Switzer interview - staff wanted him to be a RB

[DallasDomination]

You guys know Switzer will go somewhere where they'll actually use his abilities. I wasn't sold on him myself, he seemed a little dumb at times. But I'm sure he can play. That much is obvious.

Needless to say our staff for some reason always comes across as they don't have enough preparation or enough talent to coach at a high level.

 

[Jinxx13x]

I don't understand this ? It seemed so simple in my eyes

Go 4 wide and have beasly and switz in both inside positions with zeke single back mismatch nightmare and not even attempted Thats SAD !

Sometimes the answer is just so obvious and simple sounds like the cowboys overthought this one !

Goes back to a thread i made a while back wishing we would stop trying guys at various positions and let them excel at 1

SMH

 

[TheMarathonContinues]

Sounded like they wanted him to be Christian Mcaffery.

 

[Hawkeye0202]

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.

Giving up on a 4th round pick after only one year where he only played few snaps means someone screwed up with this pick IMO. Either good player, bad fit or bad player, good fit but at end of the day, they didn't give him chance. That's on Garrett, McClay or Stephen or all three. If this was a case of unknown injury, I could understand a bit better but that's not the case.
Perhaps an agree to disagree types here........

 

[TheMarathonContinues]

You guys know Switzer will go somewhere where they'll actually use his abilities. I wasn't sold on him myself, he seemed a little dumb at times. But I'm sure he can play. That much is obvious.

Needless to say our staff for some reason always comes across as they don't have enough preparation or enough talent to coach at a high level.

They can't even get Amari Cooper together.

 

[TheMarathonContinues]

Giving up on a 4th round pick after only one year where he only played few snaps means someone screwed up with this pick IMO. Either good player, bad fit or bad player, good fit but at end of the day, they didn't give him chance. That's on Garrett, McClay or Stephen or all three. If this was a case of unknown injury, I could understand a bit better but that's not the case.
Perhaps an agree to disagree types here........

I think Austin and getting Jihad made Switzer expendable.

 

[Idgit]

Giving up on a 4th round pick after only one year where he only played few snaps means someone screwed up with this pick IMO. Either good player, bad fit or bad player, good fit but at end of the day, they didn't give him chance. That's on Garrett, McClay or Stephen or all three. If this was a case of unknown injury, I could understand a bit better but that's not the case.
Perhaps an agree to disagree types here........

It's just math. Would you trade a fourth rounder you like and a 6th for a guy at the same position you had a 2nd round grade on at the same position(s) and a DT you had a third round grade on overall when you have a hole at DT on your roster you're looking to fill and left with only your 6's and 7's for draft capital? I think most people would.

That doesn't mean they have their players graded properly. It does make it obvious how you could give up on a 4th round pick after only one year without having it be a screwup, though.

 

[Hawkeye0202]

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?

But that works both ways....one can also look at last year's contribution and say he was never given a chance, so how can we know he's NOT special. The Raiders obviously think he's pretty decent to give up a 2nd round player.

 

[Roadtrip635]

It does seem like a wasted pick especially when the player themselves really didn't know what the plans were for his development.

 

[Idgit]

But that works both ways....one can also look at last year's contribution and say he was never given a chance, so how can we know he's NOT special. The Raiders obviously think he's pretty decent to give up a 2nd round player.

No, it doesn't work both ways. To have it work that way, you have to believe he actually *was* special and that the coaches just didn't want to play him.

Now, I know there are fans who would buy that sort of silliness, but it's just that.

The incoming Raiders staff probably doesn't have a 2nd round grade on Ward at this point. They also added Hall, Key, and Hurst to that DL in the draft, so for them to flip value for value and get the returner they were looking for back makes perfect sense. And make no mistake, this trade happened because Bissacia is in OAK now more than because they thought Switzer was going to be an impact player for them on offense.

 

[Proximo]

Switzer was one of my favorite college players to watch recently

This is actually the most important statement of the OP. It really explains everything.

And nowhere did I see anyone from the Cowboys, or Switzer himself, actually say that he was drafted to be a RB.

It was a passing speculation that you immediately picked up and ran with.


The more logical conclusion is that the Cowboys had an opportunity to (in their opinion) improve the roster by making that trade with the Raiders to acquire the DT that they had a high grade on a couple drafts ago...so they did the trade.

 

[CPanther95]

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

Part of the process...

Buehler - LB converted to Kicker
JJ Wilcox - RB converted to Safety
Switzer - WR converted to RB
Austin - WR converted to RB
Rico - Basketball player converted to a basketball player trying to play football
Garrett - Loyal Executive Assistant converted to NFL Head Coach

 

[BrAinPaiNt]

It's kind of interesting if you listened to Jerry talking after the Draft picks.

Everybody was harping on how the Talking heads said that we wanted Dallas Go. and the eagles jumped up and stole him. Which turned out to be false, we did not want him.

However when asked about it Jerry did talk about when we drafted Switzer.

