Vela: Cornerback Gambit

[Teague31]

was talking to a source the other day about the new assistants and he made an intriguing comment about new/old offensive line coach Hudson Houck. “You know,” he said, “Houck and Flozell [Adams] never really got along.”

That comment got me thinking, thinking that I’m going to conduct out loud here. Quality OL coaches can get players to perform beyond themselves. They can get young players ready in a hurry. Jim Myers, Tom Landry’s OL guy, had to play a Thanksgiving Day game with five guards in his lineup, because injuries had wiped out his OTs and C. His makeshift line won.

This year the Colts’ Howard Mudd took rookie Tony Ugoh and had him playing at a high level from day one protecting Peyton Manning’s blind side. Houck was able to incorporate rookie Larry Allen into his All-Star line in 1994.

If — and I’m stretching the if here — Houck views tape and works with youngsters Pat McQuistan and Doug Free and feels one of them can handle the left tackle spot, might you use Flozell’s money on another need position? Might you say, pursue one of the top cornerbacks in this year’s veteran crop?

How tight might the Cowboys coverage be if a Marcus Truffant or a Nnamdi Asomugha were playing opposite Terence Newman? I know, you have to pay Newman his money first and then decide if how much you want to bid on Ken Hamlin and Dallas already has decent money tied up in Anthony Henry and it makes little sense to put another huge deal in one area of the team…

That said, the comment made me wonder if Dallas is considering using Flozell’s money on another position and wondering what position that might be? What do you think?

great article as usual by Vela.. we didn't draft Free to sit around. i saw we let Flo go and use the money elsewhere.

 

[superpunk]

Interesting thought.

But even without Flo, I'm not sure we could afford either of those corners. Asomugha is the best corner in the NFL, and probably won't be let loose from Oakland if they're smart at all. Trufant will probably be franchised.

 

[Chocolate Lab]

Houck won't have enough to look at to even make that determination before FA starts.

 

[Rampage]

Interesting thought.

But even without Flo, I'm not sure we could afford either of those corners. Asomugha is the best corner in the NFL, and probably won't be let loose from Oakland if they're smart at all. Trufant will probably be franchised.

are you serious?:laugh2: and how come he didn't even mention samuel? he's the best fa cornerback out there

 

[FuzzyLumpkins]

Houck won't have enough to look at to even make that determination before FA starts.

He has a month til March. Thats when it starts. Im not sure how long it takes but that seems like quite a bit of time.

 

[CoCo]

He has a month til March. Thats when it starts. Im not sure how long it takes but that seems like quite a bit of time.

I think his point is that there is no game film to watch on any of the young guys because they haven't played.

 

[Chocolate Lab]

He has a month til March. Thats when it starts. Im not sure how long it takes but that seems like quite a bit of time.

To watch them do what, bag drills?

Now if you argue that we franchise Flo and let Houck watch these young guys play in preseason and practice every day for a year, I could see that.

 

[dmq]

I am all for letting Flo go. He was a very decent player for many year. However, he is getting to an age where his contract could become a liability and I am sick of the constant drive killing false starts. That said, if we let him go Parcells will pick him up in 5 minutes.

 

[mmillman]

Too risky for a potential superbowl team to protect Romo with Free or McQuistan. Houch "incorporated Larry Allen?" I could be one heck of an OL coach if I could incorporate five HOF linemen. That said, Houck has always been a good OL coach, but you can't leave the left tackle vulnerable.

 

[theebs]

Interesting thought.

But even without Flo, I'm not sure we could afford either of those corners. Asomugha is the best corner in the NFL, and probably won't be let loose from Oakland if they're smart at all. Trufant will probably be franchised.

I never underestimate the sheer stupidity of Al Davis.

You never know what can happen on draft day, what if he wants to unload him because of his impending big salary.

If we were to sign Hamlin, which I personally think is a must, and then land a guy like Asomugha to go with a rookie cb, newman and henry we would be pretty nifty back there. there would be no limit to what the front 7 could do.

Man If jerry wants to get creative in the next 90 days I hope he does it to find a way to get that guy.

