By Rainer Sabin / Reporter
rsabin@dallasnews.com | Bio
7:46 PM on Thu., Feb. 9, 2012 | Permalink
This is the seventh part of a series examining how the Cowboys have addressed each position group via the draft.
The heartbeat of the Cowboys' defense pulsates wherever DeMarcus Ware is positioned. He is the point man, the key to everything. The coaches have changed and so have some of the players around him. But Ware has remained the centerpiece. Ware, one of the NFL's premier pass rushers, is arguably the Cowboys' best draft pick since the final days of their last dynasty.
Selected with 11th overall choice in 2005, Ware was expected to help expedite the process as the Cowboys switched from a 4-3 base to a 3-4 system. Sure enough, he became the most prominent member of the defense by the end of his second season, when he led the team in sacks and made the first of six consecutive Pro Bowls.
But until last year, when 2010 second-round pick Sean Lee authored a series of superior performances, no linebacker that the Cowboys drafted since 2005 has come close to equaling the impact Ware has made.
Kevin Burnett, a second-round pick who joined the Cowboys the same year Ware did, never seized a starting role and was deployed in substitute defensive packages before he signed with San Diego in 2009.
Then there was Bobby Carpenter, the team's 2006 first-round selection who flopped. Billed as a versatile player who would occupy one of the two positions on the inside, he instead started three games in four seasons and during that time was accused of being soft - a description no football player, particularly one who mans his position, would want attached to his name. Before being exiled to St. Louis in a May 2010 trade for Alex Barron, Carpenter collected a total of 96 tackles.
Jason Williams, a third-round pick in the disastrous draft class of 2009, would fare even worse than Carpenter. Identified as physically-gifted athlete from a small FCS school, Western Illinois, Williams was lost on the field and didn't seem particularly motivated in the 10 games he played before being released in November 2010.
Had Williams developed into the player the Cowboys imagined he'd become, he would have given the team more options at inside linebacker, where the team was relying heavily on aging veterans Keith Brooking and Bradie James until this season. James, a 2003 fourth-round pick, has been viewed as a solid contributor who became one of the team's defensive leaders.
Yet he wasn't regarded as a playmaker as evidenced by the fact that he has never been invited to the Pro Bowl despite leading the Cowboys in tackles for six consecutive seasons from 2005 until 2010.
Anthony Spencer, in many ways, has followed the career arc of James. Selected with the 26th overall pick, Spencer was expected to emerge as an attack-minded player who would complement Ware. But while Spencer has been productive in his four seasons in Dallas, he hasn't really excelled. His statistical resume reveals as much. The highest total of sacks Spencer has achieved in a season is six, and he has vanished mysteriously at different points during his career.
In the last two seasons, his inconsistent play has contributed to a pass rush that has wilted despite the presence of Ware.
Now, it's uncertain if he will be back. Spencer as well as Brooking and James are free agents. And because their contracts are set to expire it's conceivable that the linebacker corps, with its strong nucleus of Ware and Lee, could undergo a significant makeover. If changes do occur, the Cowboys could install 2011 second-round pick Bruce Carter, who played only 41 defensive snaps after recovering from knee surgery last year, at the position manned by Brooking and James.
If he is deployed there, he would be the newest starter to play alongside Ware, the anchor of a unit that has been in a constant state of flux since his arrival as the best draft pick in the Cowboys' recent past.
Linebackers the Cowboys have taken since 2000
Name; Yr.; Rd.; Comment
Bruce Carter; 2011; 2; Billed as an athletic linebacker with speed, Carter missed the first six games while recovering from knee surgery and was given only limited snaps at inside linebacker after he made his pro debut in Week 8.
Sean Lee; 2010; 2; At one point last season, Sean Lee seemed destined to make the Pro Bowl. But even though he didn't receive an invitation to Hawaii the inside linebacker still made an impression as he led the team in tackles and interceptions.
