Dallas Cowboys: All aboard the ‘War Daddy’ express

With a key piece recently added, the Dallas Cowboys might have a defensive front worthy of that so-called ‘War Daddy’ moniker.

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones wanted a so-called “War Daddy” to rush the passer so much that his front office reached for a player in a draft that many had a second-round grade on in Taco Charlton.

To make matters worse, the other player in the conversation, T.J. Watt, has elevated his game so much that it makes everyone wonder why they opted for a guy that did not fit the Rod Marinelli quick-twitch type and went for the player who had gotten better each year in college but was never a leading man.

This offseason has drastically changed the way fans look at Jerry Jones and how he operates his front office. Many years ago, I once had a  casual conversation with former Dallas Cowboys defensive line coach and current Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator, Andre Patterson, about Jerry Jones and he told me that Jerry listens to everyone in the room before making his decisions.

The military runs their organization this way and I would think many big corporations do this as well makes me feel that we have given the owner too much heat for missed opportunities. Count this newest addition of defensive end, Everson Griffen, as Jerry making amends for past mistakes.

Director of Player personnel Will McClay and company are charged with going out and finding what the coaching staff wants and what this new coaching staff wanted was a war chest of pass rushers which could help out what is looking to be a versatile group of defensive backs.

Before the signing of Everson Griffen, it looked like the defensive line was lacking something. Now that Griffen is on board, it now feels like everyone is in their correct place. A great example of this was the before and after wideout Amari Cooper trade.

The talent was there but everyone felt out of place. Once a true number one wideout arrived, the second and third options worked well. The Griffen signing makes this group dangerous. I watched a bit of film on Griffen and he started out hot to start this past season but looked like he lacked burst towards the end of the year.

So what does the Griffen signing mean for the ‘War Daddy’ express?

I was a proponent of signing Griffen because he is now a starter that can be rotated to keep him fresh later in the season. Baseball has traditionally had closers to finish off games but a new trend is having openers to set up their bullpens.

Think of Griffen as now the primary occupant of those roles. Start Griffen and allow him to set the tempo for the other players. A healthy rotation of Aldon Smith, Tyrone Crawford, Dorance Armstrong, and hopefully Randy Gregory subbing in for Edge starters DeMarcus Lawrence and Everson Griffen keep them fresh to “close” the game.

I even love the idea of the Dallas Cowboys throwing teams a curveball and running an odd front to allow Smith to rush as an outside linebacker two-point stance. Giving teams different looks to cause confusion is something we rarely saw in the Garrett era.

Having talent is great but having a coaching staff that puts players in a position to capitalize on that talent is just as important. I can see this year’s defense finally putting some serious pressure on teams to not only create sacks but more importantly create turnovers.

Pinning your ears back and rushing the passer when the opponent is desperate is a fun time for pass rushers and a nightmare scenario for offensive lines. This is where the Dallas Cowboys can and will win a majority of their ballgames. All Aboard!