DMN Blog: Crayton considers search for WR motivation

[WoodysGirl]

Of course it is but people on here want to be so freaking technical all the time.

It couldn't possibly have meant that Romo is just saying he thinks they can play...in his usual dry, understated way of speaking.

 

[Sarge]

I have a sneaking suspicion that Crayton is gonna step up his play this year - pure speculation, and perhaps wishful thinking, but I do expect him to be one of the pleasant surprises this year. I am usually always right too, most of the time, for the most part.

 

[Redball Express]

..taking a sound bite from a player, making him a scapegoat like RW and trying to turn him into an attitude problem.

Does this ever end..?

Crayton made some mistakes in the Jints playoff game, but there were lot's of blame to go around.

Crayton did a very good job stepping up without much preparation when TG went down for the year.

Catching 50+ passes in an offense with a Witten and a TO on your team is pretty impressive..IMO.

And it was the first time he had ever played a starting position for 16 games.

I think he tired in the last part of the season as did many of the players, which is why they again flat-lined in Decmber and then against the Jints.

His responses indicates to me is busy not reading the media comments and speculation and concentrating more on his own game and improving himself.

I'm Ok with that.

I think this team needs to pay less attention to the media circuses and play more for themselves and disregard the distractions to get to the next level.

I think Crayton has the right mindset.

He's going into his 2nd season as our starting #2 WR and I expect what he has learned to improve his play in this offense is going to get him to be more of a threat as the season goes on.

I thought he was a little mechanical at the position last year at times and disappeared for portions of the year in the offense, but he did play injured for part of the year with an ankle injury and worked thru it without much downtime.

That's important to know he's tough and willing to sacrifice himself when needed.

I really expect more from him this year and bigger plays as he adjusts to the position.

So we'll see.

:starspin ReDBaLL ExPreSS :starspin

 

[CATCH17]

He is in denial. He believes he is an elite reciever. No matter what he does he will always believe that. If somebody comes in who is better than him and kicks him back to number three he will most likely take it personally.

He may not be an "elite" receiver but he is a DAMN good receiver.

He does everything very well except stretch the field and he is big for us on 3rd downs.

Ill take Patrick Crayton on my team any day of the week.

 

[LittleBoyBlue]

He is in denial. He believes he is an elite reciever. No matter what he does he will always believe that. If somebody comes in who is better than him and kicks him back to number three he will most likely take it personally.

Well thats the thing... he needs to dig deep, reach back.. whatever you want to call it... and take it to another level.

TO by definition did not start out as an "elite receiver" he really still isnt... he "made" himself what he is "a threat"...an athletic freak. - TO is not a born to be a WR-type like Jerry Rice... TO is a made man... self made.... can Crayton even conceive that? I dont think so.

 

[big dog cowboy]

I am usually always right too, most of the time, for the most part.

At least you are consistent.



:laugh2:

 

[CATCH17]

Well thats the thing... he needs to dig deep, reach back.. whatever you want to call it... and take it to another level.

TO by definition did not start out as an "elite receiver" he really still isnt... he "made" himself what he is "a threat"...an athletic freak. - TO is not a born to be a WR-type like Jerry Rice... TO is a made man... self made.... can Crayton even conceive that? I dont think so.

Hes improved every year and he was a Quarterback his whole life before coming to the NFL to be a receiver.

I think hes done one heck of a job to be where he is now from where he came from.

 

[LittleBoyBlue]

Hes improved every year and he was a Quarterback his whole life before coming to the NFL to be a receiver.

I think hes done one heck of a job to be where he is now from where he came from.

Yes he has.

But he also bought into the "talk the talk, walk the walk" - except when it came to walking he fell on his face in the biggest game of his life.

He should take Parells' advice "never let good enough be good enough" instead of talking

Otherwise he will never be more than an ok #3

 

[CATCH17]

Yes he has.

But he also bought into the "talk the talk, walk the walk" - except when it came to walking he fell on his face in the biggest game of his life.

He should take Parells' advice "never let good enough be good enough" instead of talking

Otherwise he will never be more than an ok #3

I was pissed off at Crayton for about a month after the playoff loss but I really think its time to let it go.

There is no reason that Crayton gets the hate that hes been getting.

