Scout’s Eye: Frederick Improving at Guard

[MrPhil]

I don't want to jump on the Cowboys too soon before it plays out a little but it is pretty pathetic how they didn't upgrade the guard position.

I had hoped for an offseason upgrade (Draft or Free Agency) at two of the OL positions. It was a little troubling that Frederick was the only acquisition they made of note along the OL. Just hope it doesn't come back to bite them.

 

[burmafrd]

Larry Allen was a second round pick and bounced around.

But all indications Frederick is bright. And it's not like he hasn't played guard before.

If I was a betting many I would still say that Frederick will probably end up being the starting center this season but I wouldn't say that it's an absolute lock at this point.

unless Costa is a better guard than Arkin- and considering how little they have tried Costa at guard that is not likely- then his only position is center.

ALmost certainly Fredrick is a better guard than Costa. BUT how much of a difference is there from Costa at center and the Beard at Guard from the Beard at Center and Arkin at guard? That is the question. The most likely scenario is Beard at Center with Leary and Arkin at guard. By the way comparing LA to any of the offal we have at guard right now is obscene. LA was a once in a generation if not more player.

 

[MichaelWinicki]

unless Costa is a better guard than Arkin- and considering how little they have tried Costa at guard that is not likely- then his only position is center.

ALmost certainly Fredrick is a better guard than Costa. BUT how much of a difference is there from Costa at center and the Beard at Guard from the Beard at Center and Arkin at guard? That is the question. The most likely scenario is Beard at Center with Leary and Arkin at guard.

That's very possible. I'm just not sure the Cowboys want 3 first year starters playing next to each other, but could it happen? Yeah it could. And if they are the 3 best, then I'm all for it.

 

[ConstantReboot]

Simple solution to this mess. Sign Brian Waters and let Fredbeard stay at center.

This is the fault of Jerry for not putting a priority on the oline. Why for the love of God do we only draft of few linemen here and there and most of them are projects from small schools?

 

[AbeBeta]

Larry Allen was a second round pick and bounced around.

But all indications Frederick is bright. And it's not like he hasn't played guard before.

If I was a betting man I would still say that Frederick will probably end up being the starting center this season but I wouldn't say that it's an absolute lock at this point.

Allen also was not projected as a starter in his first year. He was a backup so he needed to have the position flexibility to cover a couple of spots.

 

[TheRomoSexual]

Simple solution to this mess. Sign Brian Waters and let Fredbeard stay at center.

This is the fault of Jerry for not putting a priority on the oline. Why for the love of God do we only draft of few linemen here and there and most of them are projects from small schools?

Haha wow, virtually every aspect of this post is wrong.

 

[Fla Cowpoke]

It's funny how everyone wants us to draft OL when it seems like even Smith now just might not be what we hoped for. Why keep doing something we are bad at doing? Should just stick with going after top level free agents and overpaying them.

If Waters checks out and is in any kind of shape, sign him at RG, then we have Costa, Arkin and Bernadeau as interior backups. Say good bye to Livings and look for someone that can play the swing tackle if Parnell or Bell can't do it.

We are likely to have 2-3 new starters on the OL. The guys that are there right now are the ones we projected for the most part except RG. I don't get the panic...we are missing scrubs to play against other team's scrubs. I know that puts a strain on our starters, but it isn't the worst thing that could happen.

 

[MichaelWinicki]

Allen also was not projected as a starter in his first year. He was a backup so he needed to have the position flexibility to cover a couple of spots.

He became a starter pretty quickly that season because of the Erik Williams car accident. Started 10 games.

And I gotta think that moving a guard to tackle, like what Larry Allen did, is more difficult than a guy moving from center to guard.

 

[MichaelWinicki]

It's funny how everyone wants us to draft OL when it seems like even Smith now just might not be what we hoped for. Why keep doing something we are bad at doing? Should just stick with going after top level free agents and overpaying them.

If Waters checks out and is in any kind of shape, sign him at RG, then we have Costa, Arkin and Bernadeau as interior backups. Say good bye to Livings and look for someone that can play the swing tackle if Parnell or Bell can't do it.

We are likely to have 2-3 new starters on the OL. The guys that are there right now are the ones we projected for the most part except RG. I don't get the panic...we are missing scrubs to play against other team's scrubs. I know that puts a strain on our starters, but it isn't the worst thing that could happen.

Smith is flop based on one training camp practice?

SMH.

 

[speedkilz88]

He became a starter pretty quickly that season because of the Erik Williams car accident. Started 10 games.

And I gotta think that moving a guard to tackle, like what Larry Allen did, is more difficult than a guy moving from center to guard.

Larry played OT at Sonoma St and in the college bowl games.

 

[Idgit]

If neither Livings or Bernadeau can get/stay healthy, then I only see three options:

1. Smith-Leary-Costa-Frederick-Free

2. Smith-Leary-Frederick-Arkin-Free

3. Smith-Leary-Frederick-Costa-Free

#2 seems highly unlikely because that would be 3 players side-by-side with Zero experience in real NFL games.

#1 would have the advantage of not having inexperienced players next to each other.

I don't believe everything that Broaddus says and therefore I don't believe that #3 is impossible. I would like to see Costa at RG in a pre-season game.

I'm surprised how ok I would be with scenario 1 here, given where we were before training camp. I'm higher on Costa than many, and getting a little validation that Frederick was not a total whiff and that Leary has indeed progressed (also that Free has looked good), this looks like an OL we can move the ball with, to me. I still wish we had better OT depth, though, and having Parnell out doesn't make me feel any better on that front.

 

[MichaelWinicki]

Larry played OT at Sonoma St and in the college bowl games.

I stand corrected. But still he moved around. A lot of guys do. If you've got a bright kid I don't think it's a career damaging move.

 

[Fla Cowpoke]

Smith is flop based on one training camp practice?

SMH.

I meant that sarcastically....tons of people are starting to turn against Smith.

 

[AbeBeta]

He became a starter pretty quickly that season because of the Erik Williams car accident. Started 10 games.

And I gotta think that moving a guard to tackle, like what Larry Allen did, is more difficult than a guy moving from center to guard.

Yes, and he's also a guy who was one of the top 5 or so O-linemen in the history of the league.

You can't take the best OL guy and use him as an example.

 

[Fla Cowpoke]

Smith is flop based on one training camp practice?

SMH.

And there does seem to still be the question whether he will develop into a perennial pro bowler, which is what we hoped for when we drafted him in the first round.

 

[RoyTheHammer]

Haha wow, virtually every aspect of this post is wrong.

How so?

 

[Doomsday101]

If Dallas needs to improvise with Frederick at G this year then do it. It is not going to alter his career. He has very good experiance at both position and has excelled. Main thing is to get production out of the OL to help protect Romo and to open up some run lane how the Cowboys go about that I don't care.

 

[TheRomoSexual]

How so?

Waters would be a terrible "solution." Jerry has put a priority on the line. "Most" of the lineman we've are not small school projects.

 

[RoyTheHammer]

Waters would be a terrible "solution." Jerry has put a priority on the line. "Most" of the lineman we've are not small school projects.

Jerry went a LONG time without ever putting a priority on the OL until it was a few years into being blatently obvious that we needed to.

You don't have enough information to say that Waters wouldn't be a good solution, but what we do know is that the last year he played in this league, he played well.

 

[Sasquatch]

The mob is going to storm the castle if Costa somehow insinuates his way back into the starting lineup and Frederick is played at a position other than center.