DC Rob Ryan hopes for better form by Dallas Cowboys’ revamped defence -NFL News
Dallas Cowboys’ defensive coordinator, Rob Ryan, says he takes blame for the underperformance of the team's defence in the later part of the 2011/12 National Football League (NFL) regular season.
In one of his recent remarks, Ryan blamed the fall in the defence’s performance to the lack of confidence in the players.
He said one of the reasons behind the loss of confidence in the cornerbacks was that he never really put them in a winning situation.
The coach notes:
“We just didn't play with enough confidence last year in the secondary. And we weren't always on the right page, either. But I'm not blaming anything or sugar-coating anything. It's the way it is. We're moving on."
In spite of that, the management has parted ways with three of the five cornerbacks who played for them last season.
Alan Ball, Terence Newman and Frank Walker are now gone, while Mike Jenkins and Orlando Scandrick are expected to be part of their revamped defensive line next season.
Jenkins, at present, is prone to some instability and not attending the ongoing organised team activities (OTAs).
Ryan and head coach, Jason Garrett, have confirmed Jenkins' availability, also indicating that the player faces a fine of $10K daily, if he misses the mandatory minicamp next week.
The assistant coach is optimistic about the defence’s ability to show better form next season. He pinpointed the addition of new players with a pair of existing ones in the mix as the right fit to meet their defence requirements.
He said:
"We're going to be a lot better. We know that. We've gotten better. I think we've gotten great players. And people want to say 'maybe they're not so great.' But they are great. We've got the No. 1 free agent and the No. 1 draft pick. And
they're both corners. I'm so excited about it."
The new significant addition to the team’s roster is former San Diego Chiefs’ defensive player, Brandon Carr, who has joined Cowboys recently under a five-year $50.1 million deal.
Morris Claiborne – the rookie out of this year’s draft – is another new member of the squad, expected to be equally crucial to the team’s performance and wins.
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