Did Irvin run good routes? Too young to remember

[bbgun]

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Like WG and me, it was magic.

 

[Risen Star]

I wouldn't call Irvin the best route runner in his day. He was great at it and took great pride in perfecting his craft. But what's important is that Aikman trusted Irvin would always be where he needed to be. He never had to wonder if Irvin would fight across the DBs face when everyone in the stadium knew a slant route was coming.

I said nobody ran better routes. You can lump in Rice and Chris Carter in his era, but I don't think there was a better pure route runner of that era than Michael Irvin.

Rice has the better stats. But he played in a WR friendly system. Doesn't make him a better route runner.

 

[Clove]

Irvin ran excellent routes, but he also had glue hands and was strong. Was not overly athletic. I think Dez will get better and better at running routes, he's just taking longer than we all want him to. He's already come a long way since the beginning of the year.

Keep this in mind. The guy has VERY little experience playing WR at the higher levels. Missed years in College, missed training camp last year, no OTAs mini camps, so I know we want Rome built today, but it's not going to happen.

 

[gillbivens]

Aikman would throw the ball before Irvin made his cut and the ball would be on the money.

 

[TexaninNC]

Irvin ran GREAT routes. He was an excellent wide receiver.

That said, he was never as gifted physically as Dez.

It remains to be seen if Bryant can put it together, but I have high hopes.

 

[sago1]

Irvin ran excellent routes, but he also had glue hands and was strong. Was not overly athletic. I think Dez will get better and better at running routes, he's just taking longer than we all want him to. He's already come a long way since the beginning of the year.

Keep this in mind. The guy has VERY little experience playing WR at the higher levels. Missed years in College, missed training camp last year, no OTAs mini camps, so I know we want Rome built today, but it's not going to happen.

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Was just going to post the same thing re Dez that Clove posted in 2nd para above. Think too many Cowboy fans forget had little time Dez has had to develop his skills. Loss of OTA time & weight conditioning means Dez is still essentially a rookie. But admit Dez is not as mature as Sean Lee who obviously spent considerable time in the offseason working out & studying game films, etc. Dez lacks that kind of maturity, but then Dez's family life doesn't appear to have provided him with the same kind of stability that Lee's home life probably provided to him.

 

[FLcowboy]

This is like asking did Emmitt Smith have good vision.

Irvin didn't have freakish talent. He was a technician. Nobody ran better routes in his day.

And there wasn't the internet chat rooms/forums to let the naysayers voice their opinion as to whether he did or not.

 

[ilovejerry]

Is that you Skip Bayless?

Come on don't insult me ....I thought it was a needed fact on how dedicated Irvin was to his craft thats all.

 

[ilovejerry]

Irvin ran GREAT routes. He was an excellent wide receiver.

That said, he was never as gifted physically as Dez.

It remains to be seen if Bryant can put it together, but I have high hopes.

Come on man Dez does not have an Akiman throwing at him either listen I love Tony Romo like the next guy but he is NO Troy, Troy had laser accuracy

 

[realtick]

I'm not calling Dez out hes my favorite Cowboy. Im just curious how Irvin ran routes because I was honestly too young to remember or even know what a route was. Anytime Dez touches the ball I immediately go from resting heart rate to target heart rate. I started REALLY paying attention and was old enough to understand during campos three 5-11 years, so Dez is undoubting the most exciting player I've been able to enjoy at my young age of 23. I know his route running is shaky, so thats why I'm wondering if Irvin got by off extreme talent or if he was a master in all phases of his position

You'll do well at CowboyZone if you realize and quitely accept: Terance Newman has never been beaten for a touchdown, and Dez Bryant doesn't run bad routes.

 

[The Emperor]

Thanks for the answers. I'd really like Irvin to work with Dez in the off season with routes because once Dez runs crisp routes, top 5 NFL reciever.

Irvin WOULD LOVE to work with Dez. Does Dez want to work with Irvin?

