ESPN's Bill Barnwell: Cowboys have worst group of WRs in the league

[LACowboysFan1]

if the WR's don't get 2 or 3 yards separation, Dak will be scared to throw it to them. He will panic in the backfield and start running, or throwing the ball wildly like last year. Then it will be, "the wr's suck, they can't get separation". It will never be, "Dak is scared to throw it into tight coverage because he's not accurate.

Did Dez get 2 or 3 yards separation in 2016? Did T-Will? Nope, which is well established. Beasley, yes, which is why he led the team in receptions, but he was about the only one. But in 2016 Dak threw only 4 ints and had a 67.8% completion rate, and didn't "throw the ball wildly".

Saying neither Thompson or Hurns or Gallup can get open 2 or 3 yards is not based on any reality, only pessimism, there's NO history of those receivers on the Cowboys. And Dak was still learning the offense in 2017, and didn't have the same protection as in 2016.

To me ranking the Cowboys receiving corps 30 of 32 is not something you can do, you rank receiving corps on their history. The top 2 receivers in 2017 were Dez and Witten, both are no longer on the team. Ranking the receivers so low because "they haven't done anything" makes it almost purely subjective, and in that case how about this: Bill Barnwell is an idiot who knows nothing about NFL receiving corps, because he hasn't won Espy awards, been an NFL receiver or is one of the headliners for ESPN.

HIs opinion doesn't mean squat.

And from wikipedia "He is a fan of the New York Giants, but acknowledges that he also "worships" Tom Brady".

Hardly an objective reporter....

 

[Big_D]

We shall see. Could be a quality group in the long run. A receiving corps and QB that can grow together. Hurns is only 26 and I'm betting they're further up the list once they get it going. But you can't just talk about the receivers without taking into account what the Oline and run game can bring which will help tie it all together.

 

[HowardC]

If I was Dak I would have the entire receiving corp TEs and WRs out on the practice field everyday. Screw waiting on TC to get started. I would tell anyone of them that balked to not expect to see a lot of throws their way if they can't be out there.

 

[Vanilla2]

Dak will be fine

The receivers are a question mark

And Cowboy fans will do what Cowboy fans do.

 

[glimmerman]

See where it ranks at the end of the season. He will be eating his words.

 

[Dwight]

Reality check is coming soon in September.

Dallas wideouts scare no defense on paper.

That is why I want DeSean Jackson if Tampa Bay plans to cut him.

Plus this coaching staff is not great X's and O's type of guys.

Zeke is going to experience many eight to nine men in the box until the passing game can make a defense pay.

 

[Sydla]

We shall see. Could be a quality group in the long run. A receiving corps and QB that can grow together. Hurns is only 26 and I'm betting they're further up the list once they get it going. But you can't just talk about the receivers without taking into account what the Oline and run game can bring which will help tie it all together.

It doesn't matter what age Hurns is. He is what he is. He's, at best, a decent #2 WR.

 

[beware_d-ware]

I think it's hilarious how fans during the 08-13 Romo years always complained about this team investing too much in skill players, and how we needed to moneyball it by investing in the trenches and ignore the skill position flash. After all, that's what the Patriots do! And run the ball more, we air it out with Romo too much. Pound the rock!

Five years later, we are literally doing exactly that. And are the fans happy? Of course not. Fans are never happy.

 

[LACowboysFan1]

Having to have to have the "true" no. 1 receiver to win titles is NOT a requirement, though it's nice to have.

Is Julio Jones a "true" no. 1 receiver? Sure. Have the Falcons won a SB? No. When Randy Moss had 25 receiving tds in a season did the Pats win the SB? No. Terrell Owens is in the HOF, did any of his teams, with which he had huge seasons, win the SB? No. Ravens won a SB with a tight end as their leading receiver. Eagles just won one, their two top receivers both had less than 800 yards receiving, and neither had as many as 10 receiving tds. The SB teams together had the no. 9 and no. 30th ranked wide receivers, and no. 9 was Gronk, a tight end (sort of). Deandre Hopkins led the league with 13 tds, Antonio Brown led the league with 1,533 yards. Neither made the SB.

Now Brown and others' teams are very good, no doubt it's nice to have the monster receiver. But it's not essential.

