jday
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To get the gist of the following question, you really have to be in the right frame of mind. Imagine you are in a room with walls adorned with various Marvel and DC Comic Super Heroes complete with dressers displaying various plastic renditions of the former, frozen in time wielding various weapons of wicked design. In this room with you is a collection of nerds, geeks, or whatever you prefer to be called…pocket protector having, taped up frame wearing, fanboys with birth control for personalities.
For this to work, you have to imagine furthermore there are no females in the room nor do you care. I know, that’s going to be challenging. You might have to reclaim your virginity to pull this off. Instead of caring about cars, music, females, or other typical guy interest, you are engrossed in comic book super heroes, cartoons, live-action thrillers and, as it happens, contrary to nerd-convention, the Dallas Cowboys. That’s it. Hypotheticals intertwined with topical topics is the discussion dominating the scene.
If the Dallas Cowboys were Batman, what players would go on his utility belt?
Ezekiel Elliott may not be what you would normally consider a utility player, but by definition a utility player is essentially a jack of all trades, master of none; which is perhaps the best explanation of what makes Ezekiel Elliott a generational talent when compared to other running backs in the league. I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again: some guys may be faster, some guys may be stronger and break more tackles, some guys may be better at picking up the blitz (though I doubt it), some guys may be better pass catchers out of the backfield, etc. But there is not a single running back playing in the NFL that does all those things simultaneously as well as Zeke. So, I seriously doubt Batman would ever leave the Bat Cave without Ezekiel Elliott within arm’s reach.
In college, skill players are often times far too concerned with the skillsets that yield touchdowns and don’t give sufficient credence to those functions that will ultimately set them apart in the NFL scouting department conversations. Very early in Zeke’s college career, this could have been said of him. But the competition to start at running back in Ohio States football program was stiff to say the least. Every player sported similar resumes to his coming out of High School.
At the NFL Combine in 2016, Zeke had this to say:
"I value blocking more than anything," Elliott told reporters at the NFL Combine in February. "When I first started playing football I was a fullback, my first job was to block. When I first got to Ohio State I realized I wasn't going to be the biggest or fastest guy, I was only 17 playing with a bunch of 22- and 21-year-old guys, so I was trying to find something that would set me apart. And that day I realized it was just effort.
"Not everyone is willing to go out there and play with a lot of effort. And blocking is another thing that running backs aren't really willing to do. That's a part of my game. I really made it important to me to become very good at."
As result of that additional “effort” on Zeke’s part, he has the numbers to back up the claim: According to Pro Football Focus, Elliott never allowed a sack, hit or hurry in the 103 times he was asked to pass block in 2015.
Perhaps one of the most overlooked players of the Cowboys team last season was Cole Beasley. As utility players go, he very well may be one of the best. Granted, Beasley won’t wow you with his punt/kick return aptitude, but as a slot receiver, there are few players I would take in his stead. He’s not blazing fast or what you might call an elite athletic specimen, but his football IQ, short area quickness and reliable hands makes him extremely valuable to the Cowboys; especially while in the process of grooming Dak Prescott. Over the course of his 5 seasons in the NFL he has slowly but surely replaced Witten as the go-to guy on 3rd down.
Lost in the haze of last year’s 13 and 3 dreamlike season was the fact that Cole Beasley was Dak Prescott’s favorite target, amassing a whopping 75 receptions for 833 yards and 5 touchdowns. Granted, as WR seasons go, the yards and the touchdowns aren’t all that impressive, but, to be fair, stretching the field is not the intended use of that particular Batman gadget. Beasley’s predominant function is to move the chains. In a comparison recently done of slot receivers currently in the NFL, Cole Beasley's catch rate was the highest at 78.9. See here for the graphic: https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C_fBkQqXgAAabh0.jpg
Terrence Williams is perhaps the most under-appreciated player on the Dallas Cowboys roster. The Cowboys are fortunate to still have him, considering he very could have very easily cashed in during Free Agency this year, instead opting to accept a team-friendly offer to stay for the next 4 years to the tune of 17 million (a paltry number for a #2 receiver). Granted, like Zeke, he may not fit the conventional description of a utility player. However, I’d argue though he doesn’t play any position on the team other than wide receiver, he does so much more than just receive. Go back and watch just him when he doesn’t have the ball in his hands. He is one of the best open-space blockers you will find in a #2 receiver.
