Stop sleeping on these players...

[AdamJT13]

Carpenter played 23 snaps on defense last season, plus 357 snaps on special teams.

 

[DallasEast]

Carpenter played 23 snaps on defense last season, plus 357 snaps on special teams.

Breakout year!

Sorry DangerDoom. :

 

[Alexander]

Carpenter played 23 snaps on defense

Outstanding. He has already broken out then.

 

[Nav22]

Carpenter played 23 snaps on defense

Less than even I imagined. Yikes.

 

[DaBoys4Life]

3. Bobby Carpenter, this might be his break out year.

carp is a bust get over it.

 

[Achozen]

Breakout year!

Sorry DangerDoom. :

I wonder how many of those snaps came in the Bears, Rams, and Jets games...

 

[Beefullo]

1. Zack Thomas. I don't know why people got the idea he was injured prone. Being injured, doesn't make you injury prone. Other than last year he has played in at least 13 games since 2000. And until last year at missed 13 games in 11 years.

And thinking he lost a step... The man had 52 tackles in 5 games last year. Thats a pace for 166.4 tackles. Which would have been his career best. Which he got in 2006, the year before his injury. And the year before that when he got 162 tackles... in less games.

Combining Zack Thomas with Bradie James will give us the best inside linebacker duo in the NFL. EASY. Not to mention how much this guy is going to rub off on Bradie James, Bobby Carpenter, and Kevin Burnett. If Carpenter can shadow Thomas, we might be able to really use this guy down the line.

Good choice for your number one. This guy flew under the radar, as far as free agent acquisitions go. If Thomas can play in Dallas like he has in Miami, we got ourselves a steal. A huge upgrade over Ayodele imho, and I was an Ayodele sympathist. That, however, probably had something to do with him being a die-hard Cowboy fan growing up. I wasn't upset, though, because Zach was the same.

2. Adam Jones. They say he is a top 10 cornerback. You add him to Terence Newman... who do you throw to? If he can come together, we're gonna have the best secondary in the nfl.

I didn't really understand this pick. Who is sleeping on Adam Jones? Everyone knows the guy is a playmaker, at both CB and PR. The only thing people are "sleeping" on, is his ability to stay out of trouble.

3. Bobby Carpenter, this might be his break out year.

I hope you're right; I was STOKED when we drafted Bobby at pick 18. I argued vehemently that he was going to be the answer at strong side outside linebacker. As a Buckeye, he was always all over the field, and did a great job containing the strong side rushing attack. He fit the bill perfectly (no pun intended). He wasn't quite Hawk, but he had better prototypical size, and was arguably a better pass rusher, earning 8 sacks in an injury shortened senior year. He regularly put his hand down as a defensive end, which I thought would be invaluable experience for his transition to a pass rushing linebacker.

In '06, he started in the playoffs and was one of the best defensive players on the field. He only amassed 6 total tackles against Seattle, but he had three big pass break ups, and chased several ball carriers into the tackling arms of others. The game he really shined, however, was against Atlanta. Given the daunting task of shadowing Michael Vick, he earned a sack and a half, and held the human highlight reel to only 56 yards rushing. Pretty impressive for a 257lb linebacker.

The problem is, I just don't see much playing time available for Carpenter. Where would he play? Again, I hope you're right, but the only way Bobby breaks out is if:

A) Zach Thomas isn't the linebacker he once was. In this scenario, Thomas will have lost a step and Carpenter will have to prove he is a playmaker. This is the best scenario for the Cowboys long term, because it would solidify our linebacker corp as the best young unit in the NFL, and it would mean another 1st round pick lived up to his draft position. The latter is the key to building long term, successful franchises.

B) Injury. Either to Zach Thomas, Bradie James, or Kevin Burnett. You can go ahead and pencil in James as the starter as the "Mike", and you can most likely do the same for Thomas at "Mo". The same goes for Burnett in the Nickel, considering the fact that he is our best linebacker in coverage.

The only potential spot I see for Carp is alongside Burnett in the Nickel. I really believe, with his skillset, that he could excel in this niche. That, however, brings up a whole flurry of problems. Does that mean Roy Williams won't play LB in the Nickel? Zach Thomas? Bradie James? Putting Carp in at Nickel thereby reduces all three players to two down players. Those are some expensive players to only be used in our base defense for two downs a series.

4. Tank Johnson. Year in the system, year of conditioning... he might be a beast.

Good pick here, Tank Johnson was a very good player in Chicago...sometimes. He has all the potential in the world, though, and could end up being a perennial pro-bowler if he becomes more consistent. On a few occasions last season, he used his monstrous bull-rush, combined with his uncanny jump off the line, to disrupt running plays or sack the quarterback. Other times, he just looked lost.

As a 3-4 NT, he will have to endure constant double teams, something he didn't ever have to face while playing alongside Tommy Harris. For him to become that perennial pro-bowler at NT, he MUST learn to beat the double team on a regular basis, or someone on the line will have to comand double teams so he doesn't have to. If that is what needs to happen, he will need Canty to turn into Richard Seymour.

If Tank Johnson starts at NT, though, where will Ratliff play? Do you move him to DE? Then what does that mean for run-stuffer Marcus Spears? If you don't move him to DE, that means Ratliff will be a situational pass rusher in the Nickel, are you ok with that?

5. Marc Colombo. Another year of condition, another year on our offensive line. Colombo is 29 years old. And has only played in 55 games. If his knees can hold up he eventually becomes our best tackle. Hudson is going to turn him into a beast.

Colombo was drafted because of his mean streak and his consitency, not his potential. The best thing that ever happened to Colombo was getting moved to right tackle for the Cowboys (well, actually the best thing that happened to him was Bill signing him and giving him a year to recover, but that's neither here nor there.)

He has great size at 6'8" 320lbs, but he doesn't have the athleticism to be a pro-bowl left tackle. His meanstreak and his technique are enough to get the job done perfectly against 90% of the defensive ends in the NFL, but I wouldn't trust putting him on Romo's blindside.

Because he has such a meanstreak, he's my favorite lineman on the team, maybe because he reminds me of Erik Williams. He doesn't have the potential, in my mind however, to ever be a better tackle than Flozell, or probably even Leonard Davis for that matter. Sadly, I think this is his last season in Dallas. We need cap room, and we already have several draft picks waiting in the wings to take his place.