Cowboys' offense is too explosive not to pick it
Scouts Inc. is breaking down each division in a roundtable discussion, with each scout offering his pick for the best offense and defense as well as the most important offseason move in the division. Here's the scouts' look at the NFC East.
Which team has the best offense in the NFC East?
Jeremy Green: The Dallas Cowboys have the best offense in the NFC East and even though I am concerned about them not adding a quality No. 2 receiver to go along with Terrell Owens, they did re-sign RB Marion Barber and add a playmaker in rookie RB Felix Jones. QB Tony Romo will be more in tune with offensive coordinator Jason Garrett's system and I think he will be more mature and a better leader on the field, despite some signs that point otherwise at times. Keep in mind, even with a somewhat immature Romo, Dallas finished 2007 second in points scored. The Cowboys might not finish second in points scored this coming season, but the overall offense will be more consistent and the best in the NFC East.
Keith Kidd: Outside of the Patriots, the Cowboys have the best offense in the NFL. Garrett has a tremendous supporting cast to put around Romo, who has a strong arm and quick release which allow the Cowboys to strike from anywhere on the field. Owens and TE Jason Witten are a dangerous combination, while Barber will be the feature back this season running behind one of the best offensive lines in the NFL. The addition of Jones should make this offense even more dangerous in 2008.
Doug Kretz: The Cowboys by a hair. Dallas owned the second-best offense in 2007 and should be as potent in 2008, if not even more effective. While the Cowboys lost RB Julius Jones to Seattle, they used their first-round pick on Felix Jones. Romo is also really coming into his own and now has a firm grasp on the offense.
Matt Williamson: The Eagles' offense will be improved with a healthy Donovan McNabb, but Dallas is loaded. The Cowboys are very strong at every spot on offense and can score points in bunches. Romo is developing very quickly and the ground game should be better than ever. My only concern here with Dallas is if Owens were to get hurt and miss significant time. Without Owens, this offense is nowhere near as explosive.
Which team has the best defense in the NFC East?
Green: Even though it was a little inconsistent at times when the team needed it to step up, the Cowboys' defense is one of the most versatile in the NFL. Dallas' defense will not only be the best in the NFC East, but among the best in the NFL. Head coach Wade Phillips and defensive coordinator Brian Stewart use an aggressive 3-4 scheme to create pressure up front. That pressure should allow a much-improved Dallas secondary with the additions of Adam Jones (provided he is fully reinstated) and rookie Michael Jenkins to be ball hawks along with veteran CB Terence Newman. However, the biggest change will occur when CB Anthony Henry moves to safety, putting Roy Williams on the bench and eliminating the Cowboys' weakest link versus the pass in the back end.
Gary Horton: Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo did a great job in 2007 by taking a group of players who were not the most talented in the league and putting them in situations where they could flourish. He has a terrific defensive line that applies great pressure out of the 4-3 scheme, but he will also utilize a lot of unorthodox blitzes with mixed coverages to confuse offenses. He is also not afraid to play his defensive backs in man-to-man coverage in an effort to utilize his blitz package.
Ken Moll: The NFC East is known for defense. Even with the loss of LDE Michael Strahan, the Giants' outstanding unit will be mostly intact. The Giants' front office did a nice job of replacing other key positions that were lost in free agency and with an innovative defensive coordinator like Spagnuolo in place, New York should be tough to move the ball against.
Tag Ribary: I expect to see the Cowboys' defense remain strong. They have quality personnel at most starting positions for their scheme combined with good depth in case they suffer an injury. If they solidify the responsibilities of Williams and utilize his strengths, the Cowboys will remain a physical team against the run and can still get after opposing quarterbacks.
Williamson: The Super Bowl champions have this honor in the NFC East, but Dallas and Philadelphia should have top-10 defenses as well. Even with Strahan retiring, I am going to give New York the slight edge over Dallas, but I have to stress the word slight. Mathias Kiwanuka is healthy and gives Spagnuolo another toy to play with. Plus, the Giants' young secondary should be improved from a season ago. This is a tougher decision than many probably realize, but I will go with the guys with the rings on their fingers.
What was the most important offseason move in the NFC East?
