Cowboys Up: Can Rob Ryan Turn Around the Cowboys Defense?

One thing Rob Ryan does not lack is confidence. If you’ve never seen a picture of Ryan or heard him speak, just think of Rex Ryan 2.0. Rob is the twin brother of New York Jets head coach Rex and son of former Chicago Bears defensive guru Buddy Ryan. Rob is hoping to have the same type of success with the Cowboys that his brother has had with the Jets.

He’s a little brash and promises to turn the league’s 31st scoring defense back into one of the best run units in the National Football League.

But whether he can do it is the main question.

Ryan will inherit a unit led by perennial Pro Bowler DeMarcus Ware and nose tackle Jay Ratliff. Ware was the league leader in sacks in 2010, and Ratliff can dominate a line of scrimmage, especially if he’s facing an undersized offensive line.

Ratliff weighs 300 pounds and is considered to be small for his position. Ryan believes that Ratliff will make a big difference in his scheme as it features more disguises than Wade’s did.

With all of the Cowboys problems last season on defense, most pundits and fans will agree that the superficial issue with the 'Boys was their poor secondary play.

Cornerback Terence Newman is aging, and his counterpart Mike Jenkins took a huge step backward in his third year in the league. Jenkins was beat often, missed key tackles and looked as if he gave up on many key defensive plays.

After Mike made the Pro Bowl in 2009, many Cowboys fans believed that Jenkins was on his way to becoming one of the best in the league. But last year proved that Mike still had a lot to learn and needed more time to develop.

With the draft coming soon in April, many experts believe that Dallas will choose Nebraska cornerback Prince Amukamara as its first-round choice. While the pick rests in the hands of Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, I’m sure he may solicit ideas from head coach Jason Garrett and Rob Ryan.

Ryan will also have to keep his attention on his set of linebackers, as Keith Brooking was a liability in coverage and Bradie James is starting to age. Linebacker Sean Lee looks to see more playing time as he had a great rookie season while also nursing a few injuries.

Rex will have one of the most talented squads in the NFL, but will his scheme and defensive philosophy mesh well in Big D?

While defensive coordinator in Cleveland, Ryan’s team ranked 13th in scoring defense, and he hopes to bring that same success to Dallas. After all, there is nowhere to go but up at this point.