Cowboys’ defense must find complement to Ware

By Carlos Zepeda  |   Friday, May 11, 2007  |  Comments( 4 )

Dallas Cowboys
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Ask any defensive coordinator in the NFL how important an effective pass rush can be. It forces quarterbacks to make quick decisions that can lead to turnovers, and it disrupts the timing of an offense.

Last season, the Cowboys' defense racked up 34 sacks, 11½ of which belonged to star linebacker DeMarcus Ware. The next highest total was 4½ by Greg Ellis, who missed seven games because of an Achilles' injury.

The Cowboys' secondary was one of the best in the league until Ellis was lost for the season. Strong safety Roy Williams led the team with five interceptions, but the cornerback trio of Anthony Henry, Terence Newman and Aaron Glenn produced just four picks.

The 2007 season's big question will be how new head coach Wade Phillips handles his underachieving defense. As the defensive coordinator in San Diego last year, Phillips' unit topped the NFL with 61 sacks, led by Pro Bowl linebacker Shawne Merriman's 17.

For Dallas, Ware should have a monster season with Phillips calling the defensive shots, but the Cowboys must find another pass rusher to keep opposing offenses from double-teaming Ware. In 2006, Merriman had the help of fellow Chargers linebacker Shaun Phillips, who finished with 11½ sacks.

Dallas is stacked at the outside linebacker position, with Ellis, rookie first-round pick Anthony Spencer and '06 first-rounder Bobby Carpenter heading into training camp competing for the same position.

Ellis is entering his 10th season and is trying to come back from an Achilles' tendon injury. Last year, Ellis switched from defensive end to OLB and performed well until his injury.

Spencer, a former Purdue star, supplies some insurance if Ellis isn't 100 percent. Spencer played end in college, and it might take some time for him to adjust to a new position and the speed of the NFL game.

The odd man out is last year's 18th overall pick, Carpenter, who had trouble fitting into the 3-4 defense and finished his rookie year with 15 tackles and a meager 1½ sacks in 13 games. His only start was in the season finale against Detroit.

Phillips' defense has always produced sacks. San Diego's sack total increased each year that Phillips was the D-coordinator, but if he cannot find a pass rusher to team with Ware, the Cowboys can likely expect another disappointing season.

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CommentsComments: 4  |  Sign Up  View all comments
No.1
Andy		10:06 AM
05/12/2007
A couple of quick points, Ellis's injury was not to his knee and once Greg Ellis had shown he was making the adjustment to OLB,...
No.2
Capt. Z		12:21 PM
05/14/2007
An achilles tendon is not a knee injury. However, this is the toughest injury to recover from as evidenced by Dan Marino that...
No.3
Jesse		01:16 PM
05/16/2007
I guess in a way, the Dallas Run Defense had to wait a year for full form with the loss of bobby carpenter and greg ellis. Darn,...
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