CFZ Has the front office done enough to fix run game?

atlantacowboy said:

In order to improve the run game, I believe Jerry is paying a local church to pray over the health of Zeke.

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SteveTheCowboy said:

I think involving Tony more...in specifically designed and "surprise" ways....having a more formidable stable o-line...and better run scheme ...

will help zeke's health and production.

The guy has given up his body many many times over helping the oline protect Dak.....as well as having to avoid missed blocking assignment. FIx the run game in general....zeke is good to go.

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Cowboyny said:

We all witnessed how the run game disappeared in the 2nd half of the season. Teams started to used extra men in coverage and dared the Cowboys to beat them on the ground against light boxes, which they couldn't do. Without a run game and balanced attack, our offense went from being elite to being more of a middle of the pack threat.

There are many things we can point to, Zeke playing hurt and the coaches refusing to sit him down. Reshuffling the OL due to injuries, especially to Tyron Smith. League high penalties committed, Dak not fully healthy and refusal of taking off due to it. Moore playcalling was also a big part of the problem.

In my opinion, fixing the ground attack and becoming more balance was the team's #1 offseason priority. Question is, have they done enough to fix this weakness?

-Both Zeke/Pollard should be more healthy this season. Zeke has been one of the most durable backs since he was drafted. He may not be a homerun back no longer, but still should have plenty of juice to hurt teams on the ground.

-The draft additions of both Tyler Smith and Jake Ferguson were made to help the run game out. Smith is a legitimate power guard who has the ability to move players in the run game and is athletic enough to reach block on the move. The hope with Ferguson is that he is a better inline blocker then Shultz was last season, which will allow more 12 personnel and Shultz to play more to his strengths as a pass catcher.
No question Steele is a down grade I don’t care. Collins had no respect.


-Is Terrence Steele a downgrade over Collins at RT? What we do know is that the team was undefeated when he filled in for Collins due to the suspension. Our run game was at it's peak during that stretch.

-What about the penalties? Tyler Smith was a penalty machine on the college level. The hope is that his move from Tackle inside he will do less reaching in space. He needs to work on better hand placement, but his character suggests he won't be mentally weak like Connor Williams. Him next to Biaz, should help alleviate the lack of strength with our center position.

-Tyron's Smith health. To the team's credit they have drafted tackles in back to back years to develop for the future. Question is, will one of them be ready to spot start when Tyron goes down again. Think the wise decision would be find a stop gap, bridge veteran swing tackle.

-Will MM have more influence with the playcalling this season? Reportedly he is going to get more involved. They must do a better job with what type of runs they call and sticking with it.

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john van brocklin said:

The answer is a resounding NNNOOO !!!
They lose 2 starters off their Oline and draft a project Olineman in the 1st round.
They sign no Olinemen in free agency.
They get a Major FAIL.
I don't understand their inaction.
The planets are gonna have to align for even a chance at success:
1.The first rounder can start day one and play well.
2. Steele can be a quality right tackle.
3. Smith will miss no games. Something he has not done in several seasons.
4. No other Olinemen will get injured or miss games.
We have zero quality reserves at this time if they do.
So no, the broken run game probably is not fixed, or at least not fixed for the entire season
as Smith could go down at any moment.

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john van brocklin said:

The answer is a resounding NNNOOO !!!
They lose 2 starters off their Oline and draft a project Olineman in the 1st round.
They sign no Olinemen in free agency.
They get a Major FAIL.
I don't understand their inaction.
The planets are gonna have to align for even a chance at success:
1.The first rounder can start day one and play well.
2. Steele can be a quality right tackle.
3. Smith will miss no games. Something he has not done in several seasons.
4. No other Olinemen will get injured or miss games.
We have zero quality reserves at this time if they do.
So no, the broken run game probably is not fixed, or at least not fixed for the entire season
as Smith could go down at any moment.

