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Post by Sideshow Bob on Aug 30, 2011 7:02:29 GMT -6
Junior Miller gave Gary another reason to hate him this morning - he just did a whole segment on how cutting Gurode and the other OL changes is proof positive that the Cowboys are in rebuilding mode. I guess Juniors think alike.
I really think we'll be pretty good this year. 11-5 is realistic, though 10-6 is probably more likely.
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Post by Terd Ferguson on Aug 30, 2011 9:32:06 GMT -6
The run blocking could suffer a little but I'm not sure that it really should or will.
The Cowboys have had to limit the kind of calls they make because of the linemen's inability to do what was needed. We no longer ran stretch or sweep plays getting RBs on the edge, because our linemen could not make the pull and get there in time. You think defenses figure that out and focus run blitzes in the middle of the field?
What do you do when a team is blitzing the crap out of you and getting pressure on your QB? You run screens to slow them down.
We could not do that. Our linemen couldn't get out and lead the RB and block in space.
These guys can do those things. I don't think that Costa or Nagy (or Arkin) is as strong as BIGG or Gurode. I do think they can do so many things that those guys couldn't it will be an overall improvement.
It isn't like I think we've jumped up into the top 5 lines in the NFL. It is that I believe this unit is better than last year's unit, and they will continue to improve, not decline.
By the way, the new cap rules have some kind of stipulation (not sure exactly how it works yet) that allows for cap space THIS YEAR to carry over to next year. Right now, even after signing Scandrick we are almost $7M under the cap. Stephen Jones is doing a great job of digging us out of that dead money next year.
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Post by Terd Ferguson on Aug 30, 2011 9:33:46 GMT -6
By the way, that info about limiting all the calls we make came from Nate Newton. He said this should have been done 4 years ago. But what the hell does he know? He is just a former pro-bowl guard that had a VERY long NFL career and won Superbowls.
Nah...come to think of it, the Juniors are probably smarter than him and Bryan Broaddus. All that dude ever did was make a living as a NFL scout.
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Post by mexicanjunior on Aug 30, 2011 10:04:38 GMT -6
By the way, that info about limiting all the calls we make came from Nate Newton. He said this should have been done 4 years ago. But what the hell does he know? He is just a former pro-bowl guard that had a VERY long NFL career and won Superbowls. Nah...come to think of it, the Juniors are probably smarter than him and Bryan Broaddus. All that dude ever did was make a living as a NFL scout. Wade was a coach for 25+ years...I guess he was smarter than us too with how he handled this team. If we are pulling resumes to make opinions, than I guess none of us know what we are talking about. |
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Post by mexicanjunior on Aug 30, 2011 10:09:30 GMT -6
Junior Miller gave Gary another reason to hate him this morning - he just did a whole segment on how cutting Gurode and the other OL changes is proof positive that the Cowboys are in rebuilding mode. I guess Juniors think alike. I really think we'll be pretty good this year. 11-5 is realistic, though 10-6 is probably more likely. Norm is pretty much saying the same thing now...JJT said the same thing with his article... espn.go.com/dallas/nfl/story/_/id/6907457/dallas-cowboys-rebuilding-mode-notI think you guys are in the minority with thinking these moves make the Cowboys better now and I can't really take your opinion seriously Bob...if Gary said he hated these moves, you would whole heartedly agree with him. Hard to find many posts where you disagree with his stance or not make a u-turn on your original opinion... I am not totally against this move if rebuilding is the goal but I won't be sold into thinking this team will be better than last year with cutting Gurode. Time will tell I guess... |
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Post by mexicanjunior on Aug 30, 2011 10:12:47 GMT -6
The more I think about this, the better I feel. Truth be told, if there's any possible negative associated with these changes, it's that our run blocking might take a temporary downtick for a short while...BUT our pass blocking should be MUCH, MUCH better, because all of these guys are younger, faster and have much better footwork than those fat old bastards we got rid of. I think it is the opposite...I think the run blocking will improve because the younger guys will be quicker to pull on screens and sweeps. I think their lack of bulk and strength compared to Gurode/Davis will show in pass protection as the bigger and stronger DT's will overpower them. Also, blitz pickups I believe will suffer due to lack of experience. At least this move could help Felix have a very solid year for your FFL... |
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Post by Sideshow Bob on Aug 30, 2011 13:24:49 GMT -6
espn.go.com/blog/dallas/cowboys/post/_/id/4682840/jerry-experienced-o-line-got-qb-knocked-outJerry: Experienced O-line got QB knocked out
A year ago, Jerry Jones trumpeted the value of an experienced offensive line. Man, has he ever changed his tune on the topic.
The Cowboys cut three longtime starters to make room for a pair of rookies and a second-year undrafted free agent, but Jones doesn’t consider the lack of experience to be a significant concern for the offensive line. He prefers to focus on the upgrade in athleticism with the lighter, quicker trio of Tyron Smith, Bill Nagy and Phil Costa replacing Marc Colombo, Leonard Davis and Andre Gurode.
