Travis Bright/Robert Brewster - OL situation

[jimmy4713]

It is an over used saying but games are won in the trenches. If you have a quality QB and good line play on both sides of the ball you always be in the hunt. If there is a linemen on the board with the same grade as a corner, take the linemen. Free came into a game cold and played very well given the circumstances. He has good feet (used to be a TE) to play LT and the offense can run some interesting plays getting him into space and letting Felix see daylight. He seems a little small though, but that may because I am used to seeing Flo who is a mountain of a man.

 

[gimmesix]

The Cowboys clearly preferred Proctor over Preston as whenever the need for an extra roster space emerged they would release Preston.

I think Proctor sticks unless we draft a G/C to backup Gurode who can beat him off the roster. I actually view this possibility as quite likely.

Dallas never released Preston, but the Cowboys never made him active ahead of Proctor, either. I'm not really sure why we picked Preston up. I thought it was because we planned to get rid of Proctor, but either that wasn't the case or Preston wasn't able to knock him off the roster.

As far as what we've got, I think the only players that should be counted on making the team are the starting five, Free and Brewster. We should be trying to upgrade the rest of the backup spots with future starters because our starting five are all over 30.

I see us getting one guard who can potentially play right tackle and one interior lineman who can project to center.

 

[Bluefin]

Dallas never released Preston, but the Cowboys never made him active ahead of Proctor, either. I'm not really sure why we picked Preston up. I thought it was because we planned to get rid of Proctor, but either that wasn't the case or Preston wasn't able to knock him off the roster.

My understanding was the team liked Corey Procter better as an interior game day reserve (center/guard).

But if a long term injury occurred, Duke Preston would get the nod at center and Montrae Holland at guard with Procter staying as the utility reserve.

 

[burmafrd]

What bugs me most about the staff is that they are so reluctant to give any playing time to the young guys to see what they can do in a real game. Would they have ever given Miles the chance if Roy had not been injured? Same with Free. And Choice. Yeah I know about the old saw that if you do not do it in practice you won't do it in the game- well that ain't nowhere near 100%. You can minimize the risk to Romo. There were times early on when we could have put Kitna in and the backups in and done it without any major risks, but we did not. I am worried that the same thing will happen this year if we do pick some O Linemen high in the draft- they will gather splinters on the bench and nothing else.

 

[Bluefin]

Would they have ever given Miles the chance if Roy had not been injured? Same with Free.

I understand and share your frustration.

But they did get Doug Free in a game for part of the third quarter and all of the fourth at left tackle prior to him replacing the injured Jumbo Colombo.

The coaches wanted to get Free some live snaps because they felt he had turned the corner. He never would have gotten many, though, because it isn't an easy thing to replace a solid starter with an unknown.

I wanted to use Free as a jumbo tight end in certain looks early in the season just to get him on the field.

 

[gimmesix]

My understanding was the team liked Corey Procter better as an interior game day reserve (center/guard).

But if a long term injury occurred, Duke Preston would get the nod at center and Montrae Holland at guard with Procter staying as the utility reserve.

Not sure that was ever said, but it would make some sense since we kept both players and Proctor wasn't very effective as a starter in 2008 (although that was at guard).

Still, if Preston was considered the better "long-term" starter, I don't see why he wouldn't have been active as the "short-term" answer since he, like Proctor, is a center/guard backup.

It's understandable that Proctor was active instead of Holland since Holland proved he could only play guard.

 

[Eskimo]

Not sure that was ever said, but it would make some sense since we kept both players and Proctor wasn't very effective as a starter in 2008 (although that was at guard).

Still, if Preston was considered the better "long-term" starter, I don't see why he wouldn't have been active as the "short-term" answer since he, like Proctor, is a center/guard backup.

It's understandable that Proctor was active instead of Holland since Holland proved he could only play guard.

It is hard to know what the FO was thinking but I don't think either player is really worth much and we should begin working on developing a future C/G of more ability who someday can take over from Gurode. Maybe he comes this year, maybe next year but it can't be put off too much longer.

 

[jobberone]

I'm still trying to figure out how is sticks around.

