The excitement surrounding the Dallas Cowboys defensive line for the 2019 season is a little surprising after giving up 273 rushing yards against the Rams in the playoffs last season. The Cowboys defense is a deep and talented unit on the rise but have they arrived yet or are they overrated? For years the issue with the Dallas Cowboys defense has been the lack of a legitimate pass rush and the team has spent countless draft picks and free agent money trying to address it. Despite his best efforts, Jerry Jones was unable to find his “war daddy” elite pass rusher. That was until two years ago when one of those draft picks, Demarcus Lawrence, broke out and emerged as one of the elite defensive ends in the league. After producing back to back Pro-Bowl seasons, Lawrence earned a lucrative contract extension making him the highest paid player in franchise history. (At least until Dak Prescott signs his deal) With D-Law firmly established as the leader of the “Hot Boyz”, he and the rest of the Dallas Cowboys defensive line hope to build upon 2018 and elevate the defense to the status of elite.
There is little doubt after back to back productive seasons, that Tank Lawrence has proved to be an elite defensive end. He is a notch below the class of Von Miller and Khalil Mack in terms of pure pass rush ability but he is in a class all his own in terms of his ability to play both the pass and run. The trouble is aside from Tank there is no other individual player on the team who strikes fear into offensive lines. That is why the Cowboys added Robert Quinn as a book end DE to make opposing OC’s think twice about double teaming D-Law. Unfortunately, Quinn will miss the first 2 games of the year as a result of suspension. When he makes his debut as a Dallas Cowboy it should be fun to watch because Quinn has the ability to cause havoc on opposing QB’s.
Prior to signing Quinn, the man that the Cowboys had hoped would become their elite pass rushing right defensive end is Randy Gregory. The talented but troubled pass rusher played well last season but is facing yet another indefinite suspension and his status in 2019 is a mystery. Beyond Gregory and Quinn are some other players hoping to make the roster and become productive in the defensive end rotation. Free agent acquisition Kerry Hyder, Former 1st round pick Taco Charlton, 2nd year standout Dorance Armstrong, and rookies Joe Jackson and Jalen Jelks. All of these players have flashed potential and they are eager to earn a spot on the 53 man roster. The suspensions to Quinn and Gregory have provided a unique opportunity for all of those but the Cowboys may still not be able to keep all of them. I would personally like to see the youngsters Dorance Armstrong and Joe Jackson crack the final roster but Hyder has played well. Taco, who I had given up on, is starting to show something to the coaching staff of late as he fighting to keep his job. Jelks was a long shot to make the team but he is also giving coaches something to think about. It is a good problem to have to be so deep at a crucial position such as DE, but it is a shame the Cowboys will have to make some tough decisions there. It is possible that they can use their surplus at defensive end to address another position via trade before the season starts.
Tyrone Crawford is a hybrid defensive end and defensive tackle. He is often singled out by some fans as expendable due to his contract but he is a team captain and versatile player that I believe is underrated. His contract may warrant a decision for the Cowboys next year with all the new contracts they are trying to work out but for now his roster spot is save. Crawford’s leadership and willingness to do the dirty work in the trenches is invaluable to this team that is trying to win right now.
Defensive Tackle is an intriguing position group this year for the Cowboys. This team has long been searching for that disruptive 3 technique to be the catalyst of the Rod Marinelli Tampa 2 defense but have had no success finding that player. Tyrsten Hill was drafted this year with the hope that he can develop into that role but he is a rookie and considering he was the 58th overall pick, he is not likely to step in and dominate from day one. interestingly enough, the Cowboys have a guy on their roster who is capable of being that dominant guy and that is Maliek Collins. The Cowboys had expected Collins to break out the last two years but foot injures have slowed him down significantly. With this being Collins’ contract year, I predict he will have a breakout season and therefore it will be his last in Dallas. Antwaun Woods returns as the starter at the one technique spot after emerging out of nowhere last season. He was a disruptive force for Dallas despite his short stature and if he can duplicate his success from last year the Cowboys will be in good shape up front. In addition to drafting Trysten Hill, the Cowboys added Canadian Christian Covington in free agency and he is another capable guy that can plug the middle of the field. The depth they have added in the interior line should come in handy if the Cowboys suffer another performance like the playoff loss the the Rams or the shutout loss in Indianapolis in December.
Behind Collins, Woods, Hill, and Covington at DT the Cowboys front office will have some decisions to make regarding Daniel Ross, Daniel Wise, and Ricky Walker. Ross has the size and strength to play the one technique while the smaller youngsters Wise and Walker have some 3 tech traits in them. I would love to see the Cowboys go deep on the defensive line and keep as many of these guys as they can to provide security against injury and to be able to rotate players in that possess different skill sets.
The overall depth of the defensive line makes it a position of strength for the Cowboys but the shortage of truly elite players is what holds it back from being one of the leagues most dominant units. One area that I wish the Dallas Cowboys had a different philosophy is their devaluation of the nose tackle position and the lack of size in the interior defensive line. The Cowboys prefer guys who are quick and can penetrate which usually makes them lean towards smaller more agile players. The downside there is that there are games, such as the Rams and Colts games, where the opposing offensive line bullies the Cowboys in the running game and their is no way for them to stop the bleeding. On a positive note, when everything clicks they are able to shut down high octane offenses with the help of their athletic linebackers like they did against the Saints last year.
The Cowboys defense is built on speed, relentless effort, and getting to the ball. That all starts in the trenches where the Dallas Cowboys defensive line relentlessly attack in waves while Rod Marinelli urges them on from the sidelines. Effort and strength in numbers is what makes this unit successful and this years group is the deepest it has been since Marinelli arrived. I am expecting big things from the Dallas Cowboys defensive line this season.
*Photo by Kieth Allison https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/legalcode