Special teamers tonight good sign of which end-of-roster guys will make the team

[igtmfo]

Not sure this deserves a thread. But last year an OP proffered this topic before the Dress Rehearsal game and I liked it. It's a good one if you wonder what coaches really think about the end-roster guys. The "surprises," if any, will be on first-team special teams tonight, for the most part, if they are in our plans for opening night.

The exceptions: the guys hurt but will be back by Giants game. They're mostly DL and OL and wouldn't be on STs anyway. The other hurt guys would be Dunbar and Beasley who are hurt who of course have a good chance. But Tanner they'll be a little careful with since Dunbar is injured anyway. Tanner probably has the team made, you wonder if they'll run him down the field tonight on STs. ... Randle if he isn't out there on STs you have to figure may be a cutdown guy .. It will be interesting if the Amoses and Armstrongs and Coales and Randles are on defensive STs and try to run and tackle somebody. Pretty sure I've forgotten one or more given all the smart people on this board.

Also looking if any of the fringy TEs are running and tackling.

So that leaves the LBs and DBs mostly, those question marks.

Guys like Heath, Reed, Hamilton, McSurdy are out there? Frampton. Lacey. If a guy like McCray "isn't" out there on STs maybe that says something. And maybe a left-field guy no one has thought about will be out there on first-team STs. Will be interesting.

Thanks everyone drinking too much already today and not sure of anything I said above. That's my alibi.

 

[Teague31]

IMO Heath makes the team and Johnson goes on IR (again)

 

[FiveRings]

IMO Heath makes the team and Johnson goes on IR (again)

That would be interesting, Heath honestly has had a better preseason than a Johnson IMO

 

[JBS]

Zero chance randle gets cut.

 

[Chocolate Lab]

Zero chance randle gets cut.

Yeah, especially since he's going to get a lot of snaps as a RB with Dunbar out.

I think the premise of the thread is accurate, though. People always forget that the 5th WRs and 4th safeties and the like are special teamers more than backup position players.

 

[igtmfo]

Thanks all. I predict Randle to practice squad, if that. .... He just has no burst from handoff to line. The fine Cowboys.com/dallascowboystimes.com blogger Jonathan Bales may have his perceived faults and maybe reaches at times, but his stat predictor of RBs that run 4.65 at combine, maybe mid 4.5's at pro day, has been dead on. That is: that Randle has almost no chance given his measurables over the last 10-15 years. I haven't read Randle's shuttles etc. but they must be not so great. If IIRC, Randle had one good quick movement test at the combine, I can't remember which one it was.

But have you seen anything from Randle that would lead you to believe he has any chance against first teamers? Not me.

And Jonathan Bales adds on (with his poor review of Randle), that about nobody with the lack of speed and lack of weight of Randle (205-210 lbs) not even considering his rangy height, been able to make it anywhere as RB over the last decade or more, (check it out, at dallascowboystimes.com or else on the DMN site).

Randle has no power at all to overcome his lack of speed.

Randle isn't quick either. ... So ...

I'll say again: Cowboys picked Randle in 5th round because: 1) Great blitz pickup/blocking and awareness to protect QB. 2) Nice hands. 3) Hard worker. Smart, those kind of intangibles.

It was a Ciskowski deal where if you played both sides against the middle, maybe the dude would be slightly enough to make the team, at some level. Special teams .. kind of like a more agile Tanner.

Bales has predicted doom for Randle since day one, and I believe it. But he can't do the essential thing against NFL first-teamers - run the ball. If you can't make it past the so-called "first-level" than you can't perform the slightly-open-field stuff that Randle is good at - spinning, lateral movement, ducking, gaining an extra yard.

 

[big dog cowboy]

I predict Randle to practice squad

Prepared to be surprised. He makes the final 53 and contributes. We drafted him for a reason.

 

[RS12]

• When you are watching this game on Saturday night, pay close attention to whom these coaches are using off the bench early in this game. Study the rotation patterns of the wide receivers and the defensive line. Is Phillip Tanner playing before Joseph Randle.
  Make sure you take a close look at these special teams. Not so much who might be playing on the kick off team but who is lining up on the punt and punt return teams. Those are usually clues what the coaches feel about the young players and where they might fit in on the 53. See how they are using Jeff Heath, Caleb McSurdy, Cameron Lawrence andAnthony Armstrong,because these are your bubble players.
  As much as we all want to believe that the last game of the preseason can change the minds of the front office and coaches, it’s really not the case at all. From my experience in this league working in player personnel, you generally had your team cut by the time you get to that last game. This game on Saturday night could change the NFL lives of the players on this squad, good or bad.
  

