FWST: Ray Sherman on Ogletree

[ajk23az]

Wide receiver

"Not yet," said position coach Ray Sherman. "He’s getting there, but the next step, if there’s going to be one, has to be earned. He hasn’t earned it yet. Don’t rush him."

You guessed it. Sherman was talking this week about Kevin Ogletree, the "next Miles Austin."

Everyone wants to see Ogletree in a prominent role for ’10. Me, too.

A sneaky suspicion is this will happen, but as Ray’s tone indicated, the goal for the off-season is to keep the kid very, very humble.

Meanwhile, Roy Williams is the X-factor. As in, he should be X-ed out.

Jerry, of course, protects Roy Uno Uno for the obvious reasons, but there is hope at Valley Ranch that Mr. Jones will now at least agree that Williams must earn playing time with production.

http://www.star-telegram.com/332/story/1913074.html

 

[TheCount]

Roy will never be the 3rd receiver here as long as his contract is that it is, but Ogletree could be primed to replace Crayton in the slot. Roy's going to have to renegotiate or get cut/traded to not be a starter, I think.

 

[TellerMorrow34]

I don't think he'll ever be the three but I do think we could see more and more of Kevin getting more and more playing time and seeing a lot more times where Roy isn't on the field in certain formations and stuff to take advantage of the talent of a guy like Kevin.

They could do a real nice rotation with Crayton, Kevin, and Roy that will get them all playing time and give them all a chance to really produce while they're in there.

 

[Hostile]

What the hell does Ray Sherman know? He just coaches the kid. People here see the difference and they really know.[/sarcasm]

 

[tomson75]

Sadly, the fact that Roy Williams hasn't earned **** in a Cowboys uniform yet will be glossed over by those still desperately clinging to the hope that he becomes what they thought he'd be. Good luck with that.

Ogletree might not be ready. In fact, he probably isn't.....but he's at the very least made the most of the opportunities he's been given. The same cannot be said for Williams.

 

[pgreptom]

What the hell does Ray Sherman know? He just coaches the kid. People here see the difference and they really know.[/sarcasm]

Hell, I just hope we keep Sherman - I hope no-one else grabs him up.

 

[Hook'em#11]

Give Ogle the nod.

 

[Doomsday101]

Sadly, the fact that Roy Williams hasn't earned **** in a Cowboys uniform yet will be glossed over by those still desperately clinging to the hope that he becomes what they thought he'd be. Good luck with that.

Ogletree might not be ready. In fact, he probably isn't.....but he's at the very least made the most of the opportunities he's been given. The same cannot be said for Williams.

I agree RW needs to earn it. I will say any team who gave up what we did for any player is going to do everything they can to make it work. It is easy to throw your hands up and say it's done, Cowboys have too much invested to do that.

I do believe with the emergence of Austin Dallas will be more inclined to make RW earn his keep and if he fails to do so next year it could very well be his last.

 

[WoodysGirl]

I understand people's disappoint w/Roy, but Ogletree's place on the roster has nothing to do with Roy.

He was a rookie who showed promise. Fans and media need to allow him the chance to grow into his role, whatever that may be. Everyone is all on Miles' jock now, but two years ago, they were ready to run him out of town. When he's ready to be on the field for more snaps, there won't be any doubts he belongs.

 

[Doomsday101]

I understand people's disappoint w/Roy, but Ogletree's place on the roster has nothing to do with Roy.

He was a rookie who showed promise. Fans and media need to allow him the chance to grow into his role, whatever that may be. Everyone is all on Miles' jock now, but two years ago, they were ready to run him out of town. When he's ready to be on the field for more snaps, there won't be any doubts he belongs.

 

[Hoofbite]

I guess the "earning the right to play" idea only applies to players who don't have a starting spot.

Seems to me, if you are a starter in Dallas your job is pretty safe unless your name is Crayton. Well I suppose McBriar was scapegoated out of holding FGs but that was pretty stupid to start with.

Doug Free couldn't earn enough to continue starting over a gimped Colombo.

I wonder if Choice could ever do anything to earn the right to play more. Or I wonder if Barber could ever do anything that would make him play less? Same with Roy.

 

[tomson75]

I understand people's disappoint w/Roy, but Ogletree's place on the roster has nothing to do with Roy.

He was a rookie who showed promise. Fans and media need to allow him the chance to grow into his role, whatever that may be. Everyone is all on Miles' jock now, but two years ago, they were ready to run him out of town. When he's ready to be on the field for more snaps, there won't be any doubts he belongs.

To be fair, Austin's emergence has been an up and down affair. People have been jumping on and off of his bandwagon for years.

 

[tomson75]

I agree RW needs to earn it. I will say any team who gave up what we did for any player is going to do everything they can to make it work. It is easy to throw your hands up and say it's done, Cowboys have too much invested to do that.

I do believe with the emergence of Austin Dallas will be more inclined to make RW earn his keep and if he fails to do so next year it could very well be his last.

I understand this point of view. I really do.

...I just don't see it that way.

Personally, I'd try and look past the investment into a single player and try to focus on the team investment as a whole. He's clearly not doing us any favors on the field. Anyone that claims he deserves a starting spot due to performance should have the head examined for traumatic injuries.