 

[AmishCowboy]

We have Newman and Henry and I'm sure we will use one of our first rounders on a CB, so we should be ok back there if we resign Hamlin, I would rather use the Money on a WR.

 

[MichaelWinicki]

Too risky for a potential superbowl team to protect Romo with Free or McQuistan. Houch "incorporated Larry Allen?" I could be one heck of an OL coach if I could incorporate five HOF linemen. That said, Houck has always been a good OL coach, but you can't leave the left tackle vulnerable.

Before we anoint it a "potential superbowl team", let's see it win a playoff game first.

We didn't win a playoff game with Flozell, I don't see where we've lost much if we don't win one without him.

 

[FuzzyLumpkins]

To watch them do what, bag drills?

Now if you argue that we franchise Flo and let Houck watch these young guys play in preseason and practice every day for a year, I could see that.

Or he could bring them in 20 times over the next month and work them out personally. And he has two years of preseason film on McQ and one of the other two.

Ive never coached football certainly not on that level so i dont know what Houck would need to see.

 

[Wolfpack]

Too risky for a potential superbowl team to protect Romo with Free or McQuistan. Houch "incorporated Larry Allen?" I could be one heck of an OL coach if I could incorporate five HOF linemen. That said, Houck has always been a good OL coach, but you can't leave the left tackle vulnerable.

My thoughts as well. Too much risk.

JJ payed big bucks for a RG last year, unless Flo wants crazy money, I think this is a no-brainer.

 

[junk]

To watch them do what, bag drills?

Now if you argue that we franchise Flo and let Houck watch these young guys play in preseason and practice every day for a year, I could see that.

I'm pretty sure they tape all the practices. There is probably quite a bit of film on both Free and McQuistan.

Watching Free battle Ware in practice ought to give you a pretty good idea how he'd fare.

 

[justbob]

My thoughts as well. Too much risk.

JJ payed big bucks for a RG last year, unless Flo wants crazy money, I think this is a no-brainer.

Do not sign Flo to more then a two year deal ----with todays cap there is a point you let guys like Flo walk.

 

[AbeBeta]

we didn't draft Free to sit around.

He's a 4th round pick -- although fans may have outrageous expectations for Free, he was taken late 4th for a reason -- he doesn't project as guy who could step in and start at LT any time soon.

Vela uses Ugoh as an example. Of course, Ugoh was picked 80 spots AHEAD of Free with about 10 other OL players picked between them.

 

[theebs]

He's a 4th round pick -- although fans may have outrageous expectations for Free, he was taken late 4th for a reason -- he doesn't project as guy who could step in and start at LT any time soon.

Vela uses Ugoh as an example. Of course, Ugoh was picked 80 spots AHEAD of Free with about 10 other OL players picked between them.

You might want to double check your facts on Free. He projects as a pretty good player and people who matter at camp thought he looked ready last year.

Ugoh wasnt rated that much better than stephen heyer, heyer played pretty decent for the skins too. The only thing free was lacking that ugoh and heyer had was opportunity.

I hope he gets that opportunity next year.

 

[sago1]

Cowboys do indeed film all their practices. If you combine those, Free's play in preseason & his college highlights, you better believe Houck will have an idea of how good Free can be. Back in 94 Ciskowski really wanted the Cowboys to draft Larry Allen in the 2nd round instead of trading that pick away. Houch went back with Ciskowski to look at the film they had on Allen and they came back and told Jones to draft Allen. Now there's a lot more film on Free and you better believe Houch has been carefully studying it; he's also checking Free's work habits, smarts, etc. Doubt Jones let's Adams go unless Houch tells him Free or McQuistan can do a good job at LT for the foreseeable future.

 

[dallasfaniac]

Does throwing 'source' into a blog on a website swarming with adds lend it more credibility? I'm just curious. Not saying I don't like his blogs, but I can't stand it when people throw 'source' around all the time, especially for such trivial things.

Like I need to read a single sentence that a 'source' mentioned that Adams and Houck didn't get along so he could write the rest of his blog speculating whether Houck could get similar production out of Free and we'd be able to spend money elsewhere. Did his 'source' also speculate these things or is he/she only able to provide information from almost 10 years ago?