NFL Combine Cowboys: Meet The D-Linemen and EDGE Rushers in Indy
The Dallas Cowboys are temporarily short on defensive tackles and permanently in search of EDGE rushers. And this NFL Draft, starting with this NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, seems to offer some answers.
We've written a great deal about how DeMarcus Lawrence tops a group of defensive ends from the 2019 roster who is all signed up ... and about how there isn't much help behind him. We've always written about how, in terms of guys presently under contract, defensive tackle is also a position of weakness.
The names: Robert Quinn, Michael Bennett, Maliek Collins, Christian Covington and Kerry Hyder are all free agents.
ESPN suggests a couple of solutions. One is to "move on from Tyrone Crawford.'' The other? "You can't count out the Cowboys in the Jadeveon Clowney pursuit, even if it means paying two defensive ends like franchise players.''
Neither of these scenarios reflect what we believe the Cowboys plan is to be. Meanwhile ... Dallas has the salary-cap ability to get some help by signing some returnees. There is also a determination to be made about what kind of interior defensive linemen new coach Mike McCarthy and his staff favors. The previous regime was not a fan of the "space-eater'' defensive tackle, preferring everyone to instead have "3-Tech talent'' that is all about speed and athleticism and "twitch.''
What does this crop of prospects in Indy have, on the edge and inside? Our man Bill Huber of SI.com/Maven breaks 'em down in easy-to-consume groups:
Introducing the 34 Edge Rushers
Part 1: Unstoppable Epenesa, Baun, Anae
Part 2: Gross-Matos' incredible story
Part 3: Okwara and a lot of questions
Part 4: Thrill of the Chase (Young)
Introducing the 25 Defensive Linemen
