Wulfman
Unofficial GM
- Messages
- 1,300
- Reaction score
- 19
The Wulf Den: Training Camp Preview
With all of their draft picks finally signed, and with everyone on their way to Oxnard, California for training camp, it’s finally time again to talk Cowboys. There have been a few tweaks to the roster over the past month or two, such as replacing undrafted rookies with players who have at least seen a training camp before (TE George Bryan getting replaced with John Nalbone and OT Taylor Dever getting cut in favor of former Cowboy Pat McQuistan). But neither of those moves is expected to be of earth-shattering significance, especially if the young players they already had on the roster step up the way the Cowboys hope.
And that, to me, is going to be the real question in training camp this year: can the young players step up? Most of us know what we’ve got in our veteran mainstays on the team like Romo, Ware, Ratliff, and Witten. And we have a pretty good idea what we have in some of our younger players like Sean Lee, DeMarco Murray, and Tyron Smith. But there are some younger veterans and rookies who will be expected to take a significant step forward this year, and their ability to do so—or the lack thereof—will ultimately determine the success of the team.
So let’s look at each position as we enter training camp, identify the concerns and/or things to watch, and project what we think might be our roster when we start the season on that Wednesday night in New York.
Positional Breakdown
QB – As I mentioned following the draft, I think the real battle at this position is not who the third QB is going to be, but whether either of the young QBs can show enough to force the Cowboys to keep a third QB on the roster. Unless McGee or Carpenter show something really significant in camp, and barring injury, I think the Cowboys only keep Romo and Orton on the 53-man roster. I do anticipate a developmental third QB being signed to the practice squad.
RB – I’ve seen a lot of talk from Bryan Broaddus about the Cowboys potentially trading Felix Jones. And maybe they will. But I just don’t see it unless someone does the unthinkable and offers the Cowboys a first or second round pick. The guys behind Murray have little or no experience, and Murray, himself, is coming off of a season-ending injury. I think Felix will be the primary back-up starting the season, and the three youngsters will battle it out for the #3 job. And while Tanner looked very good in his few opportunities last year, don’t be surprised if Scott pushes for the job instead. He is a strong downhill runner, and the short-yardage possibility of Scott following a Vickers block is intriguing, to say the least. The Cowboys haven’t had a real short-yardage threat since Marion was still the Barbarian in his early days.
IF Broaddus turns out to be correct in his thoughts about the Cowboys potentially trading Felix Jones, however, I doubt very seriously if his replacement is currently on the roster. You just can’t go into the season with Phillip Tanner, Lance Dunbar, and Darrell Scott as your only back-ups to Murray. So if a trade were to take place, I think it more likely that a veteran like Cedric Benson or Ryan Grant would be signed as a back-up, and those three young guys would still be fighting it out for the #3 job.
FB – The signing of Lawrence Vickers may turn out to be the biggest signing of the offseason, even beyond the signing of CB Brandon Carr and QB Kyle Orton. The Cowboys running game was been at its best in recent years when there was a legitimate lead blocker on the field, regardless of which offensive linemen were on the field, and Vickers is one of the best (if not THE best) in the league. Last year’s draft pick, Shaun Chapas, could make the practice squad again if they see enough improvement from last year. But to my mind, he has no chance at making the roster, barring injury, and Jamize Olawale has even less of a chance. I’ll go out on a small limb here: if Vickers stays healthy all year, the Cowboys running game will be better than it’s been in years, no matter who ends up starting on the offensive line. If Murray also stays healthy, he’ll break 1,500 yards this season.
TE – I stated following the draft that I liked Andrew Szczerba of Penn State over George Bryan of North Carolina State, as his 6-7 frame would enable him to potentially add a few more pounds and serve as an in-line blocking TE—something the drafting of James Hanna didn’t address. Clearly, the Cowboys felt the same way, jettisoning Bryan and claiming John Nalbone off waivers from Seattle. But Nalbone is more of an H-back and receiver than a blocker, much like John Phillips, so he’d have to really step it up to have a shot at the roster. I think Szczerba’s only chance to make the roster is either because of an injury or because he shows the skill to be a dominant blocker. He’s not shown that ability in the past, however, so his best hope might be the practice squad. If Hanna struggles with the inconsistency that he showed early in mini-camps, the Cowboys could be watching the waiver wire.
WR – Despite Dez Bryant’s recent troubles, he and Miles Austin are the clear-cut starters. Beyond that, however, just about anything could happen. A lot of people are wondering who the #3 receiver is going to be, and they dwell on a slot receiver. The Cowboys, however, tend to drop Miles Austin into the slot in three-receiver sets, so the #3 wideout has to be able to play outside in those sets as well as to fill in for one of the starters, should the need arise as it did throughout last season. To my mind, that makes the situation more competitive, and prevents a quick, small, prototypical slot receiver from automatically getting the upper hand. The Cowboys have an abundance of young guys competing for this spot, as well as for the remaining 2 or 3 spots after, and it seems that several of them made a positive impression in the mini-camps. So the likes of Cole Beasley, Donovan Kemp, Saalim Hakim, and Tim Benford still have an opportunity to show enough to make the roster in training camp. But to my mind, the #3 receiver comes down to the rest of the pack.