So what if the Cowboys' receivers aren't all All Pros. It's not the kiss of death for not being a good team....

 

[InTheZone]

Dak will be fine

The receivers are a question mark

And Cowboy fans will do what Cowboy fans do.

Just wondering why Dak isn't a ?
And why won't the receivers be fine?

 

[Big_D]

It doesn't matter what age Hurns is. He is what he is. He's, at best, a decent #2 WR.

He can play every position and the days of the 1400yd 15td #1 WR are long gone. This will be a committee.. I expect Hurns to hold that spot until Gallup gets up to speed. Just funny that after his time in Jacksonville you have the rest of his career all mapped out. He's a smart player with great size. We'll see how that goes here?

 

[LACowboysFan1]

Just wondering why Dak isn't a ?
And why won't the receivers be fine?

Dak is going into his 3rd year, with the Cowboys. I guess you could extrapolate his first 2 years into the 3rd, there's history there.

The top two receivers from a year ago are gone, Hurns, Thompson, Gallup are all new. Just no history there to be able to extrapolate they will be fine.

Think that's why...

 

[InTheZone]

Five years later, we are literally doing exactly that. And are the fans happy? Of course not. Fans are never happy.

I think after the season plays out we will have a much better understanding of what kind of QB Dak will be and if he's our long term solution. And we'll see who is actually worth keeping at WR. Since we have so many questions marks I don't think it's fair to question those who question so many unknowns with the team.

 

[TheMarathonContinues]

They'd rip his head off with all those errant throws.

I doubt it when they don't do it now with ELi and Big Ben....

 

[TwoDeep3]

The issue for this team and the coming season with so many new faces at WR.

Do they see the same thing Dak sees when the blitz is coming?

Do they see the same thing Dak sees when the defense shifts and one on one is available?

Do they see what Dak sees, period?

So this comes down to one thing for me. Maybe you see it differently.

Can the staff coach 'em up enough to be on the same page?

But another aspect that is chilling is, will defensive coordinators try to confuse the receivers, and we see a high number of passes sailing to no where, or interception?

If so, will we see Garrett go in the tank and just run the ball because he is as inventive as a slug on a sidewalk?

And, because of this miscommunications, will we see more and more blitzes because of the new guys - - who, can catch a pass, but are confused where they should be.

Answer those questions and you possibly have insight into this next season.

 

[InTheZone]

Dak is going into his 3rd year, with the Cowboys. I guess you could extrapolate his first 2 years into the 3rd, there's history there.

The top two receivers from a year ago are gone, Hurns, Thompson, Gallup are all new. Just no history there to be able to extrapolate they will be fine.

Think that's why...

I don't want to make this about Dak but if he regresses a 2nd year in a row will you say he's fine going into 2019 because he has a history like you said? Just trying to find some consistency when comparing different unknowns.

 

[TheMarathonContinues]

Right. Romo did nothing to elevate recievers like Dez, Witten , Lauren Robinson and Miles Austin to name a few. You can’t be serious?

You can say that for Laurent.....but Romo had nothing to do with the careers of those other guys. Especially Dez and Witten. That's like saying Antonio Brown would be trash without Big Ben.

 

[Donut]

He does have a great comb over.

 

[TwoDeep3]

I don't want to make this about Dak but if he regresses a 2nd year in a row will you say he's fine going into 2019 because he has a history like you said? Just trying to find some consistency when comparing different unknowns.

But be certain your assessment of Dak's season is Dak making mistakes and not the WR's making poor reads. The knee jerk on this site will be to blame Dak.

But the ones who have a better understanding, or actually don't over react will assess where the fault lies and then articulate that instead of rambling on about issues they think are facts.

Not suggesting you are, by the way. Just saying this falls on the Scarlet Clapper and his staff to get these people on the same page.

 

[InTheZone]

You can say that for Laurent.....but Romo had nothing to do with the careers of those other guys. Especially Dez and Witten. That's like saying Antonio Brown would be trash without Big Ben.

So Dez and Witten would've done just as good with another QB behind his line and coaching staff? For example Dez and Witten stay a cowboy for as long as they did if, let's say, Dak was the the QB starting in '06? I don't think it's fair to say Romo didn't have a big part in them being successful.