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OXNARD, Calif. – With Jerry Jones hiring 73-year-old Monte Kiffin to run the Cowboys defense, age was a hot topic for a while this offseason in Dallas.
But while studying the weathered mug of the legendary Cover 2 guru, many forgot the team’s fortunes this season could hinge on six starters who weren’t even alive when Kiffin entered the NFL in 1983 as linebackers coach for the Green Bay Packers.
If Dallas is going to snap its three-year playoff drought, 24-year-old wide receiver Dez Bryant, 25-year-old linebacker Bruce Carter, 23-year-old cornerback Morris Claiborne, 26-year-old linebacker Sean Lee, 25-year-old running back DeMarco Murray and 22-year-old left tackle Tyron Smith must fulfill the promise that led the team to use either first-, second- or third-round picks on them between 2010-2012.
No less an authority than NFL.com analyst Gil Brand, the Cowboys’ personnel director during the Tom Landry era, believes this is the year the group steps to the fore.
“I really think they’ve turned the thing around and I’ve been bullish on them all this year,” Brandt said of the Cowboys. “They’ve had some good drafts and they do have some good young players. They’ve enhanced their coaching staff and they have created competition at several positions. They just have done a good job of adding to their roster.”
To get a glimpse of what Dallas could be like with all six youngsters clicking on all cylinders, consider what happened late last season when just one of them was dominant. En route to a breakout 92-catch, 1,382-yard, 12-touchdown season, Bryant enjoyed a seven-game TD streak through Week 16, a sensational run in which the Cowboys were 5-2.
Now just imagine what it would be like if Carter, Lee and Murray had been playing at a similar high level during that spree instead of either standing on the sideline nursing injuries or playing at less than full speed. The three missed a combined 21 games in 2012, a big reason why Dallas finished 8-8 for a second straight season.
“I’ve said from the beginning, the best way we can improve upon our team from last year is keep guys healthy,” Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones told a Dallas radio station in the offseason.
“…If we can really do a better job there, I like our chances of making some significant improvements on 8-8.”
But it can’t end with Bryant, Lee, Carter and Murray. Dallas also needs Smith and Claiborne to play the way scouts thought they would when the Cowboys selected them ninth and sixth overall in 2011 and 2012.
Smith had a strong second half last season, but a lot more is expected from a player who told reporters the day after he was drafted, “I have the potential to be a Pro Bowler and a Hall of Famer.” Maybe he’ll be inspired by watching Larry Allen, the greatest offensive lineman in franchise history, enter the Hall of Fame next month. In Allen’s second year, he was already a Pro Bowl player.
Then there’s Claiborne. While he showed flashes last season of justifying Dallas making him the first defender selected in the 2012 draft, he often got outmuscled by physical wideouts and burned in man coverage.
The good news for the Cowboys: Claiborne is stronger this season.
“You can tell by looking at him,” Bryant said. “He is real tough. That’s what I love. He is adding an element to his game, that is, being more physical.
“He already has the eye for the ball. He has the hands of a receiver. He is just putting pieces together to be one of the best in the league.”
If Claiborne and Co. can reach that lofty level, the Cowboys will have a great shot at finally getting back into the playoffs.
Continue reading...
But while studying the weathered mug of the legendary Cover 2 guru, many forgot the team’s fortunes this season could hinge on six starters who weren’t even alive when Kiffin entered the NFL in 1983 as linebackers coach for the Green Bay Packers.
If Dallas is going to snap its three-year playoff drought, 24-year-old wide receiver Dez Bryant, 25-year-old linebacker Bruce Carter, 23-year-old cornerback Morris Claiborne, 26-year-old linebacker Sean Lee, 25-year-old running back DeMarco Murray and 22-year-old left tackle Tyron Smith must fulfill the promise that led the team to use either first-, second- or third-round picks on them between 2010-2012.
No less an authority than NFL.com analyst Gil Brand, the Cowboys’ personnel director during the Tom Landry era, believes this is the year the group steps to the fore.
“I really think they’ve turned the thing around and I’ve been bullish on them all this year,” Brandt said of the Cowboys. “They’ve had some good drafts and they do have some good young players. They’ve enhanced their coaching staff and they have created competition at several positions. They just have done a good job of adding to their roster.”
To get a glimpse of what Dallas could be like with all six youngsters clicking on all cylinders, consider what happened late last season when just one of them was dominant. En route to a breakout 92-catch, 1,382-yard, 12-touchdown season, Bryant enjoyed a seven-game TD streak through Week 16, a sensational run in which the Cowboys were 5-2.
Now just imagine what it would be like if Carter, Lee and Murray had been playing at a similar high level during that spree instead of either standing on the sideline nursing injuries or playing at less than full speed. The three missed a combined 21 games in 2012, a big reason why Dallas finished 8-8 for a second straight season.
“I’ve said from the beginning, the best way we can improve upon our team from last year is keep guys healthy,” Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones told a Dallas radio station in the offseason.
“…If we can really do a better job there, I like our chances of making some significant improvements on 8-8.”
But it can’t end with Bryant, Lee, Carter and Murray. Dallas also needs Smith and Claiborne to play the way scouts thought they would when the Cowboys selected them ninth and sixth overall in 2011 and 2012.
Smith had a strong second half last season, but a lot more is expected from a player who told reporters the day after he was drafted, “I have the potential to be a Pro Bowler and a Hall of Famer.” Maybe he’ll be inspired by watching Larry Allen, the greatest offensive lineman in franchise history, enter the Hall of Fame next month. In Allen’s second year, he was already a Pro Bowl player.
Then there’s Claiborne. While he showed flashes last season of justifying Dallas making him the first defender selected in the 2012 draft, he often got outmuscled by physical wideouts and burned in man coverage.
The good news for the Cowboys: Claiborne is stronger this season.
“You can tell by looking at him,” Bryant said. “He is real tough. That’s what I love. He is adding an element to his game, that is, being more physical.
“He already has the eye for the ball. He has the hands of a receiver. He is just putting pieces together to be one of the best in the league.”
If Claiborne and Co. can reach that lofty level, the Cowboys will have a great shot at finally getting back into the playoffs.
Continue reading...