How important is the Center position?

[buybuydandavis]

I thought he had talent, but was grossly misused last season. It looked to me as if they were trying to make him an ordinary RB, when it was obvious that he needs the ball in space.

Yeah, I didn't get how they were using him like a straight up RB. Setting him up for failure. He could play tailback in college. Don't think so in the NFL. Setting him up for failure. All the dline are quicker. You've got to be able to run through some arm tackles, and I don't think he can.

Though I felt that they were similarly wasting Pollard. While Pollard *can* at least play like a regular RB, he could have been so much more for us.

One deep ball to Pollard, one 60+ yard TD. I just don't get why something works great and we just don't go back to it again and again til it doesn't pay off anymore.

 

[G2]

It was taxing seeing the Center just get out-muscled into the backfield.

 

[KingCorcoran]

That's your only argument? Weak.

That is a valid point. The fact a player that has never played the position in competitive football can simply become a center in the NFL is another valid point.

 

[DuncanIso]

It was taxing seeing the Center just get out-muscled into the backfield.

TB is gone now.

But he was a good player us.

 

[gtb1943]

TB is gone now.

But he was a good player us.

just not good enough

 

[TwentyOne]

The Cowboys continued a decades long pattern of drafting only tackles and centers for their Oline. When the Cowboys draft an interior lineman, they rarely draft a college interior lineman unless he plays, or they project him to play the Center position.

So, how do they get their Guards? They draft college tackles, and convert them to guard. Look back over time - especially over the last 25 years. Who have been the highest performing guards for the Cowboys? Leonard Davis, Ron Leary, Zack Martin, La’el Collins, Connor Williams, and now Tyler Smith.

And their top performing interior players were Andre Gurode, Travis Frederick and Tyler Biadasz. Now they’ve spent another high pick on an interior lineman. It is no surprise they want Beebe to play Center.

Frankly, despite his lone Pro Bowl appearance as a replacement for another player, Tyler Biadasz has been a weak link for the Cowboys - especially in the run game. The drop in the Cowboys performance over the past few seasons can be directly attributed to their weakness in the center of the Oline.

I’m not saying that Biadasz was trash. He improved. But he was never the powerhouse that you would prefer at the position. I don’t personally know that much about Connor Beebe, other than some highly regarded scouts had him ranked among their top 40 players in this draft. He was picked 73rd.

If Beebe can successfully transition to Center (and it could take some time for the adjustment to take hold), he might be a significant upgrade that directly affects the pocket security of Dak Prescott, and has a huge impact on the Cowboys power running game.

How might this affect the Cowboys in the near term, and later this coming season? Well, last year the Cowboys spent a 6th round pick on a RB who is small in stature, but quick to the hole, and explosive after he hits the hole. If Berne can improve the interior blocking, the Cowboys have a much better chance to recoup the investment they made in Deuce Vaughn.

Also, the Cowboys have questions on the edge, with Rookie Tyler Guyton adjusting from the right side to the left side, and undrafted wunderkind Terence Steele coming off a disappointing season that followed a knee injury. Bringing back Zeke Elliott at RB may be more about helping out the pass protection for Dak than it is getting running game production from him. Zeke is well known as one of the best blocking backs in Pass Pro in the NFL. If Zeke can help with pass protection while the rookies adjust to the NFL, and while Steele hopefully gets back to the form that earned him a big contract, then the investment in Zeke could pay off - even without great production from him in the running game.

But they key to making this work is getting a big nasty Center that can hold down the middle of the line against the strong interior Dlinemen in the Division, and create space for the running game to operate efficiently.

That’s a big “if.” But all the rookies, and many of the 2nd year players remain “ifs” right now - until we see them perform. But the Cowboys at least have a plan. We’ll see if the risks they’ve taken will pay off. The key factor will be if the Cowboys grow stronger as the season progresses.

Second most important position on the line:

LT
C
RT
LG
RG

 

[CowboysLakerBamaFan]

The LT position doesn't matter if your C sucks. So, is LT really more important?

Yes

 

[CowboysLakerBamaFan]

After watching Bebe's highlight film on draft night, it's pretty obvious we just drafted a guy who COULD be a future Hall Of Famer. The only single thing standing between him and a gold jacket, is simply playing at an All Pro level for 12 years in a row.

I can't believe 1 draft has given us the best oLine in the league

 

[big dog cowboy]

It was taxing seeing the Center just get out-muscled into the backfield.

