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Machota: Who fills the gaps left by Rolando McClain and Randy Gregory? Is Dwight Freeney a good fit?
By Jon Machota
Staff writer Jon Machota recently held a chat about all things Cowboys. Here are some highlights.
Question: Time to re-sign Hardy again...? (I kid) But shouldn't Dallas look for someone to help out the D-line now?
Machota: The Cowboys are very aware of the current available free agents at the position, but I think they'll wait to see what they get from some of the younger players like Russell, Tapper, Irving, Mayowa, etc. early in camp before they go in that direction. Signing Dwight Freeney has intrigued me but obviously the Cowboys haven't felt the same up to this point. In regards to Greg Hardy, that's not happening. I don't care how thin things get at the position, you will not see Greg Hardy back on the Cowboys' roster.
Question: Would Dwight Freeney be a good fit in Dallas?
Machota: I think he'd be a great fit. He showed last year in Arizona that he can be very productive as a rotational player. That's what he'd be in Dallas. At 36, he's not going to be the elite pass rusher he was in Indy, but he can still get the job done on a limited basis. Plus, I think having him in the D-line room would be good for the young pass rushers on the roster.
Question: Which defensive players have the best shot to take advantage in camp of the playing time available thanks to Rolando/Gregory?
Machota: With Rolando, I'd say Anthony Hitchens, Andrew Gachkar and Mark Nzeocha. They all have the ability to play in the middle. Justin Durant is another player to keep an eye on there. Durant has played in the middle, but his best spot is probably on the weakside. I don't see the Cowboys moving Sean Lee back inside, so Durant might end up being a MLB by the time camp is over. ... As far as Gregory's spot, Benson Mayowa is No. 1 on that list. I expect him to be the starting right DE. Next on my list would be Charles Tapper. The fourth-round pick has the type of speed that you'd like to utilize on the right side, so it'll be interesting to see how he performs when given the opportunity to go against Tyron Smith.
Question: Fights always break out at training camps, don't they? Who's going to start this year's first scuffle?
Machota: You know, I actually think there might not be that many this year. For one, the Cowboys aren't practicing with another team, which has led to fights the last two years with the Raiders and Rams. But there will definitely be one or two among Cowboys. I don't think these will necessarily turn into physical fights, but the most intense matchups will likely be between Jason Witten and Byron Jones, Dez Bryant and Orlando Scandrick and Ezekiel Elliott and Sean Lee.
Question: Hi Jon! Looking forward to training camp coverage. With Rolando McClain out of the picture and Justin Durant back in the fold, plus the always newsy D-line, how does your starting front seven look like as of right now?
Machota: If the Cowboys were to open the season today, I think the front seven would be: Benson Mayowa at right DE, Tyrone Crawford at the 3-tech, Cedric Thornton at the 1-tech, Jack Crawford at left DE (Could also see this being David Irving or Ryan Russell.). The starting linebackers would be Sean Lee on the weakside, Anthony Hitchens in the middle and Kyle Wilber at strongside. That's just my educated guess.
Question: Will Randy Gregory play a game in a Dallas uniform in 2016?
Machota: That's a tough question. He's battling some serious issues that obviously put football on hold until he can get things under control. There's no way of predicting if/when that will happen. The Cowboys have to go into this season not expecting to get any contribution from Randy Gregory.
By Jon Machota
Staff writer Jon Machota recently held a chat about all things Cowboys. Here are some highlights.
Question: Time to re-sign Hardy again...? (I kid) But shouldn't Dallas look for someone to help out the D-line now?
Machota: The Cowboys are very aware of the current available free agents at the position, but I think they'll wait to see what they get from some of the younger players like Russell, Tapper, Irving, Mayowa, etc. early in camp before they go in that direction. Signing Dwight Freeney has intrigued me but obviously the Cowboys haven't felt the same up to this point. In regards to Greg Hardy, that's not happening. I don't care how thin things get at the position, you will not see Greg Hardy back on the Cowboys' roster.
Question: Would Dwight Freeney be a good fit in Dallas?
Machota: I think he'd be a great fit. He showed last year in Arizona that he can be very productive as a rotational player. That's what he'd be in Dallas. At 36, he's not going to be the elite pass rusher he was in Indy, but he can still get the job done on a limited basis. Plus, I think having him in the D-line room would be good for the young pass rushers on the roster.
Question: Which defensive players have the best shot to take advantage in camp of the playing time available thanks to Rolando/Gregory?
Machota: With Rolando, I'd say Anthony Hitchens, Andrew Gachkar and Mark Nzeocha. They all have the ability to play in the middle. Justin Durant is another player to keep an eye on there. Durant has played in the middle, but his best spot is probably on the weakside. I don't see the Cowboys moving Sean Lee back inside, so Durant might end up being a MLB by the time camp is over. ... As far as Gregory's spot, Benson Mayowa is No. 1 on that list. I expect him to be the starting right DE. Next on my list would be Charles Tapper. The fourth-round pick has the type of speed that you'd like to utilize on the right side, so it'll be interesting to see how he performs when given the opportunity to go against Tyron Smith.
Question: Fights always break out at training camps, don't they? Who's going to start this year's first scuffle?
Machota: You know, I actually think there might not be that many this year. For one, the Cowboys aren't practicing with another team, which has led to fights the last two years with the Raiders and Rams. But there will definitely be one or two among Cowboys. I don't think these will necessarily turn into physical fights, but the most intense matchups will likely be between Jason Witten and Byron Jones, Dez Bryant and Orlando Scandrick and Ezekiel Elliott and Sean Lee.
Question: Hi Jon! Looking forward to training camp coverage. With Rolando McClain out of the picture and Justin Durant back in the fold, plus the always newsy D-line, how does your starting front seven look like as of right now?
Machota: If the Cowboys were to open the season today, I think the front seven would be: Benson Mayowa at right DE, Tyrone Crawford at the 3-tech, Cedric Thornton at the 1-tech, Jack Crawford at left DE (Could also see this being David Irving or Ryan Russell.). The starting linebackers would be Sean Lee on the weakside, Anthony Hitchens in the middle and Kyle Wilber at strongside. That's just my educated guess.
Question: Will Randy Gregory play a game in a Dallas uniform in 2016?
Machota: That's a tough question. He's battling some serious issues that obviously put football on hold until he can get things under control. There's no way of predicting if/when that will happen. The Cowboys have to go into this season not expecting to get any contribution from Randy Gregory.