Jump to content

DT Igor Olshansky signs with the Cowboys


faba

Recommended Posts

Olshansky reunites with Phillips

Comment Email Print Share

By John Clayton

ESPN.com

Archive

As one of the best defensive linemen available in free agency, Igor Olshansky had several options.

He decided to pick the defense he was most familiar with on Friday, choosing the Cowboys. Oshansky agreed to a four-year, $18 million contact with Dallas that includes $8 million in guarantees, according to a source. He will reunite with Wade Phillips, his former defensive coordinator in San Diego.

A former second-round choice of the Chargers, Olshansky played five seasons in the Chargers' 3-4 scheme. Phillips, who was defensive coordinator in San Diego from 2004 to '06, went from a 4-3 to a 3-4. Olshansky started 57 of 59 games as a Charger. He had 187 tackles and nine sacks during his San Diego.

The native of the Ukraine is the first player from the former Soviet Union to play in the NFL.

John Clayton is a senior writer for ESPN.com

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Olshansky reunites with Phillips

Comment Email Print Share

By John Clayton

ESPN.com

Archive

As one of the best defensive linemen available in free agency, Igor Olshansky had several options.

He decided to pick the defense he was most familiar with on Friday, choosing the Cowboys. Oshansky agreed to a four-year, $18 million contact with Dallas that includes $8 million in guarantees, according to a source. He will reunite with Wade Phillips, his former defensive coordinator in San Diego.

A former second-round choice of the Chargers, Olshansky played five seasons in the Chargers' 3-4 scheme. Phillips, who was defensive coordinator in San Diego from 2004 to '06, went from a 4-3 to a 3-4. Olshansky started 57 of 59 games as a Charger. He had 187 tackles and nine sacks during his San Diego.

The native of the Ukraine is the first player from the former Soviet Union to play in the NFL.

John Clayton is a senior writer for ESPN.com

Good move by Dallas after losing Canty.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Olshansky reunites with Phillips

Comment Email Print Share

By John Clayton

ESPN.com

Archive

As one of the best defensive linemen available in free agency, Igor Olshansky had several options.

He decided to pick the defense he was most familiar with on Friday, choosing the Cowboys. Oshansky agreed to a four-year, $18 million contact with Dallas that includes $8 million in guarantees, according to a source. He will reunite with Wade Phillips, his former defensive coordinator in San Diego.

A former second-round choice of the Chargers, Olshansky played five seasons in the Chargers' 3-4 scheme. Phillips, who was defensive coordinator in San Diego from 2004 to '06, went from a 4-3 to a 3-4. Olshansky started 57 of 59 games as a Charger. He had 187 tackles and nine sacks during his San Diego.

The native of the Ukraine is the first player from the former Soviet Union to play in the NFL.

John Clayton is a senior writer for ESPN.com

Igor Olshansky $4.5M/yr

Kenyon Coleman $4.0M/yr

Wonderful.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Igor Olshansky $4.5M/yr

Kenyon Coleman $4.0M/yr

Wonderful.

The problem is that cutting Coleman would have resulted in roughly 3.5 million in dead money and only $800 000 in actual cash. Unless Ryan brings out the best in him, he will be turfed next year!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The problem is that cutting Coleman would have resulted in roughly 3.5 million in dead money and only $800 000 in actual cash. Unless Ryan brings out the best in him, he will be turfed next year!

My comment wasn't alluding to cutting Coleman. It was just referring to the value of each contract (not to mention Coleman's was 2 years earlier when contracts were generally lower anyway). Coleman was grossly overpaid. Sometimes you overpay for a backup & the player comes into his own. Other times it doesn't. I don't think he's the flop player many do, but he's definitely overpaid compared to what better players make. The Olshansky deal just illustrates that. Not that Igor is so incredible (he isn't), but he's better than Coleman.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My comment wasn't alluding to cutting Coleman. It was just referring to the value of each contract (not to mention Coleman's was 2 years earlier when contracts were generally lower anyway). Coleman was grossly overpaid. Sometimes you overpay for a backup & the player comes into his own. Other times it doesn't. I don't think he's the flop player many do, but he's definitely overpaid compared to what better players make. The Olshansky deal just illustrates that. Not that Igor is so incredible (he isn't), but he's better than Coleman.