Kevin Ogletree is the only one with any real playing experience of that group, and Head Coach Jason Garrett has said that he thought he did well with the limited opportunities he’s been given. To me, that’s coach-speak to try to bolster the confidence of a guy who has more talent than he’s shown, and is on his last chance. I’m pulling for Ogletree to finally show what those who watched him at Virginia have been waiting for since he was signed as an undrafted rookie. But if he doesn’t do so and claim that #3 job, to my mind he’s likely to be cut as he doesn’t really contribute on special teams the way a #4 or #5 receiver would need to do.
Ogletree’s primary competition for that third wideout job is likely with first-year player Andre Holmes and rookie Danny Coale. Holmes has been the talk of the offseason, and the Cowboys apparent love of his size and ability would seem to give him an edge as an outside receiver. Coale showed at Virginia Tech that he can play both in the slot and on the outside, and made a lot of plays despite having horrific QB play. His biggest problem at this point is a lack of opportunity, as an early injury in mini-camp severely limited his chances. He’ll start camp on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list, and should be back around the second week of camp. I’ve watched a lot of this kid, however, and I think he’s going to make a huge push to claim that spot.
For those of you wondering, I haven’t forgotten Dwayne Harris or Raymond Radway. But both have some serious question marks. Radway has to show that he is completely recovered from that awful injury he suffered at the end of camp last year. If he is not only healed but can cut with confidence, he’ll be in the mix for a roster spot. As for Harris, he’s a special team return and slot guy, which can be a nice player to have. But if he doesn’t show as much polish as an all-around receiver, I think he’ll get passed on the depth chart.
OL – The decisions that are made at this position may have as much or more to do with how successful the Cowboys are this season than any other, and a lot is riding on Bill Callahan’s shoulders. As was pointed out in a recent article on dallascowboys.com, the new faces on the offensive line were selected with the input of Callahan to specifically run the kind of blocking schemes he likes to run. As such, their success or failure will reflect not only on their ability to play, but more specifically on their ability to play in his scheme. As such, I expect there to be some head-scratching at the beginning of camp, and enough blown assignments that many fans—including a significant number on these forums—are going to be foretelling doom for the Cowboys and lamenting not taking DeCastro in the first round in April. Don’t get discouraged early, though. It may take a few weeks into camp, but if they can stay healthy, I believe you’re going to see this group start to gel just as training camp ends.
At offensive tackle, the switch of Smith and Doug Free was a no-brainer, and I anticipate not only a breakout year for Smith on the left side, but a significant resurgence from Free back on the right side. I also think that, barring injury, Jermey Parnell will once again serve as the swing tackle. None of the youngsters that were signed after the draft (Adams, Adcock, and Novikoff) have shown anything spectacular as of yet, and Pat McQuistan is an insurance policy, at best…and cut-rate insurance, at that. It’s going to take one of the young guys really stepping up or an injury to keep a fourth OT, I think, and the best hope for the youngsters might be a spot on the practice squad.
On the interior of the line, there are a lot more questions, in my opinion. Mackenzy Bernadeau and Nate Livings were signed to contracts that suggest that they will at least compete for a starting position. But Bernadeau is still recovering from hip surgery in May, and will start camp on the PUP list. So the door is open, and the question we have to ask is who will walk through it? At this point, many may point to Bill Nagy or David Arkin from last year’s draft class. But both have question marks. Nagy is coming back from a season-ending fracture to his right ankle, and Arkin wasn’t active for a single game last season because he, quite honestly, wasn’t strong enough to get the job done. Having said that, Nagy should be 100% by now, and I’ve heard some positive reports about Arkin and how much a year in the offseason program with Mike Woicik has increased his strength. So they both have a legitimate shot at pushing for a starting position. Nagy’s ability to play center is another thing in his favor, as the Cowboys like versatility in their offensive linemen. As for the two young guys, I don’t see any way that Ronald Leary doesn’t make the team after Jerry Jones all but called him an extra draft pick. He has a lot of potential, IF he can stay healthy. As for the other undrafted guard, Harland Gunn’s best hope is to show enough potential to make them consider using a practice squad spot for him. With the logjam the Cowboys have at the position, though, I think it highly unlikely that they do so.
