There's currently a lot of excitement surrounding the Dallas Cowboys defensive end position, and rightfully so. Dallas' mix of veteran and youth talent has a lot of Cowboys Nation salivating over the possibility of putting together a dominant pass rush. However, Dorance Armstrong is often left out of the conversation. Why is that?
It's easy to forget about Dorance Armstrong with all of the intriguing, talented youth on the roster and the potential returns of both Aldon Smith and Randy Gregory. But still, I think it would be unwise to overlook Armstrong. Despite being somewhat lost in the shuffle, Armstrong is still arguably one of the better DEs the Cowboys have on the roster in my opinion.
Just last year Armstrong was a training camp standout who proved his worth. He allowed the Dallas Cowboys to bring DeMarcus Lawrence along slowly to start the season while he continued to rehab from his offseason shoulder surgery. That's the value he provides as a solid backup, and someone whose arrow I believe is trending upwards heading into the ever important and pivotal Year 3.
Now, I don't expect No. 92 to compete for a starting job or anything like that. I think he will once again be D-Law's primary backup, but that's not a bad thing. I have more confidence in him stepping in as an emergency fill-in than anybody else on the roster. That's why I think it's a little odd he's still getting lost in the shuffle somewhat amongst the Cowboys DEs.
I guess it's understandable though. Everybody's more intrigued with the unknown right now. Aldon Smith and Randy Gregory's return is definitely more interesting to discuss. As is Tyrone Crawford being a potential salary cap casualty. Oh, and let's not forget about second-year players like Joe Jackson and Jalen Jelks or rookies Bradlee Anae (5th round) and Ron'Dell Carter (undrafted).
It's easy to see why Dorance Armstrong has become somewhat of a forgotten man. He doesn't exactly scream headline news right now with little going on. I however think that will change once training camp gets underway though. I think he will once again be a camp standout, catching the attention of the new coaching staff like he did with the previous one.
Dorance Armstrong may not be the DE you'll be paying particularly close attention to throughout the rest of the offseason and that's okay, but don't be surprised if you hear his name mentioned on more than one occasion. In fact, I believe he's going to emerge as one of the Cowboys better pass rushers when all is said and done.
