Can the Dallas Cowboys field an elite defense in 2018?
It seems like the Dallas Cowboys haven’t had a great overall defense in decades. Can America’s Team field a truly elite defensive unit in 2018?
The Dallas Cowboys have not had a championship caliber defense in quite some time.
With a majority of the franchise player contracts in recent history going towards the offensive side of the ball, the front office has relied heavily upon journeymen veterans and mid to late round picks to perform on defense. This strategy has repeatedly shot the team in the foot throughout the later stages of former quarterback Tony Romo‘s career, and even in the first two years of quarterback Dak Prescott‘s career.
And though this philosophy has not necessarily changed, the people in charge of its execution have. Since the 2013-2015 seasons, personnel power has shifted from owner Jerry Jones to director of player personnel Stephen Jones and assistant director of player personnel Will McClay. And since beginning last offseason, the revamping of the Dallas Cowboys defense has flown under the radar.
In this article, we will explore these changes and what remaining moves need to be made in order to complete the transformation of one of the league’s poorest defenses in the last ten years.
After the heartbreaking 34-31 loss to the Green Bay Packers, the Cowboys front office was faced with a decision. With most of its secondary becoming free agents, the team had to decide who to keep and who it could not afford. They decided to let go of all of them.
Amongst the departed were starting cornerbacks Brandon Carr and Morris Claiborne, as well as starting safety Barry Church and rotational safety J.J. Wilcox. And although the group ranked amongst the bottom third in the league in pass defense, fans were outraged when Jones and McClay cleaned house. A fear of the unknown caused fans who once hated the secondary to beg for their return.
Instead, the front office believed they could bring in younger, cheaper, and more talented players through the draft; three of the most productive days in recent Cowboys off-seasons. They came away with cornerbacks Chidobe Awuzie, Jourdan Lewis, and Marquez White; as well as safety Xavier Woods. This isn’t even counting first round pass rusher Taco Charlton, who plays a position that inherently helps the secondary.
The front office nailed their picks and even though it took some time to come together (week 13 marked the first game the secondary was fully healthy and on the field together), it is safe to say they made the right choice in transitioning the secondary.
In terms of the 2017 season defensively, the team did not do as bad as fans like to think.
According to ESPN’s statistical rankings from 2017, the team finished eighth in total defense, eighth in total yards, eleventh in total pass yards, eighth in rush yards per game, and twelfth in receiving yards per game. All good for an eighth overall ranking, the teams first top-10 finish since 2009.
These total rankings come despite the fact that the defense rarely played as a full unit. With injuries, suspensions, and learning curves, the unit never got to really spread its wings. The best example of the defenses potential though, came in weeks 13-17 last season.
Even though the team only had defensive lineman David Irving for one of those games due to a concussion, this five-game sample size provides a good insight into what the defense can become.