Because he's the only true backup center on the team. And he can play both guard spots. That's why. He's marginally serviceable.

 

[RS12]

A lot of threads have us choosing at least 2 OL in this years draft. I'm not opposed to that if that's what the coaches/scouts fill will best help this team. Looking at the roster I don't know that I see 2 OL being drafted based on comments that Wade and the gang have made.

Adams - not going anywhere for at least a year.
Kosier - not going anywhere for at least a year.
Gurode - ditto
Davis - ditto
Columbo - ditto

starting 5 remain the same for next year

Back-ups:

Free - showed he can play RT in this league, I think he can play LT as well
Holland - needs to go, hasn't shown enough to warrant a contract extenstion
Proctor - should have been awhile a go
Preston - has been a starter in this league, I would like to keep
McQuisten - needs to go, has had enough time in practice to show something

Practice Squad/PUP:

Brewster - coaches like, so he sticks for a couple of years
Bright - coaches like, I can see him replacing Holland on the roster

So I see Holland, Proctor, McQuisten gone for sure. With Brewster and Bright replacing them. So unless we also send Preston packing, I only see us drafting 1 OL.

I think they see Free at the LT of the future and Brewster as the RT, that may be why they are so high on the kid from Idaho, a replacement for Kosier in 2011.

Need two OL. Look at the age in the starting line. Back ups for the most part unknown quantities.

 

[jobberone]

Any chance to move Free to LT and Flozell to RT for the coming season.

That's an interesting thought. I'm against it but it is intriguing.

 

[Eskimo]

That's an interesting thought. I'm against it but it is intriguing.

The problem is that Flo isn't going to want to move at this stage of his career - the thought has crossed my mind as well as a way to get Flo away from some of the speed rushers.

If he can do the switch, we are probably a better team for it.

Having said that, I still don't think we know anything about the severity of his calf injury. It sounds as though it is being treated non-surgically so hopefully that means it was not a horrific injury like a ruptured gastrocs.

 

[DasTex]

I think Brewster is gonna be a player.

In Madden, he actually turns into an above average tackle. Rating around an 85


:

 

[gimmesix]

It is hard to know what the FO was thinking but I don't think either player is really worth much and we should begin working on developing a future C/G of more ability who someday can take over from Gurode. Maybe he comes this year, maybe next year but it can't be put off too much longer.

Dallas has seven players on its roster with eight or more years of experience; five of them start on the offensive line.

So I definitely think the Cowboys will be focused on finding future starting linemen, adding to what they have seen in Free and expect from Brewster.

Granted, offensive linemen can be still be effective at older ages (compared to other positions), but Dallas has to be looking for an injection of talented youth on the line.

I think Dallas has to feel its in good position to take whoever falls to them, but all things being equal, will lean toward taking linemen early.

 

[UnoDallas]

IMO

we should Draft three OL

Iupati - OT - C/G

thats what I hoping for this year - last year went over the top with LBers

time to do it with OL this year

and cut Holland. Procter, Preston, and Mcq

 

[Bluefin]

I think Dallas has to feel its in good position to take whoever falls to them, but all things being equal, will lean toward taking linemen early.

Sounds good to me.

We'll just need to see if there are any players released when the off-season begins and who we may add in free agency prior to the draft.

 

[Screw The Hall]

I think it's time to infuse some early round talent into the OL, and a couple of picks worth at that. Our OL depth has been a problem for a while now and that's a position where you really are playing with fire when you are understaffed.

Add in to the equation the age, injury issues, and inconsistency of some of our OL starters and you really have to address it ... no choice.

The only thing that has saved this from being a defcon 1 on the urgency scale is the emergence of Doug Free who has become an absolute godsend for the Cowboys.

 

[burmafrd]

well we were due to finally get lucky after all the failures at developing O linemen. And that worries me because maybe it was just luck and we will fail with the next 5-6 picks. So to me lets carpet bomb the O line this year- pick 4 or 5. We ought to be able to get one or two good ones.

 

[lockster]

I figured Preston was being given time for learning the offense. Let's hope he takes Proctor's spot. If not, well at least they tried to find someone.