Gosselin: Anthony Hitchens doesn't have best measurables, but Cowboys' "Tampa 2" allows for that

[FuzzyLumpkins]

If it were just Gosselin I'd agree. However, how many posters have you seen about any journalist that starts with, "I usually think he's an idiot but...?" Meaning any journalist.

Same with posters. Someone usually seeing the glass half empty will get a lot of praises if he or she were to suddenly post something extremely positive.

It's the message with a caveat.

This may come as news to you but there are more than two types of people in this world. It is not just you and the cabal who parrot this take versus a cabal of yes men.

And the 'half glass empty' type gets a ton of praise for denigrating the team. How can you tell? Because the usual suspects always like those types of posts.

 

[jobberone]

This may come as news to you but there are more than two types of people in this world. It is not just you and the cabal who parrot this take versus a cabal of yes men.

And the 'half glass empty' type gets a ton of praise for denigrating the team. How can you tell? Because the usual suspects always like those types of posts.

His message was delivered well and there's some truth in it. But you're right as well. It's a zen thing.

 

[JohnnyHopkins]

The more I read Dallas's plans for him the more I would say his best position would ultimately be on the strong side, with the occasional stint in the middle when Lee takes his annual vacation. That would be acceptable. He could end up being a productive player there.

 

[jobberone]

We'll see. Someone will step up at the Sam whether it's Durant the favorite (whom I like), Hitchens, Lemon, or another. There's some depth there. Thank goodness.

 

[DBOY3141]

The Cowboys didn't play much Tampa 2 last year.

Tony Dungy stated it takes 3 years to get the players in place to really run Kiffen/Marinelli type of Tampa 2. This is year two, I expect some improvement this year and hopefully 2015 it will crack the top 10.

 

[FuzzyLumpkins]

His message was delivered well and there's some truth in it. But you're right as well. It's a zen thing.

I just cannot stand binary thinking and pigeonholing the fanbase into optimist/pessimist does a disservice to everyone. There are some that fit that description -some who demand that description- but for the most part people are unique when it comes down to it.

I really do think it is in no small part a product of Dallas AM radio and that asinine realist schtick they have had going.

 

[CF74]

Hitchens has speed? He looks like a fire hydrant with legs when you watch him.

Sounds like Zach Thomas, hope we got the 2nd coming...

 

[Gaede]

Looks fast enough on the field. His recognition/reaction speed seems very good.

This I agree with. At least the guy can play.

The reach doesn't bother me as much as when you consider his football instincts.

There is literally nothing exceptional about Hitchens. I'm shocked he even had that many tackles. When you watch him, he doesn't appear nearly as impressive as the other two. And yet he was more productive than them.

I am hoping he is just one of those producers that doesn't stand out. In that case, there is a role for him on this team.

 

[L-O-Jete]

I guess maybe there"s a difference between timed 40 sped and playing speed.

I'm guessing from Alexander "looks" is the videos he's seen (albeit after the draft) not his timed 40...

 

[AmishCowboy]

Sounds like Zach Thomas, hope we got the 2nd coming...

I saw London Feltcher

 

[TwoDeep3]

This may come as news to you but there are more than two types of people in this world. It is not just you and the cabal who parrot this take versus a cabal of yes men.

And the 'half glass empty' type gets a ton of praise for denigrating the team. How can you tell? Because the usual suspects always like those types of posts.

Funny how when you recap my comments so you can tell me off, you hardly ever say what I actually said before you bluster away.

 

[Doomsday101]

Does not matter what Gosselin or anyone else thinks it is what Marinelli thinks. If he feels Hitchens is a guy whom he feels can fit into what he wants to do then great. People talk about putting square parts in round holes well Marinelli know what pieces fit into what he wants.

 

[Idgit]

This may come as news to you but there are more than two types of people in this world. It is not just you and the cabal who parrot this take versus a cabal of yes men...

I was going to say exactly this, only, you know, nicely.

This is the equivalent of a negative poster making the point that even Micky has something negative to say about a given situation. Yeah, but, he's still a homer.

But my problem with Gosselin isn't that he's negative. It's that he doesn't think through his opinions very well at all. He's kind of an opinionated dummy. There are more negative guys out there who can at least build decent arguments.