 

[Stash]

..taking a sound bite from a player, making him a scapegoat like RW and trying to turn him into an attitude problem.

Does this ever end..?

Crayton made some mistakes in the Jints playoff game, but there were lot's of blame to go around.

As much as anyone - if not moreso - Crayton cost the Cowboys that playoff game. He flat-out dropped a potential TD and quit on a route that would have been good for another. Either of those plays is the difference in the game. Bad enough that he made those mistakes, what makes it worse is that for an average player he has a superstar mouth.

Crayton did a very good job stepping up without much preparation when TG went down for the year.

Catching 50+ passes in an offense with a Witten and a TO on your team is pretty impressive..IMO.

And it was the first time he had ever played a starting position for 16 games.

He started out of absolute necessity, the Cowboys had no other options. It wasn't like he had anyone he had to beat out for the #2 position. And given the coverage he received playing opposite Witten and Owens, I would consider his numbers OK but not great. Certainly not great enough to run his mouth the way he does.

I think he tired in the last part of the season as did many of the players, which is why they again flat-lined in Decmber and then against the Jints.

Sounds like a convenient excuse to me.

His responses indicates to me is busy not reading the media comments and speculation and concentrating more on his own game and improving himself.

I'm Ok with that.

I think this team needs to pay less attention to the media circuses and play more for themselves and disregard the distractions to get to the next level.

I think Crayton has the right mindset.

I don't.

I see a guy who's good but thinks he's better than he really is. I see a guy who should still be eating his ghumbe pie but seems to have quickly forgotten how badly he screwed up last season.

He's going into his 2nd season as our starting #2 WR and I expect what he has learned to improve his play in this offense is going to get him to be more of a threat as the season goes on.

I thought he was a little mechanical at the position last year at times and disappeared for portions of the year in the offense, but he did play injured for part of the year with an ankle injury and worked thru it without much downtime.

That's important to know he's tough and willing to sacrifice himself when needed.

I think the team sure "needed" him in that playoff game, where was he then?

I think he's "mechanical" no matter what. He's been around for 4 years and still looks stiff and lacks fluidity. I'm just glad he won't be fair-catching all of the tema's punt returns this year.

I really expect more from him this year and bigger plays as he adjusts to the position.

To me he's a limited player with good hands and little speed. He's a #3 receiver the team would be forced to play as a #2 because they've got no reasonable alternative.

He'd do himself and many of us a huge favor by playing bigger and talking smaller.

 

[tyke1doe]

Agreed. I dont hate him but that was ****ed up.


And as much as I hate to say it.... THAt happened for a reason... the Giants were destined to beat the Pats in SB. They were relentless and THAT is wy they beat the Pats... oh and that lucky catch and sack evasion lol

We would have lost to Pats - we are soft.

I agree. The Pats would have taken our secondary to school.

 

[tyke1doe]

TO by definition did not start out as an "elite receiver" he really still isnt... he "made" himself what he is "a threat"...an athletic freak. - TO is not a born to be a WR-type like Jerry Rice... TO is a made man... self made.... can Crayton even conceive that? I dont think so.

T.O. isn't an elite receiver?

 

[dfense]

Well, Tony, I hope they have more than a "little bit of ability."

That would be called sarcasm.

 

[aikemirv]

T.O. isn't an elite receiver?

He meant naturally, I think that is very prominent in his explanation. I agree with him on that point, he is not as fluid as the Jerry Rice, Chad Johnson, Marvin Harrison guys. Not saying he is not as good just that he does not look as natural at it as the others do.

 

[austintodallas]

Of course it is but people on here want to be so freaking technical all the time.

Thank you. Sometimes it amazes me how people overanalyze every little syllable out of a player's mouth. He must be taking a shot at somebody!

 

[Redball Express]

As much as anyone - if not moreso - Crayton cost the Cowboys that playoff game. He flat-out dropped a potential TD and quit on a route that would have been good for another. Either of those plays is the difference in the game. Bad enough that he made those mistakes, what makes it worse is that for an average player he has a superstar mouth.



He started out of absolute necessity, the Cowboys had no other options. It wasn't like he had anyone he had to beat out for the #2 position. And given the coverage he received playing opposite Witten and Owens, I would consider his numbers OK but not great. Certainly not great enough to run his mouth the way he does.