I agree with you 100%. I still do not understand why he was given that contract. I'm sure Ryan would have loved to send Coleman to the curb but were stuck with him till next year.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Olshansky really hasn't been all that great a player, his entire career he's been streaky and ran hot and cold, disappearing for long stretches of games. I'm not sure he's even better then what we already have, the grass isn't always greener on the other side of the fence.

Ask yourself something, if he was such a great player like everyone here seems to think he is, why did his own team, despite having plenty of cap space and seemingly no replacement, do almost nothing to retain him?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Dr.F: Would you mind telling me whose brain i did put in?

Igor: And you won't be angry?

Dr.F: I will not be angry!

Igor: Abbe...someone.

Dr.F: Abbe someone? Abbe who?

Igor: AbbeNormal.

Dr.F: AbbeNormal!

Igor: I'm almost sure that was the name.

Dr.F: Are you saying that i put an abnormal brain into a seven and a half foot long, 54 inch wide, gorilla? [hysterical, grabs Igor by neck and lifts up and down off the floor] Is that what you're telling me?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Dr.F: Would you mind telling me whose brain i did put in?

Igor: And you won't be angry?

Dr.F: I will not be angry!

Igor: Abbe...someone.

Dr.F: Abbe someone? Abbe who?

Igor: AbbeNormal.

Dr.F: AbbeNormal!

Igor: I'm almost sure that was the name.

Dr.F: Are you saying that i put an abnormal brain into a seven and a half foot long, 54 inch wide, gorilla? [hysterical, grabs Igor by neck and lifts up and down off the floor] Is that what you're telling me?

That's FRONK-en-steen.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Dr.F: Would you mind telling me whose brain i did put in?

Igor: And you won't be angry?

Dr.F: I will not be angry!

Igor: Abbe...someone.

Dr.F: Abbe someone? Abbe who?

Igor: AbbeNormal.

Dr.F: AbbeNormal!

Igor: I'm almost sure that was the name.

Dr.F: Are you saying that i put an abnormal brain into a seven and a half foot long, 54 inch wide, gorilla? [hysterical, grabs Igor by neck and lifts up and down off the floor] Is that what you're telling me?

LOL, I love that movie and use that line. I call dumb dancers Abby Normal all the time (yes there are a few smart ones). The girl will look at me and say something stupid like my name's not Abby.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Olshansky really hasn't been all that great a player, his entire career he's been streaky and ran hot and cold, disappearing for long stretches of games. I'm not sure he's even better then what we already have, the grass isn't always greener on the other side of the fence.

Ask yourself something, if he was such a great player like everyone here seems to think he is, why did his own team, despite having plenty of cap space and seemingly no replacement, do almost nothing to retain him?

No one is suggesting Igor is a great player. He was a 5-year starting DE on what was a pretty solid DL (one record-setting day from Adrian Peterson not withstanding). A former first round pick (for whatever that's worth), it is pretty commonly thought that he still hasn't reached his potential yet. He turns 27 in May & this deal carries him through age 30.

Coleman was a 5th round draft pick, cut by the team that drafted him after a lesser season than Vernon Gholston just had, and who was still career backup 4 years later when we signed him to a 5 year/$20M deal a month before he turned 28, with a deal that keeps him through age 32.

It's not about how amazing Olshansky is or isn't. It's about how stupidly overpaid Coleman was (and is). At the time of their respective signings, he was a far more accomplished player than Coleman with a still-higher ceiling.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

No one is suggesting Igor is a great player. He was a 5-year starting DE on what was a pretty solid DL (one record-setting day from Adrian Peterson not withstanding). A former first round pick (for whatever that's worth), it is pretty commonly thought that he still hasn't reached his potential yet. He turns 27 in May & this deal carries him through age 30.

Coleman was a 5th round draft pick, cut by the team that drafted him after a lesser season than Vernon Gholston just had, and who was still career backup 4 years later when we signed him to a 5 year/$20M deal a month before he turned 28, with a deal that keeps him through age 32.

It's not about how amazing Olshansky is or isn't. It's about how stupidly overpaid Coleman was (and is). At the time of their respective signings, he was a far more accomplished player than Coleman with a still-higher ceiling.

Agreed that we overpaid for Coleman. Part of that might be from us having discussions with Parcells who sold us on him. I'm content with Coleman. Afterall we can't have an all por at every position. :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...