FuzzyLumpkins
The Boognish
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The Offense
Tony Romo - He looks healthy and mobile. He looks like he can read a defense and throw a football still which is nice. Bryant, Witten, Murray, Williams, Escobar, Beasley, and Dunbar are all legitimate targets.
Brandon Weeden - Better arm than Romo's when he can set he throws a nice accurate ball with touch. They run a simpler game plan with Weeden but he is effective. He stands in well to the rush but that is about it as he doesn't perform well when he cannot step into his throws. He knows this and makes quick reads and gets the ball out. I liked him a lot better than Baltimore's backup.
Dustin Vaughn - Don't have a good feel for his arm strength because he really hasn't tried any really hard throws outside and down the field trying to beat a safety. His throws seem accurate. He is an opportunist and watching him pick on that corner on the left side repeatedly was nice. He shows tools and I don't know that he clears waivers in the QB talent poor NFL.
Demarco Murray - seems like we are going to see better than average running, catching, and blocking from Murray this year. He is the equivalent in my mind to Boris Diaw for the spurs in the he is very good at everything but not truly elite in any regard. Good vision most of the time but occasionally zigs when he should zag. Efficient and smart in movement but not overly twitchy in his cuts. proficient in the passing game but will occasionally drop a pass. Speed to beat safeties but not corners. Total package means he is a valuable member on any team.
Lance Dunbar - I still question his ability to stay healthy. It is going to take 100 or so carries before I think he is not a fumbler anymore but it is obvious to me that he is going to make big plays in this offense. When I watch him run routes it reminds me of gymnasts doing floor exercises. just so incredibly light on his feet. I see him making LB look silly chasing him.
Joseph Randle - He ran well behind the 1's though had poor blocking resulting in him being beat up by Ravens defenders with the 2's. Missed a tackle on special teams. He only does okay picking up the rush. Needs to do a better job executing his assignments under adversity.
Ryan Williams - vision to find cutback. Quick and fast. Very good strength and balance. Good size and seemed an athlete a cut above the 2's and 3's he was up against. Attentive, willing and able blocker but seems to miss some blocks in both the offense and special teams due to a lack of awareness. What i keep asking myself is who would I rather get 20 carries if Murray goes down: Randle or this guy? My gut tells me this guy but I know that Randle is an adequate backup and special teamer who knows the system.
Tyler Clutts - He is not overpowering but assignment sound. He doesn't miss a whole lot of blocks and he doesn't go backwards. The question is would I ever prefer him on the field over Escobar, Harris, or Hanna even in goal line or the like and I cannot say that I would.
JC Copeland - He got a cup of coffee at the end after Clutts played up until the end of the third quarter. It doesn't look like they are giving him much of a shot to make the team. He stone a DT that had gotten loose in his short stint on the field though which was hilarious.
Jason Witten - the preseason has shown a lot of focus on passing to everyone but this guy. He repeatedly has been asked to stay in and block or run 5 yard routes. His blocking has been tremendous both in space and inline. Witten at his best is all pro. If he can stay healthy it's a solid possibility.
Gavin Escobar - He blocked Suggs and Dumervil pretty well. You don't want him taking on 275+ lbs quite yet but he has improved his blocking to at least adequacy for starting. He is beating LB and S coverage routinely. His hands are very reliable. He uses good body control and positioning when no separation. His additional strength has also translated into his route running. Wins contested balls. Hopefully his shoulder injury is minor because he gets open downfield in the passing game and he will easily handle nickel defenders running the ball. Could be a force.
James Hanna - i commend him on his offseason work that over the last few years has transformed him into a capable inline TE. He can wrestle and win against DE and he overpowers smaller guys. His issue is consistency in his technique which leads to dropped passes and missed blocks. More good than bad by a fair margin. Emerging red zone threat that certainly has a role.
Before I mention the OL, I want to comment on the Baltimore defense as it speaks to the competition the offensive line was contending with. Haloti Ngata is the type of interior defender you can build a team around. All Pro ability and I love his game. Huge, quick, and about as powerful as anything you will find in the NFL. He looks like a bear swiping when he fires off the line and and clubs. Watching him, with the way he was coming off the ball, he brought his A game. Our guys handled him and did not allow that force to dictate the line of scrimmage. Canty is a quality veteran player who uses guile as well as physical ability. Anderson is nothing remarkable. OTOH, their four LB are very talented. Suggs and Dumervil are quick and physical, and Mosley and Smith are tough, athletic LBs. Now I get that their corners were hurt and their safeties are not that good but that front 7 can play.
