DC: Progress Report: Defense, Running Game, Among Staff Writers’ Concerns

[jobberone]

Progress Report: Defense, Running Game, Among Staff Writers’ Concerns
Monday, June 22, 2015 9:00 AM CDT
By DallasCowboys.com Report

IRVING, Texas – Workouts, OTAs and minicamp are history. After two months of offseason work, the players and coaches get a few weeks of rest and relaxation before the team boards the plane to Oxnard, Calif., in late July for training camp.

The pads won’t come on until then, but in non-contact drills we’ve gotten a glimpse of the 2015 Dallas Cowboys.

So, as Valley Ranch slows down for the start of summer, the DallasCowboys.com staff will give our impressions of the offseason and a look ahead to camp over the next few days.

Today’s the writers focus on their biggest concerns.

Rob Phillips: I’m going with an intangible here since the on-field concerns are pretty well documented and the most popular one, running back, isn’t as bothersome to me. I believe in the Cowboys’ overall running game – the offensive line, the blocking scheme, and the threat of Tony Romo in the passing game. What about the elevated expectations for a 12-4 team? Can they truly put 2014 aside? This is a pretty young team who, to their credit, is echoing their head coach’s “forget last year” mantra. It’s one thing to say it, though, and another thing to ignore all the nice stuff the media’s saying about them. In 2008 and 2010, the Cowboys were preseason title contenders, and they didn’t get it done for a variety of reasons. Tony Romo,Jason Witten, Orlando Scandrick, Doug Free and L.P. have felt the weight of those expectations, but that’s about it. Granted, I spent the last three years away from Valley Ranch, so maybe I’m focusing too much on the past. Maybe this group is different. But they won’t sneak up on anybody this year.

David Helman: I’ve been saying it since draft weekend, so I might as well keep at it. I’m sorry, but I’m just not sold on this group of running backs. I think they’ve got a lot of potential, but there’s just not enough in the way of proven ability for me to buy in completely. I worry about Darren McFadden’s ability to stay healthy, I worry about Joseph Randle’s ability to stay out of trouble – and I worry about the fact that he’s carried the ball just 105 times in his entire career. With the offensive line the Cowboys have in in place, there’s a decent chance I’m completely wrong and this group can get the job done. But we know that Jason Garrett wants a physical, ground-and-pound identity on offense, and we also know that none of these guys have proven they can do that at this level. Maybe it’ll work out, but I still chalk it up as a concern.

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2...se-running-game-among-staff-writers’-concerns

 

[Bluefin]

Bryan Broaddus: I had a much better feeling about the backup quarterback this time last season than I do right now. I felt that Brandon Weeden was going to be able to handle the job and get them through a game or two but I am not so sure of that now.

He gave me a little hope in the way that he played coming off the bench against the Commanders but that’s Cardinals game was a whole another story.

What was even more concerning is that Weeden received plenty of work each week with Romo taking Wednesday’s off for his back. He should have been prepared and he played liked he wasn’t.

My hope was that with better talent around him that he would have functioned better but there were the same mistakes and same issues that were in Cleveland were in that game and that was surprising.

Brandon Weeden laid an egg against Arizona, no doubts there.

But he played well enough coming off the bench against Washington that I felt it was a mistake to put Tony Romo back on the field at the end of the game.

And as bad as Weed played against the Cardinals, I still feel DeMarco Murray's lost fumble in the game was the stake in the heart. Dallas also played without Ronald Leary and Doug Free in that contest.

The Red Birds' defense was legit, too.

I was curious going into the off-season if the team would look to upgrade at back-up QB and the position got almost no play.

I'm by no means sold on Weeden as the reserve, but I'm not going to judge him too harshly by that one game, either.

He needs to get better this year.

He's not alone.

 

[jrumann59]

I do not think Weeden has the skill set for the offense. He has a cannon for an arm but no touch also no timing so the gun has to be open or he tries to throw them open with bad results.

 

[ShiningStar]

Weeden would be my biggest concern, but lets face facts, all teams have concerns, lets just do liek otehr teams and mask ours the best we can and lets not forget whats working right for a change,

 

[USMarineVet]

The RB position is iffy until proven otherwise. We know this. How many times are these writers gonna beat us over the head with it. We get it. I mean how many times do you have to reword something to say the same thing? Sheesh!