Bell: Cowboys counting on Rod Marinelli to work his magic on defense
OXNARD, Calif. – When someone asked Rod Marinelli after a recent practice whether he’s discouraged by the serious issues surrounding the Dallas Cowboys defense, he shrugged.
“I was in Detroit and never got discouraged,” Marinelli said.
No doubt, he has perspective. In 2008, Marinelli was the head coach of a Detroit Lions team that became the first in NFL history to finish 0-16.
Now it can be argued that no assistant in the NFL is under more pressure. It’s his job to put together a unit that has been depleted by the drug suspensions of three key players – Rolando McClain, DeMarcus Lawrence and Randy Gregory – that fuels so many questions about the prospects.
McClain, the tackling machine of a linebacker in the middle of the defense, is suspended 10 games. Lawrence is banned four games. Gregory will miss at least four games.
What a hard way to build a defense.
“Adversity will make you better – if you embrace it,” Marinelli said. “Some people hide from it, and it buries you.”
This is the standard optimistic tone the Cowboys have come to expect from Marinelli, an energetic soul with a reputation for two traits in particular that are essential to his team: He’s a stickler for detail, which is critical for a unit light on elite talent. He’s also known to bring out the best in lesser-talented players.
Two years ago, in his first season as Cowboys coordinator, Marinelli took a unit that ranked last in the NFL the previous season and turned it into a force that improved to 19th for yards allowed. More importantly, it ranked second in the NFL with 31 takeaways.
“I believe in hustle, effort and want-to,” Marinelli said. “We did that a couple years ago.”
Of all the defenses coached during his long NFL career, he rates Dallas’ 2014 cast as the one that makes him most proud. Like the current squad, that unit included less-heralded types on the D-line such as George Selvie and Jack Crawford, but Marinelli said, “their effort was off the charts.”
Sure, that’s the foundation for a formula that works. But it sounds a lot better than it looks when considering that the two talented edge rushers the Cowboys invested high draft picks in the past two seasons, Gregory and Lawrence, have been derailed.
The Cowboys are banking on Marinelli to pull off another miracle.
In 21 years in the NFL, he’s never had a defensive line with so little experience. Marinelli had never gone two consecutive seasons without having a player post double-digits in sacks until the past two years.
Quick, who are the rush men for the Cowboys?
The lineup includes David Irving, Ryan Russell, Tyrone Crawford, Terrell McClain, Jack Crawford and Benson Mayowa. If you’ve never heard of these guys, no worries. The names, or lack thereof, underscores the challenge.
As linebacker Sean Lee put it, “I think we have talent. You might not know who they are yet.”
Follow NFL columnist Jarrett Bell on Twitter @JarrettBell.
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