The Achilles heel of the Dallas Cowboys’ defense in 2023 was its’ interior defensive line. Once the Cowboys’ inability to stop the run up the middle was exposed, it was game over.
One game into the playoffs, it was season over.
Part of the problem was the lack of production from last year’s first-round pick, Mazi Smith.
But not all of the fault settles on Smith’s shoulders.
The defensive tackle out of Michigan was asked to drop 30 pounds during camp. Because that’s how you plug up the middle, yes?
By putting smaller players in the trenches.
That particular experiment worked out about as well as Napoleon’s invasion of Russia.
With the departure of Dan Quinn and his philosophy of “smaller is better” – which extended to playing safeties as undersized linebackers – Smith is likely packing the pounds back on.
He’ll need them. Because he will be expected to step up in his second year and produce.
Especially with the departure of Jonathan Hankins in free agency.
Smith seems to be set to be a starting defensive tackle, alongside Osa Odighizuwa. But if he struggles again, Chauncey Golston would see more playing time.
No matter how it shakes out, the Cowboys need to figure out how to keep from getting gashed by running backs up the middle in 2024.
A New Defensive Formation
It remains to be seen how Mike Zimmer will reshape the defense this year. Will Micah Parson be more of a full-time edge rusher?
Or will he be more of a linebacker?
Or will he still be moving around the formation depending on the offensive sets?
That will be what many observers will be looking at during camp out in Oxnard as well as the preseason games.
But having Parsons on one edge and DeMarcus Lawrence on the other seems to be the smart move.
Sam Williams could get moved back to linebacker – especially with the questionable decision to draft Marshawn Kneeland out of Western Michigan in the second round.
But Williams could also fill in on the edge if needed.
Kneeland will likely rotate in as a backup to both Parsons and Lawrence.
We can but hope he doesn’t turn into another second-round disappointment like Luke Schoonmaker.
Cowboys Defensive Line Depth Chart
Here is the depth chart as of today based on the Cowboys’ current roster:
- LDE – DeMarcus Lawrence, Sam Williams, Durrell Johnson, Byron Vaughns
- DT – Mazi Smith, Justin Rogers, Carl Davis
- DT – Osa Odighizuwa, Chauncey Golston, Denzel Daxon
- RDE – Micah Parsons, Marshawn Kneeland, Viliami Fehoko Jr., Tyrus Wheat
By The Numbers
Among the projected starters on the defensive line, Parsons had the best year.
While he had a career low in tackles with 64, he had a career high in sacks at 14.
He also had a career high in QB Hits with 33.
Let’s hope he can draw some holding calls this year after the officials apparently couldn’t see him when he was being held in 2023.
Lawrence had lower numbers in 2023 than he did in 2022 – yet he still made the Pro Bowl with them. With Parsons drawing most of the attention, Lawrence can still be a threat.
Odighizuwa had career highs in tackles (46), tackles for loss (9), and QB Hits (13) while recording three sacks.
He could be in for an even bigger season in 2024, especially if Smith steps up.
Smith only started in three games in 2023. He had 13 tackles. Three for a loss, and three QB Hits along with one sack.
The sack was more by accident than his actually putting pressure on the quarterback at that.
In seven of the 17 games, he failed to record a single stat at all.
As mentioned above, his poor season is not even 10% of his fault. The foolish decision to make him drop weight is 100% the reason for his low numbers.
If he beefs back up – and with Zimmer’s tutelage guiding him – look for Smith to be the surprise player in Dallas for the 2024 season.
Outside of Williams – who needs to knock off with the stupid penalties at the worst possible time – and Golston the backup defensive linemen are very inexperienced.
Zimmer will have his work cut out for him getting them ready to play should any of the top six fall to injury during the season.
Your logic defies logic.
You complain about, Quinn’s infatuation with playing smaller players in positions requiring a high amount of physicality, but question their drafting a DE that’s actually a little bigger than DLaw, but just as athletic. With DLaw being 32 and in the final year of his contract, you still question why they drafted Kneeland?
Then, you suggest they move the 260lb Sam Williams to off-the-ball LB, despite him having even less athleticism and experience doing so than Parsons, and want Parsons to move around close to the LOS despite teams finding consistent success running right at him last season. Parsons has the elite athleticism to cover sideline to sideline as a LB, and at well under 250lbs, is a liability against the run when playing on the LOS. Sure, he’s an exceptional pass rusher. But, asking him to hold up against the run snap after snap took it’s toll down the stretch last season. Let Zimmer use him in his “Double-A Blitzes” and “Sim Pressures” to keep the offense off balance. He’d still be able to get plenty of opportunities to rush the passer, including from the DE position on obvious passing downs in a version of the old NASCAR packages.
They drafted a player at a position they did not need to fix and refused to address two serious positions of need at RB and WR.
As for Williams, I believe the key word you missed was “could” as in that’s what Zimmer “could” be thinking. Whether he does so or not remains to be seen.
Either way, the die have been cast. The players Dallas has on the roster on the DL are going to have to step up and play a lot better – primarily against the run – than they did last year.
Especially since the front office did little to improve the offense during the offseason.
