News: DMN: Owner Jerry Jones on Dallas Cowboys’ OL: ‘We’re better than any time in the last two or...

[NewsBot]

*** Message was removed by demand from DMN ***

 

[MichaelWinicki]

Fire away... Agree? Disagree?

 

[Wheeltax]

I think it's hard to disagree, but that's also not a very high bar to hit.

 

[TheSport78]

It's hard to get any worse on the OL.

 

[LeonDixson]

Agree. Frederick alone makes the line better. Smith has another years experience under his belt and it looks like Leary has stepped up. Free appears to be playing much better than last year. I'm not completely satisfied, but it would be silly to argue there is no improvement.

 

[erod]

It would be impossible to be worse, Jerry.

 

[popp1234]

ARLINGTON – The Dallas Cowboys’ haven’t even played their first regular-season game yet, but owner Jerry Jones believes the offensive line has improved.

“I think we’re better in the offensive line than any time in the last two or three years,” Jones said after Dallas’ 24-18 preseason win Saturday night over Cincinnati.

Jones went on to point out why he believes the offensive line has improved, and the first two players he mentioned were first-round center Travis Frederick … [visit site to read more]

Continue reading...

Not exactly a ringing endorsement.

 

[Idgit]

“I’d like to have better, I’d like to have more offensive line to have available,”

Don't get too comfortable, anybody on the interior OL. Ouch.

 

[CowboyStar88]

I can't believe Jerry would dismiss the possibility of free starting at OG for the giants. I think they are hell bent on Mack being a starter that its clouding the reality that Smith Leary Fred Free Parnell are the best 5 linemen this team has. I don't understand the push for Mack to be a starter. The dude is terrible.

 

[Stash]

Two things:

One, that's a really low bar to hit

and

Two, Jerry has also talked up this offensive line when it's clearly been terrible, so I don't put too much stock in his opinion in this area

 

[big dog cowboy]

that's a really low bar to hit

Kind of makes it easy to say we are better when you are the worst.

 

[CheapietheCheapskate]

So is Free going to start at guard, tackle or not at all against the Giants?

 

[BAT]

Way to go out on a limb there Jerry. But the more interesting part of the article was how not everyone is buying Broaddus' take on Bernadeau. Bernie is a better back up than a starter at this point.

 

[coult44]

I’d like to have better, I’d like to have more offensive line to have available,” Jones said. “I’d say the odds of having a new player before the Giants game are very slim.”

This was the worst OL in the NFl last year and we added one guy. So far he's been one helluva a guy but he can't block two spots at one time. We need one more guy for me to be comfortable. JJ also said he liked the OL last year.

 

[Idgit]

I’d like to have better, I’d like to have more offensive line to have available,” Jones said. “I’d say the odds of having a new player before the Giants game are very slim.”

This was the worst OL in the NFl last year and we added one guy. So far he's been one helluva a guy but he can't block two spots at one time. We need one more guy for me to be comfortable. JJ also said he liked the OL last year.

Where'd you get the idea we were the worst OL in the league last year? Please don't say rushing game.

 

[Cowboysfan1975]

He's probably right, but the main issue is they never stay healthy enough to build any cohesiveness

 

[coult44]

Where'd you get the idea we were the worst OL in the league last year? Please don't say rushing game.

I get defending every aspect of our team. I do it also with every fan of every other team in football. And I almost do it with Boys fans. But for the life of me, I can't see how y'all constantly defend the OL for the last few years. I'm praying I seen something last night I kind of liked. It took me watching the game 3 times, but I actually seen some things I liked. Then I heard today there was no chance in Hades that Free would play there during the year and I was like, "WHY THE CRAP DID WE DO IT LAST NIGHT"......But to get back to defending the line last year. Don't try. With 1/2 of a OL last year we were in the playoffs. JG basically decided to stop running the ball because we were so bad a run blocking. How many RB's got hurt because of them. How much punishment did Tony take because of their poor excuse for blocking. Free did something in the off season to get back on track (at least it looks like it), but after last year, NOBODY WANTED HIM HERE!!! I'll say this for the 1000th time. Other than Smith, and he wasn't that good last year, there wasn't a player on our OL that would have been on practice squads of contending teams. Stop defending them. Back to the positive things from this year though. With Smith, Free, Leary, Frederick, I think I can at least breathe about it. Buttttttt, we still need one more guy in the other spot. I don't care where we get him. Wait for every team to make their final cuts if we have to. It really doesn't matter who we get. Anyone would be better than any other guard we have on our roster. If all else fails, put Tanney there. He's played well enough to make the team somewhere. haha

 

[waving monkey]

I dont care that nobody wanted Free on the team last year he is fair to good this year.Last year is gone.
We are mixing and matching in case of injuries which killed us last year.If you think that Leary,Free,
and at least two others wouldn't make the practice squad of a good team well, I disagree.Making your point
is better made without hyperbole.

