Taco: What should we expect?

[Verdict]

Depends what are your expectations. He was late 1st rounder in a shallow draft for 1st round talent especially at DE sort of like when Tank was drafted. Charlton is a different type player than tank he is more a prototypical pass rusher which takes time because it relies more on technique and developing moves as opposed to a Tank that is more an outside 3T which is stop the run then rush the passer. That being said some here think he should be doing a Bosa or Ware and he is not an all worldly talent like those two.

Actually he is similar to Lawrence. Probably the only true weak side defensive end on the roster is Tapper. The rest are more ideally suited as strong side defensive ends

 

[aria]

Taco played better the more playing time he received. It’s widely known that pass rushers take time to adjust at the NFL level and need to REAL ‘in game’ play time to improve. Nate Newton was advocating all year, that Taco get as many reps as possible, and his production towards the end of the season points towards an ascending player. Here’s a quote I found after the Seattle game last year:

“Charlton is coming off arguably his best game last Sunday vs. the Seattle Seahawks. He had a sack, two quarterback pressures and a tackle in only 22 snaps.”

His biggest issue early last year, besides the lack of playing time, was strength in his lower body. He was seen pushed or washed out of a play by opposing OL. I’m sure he understands the deficiency, as he’s constantly posting himself working out on his twitter account.

I believe 8+ sacks is realistic if giving more playing time. But let’s not forget, Lawrence and Irving will be stingy with the available sacks and Marenilli will continue to rotate guys in. Taco will have others like Ealy, Crawford, Armstrong, Tapper, and possibly Gregory competing for those sacks also. That said, he’s a smart guy and will be determined, as he put it, to be an “elite” pass rusher. After a productive offseason of working out, refining his skills to the Pro game, and wrapping his head around this defense.. I’m expecting him to show us why he was a first rounder nonetheless. Guess we’ll see..

Not saying much, Seattle had one of the worst O lines in the NFL. Just sayin’.

 

[jrumann59]

Actually he is similar to Lawrence. Probably the only true weak side defensive end on the roster is Tapper. The rest are more ideally suited as strong side defensive ends

He is longer and leaner than Lawrence. Could he have been drafted later possibly his draft setup is similar to Lawrence, once Dallas was on the clock the actual real 1st round talents had been gone for about 6 or 7 picks. Essentially they were drafting in the 2nd round at their draft spot./

 

[xwalker]

One of the big question marks for the upcoming season is Taco Charlton. What is he? What should we expect? What should his contribution be?

He was a first round pick. From my point of view a first round pick should not be a complete project. A bottom of the first round player may not be "starter ready" but he should "flash potential" on a frequent enough basis to justify the pick and inspire confidence that he will eventually be "the guy".

In my eyes Taco failed that reasonable test last year and underperformed his draft status. That does not mean he is a bust, can't redeem himself, or eventually be "the man" but it does seem to indicate that he was a bit of a reach.

What are reasonable expectations for him this year, after a year of weight training, NFL experience and NFL coaching? I think the floor expectations are that he "should be" a starter. If not he is way behind his draft position. Moreover, he should also be at least an average starter at his position in his second year. Otherwise he is behind the curve.

What do I expect out of Taco? I expect him to be way above average against the run. He should be sealing off the end with the best of them. Reality? I think he will be close to that this year.

What do I expect out of Taco in pass rushing? I expect him to get at least 8 sacks. I think barring a bit of luck he will fall short of that.

Summary. I expect Taco to underperform his draft status. I think he will eventually be a solid but very unspectacular player for the first few years of his contract. He will eventually be an average starter at DE even if it's not this year.

I think Taco was drafted two rounds to early for his skill level. That's not the end of the world, but it was not a great use of a first round pick. I believe we could have drafted a player of Taco's ability level in the 3rd round. That's not the end of the world, obviously, but getting any less than an average starter out of Taco is significantly underperforming his draft status.

Side note: For those of you who think it's ok that Taco finally perform in the last year of his contract and then we are forced to let him walk or sign him to a big contract (THATS A BIG FAIL) because you can sign a guy like that in free agency.

Go back and look at threads about DLaw. Many people complained about the pick.

Taco and DLaw were very similar college players with most of the draft media ranking Taco higher than they had ranked DLaw.

 

[Real1st]

Not worried. Watching him it was obvious he lacked the consistent power and technique. A offseason program solves this which is what rookies dont have in their first year. We will see a bigger and strong Taco.

 

[reddyuta]

If he starts at LE then i predict 8 sacks or more.

 

[conner01]

If he starts at LE then i predict 8 sacks or more.

I don’t know if he starts or not
But the key is getting snaps
We rotate so much that starting isn’t what it once was but you got to get snaps to perform

 

[Whyjerry]

Taco gets more than his fair share of hate around here. Personally, I don't understand that. He was a late 1st round pick so you need to tone down the expectations. Coming out of college he had a rap as a guy that was a bit of a project but looked the part. I watched every snap from last year. My view was that he did not get many chances to play especially in the first half of the season. He played more down the stretch and actually looked pretty good. I think he flashed quite a bit when he was on the field. Plays with a little edge as well which I like. I expect him to be a strong piece of DE rotation with DLaw, Armstrong, Gregory, Crawford (who I do not like), and maybe a little Irving. He gets more snaps in 2018 and gets 5-7 sacks.

 

[big dog cowboy]

I'm curious about this thought process and I would like for you to give this some serious consideration and be honest with yourself.

