Ladies and gentlemen, I am thrilled to announce that I have finally selected my pet cat from the 2017 rookie draft class (pauses to allow cheers and applauds to die down). But before I get into the reveal, I believe you should probably understand my criteria for selecting a pet cat every year. I select two every year, but they each fall under different criteria: there are the pet cats I want the Cowboys to draft and then there are the pet cats I want to make the final 53.
So, in other words, to be my pet cat going into training camp you must both be a rookie and on the roster-bubble. Therefore, while many of the early selections from 2017 were very attractive options for this designation, being that everyone drafted from Xavier Woods and earlier are pretty much locks to make the team, that condition excludes them from this honor. Sorry guys…better luck next time…which there’s not going be a next time for this particular honor…but…well, you get the idea.
Anywho, as I was perusing the various tape and articles available for our bottom of the draft selections and UDFA’s in my tireless search for love, I came across this nugget (which is likely a significant reason the Cowboys drafted him…outside of Zeke lobbying for him):
Note: There was more footage, but this is the only one I could attach. I encourage you to search YouTube and Google for this particular players attributes as a blocker...he was used that way quite a bit for Ohio State.
Watch #80 from the slot in these plays (that’s right, you will have to take your eyes away from the ball carrier, which might be uncomfortable at first but can be enlightening in the long run…with practice).
The guy you are watching, if you haven’t already pieced it together, is none other than Noah Brown (19 / Pick #239, 7th round). My initial research on him (I am ashamed to admit) centered on his ability as a receiver and as a receiver alone. In that light, the book on him is cliche: Amazing physical tools and high ceiling potential, but to be an NFL quality receiver, he is very much a project. And that, in essence, is where my research stopped.
We have all seen this guy before, haven’t we? It seems like every year the Cowboys cycle through players who have the prototypical athleticism and/or size, but lacks in the mental X&O’s side of the game. That player last year was Rico Gathers. And if Brown is essentially the same type of get as Rico, we also all know where he is likely to end up in his first year: the practice squad. So, why (I reasoned with myself) should I fall in love with this player when I know it will likely be 2018 before he even has a reasonable shot to make the team?
And thus the search for the ever-so-coveted title of My Pet Cat continued.
Then I saw the above footage and instantly knew Butler (27) very well indeed could be in trouble and it may have nothing to do with his ability as a receiver. When projecting what 53 players coaches will keep the first thing you absolutely have to know is a players role based on where they are at on the depth chart as it relates to other players of like position. On the Cowboys depth chart, it is reasonable to expect that Butler and Brown are duking it out for the fifth spot behind Dez, Twill, Beasley and Switzer.
You might ask, “How has Switzer already leap frogged Butler and he hasn’t even played a snap in the NFL yet?”
Simple.
Switzer is ideal for the slot. Butler and Brown are ideal for the outside spots. And since the outside spots are already locked down by Dez and TWill, Brown and Butler are battling to be the outside receiver’s relief.
You might respond, “Fair enough, but then how in the hell is a bottom of the 7th round pick going to unseat Butler?”
Simple.
If your name is not Dez, Beasley, TWill, Witten or Zeke, the majority of the time you are on the field with the offense, your job will be to support the aforementioned players.
“Support how?”
Blocking. I’ve said it before – one of the undervalued aspects of TWill’s game is the fact that he is an excellent down the field blocker. And since he does that more than catching balls, you have to think that is an aspect of TWill’s game that the coaches love, as well. And you have to think that the coaches will be looking at that same type of contribution when ultimately deciding who to keep: Butler or Brown.
Butler had better be lights out at blocking, because he already has to cope with the understanding that at the end of the day his competition for that fifth spot cost less, is younger by a mile and more than likely, given his age of 19 years, has a much higher ceiling than what Butler has at this point in their perspective careers. Truth be told, as a fifth option, Butler is likely as good as it gets, compared to receiver options across the league who are also fifth in the pecking order on their teams. With that in mind, the Cowboys may even keep 6 receivers, but given the flux the Cowboys defense currently is in with pending or leveled suspensions (David Irving, Randall Gregory, Nolan Carroll, Damien Wilson), it will be very difficult for the Cowboys to go long at any position on offense.
So, assuming the Cowboys will only keep 5, here is how I suspect the decision will be made:
Believe it or not, their ability as a receiver may not factor in the decision as high as you may think. If you look at it from a coaches perspective, the first thing they want to know is how well the players can do what they’ll be doing the majority of the time as the fifth receiver on the team: Special Teams.
No matter how polished of a downfield blocker Noah Brown is, how he performs in Special Teams as compared to Butler will be the first determinant used to decide who between them stays. Fortunately for Noah, down field blocking is at least half the battle; that is essentially what his job will be if he is selected for returns unit, which based on the attached footage seems like an excellent place for a man of his talents to start. But like I said, that is only half the battle.
For coverage units, speed comes at a premium and Butler has speed in spades. Bryce Butler ran a 4.37 versus Noah Browns 4.55. Mind you; speed isn’t everything…you do also have to tackle. On this, I care not to guess who wins the battle, but based on size, Noah may have the physical advantage: Bryce Butler – 6’3” 215 lbs vs Noah Brown 6’2” 225 lbs. That’s 10 extra pounds spread over 1 less inch of frame. For now, the laws of physics suggest Noah wins that battle….but again, that is only regarding his ability to get the opposition to the ground; if Butler is consistently getting their first and also managing to bring the player down, Butler wins.
So then, you might ask, “What happens if Butler wins the receiver battle, but Noah wins the Special Teams battle?”
Once again, if the Cowboys are resolute in only keeping 5 players, then how each player blocks when they don't get the ball thrown to them will likely be the deciding factor. Keep in mind, Brown’s age and cap hit may already give him a slight edge over Butler…but considering how good Butler has been in his limited roles, that edge, I believe, is an extremely slight one. Brown will absolutely have to leave it all out on the field on every play without fail. Bryce has already made it known he will not be losing his position without a fight…and I tend to agree…it’s gonna be a fight for the ages.
Thoughts?
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