Off-season moves feed Dallas Cowboys’ need for speed on defense
By JIM REEVES
revo@star-telegram.com
SAN ANTONIO — Hard to believe, but I’ve actually won a few races in my day. Innocent bystanders trampled during those mad dashes to the front of the buffet line have the scars to prove it. This doesn’t qualify me as an expert on real speed, only the lack of it.
Therefore I claim some marginal expertise in suggesting that said lack was a particular malady afflicting your Dallas Cowboys in 2008, particularly in the secondary. It was one that would ultimately prove fatal.
The 44-6 debacle in Philadelphia in late December with a playoff berth on the line provided the bloody epitaph.
Improving defensively this off-season was something the Cowboys understood was imperative. To accomplish that, head coach Wade Phillips took the drastic step of drafting ...
Himself.
Not because he’s particularly swift of foot, mind you, but Phillips very cleverly recognized that no coach or player with the Cowboys understands the 3-4 defense better than he does. So he did what he probably should have done the moment he arrived in Dallas: He removed all pretense and named himself his own defensive coordinator.
The second step that was absolutely mandated was equally obvious. This was a team that simply had to have more speed, especially on defense.
"Speed is the difference between making a play," said former Cowboys personnel director Gil Brandt, "and almost making a play."
And that’s almost always the difference between winning and losing.
Roy Williams, the biscuit-short-of-a-linebacker strong safety, couldn’t cover toast with jam. Cornerback Terence Newman spent much of the season just trying to get healthy. Anthony Henry wasn’t the answer. Pacman did most of his running after midnight.
Adding pure speed and athleticism, then, was a major goal this off-season and why of the aforementioned quartet, only Newman returns. Free agent Gerald Sensabaugh was signed to replace Williams. The corner opposite Newman is up for grabs between second-year players Mike Jenkins and Orlando Scandrick and both can play. Rookies DeAngelo Smith, Mike Mickens and Mike Hamlin are already making plays in camp.
"Sensabaugh has a great burst with great speed and that’s a huge addition in itself," said veteran secondary coach Dave Campo after Friday afternoon’s practice session featured what Coach Wade termed a "crisp and pretty violent" workout.
"If Newman’s healthy, and it looks like he is, he can really move," Campo added. "I don’t think they completed a ball on him today.
"The thing we were missing a year ago is that we didn’t have many big guys who could run. You remember how everybody said we were drafting special teams guys? No, we weren’t. All of these guys can start for us in the future. What they can do right now, is they’re big guys who can run."
In other words, you wouldn’t want to get between them and the buffet table either.
"You can make mistakes and overcome them with speed," Phillips said.
The 2008 Cowboys became experts on the former, MIA in the latter.
Maybe there’s something to be said for changing the chemistry, too. The mantra from every player is that last year is past and they’re looking forward to writing a new story here.
Wouldn’t hurt my feelings if they wanted to write this one, but since nobody’s volunteered ...
"I see a different mind-set, a different attitude, a sense of urgency," Campo said.
It’s obvious Phillips, in the last year of his contract, feels that urgency, which is likely why he decided to take a more hands-on approach and active role. It’s a change the defensive players have embraced.
"Wade is in the meeting rooms. Wade is in there talking," linebacker Bradie James said. "I mean, you make one false step, Wade is right there. It’s a little different in that respect, but it’s good, because this is his defense. He’s got a lot to put into it.
"He spends a lot of time with us because the linebacker position is really key in the 3-4 defense. I’ve never had this before and he might be on me, or D’Ware [DeMarcus Ware] more than ever, but he knows how the position is supposed to be played and we can’t do anything but respect that."
James pointed out that Phillips has already specifically helped him with his footwork.
"I’ve led this team in tackles for four straight years and never really noticed it before, but Wade was telling me about my footwork," James said. "I looked at film from last year and worked on it during OTAs. It might look like I’m faster, but what I’m trying to do is eliminate false steps."
Whether he’s actually faster or, as James said, it’s just "an illusion," it’s working.
Better technique. Faster players. More urgency. Hands-on attention from the head coach. Put it all together and the Cowboys are convinced they’ll have an improved defense in 2009.
