CFZ The official sober assessment of Josh Ball

[_sturt_]

legit SB aspirations

It's not really the topic here, but okay....

https://cowboyszone.com/threads/sb-lvii-predictions-how-cowboys-compare-in-the-betosphere.498872/

 

[charron]

It's not really the topic here, but okay....

https://cowboyszone.com/threads/sb-lvii-predictions-how-cowboys-compare-in-the-betosphere.498872/

Right they have nearly the same odds as the colts and eagles who also won't be making a sb run.

But to your point. Bringing in a veteran tackle for this year is just a waste. 1. The future LT needs to be Smith or he's a bust. 2. Ball can continue to grow as a swing/ backup that why he was drafted. This team isn't going to a sb so it's best they get these young guys experience and not just classroom work.

 

[terra]

Right they have nearly the same odds as the colts and eagles who also won't be making a sb run.

But to your point. Bringing in a veteran tackle for this year is just a waste. 1. The future LT needs to be Smith or he's a bust. 2. Ball can continue to grow as a swing/ backup that why he was drafted. This team isn't going to a sb so it's best they get these young guys experience and not just classroom work.

Dallas's record of developing low round or undrafted tackles is pretty bad overall. Yeah Free was a 4th round pick but that is not exactly low round. And who have we developed that was UNDRAFTED that really produced?
And lets be very blunt as regards Smith: he might be a top LT and he might not be; too soon to tell. I agree the expense has to be considered but bluntly speaking the odds of any of our young tackles becoming a really good swing tackle ARE VERY LOW.

 

[charron]

Dallas's record of developing low round or undrafted tackles is pretty bad overall. Yeah Free was a 4th round pick but that is not exactly low round. And who have we developed that was UNDRAFTED that really produced?
And lets be very blunt as regards Smith: he might be a top LT and he might not be; too soon to tell. I agree the expense has to be considered but bluntly speaking the odds of any of our young tackles becoming a really good swing tackle ARE VERY LOW.

The best swing tackle is one that site on the bench. Ball may not have been your choice but you can't sit there and use pick after pick and not try to use them. They may keep ball abd waletzco but atleast 1 will be the backup. At some point you gotta let your picks develop. Remember he was hurt all last year, time to put his *** to work.

 

[RoboQB]

I'm gonna defer to Nate Newton's on camera assessment of Ball
during the Seattle game.
Funny, it wasn't mention in this thread. Maybe I missed it.

 

[_sturt_]

I'm gonna defer to Nate Newton's on camera assessment of Ball
during the Seattle game.
Funny, it wasn't mention in this thread. Maybe I missed it.

I'm not.

Love Nate as a Cowboy, but as a DC media employee, he's never taken his job seriously enough to merit any regard, I'm sorry... facts don't care about feelings.

This is a guy who will actually go on a podcast, and someone will bring up some name of some late round draft pick, and he actually admits on air that he doesn't know anything about that kid. My man, that's your damn job now. Nate's living off his name these days. He's not an analyst. He's sometimes not even informed enough to be called an observer. Sometimes.

And what I'm convinced happens, not only with Nate but certainly Nate is one... these guys just piggyback on each other's stuff. They catch wind that X said Y about Z, and lo & behold, that pretty much frames their opinion about Z. (I'm old enough to remember that that very thing happened to Terrence Steele for the longest time.) This is the state of play with Nate.

Rather, do what I do. It's not hard. Watch the game. And with each play, use that rewind 10 seconds function on the remote, and the slo-mo, and see for yourself.

Again, don't anyone please re-interpret my words to say something I've not said... I said Ball isn't ready. But he's also performed within the range of adequate-to-good consistently through the LAC game, and then the same in the SEA game.

 

[RoboQB]

I'm not.

Love Nate as a Cowboy, but as a DC media employee, he's never taken his job seriously enough to merit any regard, I'm sorry... facts don't care about feelings.