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/a...03f?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

 

[ElGatoGrande]

Nice thread topic and worth watching for in the game. Count me in as one who sees Randle making the team, he was a stud at OkSt and just hasn't had much opportunity to shine behind our abysmal backup linemen. Maybe tonight he will take advantage of his snaps with the starting OL, though how well the starting OL will do against Cincy is yet to be seen. Still, he's a 4th rounder iirc, typically those guys dont get cut,,, traded maybe,,,

 

[fortdick]

IMO Heath makes the team and Johnson goes on IR (again)

I kinda think that the team is keeping Johnson off the field at this point because they know what they have and don't want to aggravate the injury. I am sure Johnson would be on the field if it was up to him. I would be surprised if he was not on the roster.

 

[igtmfo]

Cameron Lawrence! .. Very productive at Ms St. .. Not sure, but big enough to play MLB in a pinch:?

Maybe you guys missed it a few weeks ago, when Ciskowski was on Norm Hitzges' show and was asked, who are the "secret" UDFA guys that you guys/coaches are crazy about?

Ciskowski said:

Magee, Hamilton, Heath. .. Hamilton and Heath will probably be well represented on ST's tonight .. Magee concussed. Maybe waived and practice squad, not sure of NFL rules

I can't remember, do any of you guys remember, who is on the regular season PUP list, that we can bring back six weeks into the season? ... Lazy tonight with a 12-pack of Miller Lite in my fridge. Woops, only one beer left. Hell, I'm driving to 7-11. Don't tell the po-lees. I think I'm recovered, ahem.

 

[Staubacher]

Cameron Lawrence! .. Very productive at Ms St. .. Not sure, but big enough to play MLB in a pinch:?

Maybe you guys missed it a few weeks ago, when Ciskowski was on Norm Hitzges' show and was asked, who are the "secret" UDFA guys that you guys/coaches are crazy about?

Ciskowski said:

Magee, Hamilton, Heath. .. Hamilton and Heath will probably be well represented on ST's tonight .. Magee concussed. Maybe waived and practice squad, not sure of NFL rules

I can't remember, do any of you guys remember, who is on the regular season PUP list, that we can bring back six weeks into the season? ... Lazy tonight with a 12-pack of Miller Lite in my fridge. Woops, only one beer left. Hell, I'm driving to 7-11. Don't tell the po-lees. I think I'm recovered, ahem.

Careful! Ha I got my 12 pack of Modelo Especial and an ample supply of limes and frozen mugs. Chicken drums on the grill.

 

[Iago33]

Cameron Lawrence! .. Very productive at Ms St. .. Not sure, but big enough to play MLB in a pinch:?

Maybe you guys missed it a few weeks ago, when Ciskowski was on Norm Hitzges' show and was asked, who are the "secret" UDFA guys that you guys/coaches are crazy about?

Ciskowski said:

Magee, Hamilton, Heath. .. Hamilton and Heath will probably be well represented on ST's tonight .. Magee concussed. Maybe waived and practice squad, not sure of NFL rules

I can't remember, do any of you guys remember, who is on the regular season PUP list, that we can bring back six weeks into the season? ... Lazy tonight with a 12-pack of Miller Lite in my fridge. Woops, only one beer left. Hell, I'm driving to 7-11. Don't tell the po-lees. I think I'm recovered, ahem.

Should we call you Jay Ratliff?

 

[igtmfo]

Cam Lawrence is my favorite.

Did any of you guys see about a month ago, he was going fishing with boat in tow, and his car burned to a crisp, in huge flames? I don't know why.

But Cam took pix of his "pride and joy" as he said and posted it on twitter. His truck was in giant flames, not the boat. An amazing picture. ... I predict he showed this around the locker room. Of course he was crying, but saw the spectacle of it and slightly enjoyed the scene. The guys in the locker room probably laughed hard, as I did too.

Dude has a sense of humor. And perhaps, he should check his coolant level and his oil too in the future.

Plus he and his hot girlfriend in front of the gorilla cage at FW Zoo on twitter. I'm rooting for Cam.

 

[Chocolate Lab]

On Randle and Bales' metrics on him... I don't think he was ever going to be a spectacular kind of player. He's never going to wow you with great speed or power. I think he's a third down specialist who has good hands, will pass protect (where I have my doubts about Dunbar) and has some mean to him to get the first down on 3rd and six or seven. I see him as a Preston Pearson or, for those good Pats teams, Kevin Faulk type... Those guys weren't great athletes, either, they just had a good feel for the game and a lot of want-to.

Plus -- and I hate it when people do this but I'll do it just this one time -- I wonder how Emmitt would have done on those size/speed metrics. A 4.6 at about 206. (Not that I'm saying Randle will be 1/1,000,000 of Emmitt, for those who aren't clear.)

Of course, Bales could be right and Randle might simply not be athletic enough make it. But I think he'll be okay. I bet first rounder Kenny Vacarro would say he has enough ability to play.