Keeping Parnell over Free

[Alexander]

Martin isn't taking anybodys spot on the roster we literally had no bodies at guard after releasing Dominguez. I guess he took Dominguez's spot?

You know as well as I do he was drafted to eventually play tackle, not be a temporary fill in at guard.

He is going to take a starting job from a guard but Martins draft has nothing to do with the backup tackle spot unless you think they are going to make him the swing tackle too.

I am sure Parnell or Weems will be the swing tackle in 2014. There really is no other choice. But neither is more than a swing tackle.

Parnell hurt his hamstring in July 2013 and didn't show much on TV. He played well in 2012. I can see saying we have no idea at where Parnell is because we haven't seen him play in awhile but inferring motivations so you can slam him seems pretty specious.

LOL. Yes, you doubt a fringe player who has never got it done, it is considered a "slam" around here.

 

[gimmesix]

Parnell only becomes a financial issue if he is given a significant chance to prove he's worth it. The only way that happens is if, God forbid, Smith or Free go down (or Parnell beats Free out straight up in training camp)...and those two have oddly had success in staying healthy...knock on wood.

I don't think Parnell will get a chance to beat out Free in training camp ... unless Free reverts to the poor play he showed before 2013.

I do think Parnell stands a good chance of coming back fairly cheaply and contending for the spot in 2015, when Free's cost shoots back up.

I do think Dallas is in good position at tackle having Parnell as the backup, and hopefully can take advantage of that next year by getting a good, quality starting lineman for fairly cheap. And if for some reason he doesn't work out as well as I think he will, moving Martin to RT would still be a possibility.

 

[Alexander]

I think we drafted Martin because we aren't that enamored with our starting guards. That's why Martin is being penciled in as a starting guard and why Dallas is talking about him staying at the position. I also think we drafted Martin because we couldn't get the trade we wanted to drop back and take Lawrence. Martin was the best option at that point ... and a better option at guard than we currently have.

So the idea of trading future choices to get Trai Turner means we wanted two permanent long term guards and were willing to spend two premium choices on them? Wow, Leary and Bernadeau must have been worse than anyone thought.

 

[JohnsKey19]

I've always liked what I've seen from Parnell. But he's obviously had his opprtunity to unseat Free and for whatever reason(s) has failed to do so. Sounds like Weems is quickly closing in on him on the depth chart.

 

[gimmesix]

You know as well as I do he was drafted to eventually play tackle, not be a temporary fill in at guard.

I think he was taken more because he was the best player available and because of his position flexibility. This allows Dallas to field the best five linemen, not only this year but when ones like Free are no longer on the roster.

I just happen to think when that happens that the best five will be Smith, Leary, Frederick, Martin and Parnell. All in their 20s with years to jell as a line. Maybe I'm wrong about Parnell, but I truly believe that one he gets out there and settles in as a starter, he'll be better than what we've got in Free. The only edge Free has right now is experience. (And again, I like Free better than I believe most on this board do.)

 

[Alexander]

I just happen to think when that happens that the best five will be Smith, Leary, Frederick, Martin and Parnell. All in their 20s with years to jell as a line. Maybe I'm wrong about Parnell, but I truly believe that one he gets out there and settles in as a starter, he'll be better than what we've got in Free. The only edge Free has right now is experience. (And again, I like Free better than I believe most on this board do.)

I think a lot of people underestimate Free and overestimate Parnell.

 

[gimmesix]

So the idea of trading future choices to get Trai Turner means we wanted two permanent long term guards and were willing to spend two premium choices on them? Wow, Leary and Bernadeau must have been worse than anyone thought.

Again, Martin gives us options. Yes, he can end up being the starting RT, but he's a multi-position player who can be used wherever makes the line strongest.

No one knows how the Turner pick would have turned out. The hope would be as a third-round pick that he improves our depth and is eventually able to surpass one of the starting guards. I'm always amazed how people view third-rounders as automatic starters, when so many third-round picks on OL have proven to be failures.

The eye is on improving the competition, though, because the better it is all around, the better the line will be. I don't frankly care if Martin becomes the starting RT or if Parnell does or if Free stays, whatever is best for the line. I just happen to believe that the best choice for Dallas if Free is too costly to keep will be starting Parnell at RT and Martin at RG.

 

[jday]

I don't think Parnell will get a chance to beat out Free in training camp ... unless Free reverts to the poor play he showed before 2013.

I do think Parnell stands a good chance of coming back fairly cheaply and contending for the spot in 2015, when Free's cost shoots back up.

I do think Dallas is in good position at tackle having Parnell as the backup, and hopefully can take advantage of that next year by getting a good, quality starting lineman for fairly cheap. And if for some reason he doesn't work out as well as I think he will, moving Martin to RT would still be a possibility.

I'm with you. I don't think there is much chance of Parnell getting that chance either, which is why I feel confident we could possibly keep both for the next few years. As much as I love what the Cowboys have done in the draft, building up the offensive line, I really hope their focus switches to the defensive line for the next few years, so long as they don't have to reach or package picks together as they did with Claiborne and Lawrence. Though the jury is still out if Lawrence was actually worth a 3rd and a 2nd.

 

[daveferr33]

Based on what, exactly? His short arms? I think given that he's made a name for himself at tackle, we should at least be open to the possibility that he can be a great RT. With that said however, I do like him at guard for this season at least.

If he can be a great Right Tackle, I have not problem with moving him there.

I believe the consensus was that Martin would be an exceptional guard in the NFL, but only an above average tackle. That is what I am basing my opinion on.

Most pre-draft publications had him rated as the best NFL guard in the draft, but the 4th or 5th best right tackle.

