Al Johnson...

[Mash]

He was moved to guard because the team needed him more there then at center in college.....it wasn't because he wasn't very good at center.

 

[Zaxor]

Al Johnson is in for a fight......Bill could see the push up the middle last year.....he is the most overrated player on the cowboys next to Newman IMHO.

I like both players but they sure didn't look like players on a verge of being pro bowlers....like many mention here.

Sorry for being negative....but I didn't see anything that stood out from Johnson last year. I solid player....yes....but it wouldn't shock me one bit if Gurode beat him out.

The fact is....Johnson doesn't have enough lead in his butt to hold up against NT's

I agree that Johnson and Newman both are overrated by some but I think Newman comes closer to being an adequate CB than Johnson does to a Center... atleast from what I have seen...but heck I have been wrong before..so if Al turns into Mr. Center it won't hurt my feelings any...but if I was Coach that is a place I would have looked to upgrade this year...

 

[junk]

He was moved to guard because the team needed him more there then at center in college.....it wasn't because he wasn't very good at center.

But his college career also blossomed after the move to guard. He was an All American at guard....not at center.

 

[Mash]

Our whole line was a liability last year......ROT was hurting.....RG struggled....Johnson in my opinion was average....both Allen and Adams had disappointing years considering what they are being paid.

We struggled converting 3rd and 1's for serveral seasons now.....we need that push...and I think Gurode will supply that better then Johnson at the center position.

They may share duties this year.....if so......what does that say about Johnson and all the hype about being a pro-bowler?

 

[Doomsday101]

But his college career also blossomed after the move to guard. He was an All American at guard....not at center.

But he is showing improvement evidently at Center with the Cowboys and if he can press Johnson for the starters job then it serves both the team and Gurode well.

 

[Waffle]

But his college career also blossomed after the move to guard. He was an All American at guard....not at center.

He probably looked great at Guard versus those D-Lineman in the Big XII North. Perhaps Center is where he is best suited in the NFL. Unless Nors is right and it's all a smokescreen, Parcells is now so much as admitting this.

 

[Mash]

I just want the best players playing...I have nothing against Johnson....I just don't feel all the hype that Johnson receives around here. Maybe its me ....

 

[dargonking999]

All i know is BP will put the best center on thefield, because as he said in the pres confernce teams will want to pressure Bledsoe up the middle, so whoever wins will be a good center.

 

[joseephuss]

Our whole line was a liability last year......ROT was hurting.....RG struggled....Johnson in my opinion was average....both Allen and Adams had disappointing years considering what they are being paid.

We struggled converting 3rd and 1's for serveral seasons now.....we need that push...and I think Gurode will supply that better then Johnson at the center position.

They may share duties this year.....if so......what does that say about Johnson and all the hype about being a pro-bowler?

I thought the o-line played well last year. They were not the best, but they were average. It was hard to see that in the first half of the season.

I saw good holes opened up and Eddie George just couldn't get to them. That was the big difference between he and Julius Jones. JJ would hit the holes and get some good gains.

I thought the pass protection was also pretty good in the first half of the season. Vinny had plenty of time to throw the ball. The pass protection then fell to below average in the second half of the season. However, it wasn't as bad as 2003 and 2002 when d-linemen lived in the back field.

I think expecting a pro-bowl may be too much wishful thinking for Al, but he should be expected to improve. He is another year removed from his knee injury and he has a year experience under his belt. There should be expectations from any player in his position. Whether he meets those expectations is another matter.

 

[Crown Royal]

I don't dislike Johnson at all, but I am nowhere near ready to promote him to the ProBowl. He is undersized, but gets by with his smarts and speed. I am a fan of the smaller finesse lines, but this line is built around power. The fact is that Johnson is the smallest, weakest guy on that line, whereas Gurode would be an upgrade in power.

Charles made a great, great point - it's VERY hard to unseat the incumbent, especially when the incumbent is a capable player. But if Gurode, who is probably more physically gifted, can turn around and be good at the position, so be it. I will be shocked (because I already am - I had given up on Gurode) - but I will welcome the depth either way.

 

[AdamJT13]

Since when is a guy who is 6-foot-5, 296 pounds "undersized"? He's enormous compared to Mark Stepnoski, who was 6-2, 265.

 

[Crown Royal]

Since when is a guy who is 6-foot-5, 296 pounds "undersized"? He's enormous compared to Mark Stepnoski, who was 6-2, 265.

