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By Gerry Fraley / Dallas Morning News
MOBILE, Ala. — Rob Ryan, the Cowboys’ new defensive coordinator, must make a tremendous sales pitch during job interviews.
That’s the most logical explanation for the surprising stance taken by owner-general manager Jerry Jones as Senior Bowl workouts started Monday. He indicated the club believes Ryan can fix embattled cornerbacks Mike Jenkins and Terence Newman.
Ryan was not talking, under club orders. Jones was, and he offered an unexpected vote of confidence in Jenkins and Newman while suggesting the Cowboys do not have to use their first-round pick and the ninth choice overall on a cornerback.
“Our corners, if you compare us to other teams across the league, we’re in good shape at corner,” said Jones, later adding, “In general, I’m not as negative on our cornerbacks as you might think.”
There go 1,000 mock drafts, down the drain.
The Cowboys’ defense finished among the bottom seven in both passing yards allowed per game (259.4) and completion percentage (64.4) and tied for the most touchdown passes allowed with 33. When a pass defense slips, cornerbacks take the blame.
Neither Newman nor Jenkins approached the Pro Bowl performance level of 2009. In 2010, they combined for six interceptions and 18 passes defended. In 2009, they combined for eight interceptions and 37 passes defended.
The Cowboys must share the blame for what happened, Jones said. They did not use their corners in a way that would maximize their performance.
“We accept some of the things that we were doing and asked our corners to do,” said Jones, hinting the club put Jenkins and Newman in tough spots. “When the dust settles, we won’t be as hard on those corners as we might have been, or generally as fans might have been.
“They’re a little better than probably the taste we have in our mouth. I’m not saying we hung them out, but I’ll say that we sure ask a lot of them, relative to maybe what we might do in the future.”
That is where Ryan enters the equation.
When previous head coach Wade Phillips ran the defense, he sometimes put cornerbacks in an in-between position. They would play man coverage with a big cushion so as not to get beat deep and end up allowing mid-range throws all game. It’s similar to a baseball manager telling a pitcher, “Don’t walk him, but don’t give him anything to hit.” It puts the player in a tough spot.
Ryan is more direct. He wants physical corners who can play a hard man coverage and blitz. No coordinator uses corners on blitzes more than Ryan. His corners will be beaten deep on occasion, but they will make more plays, too.
When Ryan installed his system with Cleveland in 2009, the Browns finished 30th in passing yards allowed. They rose to 14th this season. The same happened when Ryan was Oakland’s defensive coordinator. The Raiders went from 28th against the pass in his first season (2004) to a top-10 finish in each of his last three seasons.
“We know the best ones can get beat,” Jones said. “It’s important for us to know what we were asking them to do and what we might be asking them to do in the future. That might make a difference how he was viewed.
“Now I don’t think we were pleased with the year [the cornerbacks] had compared to other years. But a part of this job is looking at not only to the talent of the player, but how he compares to other players.”
Ryan has had good fortune before.
At Oakland, he inherited Nnamdi Asomugha, a top-flight corner entering his second season. Cleveland last year used the seventh overall pick in the draft on cornerback Joe Haden, who had a strong finish to his rookie season.
Both took to the Ryan system. The Cowboys believe Jenkins and Newman can do the same thing. There is no guarantee; only a belief in Rob Ryan.
MOBILE, Ala. — Rob Ryan, the Cowboys’ new defensive coordinator, must make a tremendous sales pitch during job interviews.
That’s the most logical explanation for the surprising stance taken by owner-general manager Jerry Jones as Senior Bowl workouts started Monday. He indicated the club believes Ryan can fix embattled cornerbacks Mike Jenkins and Terence Newman.
Ryan was not talking, under club orders. Jones was, and he offered an unexpected vote of confidence in Jenkins and Newman while suggesting the Cowboys do not have to use their first-round pick and the ninth choice overall on a cornerback.
“Our corners, if you compare us to other teams across the league, we’re in good shape at corner,” said Jones, later adding, “In general, I’m not as negative on our cornerbacks as you might think.”
There go 1,000 mock drafts, down the drain.
The Cowboys’ defense finished among the bottom seven in both passing yards allowed per game (259.4) and completion percentage (64.4) and tied for the most touchdown passes allowed with 33. When a pass defense slips, cornerbacks take the blame.
Neither Newman nor Jenkins approached the Pro Bowl performance level of 2009. In 2010, they combined for six interceptions and 18 passes defended. In 2009, they combined for eight interceptions and 37 passes defended.
The Cowboys must share the blame for what happened, Jones said. They did not use their corners in a way that would maximize their performance.
“We accept some of the things that we were doing and asked our corners to do,” said Jones, hinting the club put Jenkins and Newman in tough spots. “When the dust settles, we won’t be as hard on those corners as we might have been, or generally as fans might have been.
“They’re a little better than probably the taste we have in our mouth. I’m not saying we hung them out, but I’ll say that we sure ask a lot of them, relative to maybe what we might do in the future.”
That is where Ryan enters the equation.
When previous head coach Wade Phillips ran the defense, he sometimes put cornerbacks in an in-between position. They would play man coverage with a big cushion so as not to get beat deep and end up allowing mid-range throws all game. It’s similar to a baseball manager telling a pitcher, “Don’t walk him, but don’t give him anything to hit.” It puts the player in a tough spot.
Ryan is more direct. He wants physical corners who can play a hard man coverage and blitz. No coordinator uses corners on blitzes more than Ryan. His corners will be beaten deep on occasion, but they will make more plays, too.
When Ryan installed his system with Cleveland in 2009, the Browns finished 30th in passing yards allowed. They rose to 14th this season. The same happened when Ryan was Oakland’s defensive coordinator. The Raiders went from 28th against the pass in his first season (2004) to a top-10 finish in each of his last three seasons.
“We know the best ones can get beat,” Jones said. “It’s important for us to know what we were asking them to do and what we might be asking them to do in the future. That might make a difference how he was viewed.
“Now I don’t think we were pleased with the year [the cornerbacks] had compared to other years. But a part of this job is looking at not only to the talent of the player, but how he compares to other players.”
Ryan has had good fortune before.
At Oakland, he inherited Nnamdi Asomugha, a top-flight corner entering his second season. Cleveland last year used the seventh overall pick in the draft on cornerback Joe Haden, who had a strong finish to his rookie season.
Both took to the Ryan system. The Cowboys believe Jenkins and Newman can do the same thing. There is no guarantee; only a belief in Rob Ryan.