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fivetwos said:

I agree on Tyron, but I think they did all they could do for now, as in prioritizing the LG draftee also have LT potential long term, and also drating Waletzko, who looks like a LT to me.

One of the bigger questions for me is what happens if/when Tyron misses time....do they move Steele over or use Tyler at LT?

We REALLY need to not find that out, and if we must, hopefully not early in the season.

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CWR said:

The offense was better in the beginning of the season with Steele playing. His play didn't decline until they made room for LC. I dont believe his loss will hurt. The first round project will be a better run blocker day ONE. His success this year will largely depend on the health of the great big security blanket stationed to his left. I also think its fair to expect guys like Ball and Farniock to compete.

While I don't disagree with your frustration I don't believe it's hopeless either. I think we will learn a lot during the early days of camp. We are gambling on a rookie and a few 2nd year players. It's not a gamble I was wanting to make, but I'm not without hope.

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Acceptablename said:

Ok my opinion, Smith will be better then Connor due strength,athleticism and want too from the jump.
Steele is adequate.Tyron misses no games ain’t gonna happen. Injuries the great unknown

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john van brocklin said:

Yes the Rookie and Steele are not my biggest concerns.
Tyrone has not played a full season since 2015, and we did not sign any Oline in free agency.
Are we just banking on everything going perfectly ?
We all know that rarely happens.
Are there not any cheap Oline left on the market ?
Stephen said we would be players in free agency after the draft,
yet no signings.
Even a depth Oline signing would be welcome.
Sorry, I just don't understand the thinking of the front office on this.

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CWR said:

I dont either, and it's one of my bigger gripes this off-season. Hopefully, someone shakes loose, and we get some security on the line.

This off-season hasn't been terrible imo, but the banking on youth and inflexibility to sign anyone of note is frustrating. It could blow up in their smug faces.

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fivetwos said:

It's not a bash Elliott thing, I understand the violence his body goes through.

There's a reason he always feels so great this time of year, and not so much by November, and thats my point.

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xwalker said:

• La'el had size/power but was actually not a very good run blocker.
  • He made too many mistakes, especially when he was required to block on the 2nd level.
  • It does not matter how much power an OL has if he blocks left when he should block right.
  • i.e. The blocker must get between the defender and the ball carrier.
  • La'el far too often was on the side of the defender opposite of the ball carrier.
  • This often ended up with La'el powering the defender straight into the RB.

• Steele, despite a lack of experience, was a technically better run blocker.
  • The issue in 2021 was that he had to play a significant number of games at LT.
  • He is far better at RT than LT in both pass blocking and run blocking.
  • He played RT in college and with the Cowboys in 2020.
  • This season somebody else will play LT is Tyron is out.

• I don't think Connor Williams was mentally weak.
  • His issue was lack of anchor strength.
  • He was actually very good on the mental aspects of picking up and passing off blitzing/stunting defenders.
  • He was a very good 2nd level run blocker.
  • If he had been playing between prime years Tyron and Frederick, he would have been good enough.
  • The issue is that coaches can't scheme around a lack of power at both LG and OC, especially in games with an inexperienced LT.

• Tyler Smith will make Biadasz or whoever plays OC better.
  • A power blocker with a lack of technique will have less at OG in the NFL and that LT in college.
  • Any player will struggle at LT if they don't have excellent technique regardless of physical ability.
  • Oddly, Connor Williams best games were against Aaron Donald. CW has uber quick feet and Donald is only about 285 pounds.
  • Tyler Smith has quick feet, but technique issues will be more of a challenge vs quickness than vs power.
  • That should be OK because Biadasz, similar to CW is decent vs quickness. He just can't handle power.

