Search for the best 4

[Galian Beast]

Strum kind of mirrored my thinking in one of his articles. It's something that struck me as pretty obvious.

The Cowboys are searching for the best 4. I think everyone is pretty happy for the most part with our skill players. But I'm not sure we were ever really all that happy with our 11th man.

- Burnett?
- Ogletree?
- Vickers?

Witten, Austin, and Bryant are definitely the top 3 skill players we have outside of running back.

So the emphasis is to be better in the 11 and the 12. The 11 worked really well when we had Laurent Robinson. The 12 has been one of our most successful formations even with Bennett.

Upgrading those spots with Escobar and Williams makes sure that the talent drop isn't such a precipitous decline. It means everyone on the field is a weapon.

The same thinking was in place when we drafted Joseph Randle. Why? Because as poor as our run blocking was last year DeMarco Murray averaged 4.1 yards per carry, that's not great but it's at least middle of the pack. I think the idea here is to make as many upgrades to the line as we can afford without making veteran investments, and ensuring that the backup running back isn't such a huge drop off. Felix Jones averaged 3.6 yards per carry. Dunbar was the same. Tanner was even worse.

Having a strong 11 and 12 personnel groups should also really help out the running game. A key note to Williams is that he is supposed to be a pretty good blocking wide receiver.

So when looking at why we drafted for the 11th position please look at

Ogletree - 57% catch percentage, 13.6 yards per reception.
Harris - 54% catch percentage, 13.1 yards per reception.

Hanna and Phillips only had 21 catches between the two of them.

I'm really looking forward to a time where I'm not disappointed that any player is on the field (except for maybe at offensive line).

And I really think offensive line will work itself out. I don't think Free will be here next year, I don't think Bernadeau will be here next year. Living may or may not. I think we can draft another offensive linemen or two fairly high next year. And we still have some people who can develop on the roster.

I think the main focus of next year's draft will be defensive line. But I think the days of us spending money on free agents are over. At least while we are paying certain people how we are paying them. Resigning Spencer long term would probably help us accomplish quite a bit in terms of not focusing on defensive end in the draft, and resigning Sean Lee. As long as we can do it at the right price, I think it's a good idea.

 

[perrykemp]

I agree, in today's offensively oriented NFL game, you need to go at least 4 if not 5 deep in having talented pass catchers.

With Escobar and Williams, the Cowboys have the chance to go 5 deep -- maybe 6-7 if you also include Hanna and D. Harris. It's as a good as I've seen the Cowboys receiving corps in the last decade or so -- at least on paper.

That kind of depth allows you to do so many things -- include survive major injuries. Example:

In 2012, going into the season Packer's #4 (Randall Cobb), #5 (James Jones), and #5 (Tom Crabtree) options in their receiving corp (at least based on the open day roster) combined for:

152 receptions
25 TDs
1941 yards

It allowed them to survive injuries and/or poor performance by their #1 (Jennings), #2 (Nelson), and #3 (Finley) receiving options.

I don't consider it outside the realm of possibility that the Cowboys receiving corp has a similar deep reserve of talent at this stage.

 

[AsthmaField]

That's a good point, OP.

Getting Ogletree off the team and replacing him with Williams is a very big win, IMO. Same can go for Phillips at the #2 TE position being replaced by a truly talented pass catcher in Escobar.

That was a couple of really good upgrades... particularly when you consider that Williams came essentially free because of the trade back to get Frederick.

Both are huge upgrades.

Now, when you get beyond Dez, Austin, and Witten, there is some real talent there that can hurt other teams. Last year, those guys were really all we had until Harris started catching balls.

Now, if teams don't pay attention to Escobar or Williams, they can really hurt them unlike Phillips or Ogletree.

If Dez or Austin or Witten have to go out for a few games, the team will be in much, much better shape.

Escobar is such a fantastic pass catcher that a defense can cover Dez, Austin, and Witten and they will still have to have someone pretty talented on Gavin or else he's going to get beat. Think about it: Dez almost always has to be doubled or he is going to have your defense on sportcenter for all the wrong reasons. In a base defense, that leaves a corner to cover Austin and the other safety on Witten. Meaning Escobar is going to have a LB on him much of the time that he goes out in a route from 12 personnel. Escobar will eat most LB's alive in coverage... particulary if we're facing a 34 defense. All it is going to take is two or three catches and the defense will go to their nickel. At that point, Dallas can cut loose with Murray and shove it down their throat.

That is the conundrum that a talented group of 12 personnel can put the defense in, and it is extremely advantageous to an offense. However, if you have a second tight end that isn't really a talented receiver (Fasano and Bennett) the whole idea comes crumbling down because the LB in the base defense can do the job on the second TE and it completely removes the base/nickel problem from the equation.

