ESPN Mosley: Three and Out: Cowboys...w/video

[WoodysGirl]

August 19, 2009 9:30 AM

Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley

Three quick hits on the Dallas Cowboys:

1. Get ready to hear a lot about the two-tight end offense. Jason Witten is already an All-Pro. Now it appears that Martellus Bennett is on the verge of becoming a big-time player as well. The Cowboys could end up running plays out of a two-tight end formation 60 percent of the time -- or maybe more. Defensive coordinators spend a lot of time trying to account for Witten. That should open things up for Bennett, a former college basketball player who has tremendous athleticism. Bennett's an Antonio Gates starter kit. I think he and Witten will combine for 12 touchdowns in '09. Bennett gives Romo another option inside the red zone, and his blocking has improved a great deal heading into his second season.

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2. The Cowboys could be in big trouble if there's an injury on the offensive line. Backup left tackle Doug Free's made a little move late in camp, but I still don't trust him to fill in for the aging Flozell Adams if something goes wrong. The Cowboys have worked Leonard Davis at left tackle in camp. He could probably get by over there, but he's much better at guard. The Cowboys have done a really poor job of drafting and developing offensive linemen and that could show up this season. No one wants to talk about backup offensive linemen -- until there's an injury. The Eagles and Giants have depth up front. That's not the case with the Cowboys.

3. The Cowboys could have 63 sacks if everything goes as planned. I don't think DeMarcus Ware will have another 20-sack season, but he'll make other players better in '09. It's time for Anthony Spencer to have a breakthrough season. He has the speed and athleticism, but something's never clicked for him. With Ware seeing a lot of double-teams, Spencer could have a big season. I also think it's finally time for linebacker Bradie James to make a Pro Bowl. He could have eight or nine sacks this season. And the speed and quickness provided by Jay Ratliff in the center of Wade Phillips' 3-4 will give teams fits. I think Ratliff's capable of having seven or eight sacks.

Video Link: http://sports.espn.go.com/videohub/video/video?id=4410147

 

[Ken]

While I concede we have no depth at center, I'm not sure we don't have good depth everywhere else. Holland and Free are good backups. Holland could fill either guard spot and do well while Doug Free is a young tackle with talent.

It isn't completely dire straight if anynone other than Gurode gets hurt.

Some much hype for Bennett....hope he can live up to half of it.

 

[Monster Heel]

While I concede we have no depth at center, I'm not sure we don't have good depth everywhere else. Holland and Free are good backups. Holland could fill either guard spot and do well while Doug Free is a young tackle with talent.

It isn't completely dire straight if anynone other than Gurode gets hurt.

Some much hype for Bennett....hope he can live up to half of it.

I wouldn't put too many eggs into the Holland basket. Listening to the lunchbreak the other day, Nick Eatman made a pretty compelling argument that Holland wasn't versatile enough to keep. I hope that isn't the case because Procter is terrible at center and guard, but as far as we've seen Holland can't even play center so that just leaves guard. You need to take a multiple spots guy to take to games.

 

[CowboyMike]

I wouldn't put too many eggs into the Holland basket. Listening to the lunchbreak the other day, Nick Eatman made a pretty compelling argument that Holland wasn't versatile enough to keep. I hope that isn't the case because Procter is terrible at center and guard, but as far as we've seen Holland can't even play center so that just leaves guard. You need to take a multiple spots guy to take to games.

Well, it's pretty much a given we're going to keep 9 or 10 OL.

You have the starting 5, then....

Free
McQuistan
Holland
Procter
and/or Gibbons

Who do you keep on the roster in the place of Holland? I don't see anyone, really. Maybe he doesn't make it on the game day roster due to lack of versatility, but if a guard goes down, he's definitely filling in for them the next game.

 

[Doomsday]

I dont see how you can not keep Holland, especially given the performance of the other Guards last season. If they are serious about moving Davis to T if Adams goes down then you have to keep Holland around to fill that void.

 

[theogt]

If Bennett and Witten only have 12 touchdowns between them, it'll be a disappointment.

 

[cobra]

I think we will pick up another lineman somewhere soon. I wouldn't be surprised to see us deal a mid-round draft pick for an established veteran to someone. If I had my choice, I'd pick up a solid veteran center.

The nice thing about our o-line is that we have players who have flexibility. Kosier can play more than one position. Gurode could player center or either guard (although we don't have a good backup center, so Gurode is locked in there). Bigg can play guard or LT. Holland can play the interior.

I'm feeling good about our LT situation. I'm happy with Adams and Free (and if necessary Bigg).

