Cowboy LBs hope to gain by losing
By TODD ARCHER / The Dallas Morning News
IRVING – Bill Parcells loved size in his linebackers. The bigger, the better.
He joked in his first Cowboys training camp in 2003 that his entire linebacker corps could go to lunch in a VW bug. Last summer, he said his linebackers upgraded to a Hummer.
While not exactly a case of the Incredible Shrinking Linebackers, if Parcells saw his group from last year now, he'd see them in a Cadillac Escalade.
"We've definitely slimmed down," Akin Ayodele said. "With the new scheme defensively, it gives us a chance to use our athletic ability and run around and make plays."
Ayodele weighed in the low 250s last year. He's at 240 pounds now and hopes to be around 242 when the regular season begins. Bradie James said he played last year between 260-265 pounds. He is down to 245. Bobby Carpenter said he weighed more than 260 pounds last year, and is closer to 252 now.
Greg Ellis, coming back from Achilles' tendon surgery, played last year at 275, but he is leaner than last year partly to help his rehab. DeMarcus Ware weighed 260 at this time a year ago, but is around 250 now and wants to spend the season between 250-255.
The Cowboys have not forsaken size at linebacker. First-round pick Anthony Spencer is 266 pounds.
Last year, the linebackers had to take on offensive linemen who outweighed them sometimes by more than 40 pounds because the scheme did not call for the defensive line to use a lot of movement.
"It was a double-edged sword," James said. "You had to keep the big guys off you and you had to cover. If I wouldn't have been 265, I wouldn't be here. I'd be coming off a couple surgeries."
The leaner look was not a mandate by the coaches, but rather a case of the players doing it on their own after seeing the changes in scheme.
While linebackers will have to take on linemen in new coach Wade Phillips' 3-4 system, the pounding won't be as great. Opposing offensive lines will see more movement from the Cowboys' down linemen, which will free the linebackers to roam a little more.
Accordingly, the off-season conditioning program has been altered slightly to emphasize defending a vertical passing game.
While the weight is down, the power remains, according to strength and conditioning coach Joe Juraszek. The players are careful to net let their weight slip too much for fear of being overpowered.
In San Diego, Phillips' last coaching stop, Shawne Merriman was the biggest linebacker at 272 pounds. Donnie Edwards, the Chargers' leading tackler in 2006 with 170, was listed at 227 pounds.
As Buffalo's defensive coordinator from 1995 to '97, Phillips helped Bryce Paup become The Associated Press defensive player of the year in 1995, a season in which he recorded 17 ½ sacks. In six years in Denver as coordinator and/or head coach, Phillips saw Simon Fletcher record 70 sacks.
Paup was 250 pounds. Fletcher was 240.
"I've always believed in: The faster they can run, the better off you are," Phillips said. "We can teach them leverage. If you're undersized it can be a problem, but these guys aren't undersized."
Ware said he felt bulky last season at the higher weight, which affected his take-off on his pass rush. At the end of the season, weighing closer to 250 pounds, he felt like he had his edge back and recorded 5 ½ sacks over the last four games.
"Guys are moving around, getting to the quarterback," Ware said. "Just doing things like that, you need more speed and agility instead of just weight and brute strength. If you lose five, seven pounds it helps you much more with flexibility and you don't get as fatigued as fast."
Phillips is quickly learning to like what he has available to him at linebacker, whatever the weight.
"Size doesn't matter," Ware said. "It's how effective you play at your weight."
BIGGEST LOSERS
The Cowboys' starting linebackers averaged 256.8 pounds last year, according to the roster. Now, the projected starters average 250 pounds. (*Players said they weighed more than team's listing)
Greg Ellis
2006: 270*
Now: 265
Change: -5 lbs.
Bradie James
2006: 250*
Now: 245
Change: -5 lbs.
Akin Ayodele
2006: 250*
Now: 240
Change: -10 lbs.
DeMarcus Ware
2006: 257*
Now: 250
Change: -7 lbs.
