Could Cowboys Special Teams Be #1?

[JonJon]

Not much has been said of the Cowboys special teams improvements this off season. I think the Cowboys have the ability to be the best special teams unit this season.

The Cowboys already have two Pro-bowl caliber kickers in Mat McBriar and Nick Folk.

The Cowboys added some serious fire power with off season additions that should bolster the return game. Adam Jones has proved that he is one of the leagues best return men and will replace Fair-Catch Crayton on punt returns. The Cowboys also have Newman who is available to return punts, as well as rookie Orlando Scandrick.

For kick returns, rookie Felix Jones should be back there and maybe even rookie Mike Jenkins. You can also make a case for Isaiah Stanback and current return man Miles Austin, who have both shown flashes.

An added bonus is that Scandrick is also a kick-blocking machine, so I see no reason why the special teams unit should not be at the top, if not the best in the league.

 

[CrazyCowboy]

With Adam returning punts and Jones Kicks.....yes, it we could be #1 in the return game.....now, COVERAGE teams......I DUNNO

 

[tomson75]

The specialists should be improved, but the coverage units are still a huge question mark. We need some guys to step up.

 

[Yeagermeister]

The specialists should be improved, but the coverage units are still a huge question mark. We need some guys to step up.

I agree on the coverage. Hopefully Folk will be allowed to bomb away this year.

 

[Alexander]

Not with Bruce Read coaching them. He should have been replaced. Our coverage teams were not very good at all.

 

[cowboyjoe]

true, our return game on kickoff with Austin, Stanback, Felix Jones, Scandrick, Choice, possibly Adam Jones on kickoffs, should be awesome with the right combianation;

Our punt returns should be awesome with Adam Jones returning punts, but we ready for some drops or fumble, Jones has had some fumbles on punt returns, but overall if Jones can return some punts for touchdowns well worth it.

Our weaknesses on special teams will be on kickoff covreage, and punt coverage, since we lost Keith Davis our best special teams player, then we lost Jacquee Reeves, a good coverage guy on special teams and Nate Jones, so, with what I see written about Choice, Felix Jones, Bennett, Walden and the return of Anderson, we should be excelent at the end of the year. The Cowboys might have a few rough spots first month or so, but after that lookout, our special teams should be in top 7 by November.

 

[SilverStarCowboy]

Great post-I think you hit the nail on the head, our coverage units should have basically gone from worst to first with all the talant Dallas added.

 

[TheCount]

I'll believe it when I see it, our special teams has been anything but special for quite some time now.

 

[Zaxor]

my #1 concern currently about this team...cover teams...

 

[Future]

my #1 concern currently about this team...cover teams...

Thats actually a good thing

 

[JonJon]

Don't forget about Watkins. He played extremely well on kick coverage last year and may be the reason why the team felt no need to re-sign Davis. Hurd also was coming along on coverages and we have the great Bobby Carpenter back there as well. it may take some time but I think the coverage unit will be ok.

 

[BuckyG]

Great post-I think you hit the nail on the head, our coverage units should have basically gone from worst to first with all the talant Dallas added.

On coverage, I really haven't seen any additions that make me think there'll be that kind of immediate improvement. Some good young athletes, but most lacking experience. Frankly, if coverage goes from worst to middle of the pack this season, I'll be happy. Returns, on the other hand, look very promising, assuming Adam Jones is cleared to play. He's proven topnotch return talent, and I think we all expect Felix Jones to be a factor. Add Newman, Jenkins, and Austin, and that's a potentially scary unit.

 

[Hostile]

The specialists should be improved, but the coverage units are still a huge question mark. We need some guys to step up.

Bingo.

 

[tomson75]

Bingo.

After thinking about this a little more, I really think we may have the guys on the roster to fix this unit this year.

We saw some good ST play from Watkins and Carpenter last year, and there is no reason to think they wouldn't improve any further. Deon Anderson showed some stuff as well, and and has had a full year to adjust to the speed of the NFL, get some work from Juraszek, and recover.

We've also added better athletes into the mix. The speed that guys like Brown and Scandrick can offer, the athleticism that guys like Bennett, Burnett, and Walden can offer, and the fact that we're actually using the athletes from the defensive side of the ball instead of WR's as gunners, should all factor in...but the key word is "should".

 

[SilverStarCowboy]

On coverage, I really haven't seen any additions that make me think there'll be that kind of immediate improvement. Some good young athletes, but most lacking experience. Frankly, if coverage goes from worst to middle of the pack this season, I'll be happy.

Coverage units havn't seen any additions !?!!

Michael Jenkins will have somthing to say about that, so will the signing of Zach Thomas and Adam Jones. Not to mention a guy like Orlando Scandrick who happen to set school records on special teams in College for blocked punts and kicks.

Furthermore, Dowayne Davis could be a special teams Demon ala' Kenny "the Shark" Gant style and if Eric Walden or Darrell Robertson plan on making the squad, they will certainly have to produce on STs coverage units.


Actually new players contributing on coverage units for the Dallas Cowboys are atleast plentiful, some are even proven and the biggest key, all are willing.

I think it is a "complete given" that Dallas has improved dramatically in Special Teams Coverage Units over the 2008 off-season.


JMhumbleO!

 

[TheCount]

After thinking about this a little more, I really think we may have the guys on the roster to fix this unit this year.

We saw some good ST play from Watkins and Carpenter last year, and there is no reason to think they wouldn't improve any further. Deon Anderson showed some stuff as well, and and has had a full year to adjust to the speed of the NFL, get some work from Juraszek, and recover.

We've also added better athletes into the mix. The speed that guys like Brown and Scandrick can offer, the athleticism that guys like Bennett, Burnett, and Walden can offer, and the fact that we're actually using the athletes from the defensive side of the ball instead of WR's as gunners, should all factor in...but the key word is "should".

The thing is that our issues have little to nothing to do with personnel. It has far more to do with discipline and smarts, our break downs are often because guys aren't where they are supposed to be, or get caught chasing the play and end up out of it as a result.

 

[tomson75]

The thing is that our issues have little to nothing to do with personnel. It has far more to do with discipline and smarts, our break downs are often because guys aren't where they are supposed to be, or get caught chasing the play and end up out of it as a result.

I agree. I think some of it can be explained by poor coaching and some of it can be explained by the players actions alone....we just have to hope that one or both of those explanations is resolved this year. Whether its improved coaching, or smarter players, a change is needed.

 

[Kilyin]

Our coverage units are definitely a huge question mark without Killa Keith. That strip on Devin Hester was epic.

 

[JonJon]

The Cowboys need improvement in the punt coverage area. We ranked 29th overall last season with an avg allowed return of 11.6 yards. We ranked 19th in kick coverage with 23 yards allowed per return an 1 TD.

in punt returns, we ranked 18th with an avg of 8.7 yards per return and ranked 21st in kick returns with 21.9 yards per return.

I tried searching to see who played on the coverage units but to no success. I do think that we will have better players on the coverage units this year though.

 

[jobberone]

The specialists should be improved, but the coverage units are still a huge question mark. We need some guys to step up.

We agree. This is the issue that needs answering. Assuming Jones gets the nod to play this year. With Jones and Jones we have the kickoff and punt returns down. McBriar and Folk can kick. It's up to covering them that matters. I don't have stats but I'm pretty sure we weren't stellar last year.