“Let’s keep in mind the experienced offensive line got our quarterback knocked out, or was a big part of getting our quarterback knocked out, early on in the season and that really hurt us,” Jones said during a Tuesday appearance on KRLD-FM, the team’s flagship station. “Not that we were playing well to begin with. So it’s not that our experience kept us from doing the one thing that you really want to do, and that’s get your man or at least get in front of your man. What you’re going to see is a likelihood of more getting in front of your man, less people coming free.”
Actually, Romo suffered a broken collarbone when then-rookie fullback Chris Gronkowski made a mental bust on a blitz pickup. But you get Jerry’s point about the poor performance of last season’s offensive line.
“The less we can see somebody coming free, the sounder we are and the better chance we have I think of having our quarterback with us the entire season,” Jones said. “That had a lot to do with these decisions. We had a lot of coming frees last year.”
Regarding Gurode’s release, Jones acknowledged that finances were a factor. However, he indicated that the Cowboys considered asking Gurode to take a pay cut, but did not seriously pursue the matter because of “the issue we call progress.”
Jones left no doubt that the Cowboys consider Costa a better center than Gurode at this point.
“You should look at this one based on the facts as you see them,” Jones said. “You saw Phil Costa step up and for all practical purposes win the starting job at center. Win it heads up as we come into the start of the season. Then you saw the reality of having a significant salary for a backup player.”
Jones also reminded that Doug Free was considered by many to be the biggest question mark on the offensive line as he entered his first season as the starting left tackle a year ago. Now, Free is fresh off signing a four-year, $32 million contract and is widely considered at least an above-average player at the line’s most important position.
As far as the Cowboys’ offensive line is concerned, it’s better to have some young question marks than the wrong answers they had last season.
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Post by Terd Ferguson on Aug 30, 2011 14:38:03 GMT -6
They were right about Free. Everyone thought they were crazy. No way can a 4th rounder from nowhere replace a guy like FLO that was so good for so long.
Then, it turned out the coaches (and scouts) were right. Free was just flat out better. Flo was past his prime.
So are BIGG, Columbo, and quite a few others. The Cowboys are cleaning out these guys that were just drawing a check.
The young guys might not recognize every blitz, but that is what Kosier, Free, and Costa is there for. Yes, Costa. He is the one that keeps grading out so highly at recognizing and making line calls.
At least with these guys, when they recognize it they can do something about it.
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Post by mexicanjunior on Aug 30, 2011 14:43:02 GMT -6
They were right about Free. Everyone thought they were crazy. No way can a 4th rounder from nowhere replace a guy like FLO that was so good for so long. Then, it turned out the coaches (and scouts) were right. Free was just flat out better. Flo was past his prime. Free had already proven himself filling in for Columbo during the 2nd half of 2009, after being with the team since 2007...it was not a real stretch for him to replace Flo in 2010. Costa and the other 2 rookies have had no such trial run, just handed the reins after 3 preseason games. Smith's spot in the O-line is warranted, the other 2 are the questionable ones. |
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Post by Terd Ferguson on Aug 30, 2011 21:02:17 GMT -6
They were right about Free. Everyone thought they were crazy. No way can a 4th rounder from nowhere replace a guy like FLO that was so good for so long. Then, it turned out the coaches (and scouts) were right. Free was just flat out better. Flo was past his prime. Free had already proven himself filling in for Columbo during the 2nd half of 2009, after being with the team since 2007...it was not a real stretch for him to replace Flo in 2010. Costa and the other 2 rookies have had no such trial run, just handed the reins after 3 preseason games. Smith's spot in the O-line is warranted, the other 2 are the questionable ones. Not true. We aren't talking about what we thought about Free. We are talking about public opinion. The Cowboys' boards were full of doubters. They all said he was 'ok' as a RT. They didn't believe he could make the transition. Costa played in at least 2 games last year. One where he jumped in as a replacement and another where he started. He played well both times. He may not have a huge background, but 2 training camps and a full season, the coaches know what they have. |
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Post by Sideshow Bob on Aug 31, 2011 8:16:21 GMT -6
VERY INTERESTING counterpoint by Ben (of Ben & Skin)... espn.go.com/blog/dallas/cowboys/post/_/id/4682859/rabid-reaction-beware-the-r-word-peddlersThe word on the street is a horde of hoodwinked football souls are out peddling doom and gloom to an already beleaguered and vulnerable Dallas Cowboys fan base. Half-empty glass brokers are cornering susceptible co-workers at water coolers, pulling up barstools next to defenseless buddies at happy hour, and fashioning well-worded, panic-inducing crisis columns on world class websites.
Not only are these Debbie Downers breaking out their giant Paul Bunyan axes on your trees of hope, but they’re also using extremely rude langue in the process. They’re throwing around the “R-word” like it’s a Nerf football in your front yard on Thanksgiving Day.
“Rebuilding.”
Now that’s just plain reckless.
To classify a team as being in “rebuilding mode” is to say that they have zero chance for success in the present. Teams rebuild when they hit rock bottom, can longer compete, lose all remaining shreds of hope and have no choice but to tear everything down and start over.
August pigeonholing of an NFL team as such is a flat-out declaration that their upcoming season is entirely inconsequential.