And then we come to the center position. There are others who can play the center position, as I mentioned with Nagy, above. But this battle really comes down to Phil Costa and Kevin Kowalski. Costa will begin training camp as the starter, and the job will have to be taken away from him, as he won’t give it up easily. The good news for Cowboys fans, in my opinion, is that Kowalski has the skills to take the job if he has done his due diligence in the offseason. Costa improved as the season went along last year, but was still a liability at times. And while things like inaccurate snaps can be corrected with work, physical disadvantages like short arms can’t be. Both Costa and Kowalski can play both center and guard, so neither has a clear-cut advantage there. For my money, I believe Kowalski has the higher upside, and if they are even at the end of camp, don’t be surprised if Kowalski is the starter with Nagy serving as his back-up. There is an outside chance that Bernadeau could play some center, as has been mentioned in numerous locations. I think it unlikely, however, considering he is returning from injury AND learning a new scheme. Adding learning another position as well would be asking a great deal.
DL – There are some players here that we simply know are going to make the roster. At this point, I believe Jay Ratliff, Jason Hatcher, Sean Lissemore, and rookie Tyrone Crawford are on the roster, barring a season-ending injury. Beyond those four players, however there are going to be some interesting battles to watch in camp.
At DE, the question is going to come down to youth versus experience and a numbers game. Rob Ryan likes to keep more defensive linemen than some 3-4 defensive coordinators because he shows so many different fronts. But there’s still a limit on how many players can make the roster, and I believe it may mean the Cowboys cut a DE that they’d prefer to keep for depth purposes. There’s been a lot of positive talk about youngster Clifton Geathers, and how he keeps improving. If that is truly the case, it likely will mean that either Kenyon Coleman or Marcus Spears won’t be on the team. Coleman’s advantage of knowing Ryan’s defensive scheme is now significantly diminished, so it may simply come down to a numbers game—age versus cap relief.
At NT, the battle will come between Josh Brent and Rob Callaway for the back-up position behind Ratliff. Many fans are not as familiar with Callaway, but the word I’m hearing is that he is impressing the coaches, while Brent appeared to hit a ceiling last year. Now perhaps Brent will pick it up significantly in camp, and it will be patently obvious that they should keep him. But if Brent plays the same way he did last year with a few brief flashes and then a whole lot of “meh” play, and Callaway brings it, there could be a change in the wind.
LB – As with the defensive line, I begin this position with eliminating the players that I believe are on the roster for the opening game, barring a season-ending injury. At LB, that list is Demarcus Ware, Anthony Spencer, Kyle Wilber, Sean Lee, Bruce Carter, and Dan Connor. With the reality that they need to keep one more OLB and one more ILB, at a minimum, for the depth chart, and the added fact that they may or may not be able to keep a 9th LB on the roster, expect some heated battles at this position throughout camp.
On the outside, last year’s back-ups may end up battling each other for one spot or to force the Cowboys to keep that 9th LB. Victor Butler seems to be the better playmaker at this point based on QB pressure, but Alex Albright is, in my mind, the superior special teams player, and has a size advantage. And let’s be honest—if you’re backing up Demarcus Ware, the best pass-rusher in the league, like Albright, how many chances are you really going to get to pin back your ears and go after the opposing QB? The dark horse in this whole thing, though, is Adrian Hamilton. This guy was a QB’s worst nightmare in college, albeit at a smaller level of competition. If he shows anywhere near that kind of pass-rushing ability in the preseason, there’s no way the Cowboys will risk losing him by trying to tuck him away on the practice squad. If that happens, the Cowboys will have no choice but to keep a 9th LB on the roster, and either Butler or Albright will be gone.
On the inside, I think the competition is going to boil down to veteran Orie Lemon versus 7th-round draft pick Caleb McSurdy. Lemon spent last year on the practice squad, and the word coming out of the mini-camps suggested that he was stepping up and taking a leadership role with the younger players. His familiarity with the defensive scheme, as well as having a year in the offseason program, give him a distinct advantage, in my opinion, despite McSurdy being a draft pick. I do think, however, that McSurdy will be a good candidate for the practice squad, and it may be a very different story this time next year. As for the remaining guys on the roster, I don’t believe Isaiah Greenhouse or Aston Whiteside have more than a remote chance at making the roster. Greenhouse has been flipped to FB and back already once, and Whiteside is trying to make the transition from DE to LB…and inside LB, at that. If he shows enough, he could be another candidate for the practice squad.
CB – This position may look fairly straight-forward on the surface, and it may be. But there are questions that have to be answered, and the answers may have a significant impact on the overall effectiveness of the defense this year. Brandon Carr, Morris Claiborne, and Orlando Scandrick are on the team, as is Mike Jenkins. Jenkins will likely start the year on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list, though, so they could be looking for two more corners to fill the roster until he’s able to come back. The front-runner for the first of those two positions in my mind is Mario Butler. He’s looked good in the offseason workouts, so he will have to be passed on the depth chart by two guys not to make it. Unfortunately for him, there are two undrafted rookies who have also been impressive: Lionel Smith and Isaac Madison. I believe at this point that two of these three will make the squad, with the third potentially going to the practice squad. As for the remaining corners on the roster, I think the Teddy Williams experiment is about to come to a screeching halt, and at this point I think C. J. Wilson simply is what he is: a camp body.