Further, we ran the ball over 50% of the time in those first two drives and the LBs and DL were cheating against the run. We were able to run the ball anyway.
Tyron Smith - For him it was a bad game. He was confused by some alignments Baltimore put out in the 2-4 nickel front they use. He was sluggish by his standards especially in setting up in pass protection early. that being said he still makes reach blocks that seem impossible and displays remarkable power. He in particular stepped up after the fumble with some nice play.
Doug Free - when Free is engaged, active, and aggressive he is still very good. Never is going to overpower the behemoths of the NFL, he can control them and the smaller guys he can reach and finish. As long as he doesn't get sloppy with his feet, and he wasn't, then he is a quality NFL tackle. Suggs nor Dumervil gave him any difficulties rushing and Canty didn't have his name called vs the run because Free was handling his business.
Jeremy Parnell - Parnells hands are a mess in pass protection. He doesn't use the hand techniques of the other linemen. Was throwing over hand jabs, full armed slaps and hooks. Due to poor technique his power does not translate to his pass protection. He is unsure how to hit the defender and he stands up if contact doesn't happen quickly after the snap. Much better in the run physically impressive in moving people out of the point of attack and sealing them. Williams TD drive was possible in large part to the efforts of Parnell. When asked to make blocks in space will often miss blocks in his zone. Lacks awareness. Seems awkward and uncertain in some zone assignments. There is no way this guy can block for Romo and it's not even close.
John Wetzel - His short arms make me nervous as it limits his ability to push guys wide. That being said he did steer every one he was put against. He has pretty good power handling DE and feet that allow him to move quickly and use his base. He needs to play more, execute assignments and apply his techniques. He needs to learn to be patient and help his teammates block and the timing of the peel but he seems like at the very least a competent backup with upside.
Ronald Leary - As i said, i have a tremendous amount of respect for Ngata and we got to see him matched up against all 3 of the interior guys. I thought Leary made out best. The second drive they had Ngata at DE on Leary's shoulder and we call a zone play to the left side and Leary gets a 1v1. Leary beats Ngata off the ball and delivers a blow that knocks Ngata back a yard and just sits on him as the back follows behind. There was another down that saw him have to cutoff Ngata on the move and he was able to redirect him. Now Leary is not perfect. He is not a thing of beauty on the move and he does brainfart and miss blocks but if he can do that to Ngata then he will have no issues moving what most of the NFL has to offer. Certainly the NFC east's defensive lines.
Travis Frederick - When a guy comes across his face with speed and power, he can get bad feet and end up on his butt. Ngata did it to him and I have seen it from him before. Most of the time like this game he is able to recover with some help from his friends such that the assignment is not completely blown but he is still on his butt. That is the bad of Travis Frederick. The good is that he also can come off the ball and deliver a blow on Ngata to rival Leary and if you are looking for a guy to get low and drive a pile then Frederick is as good as anyone in the NFL. When they moved Ngata to DE, Fred dominated the matchups inside and on the second level against Mosley and Smith. the ILB of the Ravens started cheating up trying to get ahead of Cowboys blockers trying to get out in front of them. He also shows great awareness and attention to his surroundings. Of all the players on the oline he is the most likely to help a teammate in need or pick off a loose defender. Leadership, intelligence and brute strength.
Zach Martin - I have said for awhile that my top concern with Martin is how his strength would translate from the NCAA weakside to the interior strongside of the NFL where the Ngata's of the world hang out. It appears that Ngata felt much the same way on that first down. He fires from his shade on the A gap, clubs Martin's shoulder and tries to plow him with every single one of his 340 pounds. Martin just takes it and anchors. Gets stood up and like a whale cresting the surface they capsize. He took everything Ngata had and yeah Ngata 'won' but not by a whole lot. Not bad for a rookie. Martin spent most of his evening on the second level taking out LB. it was becoming such an issue when Ngata was over on Leary and getting single blocked that Canty adjusted by attacking Martin off the snap so he couldn't release. It confounded Free who was blocking Canty to that point. The defensive tackles in our division are not particularly good. I see this interior line feasting.
Mack Bernadeau: He is very powerful but his is a bit stiff as opposed to his linemates. He gets off balance and caught off guard every now and then. He is humongous so he is quite the presence as he runs downfield. Soft defenders wilt on the second level on his approach. He is pretty good about finding targets downfield. At the point of attack he can have some issues with quickness but he is a powerful man that can drive. He also appears to be steady. He is a good backup but I don't expect much of a leap in ability from him for the remainder of his career.