Happened far too often. Extending him would have been a mistake.

 

[Blue&Silver]

He's very important because he's in the center of the offense.

 

[Buzzbait]

Your entire offense doesn’t matter if one of your tackles sucks. How many Chaz Green Center stories do you know? Eagles have the same story with Winston Justice and Osi Umenyiora. In the infamous 2020 Super Bowl when KC got obliterated by TB because their Oline was in tatters, it was in tatters because they were missing their LT and his backup. The Center was fine and played 100% of the snaps.

Center is an important position, but the NFL today is all about edge rushers affecting the flow of a football game. NFL owners have a pretty good understanding of the value of each positional player… they don’t throw around money needlessly. Centers get paid significantly less than LT’s not because of media bias or historical favoritism; this is the salary cap recipe most reflective of winning.

How many Phil Costa stories do you know?
After Phil Costa, Travis Frederick was literally a lifesaver for Tony Romo.

 

[Buzzbait]

You leave Phil Costa alone!

 

[doomsday9084]

IMO, its a question of positional scarcity. A LT has to have good feet, strength and long arms. Its a rare physical specimen. Centers don't have to be as mobile or have the arm length. As such, its harder to find a good LT than a good C.

That said, a bad C will ruin your line faster than a bad LT. You can cover for a bad LT with chips and scheme. Getting blown up in the middle will ruin an offense and there really isn't much you can do about it.

 

[kskboys]

That is a valid point. The fact a player that has never played the position in competitive football can simply become a center in the NFL is another valid point.

That's not what this was about.

 

[kskboys]

IMO, its a question of positional scarcity. A LT has to have good feet, strength and long arms. Its a rare physical specimen. Centers don't have to be as mobile or have the arm length. As such, its harder to find a good LT than a good C.

That said, a bad C will ruin your line faster than a bad LT. You can cover for a bad LT with chips and scheme. Getting blown up in the middle will ruin an offense and there really isn't much you can do about it.

Very well said.

 

[kskboys]

How many Phil Costa stories do you know?
After Phil Costa, Travis Frederick was literally a lifesaver for Tony Romo.

Romo had to blackmail Jerry to get him.

 

[kskboys]

Yes

No.

C's are easier to find, that's why LT's cost more.

 

[Cowboy-33]

It seems like one of his (Beebe)strengths is pulling as guard and being the lead blocker. That won’t happen much at center. Certainly not as much as at guard.

 

[CowboysLakerBamaFan]

No.

C's are easier to find, that's why LT's cost more.

You didn't comprehend the question.

"Is LT REALLY more important?"

I answered YES, LTs really ARE more important.

 

[Aerolithe_Lion]

How many Phil Costa stories do you know?
After Phil Costa, Travis Frederick was literally a lifesaver for Tony Romo.

Many Phil Costa stories. Dozens even. Costa still lasted 16 games in substandard fashion. Chaz Green had to be removed immediately or he would have single handedly tanked your entire season.

No one is arguing Center isn’t an important position. But we’re relating it to the Oline where it doesn’t even compare to the others.

Jason Kelce has stated multiple times center is the least important position on the Oline. The vast majority of passing plays the center is assisted by both the R or L guard. The players commonly double teamed are the 3-tech or the NT, and the center is one of the two that double them. Running plays the C almost always stands his ground unless you have a unique player like Kelce who is best running in open space. But even then, G’s and T’s have to pull far more often.

Physically, it’s not even close. The best C of his generation was 6’3, 290lbs. That guy would not be the same at G, you could never leave him on an island with a dominant DT; and would struggle to even make the team at T.

The highest paid LT is making 25m$ a year

The highest paid RT is making 28m$ a year

The highest paid LG is making 22m$ a year

The highest paid RG is making 21m$ a year

The highest paid C is making 13m$ a year


This isn’t some anomaly where 32 NFL franchises Don’t know what they’re doing with the salary cap and Cowboyszone has the secret to NFL success. Yes, calling out blitz pickups and adjusting play calls with the QB has relevance, but this isn’t something that can’t be taught to most intelligent human beings. How many times do you hear about a center who loses his starting job because he can’t figure out the playcalling system or he routinely misrecognizes blitzes?

The disparity in what is being argued is so enormous that I’m a bit baffled as to how people are rationalizing this argument.