The Ezekiel screen pass turned into a Touchdown versus the Steelers is perhaps the best example, as he actually landed 2 blocks to free Zeke down the sideline for the eventual touchdown. Not too many receivers would have put in the effort Terence did to ensure Zeke finished that run almost untouched. That goes beyond coaching. That speaks to his character, his team-first approach, and his commitment to being great even when he doesn’t have the ball in his hands. Truth be told, of all the Free Agents they opted to keep and bring in from the outside, he may have been the most important to the Cowboys future success.
The last gadget I’m adding to Batman’s belt is a projection or prototype if you prefer. He hasn’t been tested yet, but considering the design was modeled after Cole Beasley, I’m sure Alfred has high hopes for his future success. Ryan Switzer, of all the players previously discussed, may end up being the best utility player of them all. Contrary to Beasley’s punt return resume coming out of college, Switzer enters the league as one of the best punt returners that the college game has ever seen, posting 7 over his career, which is 1 short of the NCAA record. On top of being a special team’s return demon, over 4 years of playing slot receiver he amassed 243 receptions, 2903 yards and 19 touchdowns. His senior year was by a large margin his best year, logging 96 receptions for 1,112 yards and 6 touchdowns and was a big part of the reason why Mitchell Trubisky was drafted 2nd overall in this year’s draft.
Granted, the leap from college to the NFL will be pronounced; adjustments in his game will have to be made. But like Beasley, he also has ridiculous short area quickness, excellent football IQ and extremely reliable hands. Add to that, as difficult as this may be to accept, he may also be better with the ball in his hands after the catch than his predecessor and new mentor, Cole Beasley. Again, we absolutely will have to see it on the field because Beasley is no slouch himself with the ball in his hands, often times making the first and second guy miss in the open field. Call it a hunch, though, Beasley may indeed have finally met his match in that particular arena.
You really cannot have too many of these types of players. By that, I don’t mean tweeners. I’m talking about team-players who with or without the ball in their hands, are always trying to make plays and help the team win in any way they possibly can, even it means the lion share of accolades will go to another teammate. They care about the little things. They work at every aspect of their game as opposed to just those traits that helps them across the end zone line. They work at blocking. They work on the crispness of their routes. Anything that helps the team, they will do; the coach need only ask. If you could find 53 players committed to their craft just like that, finding the Super Bowl from there would be a heck of a lot easier.
Thoughts?
For this to work, you have to imagine furthermore there are no females in the room nor do you care. I know, that’s going to be challenging. You might have to reclaim your virginity to pull this off. Instead of caring about cars, music, females, or other typical guy interest, you are engrossed in comic book super heroes, cartoons, live-action thrillers and, as it happens, contrary to nerd-convention, the Dallas Cowboys. That’s it. Hypotheticals intertwined with topical topics is the discussion dominating the scene.
If the Dallas Cowboys were Batman, what players would go on his utility belt?
Ezekiel Elliott may not be what you would normally consider a utility player, but by definition a utility player is essentially a jack of all trades, master of none; which is perhaps the best explanation of what makes Ezekiel Elliott a generational talent when compared to other running backs in the league. I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again: some guys may be faster, some guys may be stronger and break more tackles, some guys may be better at picking up the blitz (though I doubt it), some guys may be better pass catchers out of the backfield, etc. But there is not a single running back playing in the NFL that does all those things simultaneously as well as Zeke. So, I seriously doubt Batman would ever leave the Bat Cave without Ezekiel Elliott within arm’s reach.
In college, skill players are often times far too concerned with the skillsets that yield touchdowns and don’t give sufficient credence to those functions that will ultimately set them apart in the NFL scouting department conversations. Very early in Zeke’s college career, this could have been said of him. But the competition to start at running back in Ohio States football program was stiff to say the least. Every player sported similar resumes to his coming out of High School.
At the NFL Combine in 2016, Zeke had this to say:
"I value blocking more than anything," Elliott told reporters at the NFL Combine in February. "When I first started playing football I was a fullback, my first job was to block. When I first got to Ohio State I realized I wasn't going to be the biggest or fastest guy, I was only 17 playing with a bunch of 22- and 21-year-old guys, so I was trying to find something that would set me apart. And that day I realized it was just effort.
"Not everyone is willing to go out there and play with a lot of effort. And blocking is another thing that running backs aren't really willing to do. That's a part of my game. I really made it important to me to become very good at."
