Cowboys draft needs: Ryan tackles D challenge
The jury is out on the more important addition to Dallas -- new head coach Jason Garrett or quarterback Tony Romo, back after missing most of the 2010 season -- and, sorry, but I'll take neither.
Give me defensive coordinator Rob Ryan, and I'll tell you why: It's his job to fix a unit that last season suffered a collapse of epic proportions, with Dallas setting franchise worsts for yards and points allowed.
Twice it surrendered 41 or more points. Ten times it allowed 27 or more. And in one five-game stretch -- all losses -- the Cowboys were punctured for a whopping 179, an average of 36 per game. Only Denver was worse last season, and I don't care how smart Garrett is or how accurate Romo can be, if you spot opponents 36 points you're going to lose.
Which is why Ryan could be the key to what happens next with Big D. Yep, I'm talking defense. Granted, the Cowboys were 5-3 after Garrett assumed command, but they also hemorrhaged 152 points in five of their final six starts, and that must end if they're to challenge Philadelphia or the Giants.
It's up to Ryan to see that it does. Otherwise, look out below.
"I'll tell you a quick story about Rob," said Garrett at this year's scouting combine. "He came into my office [for an interview] and he had on a coat and tie, and his hair was nicely combed. He looked good. But we started talking football, and about three minutes into the conversation I'd never seen a guy who wanted to get out of a coat and tie more, and so I said, 'Rob, just take the thing off.'
"So, literally, he went -- boom! -- and got rid of the tie, grabbed a pen and started going on the board. And it didn't take long. I was impressed by the effort. I was impressed by the coat and tie, and I was equally impressed by him getting rid of it, getting going and really being who he is."
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Mike Pouncey, G, Florida: It makes too much sense not to happen, right? If he lasts to the 31st pick, which he probably won't, he could step in next to his brother and solidify a porous offensive line. J.J. Watt, DE, Wisconsin: The Cowboys are looking for pass rushers, and Watt is one of the most impressive. He fills a need, and he should be there. Tyron Smith, OT, USC: He played right tackle in college. The Cowboys need a right tackle now. What's the problem? Cameron Jordan, DE, California: Figure that Robert Quinn is gone and Da'Quan Bowers is better suited to a 4-3. What's left? Watt, Ryan Kerrigan and this guy. Prince Amukamara, CB, Nebraska: Mike Jenkins had a down season, and Terence Newman turns 33. There's no urgency here, but the league's 26th-ranked defense needs help. |
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Of course, it'll take more than dress rehearsals and effort to make the Cowboys into what they once were. It will take a defensive scheme that suits Dallas' talent, which is why I start with Ryan when I look for improvement.
QB: Romo is back after missing the final 10 games with a broken left clavicle, and hallelujah. Romo is the unchallenged starter, and the Cowboys believe he's one of the league's franchise quarterbacks. Only franchise QBs have more than one playoff win on their r½sum½, so it's time Romo takes his game ... and his team ... up. The guy completes a lot of passes and throws a lot of touchdowns but he must win important games. This is a critical year for him, and maybe the time away did some good -- giving Romo a chance to reflect on what he must do to become a better leader. Jon Kitna is perfectly suited as the backup. He's experienced. He's productive. He's a leader. And he can win, going 4-5 with an underachieving team. Third-stringer Stephen McGee demonstrated in the final two games that he has talent and might be worth another look.
RB: Figure Marion Barber is gone, which leaves Felix Jones and Tashard Choice as your running backs. What's missing? Depth, that's what. Jones should be the starter and Choice is a reliable short-yardage option, but the Cowboys could use a third-down back who can play special teams. Once upon a time that was Jones. Not anymore. When Barber sat down with a calf injury last season Jones stepped in as the starter and responded by leading the team in rushing and averaging 4.3 yards per carry. The Cowboys seem comfortable with him and Choice but need to fill in behind and around them.
