ProFootball Weekly:Way we hear it:Cowboys likely won't blow up O-line

[MarionBarberThe4th]

Im surprised to see Colombo has trade value. If someone suggested that hed get taunted.

*Off to the mock draft lab

 

[burmafrd]

Considering how incredibly hard it has been for us to grow our own OL we should not cut any of our starters or even think about it right now. Draft early and often this coming draft for O line, and look at FA as well. We need to upgrade our backups for sure (NO MORE PROCTOLOGIST!!!)

A guy like Pouncey that can play multiple positions is someone we need.

I am not worried about Colombo because up to his injury he was playing pretty good. A broken leg should not have any long term problems.

The Hotel will start falling off but we cannot let him go yet untill we have at least one more tackle that we can play. Right now we have two others and that is it. We NEVER want to be in the Tucker/Petitti position again!!

I am not worried about Gurode because interior linemen can play well into their 30's. Same with Bigg though the really LARGE guys tend to start going downhill a little sooner. Kosier is a real technician but always has trouble with the big DTs and we will keep seeing more and more of that type. Since it does not seem like any of the guards or center types we have now are any good we need to go out and get some more. Would love to upgrade Kosier but no one in sight right now.


Our priority must be to get at LEAST ONE MORE TACKLE that can play well. Two would be great but our own history is pretty sad. We have developed a total of ONE OT since we drafted the Hotel in the 90's. Gurode is the ONLY interior lineman we have developed since LA. Ugh.

 

[MichaelWinicki]

It does if it's the playoff loss that sends you home.

That's exactly right.

And the losses where this oline crapped the bed were truly ugly loses... Denver, GB, Minny.

This line isn't going to dip its cup into the fountain of youth and suddenly give up 20 sacks next year– It's not going to happen.

And keep this unpleasant thought in mind, every additional sack, every additional hit, increases the odds that Romo is knocked out of the game– think about that.

Then there's the ineptness of the line to get one yard.

Watch the Denver game, the Green Bay game, the San Diego game, the second Washington game and the Minnesota playoff game and then come back here and tell us how good this line is.

Instead...

What we'll get is how crummy an offensive coordinator Jason Garrett is.

 

[Doomsday]

Years and years of poor drafting when it comes to offensive linemen is starting to catchup to this team. They need to change up the way the scout and draft olinemen or is just going to be more of the same.

I believe they need to get away from the philosophy of having a mammoth oline that is build for power running. It doesnt seem to match JG's play calling philosophy and the NFL isnt about power running any more it is about passing.

 

[kiheikiwi]

I think we should draft Iupati and start him at LG and Free at LT. I would bite the bullet and let Flo go.

I think this is our best case solution - left side, but at some point we will also need at least some depth for right tackle as well.
Had to come off the "pet cat" love for McClain earlier, and shifted to Iupati, as that is more realistic this draft. sniff,sniff...
Alot of the mocks have us taking a OT like Cambell etc, but I would be estatic if we jumped on Iupati round 1.

 

[Brooksey]

Trading Columbo and starting Free is not exactly out of the realm of possibility. Though I think keeping Columbo and releasing Flozell is more likely given his age and salary. Just don't suggest Davis to LT. Keep him at Guard. I do think Kosier's body is letting him down and we need to shore up the Left side of the line.

I really liked Free this year. Just like Anthony Spencer, he could grow into his position and be a huge factor in success.

Age and salary may be the end for Flozell, plus with the emergence of Free it doesn't look good. We may keep him for 2010, just for insurance and to help the younger guys develop

 

[Eskimo]

I think this is our best case solution - left side, but at some point we will also need at least some depth for right tackle as well.
Had to come off the "pet cat" love for McClain earlier, and shifted to Iupati, as that is more realistic this draft. sniff,sniff...
Alot of the mocks have us taking a OT like Cambell etc, but I would be estatic if we jumped on Iupati round 1.

you're almost always better picking the future Pro Bowler over the guy who will be an okay starter - so in this situation we are better off thinking Guard, Center or RT. LTs that are ready to play are high first rounders. It is too bad we didn't pick one of them in that great OT draft about 3 years ago - tons of those guys are now starting. They were available deep into the 3rd round from what I recall - I think we picked Fasano in the 2nd in that draft and Hatcher in the 3rd neither of whom have done much for us yet, unfortunately.

If the Guard prospect is a much higher grade than the Tackle than you have to take him for now and try and patch the RT later on or through FA or just bring back one of Colombo and Flo for another year.

 

[burmafrd]

Was that the 2007 Draft?

 

[big dog cowboy]

I would bite the bullet and let Flo go.

Trade. Get something.

 

[burmafrd]

Right now we have 3 tackles that we know can play. Only an idiot would trade one until we know we have another that can play. Can I say Tucker and Petitti again?

 

[CF74]

BPA: LT, C, LG...CB

The 1st three positions being the highest priority if not for replacement then at least for quality depth and competition to improve and push the current starters. Colombo when healthy is still better than Free. I still see Free as the next best thing at RT so as far as I'm concerned, we are set at RT. That leaves LT, C, & LG as the highest priorities in this draft imo.

