NFL Nation reporter Todd Archer breaks down the Dallas Cowboys, position-by-position, analyzing what the players did in 2016, what they can do in the future and what the team can do to improve the position in 2017.
DEFENSIVE LINE
Under contract: Tyrone Crawford, DeMarcus Lawrence, Cedric Thornton, Benson Mayowa, Maliek Collins, Randy Gregory-X, David Irving-Y, Richard Ash, Charles Tapper, Lenny Jones
(X- Gregory is suspended for at least the 2017 regular season; Y – Irving is an exclusive rights free agent)
Free agents: Terrell McClain, Jack Crawford, Ryan Davis
A look back: The Cowboys entered 2016 hoping they could bring waves of pass rushers at opposing quarterbacks and be effective. It was only a little bit better than the 2015 pass rush with 34 sacks, compared to 31 the year prior.
Mayowa, who was the team’s first restricted free agent signing in their history, led the Cowboys with six sacks, and that includes a three-game span in which the coaches benched him.
Lawrence was suspended the first four games of the season for violating the NFL’s substance-abuse policy and missed the final three games with a back injury that could require a second back surgery in as many offseasons. He had just one sack after leading the Cowboys with eight sacks in 2015. The hope that he could take the next step as a pass rusher was derailed by suspension and injury.
Tyrone Crawford opened the year as the team’s most-sure bet, lining up at defensive tackle, but he was moved to left defensive end. He had 4.5 sacks and 17 quarterback hurries, according to the coaches’ count, and missed the final two regular-season games because of a left shoulder injury that might require surgery.
The Cowboys’ best linemen were tackles McClain and Collins. McClain had 2.5 sacks but led the linemen with 41 tackles, including three tackles for loss. He also forced two fumbles. He missed the final regular-season game with an injury but finally showed the potential the Cowboys wanted to see when he signed in 2014. Collins, a third-round pick, finished second on the defense with five sacks and showed promise for the future.
Thornton was the Cowboys’ biggest free-agent signing (four years, $17 million), but it took him time to adjust to a new scheme and earn the coaches’ trust. He had flashes of solid play but needed to be more consistent. The same goes for Irving, who might have the biggest upset of any defensive linemen and had four sacks. He dominated the wins against the Green Bay Packers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Jack Crawford was solid and flexible, showing the ability to play tackle or end. Tapper did not play as a rookie because of a back injury that crept up during the first week of training camp. The hope is rest and added strength will allow him to get on the field in 2017.
Gregory played in only the final two regular-season games because of suspension and will miss at least the 16 regular-season games in 2017 because of another violation of the substance-abuse policy. The Cowboys will not have every-day contact with him during the suspension, but Jerry Jones is sticking with the former second-round pick, who recorded one sack.
A look ahead: The best hope is Tyrone Crawford finds the form that earned him a $45 million extension in the summer of 2015, and Lawrence shows the form that led to his eight-sack season in 2015.
The Cowboys need both to be difference-makers. The development of Collins as the three-technique means Crawford could continue to play defensive end. For Lawrence, he has to return to health. He relies more on power than speed, and the back injury robbed him of some strength.
Mayowa played more snaps in 2016 than he had in his career. Once he found the consistency of effort Rod Marinelli demands, he was productive. Will he be a 10-sack player? Hard to say, but he can be an effective part of a rotation. The same goes for Irving.
Thornton was signed to be a run-stopping defensive tackle, but he could not win the job from McClain all season. With McClain set to hit the market, Thornton will have to show he can be an effective run stopper while bringing at least some pass-rushing abilities to the table.
A look out: We have already seen people mention Jason Pierre-Paul as a possibility, but the Cowboys’ modus operandi is not to get into the high-priced free agency game. The addition of Pierre-Paul would strengthen the pass rush and weaken the New York Giants, but cost a lot of money.
Are the Cowboys better served in retaining McClain and Crawford or going after a big prize? History says they will go with depth over stars.
But the draft is said to be a strong one for pass rushers. Relying on rookies to severely impact a pass rush is never the easiest thing to do, especially when picking so late in the first round. The Cowboys built their offensive line in the draft from 2011-14 but have found the going not as smooth in their attempt to rebuild the defensive line the past few years.
