So what happened to the Dallas Cowboys' '12 personnel' package?

[Alexander]

So what happened to the Dallas Cowboys' '12 personnel' package?






Wealth of playmakers gives Romo more receivers to turn to
RAINER SABIN
RAINER SABIN The Dallas Morning News
Staff writer
rsabin@***BANNED-URL***
Published: 31 October 2013 09:53 PM
Updated: 31 October 2013 10:37 PM

IRVING — At its core, there is nothing special about 12 personnel. It’s the term that describes a standard offensive grouping with one running back and two tight ends. The Cowboys, however, sold it as something greater this past off-season, promising that it would be featured more prominently and would transform the look of the offense based on how they planned to use it.
“This a big change,” owner Jerry Jones said last April.
Jones uttered those words on the very same night the Cowboys drafted San Diego State tight end Gavin Escobar in the second round. Escobar was a big, rangy player who was a better pass catcher than a blocker. He was expected to team up with Pro Bowler Jason Witten and attack defenses in a similar fashion as Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez did when they were together in New England. The thought of two hybrid-type players challenging smaller defensive backs on vertical routes was intriguing.
But at the midway point of this season, the Cowboys’ vision hasn’t materialized.
http://www.***BANNED-URL***/sports/...o-the-dallas-cowboys-12-personnel-package.ece

 

[cowboyblue22]

like lots of other stuff we are told it never happens

 

[junk]

Teams try this all the time. In theory, it makes sense. In reality, a 3 wide set is usually more effective and explosive. I'd think you'd have to have some commitment to the run to make 12 work effectively as a base package.

 

[Deep_South]

We're probably going to need to draft a tight end in the 2nd next year to make it work.

 

[Alexander]

I'd think you'd have to have some commitment to the run to make 12 work effectively as a base package.

And not draft a tight end in the second round that cannot block nor run a precise route.

 

[Zimmy Lives]

And not draft a tight end in the second round that cannot block nor run a precise route.

Time for Andre Smith to get some playing time. Hanna and Escobar are a waste in this current offense.

 

[junk]

And not draft a tight end in the second round that cannot block nor run a precise route.

Well, that's the worst part. Three second round picks in six years basically wasted chasing this approach.

Those could have been Andrew Whitworth, Greg Jennings or MJD in 2006, Jamaal Charles or Jeremy Zuttah in 08 and Larry Warford this year.

Would have been better off just keeping a guy like Scott Chandler as your second TE when they had him in camp a couple of years ago.

 

[perrykemp]

How many 265 pound TEs who are excellent blockers have the capability of going 90 for 1327 (nearly 15 yards per reception) and 17 TDs?

One -- Rob Gronkowski -- and I'm not even sure he is capable of it anymore with his injuries.

Gronk was what made the 12 work so well in NE. There is no Gronk in Dallas.

 

[Alexander]

Time for Andre Smith to get some playing time. Hanna and Escobar are a waste in this current offense.

He has got a few more snaps recently but has not been a revelation either.

 

[Zimmy Lives]

He has got a few more snaps recently but has not been a revelation either.

Which is baffling to me. The guy is said to be a stud blocker; why not use him more if they are not going to pass to the secondary TE. The guy can at least block on running downs.

 

[Alexander]

How many 265 pound TEs who are excellent blockers have the capability of going 90 for 1327 (nearly 15 yards per reception) and 17 TDs?

One -- Rob Gronkowski -- and I'm not even sure he is capable of it anymore with his injuries.

Gronk was what made the 12 work so well in NE. There is no Gronk in Dallas.

Correct. They also went through their phase of continually drafting TEs and failing (Dan Graham, Ben Watson, Dave Thomas, Garrett Mills) until it finally clicked with Hernandez and Gronkowski.

It is a waste of effort and resources that I wish Coach Parcells had not left engrained in Jerry Jones' mind.

 

[erod]

Hanna and Escobar can't block me. That's what happened.

 

[Zordon]

i don't understand how you can know very early in the offseason that the switch is coming and have several months to get the personnel right yet you still end up with 4 tight ends that are marginal to below average blockers. just piss poor planning from a piss poor franchise. i was saying early in may that this team should look to trade or upgrade hanna b/c he doesn't fit. he was being overrated immensely on this site just b/c he "looks like novachek" smh.

 

[marchetta]

Simple, Cole Beasley.

 

[perrykemp]

i don't understand how you can know very early in the offseason that the switch is coming and have several months to get the personnel right yet you still end up with 4 tight ends that are marginal to below average blockers. just piss poor planning from a piss poor franchise. i was saying early in may that this team should look to trade or upgrade hanna b/c he doesn't fit. he was being overrated immensely on this site just b/c he "looks like novachek" smh.

Was thinking the very same and almost posted -- you beat me to it.

At what point should the coaching staff / front-office realized the 12 wasn't going work and stopped wasting time with it during training camp, into the pre-season, etc.

Valuable reps that were wasted on something never really used.

 

[Hoofbite]

Anyone who saw it fail with the previous 2 guys should have seen this coming.

 

[Zekeats]

I was thinking the same thing

 

[Zekeats]

Simple, Cole Beasley.

Not true..........how many plays was he in last week?

 

[Yakuza Rich]

The problem with the 12 personnel is that you need at least one, very versatile TE to make it work. And not only does he have to be versatile as a receiver, but as a blocker as well. If you can get a TE that can stretch the field from all the different spots (Z, Y, TE and H-Back) along with a TE that can block on those positions and from the fullback spot; then you may have something really effective. Or at least an exceptional blocker from the H-Back spot.

The issue is that it's just hard to come by a TE that can do all of that. Even when the Pats had Gronk and Hernandez, the real effectiveness of that offense came from how unstoppable Gronk is from the TE spot and how good Brady and Welker are. Hernandez could present some mismatches and was a nice replacement when Gronk was hurt, but he certainly didn't make the Pats offense.

Personally, I prefer 11 personnel. It gives the QB 5-legitimate passing options, 4 different dropback options (1-step, 3-step, 5-step and 7-step), it can stretch the field more and give the RB's more room to run. I'm not a fan of the Escobar pick, but I'm not necessarily bagging on him...I just prefer 11 personnel over 12 personnel.






YR

 

[Zimmy Lives]

The problem with the 12 personnel is that you need at least one, very versatile TE to make it work. And not only does he have to be versatile as a receiver, but as a blocker as well. If you can get a TE that can stretch the field from all the different spots (Z, Y, TE and H-Back) along with a TE that can block on those positions and from the fullback spot; then you may have something really effective. Or at least an exceptional blocker from the H-Back spot.

The issue is that it's just hard to come by a TE that can do all of that. Even when the Pats had Gronk and Hernandez, the real effectiveness of that offense came from how unstoppable Gronk is from the TE spot and how good Brady and Welker are. Hernandez could present some mismatches and was a nice replacement when Gronk was hurt, but he certainly didn't make the Pats offense.

Personally, I prefer 11 personnel. It gives the QB 5-legitimate passing options, 4 different dropback options (1-step, 3-step, 5-step and 7-step), it can stretch the field more and give the RB's more room to run. I'm not a fan of the Escobar pick, but I'm not necessarily bagging on him...I just prefer 11 personnel over 12 personnel.YR

As do I, but I am fascinated by how good the no-name TE on the Broncos became once Manning took over as QB.