Mini-Camp Defense Developments

I think it is important for everyone to see how the positions are going to be breaking and what the depth chart is going to look like before training camp begins. So, I am going to break down each position, starting with the defense. I will have the offense at a later date.

Secondary:
Anthony Henry will not be moving to safety, he will be staying as the second corner. Terrance Newman will again be playing the lead role taking on the other team’s elite receivers. The nickel corner is most likely going to be Aaron Glenn. Glenn is aging and was a Parcells favorite, so I would expect there to be a possibility of him getting beaten out. Some up and comers that round out the cornerback position are Jacques Reeves, Nathan Jones, and Courtney Brown.
Roy Williams is going to back at strong safety like usual. Backing him up will most likely be Keith Davis. It seems like Ken Hamlin will be playing with the first team as the free safety and Pat Watkins will be backing him up. However, in the nickel formation Hamlin will be sliding to the strong side and Watkins will play free safety. Roy Williams role in the nickel will be elaborated on below.

Linebackers:
Greg Ellis is going to be back for training camp and he has been proclaimed as the current starter. Spencer will have to beat him out if he wants the spot. Ellis and Spencer will be playing on the strong side. That means they will have the challenge of running through and covering the tight end. DeMarcus Ware will on the weak side, this will allow him to put more pressure on he quarterback. Technically Junior Glymph will be backing him up, but if Ware were to have an issue I would expect it to be Spencer, Carpenter, or Burnett.
As far as the inside goes, Bradie James and Akin Ayodele will be back as the starters. James has even trimmed off over 10 pounds in an effort to better prepare himself for the new system. Backing them up will be Bobby Carpenter and Kevin Burnett. Burnett has recently voiced his displeasure with his current situation with the Cowboys and I am going to bet the Carpenter is not going to be far behind. These are two guys with a lot of talent that are moving inside this year because of the excess of outside guys. They are both at a level where they can start in this league and hopefully they will have opportunities to make an impact.
In the nickel package the Cowboys will be going with four down lineman and two linebackers. Burnett will be one of those linebackers because of his amazing speed. The other is going to be Roy Williams. Yes, you read that correctly. Wade Phillips wants to get Roy away from coverage in third and long situations. This situation will allow Williams to make plays without needing to worry about someone beating him down the field.

Defensive Line:
Marcus Spears is delighted with Phillips’ new system because he claims he will be able to get better pressure. So, he will be staying at defensive end, however in the nickel he will play tackle. Backing him up will be Jeremiah Ratliff. On the other end, Chris Canty is going to start with the first team. Jason Hatcher will be behind him. Canty has had some struggles and I would look for a good training camp battle between him and Hatcher. In the nickel Ware and Spencer will most likely be playing as the defensive ends.
On the inside Jason Ferguson will remain as nose tackle. No one is really sure who is going to be behind him, but as for now it looks like it is going to Montavious Stanley.

Starting 3 – 4 Scheme:
RE: Chris Canty
DT: Jason Ferguson
LE: Marcus Spears
ROLB: DeMarcus Ware
ILB: Bradie James
ILB: Akin Ayodele
LOLB: Greg Ellis
CB: Terrance Newman
CB: Anthony Henry
FS: Ken Hamlin
SS: Roy Williams

Nickel (passing downs) Scheme:
RE: DeMarcus Ware
DT: Jason Ferguson
DT: Marcus Spears
LE: Anthony Spencer
ILB: Kevin Burnett
ILB: Roy Williams
CB: Terrance Newman
CB: Anthony Henry
CB: Aaron Glenn
FS: Patrick Watkins
SS: Ken Hamlin