This is a guy who will actually go on a podcast, and someone will bring up some name of some late round draft pick, and he actually admits on air that he doesn't know anything about that kid. My man, that's your damn job now. Nate's living off his name these days. He's not an analyst. He's sometimes not even informed enough to be called an observer. Sometimes.

And what I'm convinced happens, not only with Nate but certainly Nate is one... these guys just piggyback on each other's stuff. They catch wind that X said Y about Z, and lo & behold, that pretty much frames their opinion about Z. (I'm old enough to remember that that very thing happened to Terrence Steele for the longest time.) This is the state of play with Nate.

Rather, do what I do. It's not hard. Watch the game. And with each play, use that rewind 10 seconds function on the remote, and the slo-mo, and see for yourself.

Again, don't anyone please re-interpret my words to say something I've not said... I said Ball isn't ready. But he's also performed within the range of adequate-to-good consistently through the LAC game, and then the same in the SEA game.

Can you point to a spot on the doll where Nate touched you?
Take it easy fella... lol
Wow.

 

[Kingofholland]

After a forgettable debut in high altitude, the redshirt freshman has had two adequate-to-solid performances, giving up a TFL last week in LA, and a sack last night.

It's not enough, imo, to crown him starting LT on a team that has legitimate SB aspirations. It's really not even enough, imo, to anoint him as your swing tackle. He's too green to be given that level of responsibility.

But soberly, if you reframe the picture as-if you had Tyron ready to go and you had some other vet ready to go as your swing tackle, you couldn't help but look at your new offensive lineman's first three pseudo-NFL games and say, "Damn, we might have ourselves a long-term asset here."

Unfortunately, reality is that we "cannot not" frame the picture as reality frames the picture.

Look. Josh Ball is good. He's going to be even better with more time and experience.

But he's not ready for that starting LT level of expectation week-in-week-out. It's unfair to him to put him in that position, and it's unfair to Dak and the rest of the team to put him in that position, too.

Can he handle the swing tackle? I'd rather him not, but on the other hand, if fate were to allow the starting five linemen some good health for the first month or two of the season, I'm bullish on Ball being up to that role eventually. Just not immediately. Soon. Not yet.

It's just too bad he got no time last year to develop... think we'd be feeling a bit (not a lot, but a bit) less alarmed with Tyron going down.

Are you sure you're sober for this assessment?

In all seriousness I don't mind carrying Ball and giving him more time to develop but he hasn't played well against backups and rotational dlinemen. I don't want to see what happens if he has to face the Bosa or TJ Watts of the world.

 

[_sturt_]

Take it easy fella... lol

 

[_sturt_]

he hasn't played well

False. Patently. I've watched every snap, and that's what's informed my conclusions here.

 

[Kingofholland]

False. Patently. I've watched every snap, and that's what's informed my conclusions here.

That's what Mike McCarthy said too. I won't claim I've seen every snap, but I've seen enough to realize if Ball has to start its going to be an adventure. He did play better as the last preseason game went on but I don't know if that's a product of getting more comfortable or lesser competition. Newton has been pretty honest in his assessment.

 

[GimmeTheBall!]

We could be in deep caca

He looks familiar. Is he a former president of tha colonies? Or was that Donald Reagan?

 

[AsthmaField]

He looks familiar. Is he a former president of tha colonies? Or was that Donald Reagan?

That is Arthur Bojangles. One time President of the Detroit Auto Workers Union, turned snack-cake tycoon. He actually invented the white icing swirls on top of chocolate cupcakes, and for years had a running feud with one “Little Debbie” Sloan.

He was the adopted father of Dean Blandino and once provided all snacks to the Pittsburgh Steelers training camps because he was a college roommate of Art Rooney’s.

That’s who that is.

