The Battle for Center

[ZeroClub]

It sounds to me that BP is impressed with what he's seeing from Gurode and that he's leaning towards starting him.

Yeah, that's what I got out of yesterday's (8/3) press conference too.

 

[AbeBeta]

Yeah, that's what I got out of yesterday's (8/3) press conference too.

or he's lighting a fire under Al Johnson's butt.

never put mind games past Bill.

 

[Charles]

All sounds to me like what BP was selling last year on Tucker and Gurode in the past.

SO how do you reconcile your opinion with the fact that the Cowboys resigned Gurode and gave him $1.5million?

Why didn't they do the same for Tucker. Why didn't the Cowboys match the offer (By the Bucs).

 

[Charles]

or he's lighting a fire under Al Johnson's butt.

never put mind games past Bill.

He's lighting a fire under AJ butt by limiting his reps or practice time with the
1st team offense

 

[AbeBeta]

SO how do you reconcile your opinion with the fact that the Cowboys resigned Gurode and gave him $1.5million?

Keep in mind folks that 1.5 million is not a big number for a vet. That's a small contract when you consider you've got about 110 million to spend on 53 players.

Also keep in mind that other teams weren't very interested in Gurode.

 

[Charles]

Keep in mind folks that 1.5 million is not a big number for a vet. That's a small contract when you consider you've got about 110 million to spend on 53 players.

I wonder how much more Al Johnson is making? Is he considered a Vet too

Also keep in mind that other teams weren't very interested in Gurode.

So we gave a guy no one else was interested in $1.5 million when we could have offered the vet minimum. Makes no sense

 

[DLCassidy]

If I were a betting man at this point my money would be on a Center in the 2nd round next year.

With the 32nd pick of the 1st round the Dallas Cowboys select Kyle Young, C, Fresno State. 6'5" 330.

 

[Charles]

With the 32nd pick of the 1st round the Dallas Cowboys select Kyle Young, C, Fresno State. 6'5" 330.

Hey I wanted Nick Mangold in this past draft

 

[The Realist]

SO how do you reconcile your opinion with the fact that the Cowboys resigned Gurode and gave him $1.5million?

Why didn't they do the same for Tucker. Why didn't the Cowboys match the offer (By the Bucs).

I reconcile that by looking at the fact that Kosier's, Akin's, Vandy's, Rivera's contracts all dwarf Gurode's in both size and duration.

Without looking at the details Gurode got less than Boiman and Hannam.

Why would you want to bring Torrin to camp just to cut him?

Without knowing the details of his "contract" off the top of my head it looked pretty ****** to me. Majority of it was roster bonus.

 

[burmafrd]

I think the hard decisions will be made after the scrimmage on Saturday. BP seems to really want to get the personel all lined up and start working them where he wants them to be.

 

[AbeBeta]

I wonder how much more Al Johnson is making? Is he considered a Vet too

So we gave a guy no one else was interested in $1.5 million when we could have offered the vet minimum. Makes no sense

Al wasn't a free agent. So your point is moot.

I'm sure teams were interested in Gurode, for less money. Again, you are acting like $1.5 is a big contract. It isn't -- it is very very little for a guy who has been a team's top backup at two positions. That's a fair contract for him.

Could we have signed him for less money? Maybe -- but he wouldn't have been signed early -- and the team would have to have approached free agency looking to find another C-G OR two guys to fill his backup roles. How much would 2 free agent backups cost? More than 1.5 combined for sure.

Keep in mind I said "very interested" -- to me that means multi-year deal and/or big money.

 

[Charles]

I reconcile that by looking at the fact that Kosier's, Akin's, Vandy's, Rivera's contracts all dwarf Gurode's in both size and duration.

Without looking at the details Gurode got less than Boiman and Hannam.

Cut the BS.......Lets keep it "real" Realist!!!. You've been insinuating throughout this entire thread that Parcell's holds Gurode in the same light as Torrin Tucker. You're entire argument is based on the fact that Parcells compared Gurode to Tucker, therefore justifying your opinion on Gurode.

Interjecting the contracts of Kosier, AKin, Vanderjek (sp) and Rivera's contract is reaching.

The facts are the Cowboys resigned Gurode to a $1.5 million deal. They didn't match the offer the Bucs gave Tucker.

Parcells has stated that he wouldn't let Gurode fail ("In their Own Words" NFL Network). He's stated numerous times that it was a mistake moving leaving Gurode at Guard. For the 1st time since his rookie season Gurode has concentrated solely on the Center position in the off-season and the results are Al Johnson running with the 2nd team for 6 straight practices.

Why would you want to bring Torrin to camp just to cut him?

Whats your point. They didn't even match the offer.

Without knowing the details of his "contract" off the top of my head it looked pretty ****** to me. Majority of it was roster bonus.

Nuff said!!! I don't know.............but I don't like the guy so his contract must be weak

I think you need to change your handle

 

[Charles]

Al wasn't a free agent. So your point is moot.

Actually it isn't. You've insinuated that due to the "small" amount of his contract and it's comparison to the cap figure $110 million Gurode is held in low regard. Well AJ is the incumbent starter and projected starter by most mediots and fans. Why haven't Cowboys rewarded him.