Uche Nwaneri: He just cannot anchor against the leagues DT and it makes the backs job pass protecting much more difficult when their pocket is coming back at them. He also stinks as a point of attack blocker because again its hard to run when your line is coming back at you. He does not miss blocks and he does well enough moving around but at the end of the day this is the type of guy that I am constantly going to want to upgrade.
Ronald Patrick - That TD drive Ryan Williams got in the fourth quarter saw Patrick flash a little bit. They ran behind Parnell and this guy. Nice power inline and also nice peel on a combo block that smothered the ILB. It's against the threes but wouldn't be surprised to see him with the twos from here on out. I am pulling for this guy to unseat Nwaneri whose skinny hips aren't suddenly going to start anchoring.
Dez Bryant - Elite talent and he has developed his skills remarkably. He is an amazing downfield threat but he has expanded his inside game and he is going to find himself much more often this year in space in the middle of the field. It is going to be fun to watch. I have heard they move him around more in practice. He has mostly played his familiar flanker role so far.
Terrence Williams - He has a very good sense of space despite the speed of the NFL game. I imagine it helping him in his route running but I see it when he is picking up blocks in the run game. He doesn't drive people but he always seems to find good angles that sheild guys away. Very graceful player with deceptive speed. Expansive route tree with double moves and counters using multiple releases. Haven't seen him struggle with the press at all so far. Would prefer that he try to aggressively high point balls but he is often content to run under throws. Will run inside and fight for the ball. Will try and take on harder blocks like Dumervil to a degree of success if not sustained.
Cole Beasley - Hasn't seen much action come his way so far this year but his quickness gets him instant separation at the line and that is a powerful weapon. He is a willing blocker and gets his hands inside but I don't expect much more from him than slowing someone down. He looks in very good physical condition but is often the smallest player on the field.
Dwayne Harris - Weeden likes him and is trying to build a rapport but its not happened so far. That throw down the sideline was smothered and unnecessary. I really don't like alligator arms on in routes either. Far too many drops. This keeps up I don't see him getting much use on offense. Like the player but don't like the play. He still looks great running in the open field and we miss him on kick returns.
Devin Street - Street wasn't involved much at all. He was in there at the end and I would like him to give his young QB an easier read against the 3's.
Jamar Newsome - He abused a corner back with zero ball skills. He merits consideration under stiffer competition.
Briscoe, Byrd, Boyd, and Benford - Collectively I saw them throw some blocks but they are not winning enough routes.
Tony Romo - He looks healthy and mobile. He looks like he can read a defense and throw a football still which is nice. Bryant, Witten, Murray, Williams, Escobar, Beasley, and Dunbar are all legitimate targets.
Brandon Weeden - Better arm than Romo's when he can set he throws a nice accurate ball with touch. They run a simpler game plan with Weeden but he is effective. He stands in well to the rush but that is about it as he doesn't perform well when he cannot step into his throws. He knows this and makes quick reads and gets the ball out. I liked him a lot better than Baltimore's backup.
Dustin Vaughn - Don't have a good feel for his arm strength because he really hasn't tried any really hard throws outside and down the field trying to beat a safety. His throws seem accurate. He is an opportunist and watching him pick on that corner on the left side repeatedly was nice. He shows tools and I don't know that he clears waivers in the QB talent poor NFL.
Demarco Murray - seems like we are going to see better than average running, catching, and blocking from Murray this year. He is the equivalent in my mind to Boris Diaw for the spurs in the he is very good at everything but not truly elite in any regard. Good vision most of the time but occasionally zigs when he should zag. Efficient and smart in movement but not overly twitchy in his cuts. proficient in the passing game but will occasionally drop a pass. Speed to beat safeties but not corners. Total package means he is a valuable member on any team.
Lance Dunbar - I still question his ability to stay healthy. It is going to take 100 or so carries before I think he is not a fumbler anymore but it is obvious to me that he is going to make big plays in this offense. When I watch him run routes it reminds me of gymnasts doing floor exercises. just so incredibly light on his feet. I see him making LB look silly chasing him.
Joseph Randle - He ran well behind the 1's though had poor blocking resulting in him being beat up by Ravens defenders with the 2's. Missed a tackle on special teams. He only does okay picking up the rush. Needs to do a better job executing his assignments under adversity.
Ryan Williams - vision to find cutback. Quick and fast. Very good strength and balance. Good size and seemed an athlete a cut above the 2's and 3's he was up against. Attentive, willing and able blocker but seems to miss some blocks in both the offense and special teams due to a lack of awareness. What i keep asking myself is who would I rather get 20 carries if Murray goes down: Randle or this guy? My gut tells me this guy but I know that Randle is an adequate backup and special teamer who knows the system.