IRVING – Bill Parcells loved size in his linebackers. The bigger, the better.
He joked in his first Cowboys training camp in 2003 that his entire linebacker corps could go to lunch in a VW bug. Last summer, he said his linebackers upgraded to a Hummer.
While not exactly a case of the Incredible Shrinking Linebackers, if Parcells saw his group from last year now, he'd see them in a Cadillac Escalade.
"We've definitely slimmed down," Akin Ayodele said. "With the new scheme defensively, it gives us a chance to use our athletic ability and run around and make plays."
Ayodele weighed in the low 250s last year. He's at 240 pounds now and hopes to be around 242 when the regular season begins. Bradie James said he played last year between 260-265 pounds. He is down to 245. Bobby Carpenter said he weighed more than 260 pounds last year, and is closer to 252 now.
Greg Ellis, coming back from Achilles' tendon surgery, played last year at 275, but he is leaner than last year partly to help his rehab. DeMarcus Ware weighed 260 at this time a year ago, but is around 250 now and wants to spend the season between 250-255.
The Cowboys have not forsaken size at linebacker. First-round pick Anthony Spencer is 266 pounds.
Last year, the linebackers had to take on offensive linemen who outweighed them sometimes by more than 40 pounds because the scheme did not call for the defensive line to use a lot of movement.
"It was a double-edged sword," James said. "You had to keep the big guys off you and you had to cover. If I wouldn't have been 265, I wouldn't be here. I'd be coming off a couple surgeries."
The leaner look was not a mandate by the coaches, but rather a case of the players doing it on their own after seeing the changes in scheme.
While linebackers will have to take on linemen in new coach Wade Phillips' 3-4 system, the pounding won't be as great. Opposing offensive lines will see more movement from the Cowboys' down linemen, which will free the linebackers to roam a little more.
Accordingly, the off-season conditioning program has been altered slightly to emphasize defending a vertical passing game.
While the weight is down, the power remains, according to strength and conditioning coach Joe Juraszek. The players are careful to net let their weight slip too much for fear of being overpowered.
In San Diego, Phillips' last coaching stop, Shawne Merriman was the biggest linebacker at 272 pounds. Donnie Edwards, the Chargers' leading tackler in 2006 with 170, was listed at 227 pounds.
As Buffalo's defensive coordinator from 1995 to '97, Phillips helped Bryce Paup become The Associated Press defensive player of the year in 1995, a season in which he recorded 17 ½ sacks. In six years in Denver as coordinator and/or head coach, Phillips saw Simon Fletcher record 70 sacks.
Paup was 250 pounds. Fletcher was 240.
"I've always believed in: The faster they can run, the better off you are," Phillips said. "We can teach them leverage. If you're undersized it can be a problem, but these guys aren't undersized."
Ware said he felt bulky last season at the higher weight, which affected his take-off on his pass rush. At the end of the season, weighing closer to 250 pounds, he felt like he had his edge back and recorded 5 ½ sacks over the last four games.
"Guys are moving around, getting to the quarterback," Ware said. "Just doing things like that, you need more speed and agility instead of just weight and brute strength. If you lose five, seven pounds it helps you much more with flexibility and you don't get as fatigued as fast."
Phillips is quickly learning to like what he has available to him at linebacker, whatever the weight.
"Size doesn't matter," Ware said. "It's how effective you play at your weight."
BIGGEST LOSERS
The Cowboys' starting linebackers averaged 256.8 pounds last year, according to the roster. Now, the projected starters average 250 pounds. (*Players said they weighed more than team's listing)
Greg Ellis
2006: 270*
Now: 265
Change: -5 lbs.
Bradie James
2006: 250*
Now: 245
Change: -5 lbs.
Akin Ayodele
2006: 250*
Now: 240
Change: -10 lbs.
DeMarcus Ware
2006: 257*
Now: 250
Change: -7 lbs.
posted by The Gryphon at 7:35 PM
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