32 teams in 32 days: Dallas Cowboys

Record 8-8
Offensive Rank: 6th (Passing: 3rd, Rushing: 31st)
Defensive Rank: 19th (Passing: 19th, Rushing: 22nd)

What went well?
Tony Romo continued to be the most underrated QB in the NFL. Dez Bryant finally took off in the 2nd half of 2012. Anthony Spencer finally did something, Brandon Carr lived up to his contract. Sean Lee and Burce Carter had nice seasons before they landed on IR.

What went badly?
Injuries for a start. The OL was bad, Felix Jones had to play. Rob Ryan isn't a good DC. Doug Free sucks.

Prospects for 2013?
Thankfully the NFC East sucks, so Dallas is in contention. Dumping Rob Ryan was a good start, though hiring 70 odd year old DC Monte Kiffin wasn't really. Jerruh is desperately trying to win with the team Parcells built before it needs blowing up. Remains to be seen how well the Cowboys pieces fit a 4-3 Tampa 2, hint: splashing out on 2 press man CBs probably wasn't wise.

Projected 2013 Draft Pick?
Could be OL given Doug Free is slanted for a restructure or cut. Dallas needs a pass rusher opposite Ware however, with Spencer walking in FA, and with Dallas seeing JPP twice a year, Jerruh opts for a pass rusher in a similar mould, Ezekiel Ansah.

Spencer may end up back in Dallas they are speaking to his agent at the combine, I like ansah but he may end up top 10, would not be surprised to see possible Lane Johnson OT OU for 18th pick or Short from Purdue to play the the 1 tech.

Dallas can't afford Spencer.

GSC wrote:Dallas can't afford Spencer.

Really, this is the same stuff that comes out every year, and everyear Dallas can sign players.

Restructure Romo's Carr's Witten's Ratliff and Austin contract, and they are back under the cap, cuts to Sensabaugh, Spears plus others who will move on and the Cowboys will have money to play with.

Here is how Dallas can sign Spencer even without a number of cuts and a couple of contracts re-worked.

Spencer: 5yr-$57m, $27m g'teed | $12mSB;$1m,$14m,$8m,$10m,$12m. Make $12m of '14 bonus. Cap hit of $3.4m, in 2013 $7.4m in 2014

And then Dallas ends up breaking the bank for a guy with 1 good year at 3-4 OLB to play 4-3 DE. I'm ok with this.

I'm interested to see if the Cowboys draft a QB. There been plenty of talk on how long Tony Romo has left in Dallas.

And as if by magic, Dallas is now under the cap, and with even more restructures coming, Dallas should have some Cap space to make F.A. signings

GSC wrote:And then Dallas ends up breaking the bank for a guy with 1 good year at 3-4 OLB to play 4-3 DE. I'm ok with this.

Sorry I missed this, one good year my foot. Spencer has been one of the top performing OLB over the last several seasons too many people just look at Sack Numbers and go who did not get a lot, therefore he must be poor. Spencer's job and always has been is to stuff the run, stop the run game and if you check his total tackles over the last few seasons, you will see that he has been coming in the top 5 OLB at his positions each season. He had high sack count last season as he was not only doing his own job, he was doing Wares as well due to his injuries.

And as for playing 3-4 to 4-3 you will like most College DE that converted he played with his had in the dirt, in several defensive front schemes there is little different between the job of a 3-4 OLB and a 4-3 DE, the main one being he has a hand on the ground prior to the snap, his job and where he lines up is the same.

So sack counts can't be trusted, but tackle numbers are a reliable indicator.

laugh out loud, ok.

Being that his job is to stuff the run, and not hit the QB, its Ware who is the edge rusher who main job is to hit the QB, its a bit like the LT and RT the LT is to block the main pass rush threat, whilst the RT to set the run. You would not count sacks against a RT if they came via the LT. His sack count is not indicative on how he played that's not what he is there for. As I have noted his job is to seal the Strong side against the run

https://www.profootballfocus.com/blog/2012/07/07/three-years-of-tackling-efficiency-edge-rushers/

No edge rusher has made more tackles over the past three years than the Cowboys’ Anthony Spencer. The Dallas defender gets criticized for failing to deliver big sack numbers opposite DeMarcus Ware, but a closer look reveals Spencer does bring pressure, and is an extremely active and effective player against the run. Over the past three seasons he has notched 162 solo tackles and 23 assists and earned a +35.2 PFF grade for his work in the run game. Spencer may never be the player Dallas fans want him to be, but it would be a mistake to write him off as inadequate; he is a solid performer in all areas of the game.

His job is still to rush the passer from his OLB position, maybe less than Ware, but still so. Especially when he played under Wade.

All I hear about him from other Dallas fans is at his best hes average, otherwise hes irrelevant. As I say, I have no worries about Anthony SPencer sticking around and changing positions.

that's because they don't know anything, too many people look at sack total to determine if a olb has played well, in 3-4 scheme you have 2 olb one pass rusher whose job is to prevent the pass attack the QB blindside. Other edge rusher job is to seal the edge against the run also assist pass rusher. If an offence runs multiple sweeps to strong side and a RB is scoring multiple TD and 100yds rushing then that would Spencers fault.Hence my posting of PFF stats to show Spencer is one of best for his job.

Thats all well and good, but you don't draft run stuffing 3-4 OLBs in the first. He was drafted to be a pass rusher and hasn't lived up to that. That he can play the run is whats kept his job.

Who says you don't 3-4 OLB cheaper than DE as for what round you pick em, you go by how high they are ranked on your draft board and who they will replace on your current team and in Spencers case he ended up replacing Greg Ellis.