstrong, Donovan Wilson, Terence Steele, and Tony Pollard all had the best seasons of their careers.

Which players will be the ones to make these big jumps in 2023? Sam Williams and Damone Clark are two second-year players who both could make major leaps in Dan Quinn’s defense. This debate centers around which breakout would have the most breakout on the fortunes of the club.

NFC East teams lacking at linebacker, but here’s how they rank

Not a lot of flash inside the NFC East for the linebacker position, but if one of these groups break out, it could be a gamechanger for the division.

The NFC East may contain the NFC’s two best teams and once again could send three teams to the playoff field of seven. The Philadelphia Eagles made the Super Bowl, the Dallas Cowboys had back-to-back 12-win seasons, and the Giants won a playoff game in head coach Brian Daboll’s first season. And if the Washington Commanders can figure out their QB position, they too could be a handful to reckon with.

These teams are formidable at nearly every position, but collectively the linebacker spot is the weakest position in the division. There isn’t a single All-Pro caliber player on any team going into 2023, and the recent draft picks haven’t lived up to high expectations so far in their young careers. Here are the linebacker unit rankings in the NFC East.

Cowboys LB Damone Clark shocked football world just by suiting up in 2022

Damone Clark had a rocky path to the NFL but @ReidDHanson feels the Cowboys rookie showed more than enough promise to feel good about his future.

The Cowboys saw multiple draft picks outplay their draft slot last season. Jake Ferguson, PFF’s second rated rookie tight end, blew his fourth round status out of the water with his play. Cornerback DaRon Bland was nothing short of theft at pick No. 167. But years down the road, Damone Clark might go down as the ultimate steal of Dallas’ 2022 draft class.’

Clark, a former LSU No. 18 (a jersey number reserved for standout players and leaders) bearer, had a frightening path to the NFL. The Tigers linebacker was expected to go early in the draft but a red flag was raised during the scouting combine’s medical checks, putting his entire NFL future at risk.

An MRI showed Clark had a herniated disk that would require fusion surgery. Coincidently, the doctor who discovered it was Dr. Andrew Clavenna, a Cowboys team physician.

Not surprisingly, this issue caused Clark to fall in the draft. Dallas was thrilled to pounce at No. 176, even if it required a bit of patience with his recovery. While some draft outlets were predicting a full year recovery for the fifth-round pick, the Cowboys never backed off their expectations that he would play as a rookie.

In Week 8, Clark made his Dallas debut, logging 40 defensive snaps right out of the gate. He would go on to play 398 defensive snaps for the season (35%) his first year in the pros, blowing many rookie year projections out of the water.

Clark wasn’t flawless in his play and made typical rookie mistakes in reads and run fits. But he didn’t log a single missed tackle (per PFR) and showed he can be a reliable player to build a unit around. At 6-foot-3, 245 pounds with speed, strength, and length, he has all the tangible traits to one day be elite in the NFL.

In his first year, Clark’s coverage was a concern. He gave up 13 receptions on 15 targets, good for an 86.7 completion percentage and a 138.5 passer rating when targeted. For comparison sake, only one season in Leighton Vander Esch’s five-year career did he give up an average passer rating over 100.

Yet Clark showed promise in all areas and ranked 37 among 81 graded linebackers from Pro Football Focus (their highest rated rookie LB in the class).

With Vander Esch set to hit free agency, the future of the position group is up in the air. Regardless, Clark figures to have a prominent role as top-two linebacker on the Cowboys and a player who’s only scratched the surface on his immense potential.

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3 Stars: Offense finally has to carry Cowboys and their shoulders were indeed broad

The fastest linebacker in the NFL? Not Micah. Meanwhile the Dallas offense finally had to lead the way and @CDPiglet says they showed themselves more than capable in Sunday’s win.

The Dallas Cowboys were winning games while without quarterback Dak Prescott by relying on the defense to hold opponents down and then asking the offense to not make critical mistakes. The reason the team was excited to get Prescott back was because eventually the Dallas defense was going to have a bad game and the offense would need to carry the team to a win. They weren’t going to do that with Cooper Rush under center.

