DMN Blog: Miles Austin Update/'Boys practicing Felix/Marion on-field package

[Idgit]

He "showed up" with what 0 catches on the year?

Please.

Austin looked horrid running routes when he got into games. When balls were thrown to him he looked ill-prepared to catch them. Now to his credit he was able to get open.

Austin has done absolutely zero at the position of WR to indicate he can play on a regular basis. He saw the field last year only because we suffered injury to both starters and when that happened we could not pass the ball hardly at all.

Make an argument based around Austin's production at WR ever and maybe I'll buy it. Until then you really have no point at all....

There's this, from Ray Sherman:

"There's no question," WR coach Ray Sherman said after today's practice. "I think Miles Austin has tremendous speed. He's got size, he's strong, he's very athletic. With Miles, he was young, and he's starting to come around. He's made great strides from last year, from last camp. I really like what I'm seeing from him right now, and I expect him to get better."
​

That's more than 'zero' at the WR position to indicate he can play in my book.

 

[Bizwah]

The issue isn't competition it is skill level.

Austin is a superb athlete but at WR he still has issues running actual routes beyond the fly pattern and his hands are very iffy. He may well make that next step at some point but many other have tried and failed.

T.O. and Jerry Rice played small school ball and yet starred early on. If you can play you can play. The problem is so many guys can't play the position.

How many WRs have the Cowboys drafted in their history who caught 0 passes in their first two years on the active roster then went on to success with the Cowboys????

I am not sure why average fans still believe if you run fast you can play WR in the NFL.

You're partially right about Jerry Rice. He really struggled catching the ball his first two years in the NFL. I can remember a number of times seeing him glide right past the defense only to drop a perfect pass. It happened often...but most agreed he would be a good player. He made some great plays too, but we must remember that he was a first round pick.

I don't see why so many hate Austin. Maybe it's because he's a threat to Hurd?

I WANT to see Austin succeed....Why? Because he's a Cowboy. I want to see Hurd succeed too....Because he's a Cowboy.

I think Austin's ceiling is a lot higher than Hurd' though. He's bigger, stronger, and faster. If he can master route running and improve his hands, then he'll be tough to stop.

WRs need time to develop. Jake Reed....here was a guy that couldn't catch a cold when he first came in the NFL. But the Vikes saw something in him. He continued to work hard and eventually turned into a heckuva receiver (having lasic eye surgery didn't hurt either).

You asked how many Cowboy players didn't have a catch their first two years, but wound up being a good WR. But how many times did we have an undrafted FA QB come in and destroy all passing records?

The point is, there's a first time for everything.

Anyway, don't write off Austin or Hurd....or really anyone yet. Let them duke it out on the field. Both are in their third seasons, it's put up or shut up time for both.

For the Cowboys sakes...let the best man win.

 

[TNCowboy]

I wasn't counting Stanback becuase his spot is safe. I guess I should have been more specific but it was meant to include Hurd, Amendola and all the other guys fighting for a camp spot.

Yeah, it's safe 'cuz teams never cut 4th rounders who have shown absolutely nothing....

 

[dcfanatic]

Hands down the best battle in training camp will be for the 3, 4 and 5(maybe 6) WR spots.

Austin has to do it this year or else his role as the 'fast WR with all world potential' will surely be taken by Stanback, if it hasn't been already.

Love the idea of Felix and MBIII on the field at the same time. I could see a few direct snaps and some misdirection screen passes going to Felix. Should be fun watching Jason Garrett incorporate him into the offense this year.

 

[sbark]

Just so Austins hands are as dependable in the 2nd round of the playoffs as were Craytons.......

 

[Angus]

Injuries can be the deciding factor in a lot of cases. Nobody knows who is going to come out of training camp unscathed. For that reason it is useless to project which wide receivers will be on the 53.

All of them have a chance if they are invited to training camp.

 

[JonJon]

I don't see why so many hate Austin. Maybe it's because he's a threat to Hurd?

............

Anyway, don't write off Austin or Hurd....or really anyone yet. Let them duke it out on the field. Both are in their third seasons, it's put up or shut up time for both.

For the Cowboys sakes...let the best man win.

I don't think anyone necessarily hates Austin or Hurd, it's just that many aren't too fond of having career 4th/5th string wide receivers eating up roster spots from people with more upside.

Even though Austin has tremendous athletic ability, he hasn't shown much on the field to sway people to believe that he will ever be more than a career 4th/5th receiver. You can have all the potential in the world, but at some point, you are going to have to start living up to that potential. Hopefully, this is the year that happens.

With that said, the dilemma is still roster spots. Owen and Crayton are locks on the roster. Glenn will be if he signs the contract waiver. Now we still have Austin, Hurd, Stanback, Amendola, and Jefferson...someone has to go. So do you hold onto an Austin or Hurd and let someone like Amendola, a player that has already shown good route running skills and hands, walk in place of Austin, who may not ever develop good route running skills and good hands?

 

[DallasFanSince86]

Oh the hit...here it is

I could watch that all day.:laugh2:

 

[MarionBarberThe4th]

Did anything go right for Archuelta that night?

 

[InmanRoshi]

Austin has done nothing in his first 24 months in the NFL but earn an improbable roster spot, continue to earn more and more playing time, earn more and more praise from the coaches and become one of the NFL's better kickoff returners. There is absolutely no reason to think he's plateaued in his development or incapable of taking the next step.

People act like Austin has been in the league 5 years and hasn't done anything. Last year was just his 2nd year, and he came from a competition level that was basically glorified high school. He's not a polished route runner after his first year coming out of freakin Monmouth University, therefore he doesn't have the ability to run routes? That's just dumb. It typically takes WRs who played in big time conferences, in big time programs with big time coaching 3 years in the NFL to "get it". Guys like Robert Meachem and Dwayne Jarrett came from the nation's premiere football programs with the best coaching college has to offer and didn't catch a single pass in their rookie year. There's a huge learning curve involved for even the most polished of prospects for the WR position, and it's not a position you typically just walk into a make a huge impact right away.

