jday
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Last week I dropped a new concept born from offseason boredom that discusses how certain players may feel as though they are walking a tight rope as a member of the Dallas Cowboys going into the 2018 season. There was a time when Jerry was known to be loyal-to-a-fault and as such players whose better-playing-days were behind them, could still finagle 2nd and 3rd contracts out of the Dallas Cowboys. Not so today and the last vestiges of Jerry from a bygone age have said “Goodbye” in the offseason (Dez, Scandrick, Witten) dawning a new day and new era for the Boys in Blue & Silver.
In continuation of last week’s roster breakdown, we take a look at a few more players that may or may not have a significant say on what is to be in 2018 should they make it to the other side walking a tight rope:
Rico Gathers:
Good ole’ Gold Jacket Rico…whatever will become of him? On one hand, you have his beast-like play in preseason from a year ago, inspiring dreams among Cowboys nation that he might just be the next Basketball player converted to Football Super Star following in the prestigious footsteps of tight ends Antonio Gates and Tony Gonzalez. On the other, you have the many whispers from within the organization and affirmation from Garrett this last week, that the struggles keeping him from the upcoming 53-man roster (and beyond that, the gameday 46) are his deficiencies in the run blocking game.
I suspect it goes well beyond just an inability to block effectively. I’d say they also want more from him on Special Teams, being physically ideal as a blocker on return units. Rico was recently quoted as saying he is putting the work in to become a more viable blocker, but perhaps in a more dire situation than anyone previously discussed, Rico presently may be on the outside of the 53 man roster looking in, considering the more well-rounded offerings of Geoff Swaim, Blake Jarwin, and recently drafted Dalton Schultz he is battling against for a roster spot (in a year where the Cowboys very well may stick with 3 tight ends to go heavy elsewhere).
In my breakdown of Garrett’s bird-on-a-wire situation, I pointed out that Jason has struggled at times to tailor his scheme to his players; Rico is a prime example. I certainly understand the emphasis being placed on blocking considering the Cowboys are a run first team, but it is my opinion for an attack option like Rico, exceptions should be made because in the end, winning is all that matters.
Unfortunately for Rico, my opinion means absolutely nothing…especially to Garrett. Unless Rico is able to exhibit the ability to employ good technique, footwork and balance in the blocking game, he may be labeled for practice squad once again. And should he put on a show as he did in preseason a year ago, the odds are very much against him making it past waivers….so it might be in his best interest to leap from the tight rope before taking another step and simply stick to what he’s good at: attacking the ball at its highest point, catching the football despite being contested and making would-be tacklers look foolish for even trying to bring the beast down.
David Irving
David is a guy that is walking a tight rope in such a manner that suggest he doesn’t even realize he’s walking on a tight rope. I pride myself in my ability to read people and I can say without any hesitation that David Irving thinks he’s untouchable here in Dallas. The tickertape scrolling out of his ear reads as follows: “They aren’t going to cut me; I’m one of the best defenders on the line…potentially the best. Dallas would be crazy to cut me!”
From suspensions due to consuming PED’s, to Domestic Violence allegations that may or may not be fabricated, to showing up to OTA’s overweight and out of shape, David might be placing a little too much confidence in his tape from a year ago…especially being a member of a team that has reached its breaking point regarding off the field issues with players in general. You can make room for a knucklehead or two in a lockerroom; every team houses a few. But there are only so many exceptions a team can make, especially when it’s regarding the same player every season.
David Irving has a history of disturbing behavior, including his part in the riot that put an end to Iowa State University’s 92 year traditional campus-wide party known as VEISHEA. The latest DV claims were not the first, he has accusations of this type dating back to his time in college. And his Valentine tweet advertising a threesome involving the mother of his child should grant you a clear picture of the type of mentality we are dealing with…which is that of a child.