 

[_sturt_]

if Ball has to start its going to be an adventure

Please see OP, if you hadn't already. I'm not advocating that he starts. I'm not even thrilled with the idea of having a rookie be the swing tackle from the start of the season. I am, though, persuaded that every rookie o-lineman is going to have his moments of failure and success, and that Ball's been getting a bum rap. In an extraordinary way, really. Can't recall seeing anything like it for a rookie (and I keep reminding folks, that's effectively what he is). He's been adequate-to-solid for two games... fwiw, essentially what was said of Tyron following his rookie preseason by Archer (see quote earlier in thread).

Can't help but wonder what else is going on that would explain it. He's not shown up on any of these DC.com player interviews. Has he given them the cold shoulder or something? Dunno.

(EDIT: On further thought... that might hold more water than I'd originally given it... what little I've ever heard DC media speak about Ball has nearly always if not always eventually ended up rehashing that he had the domestic violence thing at Florida State, pre Marshall... conceivable that's not made DC media people his favorite people.)

Newton has been pretty honest in his assessment.

(See comment above.)

Hard to persuade me that Nate's doing anything but going off of what others have said/written. That's become his MO over time, and not something only recently concluded. He's not invested in his job. It's not just that he doesn't take the time to learn names of anyone he doesn't think was drafted high enough to make the team... it's so much worse when someone actually feels so comfortable that he would admit that on a podcast. He brings nothing to the table except for stories of his own experiences. I love Nate. I just don't believe he's an asset for that job. Doubt that it's a matter of lacking the aptitude. Believe it's more that he simply doesn't want to put in the time to become respected for anything beyond being a favorite of 1990s era fans.

 

[GimmeTheBall!]

That is Arthur Bojangles. One time President of the Detroit Auto Workers Union, turned snack-cake tycoon. He actually invented the white icing swirls on top of chocolate cupcakes, and for years had a running feud with one “Little Debbie” Sloan.

He was the adopted father of Dean Blandino and once provided all snacks to the Pittsburgh Steelers training camps because he was a college roommate of Art Rooney’s.

That’s who that is.

Tha's a great story!

 

[America's Cowboy]

Yep.

Watch 75 stumbling and bumbling out there.

Even on positive plays he just looks awkward and confused.

Number 62 (Braylon Jones) play is just as ugly.

Farniok is an aggressive road grader! He's more aggressive than Biadasz. No way Biadasz moves so quickly/fluidly and aggressively to the 2nd level after destroying the DT. Farniok should be starting.

 

[blueblood70]

I hate learning as you go. We had all offseason and TC to experiment.

It happens all over sports. sometimes its the only option. some of these FA names being mentioned are older not near as good as they used to be, expensive for what they offer, and really looking at recent play, are they a better option?

Im all for some insurance maybe a 3-4 yr Vet tackle or 2.a plyer who has enough experience for spot duty but not progress stopper.

 

[Floatyworm]

I think I stopped reading at “Josh Ball is good”

Yup...just not seeing it. Speed gives him trouble all the time.

 

[blueblood70]

I hate learning as you go. We had all offseason and TC to experiment.

what you see and what the coaches know are far different.

here is the reality, like Rush did last year in a real game surrounded by all starters with dak missing, he played well..

this is how you can Better project these young guys thrown out with the starters next to them will play better or the coaches can better scheme to cover up their weaknesses. Preseason and practice that you are allowed to see is not what they are running in these closed practices or parts of scrimmages they dont air..

the young guys will look far better mixed in with starters that they do put in preseason. that goes for the qbs etc but for sure the Lines and when they will call plays that might go chip or add a TE on that end to HELP.. they arent doing much of that in what we are allowed to witness..its all vanilla.. the 7-7, 11-11 closed practices is where the real lineups and real scheming is being implemented.

 

[J-man]

Maybe it's just me, but I'm not seeing and NFL LT. I don't even have him making the 53. He's a PS guy at best. Maybe he can develop, but he needs a lot of work.
Waletzko looks better and he's a rookie who missed most of camp. He's my swing and I'm not too happy about that even.
They need to pick up a starting LT from somewhere, asap.