Taco was drafted in the first round meaning he was taken in the top 32 picks. There are 22 starters, not including slot corners, and extra offensive positions.

The average shelf life on an NFL player (drafted in any position) is less than five years. Why would a person NOT expect a first round player to be a full fledged starter by year two?

The Cowboys are pretty full of DE's. Most of whom have more experience. Keep that in mind. I want the best DE on the roster starting. Draft status doesn't mean anything. Just determines rate of pay. If Tapper, Ealy, Armstrong, Gregory, Taco, Crawford, Jones or even Ward is better - start them.

You seem hung up on draft status and shelf life. I just want the best DE starting no matter what. The Cowboys have a lot. If that's Taco, great. He is an improving player. At some point if he is good enough to start then put him in there.

Frankly given the current depth, I don't care who starts because I don't think it matters. Not one bit. There will be a lot of rotation all along the DL to keep the fresh guys in. Draft status and shelf life better not determine into how many snaps specific players get. That's not the smart way to run a football team.

 

[GORICO]

One of the big question marks for the upcoming season is Taco Charlton. What is he? What should we expect? What should his contribution be?

He was a first round pick. From my point of view a first round pick should not be a complete project. A bottom of the first round player may not be "starter ready" but he should "flash potential" on a frequent enough basis to justify the pick and inspire confidence that he will eventually be "the guy".

In my eyes Taco failed that reasonable test last year and underperformed his draft status. That does not mean he is a bust, can't redeem himself, or eventually be "the man" but it does seem to indicate that he was a bit of a reach.

What are reasonable expectations for him this year, after a year of weight training, NFL experience and NFL coaching? I think the floor expectations are that he "should be" a starter. If not he is way behind his draft position. Moreover, he should also be at least an average starter at his position in his second year. Otherwise he is behind the curve.

What do I expect out of Taco? I expect him to be way above average against the run. He should be sealing off the end with the best of them. Reality? I think he will be close to that this year.

What do I expect out of Taco in pass rushing? I expect him to get at least 8 sacks. I think barring a bit of luck he will fall short of that.

Summary. I expect Taco to underperform his draft status. I think he will eventually be a solid but very unspectacular player for the first few years of his contract. He will eventually be an average starter at DE even if it's not this year.

I think Taco was drafted two rounds to early for his skill level. That's not the end of the world, but it was not a great use of a first round pick. I believe we could have drafted a player of Taco's ability level in the 3rd round. That's not the end of the world, obviously, but getting any less than an average starter out of Taco is significantly underperforming his draft status.

Side note: For those of you who think it's ok that Taco finally perform in the last year of his contract and then we are forced to let him walk or sign him to a big contract (THATS A BIG FAIL) because you can sign a guy like that in free agency.

personally i did not like our drafting taco to begin with...but i am only a fan and have been wrong many times about players both for the good and the bad...they say he came on much stronger toward end of season..but with us getting Kony ealy and likelihood Gregory returns..taco better be thinking full throttle....this will be a great training camp as far as players competing because there are not near as many "locks" as in previous years..at least in my humble opinion?

 

[GORICO]

Taco gets more than his fair share of hate around here. Personally, I don't understand that. He was a late 1st round pick so you need to tone down the expectations. Coming out of college he had a rap as a guy that was a bit of a project but looked the part. I watched every snap from last year. My view was that he did not get many chances to play especially in the first half of the season. He played more down the stretch and actually looked pretty good. I think he flashed quite a bit when he was on the field. Plays with a little edge as well which I like. I expect him to be a strong piece of DE rotation with DLaw, Armstrong, Gregory, Crawford (who I do not like), and maybe a little Irving. He gets more snaps in 2018 and gets 5-7 sacks.

whyjerry--- 7 sacks would in my opinion be a great season for taco in his 2nd year

 

[Hardline]

He will have a better year than T.J.Watt and a WHOLE lot better than Reuben Foster,

 

[CATCH17]

Lets see what kind of work he put into his weight training before we try to project.

If he didn't get better in the weight room then he won't be better on the field.

 

[conner01]

I'm confused didn't you throw draft position out of the window last week as a barometer for production

Players are always judged, right or wrong by draft position during their first contract
The higher picks get lots more chances and have a longer leash

 

[BillyBates]

in collage he did finish 3rd in the big 10 in sacks. with a wee bit of good coaching we may just have us sumthin here, time will tell.

 

[Mr_437]

Don't like using caveats, but IF RG is back on th field we might have a stale Taco. But, giving solid opportunities 6-8 sacks is where I see Taco.

 

[Verdict]

Lets see what kind of work he put into his weight training before we try to project.

If he didn't get better in the weight room then he won't be better on the field.

Probably true.

 

[Verdict]

in collage he did finish 3rd in the big 10 in sacks. with a wee bit of good coaching we may just have us sumthin here, time will tell.

He was a one year wonder in college.

 

[JoeKing]

Taco Supreme, please.

 

[Verdict]

Taco gets more than his fair share of hate around here. Personally, I don't understand that. He was a late 1st round pick so you need to tone down the expectations. Coming out of college he had a rap as a guy that was a bit of a project but looked the part. I watched every snap from last year. My view was that he did not get many chances to play especially in the first half of the season. He played more down the stretch and actually looked pretty good. I think he flashed quite a bit when he was on the field. Plays with a little edge as well which I like. I expect him to be a strong piece of DE rotation with DLaw, Armstrong, Gregory, Crawford (who I do not like), and maybe a little Irving. He gets more snaps in 2018 and gets 5-7 sacks.

You don't draft a "project" in the first round.