We have other investments to consider here. Get the players that can play on the field and make the most of the investment into the team. If that means you take a big loss on one player, so be it.

I think we've clearly given this particular player investment an ample opportunity to succeed. There hasn't been much reciprocation on his part in terms of performance....and he hasn't shown any signs that this trend will end any time soon.

But hey...I'm just a Joe shmoe. I obviously don't know diddly.

 

[Chief]

I guess the "earning the right to play" idea only applies to players who don't have a starting spot.

Seems to me, if you are a starter in Dallas your job is pretty safe unless your name is Crayton. Well I suppose McBriar was scapegoated out of holding FGs but that was pretty stupid to start with.

Doug Free couldn't earn enough to continue starting over a gimped Colombo.

I wonder if Choice could ever do anything to earn the right to play more. Or I wonder if Barber could ever do anything that would make him play less? Same with Roy.

Great post.

This didn't happen when Landry was there ... or even Jimmy. Landry started some undrafted free agents, including rookies like Everson Walls, Michael Downs and Drew Pearson. I can't imagine an undrafted rookie starting in this current regime.

 

[WoodysGirl]

To be fair, Austin's emergence has been an up and down affair. People have been jumping on and off of his bandwagon for years.

They were down on him, because he always seemed to get injured right when the 'boys were ready to turn him loose. And seeing as how he had less than 20 catches prior to this year (I think), no one could see why he was able to stick on the roster. Now they do.

That said, people are high on Ogletree now. And like in most cases, if he doesn't transition his moderate success to more next year, fans will turn on him. It's the nature of fandom in today's NFL.

It's almost offensive to fans to allow coaches to groom players now. We've got to "SEE" why these guys are on the team.

 

[Alexander]

Wide receiver

"Not yet," said position coach Ray Sherman. "He’s getting there, but the next step, if there’s going to be one, has to be earned. He hasn’t earned it yet. Don’t rush him."

So Roy Williams has "earned it"? I am curious.

I hope we don't have some asinine tenure system in place here. At times it certainly looks like it.

 

[Alexander]

I guess the "earning the right to play" idea only applies to players who don't have a starting spot.

There is only one football. Only so many roster spots. Only so many roles. Blah blah blah.

Seems to me, if you are a starter in Dallas your job is pretty safe unless your name is Crayton. Well I suppose McBriar was scapegoated out of holding FGs but that was pretty stupid to start with.

Even backups are content with this team.

How many drafts have we heard that the "roster is set!" How many times has there been an open competition for, well, anything?

The biggest thing was the CB competition between Jenkins and Scandrick and even then the "solution" was an idiotic platoon system that probably cost us the Giants game. Tell me where the nickel LBer job was ever in question where Carpenter had to fight off someone? How about fourth CB? Was there any question that belonged to Alan Ball? Backup guard/center, no sir, we've got that squared away with Cory Proctor. Even draft choices were pegged for backup spots in nice neat little holes.

Do not get me wrong, players do need to earn it and we do not see the practices. But when there has been exactly one open competition that we are aware of in the last two years, that tells me something is rotten in the state of Denmark.

I wonder if Choice could ever do anything to earn the right to play more. Or I wonder if Barber could ever do anything that would make him play less? Same with Roy.

Exactly. I feel for Choice. He has every right to be a little frustrated. Usually you do not see that if there is a culture in place which suggests there at least the ability to force competition. We do not seem to do it unless we have to, and even then we cannot make a decision easily.

 

[Chocolate Lab]

WG is exactly right. This is the classic "backup QB" syndrome where everyone sees a little glimpse of potential and assumes he's way better than the starter.

The kid was a very raw rookie last year -- let him grow a little bit.

Now next year, he'll have more experience and a year in the weight room, so all bets will be off. But this idea that you throw a rookie into the fire the first time he shows something in limited time is crazy.

 

[DallasDomination]

IF He runs anything like He returns kicks just put this pipe dream in the bag. He looks terrible returning kicks.

 

[Alexander]

WG is exactly right. This is the classic "backup QB" syndrome where everyone sees a little glimpse of potential and assumes he's way better than the starter.

It is slightly different. Laufenberg made the observation about it "not being close". Jones, Romo and others have bent over backwards lauding him since day one. It is a bit different where others were more of a secret, even Austin never got this much early praise. Perhaps that was Coach Parcells' way of keeping him down, but still.

As for assuming he is better than the starter, it would be hard for him to be much more mediocre than the standard Roy Williams has set.

The kid was a very raw rookie last year -- let him grow a little bit.

Then throw him into a competition and show where he ranks. Is taking a few snaps away from Roy Williams going to hurt him? Afterall, he's great. He's done it everywhere he's been, works harder than everyone else and he is coachable.

Now next year, he'll have more experience and a year in the weight room, so all bets will be off. But this idea that you throw a rookie into the fire the first time he shows something in limited time is crazy.

So is mimimizing the development of a talented player because the player in front of them solely because they "earned it", how I do not know.

If it was up to me, Williams would be told immediately at camp, your spot is up for grabs. Crayton and Ogletree would be allowed to challenge him and seriously as well.