DMN Blog: Can Cowboys afford to get rid of Greg Ellis?
By Tim MacMahon
Ending Greg Ellis' decade-plus tenure with the Cowboys makes financial sense. The team would create more than $5 million in cap space if they can trade him, $4.15 million if they cut him. That cash can be put to good use (direct deposit into DeMarcus Ware's account as part of a massive signing bonus).
Does getting rid of Ellis make football sense? Seems like it's too early to tell.
The Cowboys are confident that 2007 first-round pick Anthony Spencer is ready to step into a starting role. He's an upgrade over Ellis at this point against the run and has the potential to be a good pass rusher. But Spencer missed four games last season, when he was a part-time player, due to knee and hamstring injuries. What happens if he gets hurt?
The Cowboys drafted a pair of DE-to-OLB conversion projects in the fourth round. Ideally, they would combine to play about 20 snaps per game on passing downs. If Victor Butler and Brandon Williams are pushed into bigger roles as rookies, they could be exploited in the running game, which LB coach Reggie Herring acknowledged as a facet of the game in which both fourth-rounders need to improve significantly. Justin Rogers is also on the roster, but he's a solid special teams player who hasn't played a significant NFL down on defense.
That's why it's a little surprising that the Cowboys appear ready to move on from Ellis right now. It seems like the Cowboys would have benefited from monitoring the development of their draft picks during training camp and the preseason before making this decision.
Maybe they're doing Ellis a favor, allowing him an opportunity to spend the bulk of an off-season learning his new team's scheme. Or perhaps they figure its best for all involved to cancel this edition of the annual Greg Ellis Summer Soap Opera before it gets rolling.
Ending Greg Ellis' decade-plus tenure with the Cowboys makes financial sense. The team would create more than $5 million in cap space if they can trade him, $4.15 million if they cut him. That cash can be put to good use (direct deposit into DeMarcus Ware's account as part of a massive signing bonus).
Does getting rid of Ellis make football sense? Seems like it's too early to tell.
The Cowboys are confident that 2007 first-round pick Anthony Spencer is ready to step into a starting role. He's an upgrade over Ellis at this point against the run and has the potential to be a good pass rusher. But Spencer missed four games last season, when he was a part-time player, due to knee and hamstring injuries. What happens if he gets hurt?
The Cowboys drafted a pair of DE-to-OLB conversion projects in the fourth round. Ideally, they would combine to play about 20 snaps per game on passing downs. If Victor Butler and Brandon Williams are pushed into bigger roles as rookies, they could be exploited in the running game, which LB coach Reggie Herring acknowledged as a facet of the game in which both fourth-rounders need to improve significantly. Justin Rogers is also on the roster, but he's a solid special teams player who hasn't played a significant NFL down on defense.
That's why it's a little surprising that the Cowboys appear ready to move on from Ellis right now. It seems like the Cowboys would have benefited from monitoring the development of their draft picks during training camp and the preseason before making this decision.
Maybe they're doing Ellis a favor, allowing him an opportunity to spend the bulk of an off-season learning his new team's scheme. Or perhaps they figure its best for all involved to cancel this edition of the annual Greg Ellis Summer Soap Opera before it gets rolling.
posted by The Gryphon at 9:06 PM
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