The idea is that a rebuilding team sacrifices their short-term aspirations in an effort to invest in their future. Take a step back now in order to take two forward down the road. Play the youngest guys you can find in your locker room during a season that won’t matter in hopes that the experience will pay off for those players once games matter again some day.
People who think along these lines generally believe there are just two gears for a franchise engine: rebuild, and contend. They think you do your best to build a contender until it clearly runs out of gas, and then you tear it down and start over.
The reality is that the healthiest sports organizations simultaneously execute both gears. They are not mutually exclusive.
When the Cowboys added five-time Pro-Bowl center Andre Gurode to the parade of veterans being shown the door, local panic mongers leapt at the opportunity to scream “Shark!” on the football beach.
They alleged that by overhauling their offensive line with three young, new starters, the Cowboys have given clear indication that they are officially (gulp!) rebuilding. After all, how can they part ways with legends like Marc Colombo, Leonard Davis and Gurode? How can they replace them with two rookies (Tyron Smith and Bill Nagy) and a second-year player (Phil Costa)? How can they do that and expect to compete with the likes of the mighty Philadelphia Eagles in the treacherous NFC East?
The Eagles, who just treated free agency like it was their own private superstar buffet, would never find themselves in the embarrassing and pitiful position that the Cowboys do with their offensive line. They wouldn’t hear of such a thing. Someone hand Jason Garrett a white towel, quickly. Stop the fight! Stop the fight!
Um, yeah ... about that.
Truth is, the Philadelphia World Champs of August find themselves in an extremely similar situation with their big uglies. As it stands now, it appears that they too will start two bright-eyed rookies (RG Danny Watkins and C Jason Kelce) on their offensive line. In addition, they’ve moved their left guard of the past several seasons, Todd Herremans, to right tackle and will be starting Evan Mathis at left guard. He joined their team a week into camp.
Maybe the incredibly average Winston Justice hobbles back to the rescue at tackle to save the day a few weeks into the season. Either way, the Eagles are still looking at two rookies and lots of chaos on the offensive line that protects their $100 million quarterback.
So with all of that youth and transition, are the Eagles rebuilding too?
No. Of course not. They signed most of their post-lockout free agent horses to one-year deals. They’re in go-for-it-now mode as much as anyone in the league, and you better believe they’re contenders.
By the way, last season the Eagles went to the playoffs as one of the youngest teams in the league, which ultimately proves that they were both rebuilding and contending simultaneously.
That’s not to say that the Cowboys are anywhere near as rosy-cheeked an organization as the Eagles, who seem to have more cap room hidden under their mattress than any team in the history of ever. But perhaps the Cowboys are learning a thing or two from their hated rival.
Working young players into the mix is merely a sign of a healthy franchise. It’s nothing to panic over. Jason Garrett has created a competitive environment where no job is secure based solely on contract commas. Fierce competition for jobs will bring the best out of a football team that has admittedly felt "entitled" in the past.
It’s a sizable leap to go from fueling the fires of competition to cowering under the umbrella of surrender.
Besides, why would a team with superstars in the prime of their prime like Tony Romo, Jason Witten, DeMarcus Ware and Jay Ratliff concede a season in a league drenched in parity sauce? Let’s not forget that the NFC featured a 7-9 team in the playoffs last year.
The Cowboys’ schedule doesn’t exactly breathe fire on tiny people. It’s hardly a scary monster. Nine of their first 12 opponents had sub-.500 records in 2010. Why in the world would they concede this upcoming season in order to rebuild?
Granted, they have holes. Their new offensive line will need to find continuity quickly in order to keep Romo off of a stretcher. And you get the feeling that this new defense will remain a work in progress as the mad silver-mulleted scientist Rob Ryan and his two-ton playbook will take some time for players to wrap their arms around. But once again, the schedule is more than willing to lend a helping hand as the Cowboys work out the kinks.
A bye in Week 5 is generally viewed as a potential disruption for early season momentum. Teams typically would rather have the bye in the back half of the season to give broken bodies an extra week to recover before the stretch run. However, in the Cowboys' case, considering that the lockout deprived them of critical installation time for Ryan’s mysterious blueprint, Week 5 will serve as an ideal opportunity to regroup, adjust and move forward with four games of valuable film to dissect.
This team is two years removed from being 11-5 with a playoff win. They rid themselves of a somewhat directionless head coach, replaced a stale defensive scheme and have run off a handful of generals from the entitlement brigade.
Uncontaminated competition at it’s purest is fueling a talent revolution at Valley Ranch. Suddenly, Cowboys draft picks can do more than grab Bill Parcells a cup of water and accompany Tony Romo to an exotic beach destination. A much-maligned football culture has been miraculously transformed.
Their schedule is friendly. Their quarterback is healthy. Their defense will soon learn the ways of the Ryan family swagger. Most importantly, their head coach is in charge.
This thing is finally headed in the right direction, and it isn’t backwards.
If anyone tries to tell you that the Cowboys are “rebuilding”, just smile and ask yourself if they truly understand the meaning of that big "R-word" that they’re so recklessly brandishing.
10-6. |
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