Draft Reviews and Campo's comments

[LarryCanadian]

I know Dave Campo is an eternal optimist, but you got to love his energy. I think he is the perfect complement to the ranting and raving type coaches you also need and a great "coach"/teacher of young players. He has always been well respected and successful as a defensive coach (I never thought he was right for a head coach, plus he inherited the brutally salary cap strapped team).

I used to find Campo's press conference as painful as fingernails on a chalkboard and he used to praise the other team so much I felt the team would be happy to lose by only 20 points, but all that being said....

I really like the insights Campo divulges on those draft pick reviews. He goes over the strengths and weaknesses of each player and has really been explaining the thought processes and future intent for each pick, which has helped us understand why the players were drafted and what role they are intended to take on. Mickens is an outside corner, not going to be used in slot, etc etc.

Patient coach and really media friendly and upbeat. Probably a bit too loyal, but high energy and he stays on teaching his guys. Watching him on Hard Knocks during last years training camp brings a whole new level of respect for him and how he really coaches the young guys up and even was working hard on restoring Roy Williams and keeping on Pac Man, etc etc.

Kudos to Campo, who was thrown under a few hundred busses by us fans those years back! He is really a Cowboy and ran some fine defenses here with some pretty marginal talent in a number of spots!

LarryCanadian

 

[Verdict]

Where are Campo's comments posted?

 

[Woods]

Where are Campo's comments posted?

Ditto, I'm intrigued.

 

[LarryCanadian]

There are a number of threads over last few days called "Dallas Cowboys Draft Review: Players Name". I think Woody'sGirl has been doing a great job of posting them up.

For the Defensive Players (which is most of the picks) If you go down 2/3 of way into each article there is a section called "Secondary Coach Campo's comments" and I feel he does a great job summarizing the player and the intended way the Cowboys will use the player or hope he develops. Pretty frank assessment of weaknesses too, although Campo has always used strong positive language on guys as an optimist.

Scroll back a few pages and you will see notes on 5 or 6 defensive guys already as one player per day was the routine I think!

Cheers,

LarryCanadian

 

[THUMPER]

Where are Campo's comments posted?

It's like when you send an e-mail with an attachment only you forgot to attach it. DOH!

 

[LarryCanadian]

I just figure everyone is like me and reads almost every thread. I think Campo has comments on every player that was drafted for secondary anyway, which should be 3 or 4 players reviewed so far.

I guess I can go surf around and cut and past all the comments, but hey, now your making me work!

LarryCanadian

 

[LarryCanadian]

Here's comments on Micken's. All these come from DMN blogs, I forgot to say.

SECONDARY COACH DAVE CAMPO
"Mickens is really a good ballhawk. He's a guy that has a lot of interceptions. He has great hands, can catch everything. That's a plus for a DB right from the get-go, because you don't have a lot of those guys. Most of them are receivers who they moved over because they can't catch. .... He's just got to clean up the technique part of it. He's done a lot of stuff just on athletic ability and just being able to go to the football and stuff like that. You take the next step, and you've got receivers who are running precise routes, so you've got to be disciplined in everything that you do. That's what we're going to be working for him to do, because he's got all the intangibles, he's a good athlete with good burst to the football. He just needs some time out there. ... We're not looking for him to come inside (to cover slot receivers). If he were to play for us, we would have somebody else in the nickel underneath, and he would be an outside corner."

 

[cobra]

I know what LarryCanadian is talking about, and I agree.

The comments have been attached to the Draft Reviews over at the DMN Cowboys Blog. Good reading. Thanks to WG for posting them here.

Campo does have a positive outlook, but he also repeatedly concedes that there are areas to work on and says that they will take care of those areas.

 

[Woods]

There are a number of threads over last few days called "Dallas Cowboys Draft Review: Players Name". I think Woody'sGirl has been doing a great job of posting them up.

For the Defensive Players (which is most of the picks) If you go down 2/3 of way into each article there is a section called "Secondary Coach Campo's comments" and I feel he does a great job summarizing the player and the intended way the Cowboys will use the player or hope he develops. Pretty frank assessment of weaknesses too, although Campo has always used strong positive language on guys as an optimist.

Scroll back a few pages and you will see notes on 5 or 6 defensive guys already as one player per day was the routine I think!

Cheers,

LarryCanadian

Yup, see what you mean.

I like reading those snippets as well.
(I thought there was an interview or something else I missed).

 

[LarryCanadian]

Safety Hamlin:

SECONDARY COACH DAVE CAMPO
"Smart. He gets everybody lined up and has good ball skills. ... He's a physical guy. He'll be an excellent special teams player. Other than Sensabaugh, we don't have really a true strong safety body ready to go. We've got some guys that are playing the position, but he's a physical strong safety type of guy. He can play in the box and he can play off. ... Down the road, hopefully he's going to be a really good player. Right now, he gives us a big upside, because he's smart, he can learn the defense, he's physical, he can be a good special teams player. There's a lot of positives with him. ... I think he can (play man coverage). He's got work to do, but he hasn't covered a lot of guys one-on-one. He has to learn to do that. That's why we're having him go one-on-one out here. He was a center fielder, a guy who would run around and go get the ball. He's been more of a ballhawk-type guy, which is what we want. The cover part of it will take care of himself. We'll get that going. ... He's a good tackler. He should be fine there. He's going to get you on the ground. He's going to hit you. He'll stick his nose there. He's big and he's got good strength. He's a typical safety in my mind."