 

[Chocolate Lab]

Considering his background, I regard Austin's first year basically a redshirt year. (just like Tony Romo's first year was basically a redshirt just to get him accustomed to a high level of competition and exposure to good coaching) Last year was really his "rookie year" (and he had 5 receptions). Lots of guys have contributed as WR's for the Cowboys who did absolutely nothing in their rookie years. Tony Hill had 2 receptions. Kelvin Martin had 0.

I still stand by my assertion that people hold it against Austin because he's talented and they don't want "another Randal Williams" ... which is just unbelievably stupid and illogical.

Yep.

If you've ever seen Miles in person, he's not Ra. Williams. Randal was fast in a straight line and that's it. Austin is fluid, he can cut, he has good hands (in warmups)... We need to see if he can do it under pressure, but he was way more talent than Randal Williams.

And IR is correct in that last year was in some regards his first real year. It would be crazy to judge him already.

 

[Bob Sacamano]

screw Archer, I've been saying watch out for Austin a lot longer than he has

glad to see Dallas already getting creative w/ Felix, even though there was no doubt in my mind that that would be the case, which is why I was pimping Chris Johnson so heavily, put a guy like him/Felix, who are very good receivers w/ Barber, and you can do so many things like dum dum DUH split Felix out wide

 

[Hoofbite]

Yeah, it's safe 'cuz teams never cut 4th rounders who have shown absolutely nothing....

You think theres a shot that Dallas cuts Stanback?

 

[Hoofbite]

Did anything go right for Archuelta that night?

Nothing on the field. Maybe he got a little sympathy when he got home but that game was a disaster in every aspect for him.

 

[Boyzmamacita]

Everything I've seen has showed that Hurd has been the most impressive of the young guys. He goes up and snatches the ball out of the air while guys like Austin always seem to catch into their body.

Yeah, Hurd has been the most impressive so far. I don't know why so many people seem to want to run him out of town as if it's some forgone conclusion. Hurd hasn't had a lot of opportunities, but he has helped us move the chains when given a chance. I say the guys who make the roster for sure are Owens, Crayton, Hurd and Stanback as a continuing project. The rest of the guys - Glenn, Austin, Amendola, etc. - are the ones fighting for a roster spot.

 

[Ithurtstobethisgood]

I hope they stagger Barber and Jones in the backfield...I can see the highlight of MBIII mowing a linebacker over and Felix taking it to the house...:laugh2:

 

[InmanRoshi]

The thing is we don't need any of these guys to become Jerry Rice. If TO's going to be among the league leaders among WR's in targets, and Witten among the league leaders in targets among TEs, and Crayton puts up another 50 catch season, and MB3 is going to be much more of a pass receiving threat ouf of base packages than Julius was (who wasn't really a very smooth receiver), and Felix Jones is going to be pass receiving threat out of the backfield in nickel and if Bennett/Tony Curtis is going to be utilized threat in 2 TE packages and inn the red zone ... there's not really much opportunity for any of these guys to have a "breakthrough' season because there won't be enough targets to go around. 30 catches, 600 yards will more than suffice from that role, even if it doesn't all come from one person.

 

[JonJon]

The thing is we don't need any of these guys to become Jerry Rice. If TO's going to be among the league leaders among WR's in targets, and Witten among the league leaders in targets among TEs, and Crayton puts up another 50 catch season, and MB3 is going to be much more of a pass receiving threat ouf of base packages than Julius was (who wasn't really a very smooth receiver), and Felix Jones is going to be pass receiving threat out of the backfield in nickel and if Bennett/Tony Curtis is going to be utilized threat in 2 TE packages and inn the red zone ... there's not really much opportunity for any of these guys to have a "breakthrough' season because there won't be enough targets to go around. 30 catches, 600 yards will more than suffice from that role, even if it doesn't all come from one person.

You are absolutely right. We don't need a Jerry Rice. An Alvin Harper would do just fine in our offense.

Just a thought: I know everyone wants to be optimistic about Glenn, but does anyone realistically expect him to last a full season even if he does sign the contract waiver? I would hate to lose a young talent like Amendola or Austin just to keep Glenn and then he ends up getting hurt and retires.

 

[theogt]

TO
Glenn
Crayton
Austin
Stanback
Amendola

Austin has had one problem and that's his hands/body control while catching. It really was just awful. But if they say he's "getting it" that's exactly what they're referring to. Once he get's that, he should really be a strong contributor on offense.

 

[FuzzyLumpkins]

He "showed up" with what 0 catches on the year?

Please.

Austin looked horrid running routes when he got into games. When balls were thrown to him he looked ill-prepared to catch them. Now to his credit he was able to get open.

Austin has done absolutely zero at the position of WR to indicate he can play on a regular basis. He saw the field last year only because we suffered injury to both starters and when that happened we could not pass the ball hardly at all.

Make an argument based around Austin's production at WR ever and maybe I'll buy it. Until then you really have no point at all.

The challenge remains above. 49 years of Cowboys history go find a WR who caught 0 passes his first two seasons that went on to be a solid WR for this team.

The funny thing is the Jimmy Smith nonsense. Smith was drafted in 1992, and out of football altogether in 93 and 94. In 1995 once healthy finally he tried out and was signed by Jax as a kick returner. He did make it big but he did so not from developing a skillset but by finally being healthy.

You obviously weren't paying attention.

Austing showed the ability to get separation against NFL corners time and agin at the end of last season.

Youre just babbling nonsense and do not know what youre talking about.