Sounds like a convenient excuse to me.



I don't.

I see a guy who's good but thinks he's better than he really is. I see a guy who should still be eating his ghumbe pie but seems to have quickly forgotten how badly he screwed up last season.



I think the team sure "needed" him in that playoff game, where was he then?

I think he's "mechanical" no matter what. He's been around for 4 years and still looks stiff and lacks fluidity. I'm just glad he won't be fair-catching all of the tema's punt returns this year.



To me he's a limited player with good hands and little speed. He's a #3 receiver the team would be forced to play as a #2 because they've got no reasonable alternative.

He'd do himself and many of us a huge favor by playing bigger and talking smaller.

Hey Stash..

You sound pretty angry at the guy for being what he is..

..the guy that helped this offense practically lead the league in offense all year long.

I don't know.

You seem to think he's a bum.

The Cowboys felt he was doing such a good job they re-wrote his old deal last year and thought he was pretty valuable and underpaid for his contributions he was making.

I'd have to take the viewpoint that Dallas has something invested in him and thinks he's worth it for what he's contributing.

See, I really like players that come in as FAs and have the drive to exceed their estimated potential and while they have fewer of the tape measure qualities you obviously think is needed, they help this team without any huge cost to sign them or they are a relatively lower costing FA and they end up starting or getting at least part time contributions.

These players don't have the pedigree of being a top draft pick but they have the heart to play regardless, which other players with bigger college careers and more press clippings often lack.

Romo is like that, MBIII is like that, Crayton is like that, and there are a few others that have been brought in and make the team then become starters and have had a big impact on the team.

I think we recently drafted two more in Choice and Scandrick.

And maybe in Armendola, too.

Guys that are not perfect, have a few warts and don't compare with the elites at their positions, but these guys will add bunches to this team if they have a heart that exceeds their talent and it doesn't limit their production.

You can wish Crayton was another TO or whatever, but I have no doubt that he's doing the best he can and will do better.

I'm sure he didn't want to drop those passes or didn't realize the ball was coming his way until too late when he got overthrown.

But I've seen TO do that stuff and TG, too.

And when Romo dropped that snap in Seattle on the FG and we lost the game, I don't recall everybody being mad at Romo, another FA, BTW, like you seem to be angry with Crayton.

We all waited with bated breathe to see if Romo would implode or bounce back from what happened.

Credit Romo for getting it right and coming back and playing incredible the next year trying to correct that error.

Why don't we wait and see how Crayton does under similar circumstances this year..?

I'm willing to give the guy every chance given to Romo to elevate his play.

I see nothing but improvement coming for Crayton and given the same situation, I'm willing to bet he doesn't drop that pass or break off the route next time.

He got invaluable snaps at the position and he now knows more about what is expected from him.

So whatever..

..you're free to voice your opins but I just don't have those kind of emotional attachments that I want to run a very good player into the ground because he made a couple of crucial errors in an important game under extreme pressure his first year starting at the position.

Good thing you weren't a fan of this team in the mid 60's and early 70's.

You'd have cut or traded half the team because of the mistakes those guys made for 5-6 years straight not winning a championship and exiting the playoff year after year in the 1st. rd.

Often by blowout scores they would lose, too.

So glass half-empty for you with a guy like Crayton.

For me, I just try to zoom back and see it overall.

It's glass half-full for me.

:starspin ReDBall ExPreSS :starspin

 

[LittleBoyBlue]

T.O. isn't an elite receiver?

He meant naturally, I think that is very prominent in his explanation. I agree with him on that point, he is not as fluid as the Jerry Rice, Chad Johnson, Marvin Harrison guys. Not saying he is not as good just that he does not look as natural at it as the others do.

Yes.

But what he has over those "fluid receivers" is... "he is an animal with the ball"(as Terry Glenn said) he wants that endzone more than the WR's you mentioned.

 

[superpunk]

I really don't understand what the angst is all about. Crayton was informed that the Joneses were actively pursuing a WR upgrade. He shrugged it off and said he'd use that as motivation - to become the WR they tried to get.

How is that a bad thing?

