OXNARD, Calif. _ The Dallas Cowboys' defense is seemingly in shambles.
It will open the season with its two best pass rushers, ends DeMarcus Lawrence and Randy Gregory, and starting middle linebacker Rolando McClain suspended for violating the league's substance abuse policy. Two of those players might not see action at all this season.
No one on the roster, including Lawrence and Gregory, have double-digit career sacks. The remaining group of ends, David Irving, Jack Crawford, Benson Mayowa and Ryan Russell, aren't exactly household names.
Cornerback Orlando Scandrick leads the team with 9.5 career sacks, and he missed all of last season with a knee injury.
Cowboys cornerbacks had only two interceptions last season, none by the starters. Brandon Carr hasn't had a pick in two years. Morris Claiborne has three interceptions in his four-year career.
Cowboys defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli has worked miracles with this defense before and is being asked to again.
Marinelli acknowledges this might be his toughest task. He never has had a defensive line so inexperienced.
"Oh, you're right. That's a great call," Marinelli said.
But the former Marine tunnel rat and Vietnam veteran is looking forward to the challenge.
"It's on me to get it done," Marinelli said. "I like it. I just got to go do my job. I got to get this defense flying. We've got to play team football. If we can do that, then it's exciting."
Marinelli is encouraged by the success they had in 2014 when the Cowboys went 12-4 and won the NFC East. Much was made about the ball-control offense, featuring NFL-leading rusher DeMarco Murray's 1,845 yards and quarterback Tony Romo's most valuable player-caliber performance.
But that team also had Marinelli working his first season as defensive coordinator. He took a defense that ranked last in the league in 2013 to 19th in 2014.
More to the point, the Cowboys ranked second in the league with 31 takeaways.
Marinelli acknowledged that team was the one he is most proud of in all of his years of coaching.
"Their effort was off the charts," Marinelli said. "We hit balls out. We stripped. We didn't make a lot of mistakes."
Marinelli coaches the same way whether it's with Pro Bowlers or newcomers.
"You can make up for a lot by being smart, being really tough and giving everything you've got," Marinelli said.
The Cowboys have showed progress in training camp. The defense has played better than expected in practice. It's quantified by more turnovers in camp than last year.
"I think our guys got the feel what we want out of our defense," defensive tackle Tyrone Crawford said. "A lot more takeaways. ... Running to the ball. Being the defense we want to be. Tough fast and hard hitting."
The Cowboys believe in Marinelli because they know he will get the most out of his unit.
Marinelli believes in hustle and effort.
"He demands it," Crawford said. "He doesn't play around with that. He will wipe out a whole room if he has too and get a bunch of different guys. He doesn't play around. If you are not willing to play his style of ball, you probably won't be here."
Marinelli is soft spoken with the media, but won't give an inch on the field, not to players or even his coaches, evidenced by a recent shouting match with defensive line coach Leon Lett.
Marinelli is confident his unit will be up to the task this year.
"We will lay low and come out hard," Marinelli said.