Green: The Cincinnati Bengals declining the Washington Redskins' offer of what could have potentially been two first-round picks for WR Chad Johnson. By making this decision, the Redskins didn't get a malcontent in Johnson, who is on the downside of his career, and were able to add three playmakers: two of the top three rookie receivers available in WR Malcolm Kelly and WR Devin Thomas and the best tight end in the draft in Fred Davis. These playmakers along with WR Santana Moss, WR Antwaan Randle El and RB Clinton Portis now give QB Jason Campbell the offensive weapons to compete in the tough NFC East.
Horton: Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has opened up his wallet and his Cowboys have made more moves than any other team in the NFL. They are not looking to the future and this team is built to win a championship sooner rather than later. Jones' roster is loaded and his players are well-paid and happy. Jones seems to relish in his role in personnel.
Kidd: Eagles defensive coordinator Jim Johnson relies heavily on his zone-blitz packages to create pressure in both running and passing situations. The addition of CB Asante Samuel allows Johnson the flexibility he so desperately needs on the back end when matching up versus multiple-spread attacks. Samuel has excellent ball skills and a very good knack for baiting quarterbacks into making game-changing mistakes. With the addition of Samuel and the return of starters Sheldon Brown and Lito Sheppard, the Eagles can place even more pressure on opposing offensive passing attacks.
Kretz: For better or worse the Redskins have a new head coach in Jim Zorn, who brings a new offense with him from Seattle. The speed at which the team improves offensively will depend on how fast the quarterbacks and the receivers learn the West Coast offense. Redskins owner Daniel Snyder is not known for his patience, so the players better learn quickly and show promise in Zorn's first year or his could be a short-tenured position.
Moll: Many might assume that the hiring of a new Redskins head coach would be the most important offseason move in the NFC East, but I believe that retaining Spagnuolo in New York was even more important. Losing Spagnuolo would have had a greater impact than the Redskins hiring Zorn. After a rocky start, the Giants' defense transformed into one of the most impressive and aggressive units in the league.
Ribary: It has to be the way Washington went about its head-coaching search. I like Zorn, but if the Redskins were so sold on him, they should have named him the head coach initially and not been flirting with others around the league while he was the coordinator. They took the unusual approach of trying to piece together a staff without a head coach. I have to think that made the job less attractive for others. We'll soon see if the unconventional approach worked.
Scouts Inc. watches games, breaks down film and studies football from all angles for ESPN.com.
Which team has the best offense in the NFC East?
Jeremy Green: The Dallas Cowboys have the best offense in the NFC East and even though I am concerned about them not adding a quality No. 2 receiver to go along with Terrell Owens, they did re-sign RB Marion Barber and add a playmaker in rookie RB Felix Jones. QB Tony Romo will be more in tune with offensive coordinator Jason Garrett's system and I think he will be more mature and a better leader on the field, despite some signs that point otherwise at times. Keep in mind, even with a somewhat immature Romo, Dallas finished 2007 second in points scored. The Cowboys might not finish second in points scored this coming season, but the overall offense will be more consistent and the best in the NFC East.
Keith Kidd: Outside of the Patriots, the Cowboys have the best offense in the NFL. Garrett has a tremendous supporting cast to put around Romo, who has a strong arm and quick release which allow the Cowboys to strike from anywhere on the field. Owens and TE Jason Witten are a dangerous combination, while Barber will be the feature back this season running behind one of the best offensive lines in the NFL. The addition of Jones should make this offense even more dangerous in 2008.
Doug Kretz: The Cowboys by a hair. Dallas owned the second-best offense in 2007 and should be as potent in 2008, if not even more effective. While the Cowboys lost RB Julius Jones to Seattle, they used their first-round pick on Felix Jones. Romo is also really coming into his own and now has a firm grasp on the offense.
Matt Williamson: The Eagles' offense will be improved with a healthy Donovan McNabb, but Dallas is loaded. The Cowboys are very strong at every spot on offense and can score points in bunches. Romo is developing very quickly and the ground game should be better than ever. My only concern here with Dallas is if Owens were to get hurt and miss significant time. Without Owens, this offense is nowhere near as explosive.
Which team has the best defense in the NFC East?
