Cowlishaw: Cowboys trying something new; might work, might get Romo beat up

[Toruk_Makto]

So a rb in the 5th round was the difference in the superbowl or Romo getting beaten into a paraplegic?

 

[John813]

IMO the front office will wait till training camp/PS to decide if they need to go after another running back.

If the current group struggles, gets injured etc... I think Jerry pulls the trigger on a AP deal.
I guarantee they will not go into the season with a group of backs that can lead to an ineffective running game/poor pass blocking

 

[xwalker]

Studied what? It's preseason. Dunbar had a big preseason game as well, as do other guys who are out of the league within a year of entering it. He had one long run in preseason, and a TD. Why exactly should I be excited? What we do know is, he couldn't crack the starting lineup last year

His few carries should trump his injury history and lack of confidence in 2013 that got him booted from the Cards after only 3 years with them? My issue now with him is if he gets a minor injury and it goes straight to his head and he's afraid to get on the field.

And people have a problem with some of us thinking we should have grabbed an RB in the draft?

You're just reading some antidotes that might or might not be true. The preseason game footage allows us to see for ourselves if he appears "scared" which he didn't.

 

[Frozen700]

Brady does more, with less.

I don't want to hear all this Belicheck and Kraft crap.

Some fans, most fans love to think Romo is in the same boat as Brady. Well he has more. Time to prove it.

Our line is better than Brady's and our Running backs, as they are not great, are still better than what Brady has.

 

[mattjames2010]

You're just reading some antidotes that might or might not be true. The preseason game footage allows us to see for ourselves if he appears "scared" which he didn't.

Because he was healthy. What happens when his knee starts to flare up again?

And do you have a better explanation as to why he was out all of 2013? It's either he was injured or couldn't crack in an Arizona RB lineup. Neither is good for him. Sorry, still not convinced he's this beacon of light that will help lead the way to a Super Bowl.

Oh, and this isn't some rumor, him being scared in 2012 came straight from Ryan Williams himself. http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap10...n-williams-scared-to-run-the-ball-last-season

 

[speedkilz88]

Because he was healthy. What happens when his knee starts to flare up again?

And do you have a better explanation as to why he was out all of 2013? It's either he was injured or couldn't crack in an Arizona RB lineup. Neither is good for him. Sorry, still not convinced he's this beacon of light that will help lead the way to a Super Bowl.

Oh, and this isn't some rumor, him being scared in 2013 came straight from Ryan Williams himself. http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap10...n-williams-scared-to-run-the-ball-last-season

What happens when Ajayi's knee flares up?

Ryan Williams knee is in better condition than Ajayi's.

 

[mattjames2010]

What happens when Ajayi's knee flares up?

This isn't the same thing, now is it? What if Ajayi's knee flares up? First off, there was contradicting reports on his knee. Secondly, there isn't history of Ajayi being scared ******** on the field when a defender is nearby. Not only is Williams injury prone, he's mentally weak.

And Ajayi doesn't have a history of a blown knee and shoulder in the NFL. Again, comparing a known failure in the league to a guy who has yet to even get his shot is dumb.

 

[Oh_Canada]

Are we supposed to believe Ajayi is a better blocker than McFadden?

 

[jterrell]

Cowlishaw is a hack and has been for quite a long time.

various painfully obvious points:
1. Ajani was widely acknowledged as not passing medicals for being draftable by a number of teams. We don't know if that included Dallas or not but we all know why he fell. Bringing im up just weakens the argument.

2. There may be running backs in this draft who can end up in the Hall of Fame. But there wasn't a single one who has blocked in an NFL scheme before protecting a franchise QB. Whatever help a RB was supposed to give Romo starts with pass protection and veteran backs are proven there. Making the argument some rookie RB lifts Romo is basically football stupid.

3. We are a long way from game 1. Dallas may want to see what it has in this crew or it may want to see what vets get released or it may want to take fliers on past performers like CJ2K or Ray Rice OR of course the nuclear option of trading for AD if the price drops enough... but what it seems to be saying if we are confident we will have a solution at RB. anything else is merely jumping to conclusions and making assumptions.

4. a. The Cowboys used an R1 pick on Felix Jones in 2008. He started 0 games and had only 30 carries as a rookie.
b. The Cowboys used a 3rd round pick on Demarco Murray in 2011 and he started 7 games.
c. The Cowboys drafted Marion Barber in round 4 of 2005 and he started 2 games as a rookie.

There is OBVIOUSLY no surety a 2015 RB draft pick would have started here next year. None except the expectation goofballs place upon it that is.

