Jadeveon Clowney’s arrival could be a problem for Cowboys’ fan favorite, as coaching staff has difficult decision to make
Jadeveon Clowney is a Cowboy. What does that mean for his new teammates?
The Dallas Cowboys wasted no time in signing defensive end Jadeveon Clowney following a poor performance from the defense in a 40-37 overtime win over the New York Giants in Week 2. And while it’s a positive move for the unit, it’s also one that raises an intriguing question: Who will Dallas leave out?
The coaching staff doesn’t have to worry about making a 53-man roster cut since Clowney will take the spot left vacant by center Cooper Beebe, who was placed on Injured Reserve due to an ankle injury. However, only 48 players get to be active on gameday. That’s the decision that intrigues me, especially because Clowney and head coach Brian Schottenheimer alluded to the veteran playing as early as the next game against the Chicago Bears in Week 3.
The problem the Cowboys face is that it’s difficult to carry six defensive ends on the active gameday roster. So far, Dallas has had five active defensive ends in each of its first two games. Going with six would be an unpopular approach. For context, other than the offensive line (including tackles, guards, and centers), it would be the deepest active group if it took all six of the defensive ends on the roster.
Whose gameday spot would Jadeveon Clowney take? Snap counts suggest a fan favorite
Assuming Schottenheimer’s coaching staff decides to stick to five defensive ends per game, who is left out? The snap counts suggest it would be preseason darling James Houston, who has continued his success in the regular season, albeit in limited playing time. Since Sunday, he has continued to rise as a fan favorite as he’s had highlight plays versus the Eagles and Giants.
In just 25 defensive snaps, Houston has one sack, two tackles for loss, and one quarterback hit. The lone sack happened against the New York Giants, and it was a clinic rep, showing great “long arm technique.” His PFF pass rush grade is the best on the Cowboys through two games.
In the tweet below, PFF editor and film expert John Owning calls for Dallas to give him more snaps. Clowney’s arrival could mean he’s about to get less.
I agree with Owning and others that have pointed out Houston could be the best pure pass rusher on the Cowboys. But the fact remains, he’s the Cowboys DE with the fewest snaps through two games. And it’s a 23-snap difference with the next lowest one, second-round rookie Donovan Ezeiruaku, who is highly unlikely to be a healthy scratch any time soon due to the upside he provides.
Meanwhile, Sam Williams, Dante Fowler Jr., and Marshawn Kneeland have all registered snap counts of over 40%. In other words, it would take a drastic change of opinion from the coaching staff to replace any of them with Houston.
So as Clowney prepares for his Cowboys debut, I think it’s either going to be Houston that becomes a healthy scratch or a six-man group of active defensive ends. Schottenheimer and Co. have a tough decision to make.
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