Stock Up/Stock Down: Offensive Line

[casmith07]

Next up in the Stock Up/Stock Down series, the Offensive Line.

Discuss!

 

[fanfromvirginia]

OTs: Stock up significantly with the switch

Depth: Stock way the heck up. Parnell's extension was a great idea and regardless of who becomes our starters on the interior, we are going to have very real depth there.

IOL: ?!?! Slightly up but is it enough?!?!
I like the fact we have choices, I like the idea of Callahan coaching guys up to their talents and into his system, with his techniques. I'm not pencilling in success yet. I am fine with Claiborne over DeCastro but if we had taken him that would have sent our IOL stock way up imo.

On edit: good thread series

 

[burmafrd]

stock up at OT. Despite some peoples claims of a few years ago, Free seems more suited to play RT then LT.

Tyron of course is a prototype LT.

Depth: I hope Parnell really developes as McQ is truly a JAG.


Interior O line: Slightly up. Livings and Bernnie are probably going to be overall better then a done Kosier and Holland.

Center is where the question is has been and will be.

 

[AMERICAS_FAN]

Even...

...with the potential for a slight stock-up if multiple facotrs work in Dallas' favor.

The OT switch is a good idea, but we still need to see if Free is really better suited and still able at RT or if his decline as a T - ragardless of what side he plays - will continue. Tyron Smith has all the makings of a LT. Still he's playing a position he has never played in college or the pros. I think he will do well, but nothing's guaranteed in hte NFL.

C is a long shot to be an upgrade at C with a year further into hte league. Costa is the best prospect there and he was close to aweful last season. He was also surrounded by unsteady G play. That has slightly upgraded, seemingly. With better players around him and a training camp to build on he can potentially get better, but by how much really?

At G one of the frontrunner free agents is injured. Is that what we will be replacing last year's injuerd veteran with? And with that injury that's all it took to make an undrafted rookie the next frontrunner to start. If that does not scream lack-of-depth I don't know wht does.

There's alot of competition in the interior OL. That does not mean we're overloaded with blue chippers; we're not. What we really have is a whole host of solid backup-quality guys, hoping 3 of them will up their game to an NFL starter's level. Cross your fingers.

In all, I think OT has the potential for upgrade if Free returns to form at RT (I think Smith will hod his own at LT). Still, depth at T is lacking. The interior of the OL is still a mess any way you cut it because if they all play up to their potential and if some exceed it (big IFs) then the interior OL will be a solidly-average unit at best.

Sorry guys, just trying to be objective.

 

[RS12]

Even. The only place I see an upgrade is LT and probably at least early will have some growing pains. Free needs to prove he can win hand battles again. The interior are JAGs and question marks. The only reason it is even with last year is because it was so bad last year. This is the unit that will make or break this team.

 

[Blue Eyed Devil]

Offensive line = stock market in 2008

 

[burmafrd]

Offensive line = stock market in 2008

actually I think the starting O line of 2011 is more closely a match with the Stock Market in 2008.

 

[Dodger]

This one is going to be the hardest to evaluate.

While I feel very comfortable with the tackles, even considering Smith's switch and Free's not so great year in 2011, the rest of the line is a question mark for me. Center? Who knows. Guards? Who knows. They could perform above our expectations or flop. I just don't know. With the uncertainty that comes with all of the change, I'm hoping that their stock at least stays even or is somewhat up.

So for me, it's even...at least until training camp.

 

[ShiningStar]

Right now barring growing pains, im happy with teh change at coach and fully believe the line may not be better out the gate, but will be different and hopefully change things up more and play to a better defense compared to getting Romo killed. Hopefully the offense is more Romo happy like it was early on compared to Romo always having to be better to compensate for the line.

 

[TwoDeep3]

Smith will take time learning the new position. He will be a force, but my belief is people expect so much out of him because of last year.

New position in a faster league. Not saying he will not be greatness, and that the next nine years whomever is playing QB will have one of the best OT's in the game covering his backside.

But this year will be a transition for him and as time goes on he will dominate. Not sure it will be out of the gate though.

Free is a natural right tackle and while he will have a small learning curve, he will be a force.

Costa will see improvement. He is not talentless and surely better than anything we've seen lately. The real issue will be who plays around him and how they fare.

I looked up Mackenzy Bernadeau and can find nothing other than him starting about twenty games in four years. He is coming off of surgery, which means nothing if he fully recovers.

Not sure why there is any excitement about this guy.

Nate Livings is even a bigger mystery.

I'm hoping Nagy and Arkin show something, but at this juncture there isn't anything to be encouraged about up the middle.

This is at best - right now - a break even with last year. If the middle lives up to their usual, then Romo will have the imprints of quite a few jersies on his face after every game.

 

[Eskimo]

RT: Free - I expect him to be better overall than Tyron was last year in pass protection with less sacks given up. I'll call this one neutral because Tyron was such a good run blocker last year but Free is usually pretty good there. I expect him to return to 2009-10 form.

