News: ESPN: Hidden Gems: Mackenzy Bernadeau

[NewsBot]

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As a whole the Cowboys' 2013 season was a disappointment, but they did manage to have some hidden gems. In this series, NFL Nation reporter Todd Archer looks at some under-the-radar success stories. IRVING, Texas -- When the Dallas Cowboys signed Mackenzy Bernadeau as a free agent in 2012, the general reaction from fans was, "Who?" By the end of that season, many fans were ready to move on from Bernadeau. He started the first three games in 2013 but lost his job for five weeks when Brian Waters was inserted into the starting lineup.

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[MichaelWinicki]

He was a hidden gem.

After he replaced Waters he played very well the rest of the way.

 

[ScipioCowboy]

Wouldn't touch this line in the off season. They have chemistry, which is priceless for an offensive line.

 

[jrumann59]

I do not know hidden. As more maybe in shape. He has always done well towards the end of the season. Most of that being he spent the better part of the 1st half getting into shape. If he can make to and through the off season program I can see him doing well but the last years he has teased us with his end the year run only to be injured in time for off season work.

 

[Zimmy Lives]

He was a hidden gem.

After he replaced Waters he played very well the rest of the way.

He was a hidden gem: Cubic Zirconium.

 

[LatinMind]

Some people dont believe how important the OTA and TC are. He wasnt ready in game shape at the start of the yr but he still wasnt bad. We Waters went out Mack came back and was a monster. If you rewatch that Bears game in the 3rd quarter he obliterated Ratliff on this play that shouldve counted for 5 pancakes in madden lol. That play gave me alot of joy.

 

[MichaelWinicki]

He was a hidden gem: Cubic Zirconium.

I guess that was a knock.

The guy played darned well this year.

 

[theebs]

Give Bryan broaddus credit he said all along bernadeau will work out.

 

[TwoDeep3]

As for me, I want this guy out of the starting line-up. Waters played well. Mac played adequate.

There is a huge difference.

 

[LatinMind]

Give Bryan broaddus credit he said all along bernadeau will work out.

Broaddus last yr was the only media guy that i read or heard say Mack was the better of the two between him and Livings. And the masses on this board called Broaddus every name in the book because he said this every week.

 

[Risen Star]

He was a hidden gem: Cubic Zirconium.

Pretty much.

Throwing out superlatives like that for a ham and egger like Bernadeau is ridiculous but then I saw it was Todd Archer who did it and it started to make sense.

 

[Risen Star]

Broaddus last yr was the only media guy that i read or heard say Mack was the better of the two between him and Livings. And the masses on this board called Broaddus every name in the book because he said this every week.

I've always liked Bernadeau more than Livings.

But I also prefer a root canal over a tooth extraction.

 

[03EBZ06]

Last season, I wanted Bernie gone but he had a very good season this year.

 

[Nation]

Very good in the run game, very average in the passing game. He's plenty adequate, especially when he's bookended by decent players.

 

[xwalker]

Very good in the run game, very average in the passing game. He's plenty adequate, especially when he's bookended by decent players.

Doug Free is not that good. They had Bern keep a closer than normal spacing to Free in pass protection. This allowed Free to over-set to the outside which gave him an advantage. They had Fred block right a high percentage of the time to compensate for Bern compensating for Free. This caused Leary to often be on a island similar to an OT and greatly increased the degree of difficulty of his job.

In the running game, they used the zone blocking scheme to make Free's Wall-off blocking useful. They avoided having Free power block or have to make difficult reach and seal blocks.

They did a terrific job of coaching the OLine in 2013. I think assistant OL coach Frank Pollack was a significant addition to the team.

 

[Idgit]

In before 'I want this guy out of the starting lineup.' Oh, wait.
In before 'he improved so much because of Brian Waters.' Oh, wait.
In before the disparaging comparisons. Oh, wait.

In before more backtracking? I guess I'll have to go with that.

Some of you guys have been so colossally wrong about just about every aspect of what this team has been doing with it's OL the last three seasons, it's silly. Nothing but complaints while the team spent significant resources shoring up the horrible shape of the OT position, nothing but complaints about the development of Doug Free. Nothing but complaints about the FA acquisitions of the two OG prospects last season. Nothing but complaints about how long it took to sign Brian Waters last season, and mostly-nothing but lambasting the team for the drafting of Frederick for what most of you thought was a 3rd/4th round pick.

Now we get a thread that's explicitly about Mackenzy Bernardeau who, by any *reasonable* estimation was a solid FA signing who had a significant injury that compromised his camp and his early performance as a first time starter last season and who played well for us this last season--both *before* and *after* Brian Waters came into the lineup...and you still can't even manage so much as a 'my bad for those several hundred completely misguided posts I made the last two years which, as it turns out, were dead, dead wrong.'

That's fine, I guess, but it sure would be nice sometimes if all the complaining were met with--not an equivalent number of 'my bad' posts, because that would be just as tedious as the complaints were in the first place--but with so much as a single 'realist' saying 'you know what, I missed the boat on that one.' Just to know that you guys do, in fact, get it that sometimes you actually do have to wait and see how a young player adapts to a situation before you can conclusively say whether or not a signing was a good one or a bad one.

 

[Idgit]

Last season, I wanted Bernie gone but he had a very good season this year.

Hey! My bad. You posted this just as I was typing out my scree. I'll take this single post and be happy with it. Thanks, EBZ.

 

[TwoDeep3]

In before 'I want this guy out of the starting lineup.' Oh, wait.
In before 'he improved so much because of Brian Waters.' Oh, wait.
In before the disparaging comparisons. Oh, wait.

In before more backtracking? I guess I'll have to go with that.

Some of you guys have been so colossally wrong about just about every aspect of what this team has been doing with it's OL the last three seasons, it's silly. Nothing but complaints while the team spent significant resources shoring up the horrible shape of the OT position, nothing but complaints about the development of Doug Free. Nothing but complaints about the FA acquisitions of the two OG prospects last season. Nothing but complaints about how long it took to sign Brian Waters last season, and mostly-nothing but lambasting the team for the drafting of Frederick for what most of you thought was a 3rd/4th round pick.

Now we get a thread that's explicitly about Mackenzy Bernardeau who, by any *reasonable* estimation was a solid FA signing who had a significant injury that compromised his camp and his early performance as a first time starter last season and who played well for us this last season--both *before* and *after* Brian Waters came into the lineup...and you still can't even manage so much as a 'my bad for those several hundred completely misguided posts I made the last two years which, as it turns out, were dead, dead wrong.'

That's fine, I guess, but it sure would be nice sometimes if all the complaining were met with--not an equivalent number of 'my bad' posts, because that would be just as tedious as the complaints were in the first place--but with so much as a single 'realist' saying 'you know what, I missed the boat on that one.' Just to know that you guys do, in fact, get it that sometimes you actually do have to wait and see how a young player adapts to a situation before you can conclusively say whether or not a signing was a good one or a bad one.

How quickly we forget how awful the 2012 line was. So when you wish to rewrite history, as you seem to want to do on occasion, please don't insult some of us that have touted the lack of line play for a while with your fond memories that aren't relevant.

Idgit, you continue to astonish me at your total lack of understanding what you see from week to week.

 

[big dog cowboy]

He certainly played better this year but I still wouldn't hesitate to draft his replacement early next May. Upgrade the starting position and let Bern play backup.

 

[ShiningStar]

if we have a chance to upgrade, take it, if not, i dont know if im comfortable a full year, but definetly back up, which in our organization can lead to starter position