Escobar is going to be very, very dangerous out in the passing game, I can promise you that. His skill catching the ball is going to make the whole 2 TE offense thing work. He's just one player, but because of him and the problems he will create, the entire offensive scheme will be possible and the plans of the organization can be implemented.

Escobar is way, WAY more than simply a backup TE. As far as a lot of defensive coordinators are concerned... he's going to be the troublemaker.

 

[DFWJC]

I think many of us forget that Laurent Robinson was not "the 11th". Instead, he replaced either Dez or Austin most of the time that year. he was either WR1 or WR2....hence the WR1 or WR1 numbers.

Nevertheless, I totally agree that this current group of WRs, TEs, and Rbs has a real shot to become outstanding.

 

[ShiningStar]

having the best players on the team in positions. CRAP dont let that secret out. I heard the patriots try to find the worst and figure they can win with that.

Good thing we are thinking along the same line. Good players at positions on the team. Rally good thinking. Maybe we can also create an idea, where teams can try to better their team with other teams players that do well. Could be a thought.

 

[Galian Beast]

Teams that have success offensively are generally the teams with the most skill out there. This is why teams are creating unbalanced situations for defenses with the qb needing to be accounted for.

There are also teams that have stud players like AP and Calvin Johnson. There are also teams that simply have stud offensive linemen which makes the rest of the team better, like the Patriots and Saints.

I think we're really trying to emulate the Packers more than the Patriots in this sense. With the biggest exception being we already have a running back while they just invested heavily in it (though they lost some of their outside weapons).

I think what the offense needs to be really successful now is some game planning that really puts Romo in the best position possible. Do some creative things with him and the offensive line to give him more time.

 

[AsthmaField]

I think what the offense needs to be really successful now is some game planning that really puts Romo in the best position possible. Do some creative things with him and the offensive line to give him more time.

I don't disagree with that. I wish they would let Romo run a little more. He certainly can do it and it would add a lot that the defense would have to prepare for. So many times you can see where Romo could run for 15-20 yards before he's even touched, but he won't take that opportunity. If he did more, teams would have to worry about playing man coverage and turning their backs to the QB.

Heck, Romo is athletic enough where he could even run the pistol a couple of times per game if they wanted him to.

 

[CF74]

Strum kind of mirrored my thinking in one of his articles. It's something that struck me as pretty obvious.

The Cowboys are searching for the best 4. I think everyone is pretty happy for the most part with our skill players. But I'm not sure we were ever really all that happy with our 11th man.

- Burnett?
- Ogletree?
- Vickers?

Witten, Austin, and Bryant are definitely the top 3 skill players we have outside of running back.

So the emphasis is to be better in the 11 and the 12. The 11 worked really well when we had Laurent Robinson. The 12 has been one of our most successful formations even with Bennett.

Upgrading those spots with Escobar and Williams makes sure that the talent drop isn't such a precipitous decline. It means everyone on the field is a weapon.

The same thinking was in place when we drafted Joseph Randle. Why? Because as poor as our run blocking was last year DeMarco Murray averaged 4.1 yards per carry, that's not great but it's at least middle of the pack. I think the idea here is to make as many upgrades to the line as we can afford without making veteran investments, and ensuring that the backup running back isn't such a huge drop off. Felix Jones averaged 3.6 yards per carry. Dunbar was the same. Tanner was even worse.

Having a strong 11 and 12 personnel groups should also really help out the running game. A key note to Williams is that he is supposed to be a pretty good blocking wide receiver.

So when looking at why we drafted for the 11th position please look at

Ogletree - 57% catch percentage, 13.6 yards per reception.
Harris - 54% catch percentage, 13.1 yards per reception.

Hanna and Phillips only had 21 catches between the two of them.

I'm really looking forward to a time where I'm not disappointed that any player is on the field (except for maybe at offensive line).

And I really think offensive line will work itself out. I don't think Free will be here next year, I don't think Bernadeau will be here next year. Living may or may not. I think we can draft another offensive linemen or two fairly high next year. And we still have some people who can develop on the roster.

I think the main focus of next year's draft will be defensive line. But I think the days of us spending money on free agents are over. At least while we are paying certain people how we are paying them. Resigning Spencer long term would probably help us accomplish quite a bit in terms of not focusing on defensive end in the draft, and resigning Sean Lee. As long as we can do it at the right price, I think it's a good idea.

Are you talking about Kevin Burnett? Or did you mean Bennett our former TE?:laugh2:

I'm assuming the latter but I thought of the LB and went huh?

 

[Galian Beast]

Are you talking about Kevin Burnett? Or did you mean Bennett our former TE?:laugh2:

I'm assuming the latter but I thought of the LB and went huh?

It was a mind slip. I referred to Bennett shortly afterwards.