RG: Mack - I expect him to be a major upgrade from the worn down Kosier we saw last year. If Leary, Arkin or Nagy beat him out I still expect this position to be a major upgrade.

C: Kowalski - I expect a very good year from the Killer and I really think he'll be a force in the screen game with how well he gets out in space. He could be great on the initial double team help and then still get out and get a LB. A year in the weight room should do wonders for him as that is all that he was lacking last year.

LG: Livings - I expect a slight upgrade from Holland last year who was pretty solid but whose health could not be counted upon.

LT: Tyron - Here I expect a major upgrade compared to what Free did last year. He will be dominant pretty quickly which will allow more double team help to go Free's way. He is going to erase those small DEs when we run the ball. If Livings and Vickers do their jobs I expect us to run the ball to the left a lot.

Overall I really do think this OL will be majorly improved from the one put out last year. The biggest upgrades will occur at RG, LT and Center.

I also think bringing in Callahan over a worn out Houck is also a major upgrade.

 

[big dog cowboy]

Next up in the Stock Up/Stock Down series, the Offensive Line.

Discuss!

Callahan > Houck

 

[BIGDen]

RT: Free - I expect him to be better overall than Tyron was last year in pass protection with less sacks given up. I'll call this one neutral because Tyron was such a good run blocker last year but Free is usually pretty good there. I expect him to return to 2009-10 form.

RG: Mack - I expect him to be a major upgrade from the worn down Kosier we saw last year. If Leary, Arkin or Nagy beat him out I still expect this position to be a major upgrade.

C: Kowalski - I expect a very good year from the Killer and I really think he'll be a force in the screen game with how well he gets out in space. He could be great on the initial double team help and then still get out and get a LB. A year in the weight room should do wonders for him as that is all that he was lacking last year.

LG: Livings - I expect a slight upgrade from Holland last year who was pretty solid but whose health could not be counted upon.

LT: Tyron - Here I expect a major upgrade compared to what Free did last year. He will be dominant pretty quickly which will allow more double team help to go Free's way. He is going to erase those small DEs when we run the ball. If Livings and Vickers do their jobs I expect us to run the ball to the left a lot.

Overall I really do think this OL will be majorly improved from the one put out last year. The biggest upgrades will occur at RG, LT and Center.

I also think bringing in Callahan over a worn out Houck is also a major upgrade.

I like your optimism and hope that you're right. I just hope that the growing pains that are almost inevitable don't cost us our QB. I too see decent potential in this group.

 

[xwalker]

 

[Tex]

If there is some huge improvement then it will be as much due to the great new OL coach as the players. The OG/C on this team have potential but none may even be as good as Holland last year. Unless a solid OL veteran gets added this is a scary group at C/OG and may sink a good team. All they have to be is solid not great. Adding a solid center in training camp would be HUGE.

Tex

 

[RoboQB]

Love to thread idea!

I'm in the group that believes Doug Free is more suitable at RT and will do well there.

A major contributor to the "grades" of the OL this year will be Mike Woicik (sp?). This group should be the most improved in strength and conditioning when compared to other position groups.

 

[burmafrd]

Callahan > Houck

No coach we got in the last 10 years disapointed me more than Houck.

I never expected much from Campo but I did Houck.

 

[nalam]

Somehow Houck didn't get his share of criticism for all OL problems we had in the last 2-3 years. He didn't develop or improve any player which is a surprise considering his past record.

 

[AMERICAS_FAN]

Somehow Houck didn't get his share of criticism for all OL problems we had in the last 2-3 years. He didn't develop or improve any player which is a surprise considering his past record.

Is it that Houke DIDN'T fix the OL problems or COULDN'T?

The LT had issues, and that I can put on Houke. But the RT was a rookie and played so well he's being shifted to LT. Should we praise Houke for that?

The Gs were a mix of backups and injured players. Even the best coaches in the NFL can't turn backups to solid starters.

 

[AMERICAS_FAN]

Somehow Houck didn't get his share of criticism for all OL problems we had in the last 2-3 years. He didn't develop or improve any player which is a surprise considering his past record.

Is it that Houke DIDN'T fix the OL problems or COULDN'T?

The LT had issues, and that I can put on Houke. But the RT was a rookie and played so well he's being shifted to LT. If we're going to dole out criticism, then shouldn't we give Houke credit for that?

The C was a first time starter. If you look closely, he did progress as the year went on which is why he has a shot to remain the starter in 2012. Again, shouldn't we give Houke credit for that?

I also don't know how it's Houke's fault that the starting Gs were a mix of backups and injured players. Even the best coaches in the NFL can't turn backups to solid starters.

And that last sentence is what concerns me about Callahan. Yes he's a respected OL coach, but it's not like the player acquisitions along the OL were anything other than minor upgrades. If this line struggles to produce, Callahan is the last person I will criticize. A coach can only work with the players he is given.