IRVING — When Chris Whaley signed with the Cowboys last May as an undrafted free agent, the defensive line he joined was in the throes of transition and still recovering from a frenetic 2013 season when there was a revolving cast of 20 players.
“We had a number of situations where we were getting guys where they were practicing for two days and they’re playing 30 snaps in the game,” Cowboys coach Jason Garrett recalled.
By the time Whaley arrived, the situation hadn’t improved much. The ranks remained threadbare and the overall quality of the unit questionable. Had Whaley been healthy in 2014, it seemed he would have had a great chance to win a roster spot at one of the interior positions. But he wasn’t. Instead, he never played in a game while recovering from three torn ligaments in a knee he dislocated as a senior at Texas.
One year later, he is back on the field, and he has noticed that things around him have changed.
“We have a lot of depth and a lot of talent,” Whaley said.
Almost all of it has been accumulated during the last 14 months. Thirteen of the Cowboys’ 15 defensive linemen came to Dallas after March 2014 via free agency, the draft and even a trade. Gradually, the Cowboys have stockpiled “rushmen,” the term defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli uses to describe the four players positioned closest to the line of scrimmage in his scheme. The wave of personnel acquisitions has been a major organizational initiative pursued with the same kind of zeal seen when the Cowboys were rebuilding their offensive line.
“We feel like you have to obviously allocate some resources to that,” Garrett said. “The game is won up front. It always has been and always will be.”
That football maxim was reinforced last January in the divisional round of the playoffs. In the Cowboys’ five-point loss to Green Bay, Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers managed to evade pressure and throw for 316 yards despite suffering the effects of a calf injury that limited his mobility. Rodgers’ performance was the latest indictment against a defensive line that racked up just 28 sacks, fifth-lowest in the NFL during the regular season.
So the Cowboys resolved to fix their greatest problem.
In recent months, they have added dynamic pass rushers who have negated the losses of Henry Melton, Josh Brent and Anthony Spencer — three players whose production was either spotty or absent. They signed the now-suspended former Pro Bowler Greg Hardy. They then drafted two ends, taking Randy Gregory in the second round and Ryan Russell in the fifth. Each was welcomed by Marinelli, who relies on a rotation of defensive linemen playing a limited number of snaps.
“It’s gained and we have a lot of guys back from last year,” Marinelli said. “Now, as we bring more men in, we have a few more numbers.”
And as a result, there is increased competition among teammates, which both Garrett and Marinelli value. In their eyes, players who are fighting to stay on the roster or earn an expanded role will work harder in practice and, in turn, be more prepared for the games.
“You want to go out and have somebody with that same athleticism, that same work ethic,” Whaley said. “It will actually push you to become better. I have to show it every day.”
He’s reminded of that constantly — either when he’s listening to Marinelli or walking through the team’s practice facility. A placard inside one of the meeting rooms reads, “Our core values have nothing to do with ability. They are focused on your attitude, effort and work ethic.”
The message resonates now more than ever because the Cowboys are no longer looking to plug and play defensive linemen. Instead, they can be more selective as they shape a unit with depth at all four positions.
“The battle, whether it’s for a special teams spot, a rotational spot or even a starting spot is going to be top notch,” Russell said.
