there ya go, SP... one of the subjects of jene's five questions in this week's IDP Roundtable was about the DAL defense... i can't lift the whole article as it is subscriber content, but here is my response for that part...
Will anyone in the Dallas 3-4 defense have a consistently good fantasy season?
"Working systematically through the positions in Parcells' favored 3-4 defense...
Marcus Spears and Chris Canty are outstanding 3-4 DEs and have almost perfect skill sets as far as meshing with what they are asked to do in this system. But lets face it, much of the time they are blocking sled dummies that free up the OLBs to make plays, and are rarely afforded the opportunities to make plays in their own right within the confines of the scheme. On to NT Jason Ferguson, do we even need to go there. Just as a cursory dismissal and IDP public service announcement, Norton's seminal defensive positional analysis hips us to the fact that the 3-4 NT is to IDP scoring potential what Larry Storch and Steven Seagal are to great American dramatic actors and Rosie O'Donnell and Kathy Bates are to hotness quotient. Among the LBs, although ILB Bradie James has made strides towards becoming more consistent (and was rewarded with a recent long-term contract extension), he remains somewhat of an enigma and too up and down for my taste. DeMarcus Ware is likely the most interesting LB option. He could be an ascendant player and emergent star, but as talented as he is, it remains to be seen if he can overcome the stigma of uneven production that seems to plague even the best 3-4 OLBs (see Willie McGinest), with erratic tackle numbers punctuated by the occasional flashes of dominance and multi-sack game outbursts which overall and on balance presents the unfortunate uncertainty and week-to-week unpredictability that is the antithesis of how to construct championship IDP rosters. In some respects, the scheme is reminiscent of Belichick's in NE (unsurprising since he spent his formative years with Parcells as a mentor), where it is hard to find many rocks of consistency, as part of the point is to use the inherent flexibility of the 3-4 as an advantage, opting to attack from different places and in different ways, exploiting matchups as they change literally from game to game... sometimes even WITHIN GAMES (depending on adjustments of opposing offenses... or lack thereof)! Except in this case, DAL doesn't seem to have even a Tedy Bruschi-like analogue in the front seven that offers a semi-consistent and dependable scoring option. The Cowboys best IDP scoring options may well be in the secondary. Newman and Henry are among the more talented and well-rounded CB tandems in the NFL. Both are solid in run support, with Newman having superior coverage chops. This might make Henry the more attractive option (especially in mandatory start CB leagues that break out DB scoring separately), as defenses would be expected to try and pick on him more than the nearly unbreachable Newman. Rookie FS Pat Watkins has been a very pleasant surprise. He wasn't necessarily -counted on or expected to start so quickly, but he has gotten off to a very good start. I agree with some of my IDP compadres that star SS Roy Williams probably has the most upside, but it is contingent on how he is used within the scheme. If he is turned loose and allowed to do what he does best, attacking the LOS and playing in fast forward mode, he has the talent to be one of the top playmaking DBs in the game. With Watkins looking promising in a center fielder capacity, the hope is that his presence will be conducive to more fully unleashing the full fury that is Roy Williams and better enable bringing to bear the full scope of his talents in attacking offenses. To extend the Pats comparison evoked above, Williams has a chance to be the top IDP option in DAL as Rodney Harrison was in NE. Ultimately, though, the face of the Cowboys doesn't likely have the upside of his even more versatile, well-rounded and talented Pro Bowl counterpart. While both are monster hitters, Williams isn't nearly as reliable an open field tackler and has far more severe limitations in coverage."
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my latest writing on SEA defense (who i like to cover because in the off-season NFC West was the one division i asked to be assigned... largely because rams are in that division) would be team report, which i will list below in full (not subscriber content)... obviously things have changed in just this short time... my cliff notes take (since that was written in the off-season)...
DL - veteran DEs have underwhelmed... wistrom & fisher have made few plays... tapp on the other hand has been as good as i thought, & maybe even contributed more than i expected (& i am pretty high on him... he was subject of ETTG profile week before hali)... tubbs has had trouble staying healthy and i don't think rocky bernard has paced his numbers from last year, i thought maybe he was poised for a breakout season... don't have exact figures at hand, but i'm guessing the DL is off the pace for sacks of 05, when the defense led the league in that stat...
LB - tatupu picked up right where he left off, & already looks like one of the best MLB in the league... if he can stay healthy, could be a 10 year pro bowler... peterson has looked improved from last year, and has made an impact, but maybe not quite as big as i thought in the boxscore... of course he contributes in areas like coverage that you don't get points for, plus i think as he gets acclimated to scheme he could come on & do better in second half of season, but it might be tough for him to be top 20 LB unless he starts getting more tackles or sacks to compensate... like always, probably better real football player than fantasy weapon... hill looks like last year wasn't a fluke and he is the real deal... this trio has potential to be one of the better starting LB units in the league...
