Cowboys Interested in LB/DE Lawrence Sidbury

According to the NFL Blog, the Cowboys will bring in Richmond Spiders’ LB/DE Lawrence Sidbury for a visit. The Cowboys could be in the market for another OLB considering the aging Greg Ellis could be entering his last year with the team. In addition to that, I’m sure anyone is sold on Anthony Spencer right now. Spencer has shown flashes, but going into year 3, we would have hoped for better progression and a greater impact.

Sidbury measure’s in at 6-2 1/2, 265lbs. He ran the fastest 40 (4.64) amongst defensive lineman, and top four fastest compared to the linebackers. 28 reps for the bench press, and 35.0 vertical

Further Analysis:

Positives: Solidly built athlete with room for additional mass, especially in his upper body. … Long arms. … Flashes initial quickness off the snap to pressure the outside. … Good lateral quickness to redirect back to the inside if he senses the tackle leaning outside. … Good spin and reverse spin move to clear the offensive tackle quickly. … Good hand placement and use of leverage to bull rush the tackle into the pocket. … Can close quickly with an open lane. … Good effort in pursuit. … Can break down in space to make the clean open-field tackle. … Flashes some explosiveness as a hitter. … Helped himself with a solid week of practice at the East-West Shrine Game.

Negatives: Lacks the height and bulk in his lower body most teams prefer in a defensive end. … Marginal strength at the point of attack and can be targeted in the running game. … Likes to run around blocks in space, rather than take them on and discard. … Lacks explosiveness off the snap and is often late. … Enjoyed much of his success while rushing from the left defensive end position and going against the right tackle. … Inconsistent. … Tends to make plays in bunches and then disappear for long stretches. (NFL.com)

NFLDraftCountdown’s Scott Wright rates Sidbury as a 2nd-3rd rounder, and describes Sidbury as:

Strengths:
Very athletic…Good bulk…Has extremely long arms…Excellent timed speed…Really quick with a burst…Can be a force off the edge…Great mobility and range…Terrific motor…Does a nice job in pursuit…Has big hands…Versatile…Team  leader…Productive…Has a ton of upside.

Weaknesses:
A bit shorter than you’d prefer…Doesn’t play as fast as he times…Not an elite pass rusher…Does not have a wide array of moves…Has some trouble getting off blocks…Doesn’t use his hands well…Not real strong or powerful…Is just average versus the run…Low level of competition.

Notes:
Could also project to outside linebacker at the next level…Competed on the Richmond track & field squad…A two-year starter…Was named 1st Team All-CAA in 2007 and 2008…Ended his career on a high note by recording four sacks in the Spiders win over Montana in the FCS National Championship game…Had a strong showing at the East-West Shrine Game and earned an invite to the Senior Bowl…Blew up at the Scouting Combine and ran the fastest defensive line forty…Intriguing prospect but also a bit of a Workout Warrior and didn’t play up to his impressive measurables during the Senior Bowl week…Might be more of a one-dimensional pass rusher or situational type while he develops (Wright)

Sounds like a good prospect, we sure could use some depth; however, as noted in the analysis, Sidbury’s height may not fit into the type of LB Wade Phillips would want, but you never know, plus if the Cowboys are bringing him in they must like what they’ve seen already.

Let’s look at what could be Wade’s prototypical OLB.

Shawne Merriman 6-4, 272lbs

Anthony Spencer 6-3, 255lbs

Well, maybe Sidbury’s size (6-2 1/2, 265lbs) wouldn’t be a concern if you go by these two OLB’s Wade likes in an OLB. We’ll see soon enough. I can’t wait for the draft to get here.

Other Draft Nuggets

The National Football Post has a 3-Round Mock, and they give us:

51. Dallas: Louis Delmas, FS, Western Michigan

Has the range and athleticism to be a big help in the Cowboys’ secondary.

69. Dallas (from Cleveland): Andy Levitre, OG, Oregon State

Gives the Cowboys some needed youth and depth on the offensive line. (NFP)

Not bad actually, I’d take that too. We have so many needs really, mainly because we have a handful of guys that are stop gaps, and we need to draft for replacements for long term play.