We are agreed Dez is just an average WR

[phildadon86]

I've reached the conclusion that I can not really make an assessment of any of our key players under this coaching staff.

I have no idea if Bryant is cooked. I suspect he's not and if you put him in a better offense, he'd have much better numbers.

Move him into the slot like Arizona did with Fitz. Its not even being a competent coach. Its copying a competent coach.

 

[Aven8]

Oh thank God, another Dez thread. We need more of those.

Well it was that or another Jaylon one.

 

[Silverstar]

I agree with a more accurate QB he would be more productive. Props to him for not complaining to the media about it.

With the money he's making why would he?

 

[knightrider94]

Dez could renegotiate his money in the offseason and we would still have the same weekly threads.

For many, let’s just be real, it really isn’t about the money.

I’m almost to the point where I want to see him on another team just to see what he can really do. We won’t ever know with this current coaching staff though, who still believe it’s 1993.

 

[TheCount]

Elite talent, poor route running. But he’s done a lot in the nfl, so it worked. Could have been an all time great with his psychical ability/desire, with some true refining of the game on a technical level. It’s time to move on though.

lol, the route running trope is tired at this point.

I'm convinced that anyone that says Dez runs bad routes has not actually bothered to watch him play. He runs good routes, especially inside.

A go-route has nothing to do with your route running skills, and that's usually what he's running on those 50-50 throws that he doesn't come down with often enough.

 

[hornitosmonster]

He is currently a good WR but not elite anymore.

 

[TheCount]

Move him into the slot like Arizona did with Fitz. Its not even being a competent coach. Its copying a competent coach.

Problem is between Dez, Witten, Beasley and Switzer, we have a surplus of guys that would be operating inside.

The Cards have a bunch of outside speed guys and a TE that almost exclusively run blocks.

 

[Zman5]

If JG lets Linehan run his offense instead of JG's , Dez will be much more effective. Linehan's offense tries to put the best player for the play in the slot. That's why Megatron played in the slot much more than Dez does.

 

[Trouty]

I hate when he gives defenses tells by pretending to run block a play in the same manner he would in shorts on the first day of training camp.

Speak for yourself. I dont agree.

Your thread title has no synergy with your post. You're describing a single play, not why he is "average" and "we all agree" as your title suggests.

 

[gimmesix]

Sigh. The title was supposed to be "We agree".

Well, we don't, so it's a bad title. His numbers show that he's a better-than-average receiver.

Now that doesn't mean he's elite, or at least not playing like he's elite, but there's a lot that goes into that, including the quarterback being able to take advantage of what the receiver does best, which Dak hasn't been able to do.

Dak is clearly more comfortable throwing digs and crosses than he is throwing back-shoulders and fades. This limits Dez's effectiveness because he can't run the fly pattern and expect the quarterback to hit him on the back-shoulder or put the ball where Dak did against the Commanders on the TD throw. Those catches are Dez's wheelhouse so if Dak can't get them sorted out then Dez simply is not going to be as effective.

Dez has never been a receiver who just runs by defensive backs on a consistent basis. However, he has been an elite receiver in the past despite that and not being the sharpest route runner. So since that's still who Dez is, perhaps we should consider that there are other reasons he is no longer elite.

 

[CowboyStar88]

Well I don’t agree

And screw that Dez is still elite.

 

[khiladi]

What exactly constitutes poor route running when he’s basically unstoppable over the middle on slants and digs , but we prefer to throw more easily defended passes such as go routes, routes that Dak doesn’t throw well with, including not just to Dez but TWill as well?

 

[Toruk_Makto]

I agree with a more accurate QB he would be more productive. Props to him for not complaining to the media about it.

This.

Antonio Brown is amazing. He'd be getting criticism here. Nobody can tell me otherwise. Know how I know?

Ware was getting criticism here. Then went to Denver. Then the people criticizing him were rueing him.

My favorite part of the Ware saga was the criticism that he didn't get sacks that counted. Put away for a moment how preposterous a statement that is on its face but adding on to that.... One of Ware's must productive quarter by sacks was the fourth quarter.

Some never cease to amaze.