I'm ok with our LG situation. Kosier will make this line better by being back. But if something happens there, I'm not sure I like relying long term on Holland.

Center is dicey. Gurode is fine at center, but I don't like our backup at all. I wish we still had Al Johnson as backup (incidentally: he is available). If we had a good backup center, that would be huge because then we would protected if Gurode went down OR if one of our guards went because you could put Gurode at guard and put our backup center.

I feel a about the same for RG as LG. And RT is something I feel fine about as well.

 

[ThreeSportStar80]

Ratliff had 8 sacks last year so I don't see why he can't have double digits in 2009, way to stick your neck out there Mosley...

As far as the offensive line goes, I've been disappointed in Holland, he should be stepping up and challenging Kosier (who isn't all that good in the first place) for the starting job. That makes me think Holland wasn't what Dallas had expected.......

 

[Khartun]

If Bennett and Witten only have 12 touchdowns between them, it'll be a disappointment.

exactly what I thought.

 

[ThreeSportStar80]

If Bennett and Witten only have 12 touchdowns between them, it'll be a disappointment.

I concur, they should easily put up 15 to 20 touchdowns between the two of them...

 

[CowboyMike]

The nice thing about our o-line is that we have players who have flexibility. Kosier can play more than one position. Gurode could player center or either guard (although we don't have a good backup center, so Gurode is locked in there). Bigg can play guard or LT. Holland can play the interior.

Gurode wasn't exactly the best guard, if you remember. He was close to getting demoted to 2nd string after they signed Marco Rivera. (Remember they signed Rivera because of Gurode's poor performance at RG?) But they moved Gurode back to center full time and he emerged as the better one between him and Al Johnson.

 

[burmafrd]

That is wrong. When you stink at guard like Proctor does, he no longer should be considered any kind of option there. So to me Proctor is only MAYBE decent at center and that is it. So you end up with Proctor, Holland and Free as the three backups activated. That is only 8 offensive linemen and that is what most teams activate, so no big deal.

 

[cobra]

Gurode wasn't exactly the best guard, if you remember. He was close to getting demoted to 2nd string after they signed Marco Rivera. (Remember they signed Rivera because of Gurode's poor performance at RG?) But they moved Gurode back to center full time and he emerged as the better one between him and Al Johnson.

Sure, Gurode isn't the best at guard. But he is a hell of a lot better than any available backup guard.

Here is how I look at it:

We are good at G-C-G as far as our starters go. I just don't think we have any quality backups. And I think we need to get one.

If we get a good guard backup, then we have a good backup at just 1 or 2 positions (e.g., LG and RG).
If we get a good center backup, then we have a good backup at 3 positions (C, plus Gurode moving to either guard if an injury occurs).

The calculus comes down to whether Gurode is better as a backup guard than the loss of value you have in bringing in the backup center.

It is certainly sub-optimal. I would be happier if we had solid backups at each position. But we don't.

 

[HanD]

August 19, 2009 9:30 AM

Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley
The Cowboys have done a really poor job of drafting and developing offensive linemen and that could show up this season. No one wants to talk about backup offensive linemen -- until there's an injury. The Eagles and Giants have depth up front. That's not the case with the Cowboys.

is winston justice still on the roster

 

[SMCowboy]

is winston justice still on the roster

Even better for us, he is the projected backup to Shawn Andrews, whos back is still bothering him and has been unable to play or practice yet. And we know how back injuries linger and NEVER fully go away in the NFL.

 

[Paniolo22]

Great, I just wasted 2 minutes out of my life listening to Wiley say he has no confidense in our receivers. We can't win wiht TO, we can't win without him. I look forward to our "under manned" group proving everyone wrong.

 

[casmith07]

Kosier (who isn't all that good in the first place)

Someone didn't watch any of our games in 07.

 

[NextGenBoys]

If Bennett and Witten only have 12 touchdowns between them, it'll be a disappointment.

That was my first thought as well.

 

[PullMyFinger]

Well, it's pretty much a given we're going to keep 9 or 10 OL.

You have the starting 5, then....

Free
McQuistan
Holland
Procter
and/or Gibbons

Who do you keep on the roster in the place of Holland? I don't see anyone, really. Maybe he doesn't make it on the game day roster due to lack of versatility, but if a guard goes down, he's definitely filling in for them the next game.

Gibbons can play every position on the line, or so I've heard.

 

[CowboyMike]

Someone didn't watch any of our games in 07.

Most didn't realize how good he was until we lost him, actually. Not a lot of people around here liked Kosier at the end of 07 and considered him the OL's weak link.

I remember a thread where some of us were calling Kosier the O-line's anchor and unsung rock, and the majority were... well... ""