The question is, where does the Cowboys front office and coaches draw a line? Will they continue to be patient if his contribution dips along with his character? Therein, I suspect, will be the rub. As long as he can remain unsuspended and continues to provide consistent pressure in-game, the Cowboys patience will endure. However, if he is unable to get in shape quick, fast and in a hurry and/or a suspension should materialize for anything that transpire this past offseason, his days in Dallas could be cut short.
Tavon Austin
Drafted 8th overall in the 2013 draft to 5 years later being traded during the 2018 draft in exchange for a 6th round pick, at a guess I’d say Austin’s story hasn’t fared quite the way he envisioned it…at least, not so far. Now at his second stop in the NFL and at the ripe age of 27, Austin’s opportunities to rewrite his narrative are narrowing.
It’s an age-old tale that provides the stark variance between an athlete and a football player, the predominant difference being that in the NFL the football player can keep playing after 30; the athlete will have to learn how to become a football player if he has designs on football after his athleticism starts to fade.
Austin might scoff at the notion that he is more athlete than football player; I would not in the least be surprised to learn that he has played football all of his life, from Pop Warner to Pro. But the league is littered with examples of guys who were simply on another level athletically from the norm and therefore do not have to concern themselves with technique in high school and college and previous coaches don’t bother teaching them anything else because they can win without fundamentals. The objective from junior high all the way into college is to simply get the kid the ball in space and let him create because that is what he does best.
Once he goes pro, however, the dynamic is decidedly different. As a receiver, he must learn to run crisp routes and be where his QB expects him to be when he expects him to be there. If he isn’t nailing down a top #1 or #2 spot in the receiver room, he will be required to contribute in special teams, as well. And if all he has on his junior high through college resume is making things happen with the ball in his hands chances are his career will fall off around about the same place his athleticism starts to diminish to cap off a career of being a gimmick-player and return specialist.
Dez Bryant just might be the latest victim of this fairly common NFL phenomenon. Therein is the high line Tavon Austin walks. He is on the precipice of watching all the physical attributes that have made him special at previous stops in life, start to decline. If he doesn’t figure out a different way to contribute, his career very well may be over before it ever really got started.
Tyrone Crawford
Ah, the much-maligned Cinderella Man (Marinelli’s pet name). Originally snagged in the 3rd round to be a LE in the 3-4 under Rob Ryan, Crawford has played just about every position across the line (in both the 3-4 and 4-3) for the exception of nose/1-tech. In his second year, the Cowboys switched to the 4-3 with the Monte Kiffen acquisition, however, Crawford missed that year due to a season-ending injury (torn Achilles). Since 2014 he has been exceptional(wait-for-it)ly ordinary. Not great. Not necessarily bad, either. Solid…with the added benefit of having flexibility to play anywhere on the line and good availability since the beginning of 2014...fair to say?
Anywho, he’s under contract for the next 3 years, so he is probably safe as far as having a job, but given the number of players the Cowboys are throwing at the defensive line this year to see who sticks, it would not surprise me in the least to see him relegated back to coming off the bench as a reliever…which, as you can probably imagine, doesn’t help his third contract at all. If anything, he is staring down the barrel of a prove-it deal that begins after 30, so clearly not an ideal situation for future pay checks.
Being a jack of all positions across the line, but a master of none likely will come with a steep pay cut for his next contract. The Cowboys already have better than jack at left end and 3-tech with Demarcus Lawrence and David Irving (presumably at this point) respectively. At RE, he is competing against the likes of Kony Ealy, Datone Jones, Taco Charlton (who I like better at LE relieving Lawrence, but he will see snaps at RE), Charles Tapper (if he can get and stay healthy, he may have a better chance than anybody with his explosive first step), as well as, the rookies Dorance Armstrong, James Hearns, and Austin Larkin.
For the moment, the aforementioned names are just that: names. In preseason we get to learn if any of those names are worth actually remembering. And if that is the least that happens, there’s a good chance Tyrone’s dismissal clock has begun….and the alarm likely goes off at some point early in 2019.