DB - haven't studied CBs that closely (though i noticed andre dyson is doing well for NYJ)... imo trufant is one of better young CBs in NFL... rams wanted him bad in draft but SEA snatched him i think one pick before, we settled for jimmy kennedy who had been a disappointment but is finally looking like he may begin to pay dividends in run support... everything i heard about jennings in camp & pre-season was that he as good as advertised in coverage... typical ruskell pick in that he doesn't have good size but is just a good player... like tye hill taken by STL at #15, savvy choice to go for cover CB in division that has passing attacks of STL, ARI, SEA & maybe SF soon... boulware has not broken out like i thought but part of that is scheme-driven i think, & he did have a concussion... i'm keeping him in leagues where i have him as i'm not sure what he would fetch in a trade, & i still like his upside from here, so i think patience will be rewarded & he might be a good buy low candidate... hamlin has been fantastic... just being able to play after potential fatal beating that also could have ended his career has elevated the SEA defense... but he has probably vastly exceeded nearly everybody's expectations, & i think is (or close to) a top 10 DB in many leagues... hamlin & boulware are young & could still have upside...
not sure what happened sun against chi-town... they ran into a buzz saw on offense & defense... i can see struggles on offense with alexander being out... but didn't get to look at game closely enough to offer suggestion about what happened to a defense that i thought made a breakthrough in 05, and looked pretty good in first three games... sometimes you just have an off night... the game in two weeks against STL (actually what could be two battle royales left) should tell us more where the defense is at... we are just four games into the season & coaching staff may still be figuring out how to best use peterson, for instance...
Team Defense
"The Seahawks are coming off the best season in their thirty year history, a year in which they nearly knocked off the Steelers in Super Bowl XL, amidst a lot of adversity... their DC Ray Rhodes had to step down after a several minor strokes, FA LB Jamie Sharper was hurt and unable to make an impact and starting FS Ken Hamlin suffered massive head trauma during an off-field altercation. The 2005 season was also the first year with new GM Tim Ruskell at the helm, and he was directly responsible for drafting massive impact players-to-be, LBs Lofa Tatupu and Leroy Hill. Free agent DE Bryce Fisher was another good call, leading the team in sacks (9). The 2006 year brings another free agency cycle, and Ruskell made a huge splash by signing Pro Bowl OLB and supremely gifted athlete Julian Peterson to a monster multi-year contract. The draft has yielded, true to form, a couple "undersized" playmakers on defense (press cover CB Kelly Jennings and DE Daryl Tapp) that were highly productive and are just plain good football players. SEA went from #23 to #5 in rush defense, from #21 to #7 in total defense (PPG allowed) and from #21 to #1 in sacks. With nearly the entire defense returning intact, impending return of Hamlin and key reloads with the good looking 2006 FA/draft class, there is no reason the Seahawks shouldn't be able to start where they left off in 2005 and avoid the Super Bowl loser jinx.
Defensive Line
Starters: DE Grant Wistrom, DE Bryce Fisher, DT Chuck Darby, DT Rocky Bernard
Backups: DE Daryl Tapp, DT Marcus Tubbs, DT Russell Davis
Starting DL: The Seahawks raided divisional rival Rams by signing away their second and third best DEs in consecutive seasons... simultaneously weakening the Rams while strengthening themselves (Julian Peterson signing had similar effect relative to 49ers). Wistrom is a cagey and wiley veteran who has seen it all. Though many league insiders raised their eybrows at the bank breaking contract he signed in 2004 (he is a good but not elite DE), his veteran leadership and Super Bowl experience has been a welcome addition on and off the field, and his contribution can't be measured solely in tangible metrics like stats. All Fisher did in his first season was lead the team in sacks (9)... spearheading the team's NFL lead (50). Ex-Buc Darby was an unsung hero in enabling other front seven defenders to get as many sack opportunities as they did. Bernard was second on the team in sacks (8.5) and is an ascendant player that could be an emerging star. He is the rare interior DL with the combo of agility and power to be a sack machine (ala Randle, Sapp, Glover, Coleman).
Backup DL: Tapp was a classic Ruskell pick... a second rounder that was supposedly undersized and too slow (sound familiar?), he is a better football player than an athlete. He is also quicker than he is fast... though running a pedestrian 40 he had an outstanding 10 yard split time. Tapp was the best player on one of the top defenses in the nation at Virginia Tech. He is extremely mature and NFL-ready in his development, with an array of pass rush moves and counters. Very powerful for his size (27 reps) and his mutant-like extra long arms enable him to keep OL at bay to better slip blocks. Hits like a fist loaded with a roll of quarters (lot of FFs at Va Tech). Great work ethic and leadership, off the charts intangibles and a non-stop motor. Don't be surprised if he makes an impact in a rotation right away and is groomed to be Wistrom's heir apparent. BIG UPSIDE! Former first rounder Tubbs is starting to come into his own. His ability to collapse the pocket was another hidden factor (like Darby) in the success of his supporting cast. Nifty feet can be traced to prep TE and hoops background. Closed strong (4 sacks in final month). Davis comes from ARI to fortify the interior DL rotation and for depth.
