Escobar Blocking Issues

[conner01]

you can make a guy stronger. hard to make him have better hands. we took him because he is a very good recieving te who has the frame to add bulk and the athletic ability to keep his speed with that bulk. witten was'nt a great blocker when he came in but he has learned to block which is almost as important as strength. it's a skill you can easily learn if you try and by all accounts he is working at it hard

 

[dallasfan4lizife]

This is one of the writers from Cowboys Nation. He watches their practice, so I trust his opinion a little bit.

Steven Van Over Zeus
• 3 hours ago
Escobar is a rookie. He has had whiffs. So has Tyron Smith. His blocking is certainly not his strong suit, however he is willing and is getting better. He is/will be a Witten/Novacek style blocker. Effective versus pretty.

I don't like how tyron smith, a 3rd year player, is mentioned in the same sentence as a 1st year TE that can't block.

Put tyron back at RT!!

 

[Ren]

I chuckle at those ripping the pick. Escobar has only been a Cowboy for less than 4 months.

It's a rerun of the Fasano and Bennett picks, no one wanted to see another 2nd rounder spend on a backup TE that's not going to contribute and so far he's not proving those fears wrong. Escobar will have to be pretty damn amazing to make me change my mind on spending high picks on basically backup TEs

 

[iceman117]

What does he do that is special? He is slow and can't block. I have heard he has "elite" hands on this board, but that doesn't really matter if you don't have some wiggle to get open. Witten is slow but he is always open. Maybe Witten can mentor him.

He has outstanding ball skills, meaning he locates the ball with ease and attacks it at its highest point. Being 6'6 with that skill set and excellent hands makes him a very dangerous (and needed) red zone threat right away. Everything else in his game can use development which is fine as long as he can contribute inside the 20.

also he isn't slow as you put it. He ran a 4.8 forty but i wouldn't be too concerned with that number because TEs very rarely run 40 yards on a straight line in a game situation. He is a good athlete and will be more improve the more he plays. His blocking technique isn't what his main problem is, his main problem is his strength at the NFL level, but as he gets stronger he will become a more complete TE.

He's going to be a match up problem because he will be more athletic than LBs and too big for DBs.

 

[iceman117]

It's a rerun of the Fasano and Bennett picks, no one wanted to see another 2nd rounder spend on a backup TE that's not going to contribute and so far he's not proving those fears wrong. Escobar will have to be pretty damn amazing to make me change my mind on spending high picks on basically backup TEs

I agree he is going to have to be pretty impressive for it to be worth a second round pick because I didn't see anything that told me James Hanna couldn't do a good job as the second TE in the 12 package as basically a receiving option. Then they got a very good 3rd option at TE (who could be a #2 on most NFL teams with Rosario) on the free agent market. So unless Escobar turns out to be a really good player over the years the pick didn't make a ton of sense, Especially considering this team could have used depth at DT and Saftey as well as an interior linemen.

The team has drafted so much better since Garrett took over as the Head Coach so I am going to give him the benefit of the doubt with this pick and stay positive and not judge it based on Escobar's rookie year. iI'll wait 3 or 4 years down the road and see how this player develops.

 

[dmq]

Saw this:

http://espn.go.com/blog/dallas/cowb...ocking-could-keep-gavin-escobar-off-the-field

 

[Everlastingxxx]

I think he is terrible. Really disappointed. I wouldn’t trust him in the starting lineup. The guy is slow and too weak to play in the NFL. It’s still early and he could help in a couple years, but i don’t think this year he can do much with his skill set.

 

[JohnnyHopkins]

Total honesty; I switched to Adventure Time right after they announced the Escobar pick so I could rid myself of code red heart burn pulsing through my veins, but I came to grips and hope this kid pumps up in the offseason. Till then, keep Hanna on the field and put him in in spot duty.

 

[reddyuta]

Saw this:

http://espn.go.com/blog/dallas/cowb...ocking-could-keep-gavin-escobar-off-the-field

what i think will happen is Hanna and Escobar will split time with Witten with Escobar used more in the red zone.

 

[Hoofbite]

Not exactly "blocking".

 

[CyberB0b]

Not exactly "blocking".

Here's a pic of Escobar.

 

[DenCWBY]

Just to clarify, and I said it above...I'm not ripping the pick. Just reporting what is being said and saying in order to see the field, he must improve. I also said I think a guy can improve. As for Bennett. I thought the guy in college and the pros had soft hands, he just wasn't in the right position sometimes and lacked the maturity/concentration to be effective all the time. His commitment is what I questioned most. I just think with what we are running..and to be effective in the red zone..he needs to work on the blocking in order to hit the field.

I agree. I think Bennett just didn't apply himself since he came in as 2nd banana to an all pro like Witten and couldn't be "the man" with Witten on the team. He also had maturity issues which he admitted to after he left and Romo didn't trust him. Just my take.
I think Escobar is basically a project for when Witten starts to fade and he's presently just very raw. It will be interesting to see if Escobar is willing to work on his game to become effective. He's definitely going to have to show some sort of blocking ability before he plays with the starters and they say he has some meanness which is a good thing. I hope he's determined to make it happen since he looks to have the hands and a good TE physique to be effective.

 

[17yearsandcounting]

There are highschool kids that can put up better bench press numbers than Escobar. Not sure what you were really expecting.

 

[tupperware]

He is not slow. He just has slow 40.

That's like saying a car isn't slow, it just can't reach the speed limit.

 

[TheRomoSexual]

That's like saying a car isn't slow, it just can't reach the speed limit.

No. That's actually a pretty terrible analogy.

 

[tupperware]

No. That's actually a pretty terrible analogy.

It's actually a great analogy.

 

[FuzzyLumpkins]

Check out the end of this article. Escobar's issue is strength and consistency in technique. He is being asked to do things he has not been in the past. He needs practice but he has shown he can block as evidenced here.

http://www.bloggingtheboys.com/2013...cowboys-raiders-game-review-analysis-pictures

 

[TheRomoSexual]

It's actually a great analogy.

No, it's really not. But since we're on simplistic analogies, how about this...for my everyday, "workhorse" car, handling and acceleration is far more important than top-end speed because I am weaving in and out of traffic far more often than I'm hitting top possible speed. Escobar is that car -- his three cone drill and 20 yard shuttle were fantastic, which is far more important for a TE than the 40.

 

[Tezz]

I think Escobar will always be a minus blocker that will struggle if asked often, but will develop into a mismatch move tight end.

 

[T-RO]

You can't be a big mismatch if you can't run. And he's not going to jump over anyone, either. I hated this pick on draft day. I hate it today.

Broadus says it's already obvious that Hanna will be the #2 tight end. What an indictment.

Can't block. Can't run. What the hell were the Cowboys thinking? At least some of the other picks are turning out better.