Cowboys lack deep speed at WR

[Blitzen]

The Cowboys do not have two elite wide receivers. Some teams do not have even one. Turpin could probably fill the speed role if they could trust his hands more. Ferguson is their best tight end by a wide margin, and the second best receiving target. Cooks is still very good and Tolbert showed signs of taking the next step.

The offensive line struggled some against NO, so we’ll have to see how that evolves over the season. No matter how much you guys deflect, the QB will be fan judged on overall offensive performance-now even more with the colossal extension.

 

[Loso86]

Lamb also has the Cowboys longest run from scrimmage.

We desperately need a running game.

We need playmaker on every level. Zeke is our best back

 

[DCreppinBoysfan]

Yeah, what quarterback doesn’t, LMAO

No competent qb would complain about having Ceedee lamb and Brandin cooks.

 

[America's Cowboy]

The Cowboys do not have two elite wide receivers. Some teams do not have even one. Turpin could probably fill the speed role if they could trust his hands more. Ferguson is their best tight end by a wide margin, and the second best receiving target. Cooks is still very good and Tolbert showed signs of taking the next step.

The offensive line struggled some against NO, so we’ll have to see how that evolves over the season. No matter how much you guys deflect, the QB will be fan judged on overall offensive performance-now even more with the colossal extension.

You guys judge THIS QB, but you refuse to judge the other Top 15 overpaid QBs. It's always a double standard when it comes to Dak.

 

[DCreppinBoysfan]

You guys judge THIS QB, but you refuse to judge the other Top 15 overpaid QBs. It's always a double standard when it comes to Dak.

The other 15 QBs play for the cowboys?

 

[75boyz]

Our coaching, out scheming other teams, has been one of the worst in the league for a long time. We haven’t had an above avg coach since Bill retired.

Amen.

 

[JonesBoys]

The Saints' deep speed WR, Rashid Shaheed (6'0 foot, 180 lbs, 4.3 40 yd time, comes from a track speed family), was a huge difference maker for the Saints' offense both against the Cowboys (4 tgts, 4 catches, 96 yds, 24.0 y/c avg, 1 TD) and the Panthers (5 tgts, 3 catches, 73 yds, 24.3 y/c avg, 1 TD) to start off this 2024 season. Rashid Shaheed went undrafted and picked up by the Saints. He has been a big difference maker for the Saints offense by being a consistent deep threat playmaker and helping open up the field underneath for the other Saints receiving weapons in WR Chris Olave, TE Foster Moreau and RB Alvin Kamara.

https://www.deseret.com/2023/9/19/2...fted-now-is-nfl-star-with-new-orleans-saints/

What about the Dallas Cowboys? Who is their deep threat playmaker who can open the field up underneath for their slower WRs while completing deep throw plays?

The fastest WRs on this team are 28 year old, 5'9, 153 lb special teamer KaVontae Turpin and 30 year old, 5'10", 189 lb with lots of wear-n-tear Brandin Cooks. Neither of them have the height or consistent deep threat ability that the Saints' Rashid Shaheed has. None of our other WRs run faster than a high 4.4 second 40 nor any deep threat ability, and it has hurt the Cowboys offense these past 2 games to start the season.

This Dallas Cowboys team needs to learn from the Saints. Bring a true deep threat WR to the team and allow that true deep speed receiver help your offense.

What say you?

When you are lacking a real GM then your team is going to lack a lot of things.

 

[Blitzen]

You guys judge THIS QB, but you refuse to judge the other Top 15 overpaid QBs. It's always a double standard when it comes to Dak.

It’s a Cowboys’ board-be realistic. Fans concentrate on their own team. He plays the most important and highly paid position for the most popular team in all of sports. Of course there will be a ridiculous amount of attention paid to him.

He was not the biggest reason in failure on offense this past Sunday. But he was not sharp on several throws, and unfortunately looks like there is a noticeable dip in velocity of his throws. It looked like he was having to really wind his body up to get more zip on his throws-which should concern all Cowboys’ fans. He never had the most powerful arm, and any significant loss of velocity at his age could spell bad news for the offense in general. Let’s see how they play vs Baltimore.

 

[SteveTheCowboy]

This is the most frustrating piece to me... There are multiple ways the Cowboys could have improved this offense this offseason and refused to do any of them. They don't have a 2nd receiver to create matchup issues with and they dont have a run game teams have to respect.

Cook should be able to do that. There must be something else going on.

 

[SteveTheCowboy]

I'm not surprised with this answer...considering the source. Good one bro. lol

You made it too easy bro!

 

[America's Cowboy]

The other 15 QBs play for the cowboys?

Many times you guys praise the other overpaid QBs, yet you don't do the same for this QB.

 

[America's Cowboy]

It’s a Cowboys’ board-be realistic. Fans concentrate on their own team. He plays the most important and highly paid position for the most popular team in all of sports. Of course there will be a ridiculous amount of attention paid to him.

He was not the biggest reason in failure on offense this past Sunday. But he was not sharp on several throws, and unfortunately looks like there is a noticeable dip in velocity of his throws. It looked like he was having to really wind his body up to get more zip on his throws-which should concern all Cowboys’ fans. He never had the most powerful arm, and any significant loss of velocity at his age could spell bad news for the offense in general. Let’s see how they play vs Baltimore.

