Film room: Which Cowboys benefit the most from Everson Griffens addition to the roster? – The Dallas Morning News

The Dallas Cowboys signed free agent pass-rusher Everson Griffen to a one-year, $6 million contract on Aug. 12 in a move that will have a ripple effect across the roster.

The first of which came across the wire after Sundays practice, as second-year defensive end Jalen Jelks was released to make room for the 32-year-old USC product.

Nonetheless, the effects of signing Griffen should be much more positive for the Cowboys defense than it was for Jelks, as Griffens presence will assuredly make life easier on a few defenders in 2019. Who are those players who will be benefiting most from the Griffen addition?

Keep reading to find out.

Before the Cowboys signed Griffen, they were devoid of a real, proven pass-rush presence opposite DeMarcus Lawrence, which would have resulted in a steady stream of double teams, chip blocks and slide protections coming his way as opposing offenses could really zero in on how to slow down Dallas premier defender (fifth-highest double team rate among edge defenders).

There were times when opposing offenses both chipped and slid protection toward Lawrence, making it near impossible for him to generate pressure on the QB. The chip from an RB/TE makes it difficult for Lawrence to rush outside, as the RB/TE helps protect the tackles outside gap, while the slide protection eliminates the necessary space for an inside move, as the guard is sliding outside to protect the tackles inside gap.

However, with Griffen in the fold, offenses are going to have to think twice about sending all the attention Lawrences way because leaving Griffen on an island one-on-one is a dangerous game to play.

In fact, look no further than the attention (or lack thereof) that Griffens running mate in Minnesota, Danielle Hunter, faced in 2019. Hunter has accumulated either 60+ pressures and/or 12+ sacks in each of the last four seasons; however, despite all that production, Hunter was doubled teamed at a below-average rate in 2019 (on slightly more than 14% of his pass-rush snaps). Griffen was actually doubled-team more often than his more productive teammate (on slightly more than 18% of his pass-rush snaps), which just demonstrates Griffens ability to draw attention away from more talented teammates.

Now, Minnesotas defensive scheme deserves credit for limiting the double teams on their edge defenders, which is why its interesting that the Cowboys hired former Vikings defensive coordinator George Edwards to be a defensive assistant.

Nevertheless, this is great news for Lawrence, as the increased attention he faced last year was one of many reasons why he didnt accumulate as many sacks in 2019 as we became accustomed to seeing in the past.

Griffens presence, in addition to the Cowboys blitzing more, should earn Lawrence more frequent one-on-one opportunities, which should lead to more production from Dallas premier pass rusher. Lawrence is simply too technically efficient to not have considerable success against one-on-ones.

Even before Griffen was signed, I thought Lawrence was destined to accumulate 10+ sacks in 2020, and with Griffen now in the fold, Im even more confident that Lawrence will break the double-digit sack barrier this season.

Another pass-rusher who benefits from the Griffen signing is Aldon Smith. Prior to Griffen signing, Smith was the only defender who was previously a high-end pass rusher. However, the problem is that its been five years since Smith even touched an NFL field.

Ideally, Smith would be the cherry on top of the Cowboys pass-rush sundae, but before Griffen was signed, he probably would have been forced to be the ice cream. No matter how optimistic you are about Smiths ability to contribute to the Cowboys defense this year, its never ideal to be forced to rely on someone whos missed a half-decade to be the No. 2 edge rusher on the team.

Now, with Griffen on the defense, the Cowboys dont have to rely on Smith to bring the pressure opposite Lawrence, which means they can use him in a role thats more befitting to someone in his circumstances. The Cowboys are now in a better position to limit Smiths snaps so that he can play at a higher pace more consistently.

Additionally, with Griffen and Lawrence outside, the Cowboys now have the option to use Smith as a mismatch weapon, moving him around the line of scrimmage to attack the weak link in opposing offensive lines.

In the NFL, pass rush and coverage have a symbiotic relationship. A good pass rush makes life easier on coverage and good coverage makes life easier on the pass rush. Therefore, it shouldnt be a surprise that Dallas secondary, arguably, benefits the most from the Griffen signing.

In theory, signing Griffen means the Cowboys will apply more pressure on opposing quarterbacks, and pressured quarterbacks typically arent good quarterbacks. In 2019, QBs had a 97.3 passer rating from a clean pocket but fell all the way to 63.5 when pressured, per PFF. Pressured QBs throw more passes into contested areas, which means more turnover opportunities for the defensive backs.

Additionally, if the secondary trust that the pass rush will consistently pressure the QB in a timely manner, then they can be more aggressive to jump short-to-intermediate routes, creating even more turnover opportunities on defense.

A venomous pass rush with multiple threats could also lead to offenses sacrificing an eligible receiver to stay in and block to keep the QB clean. On a normal play where there are four defenders rushing the passer, the defense has seven defenders in coverage to defend up to five eligible receivers. You dont need to be a math wiz to understand that its easier for seven defenders to cover four receivers than it is to defend five, regardless if its man or zone.

Find more Cowboys stories from The Dallas Morning News here.

Read more:
Film room: Which Cowboys benefit the most from Everson Griffens addition to the roster? - The Dallas Morning News