DMN Blog: Martellus Bennett struggling with mental adjustment

[WoodysGirl]

1:25 PM Wed, Jun 18, 2008 | Permalink | Yahoo! Buzz
Tim MacMahon E-mail News tips

TE Martellus Bennett, the Cowboys' second-round pick, acknowledges that he's having a hard time with making the mental adjustment from college to the NFL.

"College football is a whole lot easier," Bennett said. Less thinking, less knowledge of the game - you just really just go out there and play every weekend. Now, you've got to go out there and read everything. Man, this is like college times 20."

It'd be easy to make an Aggie joke here, but I don't want to perturb the fine folks in College Station. Plus, I like Bennett and hope that he fulfills his potential.

He confirmed that he's basically thinking his way through every step at this point, and the result is that he's not moving as fast as he needs to and is making uncharacteristic mistakes. He had one ball clank off his hands -- resulting in a pick by DB Jerron Wishom -- in the morning practice. Bennett also got stripped by LB Bradie James after catching a ball over the middle.

Bennett, who is behind Touchdown Tony Curtis in the competition to be the No. 2 TE, understands that he needs to arrive at training camp with a firm grasp on the Cowboys playbook (an estimated "1,000 pages" thicker than Coach Fran's). His plan is to hunker down at Valley Ranch every day between now and when the Cowboys leave for Oxnard.


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[TheCount]

At least he recognizes the work he needs to put it. One of the questions against him was his maturity, he's going to have to pull a 180 and really become a student of the game.

 

[AsthmaField]

Well at least he didn't just stay in bed and sleep through practice like some second round tight ends have.

 

[Woods]

This is not surprising for a rookie.

The adjustment is usually never easy.

 

[Chief]

On the peripheral, this can be considered an indictment against Franchione's offensive system at Texas A&M.

This is the kind of thing recruiters from other school's could have exploited.

Those poor guys are now having to make the switch from Franchione's system to an NFL-type system run by Sherman.

 

[dmq]

I would bet we really don't see Bennett this year. That is fine. Witten is a star and Tony should be at least as serviceable as Fasano was last year.

 

[AsthmaField]

I honestly think he'll play some this year. He might not know the playbook but he's so athletic that we can put in some specific plays for him to run each week and he can have them down pat.

Bring him along slowly but let him get some plays each week.

He will know much more after training camp anyway.

 

[AbeBeta]

I would bet we really don't see Bennett this year. That is fine. Witten is a star and Tony should be at least as serviceable as Fasano was last year.

Disagree.

I expect that regardless of his problems grasping the playbook the team will look to involve him by making certain plays "his" - that way he can concentrate on certain plays while gaining the experience in the offense that gives him a better understanding of the rest of the playbook

 

[DanTanna]

If Vince Young can learn most of the A B Cs, then Bennett can learn our play book.

 

[CATCH17]

Hes a project.

He has all the tools and can actually play football.

He just needs to hit the weights hard and pick up on the offense.

I dont expect a whole lot from the guy this year, even if he does pick up the offense, which he will, but I do love his potential.

 

[reddyuta]

Is his potential worth losing Fasano's contribution?(even if it was meagre at best)-because it looks like he will be behind Curtis on the depth chart.I just hope he blocks well so he can come in some plays(we play 2 TEs 40% of the time right?)

 

[CrazyCowboy]

hope he is studying while i am reading the Zone

 

[Disturbed]

I have said this before but Bennett played at Texas A&M which is not known for it's passing game. So he did not really develop his natural ability in college and he will require longer to develop. This should not be a surprise to anyone. He may not contribute until his third year.

At times, it appears Dallas likes potential more than anything. Personally I like proven players that have consistent performance during college over "potential". We have several of these "potential" guys on our roster now...time will tell if any of them work out for us. I hope they all do, but often they never realize that "potential".

Parcells got the better of us by stealing Fasano. Fasano played at ND who uses a pro style offense with a previous NFL coach. He may have made some mental mistakes (lack of focus) but was more NFL ready. He will probably play very well for Miami. I said on draft day that Dallas will look back and regret this trade.

 

[speedkilz88]

Is his potential worth losing Fasano's contribution?(even if it was meagre at best)-because it looks like he will be behind Curtis on the depth chart.I just hope he blocks well so he can come in some plays(we play 2 TEs 40% of the time right?)

The Garrett brothers gave up on Fasano, he had way too many blown assignments last year and also dropped the ball. Word from the Cowboys was that Curtis was passing him in the depth chart anyway.

 

[RomoIsBack]

Well at least he didn't just stay in bed and sleep through practice like some second round tight ends have.

and miss practice like the Commanders rookie wr

 

[Sarge]

On the peripheral, this can be considered an indictment against Franchione's offensive system at Texas A&M.

This is the kind of thing recruiters from other school's could have exploited.

Those poor guys are now having to make the switch from Franchione's system to an NFL-type system run by Sherman.

Excellent post.

 

[joseephuss]

I have said this before but Bennett played at Texas A&M which is not known for it's passing game. So he did not really develop his natural ability in college and he will require longer to develop. This should not be a surprise to anyone. He may not contribute until his third year.

At times, it appears Dallas likes potential more than anything. Personally I like proven players that have consistent performance during college over "potential". We have several of these "potential" guys on our roster now...time will tell if any of them work out for us. I hope they all do, but often they never realize that "potential".

Parcells got the better of us by stealing Fasano. Fasano played at ND who uses a pro style offense with a previous NFL coach. He may have made some mental mistakes (lack of focus) but was more NFL ready. He will probably play very well for Miami. I said on draft day that Dallas will look back and regret this trade.

Fasano was more NFL ready and he still struggled. Interesting.

Dallas will not regret this trade in the long run. There are short term considerations and long term considerations. Akin was likely going to be cut this year and Fasano was probably going to leave after the year any way, so getting anything in return for either guy was a good thing.

Keith Jackson seemed to do okay in the NFL and he came from a college program that was not known for its passing game at the time.

 

[Disturbed]

Fasano was more NFL ready and he still struggled. Interesting.

Dallas will not regret this trade in the long run. There are short term considerations and long term considerations. Akin was likely going to be cut this year and Fasano was probably going to leave after the year any way, so getting anything in return for either guy was a good thing.

Keith Jackson seemed to do okay in the NFL and he came from a college program that was not known for its passing game at the time.

Your right about Akin, but we will have to wait and see on the TE position. Who will have the better career, Fasano or Bennett? Everyone has an opinion at present...but only time will tell.

 

[joseephuss]

Your right about Akin, but we will have to wait and see on the TE position. Who will have the better career, Fasano or Bennett? Everyone has an opinion at present...but only time will tell.

I agree. Fasano could have the better career. It was possible that he played one more season in Dallas and then left via free agency and gone on to a better career with another team at that time. It will be interesting to see how things go from here.

 

[Disturbed]

I agree. Fasano could have the better career. It was possible that he played one more season in Dallas and then left via free agency and gone on to a better career with another team at that time. It will be interesting to see how things go from here.

You could be right about Fasano planning on leaving in a year and for us to get something now is better than nothing later...had not really thought about that much. But would we not have gotten draft picks back if he left -- not sure. Just thought the trade to Miami was one sided.

Anyway, I will always be a Cowboys fan, so I will pull for anyone on the team.