I should check out Washington and NY papers too, and see what they're saying about their teams so far this TC.........
Makes me even gladder to hear about how Andrews is a beast, Jamaal Jackson is ready to take over for Fraley, and see if Winston Justice develops well too!
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For Cowboys, it's worth the weight
By CLARENCE E. HILL JR, .
STAR-TELEGRAM STAFF WRITER
OXNARD, Calif. -- Defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer has heard the talk that the Cowboys could have the best defense in the league.
He isn't ready to go that far. The Cowboys have yet to prove anything.
What Zimmer does know is this will be the biggest and potentially most physical unit he's had in six years as coordinator in Dallas. It's certainly the biggest in team history.
With all due respect to past players such as Dexter Coakley, Dat Nguyen and La'Roi Glover -- undersized, but highly productive, Cowboys of recent years -- the defensive motto in 2006 might as well be: No Midgets or Mascots Allowed.
If the move of Greg Ellis (6-foot-6, 270 pounds) from defensive end to linebacker works out, the Cowboys will average roughly 6-3, 257 pounds at linebacker to go along with 6-4, 305 across the defensive front.
"We are pretty damn big," Zimmer said. "If we hit somebody, they will know it."
Adding size and physicality on defense is what coach Bill Parcells has been working toward since he came to the Cowboys in 2003.
His hands were tied at first as the Cowboys had a roster full of players designed to play the 4-3 defensive scheme, including Coakley, whom Parcells nicknamed "mascot." A gradual overhaul was kicked up to warp speed last year when the Cowboys switched to Parcells' favored 3-4 scheme, which requires bigger players.
This season's result is a front seven that averages nearly 20 more pounds per man on the line and 14 more pounds at linebacker than in 2003.
"You have to have bigger and stronger guys to make plays in this defense," linebacker Bradie James said.
James (6-2, 250) is a perfect embodiment of the team's transition on defense under Parcells. Although Coakley (5-10, 236) was a Pro Bowl performer in Dallas, James was drafted in 2003 with the idea of replacing Coakley in mind. That didn't happen until last season when the Cowboys moved to the 3-4 and Coakley was released before the season. Add in the retirement of Nguyen (243 pounds) after last season, and James suddenly finds himself as one of the smaller members of the starting linebacker corps. Fellow inside linebacker Akin Ayodele is 6-2, 250. DeMarcus Ware, who would play opposite Ellis at end, is 6-4, 257.
Consider also that the Cowboys went from a defensive front of Ellis, Glover (285), Willie Blade (315) and Ebenezer Ekuban (265) to today's threesome of Jason Ferguson (310), 6-7 Chris Canty (300) and Jay Ratliff (305).
It's all part of the "Planet Theory" hatched years ago by former New York Giants general manager George Young, when Parcells was with the Giants. Parcells not only endorsed it, but has put it into practice ever since.
"Bigger is better if you can run," Parcells said. "This is a big man's game. There are so many big people on the planet. You need to get them stationed somewhere along your offensive and defensive front lines."
Big is important to Parcells on defense because of the style and philosophy he employs. Parcells prefers to have players big enough and strong enough to win one-on-one battles.
"I do like to play one on one," Parcells said. "It's [also] the ability to play lane defense as opposed to gap defense. Lane requires both sides, and the gap is one specific hole. We ask our players to play lanes."
Even though the Cowboys finished No. 1 in the league in yardage allowed in 2003, the defense did not strike fear in opponents.
The Cowboys are hoping for a return to Doomsday in 2006.
"All good defenses are intimidating," James said. "We have the physical presence we were trying to have."
Makes me even gladder to hear about how Andrews is a beast, Jamaal Jackson is ready to take over for Fraley, and see if Winston Justice develops well too!
-----------------------------------------
For Cowboys, it's worth the weight
By CLARENCE E. HILL JR, .
STAR-TELEGRAM STAFF WRITER
OXNARD, Calif. -- Defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer has heard the talk that the Cowboys could have the best defense in the league.
He isn't ready to go that far. The Cowboys have yet to prove anything.
What Zimmer does know is this will be the biggest and potentially most physical unit he's had in six years as coordinator in Dallas. It's certainly the biggest in team history.
With all due respect to past players such as Dexter Coakley, Dat Nguyen and La'Roi Glover -- undersized, but highly productive, Cowboys of recent years -- the defensive motto in 2006 might as well be: No Midgets or Mascots Allowed.
If the move of Greg Ellis (6-foot-6, 270 pounds) from defensive end to linebacker works out, the Cowboys will average roughly 6-3, 257 pounds at linebacker to go along with 6-4, 305 across the defensive front.
"We are pretty damn big," Zimmer said. "If we hit somebody, they will know it."
Adding size and physicality on defense is what coach Bill Parcells has been working toward since he came to the Cowboys in 2003.
His hands were tied at first as the Cowboys had a roster full of players designed to play the 4-3 defensive scheme, including Coakley, whom Parcells nicknamed "mascot." A gradual overhaul was kicked up to warp speed last year when the Cowboys switched to Parcells' favored 3-4 scheme, which requires bigger players.
This season's result is a front seven that averages nearly 20 more pounds per man on the line and 14 more pounds at linebacker than in 2003.
"You have to have bigger and stronger guys to make plays in this defense," linebacker Bradie James said.
James (6-2, 250) is a perfect embodiment of the team's transition on defense under Parcells. Although Coakley (5-10, 236) was a Pro Bowl performer in Dallas, James was drafted in 2003 with the idea of replacing Coakley in mind. That didn't happen until last season when the Cowboys moved to the 3-4 and Coakley was released before the season. Add in the retirement of Nguyen (243 pounds) after last season, and James suddenly finds himself as one of the smaller members of the starting linebacker corps. Fellow inside linebacker Akin Ayodele is 6-2, 250. DeMarcus Ware, who would play opposite Ellis at end, is 6-4, 257.
Consider also that the Cowboys went from a defensive front of Ellis, Glover (285), Willie Blade (315) and Ebenezer Ekuban (265) to today's threesome of Jason Ferguson (310), 6-7 Chris Canty (300) and Jay Ratliff (305).
It's all part of the "Planet Theory" hatched years ago by former New York Giants general manager George Young, when Parcells was with the Giants. Parcells not only endorsed it, but has put it into practice ever since.
"Bigger is better if you can run," Parcells said. "This is a big man's game. There are so many big people on the planet. You need to get them stationed somewhere along your offensive and defensive front lines."
Big is important to Parcells on defense because of the style and philosophy he employs. Parcells prefers to have players big enough and strong enough to win one-on-one battles.
"I do like to play one on one," Parcells said. "It's [also] the ability to play lane defense as opposed to gap defense. Lane requires both sides, and the gap is one specific hole. We ask our players to play lanes."
Even though the Cowboys finished No. 1 in the league in yardage allowed in 2003, the defense did not strike fear in opponents.
The Cowboys are hoping for a return to Doomsday in 2006.
"All good defenses are intimidating," James said. "We have the physical presence we were trying to have."
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