2012 Dallas Cowboys: A Closer Look at Defensive Line and Why It's a Concern

The Dallas Cowboys were able to fill a variety of needs so far in free agency. Unfortunately, the defensive line was not one of them. A lot of fans were figuring this was the year the Cowboys would land a prototypical nose tackle in the hopes of moving Jay Ratliff to defensive end or they would target an end capable of wreaking havoc off the edge while giving DeMarcus Ware a little help in the sack department.

So far neither scenario has come to fruition.

The current roster at defensive line consists of Jay Ratliff, Kenyon Coleman, Jason Hatcher, Sean Lissemore, Marcus Spears, Josh Brent, Clifton Geathers and Robert Calloway. While Ratliff has been a standout performer and Pro Bowler, the rest of the group is hardly murderers' row. In 2011 Jason Hatcher led the defensive line with four sacks while Lissemore and Ratliff tied for second with two apiece. At times the failure by this group to generate any pressure, while looking a step slow, sent a ripple effect throughout the defense.

As bad as the secondary played in 2011, not having a consistent, explosive pass rush just exploited the weaknesses of the Cowboys even more. When you focus a little closer at the defensive line the first bit of concern is the overall age of the group. While I don't see it as an aging group, Ratliff, Coleman, Hatcher and Spears will all be at least 30 years old or above by the time the 2012 season starts. 

If you factor in that each of these players contribute major snaps, it might be time to increase the roles of some younger players.

Sean Lissemore is a young player who displayed promise and versatility in 2011 while making some solid contributions to the defense. Josh Brent battled injury throughout 2011 and while he failed to live up to the promise he displayed as a rookie, he will simply need to prove himself this season to cement his future. Clifton Geathers, who stands at 6'7" and 320 pounds, could be a player to watch this season if given the chance.

Another interesting player, Robert Calloway, could be in the mix as well along the defensive line that could push some of the veterans while injecting some youth.

Despite having some younger players available there are two questions that arise. Are they ready to contribute in 2012? and more importantly, are the Cowboys going to rely on them to contribute ? With the exception of Lissemore, I have my doubts.

The bigger area of concern I have with this unit is simply the lack of quality depth and overall mediocrity in comparison to the other NFC East teams, The Eagles possess a solid group of young, athletic linemen highlighted by Jason Babin and Trent Cole. The Giants, who proved again what a great defensive line can mean to a defense, are a deep and talented group that just completed their second Super Bowl run in four years. The Redskins are also assembling a younger, talented group centering around Ryan Kerrigan and former Cowboy Stephen Bowen.

When you look closer at the defensive line of the Cowboys it's pretty clear it needs to be addressed to help them win more games. So far that hasn't been the case but free agency isn't over and the draft is a month away. Although the outlook as it stands does come with concerns, confidence is high that defensive line still ranks as a high priority of need. If not, then confidence is high that it will be their doom in 2012.