Linebackers
Starters: WLB Julian Peterson, MLB Lofa Tatupu, SLB Leroy Hill
Backups: MLB Niko Koutouvides, WLB D.D. Lewis, WLB Isaiah Kacyvenski, OLB Kevin Bentley
Starting LBs: The ex-49er Pro Bowl OLB Peterson was one of the most coveted defensive players in free agency (on either side of the ball). Given a monster multi-year contract ($54 million with $18.5 million guaranteed), the SEA front office and coaching staff are banking on a return to his electrifying pre-Achilles tendon injury form. He is the only defensive player since the merger known to have lined up at DE, LB, S and CORNERBACK (!) in the same game. DROY runner up Tatupu was a godsend and maybe the most pleasant surprise to emerge from the 2005 draft in the entire league. Deemed by pundits a reach and too small/slow, he took charge of the huddle and became the QB of the defense early on. His soaring, off-the-charts football IQ, telepathic instincts and unerring first step make him like a Samoan Mike Singletary. He is also a deceptively good athlete and playmaker despite sub-par measurables (by anticipating play better than everybody), making plays blitzing and dropping into coverage. Magic Johnson-esque ability to make those around him better. Seahawks maybe don't go to the Super Bowl without him. Hill was also a revelation in a less spectacular manner. Not a tackle maven, he was one of the top sack artists among LBs, third among rookies after Shawne Merriman and DeMarcus Ware (who were picks #12 & #11... Hill was #98).
Backup LBs: Koutouvides is an athletic MIKE LB. Before the 2005 draft he looked like he might be the MLB of the future... until Tatupu arrived on the scene. Now he has about as much chance of getting the job back as Wally Pipp did with Lou Gehrig. D.D. Lewis was a solid if unspectacular starter in recent seasons, but he will return to a spot starter and depth role with the blockbuster Peterson acquisition. Veteran Kacyvenski has decent size for a WLB and very good athleticism (went to state finals as a pentathlete AND wrestler). He is also exceptionally bright, earning a Pre-Med degree at Harvard... he probably doesn't have too much trouble understanding the weekly game plan and new defensive installations. Bentley did a good job filling in when Lewis was banged up. The Seahawks are now in the enviable position of having excellent starters as well as depth at the position.
Defensive Backs
Starters: SS Michael Boulware, FS Ken Hamlin, CB Marcus Trufant, CB Kelly Herndon
Backups: CB Kelly Jennings, CB/FS Jordan Babineaux, FS/SS Mike Green, S Oliver Celestin, S Shaunard Harts, S Etric Pruitt
Starting DBs: Boulware is entering his third year of the WLB/SS conversion. He is still a work in progress, morphing from Florida State All-American WLB to Seattle Seahawks future Pro Bowl SS. He has great bloodlines (his brother Peter was a DE in college that evolved into a Pro Bowl OLB for the Ravens). The field looks different from the perspective of a LB or a safety, and he is still recalibrating pursuit angles. At times there are still growing pains, as evidenced by the horrific angle he took on Fast Willie Parker's long TD run that broke open the Super Bowl. He didn't have as many tackles in 2005, but that was reportedly scheme-related (he was asked to keep everything in front of him). Boulware is a magnificent athlete who can run, hit and cover with a playmaker's flair for the dramatic. Hamlin looked like an ascendant player as one of the rare breed of safeties that can be monster hitters while retaining a high level of coverage ability. His career is at a crossroads after suffering a near fatal beating with head trauma so severe it put his football career in question. The latest reports are tentatively encouraging, but more will be known when the hitting starts. Trufant is one of the best young CBs in the NFL and is rarely tested. His tackles went down, in large part because the front seven in front of him was upgraded. Herndon keeps the position warm until Jennings is ready.
Backup DBs: Jennings was maybe the most accomplished "press" corner in his class. The SEA scouts also thought he was the most consistent CB among the frontline candidates (on film he flashes a smooth backpedal, explosive short area burst and suddenness and the elite change of direction ability to shadow top WRs). He is another typical Ruskell pick in that he is supposedly "undersized" yet he was undeniably very productive for a big time Div I program. Battle-tested in the most demanding conditions possible... the Miami practice field! He should already be penciled in for the nickle CB role. Has the talent and skills to quickly push for the starting job opposite Trufant. Great pick because he can help in the slot and dampen some of the NFC West aerial fireworks. Babineaux's brother plays DT for the Falcons. He is a versatile DB that can start at CB across from Trufant or fill the void if Hamlin proves unable to return for neurological reasons, wherever he is most needed. Green is a former starting FS/SS for the Bears. Not a blue chip talent, he is experienced and will make a very solid backup and insurance for Hamlin. Transplanted safeties Celestin (NYJ), Harts (KC) and Pruitt (ATL) make a crowded deep patrol picture, and there could be some pruning in camp and during the pre-season."
If us subsribers weren't so doggone lazy we'd research it ourselves ... huh?I know your thinkin it Bob 