He said they wanted a 3rd down RB Donnel Pumphrey from San Diego state but the Eagles jumped up in front of the Cowboys and took him. He then said we "had" to take Switzer with the pick. Odd choice of words. Like that was not who they initially wanted but it was someone with similar abilities that maybe they could fit into the role they envisioned for Pumphrey.

And it seems they are looking for that person who can be the small, fast, quick shifty guy out of the back field for the Jet sweeps or just passes. They had Dunbar who never really panned out. They had Lucky Whitehead that left via FA. They wanted Pumphrey but he was taken so they "had" to take Switzer. However they rarely used switzer and from the sounds of it did not even seem to indicate to him what kind of role they wanted him to play.

Maybe...MAYBE with Austin they finally have someone who can fill the role they want and with the total revamping of the WR corp, the dedication to the run game and things being "Dak Friendly" they will finally work things out.

However I have to say that the history of Garrett and Linehan with this team does not make me very confidant that they can incorporate this into the offense for any thing other than a few trick plays at most. We have seen time and time again when they have some kind of New idea for the offense. The Two TE offense, the Switzer use...frankly the best we might have seen it was with Lucky Whitehead in Daks rookie year.

Hoping they can make something out of it...history is preparing me for otherwise.

 

[Hawkeye0202]

No, it doesn't work both ways. To have it work that way, you have to believe he actually *was* special and that the coaches just didn't want to play him.

Now, I know there are fans who would buy that sort of silliness, but it's just that.

The incoming Raiders staff probably doesn't have a 2nd round grade on Ward at this point. They also added Hall, Key, and Hurst to that DL in the draft, so for them to flip value for value and get the returner they were looking for back makes perfect sense. And make no mistake, this trade happened because Bissacia is in OAK now more than because they thought Switzer was going to be an impact player for them on offense.

Let me bottom line this for me.......FO screwed missed on this pick. If we make habit of not getting any more than more year from our 4th round picks, it will come back and bite you in A at some point. I'm not a FO or Garrett, Stephen, or Jerry basher, especially when comes to drafts. I've seen to many situations where they may miss of fairly high pick but hit a home run on mid to low. But I do call it the way I see it and this was a bad pick, not the player, but pick.

 

[ghst187]

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

8+ years and counting

 

[Idgit]

Let me bottom line this for me.......FO screwed missed on this pick. If we make habit of not getting any more than more year from our 4th round picks, it will come back and bite you in A at some point. I'm not a FO or Garrett, Stephen, or Jerry basher, especially when comes to drafts. I've seen to many situations where they may miss of fairly high pick but hit a home run on mid to low. But I do call it the way I see it and this was a bad pick, not the player, but pick.

You're obviously entitled to your opinion. I'll just refer back to what I said earlier: if you're getting more back in terms of your assessed value than you're giving up when you give up on that 4th round pick after one year, then pretty much by definition it isn't a mistake.

You can like a guy and trade him and a pick for two guys you like better.

 

[Hawkeye0202]

It's kind of interesting if you listened to Jerry talking after the Draft picks.

Everybody was harping on how the Talking heads said that we wanted Dallas Go. and the eagles jumped up and stole him. Which turned out to be false, we did not want him.

However when asked about it Jerry did talk about when we drafted Switzer.

He said they wanted a 3rd down RB Donnel Pumphrey from San Diego state but the Eagles jumped up in front of the Cowboys and took him. He then said we "had" to take Switzer with the pick. Odd choice of words. Like that was not who they initially wanted but it was someone with similar abilities that maybe they could fit into the role they envisioned for Pumphrey.

And it seems they are looking for that person who can be the small, fast, quick shifty guy out of the back field for the Jet sweeps or just passes. They had Dunbar who never really panned out. They had Lucky Whitehead that left via FA. They wanted Pumphrey but he was taken so they "had" to take Switzer. However they rarely used switzer and from the sounds of it did not even seem to indicate to him what kind of role they wanted him to play.

Maybe...MAYBE with Austin they finally have someone who can fill the role they want and with the total revamping of the WR corp, the dedication to the run game and things being "Dak Friendly" they will finally work things out.

However I have to say that the history of Garrett and Linehan with this team does not make me very confidant that they can incorporate this into the offense for any thing other than a few trick plays at most. We have seen time and time again when they have some kind of New idea for the offense. The Two TE offense, the Switzer use...frankly the best we might have seen it was with Lucky Whitehead in Daks rookie year.

Hoping they can make something out of it...history is preparing me for otherwise.

This is what's odd or strange. Sounds as if they LOCKED in on that position for THAT round which makes zero sense. Although you like fill a position there but once your player came off the board, go with BEST avail player and clean the position of need up later. Drafting a WR to play RB is a head scratcher big-time.

 

[CyberB0b]

He had great hands in college. Not sure why he was in the dog house. He was relegated to running jet sweeps.

 

[lostar2009]

The wanted him to do the same stuff Lucky White head did. I think they have Travon on board to do that and he can possibly blow the top of a D.

 

[rynochop]

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

Did they decide to stop coaching well after 13-3? 10 games over .500 last two years. I think fans overestimate talent and pet cats