ethiostar
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Didn't see this posted anywhere.......
http://cowboysblog.***BANNED-URL***/archives/2008/05/do-it-like-dallas-or-antonio.html
Do it like Dallas ... or Antonio
3:05 PM Sun, May 04, 2008 | Permalink | Yahoo! Buzz
Albert Breer http://www.***BANNED-URL***/blogs/images/email-icon.jpg E-mail http://www.***BANNED-URL***/blogs/images/email-icon.jpg News tips
Why are you looking at an Antonio Gates video here? Simple. If the you want the answer to the Cowboys' "need" for a second high-level receiver, you might be able to find it in how the Chargers employ their All-Pro tight end, or how the Colts use their elite tight end, Dallas Clark.
Both Gates and Clark are constantly flexed out into the slot, and even at the outside flanker or split end spots. And that's the first thing that popped into my head when listening to Wade Phillips' passionately defend the crew of receivers that the Cowboys have on the roster now.
"I think we put ourselves in a situation where we said, 'Boy, we want to get somebody across from Terrell," Wade said. "Like I said the other day, there aren't many Terrell Owens, there aren't many great, great receivers like him. So to get somebody like him is awfully hard. But I do believe in the guys we have.
"We were fourth in the NFL in passing last year, second in scoring and a first in average per attempt to the receivers that we had. We did not lose any receiver off this football team, the only one we lost was Terry Glenn, who didn't play last year. So to say, 'Boy, we need receivers, I'm not sure that's the case. And I think everybody got riled up and disappointed we didn't get a receiver.
"Well, we had a lot of yards passing to somebody, and it wasn't just Terrell. Part of our great receiver on the other side of Terrell, is Jason Witten. He's the other guy that caught 96 passes. But the other receivers, Patrick Crayton and those guys, are good receivers too. I don't think it killed our passing game.
"Certainly with the quarterback we have and the receivers we have, in the same offense for another year, we might even get better without adding some big name guy. And the young guys are going to be really good players. The three young ones we have, any one of those could be an all-star caliber player."
Wade's best point -- How overlooked Witten has been during this offseason. And it should be to see how drafting Martellus Bennett could allow the offensive coaches more flexibility in how to deploy him.
I talked to a couple of the offensive coaches over the last few days, and they indicated how Bennett is able to play both the in-line ("Y") and off-set ("F") tight end positions. So can Witten.
At this point, most accounts say that Bennett's a more polished blocker than he is a receiver. So you can come out of the huddle, and put Bennett in-line, and line up Witten in the slot. And that -- like it does with the Colts and Chargers -- creates problems for a defense. Either they put a defensive back on Witten, or they pull a linebacker out of the box to help.
Or you can leave, say, Crayton in the slot, and line up Witten outside at the "Z", where you might just get a one-on-one situation (ala Shockey-on-Roy last year). Meanwhile, Owens is already forcing you to defend all areas of the field on the other end and constantly putting all kinds of pressure on the coverage.
Fact is, all this says that Wade's right. Even without a Roy Williams or a Chad Johnson or an Anquan Boldin, there are versatile pieces at other positions for Jason Garrett to play with.
Are the Cowboys the deepest team in the league at receiver? No. Not by a longshot. But there are few teams that can match them when you put all the offensive skill players together and count them as a group.
http://cowboysblog.***BANNED-URL***/archives/2008/05/do-it-like-dallas-or-antonio.html
Do it like Dallas ... or Antonio
3:05 PM Sun, May 04, 2008 | Permalink | Yahoo! Buzz
Albert Breer http://www.***BANNED-URL***/blogs/images/email-icon.jpg E-mail http://www.***BANNED-URL***/blogs/images/email-icon.jpg News tips
Why are you looking at an Antonio Gates video here? Simple. If the you want the answer to the Cowboys' "need" for a second high-level receiver, you might be able to find it in how the Chargers employ their All-Pro tight end, or how the Colts use their elite tight end, Dallas Clark.
Both Gates and Clark are constantly flexed out into the slot, and even at the outside flanker or split end spots. And that's the first thing that popped into my head when listening to Wade Phillips' passionately defend the crew of receivers that the Cowboys have on the roster now.
"I think we put ourselves in a situation where we said, 'Boy, we want to get somebody across from Terrell," Wade said. "Like I said the other day, there aren't many Terrell Owens, there aren't many great, great receivers like him. So to get somebody like him is awfully hard. But I do believe in the guys we have.
"We were fourth in the NFL in passing last year, second in scoring and a first in average per attempt to the receivers that we had. We did not lose any receiver off this football team, the only one we lost was Terry Glenn, who didn't play last year. So to say, 'Boy, we need receivers, I'm not sure that's the case. And I think everybody got riled up and disappointed we didn't get a receiver.
"Well, we had a lot of yards passing to somebody, and it wasn't just Terrell. Part of our great receiver on the other side of Terrell, is Jason Witten. He's the other guy that caught 96 passes. But the other receivers, Patrick Crayton and those guys, are good receivers too. I don't think it killed our passing game.
"Certainly with the quarterback we have and the receivers we have, in the same offense for another year, we might even get better without adding some big name guy. And the young guys are going to be really good players. The three young ones we have, any one of those could be an all-star caliber player."
Wade's best point -- How overlooked Witten has been during this offseason. And it should be to see how drafting Martellus Bennett could allow the offensive coaches more flexibility in how to deploy him.
I talked to a couple of the offensive coaches over the last few days, and they indicated how Bennett is able to play both the in-line ("Y") and off-set ("F") tight end positions. So can Witten.
At this point, most accounts say that Bennett's a more polished blocker than he is a receiver. So you can come out of the huddle, and put Bennett in-line, and line up Witten in the slot. And that -- like it does with the Colts and Chargers -- creates problems for a defense. Either they put a defensive back on Witten, or they pull a linebacker out of the box to help.
Or you can leave, say, Crayton in the slot, and line up Witten outside at the "Z", where you might just get a one-on-one situation (ala Shockey-on-Roy last year). Meanwhile, Owens is already forcing you to defend all areas of the field on the other end and constantly putting all kinds of pressure on the coverage.
Fact is, all this says that Wade's right. Even without a Roy Williams or a Chad Johnson or an Anquan Boldin, there are versatile pieces at other positions for Jason Garrett to play with.
Are the Cowboys the deepest team in the league at receiver? No. Not by a longshot. But there are few teams that can match them when you put all the offensive skill players together and count them as a group.
