A few PFF tidbits, Cowboys and others

[Risen Star]

Escobar has a higher ceiling than any lineman we could have take....

That is laughable to me.

Gavin Escobar will never be a better player than Larry Warford.

 

[Future]

That is laughable to me.

Gavin Escobar will never be a better player than Larry Warford.

Based on what...if you dont judge draft picks based on their first year?

 

[Risen Star]

Based on what...if you dont judge draft picks based on their first year?

Of course I don't judge draft picks based on how they fit the first year.

You said Escobar has more upside than any OL on the board. I don't agree with that. I don't think Gavin Escobar will ever be as good a player than Larry Warford.

I'm sure the Cowboys agree with you, but you're not talking about a front office with a great track record in personnel decisions.

 

[Zordon]

Of course I don't judge draft picks based on how they fit the first year.

You said Escobar has more upside than any OL on the board. I don't agree with that. I don't think Gavin Escobar will ever be as good a player than Larry Warford.

I'm sure the Cowboys agree with you, but you're not talking about a front office with a great track record in personnel decisions.

Warford hasn't allowed a sack all season. Too bad his mythical character issues kept him off our draft board.

 

[Risen Star]

Warford hasn't allowed a sack all season. Too bad his mythical character issues kept him off our draft board.

I can't even wrap my brain around him not being on our board.

That should immediately get somebody fired. It's so bad.

 

[DogFace]

Warford hasn't allowed a sack all season. Too bad his mythical character issues kept him off our draft board.

Is that the reason the cowboys gave? Character? That's the first I've heard that.
I'm a Kentucky fan and have never heard one bad report about him.
That's surprising.

 

[Zordon]

Is that the reason the cowboys gave? Character? That's the first I've heard that.
I'm a Kentucky fan and have never heard one bad report about him.
That's surprising.

They didn't give that reason. I read it on here awhile back, not sure if its valid. Either way it's ridiculous he was not even on our draft board. The guy is a 10 year starter and he was sitting in our lap but we chose the tight end who can't even bench press 150 lbs. This is why I laughed and chuckled when I saw Jerry and Jason talk about the "tenacity" and "physicality" of the 90s oline on that documentary the other night. They don't practice what they preach.

 

[Risen Star]

Is that the reason the cowboys gave? Character? That's the first I've heard that.
I'm a Kentucky fan and have never heard one bad report about him.
That's surprising.

I always assumed it was our genius decision makers deciding he was a poor fit.

I'm all about acquiring talent and then making it fit. It's hard to get really good players. You take what you can get and make it work. That dude was gift wrapped for the Cowboys and we didn't even consider it.

I would have been dry heaving in the corner of the war room during that discussion when the pick was on the clock.

 

[DogFace]

They didn't give that reason. I read it on here awhile back, not sure if its valid. Either way it's ridiculous he was not even on our draft board. The guy is a 10 year starter and he was sitting in our lap but we chose the tight end who can't even bench press 150 lbs. This is why I laughed and chuckled when I saw Jerry and Jason talk about the "tenacity" and "physicality" of the 90s oline on that documentary the other night. They don't practice what they preach.

Yes I agree. It was a strange decision.

 

[Zordon]

I always assumed it was our genius decision makers deciding he was a poor fit.

I'm all about acquiring talent and then making it fit. It's hard to get really good players. You take what you can get and make it work. That dude was gift wrapped for the Cowboys and we didn't even consider it.

I would have been dry heaving in the corner of the war room during that discussion when the pick was on the clock.

It's amazing how many of us in the Draft Zone had that pick pegged.

The bad fit excuse....I just have to LOL at that. Hey Warford doesn't fit zone-don't-block-anyone scheme, leave him off our board. But we have no issue fitting square pegs (press cornerbacks) into round circles (zone defense), right?

 

[Risen Star]

It's amazing how many of us in the Draft Zone had that pick pegged.

The bad fit excuse....I just have to LOL at that. Hey Warford doesn't fit zone-don't-block-anyone scheme, leave him off our board. But we have no issue fitting square pegs (press cornerbacks) into round circles (zone defense), right?

Hey, now. No comparing lowly offensive linemen to coveted cornerbacks.

Of course I'm speculating, but I get the feeling Bill Callahan identified Warford as a bad fit. Unfortunately, we lack a talent evaluator at the top to know any better. So we went off the recommendation of our OC/OL coach. This is how disjointed I believe our war room to be.

 

[Awakened]

Yes, the Cowboys have altered their OL scheme to help hide Free's weaknesses. They have the RG keep a closer than normal spacing to Free, especially immediately after the snap. This minimizes the outside rushers ability to beat Free to the inside; therefore, Free can over-set to the outside giving him an advantage over the rusher.

They have the Center help more to the right, with his initial move to the right on most pass protection plays. The result is that Tyron Smith is on a island and Leary's job become more like an OT defending the edge than a normal Guards responsibilities.

Summary: All 4 other players jobs are more difficult because Free is the weak link. It really makes Leary's job difficult. It's sad that they have to increase the degree of difficulty on Leary who had zero experience coming into this year in order to cover up for Free who is the long term veteran and highest paid player.

It's even sadder that garbage like PFF is praising Free and giving other players lower grades than they should get without accounting for their increased degree of difficulty.

If this is true and you figured this out on your own, then props to you. I'd never notice such subtleties.

 

[theSHOW]

another stat of interest.

Nick Foles finally throws a pick (today vs Lions). 1st of the season. Last year I had named him Nick Picksix....had to eat those words in 2013.

 

[85Cowboy85]

Hey, now. No comparing lowly offensive linemen to coveted cornerbacks.

Of course I'm speculating, but I get the feeling Bill Callahan identified Warford as a bad fit. Unfortunately, we lack a talent evaluator at the top to know any better. So we went off the recommendation of our OC/OL coach. This is how disjointed I believe our war room to be.

I was the one made the thread in the off season went through all the picks prior to the Escobar one to recreate the draft board. There were five players that were picked before Escobar that weren't on the Cowboys board. I'm pretty sure Warford was the only offensive lineman out of the five. I can't see anything particularly unique about Warford's game compared to all offensive lineman that went above him.

If it wasn't quite a scheme fit it might make sense to downgrade Warford but not take him off the board entirely. If you have physical ability, which Warford does, he could theoretically learn a new scheme.

Also, if it were the case you that Callahan overruled the scouts you likely would have had an argument similar to when the Cowboys passed on Floyd. I don't think there was any evidence of this on the war room camera or otherwise.

We know that the Cowboys like to build a pure board. Floyd was on there even though he supposedly wasn't a scheme fit. So why would Warford not be on it because of the same reason? All in all I don't think the lack of scheme fit theory adds up.