 

[LarryCanadian]

"Free Safety" Smith:

SECONDARY COACH DAVE CAMPO
"Very competitive, tough, can play inside or outside. I think his versatility and his special teams ability is going to be excellent. He's a ballhawk as well. He had 12 interceptions (in college), but when he was at safety, he got most of his interceptions, because he's got a great feel for the ball. We hope that he can compete and get himself involved fairly early. ... He's going to be a safety first. Time will tell what he ends up being, but initially, he's going to be a safety. ... He's a tough guy. He's a very, very good run supporter. He's a tough, physical guy. Now, he's not the biggest guy, but the free safety position doesn't have to be big. That's a guy that does a lot of making plays in the alley and stuff like that, and he's a good tackler, so I didn't have any qualms at all about that. ... That kind of a guy, who can cover because he has corner skills, is invaluable. He's a special guy. Now if a team tries to get a match up on a tight end or something, if you've got Tony Gonzalez or a real good one, this guy going out to cover him isn't like a regular safety covering him. He's a cover man. That gives you an advantage. ... If he's going to spend a lot of time around the box, that's not going to be his strength. But we don't spend a lot of time around the box. Most of the time we're in coverage positions. We're playing deep balls, but we're also in position to get up in there."

 

[LarryCanadian]

I think that is it for Campo comments, but the other positional coaches comment on the other draft picks in their reviews.

Was insightful as to how Cowboys hope to use the players and what roles their strengths fit. Helped me understand the players drafted of whom I knew basically nothing! They do seem like high character, football loving guys, that have some accomplishments at their positions, and were considered leaders and go to guys on their teams, no matter how small the schools they came from were.

LarryCanadian

 

[LeonDixson]

Thanks for pulling all that together, Larry.

I had read some of the reviews but not all of them.

 

[jterrell]

I like Campo quite a lot as the secondary coach.

He is a fiery and enthusiastic guy.
His comments prove the team had a handle on who they were drafting and have a plan for them in the short term. That is a must if you are to lessen your busts and maximize your draft classes.

The scouts have to create the boards and the coaches have to put plans into place for the potential draftees asap.

I really like this draft class as much as any since we got Ware. There are a lot of really good players we grabbed in mid to late rounds. Those guys are hungry, cheap and here on longer terms than primadonna guy who has a 50/50 bust ratio.

 

[Chocolate Lab]

Not a Campo fan, but I did like the detailed comments from the position coaches on all the draft picks. The ones from Houck on Brewster and Herring on the three LBs were insightful, too.

 

[BAT]

Not a Campo fan, but I did like the detailed comments from the position coaches on all the draft picks. The ones from Houck on Brewster and Herring on the three LBs were insightful, too.

You and me both. Nothing against him personally, he seems like a great guy, but I have never thought he was that special as a secondary coach, never mind DC or HC.


I still lament not getting Dennis Thurman. The stars were aligned and we missed out. His experience w/Rex Ryan and the Ravens aggressive hybrid scheme would have been a big plus for this team. And dang it, he IS a Cowboy, who wanted to come home.

 

[burmafrd]

Yeah, but he was a LANDRY cowboy and Jerruh has pretty much shown he does not want them around.

 

[BAT]

Yeah, but he was a LANDRY cowboy and Jerruh has pretty much shown he does not want them around.

Well Hill and Staubach were also Landry Cowboys, and Jerry does not seem to have any trouble with them whatsover. Jerry even enshrined Bullet and Schramm in the ROF.


I hope Jerry is not that petty. Thurman would be a great add to this team, one day hopefully.

 

[LarryCanadian]

Is Dennis Thurman still with the Ravens then, or did he move elsewhere?

Like I mentioned, Campo wasn't the greatest headcoach (and quite frankly Phillips reminds me a bit of him when comparing their 2 coaching styles) but watching Campo on Hard Knocks and listening to his comments shown/quoted by media, I think he is a good coach in the overall mix. Campo is a teacher, has high energy and is very positive, which a lot of young players needs. He talks a bunch of technique and certainly seems to know his stuff. The scheme (zone that we often play) may or may not be Campo's personal style, as he follows orders for sure, BUT he does teach teach teach and keeps giving hints and stays in the ears of his guys. He is positive and not very scary, and I like the old school style "arse chewers" myself, but for DB's which requires a lot of confidence and smarts and knowledge I think Campo fits and is a good compliment to the yeller type "Old School" coaches.

Now I think we need a scary type Defensive coach to complement Phillips and Campo though, and not sure we really have one of those. I admit I don't know the style of our other assistands on D side of ball. Our D could use some aggressions and mental toughness, especially in front 7 for sure. Some attitude and swagger that you see in Pitt and Balt D's WOULD be nice. Is that the Dennis Thurman type approach?

LarryCanadian

 

[Biggems]

In Campo's defense, he was set up to fail as Head Coach. The team was on the decline...it was old, unathletic, injury prone and uninspired. Most of his tenure as HC was marred with several millions in dead money, prohibiting the team from being able to compete for some of the quality FAs out there.

That being said....Campo is a great position guy. He is not HC material, though with a roster like we have now, I firmly feel he could have guided us to the postseason.

I am just glad he has come back and is working with our secondary again. I just wish we would have drafted Cason last year instead of Jenkins. Honestly, Cason seems like a headier player than Jenkins. I think Cason would have been awesome under Campo......but we have Jenkins, and aside for his refusal to try and tackle, I like him on the roster.