Compare:

http://www.drafttek.com/2014-NFL-Dr...ollege-Right-Offensive-Tackles-2014-Draft.asp

With:

http://www.drafttek.com/2014-NFL-Draft-Prospect-Rankings/Top-College-Offensive-Guards-2014-Draft.asp

Based on that, the only justification for taking him at #16 is if he is going to play guard.

 

[Alexander]

No one knows how the Turner pick would have turned out. The hope would be as a third-round pick that he improves our depth and is eventually able to surpass one of the starting guards. I'm always amazed how people view third-rounders as automatic starters, when so many third-round picks on OL have proven to be failures.

If what you are saying is accurate, we dodged a real bullet by not trading a future choice for Turner. What do that when chances are you get a failure?

The eye is on improving the competition, though, because the better it is all around, the better the line will be. I don't frankly care if Martin becomes the starting RT or if Parnell does or if Free stays, whatever is best for the line. I just happen to believe that the best choice for Dallas if Free is too costly to keep will be starting Parnell at RT and Martin at RG.

You do not spend premium choices in today's NFL to "improve competition". It might sound nice to pretend that was the real issue here, but the Cowboys were looking for immediate contributors for now and for the future.

 

[gimmesix]

I think a lot of people underestimate Free and overestimate Parnell.

I do think Free is underestimated, but I think Parnell is too. Maybe I'm wrong, but that's what I believe based on what I've seen. He has excellent movements skill and power. The only real negative I've seen in Parnell's game is he can be passive in letting the defender dictate the action and reacting to it instead of delivering a punch. He's been more comfortable mirroring and walling off, but I do think that has a lot to do with experience.

 

[gimmesix]

If what you are saying is accurate, we dodged a real bullet by not trading a future choice for Turner. What do that when chances are you get a failure?

This is a silly argument. Obviously, the higher you draft a player, the more you feel he will be able to contribute or start. But the success rate lowers by round. Maybe Turner will turn out to be all-world, but there's a reason he wasn't drafted like he was all-world and there's no sense acting like there's not.

 

[gimmesix]

You do not spend premium choices in today's NFL to "improve competition". It might sound nice to pretend that was the real issue here, but the Cowboys were looking for immediate contributors for now and for the future.

Let me let Titans General Manager Mike Reinfeldt answer that.

"Judging productive players or players who have NFL-caliber traits over the last five or six years, he sees a .560 hit percentage for the first and second rounds; .350 for the third, fourth and fifth rounds; and .333 for the sixth and seventh rounds."

People like to look at the third round as premium picks, but the truth is that the third round just gives you your pick of players who have the same bust rate as fourth- and fifth-round picks and not much better than sixth or seventh.

You're ever hopefuly for each round to produce a starter, but to say the Cowboys would be absolutely counting on Turner to be a starter if they had drafted him would have ignored the percentages, or Dallas' recent history with offensive linemen it has drafted after the early second round.

 

[Hoofbite]

There are reasons why a younger player doesn't supplant an older one and sometimes they have little to do with the skill of the younger one. If Free had not started off playing at a high level last year, I have no doubt that Parnell would have been the starter. But give credit to Free for upping his game and grabbing the position before Parnell could even get started.

He likely would have but only because he represents a guy who can grow into the role, not because he was actually all that good at that moment in time.

 

[Nightman]

I think a lot of people underestimate Free and overestimate Parnell.

I think you have that backwards. Free is pretty bad. He has played because of the contract they gave him after showing promise in 2010. He is too dependent on technique and requires a lot of help and game planning to make him passable. He should be a back-up and Parnell should be given a FAIR shot at beating him out. Parnell has much better tools and should be an upgrade.

Either way, Free needs to be replaced and it would be great if it was Parnell. It he isn't as good as we think, then Martin is a good back-up plan for 2015 if they can't sign or draft someone else.

 

[Stash]

So the idea of trading future choices to get Trai Turner means we wanted two permanent long term guards and were willing to spend two premium choices on them? Wow, Leary and Bernadeau must have been worse than anyone thought.

I would think so.

I think the idea was to get as many long term answers on the offensive line as they could.

If Martin pans out, they now have 3 of the 5 taken care of.

If Turner did too, that's 4 of the 5.

 

[TwoCentPlain]

I wouldn't be so quick to write off Free. He seemed to have played well last year at a difficult position to play. I think he is also a leader for the offensive line and a player the other offensive lineman look up to seek advice from. If I remember correctly, Tyron Smith gave free some praise last year as a player and a leader. Free has done everything the team has asked him to do (including a pay cut) and seems to have given his best effort. Parnell has had plenty of chances to unseat Free. He hasn't yet.

 

[CATCH17]

49ers not likely to re-up Iupati. Know the Cowboys loved him. Good chance they would spend the money on Iupati move Martin to RT and reshuffle the guards IMO and not spend the money on Free.

I would love to have him but I bet he'll be expensive.

 

[Stash]

I wouldn't be so quick to write off Free. He seemed to have played well last year at a difficult position to play. I think he is also a leader for the offensive line and a player the other offensive lineman look up to seek advice from. If I remember correctly, Tyron Smith gave free some praise last year as a player and a leader. Free has done everything the team has asked him to do (including a pay cut) and seems to have given his best effort. Parnell has had plenty of chances to unseat Free. He hasn't yet.

Coming from someone who wanted him run out of town on a rail prior to last season, I thought he played well enough to stay.

And if he and the team can come together on a reasonable contract, I wouldn't have a problem with Free sticking around.

 

[links18]

The time for Parnell was the middle of the 2012 season when Free was a total turnstile.