SackMaster
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Listening to some pundits this morning, and I hear the "well QB-X does not have Dak's offensive line" statement for the ump-teenth time, I start to think:
Here's my thoughts:
LT - Smith
LG - Leary, Cooper, Williams
C - Frederick, Looney
RG - Martin
RT - Free, Collins
So I have no issues with anyone saying that 2016 line of Adams-Leary-Frederick-Martin-Free was great. Free was probably the weakest link that year, and again, he was not nearly as bad as he was accused of being.
But after 2016? Ya, the lack of availability and/or ability started to hurt virtually every spot except RG. Again, still better than some teams out there, but hardly the "best oline in the league" material. Hell, they may have not been the best oline in the NFC East, but we don't hear much about that.
I apologize in advance when this thread morphs into a Dak debate thread. I hope this stays on target about the offensive line for the past few years, but I would almost be willing to bet a house I do not own on it will not stay that way for long.
I get that Dak has had the benefit of a really good offensive line, but I think it is completely overblown on how good the line is.
Here's my thoughts:
LT - Smith
All-Pro caliber player, but often injured and has never played all 16 games since Dak has been a Dallas Cowboy. The guy has missed 3 games EVERY year since 2016. His replacements? Well one was absolutely terrible, and the others have been mediocre at best. Arguably the most important position on the offensive line has not been as consistent as one would think the past 4 years.
LG - Leary, Cooper, Williams
Leary is probably the best in this group, but was a borderline Pro-Bowler at best and outside 2013, was unable to start 16 games a season. Cooper, despite being a pet-cat of mine during the 2013 NFL draft, he suffered a broken leg during his rookie preseason and never really lived up to expectations. He was not terrible for the Cowboys his lone season, but was not great either. Then Williams is devisive to say the least, so I will leave it at that. In all 3 cases, the most game started by these 3 in a season is Cooper's 13 in the lone year as a Cowboy.
C - Frederick, Looney
I do not have a single negative thing to say about Fredbeard's 2016 and 2017 seasons. He was arguably the best C in the NFL those two years. Then came the illness and Fredbeard was out a whole season and was clearly not the same in 2019. I don't blame him, as stuff happens. Looney seemed to do good, but as it has been pointed out, Looney was given a lot of help too. While I expect Looney to complete for the C spot post-Fredbeard, I would not expect him to win despite starting all 16 games 2018. I will be interesting to see.
RG - Martin
All-Pro, one of the best in the NFL. Outside of a 2 game stint where he rested at the end of 2018 for a knee injury, nothing to complain about here. If he NEEDED to play those two games, I think he would have played and still been better than most NFL OGs.
RT - Free, Collins
Personally, I think Free was better than what he was given credit for, but he was never a top OT in the NFL. In 2016, his 9th and final year in the league, he manned the spot and was about average before finally retiring in the offseason. Then there is Collins. If we had 2019 Collins in 2017 and 2018, then I don't think there would be much of a gripe with him, but man was he inconsistent his first two years at RT.
So I have no issues with anyone saying that 2016 line of Adams-Leary-Frederick-Martin-Free was great. Free was probably the weakest link that year, and again, he was not nearly as bad as he was accused of being.
But after 2016? Ya, the lack of availability and/or ability started to hurt virtually every spot except RG. Again, still better than some teams out there, but hardly the "best oline in the league" material. Hell, they may have not been the best oline in the NFC East, but we don't hear much about that.
I apologize in advance when this thread morphs into a Dak debate thread. I hope this stays on target about the offensive line for the past few years, but I would almost be willing to bet a house I do not own on it will not stay that way for long.
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