For the people who want to keep Free with a pay cut

[conner01]

if he took a big enough pay cut i would'nt mind keeping him as swing tackle. we need someone there. but i don't see him taking that big of a cut, unless he thinks no one is gonna offer him anything

 

[DFWJC]

Once it was obvious that Free could not withstand a good bull rush, the floodgates opened, imo.

I will say thins, almost all of the linemen had issues last year in part because of the lack on continuity and communication within the group. Watch the game film and you see communication break downs all over the place. Even in week 17. They had no answer at all for those blitzes--that not only goes against the Oline, but also the backs, especially the coaches, and even sometimes to QB failing to recognize the situation. It was ugly.

 

[ccb04]

Don't necessarily want to keep Free...as he's been awful at times.

But also noteworthy.....

- In the 1st clip it was actually Bernadeau's man that hit Romo. Free is getting driven back by Michael Bennett, but Bernadeau also whiffs on his block. Smith's man was also right there.

- The 2nd clip shows the TE singled up on Bennett initially, with Free looking inside rather than helping the TE on Bennett. The TE we can assume was put there to help Free lol. If Bennett didn't get Romo...Smith's man would have.

- In clip #3, both Free and Cook are driven back into Romo.

- In clip #4, Free is again being driven back & Bernadeau allows a blitzer to come free from the same side.

 

[jobberone]

There have been much more problems thru the bye from the interior then Smith then Free actually. You can't judge his play with six cherry picked plays some which don't show the entire play. What is evident is he is having problems with people getting into him and bull rushing him. At times he is deflecting and doing well with the bull rush. I'm not smart enough to tell anyone exactly why he can handle it at times and not others. And right now he's having more problems with it than he is success.

The rest of the OL are just as inconsistent. One play Bernie will ride a stunter out to Free to pickup and still get to his man. Then he'll whiff the next play. Smith hasn't looked well either at times. It's not one guy it's the entire line mucking up.

 

[CyberB0b]

Jerry saw about a 5 game sample from Free and decided to pay the man. It is the same flawed logic he used to lock up Miles Austin long term. He sucks. Period.

Our line consisted of:

1st round pick playing LT for the first time
LG scrub who probably would only start for the Bengals or Cowboys
C journeyman in Cook, who replaced a mediocre to bad starter in Costa, who was hurt
RG scrub who couldn't even make the starting lineup of a terrible Carolina team
RT guy who showed some flashes who got paid starting LT money

No wonder we failed. This was pretty close to the plan, sans Costa, going in.

 

[Idgit]

Jerry saw about a 5 game sample from Free and decided to pay the man. It is the same flawed logic he used to lock up Miles Austin long term. He sucks. Period.

Our line consisted of:

1st round pick playing LT for the first time
LG scrub who probably would only start for the Bengals or Cowboys
C journeyman in Cook, who replaced a mediocre to bad starter in Costa, who was hurt
RG scrub who couldn't even make the starting lineup of a terrible Carolina team
RT guy who showed some flashes who got paid starting LT money

No wonder we failed. This was pretty close to the plan, sans Costa, going in.

It's not flawed logic. We're too slow to elevate developing players into starting positions at times, and it puts us in positions where we have to guess too much about how they'll perform in their second contracts. On the one hand, it'd be nuts to let a talented young RT or WR just walk for a big pay day in FA. On the other, you take a risk signing them to a long term contract.

Marion Barber's another player who fell into this category. Martellus Bennett sort of did, as well.

 

[juck]

Doug Free Sux and is gone after June 1.

 

[Idgit]

Doug Free Sux and is gone after June 1.

Probably, but according to the team, that's not a given.

 

[xwalker]

It's not flawed logic. We're too slow to elevate developing players into starting positions at times, and it puts us in positions where we have to guess too much about how they'll perform in their second contracts. On the one hand, it'd be nuts to let a talented young RT or WR just walk for a big pay day in FA. On the other, you take a risk signing them to a long term contract.

They should have played Parnell earlier and more often.

It was reported (by the Cowboys own media guys) that Callahan pleaded to have Parnell rotate with Free.

 

[Idgit]

They should have played Parnell earlier and more often.

It was reported (by the Cowboys own media guys) that Callahan pleaded to have Parnell rotate with Free.

They should have.