WR: The more I know about Dez Bryant, the more I'm convinced the Cowboys must keep Roy Williams. First of all, Bryant is an injury risk. He was hurt twice last season, including the broken ankle that ended his season. Second, the guy needs to straighten himself out, with Bryant making off-the-field news lately for all the wrong reasons. So Williams is your safety net, with Miles Austin the go-to receiver and Bryant next in line. After that, there's little to offer, with the team waiting two years for Kevin Ogletree to produce something, anything, without results and Sam Hurd little more than ordinary. Bryant's addition is critical to the development of Austin, who wasn't as productive last year as he was in 2009, with fewer catches, fewer yards, fewer touchdowns and 10 drops.
TE: Jason Witten is an All-Pro, so no need to find a starter here. There's no need to look for backups, either, and I'm not talking about Marcellus Bennett. I'm talking about little-known John Phillips, who can play virtually any position -- tight end, H-back, in-line blocker, you name it -- and play it well. People close to the Cowboys tell me that in the first week of camp last season he was the team's best player and would've been the second tight end if he hadn't been lost for the season with a torn ACL. All I know is that with Witten, Phillips and Bennett -- who had 31 catches behind Witten -- the Cowboys are loaded here.
OL: Losing Flozell Adams was supposed to be a setback but left tackle Doug Free played so well he became the club's best offensive lineman. Moreover, he became so valuable they placed the highest tender possible, first-and-third-round draft picks, on the restricted free agent. Free was a surprise, but he was the only pleasant one. The Cowboys need help up front, starting at right tackle where Marc Colombo overstayed his welcome by a year. Colombo was the weak link in a subpar offensive line and must be replaced. Center Andre Gurode wasn't all that great, either, despite being named to the Pro Bowl. Talk to anyone in or around the team, and they'll tell you Gurode was a disappointment and could be challenged. The problem, of course, is that the team has needs at right tackle and both guard positions, where Kyle Kosier, who turns 33, is a free agent and Leonard Davis, who also turns 33, is wearing down. Center Phil Costa provides depth and might have the Cowboys consider moving Gurode to guard. But it's more likely the club finds relief through the draft, with Florida guard Mike Pouncey telling people he would be surprised if he's not the team's first choice.
DL: There was nothing good about a defense that hemorrhaged yards and points, but nose tackle Jay Ratliff is what's good -- or should be good -- about this position. He was outstanding in 2009; he wasn't in 2010. Then again, few Cowboys were. Ratliff's return to his play two years ago is important to the return of this defense. The Cowboys need people to pressure the pocket, and Ratliff is a prime candidate. Defensive end Igor Olshansky is nothing more than adequate, but at least he's back. Nobody is sure what happens at the other end position where Marcus Spears, Stephen Bowen and Jason Hatcher could be headed to the free-agent market. The Cowboys put second-round tenders on Bowen and Hatcher, opening the door for Spears to leave, and now you know why some mock drafts have Dallas taking a defensive end with their first pick.
LB: DeMarcus Ware was the team's best player and one of the NFL's best players ... again. He led the team and the league in sacks with 15½ and produced the effort that was missing from some of his teammates -- like Anthony Spencer. The Cowboys' other outside starter was a disappointment, and nobody is sure what to expect next. He was outstanding down the stretch in 2009; he was underwhelming last season. Ware thinks his decline had something to do with a lack of "focus," but all I know is that his production, his play, his effort ... everything was off. Inside there's age and a decline in play that must be addressed. Keith Brooking turns 36 this season, and it's time the Cowboys find someone to relieve him. Sean Lee is the likely choice, but no one is sure he can be a starter or stay healthy. Bradie James is set at the other spot, where he played through a sprained knee to lead the team in tackles for a sixth straight time and extend his streak of consecutive games played to 96.
DB: The pass defense stunk, with the Cowboys hammered again and again by opposing quarterbacks, and blame some of that on these guys. Cornerback Mike Jenkins wasn't the player he was the previous season, beaten far too often for big plays, and Terence Newman -- who mans the other cornerback spot -- turns 33 and might be wearing down. Cornerback is a position of need, though there are options in nickelback Orlando Scandrick and backup Bryan McCann. That's not the case at safety, where Dallas could use help from anywhere. Alan Ball and Gerald Sensabaugh weren't the answer. Basically, neither provided the support the cornerbacks needed -- with Ball, who was given Ken Hamlin's job, rarely producing a tackle or big play. Barry Church and Danny McCray are nothing more than special-teams contributors.