Tyler Clutts - He is not overpowering but assignment sound. He doesn't miss a whole lot of blocks and he doesn't go backwards. The question is would I ever prefer him on the field over Escobar, Harris, or Hanna even in goal line or the like and I cannot say that I would.
JC Copeland - He got a cup of coffee at the end after Clutts played up until the end of the third quarter. It doesn't look like they are giving him much of a shot to make the team. He stone a DT that had gotten loose in his short stint on the field though which was hilarious.
Jason Witten - the preseason has shown a lot of focus on passing to everyone but this guy. He repeatedly has been asked to stay in and block or run 5 yard routes. His blocking has been tremendous both in space and inline. Witten at his best is all pro. If he can stay healthy it's a solid possibility.
Gavin Escobar - He blocked Suggs and Dumervil pretty well. You don't want him taking on 275+ lbs quite yet but he has improved his blocking to at least adequacy for starting. He is beating LB and S coverage routinely. His hands are very reliable. He uses good body control and positioning when no separation. His additional strength has also translated into his route running. Wins contested balls. Hopefully his shoulder injury is minor because he gets open downfield in the passing game and he will easily handle nickel defenders running the ball. Could be a force.
James Hanna - i commend him on his offseason work that over the last few years has transformed him into a capable inline TE. He can wrestle and win against DE and he overpowers smaller guys. His issue is consistency in his technique which leads to dropped passes and missed blocks. More good than bad by a fair margin. Emerging red zone threat that certainly has a role.
Before I mention the OL, I want to comment on the Baltimore defense as it speaks to the competition the offensive line was contending with. Haloti Ngata is the type of interior defender you can build a team around. All Pro ability and I love his game. Huge, quick, and about as powerful as anything you will find in the NFL. He looks like a bear swiping when he fires off the line and and clubs. Watching him, with the way he was coming off the ball, he brought his A game. Our guys handled him and did not allow that force to dictate the line of scrimmage. Canty is a quality veteran player who uses guile as well as physical ability. Anderson is nothing remarkable. OTOH, their four LB are very talented. Suggs and Dumervil are quick and physical, and Mosley and Smith are tough, athletic LBs. Now I get that their corners were hurt and their safeties are not that good but that front 7 can play.
Further, we ran the ball over 50% of the time in those first two drives and the LBs and DL were cheating against the run. We were able to run the ball anyway.
Tyron Smith - For him it was a bad game. He was confused by some alignments Baltimore put out in the 2-4 nickel front they use. He was sluggish by his standards especially in setting up in pass protection early. that being said he still makes reach blocks that seem impossible and displays remarkable power. He in particular stepped up after the fumble with some nice play.
Doug Free - when Free is engaged, active, and aggressive he is still very good. Never is going to overpower the behemoths of the NFL, he can control them and the smaller guys he can reach and finish. As long as he doesn't get sloppy with his feet, and he wasn't, then he is a quality NFL tackle. Suggs nor Dumervil gave him any difficulties rushing and Canty didn't have his name called vs the run because Free was handling his business.
Jeremy Parnell - Parnells hands are a mess in pass protection. He doesn't use the hand techniques of the other linemen. Was throwing over hand jabs, full armed slaps and hooks. Due to poor technique his power does not translate to his pass protection. He is unsure how to hit the defender and he stands up if contact doesn't happen quickly after the snap. Much better in the run physically impressive in moving people out of the point of attack and sealing them. Williams TD drive was possible in large part to the efforts of Parnell. When asked to make blocks in space will often miss blocks in his zone. Lacks awareness. Seems awkward and uncertain in some zone assignments. There is no way this guy can block for Romo and it's not even close.
John Wetzel - His short arms make me nervous as it limits his ability to push guys wide. That being said he did steer every one he was put against. He has pretty good power handling DE and feet that allow him to move quickly and use his base. He needs to play more, execute assignments and apply his techniques. He needs to learn to be patient and help his teammates block and the timing of the peel but he seems like at the very least a competent backup with upside.
Ronald Leary - As i said, i have a tremendous amount of respect for Ngata and we got to see him matched up against all 3 of the interior guys. I thought Leary made out best. The second drive they had Ngata at DE on Leary's shoulder and we call a zone play to the left side and Leary gets a 1v1. Leary beats Ngata off the ball and delivers a blow that knocks Ngata back a yard and just sits on him as the back follows behind. There was another down that saw him have to cutoff Ngata on the move and he was able to redirect him. Now Leary is not perfect. He is not a thing of beauty on the move and he does brainfart and miss blocks but if he can do that to Ngata then he will have no issues moving what most of the NFL has to offer. Certainly the NFC east's defensive lines.