• I think Tyron Smith has a chance for his healthiest season in a long time.
  • After going in IR in 2020, he finally had the back/neck surgery that Doctors recommend about 5 years ago.
  • He didn't have any back/neck issue in 2021. His ankle was the issue and that was because a player fell on it while he was blocking.
  • He played 100% of the snaps in the playoff game which means he should be 100% coming into training camp.
  • The 2020 surgery probably limited him in the weight room during the off-season.
  • i.e. He was healthy coming into camp in 2021 but maybe not 100% in terms of strength.

• LT Backup
  • I don't think they'll move Tyler Smith in 2022 unless all other options fail.
  • I think Josh Ball will be the 1st option.
  • There reason SJ said Ball would compete at RT was twofold.
  • 1: He needs experience at RT if he is going to the swing tackle. He had a lot of reps in college at LT but no experience at RT.
  • 2: McCarthy likes backup players to feel that they have a chance to win a starting position.
  • He would only play LT if Tyron is injured but has a legit opportunity to compete with Steele at RT.

• Waldo
  • It seems unlikely, but they managed in 2020 with UDFA Steele at RT.
  • The issue is that Waldo is the 6-8, 312 pound version of Tyler Smith.
  • Terrible technique at LT in college was very aggressive with above average physical ability.

• Aviante Collins
  • They kept him all season (on the practice squad).
  • This is about his 4th year hanging around the NFL.
  • He was undersized when drafted (6-4, 295) but ran the 3rd fastest forty ever for an OLineman and had 34 reps on the bench.
  • If they can get starts from rookie UDFA in 2020, it is always possible they can get something out of this type of player.

• Isaac Alarcón
  • They played him at LG in the preseason.
  • Physically, he looked the part of an NFL OLineman.
  • How much skill/technique/awareness has he been able to develop.
  • They get another year of exemption for him if they don't activate him from the practice squad.

• Free Agent or Trade
  • If they're not comfortable with the options at swing tackle during camp, there will be options to acquire a veteran.
  • There are always veterans that make too much that get cut prior to the season.
  • Often an older starter that is going to be replaced by a high draft pick.
  • The Bears signed Jason Peters mid-August of 2021 for 1.75M on a 1 year deal.
  • That's what the Cowboys paid Ty Nsekhe last season. The Cowboys paid Cam Fleming 2.7M average per in 2019 & 2020.

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Cowboyny said:

We all witnessed how the run game disappeared in the 2nd half of the season. Teams started to used extra men in coverage and dared the Cowboys to beat them on the ground against light boxes, which they couldn't do. Without a run game and balanced attack, our offense went from being elite to being more of a middle of the pack threat.

There are many things we can point to, Zeke playing hurt and the coaches refusing to sit him down. Reshuffling the OL due to injuries, especially to Tyron Smith. League high penalties committed, Dak not fully healthy and refusal of taking off due to it. Moore playcalling was also a big part of the problem.

In my opinion, fixing the ground attack and becoming more balance was the team's #1 offseason priority. Question is, have they done enough to fix this weakness?

-Both Zeke/Pollard should be more healthy this season. Zeke has been one of the most durable backs since he was drafted. He may not be a homerun back no longer, but still should have plenty of juice to hurt teams on the ground.

-The draft additions of both Tyler Smith and Jake Ferguson were made to help the run game out. Smith is a legitimate power guard who has the ability to move players in the run game and is athletic enough to reach block on the move. The hope with Ferguson is that he is a better inline blocker then Shultz was last season, which will allow more 12 personnel and Shultz to play more to his strengths as a pass catcher.

-Is Terrence Steele a downgrade over Collins at RT? What we do know is that the team was undefeated when he filled in for Collins due to the suspension. Our run game was at it's peak during that stretch.

-What about the penalties? Tyler Smith was a penalty machine on the college level. The hope is that his move from Tackle inside he will do less reaching in space. He needs to work on better hand placement, but his character suggests he won't be mentally weak like Connor Williams. Him next to Biaz, should help alleviate the lack of strength with our center position.

