Leaner (and Meaner?) Linebackers
By Matt Cordon (kh). Filed in Dallas Cowboys News in Brief |
The Dallas Morning News blog, which has provided outstanding coverage of the mini-camp thus far, had an interesting blurb about the Cowboys’ linebackers today:
** The linebackers all look like they lost a bunch of pounds. Bradie James said he played part of last year around 265 pounds but is now 245. Akin Ayodele is in the 240s and Bobby Carpenter is down to 252 after playing last year at 265.
Bill Parcells craved size in his linebackers because they had to take on offensive linemen so much, but this year the ‘backers believe they need more speed. The Chargers’ starting linebackers from a year ago weighed 262, 245, 227 and 272 pounds.
This news comes shortly after we learned that the Cowboys had plugged Roy Williams in as a nickel linebacker. This is from Mickey Spagnola:
Let’s qualify this from the start. This is only mini-camp, no pads, no hitting, no scheming. But maybe Wade Phillips has figured out how to keep Roy Williams out of deep coverage in passing situations on the nickel. In Sunday’s lone practice, the Cowboys worked on their nickel defense for the first time, and they lined up with Kevin Burnett and Williams as the linebackers on the nickel defense. That left Ken Hamlin and Pat Watkins at safety, with the usual rotation of corners: Terence Newman in the slot, along with Anthony Henry and Aaron Glenn on the outside. You know, Bill Parcells experimented with Williams at this up position on the nickel last summer at training camp. He called it at the time only a special package. But not until late in the season, like maybe the final game or two, did he actually go to the “special package.” We’ll keep an eye on this.
Williams was listed at 229 last season, and if he has stayed at this weight, it makes sense to give this scheme a shot. I assume that this means Williams will blitz more frequently, but I would be curious if the move could help in the coverages underneath and in run support from the nickel.
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More from Spagnola:
What’s the difference between Wade Phillips and Bill Parcells?
Well, now that I’ve seen a practice or two, the Cowboys opening a three-day mini-camp on Saturday with two practices, an open locker room session and a Phillips press conference, man, can I give you guys some succinct answers to these differences.
First, the Cowboys practiced outside - in the brilliant sunshine out here Saturday at The Ranch, and on real grass no less, that is until the afternoon practice when a 20-minute hail storm unleashed, sending the team scurrying indoors. But heck, you know Bill, he liked being cooped up in that indoor structure. We’d have probably been indoors in the first place.
The first word out of Phillips’ mouth during his press conference was “Terrell.” Not “he.” Not “the player.” No sidestep of the issue, Phillips actually poking a little fun at himself for saying on Thursday he wasn’t sure if Terrell Owens would be allowed to practice today by starting off with “Terrell is going to practice, and caught the ball to clear that up, and caught it very well, by the way.”
Cute, and believe me, Bill never did much cute.
Don’t know about anyone else, but I really don’t miss Parcells. I certainly didn’t think I would say that when Dallas hired him in 2003.
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There is a new Cowboys blog that seems to be off to a good start. Check out Cowboys Blitz.