 

[5Stars]

I just cannot stand binary thinking and pigeonholing the fanbase into optimist/pessimist does a disservice to everyone. There are some that fit that description -some who demand that description- but for the most part people are unique when it comes down to it.

I really do think it is in no small part a product of Dallas AM radio and that asinine realist schtick they have had going.

What I don't understand about Twodeep is, he gripes about fans on this forum all the time! Why he cares so much about what fans on here think is really crazy. To him it's always about "how come fans here do this or do that", or "how come fans here say bad things about some things then say good things about the other things"....around and around and around...with the fans on this forum. Why should he care what other fans besides him think?

It's like he comes here to try to cast dispensations on how or why fans say the things they say! smh

 

[FuzzyLumpkins]

Funny how when you recap my comments so you can tell me off, you hardly ever say what I actually said before you bluster away.

So says the guy that had a sig for years talking about 'real fans' and 'you' have been found unworthy.

I am not the only one that think this way. As evidenced in this thread, several others feel the same way. Your martyr routine is amusing but not compelling.

And we both know what you were getting at when you talked about:

Same with posters. Someone usually seeing the glass half empty will get a lot of praises if he or she were to suddenly post something extremely positive.

Being coy is not convincing either.

You do categorize fans. If you don't like being called out on it then stop doing it. If you continue to do it then quit complaining when people take issue with it.

 

[noshame]

Gossellin is a smart guy but he's also got his ear to the ground. He's right about the fit although I don't buy it as much as he appears to. He appears to like the pick but I'll bet one or more of the coaches loves the pick and he's parroting that.

My favorite attribute of a LB is instincts. You either have it or not. His production says he does but that is an assumption. He's got the speed and cones to play in the league.

Yep, along with prep and play recognition can make up speed and size....to a certain extent.

 

[MichaelWinicki]

Does not matter what Gosselin or anyone else thinks it is what Marinelli thinks. If he feels Hitchens is a guy whom he feels can fit into what he wants to do then great. People talk about putting square parts in round holes well Marinelli know what pieces fit into what he wants.

That's a pretty valid point.

 

[the_h0wey]

SportsDay columnist Rick "Goose" Gosselin hosted a chat Monday to talk about all things sports. Here are some of the highlights:

Question: I’m curious why so many media members and Cowboy fans think that Anthony Hitchens out of Iowa was a bad pick. As a Hawkeyes fan I can say several Hawks that are or were in the NFL have or had very productive NFL careers! I think it was a great pick!

Gosselin: Probably because of the height; he's 6-0, which is a bit short for an NFL linebacker. The draft is all about measurables. You rise or fall based on your height, weight, speed and strength. Too often college productivity is the last step in the equation. That's what hurt Johnny Manziel. And that's what hurt Hitchens. Good player, though. The Tampa 2 scheme allows you to play with players who don't have the ideal measurables but do have the speed.

Question: Anthony Hitchins the MLB in 2015, Sean Lee to the weak side, Bruce Carter the odd man out. Feasible?

Gosselin: Feasible. (DeVonte) Holloman also could be in the mix. Lee is the best player on that defense and I'd be reluctant to move him. That said, he's the best pass-coverage linebacker on this team and could play the weak side. If Lee gets hurt again, Hitchens is great insurance on the inside.

Question: Nothing against Hitchens, but couldn't they have gotten him in the seventh round. Isn't the draft about getting the best value? He may end being a great player, but everything I've read had him as a 7th or FA pre-draft. Obviously, mocks and ratings mean little, but still, if that was the consensus, was it smart to spend a fourth?

Gosselin: The Cowboys liked him there and took him there. His productivity certainly warranted it. His measurables didn't. He fits a need. You don't have to have all the ideal height-weight measurables to play in this Tampa 2 scheme. What you need is speed.

More... http://www.***BANNED-URL***/sports/...ut-cowboys-tampa-2-scheme-allows-for-that.ece

Not exactly a ringing endorsement to say the Defense you run doesn't require your players to have ideal LB size.

 

[MichaelWinicki]

Not exactly a ringing endorsement to say the Defense you run doesn't require your players to have ideal LB size.

Go look at that the linebackers used from '91 until '99... check out their sizes.

And that defense was very similar to this one.

 

[diehard2294]

Sounds like Zach Thomas, hope we got the 2nd coming...

Your hoping he makes a career out of making tackles six yards downfield