Green: Even though it was a little inconsistent at times when the team needed it to step up, the Cowboys' defense is one of the most versatile in the NFL. Dallas' defense will not only be the best in the NFC East, but among the best in the NFL. Head coach Wade Phillips and defensive coordinator Brian Stewart use an aggressive 3-4 scheme to create pressure up front. That pressure should allow a much-improved Dallas secondary with the additions of Adam Jones (provided he is fully reinstated) and rookie Michael Jenkins to be ball hawks along with veteran CB Terence Newman. However, the biggest change will occur when CB Anthony Henry moves to safety, putting Roy Williams on the bench and eliminating the Cowboys' weakest link versus the pass in the back end.
Gary Horton: Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo did a great job in 2007 by taking a group of players who were not the most talented in the league and putting them in situations where they could flourish. He has a terrific defensive line that applies great pressure out of the 4-3 scheme, but he will also utilize a lot of unorthodox blitzes with mixed coverages to confuse offenses. He is also not afraid to play his defensive backs in man-to-man coverage in an effort to utilize his blitz package.
Ken Moll: The NFC East is known for defense. Even with the loss of LDE Michael Strahan, the Giants' outstanding unit will be mostly intact. The Giants' front office did a nice job of replacing other key positions that were lost in free agency and with an innovative defensive coordinator like Spagnuolo in place, New York should be tough to move the ball against.
Tag Ribary: I expect to see the Cowboys' defense remain strong. They have quality personnel at most starting positions for their scheme combined with good depth in case they suffer an injury. If they solidify the responsibilities of Williams and utilize his strengths, the Cowboys will remain a physical team against the run and can still get after opposing quarterbacks.
Williamson: The Super Bowl champions have this honor in the NFC East, but Dallas and Philadelphia should have top-10 defenses as well. Even with Strahan retiring, I am going to give New York the slight edge over Dallas, but I have to stress the word slight. Mathias Kiwanuka is healthy and gives Spagnuolo another toy to play with. Plus, the Giants' young secondary should be improved from a season ago. This is a tougher decision than many probably realize, but I will go with the guys with the rings on their fingers.
What was the most important offseason move in the NFC East?
Green: The Cincinnati Bengals declining the Washington Redskins' offer of what could have potentially been two first-round picks for WR Chad Johnson. By making this decision, the Redskins didn't get a malcontent in Johnson, who is on the downside of his career, and were able to add three playmakers: two of the top three rookie receivers available in WR Malcolm Kelly and WR Devin Thomas and the best tight end in the draft in Fred Davis. These playmakers along with WR Santana Moss, WR Antwaan Randle El and RB Clinton Portis now give QB Jason Campbell the offensive weapons to compete in the tough NFC East.
Horton: Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has opened up his wallet and his Cowboys have made more moves than any other team in the NFL. They are not looking to the future and this team is built to win a championship sooner rather than later. Jones' roster is loaded and his players are well-paid and happy. Jones seems to relish in his role in personnel.
Kidd: Eagles defensive coordinator Jim Johnson relies heavily on his zone-blitz packages to create pressure in both running and passing situations. The addition of CB Asante Samuel allows Johnson the flexibility he so desperately needs on the back end when matching up versus multiple-spread attacks. Samuel has excellent ball skills and a very good knack for baiting quarterbacks into making game-changing mistakes. With the addition of Samuel and the return of starters Sheldon Brown and Lito Sheppard, the Eagles can place even more pressure on opposing offensive passing attacks.
Kretz: For better or worse the Redskins have a new head coach in Jim Zorn, who brings a new offense with him from Seattle. The speed at which the team improves offensively will depend on how fast the quarterbacks and the receivers learn the West Coast offense. Redskins owner Daniel Snyder is not known for his patience, so the players better learn quickly and show promise in Zorn's first year or his could be a short-tenured position.
Moll: Many might assume that the hiring of a new Redskins head coach would be the most important offseason move in the NFC East, but I believe that retaining Spagnuolo in New York was even more important. Losing Spagnuolo would have had a greater impact than the Redskins hiring Zorn. After a rocky start, the Giants' defense transformed into one of the most impressive and aggressive units in the league.
Ribary: It has to be the way Washington went about its head-coaching search. I like Zorn, but if the Redskins were so sold on him, they should have named him the head coach initially and not been flirting with others around the league while he was the coordinator. They took the unusual approach of trying to piece together a staff without a head coach. I have to think that made the job less attractive for others. We'll soon see if the unconventional approach worked.
Scouts Inc. watches games, breaks down film and studies football from all angles for ESPN.com.
posted by The Gryphon at 8:38 AM
<< Home