Drop off/impact between Leary and Collins

[percyhoward]

It did but my point was the oline was still great in 2015. @percyhoward has posted stats on here numerous times, showing how good the o-line was in 2015, when Collins played a majority of the games...

Football Outsiders didn't see much of a difference between '15 and '16, and that's even with their caveat that adjusted line yards can't totally separate the OL performance from the RB performance.

Run Blocking
Cowboys' NFL Rank - Adjusted Line Yards
2016 5th
2015 6th
2014 1st
2013 4th
2012 22nd

2016's adjusted line yards, broken down by run direction
left end 4.9 (6th)
left tackle 3.8 (21st)
mid/guard 4.4 (2nd)
right tackle 4.7 (6th)
right end 3.9 (10th)

The data in the tweet below agrees with that of FO. (averages below are not adjusted, so long runs inflate the averages)

 

[AbeBeta]

I honestly dont think there will be much of a drop off from Leary to Collins. Our line was still great in 2015, WITHOUT Leary.

Perfect scenario is Leary stays and Collins goes to Right Tackle

The perfectly unrealistic scenario.

 

[AbeBeta]

Bryan Broaddus has said Collins was not a better player than Leary in 2015. It was more a procedural decision after an injury to get the ball rolling on a player they had determined was going to be a starter moving forward.

That's not surprising. We are spoiled to have had two interior linemen jump in and play at a very high level. Most guys need reps to get better.

Leary has the advantage of having played far more snaps. In his first year Collins was certainly miles ahead of where Leary was as a rookie (do people recall that he didn't make our 53 man roster?). I expect he'll surpass Leary around the middle of next season

 

[Risen Star]

Collins is a better player than Leary. So it's a lift off. Or something.

 

[CowboysRK]

That's not surprising. We are spoiled to have had two interior linemen jump in and play at a very high level. Most guys need reps to get better.

Leary has the advantage of having played far more snaps. In his first year Collins was certainly miles ahead of where Leary was as a rookie (do people recall that he didn't make our 53 man roster?). I expect he'll surpass Leary around the middle of next season

This is a better point to make. Collins is further along at this point in his career than Leary was in his.

But at this moment, Ron Leary is a better player than La'el Collins. Doesn't mean La'el won't get there.