Switzer interview - staff wanted him to be a RB

[links18]

What idiots.

Trying to get a player touches. Exploring different roles.

Dumb.

They tried so hard, he got almost no touches.

 

[BigCatMonaco]

What idiots.

Trying to get a player touches. Exploring different roles.

Dumb.

Especially considering he played RB all through High school.

 

[Fletch]

Kinda telling that the player didn’t know what his role was or the teams plan/vision for him. That’s bad coaching...

No. Kinda telling that Switz was a decent pick, but just didn’t work out. We can blame coaching or players, but as fans, we’ll never know. Tavon is established and can be dangerous. Complete upgrade over Switzer.

 

[OmerV]

This is whats got me worried about the coaching. All we could manage to get from him was one good return?

He actually had more than one good return, but in any case, college success doesn't guarantee pro success. Players are bigger, faster and stronger in the NFL. Ultimately Switzer's biggest downfall returning punts is he makes stupid decisions. He is reckless, choosing to try and return punts when he needed to fair catch, and choosing to pick up balls that bounce as a defender is about to hit him. It's harder to get away with that in the pros.

In any case, I would like to have seen if Switzer can develop into more, but the team chose another direction, and I like Austin better anyway. He has speed to spare that Switzer doesn't.

 

[TheCount]

He’s a 4th round WR they drafted primarily as a returner and who thought might replace Beasley by his third year. In the mean time, they experimented with him in the Lucky/Dunbar role to get him some snaps on offense.

There’s no great mystery, and nothing to piece together. He’s just a dude. I liked his potential as much as many of us did, but he was likely to be nothing more than a complementary player like Beasley is at his best.

Not sure how you can declare him "just a dude" based on such limited use, especially given the 3 year plan you outlined and that his first season was an "experiment".

 

[coult44]

No. Kinda telling that Switz was a decent pick, but just didn’t work out. We can blame coaching or players, but as fans, we’ll never know. Tavon is established and can be dangerous. Complete upgrade over Switzer.

I thought it takes three years to figure out if a guy "works out" or not. I mean I'm told that here quite often.

 

[OmerV]

I thought it takes three years to figure out if a guy "works out" or not. I mean I'm told that here quite often.

I agree it may be a little premature to say he didn't work out, although obviously the coaches might have a different perspective. But trades happen, and with the additions of Thompson and Austin Switzer became expendable.

 

[Hawkeye0202]

He’s a 4th round WR they drafted primarily as a returner and who thought might replace Beasley by his third year. In the mean time, they experimented with him in the Lucky/Dunbar role to get him some snaps on offense.

There’s no great mystery, and nothing to piece together. He’s just a dude. I liked his potential as much as many of us did, but he was likely to be nothing more than a complementary player like Beasley is at his best.

Hmmm....not sure about this. I mean if this true, why give up on him after ONLY ONE year. Seems someone dropped the ball. Either poor job planning how he would fit within the offense or poor job of evaluating the player. This may explain a tweet about a month before the draft that Cowboys positional coaches are given quite a bit input in drafting mid/lower round players. Didn't think much at the time I read it but now I'm not so sure.

 

[Fletch]

I thought it takes three years to figure out if a guy "works out" or not. I mean I'm told that here quite often.

It does, usually. Unless you can upgrade. Tavon is a massive upgrade. Then again, time will tell.

 

[Tractor1]

Kinda telling that the player didn’t know what his role was or the teams plan/vision for him. That’s bad coaching...

Or it's a tell on the particular player. The team had no reservations about moving him.

 

[lukin2006]

Why are we drafting/signing WR's to be RB's...are there not really quick RB's available in the 4th or 5th?

 

[Staubacher]

Blah blah blah coaching issue blah blah blah. Like any fan without an agenda doesn’t know coaching is the issue. Just get this 7-9 season out of the way please and start a new/better chapter

Amen. I'm surprised how many do not see the disaster season coming.

After this one we'll be new coach shopping and exploring QB options as well.

 

[Melonfeud]

I had high hopes for Switz but in the end I'm not sure he's quick enough to play his type of game at the NFL level. I think we'll see immediate improvement at pr/kr just based on Tavon's speed. The wr screens and that end-around play will be interesting as well.

I'm of the same thought,,, most notably " I'm not sure he's quick enough ,,,up in that wheelhouse "

His " type" of game will get him carted off the field,judging from that high school crap he'd tried to employ around his first half dozen PR

 

[Idgit]

Hmmm....not sure about this. I mean if this true, why give up on him after ONLY ONE year. Seems someone dropped the ball. Either poor job planning how he would fit within the offense or poor job of evaluating the player. This may explain a tweet about a month before the draft that Cowboys positional coaches are given quite a bit input in drafting mid/lower round players. Didn't think much at the time I read it but now I'm not so sure.

Well, obviously they liked Austin's potential for the role better and thought it was an upgrade they didn't foresee being available. Both in the return game and on offense.

By most accounts, they actually wanted Pomphrey for the role in the first place, and that's a guy that'd have been in the RB rotation rather than the WR group. Switzer had return abilities of his own, and was a nice backup to Beasley coming off of a big year by Cole, so he made sense, but Tavon (if they move him to RB) fits better with the original plan.

I'm not sure how fans get this stuff so twisted. You take advantage of one opportunity and it has trickle down effects on your roster. Pawns get sacrificed. In a game with only so many squares and so many pieces where you are required to make moves, things happen. Not every pawn lost means somebody screwed up.

 

[Melonfeud]

This shows our coaches had no clue how to use this guy.
"I know how successful I can be in this league as the receiver and just being one week with these guys and the offense with [Derek Carr], I feel a lot more confident from an offensive standpoint going into this year with Oakland," he said.

That's pretty 'telling' if not downright 'insightful',,,

 

[Idgit]

Not sure how you can declare him "just a dude" based on such limited use, especially given the 3 year plan you outlined and that his first season was an "experiment".

I'm not precluding the possibility that he could develop into more than just a dude. That happens all the time in this league. All I'm saying is that, based off of his performance in the league so far, he was a WR4 with return ability and whose offensive utility was somewhat limited by his stature and speed. Being just a dude in the NFL isn't something I personally look down on. But you can't look at his contribution last year and think the guy was already special. He showed a bit on STs, but on offense, he caught 6 balls. You really think 'just a dude' is a knock on that production?

 

[cowboyblue22]

if you wanted a running back then why draft a wide receiver?

 

[kevm3]

This staff is off with all these conversion projects

 

[GMO415]

How many people owned a Switzer jersey????

 

[Baileyneverfailey]

Switzer wasn't going to be on the field as a receiver. Williams, Hurns, Beasley are all going to get snaps on offense over him because they're all better wide receivers.

Was he a solid punt returner? Yeah, he took one to the house which isn't easy. But he also fumbled away a punt against the Rams that was a huge factor in the momentum swing that led to them winning the game. He also fielded punts he should have fair caught and almost did it a bunch of other times.

He's a JAG who they traded for a DL project who has more potential to make a difference this year.

If I was a betting man, I'd wager you won't hear Switzer's name out of Oakland unless it's for fumbling away a punt there too.