So far they've extended a couple of key young players and given them more money. AJ name isn't on that list. He's still playing on his rookie contract which can't be much more than Gurode's 2006 contract.

I'm sure teams were interested in Gurode, for less money. Again, you are acting like $1.5 is a big contract. It isn't -- it is very very little for a guy who has been a team's top backup at two positions. That's a fair contract for him.

Stop assuming. I am not acting like anything. I just recognize the fact that the Cowboys showed a commitment to Gurode when they could have given him the Tucker treatment, couple that with the fact that he's perfomring better than the incumbent starter and is taking his reps.......it pretty much confirms that the Cowboys want are trying to find another option........

Could we have signed him for less money? Maybe -- but he wouldn't have been signed early -- and the team would have to have approached free agency looking to find another C-G OR two guys to fill his backup roles. How much would 2 free agent backups cost? More than 1.5 combined for sure.

Keep in mind I said "very interested" -- to me that means multi-year deal and/or big money.

The facts are our projected starting center has been relegated to running with the 2nd team. The Oline is the most important unit on the team. Wouldn't Parcell want to build chemistry as soon as possible. If he thoguht of Gurode at center as lowly as you do why disrupt the development of AJ.

Your opinion makes no sense. It doesn't matter how much money Gurode got. All that matters is the Cowboys showed a commitement when "most" would have assumed none was needed based on Gurode's past with the team. I think it's more telling in what they think about Al Johnson, that they would hedge their bets with a player like Gurode.

 

[burmafrd]

BP was very clear that they were going to give Gurode one LAST shot at starting at center and only center. It looks as if Gurode has rewarded them by stepping up. Other then that everything else is speculation. BUT at this time is appears that Gurode has the edge.

 

[AbeBeta]

Actually it isn't. You've insinuated that due to the "small" amount of his contract and it's comparison to the cap figure $110 million Gurode is held in low regard. Well AJ is the incumbent starter and projected starter by most mediots and fans. Why haven't Cowboys rewarded him.

Haven't rewarded Brady James yet either. Simply put Gurode is paid more because he was an unrestricted free agent whereas Al is in the final year of his rookie contract.

The facts are our projected starting center has been relegated to running with the 2nd team. The Oline is the most important unit on the team. Wouldn't Parcell want to build chemistry as soon as possible. If he thoguht of Gurode at center as lowly as you do why disrupt the development of AJ.

And our projected starting RT is running with the 3rd string -- despite reports that he looks good and Fabini sucks. These combos don't mean anything at this point and you know that

Your opinion makes no sense. It doesn't matter how much money Gurode got. All that matters is the Cowboys showed a commitement when "most" would have assumed none was needed based on Gurode's past with the team. I think it's more telling in what they think about Al Johnson, that they would hedge their bets with a player like Gurode.

No, I think this tells us that smart teams do hedge their bets on any position they can. This "commitment" is tiny. It is more about there not being any other options out there.

 

[AbeBeta]

BP was very clear that they were going to give Gurode one LAST shot at starting at center and only center. It looks as if Gurode has rewarded them by stepping up. Other then that everything else is speculation. BUT at this time is appears that Gurode has the edge.

yes, I guess thats what it means when the coach says they are even right now.

 

[The Realist]

Nuff said!!! I don't know.............but I don't like the guy so his contract must be weak

I think you need to change your handle

Means I didn't feel like looking up what I already knew was a ****** contract. Tucker got nothing but an extended tryout with the Bucs. All salary and roster bonus with a 100k signing bonus.

We didn't need to give Gurode an extended tryout. We already did for 3 years.

April 7, 2006
The Cowboys decided not to match the offer sheet Torrin Tucker signed with Tampa Bay, meaning the restricted free agent is now a member of the Buccaneers. Tucker, who signed the two-year tender that included a $100,000 signing bonus, is scheduled to make $1.2 million in base salary this year and another $1.1 million, along with a $200,000 roster bonus if he's on the team in 2007. Since Tucker was not drafted, and the Cowboys only gave him the minimum tender, the club will not receive any draft-pick compensation.

http://www.dallascowboys.com/team_playerTracker.cfm?positionGroup=Offensive Line

How'd your Tony Curtis call turn out?

I think you still have a little dripping down your chin.

 

[burmafrd]

Pretty much every account I have read said that Gurode has the edge right now. BP always says that for a starter to lose his spot he had to be clearly beaten by the contender. At this time that cannot be said. We will know more after scrimmage tomorrow.

 

[wileedog]

Pretty much every account I have read said that Gurode has the edge right now.

I remember back in the Hutch/Carter days Bill said he pretty much made his decision at QB but wanted to play one more pre-season game before deciding, and that Carter would get the majority of the snaps.

EVERYBODY said it was Carter's last shot to be the starter, and he wound up not even playing that well in the game, leading to more speculation from EVERYBODY that Carter was done and Hutch was BPs guy.

So much for that.

I don't know who does or doesn't have the edge right now, but the media continually makes mistakes reading into what Bill does in TC. DOn't put too much stock in it.

 

[burmafrd]

I could care less what the MEDIOTS are saying. I am going from the fans that are reporting in on various sites and blogs. Every one that I have read said that Gurode was doing better then Johnson. Since that is really all the available data, thats what I go on.