DMN Blog: Cowboys were especially concerned about special teams

[WoodysGirl]

7:47 PM Sun, Apr 26, 2009 | Permalink | Yahoo! Buzz
Tim MacMahon E-mail News tips

The odds of fourth-round QB Stephen McGee taking a snap during his rookie season are slim. That doesn't mean the Aggie won't step foot on the field.

"He's tough enough, big enough and physical enough that he may be able to go down on kickoffs and do special teams," Jerry Jones said.

OK, Jerry was just joking about making McGee a special teamer. But the Cowboys were dead serious about improving their poor special teams units through the draft.

The special teams overhaul started when Bruce Read was fired and replaced by Joe DeCamillis. The team brass recognized that the results wouldn't improve unless the personnel did, especially with the Cowboys' two best special teamers from last season (Kevin Burnett and Keith Davis) off the payroll.

"We had a very serious off-season priority beginning with the hiring of our special teams coach," Jerry said. "Special teams play is an important part of what we could do in this draft, because as I mentioned yesterday, when you're drafting at this level, you can put some emphasis on that. Nearly every one of our selections were there to give us an opportunity to make an immediate improvement."

Kickoff specialist David Buehler, who Jerry confirmed could also play other roles, was drafted in the fifth round solely for special teams. Third-round pick Jason Williams might replace Burnett in the nickel and dime defenses and is definitely expected to replace him on special teams. Sixth-round pick Stephen Hodge might be the best special teams player of the bunch.

"He's probably one of the best special teams guys that we saw the whole season," Wade Phillips said. "I think he's got a special attribute there. He made five tackles on kickoffs in one game. I don't think I've ever seen a player do that."


Comments (34) Leave comment | E-mail entry

 

[Hoofbite]

What a "special" draft it was.

 

[Rampage]

What a "special" draft it was.

your posts have been the best thing out of this draft

 

[Hoofbite]

your posts have been the best thing out of this draft

Thanks for the consolation prize.

 

[Bach]

Drafting for special teams is ********. If you draft good solid football players you should be able to find enough to play special teams too. Going into the draft with a plan to find special teamers and then hoping they'll turn out to be decent position players is ********. We did that a couple of years in the mid 90's and those turned out to be some of our worst drafts of all time.

 

[Rampage]

Thanks for the consolation prize.

hey you have kept me from breaking something today. thanks bro

Drafting for special teams is ********. If you draft good solid football players you should be able to find enough to play special teams too. Going into the draft with a plan to find special teamers and then hoping they'll turn out to be decent position players is ********. We did that a couple of years in the mid 90's and those turned out to be some of our worst drafts of all time.

Bach speaks the truth

 

[montgod]

Drafting for special teams is ********. If you draft good solid football players you should be able to find enough to play special teams too. Going into the draft with a plan to find special teamers and then hoping they'll turn out to be decent position players is ********. We did that a couple of years in the mid 90's and those turned out to be some of our worst drafts of all time.

...+1

 

[big dog cowboy]

What Tim MacMahon fails to mention is that these guys can play their regular positions as well as special teams. It's not like they are just special team players.

 

[ThreeSportStar80]

Well special teams is a huge area of need, glad they addressed it via the draft.

 

[tyke1doe]

Drafting for special teams is ********. If you draft good solid football players you should be able to find enough to play special teams too. Going into the draft with a plan to find special teamers and then hoping they'll turn out to be decent position players is ********. We did that a couple of years in the mid 90's and those turned out to be some of our worst drafts of all time.

We lost the Cardinals game because of special teams. And it turned out to be a very critical game because we lost Romo due to injury.

Jimmy Johnson put a high priority on special teams, and I would love to see that emphasis return.

But I don't think the players we drafted were drafted because of special teams and nothing else. Hungry players don't want to remain on the special teams unit. They want to play in the starting lineup.

I'd like to think we drafted these players because we believe they will be starters down the road, but special teamers while they're learning their respective position.

 

[Bob Sacamano]

the only guys you could really make a case for being a pick towards STeams is Buehler and Hodge, maybe Victor Butler, although he'll be an automatic nickel rusher in addition to STeams

 

[bbgun]

They were wise not to think it was just Read's ****ty coaching. Whether any of these guys are an improvement remains to be seen.