Offseason Moves Have Dallas Cowboys Better Suited For 3-4 Scheme

(Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

ARLINGTON, TEXAS – Statistics will never win games. But they can go a long way in determining why a team didn’t emerge victorious. Such was the case for the Dallas Cowboys in 2008 where sacks were aplenty, and everything else, well, wasn’t.

Dallas led the NFL with 59 quarterback takedowns in 2008, thanks largely to the 20 totaled by DeMarcus Ware that were tops in the league. But interceptions—ranked 30th in NFL with eight—and game-changing turnovers were few and far between.

The Cowboys’ defense ranked eighth overall last season, but their 22.8 points per game were 13th in the league. Of the teams that ranked in the bottom 17 in points allowed per game, only one made the playoffs. That one team wasn’t Dallas.

Head coach Wade Phillips, who will also act as the full-time defensive coordinator for the first time in Dallas, has added plenty of pieces throughout the offseason to cater towards his 3-4 alignment.

Much of the success his defense could have will depend on the emergence of a youthful but talented secondary, which will likely see more man coverage to allow the defensive front to apply more pressure on quarterbacks.

Second-year secondary players Orlando Scandrick and Mike Jenkins should solidify their positions as the top two choices at the No. 2 cornerback spot with Anthony Henry no longer on the team.

The safety position should also see improvement now that Roy Williams and his unreliable coverage abilities are in Cincinnati. The addition of Gerald Sensabaugh through free agency is an upgrade coverage-wise.

Spencer Expendable?

Anthony Spencer…it’s appears that your time has come.

Last season, the Cowboys were set on making the 25-year-old the starter at the outside linebacker position ahead of Greg Ellis. But Spencer couldn’t stay on the field long enough due to injuries. So Ellis’ job it became.

With Ellis’s 10-year tenure in Dallas now over, Spencer should finally take command of the position assuming that he can stay healthy. If not, the Cowboys can always turn toward the cupboard, where they stockpiled on players that could help them pass rush in last month’s draft. Dallas has 15 linebackers on their roster.

Despite missing four games in 2008, Spencer’s 34 tackles were only two shy of Ellis’ total through all 16 games. There’s little question about how productive he can be. It’s the matter of staying on the field that will be his biggest issue.

Kitna a Solid No. 2 QB

The addition of John Kitna as the No. 2 quarterback behind Tony Romo shouldn’t go unnoticed. Sure, Cowboys fans hope the only time he sees playing time is in late-game blowout situations. But he might be needed elsewhere and would be an immediate upgrade over the aging Brad Johnson should that happen.

The 12-year veteran from Central Washington showed glimpses of top-tier quarterbacking at times with Detroit, but repeatedly fell back to relative obscurity because of the talent, or lack there of, that surrounded him.

He was traded to Dallas for Henry on February 28, which might turn out to be a date to remember considering the Cowboys also signed linebacker Keith Brooking to a three-year contract on the same day.

Brooking collected 102 tackles last year in Atlanta and should shine right away as the starting right inside linebacker in Wade Phillips’ 3-4 defense.

Life will get much easier for him if Igor Olshansky, a free agent brought in from San Diego, can maneuver his way around and through offensive fronts from the right defensive end position, clearing lanes for those behind him to plug.

You're currently logged into Facebook

Do you want to share your Bleacher Report activity on Facebook?