As result of that additional “effort” on Zeke’s part, he has the numbers to back up the claim: According to Pro Football Focus, Elliott never allowed a sack, hit or hurry in the 103 times he was asked to pass block in 2015.
Perhaps one of the most overlooked players of the Cowboys team last season was Cole Beasley. As utility players go, he very well may be one of the best. Granted, Beasley won’t wow you with his punt/kick return aptitude, but as a slot receiver, there are few players I would take in his stead. He’s not blazing fast or what you might call an elite athletic specimen, but his football IQ, short area quickness and reliable hands makes him extremely valuable to the Cowboys; especially while in the process of grooming Dak Prescott. Over the course of his 5 seasons in the NFL he has slowly but surely replaced Witten as the go-to guy on 3rd down.
Lost in the haze of last year’s 13 and 3 dreamlike season was the fact that Cole Beasley was Dak Prescott’s favorite target, amassing a whopping 75 receptions for 833 yards and 5 touchdowns. Granted, as WR seasons go, the yards and the touchdowns aren’t all that impressive, but, to be fair, stretching the field is not the intended use of that particular Batman gadget. Beasley’s predominant function is to move the chains. In a comparison recently done of slot receivers currently in the NFL, Cole Beasley's catch rate was the highest at 78.9. See here for the graphic: https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C_fBkQqXgAAabh0.jpg
Terrence Williams is perhaps the most under-appreciated player on the Dallas Cowboys roster. The Cowboys are fortunate to still have him, considering he very could have very easily cashed in during Free Agency this year, instead opting to accept a team-friendly offer to stay for the next 4 years to the tune of 17 million (a paltry number for a #2 receiver). Granted, like Zeke, he may not fit the conventional description of a utility player. However, I’d argue though he doesn’t play any position on the team other than wide receiver, he does so much more than just receive. Go back and watch just him when he doesn’t have the ball in his hands. He is one of the best open-space blockers you will find in a #2 receiver.
The Ezekiel screen pass turned into a Touchdown versus the Steelers is perhaps the best example, as he actually landed 2 blocks to free Zeke down the sideline for the eventual touchdown. Not too many receivers would have put in the effort Terence did to ensure Zeke finished that run almost untouched. That goes beyond coaching. That speaks to his character, his team-first approach, and his commitment to being great even when he doesn’t have the ball in his hands. Truth be told, of all the Free Agents they opted to keep and bring in from the outside, he may have been the most important to the Cowboys future success.
The last gadget I’m adding to Batman’s belt is a projection or prototype if you prefer. He hasn’t been tested yet, but considering the design was modeled after Cole Beasley, I’m sure Alfred has high hopes for his future success. Ryan Switzer, of all the players previously discussed, may end up being the best utility player of them all. Contrary to Beasley’s punt return resume coming out of college, Switzer enters the league as one of the best punt returners that the college game has ever seen, posting 7 over his career, which is 1 short of the NCAA record. On top of being a special team’s return demon, over 4 years of playing slot receiver he amassed 243 receptions, 2903 yards and 19 touchdowns. His senior year was by a large margin his best year, logging 96 receptions for 1,112 yards and 6 touchdowns and was a big part of the reason why Mitchell Trubisky was drafted 2nd overall in this year’s draft.
Granted, the leap from college to the NFL will be pronounced; adjustments in his game will have to be made. But like Beasley, he also has ridiculous short area quickness, excellent football IQ and extremely reliable hands. Add to that, as difficult as this may be to accept, he may also be better with the ball in his hands after the catch than his predecessor and new mentor, Cole Beasley. Again, we absolutely will have to see it on the field because Beasley is no slouch himself with the ball in his hands, often times making the first and second guy miss in the open field. Call it a hunch, though, Beasley may indeed have finally met his match in that particular arena.
You really cannot have too many of these types of players. By that, I don’t mean tweeners. I’m talking about team-players who with or without the ball in their hands, are always trying to make plays and help the team win in any way they possibly can, even it means the lion share of accolades will go to another teammate. They care about the little things. They work at every aspect of their game as opposed to just those traits that helps them across the end zone line. They work at blocking. They work on the crispness of their routes. Anything that helps the team, they will do; the coach need only ask. If you could find 53 players committed to their craft just like that, finding the Super Bowl from there would be a heck of a lot easier.
Thoughts?