They did need to fix DE. Like I said, DLaw is 32 and in the final year of his contract. Do you really want them to spend the money it’ll take to re-sign him? This gives them a viable replacement with a year to grow mentally and physically with guidance from one of the better players at the position doing what the Cowboys need most…stopping the run. According to the latest roster released from the Cowboys, Kneeland is actually 13lbs heavier than DLaw (267lbs vs 254lbs). Doug Farrar just published a piece where Kneeland is one of his picks for the best scheme fits for the team that drafted them. I have to agree with him. Better to grab a replacement a year too early than a year too late at the “money 5” positions.
Zimmer “could” be suffering from the onset of dementia it would take to move Williams to LB and leave Parsons solely as a D-lineman, but I somehow doubt that.
As for doing “little to improve the offense”, they spent three draft picks (2 in the top 3 rounds) rebuilding their decimated and underperforming OL from last season. Those picks are massive compared to the players they replaced. Thomas likely won’t see the field much this season, but he’s valuable insurance against Steele stagnating at an inflated cap number and potentially a replacement at RG if Zack gets injured (likely after getting dinged up more and more often each season and at the age of 33) or moves on/retires after 2025.
For immediate offensive improvement, look no further than Beebe at Center vs “Roller Skates” Biadascz for opening up running lanes in the middle of the defense.
The restocking of OL starters AND current and future depth did far more for the offense than drafting a RB in a weak RB class would have done.
Did they have a set starter at DE for 2024?
Yes.
Then they did NOT need to fix the DE position, did they?
They DID need a RB1 and a second STARTING WR.
Did they fix those needs?
No.
They slapped a weak band-aid on the RB position and will pray it holds up for 17 games.
WR2 is still open for grabs and no matter who they slide into the spot is going to be a weak area on the roster all year.
Overall, yes – the DLine play needs to improve. But I don’t think it is totally down to the D-line play. They weren’t always pushed into our LBs and often our LBs misread plays and simply got into wrong positions, tackling side-on instead of driving forward amd attacking/closing down the play. (Even when healthy, LVE made many of his tackles 6-7yds downfield, which is doesn’t count for much in my books).
As for Smith, I disagree that his weight was 100% why he didn’t register stats and why bulking up could lead to a ‘surprise’ season.
He is simply way too slow off the snap. No bulking up will help with that as he gives opposing OL time to position themselves. Even if he is larger and stronger, they will have time to simply shade him out.
I think any stats he makes will again be because the play comes back into him.
The only surprise will be if Zimmer improves his reaction time.
They did need to fix the DE position. Did you miss, or just flat-out ignore it when I pointed out opponents were finding consistent success running right at Parsons?
Kneeland gives them another DE that can stop the run. Armstrong and Fowler are gone, and Fehoko couldn’t even find the field last season. Golston has failed to impress at DE and DT and is likely gone after this season, possibly even before. Add all of that up, and they absolutely needed to draft or sign another DE. Since they passed on signing anyone of note in FA, drafting one was the best option. Kneeland, considered a fringe 1st rounder by many, falling into their laps near the end of the second round was a stroke of luck.
Passing on him for a RB, especially after the two they wanted were gone, certainly wouldn’t have helped to strengthen the defensive line play. And, why are we even talking about RB’s and WR’s in a comment section of an article about improving defensive line play in the first place? Neither position does anything towards that goal. All it does is expose the real reason why you refuse to consider that drafting Kneeland was the smart move…the team actually did the smart thing instead of what YOU wanted.
Did they have a starting DE prior to the draft? Yes. You even named him.
Did they have a starting RB1 or WR2 prior to the draft? No.
So, did they address a position of need in 2024 with their second round pick? No.
I can’t dumb it down any better than that for you, my friend.
Kneeland a questionable pick???
Every article I read about the Cowboys draft the first thing they say is what Great value they got in picking Kneeland in the 2nd rd…because he was projected a late first to early 2nd rd pick….
Soo Kneeland being a “Questionable” pick doesn’t hold water…
And as far as him being a “Position of Need” I think he Absolutely is..,
He is an Elite Run Stopper and the Defensive End Position….
Who remind everyone on the Cowboys staff of a younger more Athletic DLaw…U just don’t pass on a player of that Caliber…Ever!!
And if we are Out to Stop the run this offseason(And we are)this is a Perfect Pick of “Need”….
RBs are a dime a dozen…why would u draft an injured RB in the 2nd rd before and Elite run stopper at a position that we are getting very old at???
Makes Zero Sense….
Cowboys IMO set out to get “Tougher” in the trenches and did exactly that…Guyton and Beebe starting Day 1 gives them Elite Physically up front along with T Smith and Martin to run the ball with purpose…
Cooks is our WR2 and will be a Damm good one this year and Tolbert is much improved to be our WR3…they will add a Renfro or M Thomas to the group which will fortify the WR room…and I’m happy with that…no need to reach for a WR over a player we need in the trenches in the draft…
Another “Makes No Sense” move…
All I All the Cowboys FO had an excellent draft …,and stuck to their word of getting more Physical to compete with the Elite Ds and Elite Os out there…
I’m Extremely Happy about the start of this offseason…
They have no RB1, and no WR2.
But yeah, wE gOts us anOthEr EdGe gUy!
Enjoy the losing season ahead because this roster as it is today will not post a winning record in 2024.
Have a good one!
as a Cowboys fan, right now that Micah Parsons is holding out for more money all the back ups and all of the 2024 draft picks and undrafted draft picks will have to step up now mostly everybody left through free agency