Wrap It Up
As the offseason progresses, I will continue to drop these pseudo-breakdowns if for no other reason there is absolutely nothing else worthy of discussing at this point…and if you think of something “worthy” at a guess it has already been discussed to death and you missed the party…and what an awesome party that was…there was a male and female tiger there and they stood at the door eating everyone’s invitation as they arrived…so, if you didn’t get an invitation, my guess is, it’s in the male.
In continuation of last week’s roster breakdown, we take a look at a few more players that may or may not have a significant say on what is to be in 2018 should they make it to the other side walking a tight rope:
Rico Gathers:
Good ole’ Gold Jacket Rico…whatever will become of him? On one hand, you have his beast-like play in preseason from a year ago, inspiring dreams among Cowboys nation that he might just be the next Basketball player converted to Football Super Star following in the prestigious footsteps of tight ends Antonio Gates and Tony Gonzalez. On the other, you have the many whispers from within the organization and affirmation from Garrett this last week, that the struggles keeping him from the upcoming 53-man roster (and beyond that, the gameday 46) are his deficiencies in the run blocking game.
I suspect it goes well beyond just an inability to block effectively. I’d say they also want more from him on Special Teams, being physically ideal as a blocker on return units. Rico was recently quoted as saying he is putting the work in to become a more viable blocker, but perhaps in a more dire situation than anyone previously discussed, Rico presently may be on the outside of the 53 man roster looking in, considering the more well-rounded offerings of Geoff Swaim, Blake Jarwin, and recently drafted Dalton Schultz he is battling against for a roster spot (in a year where the Cowboys very well may stick with 3 tight ends to go heavy elsewhere).
In my breakdown of Garrett’s bird-on-a-wire situation, I pointed out that Jason has struggled at times to tailor his scheme to his players; Rico is a prime example. I certainly understand the emphasis being placed on blocking considering the Cowboys are a run first team, but it is my opinion for an attack option like Rico, exceptions should be made because in the end, winning is all that matters.
Unfortunately for Rico, my opinion means absolutely nothing…especially to Garrett. Unless Rico is able to exhibit the ability to employ good technique, footwork and balance in the blocking game, he may be labeled for practice squad once again. And should he put on a show as he did in preseason a year ago, the odds are very much against him making it past waivers….so it might be in his best interest to leap from the tight rope before taking another step and simply stick to what he’s good at: attacking the ball at its highest point, catching the football despite being contested and making would-be tacklers look foolish for even trying to bring the beast down.
David Irving
David is a guy that is walking a tight rope in such a manner that suggest he doesn’t even realize he’s walking on a tight rope. I pride myself in my ability to read people and I can say without any hesitation that David Irving thinks he’s untouchable here in Dallas. The tickertape scrolling out of his ear reads as follows: “They aren’t going to cut me; I’m one of the best defenders on the line…potentially the best. Dallas would be crazy to cut me!”
From suspensions due to consuming PED’s, to Domestic Violence allegations that may or may not be fabricated, to showing up to OTA’s overweight and out of shape, David might be placing a little too much confidence in his tape from a year ago…especially being a member of a team that has reached its breaking point regarding off the field issues with players in general. You can make room for a knucklehead or two in a lockerroom; every team houses a few. But there are only so many exceptions a team can make, especially when it’s regarding the same player every season.
David Irving has a history of disturbing behavior, including his part in the riot that put an end to Iowa State University’s 92 year traditional campus-wide party known as VEISHEA. The latest DV claims were not the first, he has accusations of this type dating back to his time in college. And his Valentine tweet advertising a threesome involving the mother of his child should grant you a clear picture of the type of mentality we are dealing with…which is that of a child.
The question is, where does the Cowboys front office and coaches draw a line? Will they continue to be patient if his contribution dips along with his character? Therein, I suspect, will be the rub. As long as he can remain unsuspended and continues to provide consistent pressure in-game, the Cowboys patience will endure. However, if he is unable to get in shape quick, fast and in a hurry and/or a suspension should materialize for anything that transpire this past offseason, his days in Dallas could be cut short.