 

[Staggerlee]

You'll do well at CowboyZone if you realize and quitely accept: Terance Newman has never been beaten for a touchdown, and Dez Bryant doesn't run bad routes.

:laugh2:

 

[Howboutdemcowboys31]

Irvin WOULD LOVE to work with Dez. Does Dez want to work with Irvin?

I hope he does, how couldn't he? I believe Dez is a worker. Do I know it? No. But I believe he will work hard in the offseason on his routes. I don't even think his routes are awful now, but when you watch miles and robinson run them it makes Dez look worse then he really is

 

[JIGGYFLY]

Irvin WOULD LOVE to work with Dez. Does Dez want to work with Irvin?

Why would you think he would not want to work with Irvin and why are you so sure that this has not already happened?

 

[JoeCorrado]

This is like asking did Emmitt Smith have good vision.

Irvin didn't have freakish talent. He was a technician. Nobody ran better routes in his day.

He was more than a technician. He was in your face confident that he was going to beat his man every single time.

And yes, he and Aikman were like a 17 jewel railroader's watch- precise.

 

[JoeCorrado]

Come on man Dez does not have an Akiman throwing at him either listen I love Tony Romo like the next guy but he is NO Troy, Troy had laser accuracy

And Troy Aikman is NO Tony Romo. I know, I watched him his whole career and while Romo has saved this o-line a dozen sacks in just the last two weeks, Aikman would have been displaying his own toughness, and irritation at not getting time to read and throw with accuracy.

Aikman DID have great accuracy when he could stand tall in the pocket and follow through on his passes, but he wasn't very mobile in the pocket. He would make a guy miss from time to time, but he was more like Brady or Peyton Manning, at his best behind a good line. A line like Romo has NEVER had.

Romo extends plays without even thinking- and makes plays on the move that would make Aikman blush.

I love Aikman, but that is the truth.

 

[Slashar00]

Yes, Irvin was a great route runner. Not sure if he was better than Rice, but he was still in the same league as Rice when it comes to route running.

And no one worked harder on that team than Irvin. His speed gets knocked a bit, but he was by no means slow coming out of college. The way we talk about make him sound like a tight end because he lost a step in the second half of his career. He was a real wideout though, through and through. The best receiver the Cowboys have ever had.

Unfortunately, he gets bashed because he took a long time to grow up off the field. On the field, he was a pure professional.

 

[TellerMorrow34]

Irvin ran excellent routes. No one ran the slant better than him.

But he also probably worked harder than anyone during his day, and however long really, on his routes and being ready to play. The guy put in insane work to be as great as he was on the field.

 

[ilovejerry]

And Troy Aikman is NO Tony Romo. I know, I watched him his whole career and while Romo has saved this o-line a dozen sacks in just the last two weeks, Aikman would have been displaying his own toughness, and irritation at not getting time to read and throw with accuracy.

Aikman DID have great accuracy when he could stand tall in the pocket and follow through on his passes, but he wasn't very mobile in the pocket. He would make a guy miss from time to time, but he was more like Brady or Peyton Manning, at his best behind a good line. A line like Romo has NEVER had.

Romo extends plays without even thinking- and makes plays on the move that would make Aikman blush.

I love Aikman, but that is the truth.

I never said Aikman was elusive, He didn't have to be he was what 6'3 225 lbs. That wasn't his game he was a pocket passer that could have had stats like marino if he wanted to, Tony Romo amazes me as he is like a regular guy out there who ( not typical NFL size ) and has phenomenal athleticism and thats the part of his game to move around and find the open receivers. Aikman also wasn't the beneficiary to have a great line to later on in his career. The first few years he got killed.

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

Not in the beginning. Irvin grew into an excellent route runner but remember, the Cowboys ran a different offense when Irvin came into the league. Norv's timing offense suited Irving to a tee. He was not good in it, he was great but in the beginning, Irvin was not the ultimate route runner he would eventually become. Give Dez time. He needs reps but what he really needs is to know the playbook inside and out. That will increase his effectiveness 10 fold on it's own.