 

[Idgit]

I get defending every aspect of our team. I do it also with every fan of every other team in football. And I almost do it with Boys fans. But for the life of me, I can't see how y'all constantly defend the OL for the last few years. I'm praying I seen something last night I kind of liked. It took me watching the game 3 times, but I actually seen some things I liked. Then I heard today there was no chance in Hades that Free would play there during the year and I was like, "WHY THE CRAP DID WE DO IT LAST NIGHT"......But to get back to defending the line last year. Don't try. With 1/2 of a OL last year we were in the playoffs. JG basically decided to stop running the ball because we were so bad a run blocking. How many RB's got hurt because of them. How much punishment did Tony take because of their poor excuse for blocking. Free did something in the off season to get back on track (at least it looks like it), but after last year, NOBODY WANTED HIM HERE!!! I'll say this for the 1000th time. Other than Smith, and he wasn't that good last year, there wasn't a player on our OL that would have been on practice squads of contending teams. Stop defending them. Back to the positive things from this year though. With Smith, Free, Leary, Frederick, I think I can at least breathe about it. Buttttttt, we still need one more guy in the other spot. I don't care where we get him. Wait for every team to make their final cuts if we have to. It really doesn't matter who we get. Anyone would be better than any other guard we have on our roster. If all else fails, put Tanney there. He's played well enough to make the team somewhere. haha

Sigh. This level of overstatement is tedious. It's not accurate. And it's a shame, too, because there's really an opportunity to talk about our substandard OL and it's deficiencies if that's a conversation you're able to have.

But pretending it was the worst line in football, or pretending that players who've started on playoff teams aren't good enough to make NFL practice squads....nobody's interested in that level of debate. It's just not interesting.

I'm glad everybody's pleased with the preseason play of our OL and all, but we won the game last night because of defensive takeaways that stalled their drives and put our offense in position to score. It wasn't the running game. It wasn't the blocking. The pass protection mattered, but then, we threw for ~5000 yards and 28 TDs last season with a roster full of practice squaders and the worst line in the league, so there you go.

And, for the thousandth time, I don't defend ever aspect of this team. I try hard to criticize the things that really matter. We are not going to win or lose this season because of any incremental upgrade at RG available on the market right now. We're not going to win more games by running the ball more. We're going to win the way other teams win in the league right now: taking the ball away and throwing it effectively when we have it on offense. And throwing it effectively requires only a fairly average ability to protect our QB--a level well within the reach of the players we already have on the roster.

 

[coult44]

Sigh. This level of overstatement is tedious. It's not accurate. And it's a shame, too, because there's really an opportunity to talk about our substandard OL and it's deficiencies if that's a conversation you're able to have.

But pretending it was the worst line in football, or pretending that players who've started on playoff teams aren't good enough to make NFL practice squads....nobody's interested in that level of debate. It's just not interesting.

I'm glad everybody's pleased with the preseason play of our OL and all, but we won the game last night because of defensive takeaways that stalled their drives and put our offense in position to score. It wasn't the running game. It wasn't the blocking. The pass protection mattered, but then, we threw for ~5000 yards and 28 TDs last season with a roster full of practice squaders and the worst line in the league, so there you go.

And, for the thousandth time, I don't defend ever aspect of this team. I try hard to criticize the things that really matter. We are not going to win or lose this season because of any incremental upgrade at RG available on the market right now. We're not going to win more games by running the ball more. We're going to win the way other teams win in the league right now: taking the ball away and throwing it effectively when we have it on offense. And throwing it effectively requires only a fairly average ability to protect our QB--a level well within the reach of the players we already have on the roster.

You know Idgit.We aren't as different as you might think. You and I are not very far apart on what we want. I've said it since day one a few years ago. The NFL has changed. You don't have to have a great running team to win in the NFL. In fact, the teams with the best RB's or Running Teams don't win the superbowl. and are often the lower teams in the NFL. However, some balance is essential to allow that to happen. Do you have to have a guy run for 2000?? No, But you have to have a guy who defenses believe can take it to the house any play, or can run for over 100 on any given Sunday. Without a decent OL, that threat could be someone like AD, and it wouldn't matter much. He would have been hurt or as unproductive as Murray because of the play of the OL.

How do we win more games, your right. Get more take-a-ways, and give up the ball less. With this many offensive weapons, we should be able to score AT WILL, ON ANY TEAM, as long as Tony has just enough time to distribute that rock around to the different guys who want and need it. And from what I've seen so far on this defense, we can do what we need to get the ball back to our offense more than we did last year. Our DL has to stop the run, the ends have to get pressure on the QB, and the DB's have to cover. We do all that stuff and we will win the turnover battle because Bruce-Lee are coming for those balls baby...

I think we are all antzy because for the first time in a lot of years for me, there is really a lot to be excited about. We won't really know what needs the most work until we see guys play together for a few meaningful games. I'm excited because this time last year our LIST was getting bigger and bigger already. You know the nasty list we all hate. This year all of the outsiders are saying Tony and his Cowboys are the same old team, and that's completely fine by me. But if you've paid as much attention as some of us have this last month, you will begin to know they don't know what they are talking about. I've watched, read, or listened to every minute of every practice it seams like. I've watched and re-watched every pre-season game. This team is completely different than last years team because of a lot of things, not necessarily player changes. The "change of philosphy" might have finally happened. Red seems anxious to display that ie:Benching #1 RB. Jerry made his best move ever in 20+ years. He brought in TWO true DC's. Why two, because one is old but he invented the system we are using now, and the other mastered it and is still young enough to implement it to these new style NFL Players....Next, I think after that last pass Tony through last year in Washington haunts him every day. This is the year he uses that haunting to give him an uncontrollable drive to LEAD AND WIN...And Finally, Tell me what team has this tallent? DEZ, Austin, Murray, Witten, Romo, Harris, Williams, Dunbar, Ware, Hatcher, Spencer, Lee, Carter, Claiborne,Carr,Scandrick, Moore, Ratt, and I'll throw in Holloman, and Sims. I want to add Frederick and Smith, butttttt. And I have nothing for you on Safeties. hahah.....OH WELL,