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Roster Rundown
Rob Phillips
DallasCowboys.com Staff Writer
(Editor's Note: Throughout the offseason, DallasCowboys.com staff writers will take a closer look at the roster, analyzing each player's impact last season and how he fits into the team's 2011 plans. Today's featured player is nose tackle Jay Ratliff.)
Name: Jay Ratliff
Position: Nose tackle
Height/Weight: 6-4/303
Experience: 6 seasons
College: Auburn
Key Stat: Ratliff's team-credited quarterback pressures dropped from 33 in 2009 to 10 in 2010.
Contract Status: Signed through 2012.
2010 Impact: Ratliff earned his third straight Pro Bowl appearance even though his numbers dipped across the board from 2009: 83 team-credited tackles down to 34, six sacks down to 3.5, 33 pressures down to 10, and eight tackles for loss down to zero. Still, he was the most consistent and effective player on the defensive line.
Where He Fits: New defensive coordinator Rob Ryan says Ratliff isn't moving from nose tackle in his version of the 3-4 defense. Given Ryan's varied defensive packages, though, it's possible Ratliff could be moved around some based on matchups. Remember, he began his NFL career as a defensive end.
Writers' Analysis:
Rob Phillips: Ratliff was good last year, but he wasn't as disruptive as the previous three seasons as a starting nose tackle under Wade Phillips. The numbers bear that out. There's probably more than one reason for Ratliff's drop in production. He needed his elbows scoped in the offseason, yes, but he also hasn't gotten consistent pass rush help around him on the defensive line. He has become the target of double teams. Some of that problem is schematic, too, and Ryan was hired to bring more unpredictability to the front. The other thing is, Ratliff's build (not necessarily his weight) is very undersized for a two-gap nose tackle, and it's got to affect him over the course of a 16-game season. He might be fresher as a defensive end, particularly against the run, if he's free from some double teams on the edge. One thing is certain: he remains a big part of the defense, and there's no better competitor on the entire team.
Josh Ellis: Honestly, I think Ratliff is a little more responsible for the defense's shortcomings in 2010 than most people will admit. He's certainly not the only one who didn't perform at the level he established for himself, but he simply wasn't the same guy as in 2007-09, as evidenced by only having 3.5 sacks and just 10 quarterback pressures, both well behind the numbers that made him an All-Pro. He also had no tackles for loss, and generally wasn't as explosive or active as before. Could teams be doubling him more now? Possibly, but it's not like everyone just suddenly realized he was a great player last year. I think the offseason elbow surgeries might have had a lingering effect on him, disrupting his conditioning regime. His health and ability to return to dominance will have a huge bearing on whether or not this defense can turn things around under Rob Ryan.
Rob Phillips
DallasCowboys.com Staff Writer
(Editor's Note: Throughout the offseason, DallasCowboys.com staff writers will take a closer look at the roster, analyzing each player's impact last season and how he fits into the team's 2011 plans. Today's featured player is nose tackle Jay Ratliff.)
Name: Jay Ratliff
Position: Nose tackle
Height/Weight: 6-4/303
Experience: 6 seasons
College: Auburn
Key Stat: Ratliff's team-credited quarterback pressures dropped from 33 in 2009 to 10 in 2010.
Contract Status: Signed through 2012.
2010 Impact: Ratliff earned his third straight Pro Bowl appearance even though his numbers dipped across the board from 2009: 83 team-credited tackles down to 34, six sacks down to 3.5, 33 pressures down to 10, and eight tackles for loss down to zero. Still, he was the most consistent and effective player on the defensive line.
Where He Fits: New defensive coordinator Rob Ryan says Ratliff isn't moving from nose tackle in his version of the 3-4 defense. Given Ryan's varied defensive packages, though, it's possible Ratliff could be moved around some based on matchups. Remember, he began his NFL career as a defensive end.
Writers' Analysis:
Rob Phillips: Ratliff was good last year, but he wasn't as disruptive as the previous three seasons as a starting nose tackle under Wade Phillips. The numbers bear that out. There's probably more than one reason for Ratliff's drop in production. He needed his elbows scoped in the offseason, yes, but he also hasn't gotten consistent pass rush help around him on the defensive line. He has become the target of double teams. Some of that problem is schematic, too, and Ryan was hired to bring more unpredictability to the front. The other thing is, Ratliff's build (not necessarily his weight) is very undersized for a two-gap nose tackle, and it's got to affect him over the course of a 16-game season. He might be fresher as a defensive end, particularly against the run, if he's free from some double teams on the edge. One thing is certain: he remains a big part of the defense, and there's no better competitor on the entire team.
Josh Ellis: Honestly, I think Ratliff is a little more responsible for the defense's shortcomings in 2010 than most people will admit. He's certainly not the only one who didn't perform at the level he established for himself, but he simply wasn't the same guy as in 2007-09, as evidenced by only having 3.5 sacks and just 10 quarterback pressures, both well behind the numbers that made him an All-Pro. He also had no tackles for loss, and generally wasn't as explosive or active as before. Could teams be doubling him more now? Possibly, but it's not like everyone just suddenly realized he was a great player last year. I think the offseason elbow surgeries might have had a lingering effect on him, disrupting his conditioning regime. His health and ability to return to dominance will have a huge bearing on whether or not this defense can turn things around under Rob Ryan.