Unexpectedly, the Week 8 Chicago Bears were the team to bring that challenge. They fell behind early but stuck to their game plan of running the ball at Dallas with multiple running backs, the quarterback, and even WR Velus Jones. Chicago ran 14 more plays than Dallas, controlling the clock for over 36 minutes, rushing for 240 yards. The Cowboys’ offense was going to have to show up and more than 400 yards and over 40 points later, last year’s No. 1 offense produced three stars of the game.

Yes, Micah Parsons did take a fumble and return it for a touchdown. Dalton Schultz brought in six of his seven targets for 74 yards, CeeDee Lamb had five receptions for 77 yards and a TD, and Kellen Moore was dialing up a great offensive plan all game. Any of those could have received a star this game, but sometimes it can be about more than who had the best stats of the day.

Former LSU linebacker Damone Clark returns to the field

Clark was expected to miss his rookie year, but he’s been activated to Dallas’ 53-man roster.

Damone Clark was a guy that worked his tail off and did everything in his power to help the team win while at LSU. Clark never missed a game during his career in Baton Rouge, but when he went to the NFL combine, it was discovered (ironically enough, by a Cowboys doctor) that Clark actually had a herniated disc in his neck that would require surgery.

Imagine his surprise when coming off an incredible performance at the Senior Bowl, he found out he needed surgery for an issue that he didn’t know he had. On March 24, Clark had spinal fusion surgery and was expected by many to miss the 2022 NFL season before he was even drafted.

Of course, the news of the injury and surgery couldn’t have come at a worse time because it was right before the draft. Who was going to draft a guy that they knew would probably be out for the season? In the fifth round of the NFL Draft, the same team that discovered the herniated disc is the one that chose him.

The Dallas Cowboys drafted Clark, and he has been activated on the 53-man roster as of Wednesday. The former LSU standout now has a chance to star as a rookie in the NFL.

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Report: Cowboys to activate LSU linebacker most said wouldn’t play in ’22

Everything one needs to know, including a full scouting report, about the newest addition to the Cowboys’ push to be the NFL’s best defense. | From @KDDrummondNFL

The Dallas Cowboys are making moves that could result in a top defense getting even better. On Tuesday, the club traded for mammoth nose tackle Johnathan Hankins, sending a sixth-round pick to the Raiders for the 340-pound behemoth and a future seventh. The biggest weakness on the NFC’s best scoring defense has been their inability to stop the run. Getting a true run-stuffer who eats space will help, but they’ll also need improved play from their linebacker group.

That may not happen immediately, but on Wednesday it appears they will take a monumentally important baby step towards improving the talent at the position. LB Damone Clark, who had to undergo spinal fusion surgery following the scouting combine, was surprisingly picked by the Cowboys in the fifth round. It appears the Cowboys knew something other teams didn’t, as the projected second rounder is now ready to come off of the NFI list and contribute to the team much earlier than expected.

Cowboys rookie LB Damone Clark practices for first time as 21-day activation window opens

The highly-touted rookie could be put on the active roster within the next 3 weeks after rehabbing from spinal fusion surgery in March. | From @ToddBrock24f7

The Cowboys’ latest player gamble is a little bit closer to paying off.

Rookie linebacker Damone Clark, a fifth-round draft pick this spring, had his 21-day practice window activated Wednesday and is working on the field with the team for the first time.

“Everybody is excited about that,” head coach Mike McCarthy told reporters.

Clark could now be added to the active roster at any point in the next three weeks, but the club will likely take a fairly methodical approach with the 22-year-old. The LSU product had spinal fusion surgery in late March after a problematic herniated disc was discovered via MRI at the scouting combine.

It dropped Clark out of the Top 100 pick in April’s draft, but it didn’t scare the Cowboys away from selecting him on Day Three. Leighton Vander Esch had the same procedure done following the 2019 season and has not had further issues.