 

[birdwells1]

What exactly constitutes poor route running when he’s basically unstoppable over the middle on slants and digs , but we prefer to throw more easily defended passes such as go routes, routes that Dak doesn’t throw well with, including not just to Dez but TWill as well?

I agree, look at how Atl uses Julio, crossing routes, deep ins and often in the slot. I agree with someone else, the reason they don't put him in the slot is because Witten and Beasley operate there but I'd rather have my best rac guy getting the ball with room to move than the other two.

 

[gimmesix]

lol, the route running trope is tired at this point.

I'm convinced that anyone that says Dez runs bad routes has not actually bothered to watch him play. He runs good routes, especially inside.

A go-route has nothing to do with your route running skills, and that's usually what he's running on those 50-50 throws that he doesn't come down with often enough.

His in-breaking routes are real good. You can see him plant and gain separation. His out-breaking routes don't have the same sharpness, plus defenders tend to cheat toward the sideline against him. He doesn't have much of a double-move, but again, defenders usually play him not to get beat down the sideline. Because they do tend to watch him for the fly patterns, his out-breaking routes should be more effective than they are IMO.

Teams haven't had to play Dez with deep help as much because he and Dak haven't connected enough to make them pay for having a CB carry him up the field. There are two things Dallas could do about that: 1) Run more in-cuts and out-cuts and fewer flies so that when Dez does run one the DB might bite on stutter-step or 2) Have Dak and Dez figure out how to connect when he's got one-on-one coverage on the fly (by that, I mainly mean that Dak has to learn how to place the back-shoulder or fade where Dez can use his physical ability to go get it).

 

[vlad]

So its all Dez and no Dak? Maybe we need to shorten the field for Dak. Release all our WRs and get only TEs. Sorry but I miss Romo.

I think its our play design + Dak's inexperienec/cautious nature/inaccuracy-at-times more than anything, but really our play design does nothing.

So all of the sudden Beasley can't get separation? That's all he was known for - so defenses started bracketing him (as I understand) and what did we do to counter that? How are we using Zeke in the passing game that helps these WRs...and for that matter why do we rarerly use Zeke in the passing game. I don't see why 3-4 receptions a game is unreasonable, given that was one of the main things that separated him from other RBs - he supposedly could run routes and catch like a WR. So yeah I think its play design + Garrett's intransigence...I can't figure out how much is on Linehan.

 

[CWR]

Interesting timing. I thought he looked like a man among boys last Sunday.

 

[birdwells1]

His in-breaking routes are real good. You can see him plant and gain separation. His out-breaking routes don't have the same sharpness, plus defenders tend to cheat toward the sideline against him. He doesn't have much of a double-move, but again, defenders usually play him not to get beat down the sideline. Because they do tend to watch him for the fly patterns, his out-breaking routes should be more effective than they are IMO.

Teams haven't had to play Dez with deep help as much because he and Dak haven't connected enough to make them pay for having a CB carry him up the field. There are two things Dallas could do about that: 1) Run more in-cuts and out-cuts and fewer flies so that when Dez does run one the DB might bite on stutter-step or 2) Have Dak and Dez figure out how to connect when he's got one-on-one coverage on the fly (by that, I mainly mean that Dak has to learn how to place the back-shoulder or fade where Dez can use his physical ability to go get it).

Everything you said plus the outbreaking routes have an extra defender ......the sidelines. Cbs play for the outbreaking because he should have safety help on the inside. Some people don't realize that the safety over the top is hard to beat without scheme, what I mean by that is that a cb is will jump all out routes or comebacks because they are not afraid of getting beat deep. Another thing that the Cowboys do is run go routes as clearing routes with their outside wrs. The reason I don't like this is because it wears down your outside wrs so later in the game they are not fresh.

I remember in the 90s Bobby Taylor of the Eagle got player of the week for shutting down Michael Irvin, Irvin was pissed because on camera it looked like Taylor played him 1 on 1 across the field and that's what everyone thought but he pointed out that they played with a safety over the top of him.

 

[aikemirv]

We are not agreed at all - just tired of arguing with people!

 

[xwalker]

It must really piss off the great Cowboys receivers that he has the touchdown record,,,

72 on 300 attempts for Dez.

65 on 75 attempts for Irvin.