Travis Frederick - When a guy comes across his face with speed and power, he can get bad feet and end up on his butt. Ngata did it to him and I have seen it from him before. Most of the time like this game he is able to recover with some help from his friends such that the assignment is not completely blown but he is still on his butt. That is the bad of Travis Frederick. The good is that he also can come off the ball and deliver a blow on Ngata to rival Leary and if you are looking for a guy to get low and drive a pile then Frederick is as good as anyone in the NFL. When they moved Ngata to DE, Fred dominated the matchups inside and on the second level against Mosley and Smith. the ILB of the Ravens started cheating up trying to get ahead of Cowboys blockers trying to get out in front of them. He also shows great awareness and attention to his surroundings. Of all the players on the oline he is the most likely to help a teammate in need or pick off a loose defender. Leadership, intelligence and brute strength.
Zach Martin - I have said for awhile that my top concern with Martin is how his strength would translate from the NCAA weakside to the interior strongside of the NFL where the Ngata's of the world hang out. It appears that Ngata felt much the same way on that first down. He fires from his shade on the A gap, clubs Martin's shoulder and tries to plow him with every single one of his 340 pounds. Martin just takes it and anchors. Gets stood up and like a whale cresting the surface they capsize. He took everything Ngata had and yeah Ngata 'won' but not by a whole lot. Not bad for a rookie. Martin spent most of his evening on the second level taking out LB. it was becoming such an issue when Ngata was over on Leary and getting single blocked that Canty adjusted by attacking Martin off the snap so he couldn't release. It confounded Free who was blocking Canty to that point. The defensive tackles in our division are not particularly good. I see this interior line feasting.
Mack Bernadeau: He is very powerful but his is a bit stiff as opposed to his linemates. He gets off balance and caught off guard every now and then. He is humongous so he is quite the presence as he runs downfield. Soft defenders wilt on the second level on his approach. He is pretty good about finding targets downfield. At the point of attack he can have some issues with quickness but he is a powerful man that can drive. He also appears to be steady. He is a good backup but I don't expect much of a leap in ability from him for the remainder of his career.
Uche Nwaneri: He just cannot anchor against the leagues DT and it makes the backs job pass protecting much more difficult when their pocket is coming back at them. He also stinks as a point of attack blocker because again its hard to run when your line is coming back at you. He does not miss blocks and he does well enough moving around but at the end of the day this is the type of guy that I am constantly going to want to upgrade.
Ronald Patrick - That TD drive Ryan Williams got in the fourth quarter saw Patrick flash a little bit. They ran behind Parnell and this guy. Nice power inline and also nice peel on a combo block that smothered the ILB. It's against the threes but wouldn't be surprised to see him with the twos from here on out. I am pulling for this guy to unseat Nwaneri whose skinny hips aren't suddenly going to start anchoring.
Dez Bryant - Elite talent and he has developed his skills remarkably. He is an amazing downfield threat but he has expanded his inside game and he is going to find himself much more often this year in space in the middle of the field. It is going to be fun to watch. I have heard they move him around more in practice. He has mostly played his familiar flanker role so far.
Terrence Williams - He has a very good sense of space despite the speed of the NFL game. I imagine it helping him in his route running but I see it when he is picking up blocks in the run game. He doesn't drive people but he always seems to find good angles that sheild guys away. Very graceful player with deceptive speed. Expansive route tree with double moves and counters using multiple releases. Haven't seen him struggle with the press at all so far. Would prefer that he try to aggressively high point balls but he is often content to run under throws. Will run inside and fight for the ball. Will try and take on harder blocks like Dumervil to a degree of success if not sustained.
Cole Beasley - Hasn't seen much action come his way so far this year but his quickness gets him instant separation at the line and that is a powerful weapon. He is a willing blocker and gets his hands inside but I don't expect much more from him than slowing someone down. He looks in very good physical condition but is often the smallest player on the field.
Dwayne Harris - Weeden likes him and is trying to build a rapport but its not happened so far. That throw down the sideline was smothered and unnecessary. I really don't like alligator arms on in routes either. Far too many drops. This keeps up I don't see him getting much use on offense. Like the player but don't like the play. He still looks great running in the open field and we miss him on kick returns.
Devin Street - Street wasn't involved much at all. He was in there at the end and I would like him to give his young QB an easier read against the 3's.
Jamar Newsome - He abused a corner back with zero ball skills. He merits consideration under stiffer competition.
Briscoe, Byrd, Boyd, and Benford - Collectively I saw them throw some blocks but they are not winning enough routes.