Jason Williams; 2009 3; Drafted because of the athleticism he demonstrated, he never seemed to grasp the system and was cut in November 2010 after playing in only 10 games.
Victor Butler; 2009; 4; Butler has shown flashes while playing in a reserve role. In three seasons, he has recorded eight sacks and would be only player on the team who could conceivably replace Spencer if he leaves via free agency.
Brandon Williams; 2009; 4; The second of two outside linebackers the Cowboys drafted that year, Williams missed his rookie campaign with a torn ACL and played in only six games before being released in September 2011.
Stephen Hodge; 2009; 6; Hodge never played in a regular-season game after having operations performed on both knees. The team eventually cut him loose in November 2010.
Erik Walden; 2008; 6; Walden, who started 15 regular-season games for Green Bay last season, was cut by the Cowboys in training camp during his rookie season.
Anthony Spencer; 2007; 1; Although Spencer has been a starter since 2009, he has never materialized into the pass rusher the Cowboys hoped he'd become and has recorded only 21.5 sacks in his career.
Bobby Carpenter; 2006; 1; One of the greatest draft busts in the Cowboys' recent past, Carpenter collected 96 tackles in four seasons in Dallas.
DeMarcus Ware; 2005; 1; A six-time Pro Bowler, Ware has collected 99.5 sacks, the highest total of any player since 2005, the year he entered the league
Kevin Burnett; 2005; 2; Burnett didn't become a full-fledged NFL starter until he left Dallas. In four seasons with the Cowboys, the inside linebacker made 146 tackles and forced four fumbles.
Bradie James; 2003; 4; His career took off when the Cowboys switched to a 3-4 base. He would lead the team in tackles each of the next six seasons.
Markus Steele; 2001; 4; Played in 42 games in three seasons in Dallas, but by the time his tenure in Dallas ended in 2004 he had been classified as a special teams player.
Orantes Grant, 2000; 7; Part of a horrid draft class, Grant played mostly on special teams before being sent packing after appearing in 23 games.
rsabin@dallasnews.com | Bio
7:46 PM on Thu., Feb. 9, 2012 | Permalink
This is the seventh part of a series examining how the Cowboys have addressed each position group via the draft.
The heartbeat of the Cowboys' defense pulsates wherever DeMarcus Ware is positioned. He is the point man, the key to everything. The coaches have changed and so have some of the players around him. But Ware has remained the centerpiece. Ware, one of the NFL's premier pass rushers, is arguably the Cowboys' best draft pick since the final days of their last dynasty.
Selected with 11th overall choice in 2005, Ware was expected to help expedite the process as the Cowboys switched from a 4-3 base to a 3-4 system. Sure enough, he became the most prominent member of the defense by the end of his second season, when he led the team in sacks and made the first of six consecutive Pro Bowls.
But until last year, when 2010 second-round pick Sean Lee authored a series of superior performances, no linebacker that the Cowboys drafted since 2005 has come close to equaling the impact Ware has made.
Kevin Burnett, a second-round pick who joined the Cowboys the same year Ware did, never seized a starting role and was deployed in substitute defensive packages before he signed with San Diego in 2009.
Then there was Bobby Carpenter, the team's 2006 first-round selection who flopped. Billed as a versatile player who would occupy one of the two positions on the inside, he instead started three games in four seasons and during that time was accused of being soft - a description no football player, particularly one who mans his position, would want attached to his name. Before being exiled to St. Louis in a May 2010 trade for Alex Barron, Carpenter collected a total of 96 tackles.
Jason Williams, a third-round pick in the disastrous draft class of 2009, would fare even worse than Carpenter. Identified as physically-gifted athlete from a small FCS school, Western Illinois, Williams was lost on the field and didn't seem particularly motivated in the 10 games he played before being released in November 2010.
Had Williams developed into the player the Cowboys imagined he'd become, he would have given the team more options at inside linebacker, where the team was relying heavily on aging veterans Keith Brooking and Bradie James until this season. James, a 2003 fourth-round pick, has been viewed as a solid contributor who became one of the team's defensive leaders.
