Cowboys’ reserve linebacker Victor Butler doesn’t know when he’ll get a chance to meet with new defensive coordinator Rob Ryan next, but with a playbook in hand and a tenuous grasp on the defense, he, like any number of Dallas’ defensive players, is brimming over with anticipation.
Butler gushed over the possibilities Ryan brings with him to Dallas on Tuesday, at the Premier Football Camp at John Paul II High School in Plano, where he and backup quarterback Stephen McGee coached the campers and spoke to the reporters on hand.
"It's crazy," Butler said of Ryan’s system, per the Dallas Morning News. "You've got d-linemen lining up at the free safety spot. I'd love to see Jay Ratliff line up where Alan Ball is. It sounds crazy but when you get out there and run it it makes a lot of sense. I am super excited. I was hoping for [organized team activities]. That's how excited I was. Nobody hopes for OTAs. But I was hoping for OTAs so we can get in this defense and run this defense."
Instead of OTAs, Tony Romo has led around 45 members of the Cowboys in a series of player-organized workouts, which have taken place at undisclosed locations around the DFW area. These workouts have given the Cowboys’ defensive personnel some idea of Ryan’s system, but in order to fully grasp it fully, they’ll likely have to wait for the lockout to come to an end.
"We don't have all the tricks and all the gadgets we would normally have if we had the OTAs," said Butler. "But on the basic level, we know what we need to know."
Stay on top of the latest Dallas Cowboys news with NBCDFW.com. Follow NBC DFW Sports on Facebook or have breaking Cowboys news sent directly to your phone with Blue Star SMS alerts. Text "bluestar" to 622339 (NBCDFW) to subscribe to this free service. Read more about it here.