Really? I hadn't heard he'd pleaded. I do recall him saying in a video later in the year that he felt Parnell could definitely be a starter in this league. It was in a context where Parnell still had some development to do, but it was also before the season ended where JP was getting more reps than he had ever had previously.

I really think we're expecting Parnell to start and are figuring the best way to get an experienced swing OT on the roster behind him. That either means a huge discount on Free's deal or a veteran who can play OG and RT in a pinch where we can swing Parnell out left if we have to in a pinch and basically cover both T positions with just one roster addition.

Cook, too, can play some RT in a pinch if he makes the roster, but if we've got Kowolski and Bernadeau who both play OG and OC at a relatively high level (ie, can fill in as starters in a pinch), we'd probably rather not save a roster spot for a footslow C who's also a limited RT only.

 

[Eskimo]

I agree that I don't see the point in keeping Cook on the roster when he is a pretty bad Center (at least for run blocking) and we should have 3 players on the roster who can play better overall (Costa, Bern, Killer). I don't want to go through another season where we can't run because the Center can't anchor in the run game and can't make a block on the second level.

What I hope transpires in the offseason is that we carry 9 OL on the roster:

Smith
Costa
Bern
Killer
Parnell
Brandon Moore or Livings
Swing Tackle (?Weems)
Rookie high draft pick (Cooper I hope)
Rookie mid-round pick or Leary

If this is what we end up with then I envision the following lineup:

Smith Cooper Costa/Bern/Killer Moore Parnell

Now we have a good starting OL and have some decent depth so long as Weems is capable or we draft a rookie who can fill in.

 

[Nightman]

I agree that I don't see the point in keeping Cook on the roster when he is a pretty bad Center (at least for run blocking) and we should have 3 players on the roster who can play better overall (Costa, Bern, Killer). I don't want to go through another season where we can't run because the Center can't anchor in the run game and can't make a block on the second level.

What I hope transpires in the offseason is that we carry 9 OL on the roster:

Smith
Costa
Bern
Killer
Parnell
Brandon Moore or Livings
Swing Tackle (?Weems)
Rookie high draft pick (Cooper I hope)
Rookie mid-round pick or Leary

If this is what we end up with then I envision the following lineup:

Smith Cooper Costa/Bern/Killer Moore Parnell

Now we have a good starting OL and have some decent depth so long as Weems is capable or we draft a rookie who can fill in.

I think Cooper/Warmack being available at 18 in the draft is the key to the whole off-season. Safeties and DT/DE can be found in the 2nd and 3rd. A vet OG like Moore and a swing OT are there for the taking after the draft.

 

[Idgit]

I agree that I don't see the point in keeping Cook on the roster when he is a pretty bad Center (at least for run blocking) and we should have 3 players on the roster who can play better overall (Costa, Bern, Killer). I don't want to go through another season where we can't run because the Center can't anchor in the run game and can't make a block on the second level.

What I hope transpires in the offseason is that we carry 9 OL on the roster:

Smith
Costa
Bern
Killer
Parnell
Brandon Moore or Livings
Swing Tackle (?Weems)
Rookie high draft pick (Cooper I hope)
Rookie mid-round pick or Leary

If this is what we end up with then I envision the following lineup:

Smith Cooper Costa/Bern/Killer Moore Parnell

Now we have a good starting OL and have some decent depth so long as Weems is capable or we draft a rookie who can fill in.

That's exactly what I think the plan is going to be. Though I'm not sure where the right swing OT fit is going to be. I don't want that to be a rookie necessarily, if we're starting Parnell. I'd rather it not be Free. I think that's why we're probably more interested in FA players who can play either OT or OG, to give us flexibility to go either position in the 2nd round of the draft if one of the two OGs is not available for some reason. It's hard to project where the best OL value is going to be in round two with 4-5 OTs gone and the top two OGs off the board.

 

[Eskimo]

I think Cooper/Warmack being available at 18 in the draft is the key to the whole off-season. Safeties and DT/DE can be found in the 2nd and 3rd. A vet OG like Moore and a swing OT are there for the taking after the draft.

I like Cooper because I can envision him becoming an All-Pro type player. I don't think that is going to be the case for anyone else on the board when we are up outside of maybe Tavon Austin as a return man or slot WR. None of the DLs likely to be on the board have that ability, IMO.