Flo might give us 10 good games this year and then he's gonna wear down. Free can step up in a pinch but I'm not convinced he's the answer so we better draft somebody we can groom to play by mid or late in the season or at the very least by next year.

Kosier is serviceable but not stellar. He gets pushed around a lot. We don't know what we have in Brewster but the coaches do. We would be wise to draft a Center that can play Guard.

Gurode is good but not great. Personally I see him as the most over rated guy on the team or a guy who silently plays injured. He is very humble and has the likability factor but he gives up way to much pressure in the middle. He has the physical tools but as many have stated in multiple threads, he lacks the mental aspect. Center should be open for competition and we should draft one if it falls to us. Behind Gurode we have Procter, lol

CB would be the last of the top 4 needs merely because you can't have enough good ones in a passing league and if God forbid somebody goes down....

 

[TheSport78]

If we have the same 5 starters on the OL for Week 1 of the 2010 season, I'll be very disappointed. I bet we have the oldest offensive line in the league. I guarantee the OL will come back to bite us again.

 

[RS12]

I would not consider one or two new starters blowing up the line. There needs to be O Line changes on the roster though.

 

[Nirvana]

This is an uncapped year and this cut Flo nonsense isn't taking that into consideration. Jerry can afford the contract guys.

 

[MarionBarberThe4th]

But Flo is 35 and just signed a big deal. This could be a free year to get out of a bad contract.

Then by 2011 your cap situation w/o Flo, Hamlin, probably Barber, and hopefully a restructured RW should be great

 

[dbair1967]

But Flo is 35 and just signed a big deal. This could be a free year to get out of a bad contract.

You get out of bad contracts if the player/s arnt worth it, and Adams doesnt fit that description. He's still extremely good, especially in pass protection. You also have to be damn sur if you release him, that somebody as good or betetr is ready to step in. Not sure you can say that in regards to Adams. Free maybe, but we dont know for sure. 1st rd pick, maybe, but doubtful considering where we'll be drafting.

Hamlin and Barber do fit that description IMO, but I doubt either would be released.

 

[MichaelWinicki]

Right now we have 3 tackles that we know can play. Only an idiot would trade one until we know we have another that can play. Can I say Tucker and Petitti again?

I don't disagree with that premise, however stick with me on this one...


Say the Cowboys choose an OT in the first round this year– certainly not a ridiculous thought.

Now say that first rounder comes in and plays decently. Not decently enough to pull ahead of any of the 3 decent tackles on the roster, but certainly shows promise.

As the team goes through training camp, Doug Free has picked it up from last year and looks like he's right there with Mark and Flozell.

Now it's the end of August, a couple of teams have already lost OT's due to injuries in the preseason. The Cowboys are in good health at OT and it appears they have 3 that can start and one that is very close.

Considering that only 3 tackles would likely be carried on game day do you make the rookie 1st rounder inactive? And again this is a rookie who is showing promise and is earning a 1st round salary. That's a tough one to swallow. I could see a 1st rounder being inactive for a couple of games, but it's not what you would want to be doing for an entire season.

Are you going to make Free inactive? No of course not.

Or are you going to peddle either Flozell or Mark prior to the start of the season in order to:

1. Take advantage of the seller's market in that there are teams that need an experienced lineman due to injures.
2. Get the 1st rounder dressed for game day, and keep the fans from complaining about another unproductive 1st round selection... Which of course is going to happen if a first rounder is made inactive on game day. It just doesn't look good.

I don't think this is an unrealistic scenario.

 

[Sarge]

The OL needs help - PERIOD and lot's of it. It is, and remains overrated for the past 3-4 seasons.

 

[burmafrd]

I am not too worried about what anyone thinks frankly about whether we have an inactive first rd choice. Who cares?

One thing to remember that at the moment whatever big contracts we dump will still be counted in future years. I think there WILL be a salary cap again because it just makes too much sense. So thinking we can freely dump big contracts is a mistake.

Flo was handling Allen pretty well up to his injury. He is still a very good LT who can at times look bad or all world. I really doubt though that we can really get anything for him. Colombo was playing pretty well until his injury. Free played RT well. I say draft at least one tackle high this year and frankly I would take two. Also someone like Pouncy who can play guard and center so that the PROCTOLOGIST can be finally surgically removed. Brewster is still an unknown. No matter what any coaches may say (Good things were once said about McQ and Martin and others and they never panned out). Until a player shows what he can do in regular season games and at least several of them he does not count.

With our extremely poor record of developing O Lineman over the last 10 years I am not willing to let anyone who has shown they can play go UNTIL we see someone else show they can play.

 

[MichaelWinicki]

With our extremely poor record of developing O Lineman over the last 10 years I am not willing to let anyone who has shown they can play go UNTIL we see someone else show they can play.

What happened 10 years ago really has no bearing on what happens during the upcoming draft and season.

And ultimately it will be someone else's decision on who makes the final roster.

I question if the Cowboy braintrust would make either Flozell or Mark a reserve if either loses their job to Doug Free. I'm just not sure they would.