Understood. At the same time, his footwork was not set or correct when having to transfer leverage from the ground up to throw some of those throws with more zip. Dak needs to get his footwork improved.

 

[thunderpimp91]

Cook should be able to do that. There must be something else going on.

Maybe there is a scheme issue going on there, but I just dont see a lot of evidence that Cooks is still a valuable receiver in this league. I was optimistic when he was acquired that his issues had more to do with playing on a bad Houston offense, but hes only gotten worse in Dallas. Since 2020 his yards per game have gone down each season:

2020 - 76
2021 - 64
2022 - 53
2023 - 41
2024 - 29 (Still a lot of time to change this one though)

Very real chance that this is just a story of a player where his main asset coming out of college was his speed, hes now north of 30 and isnt the same player physically without a plus secondary offering to fall back on.

 

[RonnieT24]

So one poster says Dak overthrows his receivers. While another says Dak underthrows his receivers. Which is it?

It's whichever one suits the narrative, you know that. But you have hit on a legitimate issue with our receivers.. It's not lack of speed we lack it's lack of height on our speedsters. Turpin and Cooks are both 4.3 types. But if a 5'9 guy only gets one step on the 6'1" DB then he's not really open because when the ball comes down it falls right into the DBs reach. Back when I was that fast being only 5'7" I head to roast my guy by 2-3 steps if he was that much taller than me. If I only got one step he could just reach up and knock the ball away as it came down. The counter to it is to not just use 9 routes. Sprinkle in at least one cut so as to create a throwing lane out in front where the ball does not have to pass over the DB. We call that a post-pattern! Obviously with that you have to make sure to occupy the safety. Send a TE up the seam or better still run CeeDee into the middle of the field and watch him take the safety with him. Then sneak one of the speedsters in behind it. The other thing you can do is throw outside shoulder on the 9. But that is a much tougher completion to get because the DB being able to body you into the sideline and the need for perfect ball placement 40-50 yards away!

 

[Mac_MaloneV1]

They lack EVERYTHING at WR.

They have 1 good player.

 

[RonnieT24]

Understood. At the same time, his footwork was not set or correct when having to transfer leverage from the ground up to throw some of those throws with more zip. Dak needs to get his footwork improved.

His footwork is fine when there aren't bodies all around him like Sunday. We know he doesn't have an all-world arm so he needs for his feet, hips and shoulders to be right to make good throws. Pass rush pressures disrupt all of that. That's why DEs make all that money.

 

[RonWashington]

I get back to my original thoughts on this question . Dak has plenty of options , the top three receivers plus others mixed in . You have talent at TE . Where the suits left Dak out to dry is the running game . You can afford to play 2 deep safeties against Dallas which effects the passing game.

I make Dowdle the feature back Sunday backed up by Dalvin Cook sprinkle in Elliott .
Vaughn inactive. And to be truthful why not some pitchouts to Leupke let him build up a head of steam on 2nd & 3rd and short , 4 or under.

 

[MarcusRock]

Both.

I know you're being tongue-in-cheek but you're right. As I've said around here for years, Dak is not a great bomb ball thrower. Carr hit his man almost in stride for his bomb. Dak's longest ball in the air Sunday was an underthrow that Tolbert bailed him out with after having a step on the DB and could have been a TD. For overthrows, I remember last year against Buffalo, we were down 7-0 on the road and had a golden chance to snatch momentum back but Dak overthrew a wide open Cooks who had maybe a step and a half on his DB. Not only that, but Dak had like 7 yards of cushion in the pocket and still missed him. Having bomb ball ability is an excellent weapon to have to put a team away or mount a comeback. We just don't have it with him. Not "deep balls" that the stats say is 20 yards, I'm talking bombs like Carr's Sunday. Can't have it all but I'd like my QB to have it or just pack it in when you trail by multiple scores or hope your defense can get a turnover.

 

[Mr_437]

There is 1 WR who is available as a free agent. He was on the Cowboys the past 2023 season on their practice squad but never was used. He even was kept this offseason and was seen making plays throughout training camp but cut during final cuts before the regular season started. He is only 28 years old, has fresh legs and knows our playbook. I'm talking about Tyron Billy-Johnson (6'1", 193 lbs, 4.34 40 time). Why not bring him back and use him as your deep threat to be a consistent deep threat and help open the field up underneath for our other receivers?

Exactly who I wanted to talk about, good post. What attribute does Jalen Brooks bring to the WR room running a 4.6 w/ a average frame? TBilly brings a speed element and is a threat. Time for the Cowboys to stop the nonsense. Get Flournoy active on Sunday and get Johnson back on the team or even get Cropper on the 53.

 

[Creeper]

I think the problem is the Cowboys don't have any real threats at WR in general. They have CeeDee and that's it. Cooks is small and it limits the routes he can run. He is not that fast anymore. Turpin is faster but unreliable as a receiver. Tolbert and Brooks are JAGs and that is being generous. I like Tolbert because he hustles but at the end of the day we need production.

But yes, I have ben clamoring for a speed guy at WR for years. It is necessarily about production. Having a guy who can take the top off a defense helps the running game too.