sago1
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Don't get some of you people. Talk about misinformation. Some of you most have been watching games that I never heard/saw). Somebody posted on our other board that Gurode had been a center since 02 and essentially had only one good year (06) at that position yet we reward him with big contract.
You better go back and check Cowboy stats. Gurodes was drafted in 02 and started approx 6 games at center before getting hurt. When he returned, he was moved to OG and did not play the center position (except for few occasions when either Johnson was out) over the next few years and did not excell at OG.
In 05 Parcells decided Gurode's real position was at C and Gurode & Johnson competed for the starting job but Johnson won out cause, although Gurode more physical ability, he havng difficulty matching the mental aspects of center play. At end of 05 season Gurode became a FA and was offered a contract by the Rams. Parcells still believed Gurode had ability to become starting center and offered Gurode a ONE YEAR contract for $1.5M--far above Rams' offer--so Gurode returned to Cowboys. Parcells stated during 06 preseason/TC that Gurode now noticeably more mature (helped by Cowboys letting OT Torrin Tucker to leave); Parcells believed Tucker was a mental distraction on Gurode. In 06 TC Gurode beat out Johnson and became the starting center--a position he never lost.
So posters who somehow think Gurode was playing center for several years and now finally had a good year plain wrong. This was his first year as a starter and he should continue to grow in that job; he played well this year.
Did we probably have to pay more then we wanted, I suspect so but if we had waited he could easily have cost a lot more or we might even have lost him in FA. The idea that Johnson could replace Gurode is simly not a possibility for any length of time. Johnson simply lacks the physical strength/leverage/whatever to contain the big DL that he must face continually. And the idea we let Gurode go, re-sign Johnson and then use a draft pick to grab another center simply doesn't make sense.
We must add a RG, maybe an OT, a NT, CB and maybe a FS (I do hope Watkins can be the answer this year), etc. It doubtful we could even get a good enough center who could actually start for us or who sits while a lesser center plays. The idea is to improve our OL not to go backwards. We need to upgrade 2 OL players, let's not increase the number.
You better go back and check Cowboy stats. Gurodes was drafted in 02 and started approx 6 games at center before getting hurt. When he returned, he was moved to OG and did not play the center position (except for few occasions when either Johnson was out) over the next few years and did not excell at OG.
In 05 Parcells decided Gurode's real position was at C and Gurode & Johnson competed for the starting job but Johnson won out cause, although Gurode more physical ability, he havng difficulty matching the mental aspects of center play. At end of 05 season Gurode became a FA and was offered a contract by the Rams. Parcells still believed Gurode had ability to become starting center and offered Gurode a ONE YEAR contract for $1.5M--far above Rams' offer--so Gurode returned to Cowboys. Parcells stated during 06 preseason/TC that Gurode now noticeably more mature (helped by Cowboys letting OT Torrin Tucker to leave); Parcells believed Tucker was a mental distraction on Gurode. In 06 TC Gurode beat out Johnson and became the starting center--a position he never lost.
So posters who somehow think Gurode was playing center for several years and now finally had a good year plain wrong. This was his first year as a starter and he should continue to grow in that job; he played well this year.
Did we probably have to pay more then we wanted, I suspect so but if we had waited he could easily have cost a lot more or we might even have lost him in FA. The idea that Johnson could replace Gurode is simly not a possibility for any length of time. Johnson simply lacks the physical strength/leverage/whatever to contain the big DL that he must face continually. And the idea we let Gurode go, re-sign Johnson and then use a draft pick to grab another center simply doesn't make sense.
We must add a RG, maybe an OT, a NT, CB and maybe a FS (I do hope Watkins can be the answer this year), etc. It doubtful we could even get a good enough center who could actually start for us or who sits while a lesser center plays. The idea is to improve our OL not to go backwards. We need to upgrade 2 OL players, let's not increase the number.
ray2:
exactly, Gurode put it together mentally to go along w/ his physical gifts, in his 1st year at C, throw away his rookie year, that was only 6 games, that's nothing, esp. when it's only 6 games of your 1st year