Cowboys LISTEN - Film Study: What's 'Wrong' With Leighton Vander Esch?

Locked On Cowboys: Week 13 All-22 Review

Jeremy Brener | Dec 7, 2021

Dallas Cowboys linebacker Leighton Vander Esch recorded a season-high 12 tackles in the team's loss to the Denver Broncos. In the four games since then, Vander Esch recorded nine tackles combined.

Once a promising first-round draft pick, Vander Esch's stock has decreased season after season to the point where the Cowboys declined his fifth-year option and drafted his eventual replacement Micah Parsons in the first round of this past draft.

The former Boise State Bronco is still getting a decent amount of playing time, playing in over 50 percent of defensive snaps in all but two games this season, but the volume is not where it once was.

His last two seasons have spent a chunk of time on the sidelines with injuries, but this season, he's taken a backseat role to Parsons as the team's leading tackler and it minimizes his value.

Vander Esch still has the talent to be a solid linebacker and play a significant role for the Cowboys down the stretch, but either the team or Vander Esch needs to adapt to where they are in 2021, not 2018.

In this episode of the "Locked On Cowboys" Podcast, hosts Marcus Mosher and Landon McCool review the All-22 notes from the Week 13 win for the Cowboys.

They discuss why the offense is struggling, the Vander Esch problem and cornerback Anthony Brown's comeback against the Saints.

Marcus and Landon deal with all that more on this episode of "Locked On Cowboys." Join us here!

Published Dec 7, 2021

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.