Who will be the Dallas Cowboys starters at defensive end?

With two of their top defensive ends suspended, whom will the Dallas Cowboys starters be at the position when the regular season begins?

The Dallas Cowboys receive a potentially devastating blow earlier this offseason when the NFL suspended defensive ends DeMarcus Lawrence and Randy Gregory for the first four games of the regular season due to both violating the league’s substance abuse policy.

Due to Lawrence and Gregory’s absence, the Cowboys are expecting players from their current roster to step up this offseason and earn the right to fill the voids left by two of their top defenders.

As the depth chart currently stands, the Cowboys have Caleb Azubike, Jack Crawford, Benson Mayowa, Mike McAdoo, Ryan Russell, and rookie Charles Tapper at the defensive end position along with Gregory and Lawrence.

At defensive tackle, the Cowboys have David Irving, Cedric Thornton, Rodney Coe, rookie Maliek Collins, Tyrone Crawford, Terrell McClain and Casey Walker. Any of whom could be asked to make the move outside to help fill the void.

Although the Cowboys just finished their first week of OTA’s, the question which will surely linger from now until Week One of the regular season actually starts is: Who among this group will actually be Dallas’ starters along the defensive line during Lawrence and Gregory’s four game absence?

"“The options aren’t the best, but here’s what I would forecast, which means it will be completely wrong on Sept. 11 against the New York Giants: Crawford and Cedric Thornton will be the defensive tackles. Benson Mayowa will line up at right defensive end and David Irving will be the left defensive end” ESPN staff writer Todd Archer predicts. “But I don’t think we should get carried away with ‘starter,’ because the Cowboys will mix and match a lot of players as they go through the season.”"

Archer is right about defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli’s scheme, which relies heavily on constant substitutions in order to keep his defenders along the line fresh. So the term “starter” doesn’t carry as much weight as it would on other teams.

Still, electing Mayowa and Irving as the potential starters is a bit of a gamble. But among this young and inexperienced squad, who isn’t?

More from The Landry Hat

Mayowa was signed by the Cowboys as a restricted free agent from the Oakland Raiders earlier this offseason. In his three-year career, which also included a stint with the Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks in 2013, the 24-year old defensive end has started in only three games and recorded a career total of 31 tackles and 2.0 sacks.

As for Irving, the Cowboys swiped the undrafted free agent out of Iowa State off the Kansas City Chiefs practice squad last September. Dallas elected to play the 6-7, 272 pound rookie at defensive tackle, where he showed flashes of potential last season. With limited snaps, Irving recorded a total of 13 tackles and 0.5 sack in 12 games. Now, it appears he’ll try to make the switch to defensive end.

The funny thing is Mayowa and Irving appear to actually be the most tenured members of this very young defensive end group outside of rotational rusher Jack Crawford.

I think the point here is no one player on this current Cowboys roster that’s sitting behind Lawrence and Gregory will inspire confidence if they are elected as starters come September. But it is a great opportunity for one or more of them to make a real name for themselves and gain some valuable experience that they all seem to desperately need.

Next: Could this Cowboys long shot pay off at defensive end?

Thank you for reading the above article. It’s our sincere hope you’ll visit our site often as we work really hard to provide Cowboys fans with fresh, daily content about their favorite team. Please feel free to take part in further discussions about this topic below in our comment section. All we ask is that each participant is respectful in both their responses and towards others. Thanks again and…Go Cowboys!

Home/Cowboys News