Tavon Austin
Drafted 8th overall in the 2013 draft to 5 years later being traded during the 2018 draft in exchange for a 6th round pick, at a guess I’d say Austin’s story hasn’t fared quite the way he envisioned it…at least, not so far. Now at his second stop in the NFL and at the ripe age of 27, Austin’s opportunities to rewrite his narrative are narrowing.
It’s an age-old tale that provides the stark variance between an athlete and a football player, the predominant difference being that in the NFL the football player can keep playing after 30; the athlete will have to learn how to become a football player if he has designs on football after his athleticism starts to fade.
Austin might scoff at the notion that he is more athlete than football player; I would not in the least be surprised to learn that he has played football all of his life, from Pop Warner to Pro. But the league is littered with examples of guys who were simply on another level athletically from the norm and therefore do not have to concern themselves with technique in high school and college and previous coaches don’t bother teaching them anything else because they can win without fundamentals. The objective from junior high all the way into college is to simply get the kid the ball in space and let him create because that is what he does best.
Once he goes pro, however, the dynamic is decidedly different. As a receiver, he must learn to run crisp routes and be where his QB expects him to be when he expects him to be there. If he isn’t nailing down a top #1 or #2 spot in the receiver room, he will be required to contribute in special teams, as well. And if all he has on his junior high through college resume is making things happen with the ball in his hands chances are his career will fall off around about the same place his athleticism starts to diminish to cap off a career of being a gimmick-player and return specialist.
Dez Bryant just might be the latest victim of this fairly common NFL phenomenon. Therein is the high line Tavon Austin walks. He is on the precipice of watching all the physical attributes that have made him special at previous stops in life, start to decline. If he doesn’t figure out a different way to contribute, his career very well may be over before it ever really got started.
Tyrone Crawford
Ah, the much-maligned Cinderella Man (Marinelli’s pet name). Originally snagged in the 3rd round to be a LE in the 3-4 under Rob Ryan, Crawford has played just about every position across the line (in both the 3-4 and 4-3) for the exception of nose/1-tech. In his second year, the Cowboys switched to the 4-3 with the Monte Kiffen acquisition, however, Crawford missed that year due to a season-ending injury (torn Achilles). Since 2014 he has been exceptional(wait-for-it)ly ordinary. Not great. Not necessarily bad, either. Solid…with the added benefit of having flexibility to play anywhere on the line and good availability since the beginning of 2014...fair to say?
Anywho, he’s under contract for the next 3 years, so he is probably safe as far as having a job, but given the number of players the Cowboys are throwing at the defensive line this year to see who sticks, it would not surprise me in the least to see him relegated back to coming off the bench as a reliever…which, as you can probably imagine, doesn’t help his third contract at all. If anything, he is staring down the barrel of a prove-it deal that begins after 30, so clearly not an ideal situation for future pay checks.
Being a jack of all positions across the line, but a master of none likely will come with a steep pay cut for his next contract. The Cowboys already have better than jack at left end and 3-tech with Demarcus Lawrence and David Irving (presumably at this point) respectively. At RE, he is competing against the likes of Kony Ealy, Datone Jones, Taco Charlton (who I like better at LE relieving Lawrence, but he will see snaps at RE), Charles Tapper (if he can get and stay healthy, he may have a better chance than anybody with his explosive first step), as well as, the rookies Dorance Armstrong, James Hearns, and Austin Larkin.
For the moment, the aforementioned names are just that: names. In preseason we get to learn if any of those names are worth actually remembering. And if that is the least that happens, there’s a good chance Tyrone’s dismissal clock has begun….and the alarm likely goes off at some point early in 2019.
Wrap It Up
As the offseason progresses, I will continue to drop these pseudo-breakdowns if for no other reason there is absolutely nothing else worthy of discussing at this point…and if you think of something “worthy” at a guess it has already been discussed to death and you missed the party…and what an awesome party that was…there was a male and female tiger there and they stood at the door eating everyone’s invitation as they arrived…so, if you didn’t get an invitation, my guess is, it’s in the male.