Yet he wasn't regarded as a playmaker as evidenced by the fact that he has never been invited to the Pro Bowl despite leading the Cowboys in tackles for six consecutive seasons from 2005 until 2010.
Anthony Spencer, in many ways, has followed the career arc of James. Selected with the 26th overall pick, Spencer was expected to emerge as an attack-minded player who would complement Ware. But while Spencer has been productive in his four seasons in Dallas, he hasn't really excelled. His statistical resume reveals as much. The highest total of sacks Spencer has achieved in a season is six, and he has vanished mysteriously at different points during his career.
In the last two seasons, his inconsistent play has contributed to a pass rush that has wilted despite the presence of Ware.
Now, it's uncertain if he will be back. Spencer as well as Brooking and James are free agents. And because their contracts are set to expire it's conceivable that the linebacker corps, with its strong nucleus of Ware and Lee, could undergo a significant makeover. If changes do occur, the Cowboys could install 2011 second-round pick Bruce Carter, who played only 41 defensive snaps after recovering from knee surgery last year, at the position manned by Brooking and James.
If he is deployed there, he would be the newest starter to play alongside Ware, the anchor of a unit that has been in a constant state of flux since his arrival as the best draft pick in the Cowboys' recent past.
Linebackers the Cowboys have taken since 2000
Name; Yr.; Rd.; Comment
Bruce Carter; 2011; 2; Billed as an athletic linebacker with speed, Carter missed the first six games while recovering from knee surgery and was given only limited snaps at inside linebacker after he made his pro debut in Week 8.
Sean Lee; 2010; 2; At one point last season, Sean Lee seemed destined to make the Pro Bowl. But even though he didn't receive an invitation to Hawaii the inside linebacker still made an impression as he led the team in tackles and interceptions.
Jason Williams; 2009 3; Drafted because of the athleticism he demonstrated, he never seemed to grasp the system and was cut in November 2010 after playing in only 10 games.
Victor Butler; 2009; 4; Butler has shown flashes while playing in a reserve role. In three seasons, he has recorded eight sacks and would be only player on the team who could conceivably replace Spencer if he leaves via free agency.
Brandon Williams; 2009; 4; The second of two outside linebackers the Cowboys drafted that year, Williams missed his rookie campaign with a torn ACL and played in only six games before being released in September 2011.
Stephen Hodge; 2009; 6; Hodge never played in a regular-season game after having operations performed on both knees. The team eventually cut him loose in November 2010.
Erik Walden; 2008; 6; Walden, who started 15 regular-season games for Green Bay last season, was cut by the Cowboys in training camp during his rookie season.
Anthony Spencer; 2007; 1; Although Spencer has been a starter since 2009, he has never materialized into the pass rusher the Cowboys hoped he'd become and has recorded only 21.5 sacks in his career.
Bobby Carpenter; 2006; 1; One of the greatest draft busts in the Cowboys' recent past, Carpenter collected 96 tackles in four seasons in Dallas.
DeMarcus Ware; 2005; 1; A six-time Pro Bowler, Ware has collected 99.5 sacks, the highest total of any player since 2005, the year he entered the league
Kevin Burnett; 2005; 2; Burnett didn't become a full-fledged NFL starter until he left Dallas. In four seasons with the Cowboys, the inside linebacker made 146 tackles and forced four fumbles.
Bradie James; 2003; 4; His career took off when the Cowboys switched to a 3-4 base. He would lead the team in tackles each of the next six seasons.
Markus Steele; 2001; 4; Played in 42 games in three seasons in Dallas, but by the time his tenure in Dallas ended in 2004 he had been classified as a special teams player.
Orantes Grant, 2000; 7; Part of a horrid draft class, Grant played mostly on special teams before being sent packing after appearing in 23 games.