-Tyron's Smith health. To the team's credit they have drafted tackles in back to back years to develop for the future. Question is, will one of them be ready to spot start when Tyron goes down again. Think the wise decision would be find a stop gap, bridge veteran swing tackle.

-Will MM have more influence with the playcalling this season? Reportedly he is going to get more involved. They must do a better job with what type of runs they call and sticking with it.

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fivetwos said:

They desperately needed some fresh legs at RB and didn't get them, which doesn't really matter because 21 wouldnt be benched anyway.....

Neither will the $11 million TE who habitually whiffs on run blocks

If the question is if drafting a rookie guard is enough to improve the run game, my answer is....maybe, but doesn't much matter because it's clear to me that they still want to feature Prescott as a passer.

My hope for this year revolves around the defense taking another step forward because I'm very worried about the offense.

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Cowboyny said:

We all witnessed how the run game disappeared in the 2nd half of the season. Teams started to used extra men in coverage and dared the Cowboys to beat them on the ground against light boxes, which they couldn't do. Without a run game and balanced attack, our offense went from being elite to being more of a middle of the pack threat.

There are many things we can point to, Zeke playing hurt and the coaches refusing to sit him down. Reshuffling the OL due to injuries, especially to Tyron Smith. League high penalties committed, Dak not fully healthy and refusal of taking off due to it. Moore playcalling was also a big part of the problem.

In my opinion, fixing the ground attack and becoming more balance was the team's #1 offseason priority. Question is, have they done enough to fix this weakness?

-Both Zeke/Pollard should be more healthy this season. Zeke has been one of the most durable backs since he was drafted. He may not be a homerun back no longer, but still should have plenty of juice to hurt teams on the ground.

-The draft additions of both Tyler Smith and Jake Ferguson were made to help the run game out. Smith is a legitimate power guard who has the ability to move players in the run game and is athletic enough to reach block on the move. The hope with Ferguson is that he is a better inline blocker then Shultz was last season, which will allow more 12 personnel and Shultz to play more to his strengths as a pass catcher.

-Is Terrence Steele a downgrade over Collins at RT? What we do know is that the team was undefeated when he filled in for Collins due to the suspension. Our run game was at it's peak during that stretch.

-What about the penalties? Tyler Smith was a penalty machine on the college level. The hope is that his move from Tackle inside he will do less reaching in space. He needs to work on better hand placement, but his character suggests he won't be mentally weak like Connor Williams. Him next to Biaz, should help alleviate the lack of strength with our center position.

-Tyron's Smith health. To the team's credit they have drafted tackles in back to back years to develop for the future. Question is, will one of them be ready to spot start when Tyron goes down again. Think the wise decision would be find a stop gap, bridge veteran swing tackle.

-Will MM have more influence with the playcalling this season? Reportedly he is going to get more involved. They must do a better job with what type of runs they call and sticking with it.

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atlantacowboy said:

Broncos played a 3-4 with Williams at NT. They had no weaknesses. Every starter was solid and above NFL average for their position. Dallas too often throws out JAGS who barely belong on the field. No where is that more evident than the DT position. We easily have a bottom 3 DT rotation which creates a very exploitable weakness and its been their for years.

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JayFord said:

Front office cant fix the run game unless they Tell Kellen to actually run the ball instead of using the run game to give Daks arm a rest

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GimmeTheBall! said:

Hopefully, Zeke gets a bonus to get him back to form.

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SteveTheCowboy said:

If you think this all about just the money...you are either intentionally being ridiculous because you think it makes you look cool....or...challenged.

Zeke has given his body and brains for us since day 1. Even when injured, he did it. They guy had to tell coach Jason to f'ing rotate for god sakes.

A smidgeon of appreciation should be in order....to a real fan.

(yep I just called the way you fan into question. Why did you make me do that? Okay...fine! You are SO cool for doing the money comment...wow...so original and witty! Never saw anything like THAT before!)

(here is where you tell me to relax, "just a joke". Like any good fan should do)

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