As to the stable of backs:
McFadden was more highly though of coming out than any back in this class. Even Gurley had he been healthy. He was a legit 4.3 40 guy with good size and he flat owned the SEC. He ran through it like they were Division II. Now he has since proven he isn't what he was thought. But so do most RBs drafted. For every one that hits there are 10 misses.
Joseph Randle averaged 6.7 yards per carry last year and is a Murray clone. He is playing for a contract and his NFL life.
Ryan Williams was a recent 2nd round pick. He suffered some injuries and general upheaval there in Arizona but Dallas locked him up when it didn't have to. They like his potential.

A round 3 or 4 pick could have joined that stable and competed and perhaps even emerged over a couple seasons as a stud but it is beyond any form of intelligence to argue he would have likely done that as a rookie for this team and this head coach.

 

[speedkilz88]

This isn't the same thing, now is it? What if Ajayi's knee flares up? First off, there was contradicting reports on his knee. Secondly, there isn't history of Ajayi being scared ****less on the field when a defender is nearby. Not only is Williams injury prone, he's mentally weak.

And Ajayi doesn't have a history of a blown knee and shoulder in the NFL. Again, comparing a known failure in the league to a guy who has yet to even get his shot is dumb.

There is nothing contradictory about a bone on bone condition.

 

[coult44]

http://www.***BANNED-URL***/incoming/20150429-randy.jpg.ece/BINARY/w940/randy.jpg

FILE - In this Nov. 10, 2013, file photo, Dallas Cowboys running back Joseph Randle (21) warms up before an NFL football game against the New Orleans Saints in New Orleans. Early into 2015, there have been more than a half-dozen players arrested, a star suspended, an agent indicted, and a popular player entering rehab. In Kansas, police are investigating a domestic abuse claim against Randle made by an ex-girlfriend a day after his arrest at a Kansas hotel on a drug charge that's been dropped. The probe continues. (AP Photo/Dave Martin, File)

By TIM COWLISHAW wtcowlishaw@***BANNED-URL***
Staff Writer

Published: 10 May 2015 08:57 PM
Updated: 10 May 2015 08:57 PM

Jerry Jones has the ill-conceived belief that his quartet of RBs equates the Pats success of last season with their RBs; problem is, Jason Garrett (whom I like as a head coach) is NOT Belicheck and co-head coach Jerry Jones is NO Robert Kraft. Oh, Romo is no Tom Brady -- whether inflated or deflated.

Agree with all the above and also think the Cowboys should have paid more attention to the fact they had success last year following the route of the other Super Bowl team -- let Beast Mode show the way. They're going to try something new in 2015. Might work. Might get Romo beat up. Will see.



Why not roll the dice on Ajayi in round 4? Cheap price to make a mistake if the guy's injury issue slows him down early, but seems like a kid who could have been a nice 3 year player.

http://www.***BANNED-URL***/sports/...2015-it-might-work-might-get-romo-beat-up.ece

Here's my take. Ajayi is gonna be a bust. So I couldn't care less that we passed on him. With that being said, I hate the RB by committee crap. If we don't sign AD, I hope we go with DMC full time, and bring Dumbar and Williams off the bench. Dummy should be cut, I wish they would've done it already. His judgement off the field is quite concerning, and more so because of his ridiculous excuses for the problems.

 

[Idgit]

Because he was healthy. What happens when his knee starts to flare up again?

And do you have a better explanation as to why he was out all of 2013? It's either he was injured or couldn't crack in an Arizona RB lineup. Neither is good for him. Sorry, still not convinced he's this beacon of light that will help lead the way to a Super Bowl.

Oh, and this isn't some rumor, him being scared in 2012 came straight from Ryan Williams himself. http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap10...n-williams-scared-to-run-the-ball-last-season

Ryan Williams has a way to go in proving himself. He needs to pass protect, and he needs to earn the reps with the starting OL in camp. But there's no doubt he's got the physical tools he needs to contribute significantly to an NFL roster. You might doubt his mental makeup based off of what you're reading into his reaction to a grisly injury, but that's probably the last thing I worry about with this player. This guy is all heart, and he's a team-first player if there ever was one. He gets his role and understands his opportunity.

If you haven't done it already, listen to his actual interviews and see where he's coming from. If he doesn't make the roster, it'll be because of his pass protection and his ST limitations again. Running the football is not he issue with this player.

 

[mattjames2010]

There is nothing contradictory about a bone on bone condition.

And yet those who evaluated his knee and his former RB coach all have said his knee is fine. You then have those, who are playing armchair doctor, saying he's "rapidly losing cartilage". That is where the conflicting reports are coming from. Pre-draft analysts overanalyzing every little detail about high profile prospects to death.

It happens I'm not a HUGE fan of Ajayi, but the Dolphins got great value in the fifth.

 

[mattjames2010]

Ryan Williams has a way to go in proving himself. He needs to pass protect, and he needs to earn the reps with the starting OL in camp. But there's no doubt he's got the physical tools he needs to contribute significantly to an NFL roster. You might doubt his mental makeup based off of what you're reading into his reaction to a grisly injury, but that's probably the last thing I worry about with this player. This guy is all heart, and he's a team-first player if there ever was one. He gets his role and understands his opportunity.

