FRISCO, Texas– Newly-signed defensive end Ryan Davis spent this past offseason trying something brand-new in his four-year NFL career: linebacker.
"You don't hear about that too often: 260-pound linebackers," he said Wednesday, his first day with the team.
So it's not surprising to hear Davis say he expects to learn the Cowboys' defense fairly quickly now that he's moving back to his natural position. He also expects to stay around 260.
Davis spent his first three seasons in Jacksonville, where he produced 11 sacks in 34 games playing mostly weak-side defensive end. This past offseason, the Jaguars' coaching staff tried him at strong-side linebacker while also asking him to rush in certain situations.
Waived by the Jaguars at final cuts, Davis signed with the Cowboys on Wednesday following a scheduled workout. He has been in his new playbook picking up the scheme.
"I think I can do it fairly quickly," he said. "Thank God I only sat at home for a week. That's the good part about it. But I think I can get acclimated fairly quickly, and (Wednesday's) practice tempo, it definitely helped me get in the right direction."
Although he's learning a new system, Davis said he already feels comfortable with defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli's coaching style. His first position coach in Jacksonville was Joe Cullen, a Marinelli assistant in Detroit from 2006-08.
--Rob Phillips