The guy is a fantastic #3, and proved to be a very servicable #2 last season. He caught 62% of his passes, got 700 yards and 7 TDs. All this from a 7th round converted QB. Where's the problem? I understand the aggravation from him crapping the bed on the big stage, but losing perspective based on one performance just makes you sound like a petulant child. Romo sucked in the playoff game against Seattle. Then he made the blunder that cost us the game, ultimately. How stupid would it be to have made him public enemy #1?

A guy like Reeves, who legitimately and consistently sucked the entire season, and cost us big time in the playoff game, I can see the ire. But Crayton? Come on now. Be reasonable. He was a very nice player for us all year, and he'll probably continue to be. He says he's going to use the Jones' search for new WRs as motivation to play even better. That's a good thing, not a bad thing.

 

[InmanRoshi]

Patrick Crayton has become what Bradie James was last year ... the nominal, solid player who becomes the dog that everyone kicks all offseason because they're upset the entire team failed to meet expectations in the playoffs.

In the meantime, everyone was jumping up and down with joy that we resigned Flozell even though he was completely manhandled by Osi the entire second half.

 

[Stash]

Hey Stash..

You sound pretty angry at the guy for being what he is..

..the guy that helped this offense practically lead the league in offense all year long.

I don't know.

You seem to think he's a bum.

The Cowboys felt he was doing such a good job they re-wrote his old deal last year and thought he was pretty valuable and underpaid for his contributions he was making.

I'd have to take the viewpoint that Dallas has something invested in him and thinks he's worth it for what he's contributing.

See, I really like players that come in as FAs and have the drive to exceed their estimated potential and while they have fewer of the tape measure qualities you obviously think is needed, they help this team without any huge cost to sign them or they are a relatively lower costing FA and they end up starting or getting at least part time contributions.

These players don't have the pedigree of being a top draft pick but they have the heart to play regardless, which other players with bigger college careers and more press clippings often lack.

Romo is like that, MBIII is like that, Crayton is like that, and there are a few others that have been brought in and make the team then become starters and have had a big impact on the team.

I think we recently drafted two more in Choice and Scandrick.

And maybe in Armendola, too.

Guys that are not perfect, have a few warts and don't compare with the elites at their positions, but these guys will add bunches to this team if they have a heart that exceeds their talent and it doesn't limit their production.

You can wish Crayton was another TO or whatever, but I have no doubt that he's doing the best he can and will do better.

I'm sure he didn't want to drop those passes or didn't realize the ball was coming his way until too late when he got overthrown.

But I've seen TO do that stuff and TG, too.

And when Romo dropped that snap in Seattle on the FG and we lost the game, I don't recall everybody being mad at Romo, another FA, BTW, like you seem to be angry with Crayton.

We all waited with bated breathe to see if Romo would implode or bounce back from what happened.

Credit Romo for getting it right and coming back and playing incredible the next year trying to correct that error.

Why don't we wait and see how Crayton does under similar circumstances this year..?

I'm willing to give the guy every chance given to Romo to elevate his play.

I see nothing but improvement coming for Crayton and given the same situation, I'm willing to bet he doesn't drop that pass or break off the route next time.

He got invaluable snaps at the position and he now knows more about what is expected from him.

So whatever..

..you're free to voice your opins but I just don't have those kind of emotional attachments that I want to run a very good player into the ground because he made a couple of crucial errors in an important game under extreme pressure his first year starting at the position.

Good thing you weren't a fan of this team in the mid 60's and early 70's.

You'd have cut or traded half the team because of the mistakes those guys made for 5-6 years straight not winning a championship and exiting the playoff year after year in the 1st. rd.

Often by blowout scores they would lose, too.

So glass half-empty for you with a guy like Crayton.

For me, I just try to zoom back and see it overall.

It's glass half-full for me.

:starspin ReDBall ExPreSS :starspin

I hope for the best, but a guy with a big mouth makes it hard to root for him.

Couple that with his essentially costing the team a playoff game and that makes it twice as difficult to pull for him.

I'm always hopeful for anything that makes the team better but it will take some proof to make me root for Crayton personally again.

The guys you compare him to weren't the big-mouthed players Crayton was. He needs to talk less and play more (as in better).