If you haven't done it already, listen to his actual interviews and see where he's coming from. If he doesn't make the roster, it'll be because of his pass protection and his ST limitations again. Running the football is not he issue with this player.

And I have never said he doesn't have "heart", that doesn't mean he's not self-conscious now due to the string of injuries he has sustained since 2010 and on. What I'm reading is from Williams himself. And he still has plenty to prove as a runner in the NFL since he has done little to nothing in that aspect either.

When putting this guy into a lineup, you have to factor in that he played scared. How that is not on a list of criticisms for a player is beyond me, quite important. How a player comes back mentally after an injury is important.

He gets a pass, but Claiborne losing confidence after injuries or getting beat has him criticized by the Dallas fanbase. This is just a lot of people's pet cat, the same with Tashard Choice.

 

[speedkilz88]

And yet those who evaluated his knee and his former RB coach all have said his knee is fine. You then have those, who are playing armchair doctor, saying he's "rapidly losing cartilage". That is where the conflicting reports are coming from. Pre-draft analysts overanalyzing every little detail about high profile prospects to death.

It happens I'm not a HUGE fan of Ajayi, but the Dolphins got great value in the fifth.

He has a bone on bone condition. Broaddus and Brugler discussed this after Brugler broke the story. Broaddus is getting this straight from the team.

 

[maxdallasfan]

Please, let's end this already.

 

[Idgit]

And I have never said he doesn't have "heart", that doesn't mean he's not self-conscious now due to the string of injuries he has sustained since 2010 and on. What I'm reading is from Williams himself. And he still has plenty to prove as a runner in the NFL since he has done little to nothing in that aspect either.

When putting this guy into a lineup, you have to factor in that he played scared. How that is not on a list of criticisms for a player is beyond me, quite important. How a player comes back mentally after an injury is important.

He gets a pass, but Claiborne losing confidence after injuries or getting beat has him criticized by the Dallas fanbase. This is just a lot of people's pet cat, the same with Tashard Choice.

No, you don't have to factor that he came back and his knee wasn't right. It doesn't matter. If my kneecap were floating in the middle of my thigh and I was playing on it again before it felt normal, I'd be preoccupied, too. And when I was playing on it and it felt right, I wouldn't be.

You're reading into comments things that aren't there. And this guy has discussed all of this at length. I'd still encourage you to listen to those interviews if you're really interested in what's gone on with this player.

He's a lot of people's pet cat because he's got a lot of ability to run the football.

 

[jterrell]

And I have never said he doesn't have "heart", that doesn't mean he's not self-conscious now due to the string of injuries he has sustained since 2010 and on. What I'm reading is from Williams himself. And he still has plenty to prove as a runner in the NFL since he has done little to nothing in that aspect either.

When putting this guy into a lineup, you have to factor in that he played scared. How that is not on a list of criticisms for a player is beyond me, quite important. How a player comes back mentally after an injury is important.

He gets a pass, but Claiborne losing confidence after injuries or getting beat has him criticized by the Dallas fanbase. This is just a lot of people's pet cat, the same with Tashard Choice.

what's clear is a lot of teams felt he he wasn't the right player for them at the pick. he didn't last til round 5 by accident.
the cowboys know the player well and had far more information than you do.

yes, people are quoting draftniks here but you are essentially quoting press releases by his agent which are even less reliable.

i really like the player and wish him the very best but anyone on a board arguing they knew more than the cowboys front office is full of it.

 

[USMarineVet]

Ajayi is not a Cowboy. Get over it.

 

[mattjames2010]

No, you don't have to factor that he came back and his knee wasn't right. It doesn't matter. If my kneecap were floating in the middle of my thigh and I was playing on it again before it felt normal, I'd be preoccupied, too. And when I was playing on it and it felt right, I wouldn't be.

You're reading into comments things that aren't there. And this guy has discussed all of this at length. I'd still encourage you to listen to those interviews if you're really interested in what's gone on with this player.

He's a lot of people's pet cat because he's got a lot of ability to run the football.

There are plenty of players who have come back from injuries and played with confidence. And the player admitted he was scared, he then had a knee flare up in 2013 and missed the season. The staff that was there in Arizona in 2013 seemed to not like Williams, and him basically having "no comment" on why he didn't play in 2013 tells me something went down with he and the staff; and I'm just going to have to guess it was a combination of both health and confidence.

And his interviews I'm sure are all rah-rah and heartfelt, that's great. The deciding factor here is, he hasn't cracked into the starting lineup, he wasn't THAT impressive in the preseason game when he got 12 carries, and he has an injury prone label and confidence issue.