That alone helped boost Clark’s confidence in aiming for a return to action.

“If you have someone like Leighton who had the same exact injury and he’s back on the field,” Clark said in the spring, “why wouldn’t I be back on the field, too?”

The Louisiana native believes the surgery will ultimately extend his career rather than shorten it; now that career is a step closer to finally starting.

“I’ll say this, we’re all excited about him. How can you not?” McCarthy asked Wednesday. “You see, obviously, the player he was in college coming out and, more importantly, just how he’s been since he’s been here. This young man is here every day. I’m talking on the weekend, he’s here all the time. He’s ready. I think our medical staff and Damone himself, the patience has been tough, because just how the whole injury unfolded and so forth. My point is, I think the rehab process is complete.”

Clark got plenty of attention Wednesday in his first practice as a pro, wearing the No. 33 jersey made famous by Hall of Fame running back Tony Dorsett. The number assignment at least hints at huge expectations for Clark, who proved himself capable of being a game-wrecker in college and figures to be again once fully healed.

The Cowboys always believed that Clark would be ready for action at some point during this season, and elected to place him on the Non-Football Injury list with an eye toward that timeline.

Now he has three weeks to work with the team. If he is not activated to the active roster in that time, he will go back to the NFI list for the remainder of the 2022 campaign. But the Cowboys- and Clark- will have gotten a good long look at both his health status and enormous potential within Dan Quinn’s defense.

“I’m personally happy we waited as long as we did,” McCarthy continued, “because now this young man can jump in there full speed. But he hasn’t put on pads in a year and a half, so let’s be realistic about that. It’ll be good to get him out here working. I’d like to see where he is at the end of the week, but in a lot of ways, he’s like a guy that just showed up at training camp and missed ramp-up and missed the whole offseason program. He just needs the work. It’ll be great to have him out there.”

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BJ Ojulari to wear traditional No. 18 jersey this fall

Kelly has praised Ojulari’s on and off-field contributions since arriving in Baton Rouge.

The Tigers already handed the traditional No. 7 jersey to the best player on offense in [autotag]Kayshon Boutte[/autotag], so why not give the best player on defense some recognition, as well?

On Saturday, coach [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] announced that junior edge rusher BJ Ojulari will wear the No. 18 jersey, which is given to the player who best exemplifies LSU football. Kelly had high praise for Ojulari both on and off the field at SEC Media Days, and this only reaffirms that.

The No. 18 jersey tradition has existed since 2003, and Ojulari follows [autotag]Damone Clark[/autotag], who wore it last season and proceeded to lead the SEC in tackles.

After seeing quite a bit of action as a rotational player during his true freshman season, Ojulari started in 12 of the 13 games he appeared in last fall. He had 55 tackles and led the team in sacks with seven. His 11.5 tackles for loss also ranked second on the team.

Ojulari has been a fixture on preseason All-SEC lists, and he’s expected to be one of the better edge rushers in college football this season. He’ll enter the season with a vote of confidence from Kelly and his team.

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LSU linebacker corps set to stand out in 2022

LSU’s linebacker group was ranked third in the SEC by On3.

It’s not often that you lose the SEC’s leading tackler — and the nation’s second-leading tackler — and feel good about where your current linebacker group stands, but that’s a testament to LSU’s depth at the position.

Even with [autotag]Damone Clark[/autotag] moving on, the Tigers return a talented and experienced group headlined by [autotag]Mike Jones Jr.[/autotag], [autotag]Greg Penn III[/autotag] and [autotag]Micah Baskerville[/autotag]. Add in an exciting true freshman in five-star recruit [autotag]Harold Perkins[/autotag], and you have the makings of a very deep unit.

Despite the lack of general preseason hype surrounding this team, several of its position groups have received high praise from national publications. And in a recent ranking of SEC linebacker corps from On3’s Jesse Simonton, LSU came in third after Alabama and Georgia (unsurprisingly).