S – There’s going to be a lot of competition here, not only for roster spots, but for starting spots as well. At this point, I have to believe that rookie Matt Johnson, Gerald Sensabaugh, and Barry Church are on the roster. After that, I have a number of questions. Brodney Pool is a veteran who came in on a one-year deal and is familiar with Ryan’s scheme. I think of him more as an insurance policy, however, than as an integral addition to the roster via free agency. If the younger guys bring it throughout camp, I can easily see Pool being let go. Having said that, he’s a nice safety net to have in place. As for the rest of the safeties, it’s going to be interesting to see what they bring to the table. Danny McCray is the team’s best special teams player, in my opinion, so I don’t see any way he doesn’t make the roster. If Pool is retained, that’s already five safeties on the roster, and I can’t see any way of keeping more than that. So the likes of Mana Silva, Akwasi Owusu-Ansah, Justin Taplin-Ross, and Eddie Whitley are fighting for the one roster spot that Pool is currently holding, and are ultimately going to have to show enough potential at safety AND contribute on special teams to force the Cowboys to keep one of them instead.
ST – L. P. Ladouceur is in his contract year, and the Cowboys brought in someone to compete with him. They’d love to find a cheaper alternative, but I hate messing with consistency in the kicking game—and Ladouceur is the definition of consistency. As I said previously, Charley Hughlett is going to have to be perfect to have a shot. Bailey is going to be the kicker, and won’t really have much in the way of competition. At punter, the Cowboys tried to re-sign Mat McBriar to compete with or supplant Chris Jones. But their confidence in Jones was apparently sufficient that they didn’t offer him a deal big enough to prevent him signing with the rival Eagles. I hope that confidence is well-placed, as McBriar at full strength is a weapon in the field-position game. Delbert Alvarado will spell both Jones and Bailey in camp, but he has little to no chance to actually beat either of them out for a job, and is basically auditioning for the rest of the teams in the league.
The Projection
As we enter training camp, here’s my projected 53-man roster:
QB (2): Romo, Orton – I see no reason to keep a third QB anywhere but the practice squad.
RB (3): Murray, Jones, Tanner – I don’t Jones is going anywhere, and I think Tanner will win the #3 spot…for now.
FB (1): Vickers – No need for a back-up here initially.
TE (3): Witten, Hanna, Phillips (back-up FB as well) – I like Szczerba, but he doesn’t really add anything that these guys don’t.
WR (6): Bryant, Austin, Coale, Holmes, Radway, Harris – This is pushing it in terms of roster spots. But Coale's recovery could mean it's a necessity at first.
OT (3): Smith, Free, Parnell – I see no reason to keep a fourth OT just to say you have one. One injury to this group, though, and they’ll have to make room for McQuistan.
G (4): Livings, Bernadeau, Leary, Arkin – Considering Arkin never was active, this group means that the position would have a complete overhaul from a year ago…and that’s not a bad thing.
C (2): Kowalski, Nagy – I know a lot of folks think Costa will be the starter on opening day, but I think Kowalski will be at least as good in camp and will show more upside despite starting camp on the PUP list.
DL (7): Crawford, Ratliff, Hatcher, Spears, Callaway, Lissemore, Geathers – I think Spears stays instead of Coleman, and Callaway beats out Brent.
LB (9): Ware, Spencer, Butler, Lee, Carter, Connor, Wilber, Albright, Lemon – I think Albright and Butler will both bring it in camp and force the ‘Boys to keep a 9th LB.
CB (5): Carr, Claiborne, Scandrick, Butler, Madison – I expect Jenkins to still be on PUP at the start of the season, so that fifth spot is wide open. I give Madison the nod…for now.
S (5): Sensabaugh, Pool, Johnson, Church, McCray – At this point, I don’t see anyone knocking Pool off of the roster. But that could always change.
ST (3): Bailey, Ladouceur, Jones – I’m betting on consistency.
Practice Squad: CB Smith, S Whitley, RB Scott, OT Adcock, LBs Hamilton and McSurdy, WR Beasley, and TE Szczerba.
The Rest of the Story
There’s going to be a lot to watch for as camp begins, as always, and the competition should start hot and heavy from day 1. Of course, we really haven’t seen enough of any of the rookies to know what they’ll bring to the table in training camp, and injuries always seem to play a key role in those last few roster spots. But then, that’s part of the fun.