Wow - I am legitimately suprised by that - I thought he was only 6-foot2 or 3. No - in that case, he is NOT undersized. That being said, he is still the smallest (by weight and build) player on our OL, and probably the least powerful.

 

[Nors]

Sanity test on Center size:

The two best centers in the leaugue
Kruetz - 6-2 292
Mawae - 6-4 289

Pats Koppen - 62-292

Al Johnson 6-5 296
Gurode 6-4 314


Size is not an issue. Centers rely on leverage, technique, smarts.

 

[Crown Royal]

Sanity test on Center size:

The two best centers in the leaugue
Kruetz - 6-2 292
Mawae - 6-4 289

Pats Koppen - 62-292

Al Johnson 6-5 296
Gurode 6-4 314


Size is not an issue. Centers rely on leverage, technique, smarts.

I agree with you about size, Nors. Like I said, I didn't know that Johnson was that tall. I think that kind of explains why he got pushed back sometimes last season - the average DT is, what, about 6'3, maybe 6'4? If he is playing the one gap but going one on one with the center (I don't recall too many C/RG double team assignments), then I can see where the DT might get better pad level on Johnson.

Like I said - I personally prefer smaller linemen, but that is not the philosophy held by the Cowboys.

 

[Fla Cowpoke]

I am glad people started pointing that out. Al Johnson is a little guy only when compared to Flozell and Larry Allen. He has plenty of size to be effective. And the crap of not being able to hold his own against nose tackles is just that. For the first thing, how many 3-4 teams did we play against last year? Not more than a couple. Our divisional foes all run the 4-3. Everyone in the NFC North played 4-3. The Browns and Bengals played the 4-3. The Saints and Seattle all run the 4-3. The Steelers and the Ravens ran the 3-4.

Parcells has acknowledged that Gurode was not holding up his end of the deal at guard. Which linemen got pulled last year for lack of performance? Gurode and Tucker.

Al Johnson is at least average at center, and basically was a rookie last year. With a full year of weight room work, I expect Johnson to be even better this year.

 

[Crown Royal]

I am glad people started pointing that out. Al Johnson is a little guy only when compared to Flozell and Larry Allen. He has plenty of size to be effective. And the crap of not being able to hold his own against nose tackles is just that. For the first thing, how many 3-4 teams did we play against last year? Not more than a couple. Our divisional foes all run the 4-3. Everyone in the NFC North played 4-3. The Browns and Bengals played the 4-3. The Saints and Seattle all run the 4-3. The Steelers and the Ravens ran the 3-4.

Parcells has acknowledged that Gurode was not holding up his end of the deal at guard. Which linemen got pulled last year for lack of performance? Gurode and Tucker.

Al Johnson is at least average at center, and basically was a rookie last year. With a full year of weight room work, I expect Johnson to be even better this year.

Whether he plays a 3-4 or 4-3 DT isn't the point. Even if he is playing the 4-3, often it is the center's responsiblity to play the DT who is playing the 1 technique, which, while slightly smaller than a true 0-gap NT in the 3-4, is still the heftiest of the defensive linemen. And yes - a few times he got pushed back by these behemoths.

 

[Fla Cowpoke]

Sometimes linemen get beat. Are you telling me that Gurode wasn't blown off the ball at times last year? In fact, I would bet my life that Johnson graded out much higher than Gurode did.

I am all for Gurode becoming a player for this team. I will be pleasantly surprised by it if he wins the job. I just don't see it happening.

 

[Crown Royal]

Sometimes linemen get beat. Are you telling me that Gurode wasn't blown off the ball at times last year? In fact, I would bet my life that Johnson graded out much higher than Gurode did.

I am all for Gurode becoming a player for this team. I will be pleasantly surprised by it if he wins the job. I just don't see it happening.

Sure they get beat - even the great Larry Allen gets pushed back from time to time. And yes, the whole point is that Gurode was beat way too much, though not so much physically pushed away as much as he just didn't know his assignment.

I wholeheartedly agree that Johnson was phenomenal compared to Gurode, but Gurode is at a different position that, by all reports, seems to be more natural for him.

 

[junk]

I give Nors a hard time about weights, but in reality heights and weights are an inexact science in the NFL.

I have seen Al listed anywhere from 6'2" to 6'5". I personally think he is closer to the 6'2" range.

 

[Rush 2112]

Parcells does this with someone every year. Last ditch effort, maybe involving a position trade before they are gone. See Bickerstaff at FB this year.

Best case scenario is Gurode takes Walter's utility OL job.

Center needs to be the quickest/smartest guy on the OL.

Strike one and two on Gurode.