Is Maliek Collins a Strength or Weakness for the Cowboys?

Look up JAG in the dictionary--there is a photo of Maliek Collins.

Collins is one of the biggest question marks on this team.

On the plus side, he's beating blockers on pass plays at a top 10 rate in football. No BS. Check ESPN's pass rush win rate.

On the downside, he can't finish those pass rushes (can't find the source now, but at one point I remember his stats were 2 sacks/3 hits/15 pressures), and he gets abused in the run game.

Even his injury history is weird. AFAIK he was totally healthy at Nebraska, then he broke his feet 3 years in a row here, then he's been totally healthy for the last year and a half. I thought the talk about him wearing the wrong shoes was just an offseason puff piece thing, but I'm actually starting to believe it.

Anyway, a guy with the #5 pass rush win rate among DTs can definitely play in the league. The question is how much do we offer a guy like that, and what are other teams going to offer him. He's got no name-brand and his sack numbers are mediocre, so the stupid teams in free agency won't be too interested in him, but some analytics-driven FOs might take a look at him and go "25 year old ascending pass rusher".

What's he worth? I really can't answer that question. I don't know myself.

I'd really like it if Trysten Hill came out strong and helped us solve that problem at 3T, but alas, he hasn't done a thing. TBH, I think Collins's flaws were the main reason they drafted Hill in the first place. Collins was a 47th percentile athlete coming out of college, and while he was really agile for his size, his speed and explosion weren't anything special. IMO that's why he struggles to get to the QB; he's not fast enough to close. Hill came with a lot of questions, but despite all his flaws, he was an 88th percentile athlete with a wicked-fast first step.

Bullflop said:

Maliek is a weakness vs. the run and inconsistent as a pass rusher. Sometimes good, sometimes not. Overall, he's nothing special. That's it.

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A while back there was a thread about Maliek making the top 20 or 25 pass rushers. But worse than average against the run.

Probably some of the poor evaluation against the run of our dline is our scheme. And some of the positive evaluation of them against the pass too.

Marinelli's pass rush first scheme should leave them all looking worse against the run and better against the pass than in other schemes.

Cowboys seem to have a lot of one dimensional lineman. Some can only pass rush and some can only stop the run......and with this scheme.....their weaknesses are probably getting exploited even more than they should.

I don't wanna rate anybody on the offense line until we replace Colombo seems to be a soiid player but a crappy coach

noshame said:

I don't wanna rate anybody on the offense line until we replace Colombo seems to be a soiid player but a crappy coach

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Wrong Collins

If you have to ask, you already know the answer. Weakness......

Iago33 said:

Wrong Collins

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Marvelous.

ScipioCowboy said:

Who?

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LLLOOOLLL

He hasn't done anything since he's been here. It's time to move on.

our best DT...but the middle of our DLine needs to be up-graded.
with whose on the 53...he is our best DT.
like to see Daniel Wise get called up...surprised with Woods' trials he hasn't been.

I’d like to keep him as a rotational guy at the right price but someone will probably pay him and use him the right way

Please compare Collins to other DT's in the league. Especially what we are about to face next Sunday.

quickccc said:

Do you remember when Maliek Collins was supposedly having a monster training camp
to impress enough for many people into thinking this was going to be his break out year, if he somehow managed to stay healthy ?

Well, surprisingly the usually injured prone Maliek Collins has actually managed to stay healthy for
once and first time in his career here with the Cowboys, no missed games as a starter, in what is also his contract year as well.

But has Maliek been a difference maker in the interior for this defense this year in 2019?
Has he been a strength for this team or a part of the weakness for this team ?

Is a guy that we should prioritize re-signing in the off season ? (as he is due to be a UFA.)

Finally healthy and not suffering the usual leg and foot injury issues that has plagued and limited him
in the past, what has happened to where he's STILL just a so-so player ?

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I don't think he has missed as much time as people think. He's played in 52/58 possible regular season games, despite some injuries in the preseason. In terms of play, he's a good player, not a great one at this stage. He's still young and can continue to get better in the right scheme. He has spent a lot of time playing out of position as a 1tech and space eating isn't his game. I do wonder if its the Cowboys coaches that have held him back or if its talent?

Regardless he's a good player I would like him back at a reasonable cost on a 2 year deal. They drafted Hill to seamingly replace him, but he's far from ready.

He’s horrible. He sells out every play to rush to passer. I can’t wait till he’s gone. He’s a selfish POS.

cowboyec said:

our best DT...but the middle of our DLine needs to be up-graded.
with whose on the 53...he is our best DT.
like to see Daniel Wise get called up...surprised with Woods' trials he hasn't been.

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Any other legit ran team would have cut Woods for this. But we have the great one Jerry so he is still here.

quickccc said:

Do you remember when Maliek Collins was supposedly having a monster training camp
to impress enough for many people into thinking this was going to be his break out year, if he somehow managed to stay healthy ?

Well, surprisingly the usually injured prone Maliek Collins has actually managed to stay healthy for
once and first time in his career here with the Cowboys, no missed games as a starter, in what is also his contract year as well.

But has Maliek been a difference maker in the interior for this defense this year in 2019?
Has he been a strength for this team or a part of the weakness for this team ?

Is a guy that we should prioritize re-signing in the off season ? (as he is due to be a UFA.)

Finally healthy and not suffering the usual leg and foot injury issues that has plagued and limited him
in the past, what has happened to where he's STILL just a so-so player ?

Click to expand...

He’s teased long enough while being a liability against the run.

I’m ready to move on.

Neither. He’s a JAG with glass feet. Do not pay that guy.

quickccc said:

Do you remember when Maliek Collins was supposedly having a monster training camp
to impress enough for many people into thinking this was going to be his break out year, if he somehow managed to stay healthy ?

Well, surprisingly the usually injured prone Maliek Collins has actually managed to stay healthy for
once and first time in his career here with the Cowboys, no missed games as a starter, in what is also his contract year as well.

But has Maliek been a difference maker in the interior for this defense this year in 2019?
Has he been a strength for this team or a part of the weakness for this team ?

Is a guy that we should prioritize re-signing in the off season ? (as he is due to be a UFA.)

Finally healthy and not suffering the usual leg and foot injury issues that has plagued and limited him
in the past, what has happened to where he's STILL just a so-so player ?

Click to expand...

He is a good player. I would like to see him with a different D-Coordinator.

quickccc said:

Do you remember when Maliek Collins was supposedly having a monster training camp
to impress enough for many people into thinking this was going to be his break out year, if he somehow managed to stay healthy ?

Well, surprisingly the usually injured prone Maliek Collins has actually managed to stay healthy for
once and first time in his career here with the Cowboys, no missed games as a starter, in what is also his contract year as well.

But has Maliek been a difference maker in the interior for this defense this year in 2019?
Has he been a strength for this team or a part of the weakness for this team ?

Is a guy that we should prioritize re-signing in the off season ? (as he is due to be a UFA.)

Finally healthy and not suffering the usual leg and foot injury issues that has plagued and limited him
in the past, what has happened to where he's STILL just a so-so player ?

Click to expand...

Just pre-season hype from the cowboys bs propaganda machine.
Same way this team was supposed to be the most talented since the 90’s great teams.
Heck just go on the official website and read all the bull they get paid to write.
Collins is nothing more than a back up at best.
Period