The Wulf Den: Training Camp Preview

[jobberone]

I love the competition along the interior line. It should elevate everyone's play.

And I hope you're right Wulfman about looking for a C. I don't like the idea of displacing a player with a vet near the end of his career. But I wouldn't let that stop me from getting 1-2 years of quality play out of a seasoned veteran at C. Esp if that play was clearly superior to what we have now.

 

[Wulfman]

I love the competition along the interior line. It should elevate everyone's play.

And I hope you're right Wulfman about looking for a C. I don't like the idea of displacing a player with a vet near the end of his career. But I wouldn't let that stop me from getting 1-2 years of quality play out of a seasoned veteran at C. Esp if that play was clearly superior to what we have now.

And you never know who might become available at the end of camp. There are teams that have centers that were drafted in the last year or two who may be stepping into starting roles, and that usually means that the veteran they're replacing gets released, not retained as a back-up.

 

[burmafrd]

And you never know who might become available at the end of camp. There are teams that have centers that were drafted in the last year or two who may be stepping into starting roles, and that usually means that the veteran they're replacing gets released, not retained as a back-up.

with Killer K pretty much out of it that is what I am praying for. We are doomed if we start costus a season.

 

[burmafrd]

Costus?

Costa is the odds on favorite to be the opening day starter. So you might want to get used to it. He isn't nearly as bad as you portray him, and the majority of his problem areas last year are all things that are correctable. We have heard that he has been working with Callahan and studying top notch centers technique so we need to give him the benefit of the doubt until we actually at least see him.

yeah watching film will grow his arms and give him faster footwork- NOT.

 

[CCBoy]

yeah watching film will grow his arms and give him faster footwork- NOT.

Football is a mean-streak sport. Impact of a brute strike doesn't care if the arm is an inch shorter or not...and inconfined spaces, there isn't far to move to deliver it.

 

[Wulfman]

Football is a mean-streak sport. Impact of a brute strike doesn't care if the arm is an inch shorter or not...and inconfined spaces, there isn't far to move to deliver it.

I actually think that this is the reason why Costa played better when he had bigger guards playing on either side. If you have smaller guys playing in those positions, it means you have slightly bigger gaps between the players as well. That gives opposing D-linemen the ability to move laterally a bit to avoid that impact initially, and Costa's shorter arms couldn't reach nearly as well. With bigger guys next to him, defenders can't avoid that initial strike as well, and his brute strength comes into play.

Again, my question will be if the switch to Callhan's blocking scheme will aid in delivering that strike or not. If it does, Costa may be just fine if he can get the rest of the technical things squared away. If it doesn't, there's no way he'll be the best available player at the position.

 

[Wulfman]

with Killer K pretty much out of it that is what I am praying for. We are doomed if we start costus a season.

I don't think we're necessarily doomed if Costa ends up starting, as it means he's been evaluated by the staff to be the best option at the position through camp. What I do think it means, however, is that improvement on the interior of the O-line is going to rest more squarely on having improved play at both guard positions.

Good play on both sides of a mediocre player on the offensive line can usually be pretty effective. It's when you get poor play side-by-side that it becomes a huge problem area.

 

[burmafrd]

Football is a mean-streak sport. Impact of a brute strike doesn't care if the arm is an inch shorter or not...and inconfined spaces, there isn't far to move to deliver it.

you really do not know much about O line play do you?

The closer the Defensive player can get to you the more edge he has unless the other player is a much better technician which clearly Costus a season is not.

 

[CCBoy]

you really do not know much about O line play do you?

The closer the Defensive player can get to you the more edge he has unless the other player is a much better technician which clearly Costus a season is not.

You know something, ********, the harder you try to make me look as a fool, and actually spend your time trying to troll about every thing positive that I say about the team...only shows your prejudice and use of negative stereotyping to try to look good yourself.

Yea, brainstein, ALL boxers start running the moment they enter the ring, because you say the opponent has the advantage. Talk about being a tool.

You either never played football, or got your butt kicked on the field or the ring...

 

[Wulfman]

The closer the Defensive player can get to you the more edge he has unless the other player is a much better technician which clearly Costus a season is not.

Actually, if the offensive lineman has his hands inside, where they're supposed to be (to prevent the holding call), and has a lower center of gravity, a defender getting close to him is exactly what he wants. I played center, and even though I was taller than a lot of the defenders, I played low to the ground. If a defender came at my chest and I got my hands on him, he was history. I could either lift up and back him up or drop straight down and take him with me. Either way, he's not making a play.

If Costa has learned how to anchor his feet after the snap, a defensive player getting in on him is going to do nothing but negate his disadvantage of having shorter arms and allow him to use his brute strength. Only time will tell if he's developed that ability on a more consistent basis.

 

[silverbear]

One of the best posts I've read in a long time, Wulfman... I like the way you identified the locks, then looked at the competition for the remaining spots...

I like the way you write, too... good stuff... thanks...

 

[Wulfman]

One of the best posts I've read in a long time, Wulfman... I like the way you identified the locks, then looked at the competition for the remaining spots...

I like the way you write, too... good stuff... thanks...

I appreciate that, Silverbear. If all goes according to plan, I'll have one of these following each preseason game to look not only at the on-the-field performance, but the roster as a whole as we approach roster cuts.