The other alternative was for Coach Wade to set up buffet lines in each zone, but I have a sneaking suspicion that only works for sports writers.
revo@star-telegram.com
SAN ANTONIO — Hard to believe, but I’ve actually won a few races in my day. Innocent bystanders trampled during those mad dashes to the front of the buffet line have the scars to prove it. This doesn’t qualify me as an expert on real speed, only the lack of it.
Therefore I claim some marginal expertise in suggesting that said lack was a particular malady afflicting your Dallas Cowboys in 2008, particularly in the secondary. It was one that would ultimately prove fatal.
The 44-6 debacle in Philadelphia in late December with a playoff berth on the line provided the bloody epitaph.
Improving defensively this off-season was something the Cowboys understood was imperative. To accomplish that, head coach Wade Phillips took the drastic step of drafting ...
Himself.
Not because he’s particularly swift of foot, mind you, but Phillips very cleverly recognized that no coach or player with the Cowboys understands the 3-4 defense better than he does. So he did what he probably should have done the moment he arrived in Dallas: He removed all pretense and named himself his own defensive coordinator.
The second step that was absolutely mandated was equally obvious. This was a team that simply had to have more speed, especially on defense.
"Speed is the difference between making a play," said former Cowboys personnel director Gil Brandt, "and almost making a play."
And that’s almost always the difference between winning and losing.
Roy Williams, the biscuit-short-of-a-linebacker strong safety, couldn’t cover toast with jam. Cornerback Terence Newman spent much of the season just trying to get healthy. Anthony Henry wasn’t the answer. Pacman did most of his running after midnight.
Adding pure speed and athleticism, then, was a major goal this off-season and why of the aforementioned quartet, only Newman returns. Free agent Gerald Sensabaugh was signed to replace Williams. The corner opposite Newman is up for grabs between second-year players Mike Jenkins and Orlando Scandrick and both can play. Rookies DeAngelo Smith, Mike Mickens and Mike Hamlin are already making plays in camp.
"Sensabaugh has a great burst with great speed and that’s a huge addition in itself," said veteran secondary coach Dave Campo after Friday afternoon’s practice session featured what Coach Wade termed a "crisp and pretty violent" workout.
"If Newman’s healthy, and it looks like he is, he can really move," Campo added. "I don’t think they completed a ball on him today.
"The thing we were missing a year ago is that we didn’t have many big guys who could run. You remember how everybody said we were drafting special teams guys? No, we weren’t. All of these guys can start for us in the future. What they can do right now, is they’re big guys who can run."
In other words, you wouldn’t want to get between them and the buffet table either.
"You can make mistakes and overcome them with speed," Phillips said.
The 2008 Cowboys became experts on the former, MIA in the latter.
Maybe there’s something to be said for changing the chemistry, too. The mantra from every player is that last year is past and they’re looking forward to writing a new story here.
Wouldn’t hurt my feelings if they wanted to write this one, but since nobody’s volunteered ...
"I see a different mind-set, a different attitude, a sense of urgency," Campo said.
It’s obvious Phillips, in the last year of his contract, feels that urgency, which is likely why he decided to take a more hands-on approach and active role. It’s a change the defensive players have embraced.
"Wade is in the meeting rooms. Wade is in there talking," linebacker Bradie James said. "I mean, you make one false step, Wade is right there. It’s a little different in that respect, but it’s good, because this is his defense. He’s got a lot to put into it.
"He spends a lot of time with us because the linebacker position is really key in the 3-4 defense. I’ve never had this before and he might be on me, or D’Ware [DeMarcus Ware] more than ever, but he knows how the position is supposed to be played and we can’t do anything but respect that."
James pointed out that Phillips has already specifically helped him with his footwork.
"I’ve led this team in tackles for four straight years and never really noticed it before, but Wade was telling me about my footwork," James said. "I looked at film from last year and worked on it during OTAs. It might look like I’m faster, but what I’m trying to do is eliminate false steps."
Whether he’s actually faster or, as James said, it’s just "an illusion," it’s working.
Better technique. Faster players. More urgency. Hands-on attention from the head coach. Put it all together and the Cowboys are convinced they’ll have an improved defense in 2009.
The other alternative was for Coach Wade to set up buffet lines in each zone, but I have a sneaking suspicion that only works for sports writers.
posted by The Gryphon at 7:50 AM
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