The Tigers are slightly inexperienced at linebacker after losing 135 tackles from Damone Clark last season, but their unit doesn’t lack upside or numbers. Senior Micah Baskerville is a solid starter inside, while Greg Penn III, Phillip Webb and 5-star freshman Harold Perkins Jr. were all top recruits who will push for snaps this fall. LSU’s LB room would be buoyed if former Clemson transfer Mike Jones Jr. can stay healthy and live up to his recruiting billing.

The Tigers have had some defensive woes over the last two seasons and will now be on their third defensive coordinator in as many years in Matt House. However, between what could be an elite defensive line, a secondary filled with experienced transfers and a deep linebacker group, this could be the season where LSU gets back to the hard-nosed defensive football the program is known for.

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Micah Baskerville named to preseason Butkus Award watch list

Baskerville was one of 51 players nominated to the watch list for the award, which is given to the nation’s top linebacker.

LSU linebacker [autotag]Micah Baskerville[/autotag] was named to the preseason watch list for the collegiate Butkus Award on Monday. The fifth-year senior is one of 51 linebackers around the country to appear on the watch list.

Baskerville started all 12 games he appeared in for the Tigers last fall, finishing second on the team in tackles with 83 behind [autotag]Damone Clark[/autotag]. He also had nine tackles for loss, two sacks, four pass breakups and an interception.

Though a full-time starter for the last two seasons and the most experienced member of the linebacker corps, he’ll have to earn a starting position once again this fall. Even with Clark’s departure, the Tigers have a lot of depth with players like [autotag]Mike Jones Jr.[/autotag], [autotag]Greg Penn III[/autotag], Virginia transfer [autotag]West Weeks[/autotag] and incoming five-star true freshman [autotag]Harold Perkins[/autotag].

Regardless of who starts in the off-ball linebacker spots, Baskerville figures to play a major role in the rotation and should be a veteran leader of this defense. He will look to become the second LSU player to win the Butkus Award, joining 2018 winner [autotag]Devin White[/autotag].

The list of 51 will be trimmed further to semifinalists on Oct. 31 and finalists on Nov. 21. The winner is set to be announced on or before Dec. 7. Here’s the full watch list.

Preseason Collegiate Butkus Award Watch List

Darren Anders, Bowling Green
Jeremy Banks, Tennessee
Micah Baskerville, LSU
Seth Benson, Iowa
JD Bertrand, Notre Dame
Tatum Bethune, Florida State
Troy Brown, Ole Miss
Ben Bywater, BYU
Jack Campbell, Iowa
Levani Damuni, Stanford
KD Davis, North Texas
Mohamoud Diabate, Utah
Jamon Dumas-Johnson, Georgia
Justin Flowe, Oregon
Sherrod Greene, South Carolina
Kyle Harmon, San Jose State
Calvin Hart Jr., Illinois
Daiyan Henley, Washington State
Nick Jackson, Virginia
Jestin Jacobs, Iowa
Carl Jones Jr., UCLA
Mikel Jones, Syracuse
Tyrice Knight, UTEP
Carlton Martial, Troy
Ventrell Miller, Florida
Jackson Mitchell, UConn
Jaylen Moody, Alabama
Isaiah Moore, N.C. State
Darius Muasau, UCLA
Donavan Mutin, Houston
Anfernee Orji, Vanderbilt
DeMarvion Overshown, Texas
Deshawn Pace, Cincinnati
Ivan Pace, Cincinnati
Owen Pappoe, Auburn
James Patterson, Buffalo
Bumper Pool, Arkansas
Luke Reimer, Nebraska
Merlin Robertson, Arizona State
Noah Sewell, Oregon
Trenton Simpson, Clemson
Isaac Slade-Matautia, SMU
Mariano Sori-Marin, Minnesota
DeAndre Square, Kentucky
Drake Thomas, N.C. State
Henry To’o To’o, Alabama
David Ugwoegbu, Oklahoma
Edefuan Ulofoshio, Washington
Payton Wilgar, BYU
Dorian Williams, Tulane
Dee Winters, TCU

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