 

[CCBoy]

We all will anticipate with glee...and this is as good as it gets with us fans. Thanks for bringing out some of our old feelings for our 'Boys.:starspin

 

[silverbear]

I appreciate that, Silverbear. If all goes according to plan, I'll have one of these following each preseason game to look not only at the on-the-field performance, but the roster as a whole as we approach roster cuts.

I'll look forward to that...

 

[xwalker]

I don't think we're necessarily doomed if Costa ends up starting, as it means he's been evaluated by the staff to be the best option at the position through camp. What I do think it means, however, is that improvement on the interior of the O-line is going to rest more squarely on having improved play at both guard positions.

Good play on both sides of a mediocre player on the offensive line can usually be pretty effective. It's when you get poor play side-by-side that it becomes a huge problem area.

The problem is at RG. With Bernadeau on the PUP and Nagy at Center, it appears that TC will open with Leary and Arkin at RG.

 

[xwalker]

Actually, if the offensive lineman has his hands inside, where they're supposed to be (to prevent the holding call), and has a lower center of gravity, a defender getting close to him is exactly what he wants. I played center, and even though I was taller than a lot of the defenders, I played low to the ground. If a defender came at my chest and I got my hands on him, he was history. I could either lift up and back him up or drop straight down and take him with me. Either way, he's not making a play.

If Costa has learned how to anchor his feet after the snap, a defensive player getting in on him is going to do nothing but negate his disadvantage of having shorter arms and allow him to use his brute strength. Only time will tell if he's developed that ability on a more consistent basis.

I thought that Costa was good in direct-straight-ahead blocking. He had a good game against Miami and Soliai. He was even OK if the defender was in the gap as long as the defender was trying to go through Costa and not around him. For example, if the DL was lined up to the left of Costa but the run went to the right, then Costa was OK because the defender had to take him on directly.

The problem was when he had to make even the smallest reach to get a defender in the gap. In these types of blocks, his strength was negated and he was often off-balance. I think at least part of the reason for this was his short arms.

In the direct blocks where the defender comes to him, he can keep his weight centered and use his weight-room strength to contain the defender. When he has to reach, due at least partially to his short arms, he has to extend his body and his weight becomes unbalanced.

The other reason that he has to reach, IMO, is because he is a tick late getting into the block because he is concentrating on the snap, especially in the shotgun formation. I think this is the area where he really improved during the year.

 

[Wulfman]

The problem is at RG. With Bernadeau on the PUP and Nagy at Center, it appears that TC will open with Leary and Arkin at RG.

A lot is going to come down to just how long Bernadeau is out. Most of the word I've heard is that he might be back for the second week of camp. And while it will take him a little while to shake off the rust, he will still have time to get to full speed for the last couple of preseason games.

I look at it this way: Leary was brought in right after the draft and, essentially, treated like an additional draft pick. By all reports, he's doing well so far, and has a ton of upside. But Arkin has built his strength significantly, and has received praise from Garrett about how much he has improved. So the practices this week and all of the practices between now and Bernadeau's return will be head-to-head between these two. If the reports we've heard are accurate, the winner of that battle will be the one pushing Bernadeau for a starting job. And if they're both playing well, you have to think that the winner may be better than we expect.

I find it ironic that, as much as his signing was blasted on these forums, the general consensus now is that we can't wait for Bernadeau to be healthy.

 

[Wulfman]

I thought that Costa was good in direct-straight-ahead blocking. He had a good game against Miami and Soliai. He was even OK if the defender was in the gap as long as the defender was trying to go through Costa and not around him. For example, if the DL was lined up to the left of Costa but the run went to the right, then Costa was OK because the defender had to take him on directly.

The problem was when he had to make even the smallest reach to get a defender in the gap. In these types of blocks, his strength was negated and he was often off-balance. I think at least part of the reason for this was his short arms.

In the direct blocks where the defender comes to him, he can keep his weight centered and use his weight-room strength to contain the defender. When he has to reach, due at least partially to his short arms, he has to extend his body and his weight becomes unbalanced.

The other reason that he has to reach, IMO, is because he is a tick late getting into the block because he is concentrating on the snap, especially in the shotgun formation. I think this is the area where he really improved during the year.

I agree whole-heartedly. This is exactly what I saw when I watched him on film. And it's why I believe he could actually be serviceable as the starter with bigger guards on either side. When defenders tried to go around him last year, there were some pretty significant gaps for them to go through because the guard on one side or the other either wasn't taking up as much space or were getting pushed around. When that happened, his arm reach wasn't sufficient to make up for it. The combination of better guard play and Callahan's scheme, though, should go a long way towards fixing that problem.

 

[CCBoy]

I think there is a rush to compare Costa to a memory of the best productions of Andre Gurode, even a Stepnoski or Donovan. But in the mean time, we lose focus that change was involved with those players as well.

There is a reason why Costa was slow out of his presnap position, and was off balance a lot. That ability to respond more timely, comes with experience and reinforcements by coaching.

He is a 'bulldog' as to his own efforts. That will grow in the center. I don't think a tendency with an inch of inch and a half in his arms, means the sun is setting as to his own potentials to be a very solid center on the Cowboys.

Athletes still put their pants on one leg at a time, even if some fans claim they are Terantesaurus Rex.

 

[justbob]

Thanks again Wulf...I learn alot every time I read your posts and look forward to them