What do you think of Hitchens?

[Tawney88]

I'm known for calling people out??
Hmm somehow I think you have the wrong person......only member I've called out to my memory is Risen and not because of his views but they way he responded to me

Sorry quoted the wrong person I meant to quote Fla cowpoke. My apologies

 

[xwalker]

Risen was actually very positive about Frederick from the start. Though he did agree he was a reach.

http://cowboyszone.com/threads/what...y-about-travis-frederick.255473/#post-5062525
http://cowboyszone.com/threads/here...ngs-said-about-frederick.255422/#post-5062061

I look it up, because he plays loose with truthiness if you let him. But he's generally in favor of big resources devoted to OLs, and Frederick was not an exception.

You do have an interesting point, though, that we're generally willing to overlook a reach on draft day that pans out on the field. That's the case with all of us for Frederick, and all of us by Risen on Hitchens. You know, because he's so consistent.

It doesn't matter. The Hitchens pick was a hit. None of our consistency plays into it, either way. The team knew better than both the board and Mel Kiper in this instance, at least.

I'm sure his favorite 4th rounders the past few years are:
Bashaud Breeland
Phillip Thomas
Keenan Robinson
Kirk Cousins

 

[AsthmaField]

Totally expect to see him starting at SLB with Lee and McClain next season.

That is a very strong possibility. Lee should by dynamite on the Weakside and Rolando McClain is an enforcer in the middle. Both are really smart guys who love the game of football and play like it. Hitchens fits right in with that group on the Strongside. He's smart, he's tough, he studies like a 5 year vet and when he reads a play before they snap it, he can get into the backfield and blow that play up.

He is just so savvy for a young guy. Nothing about the game has been too big for him. Really good guy but he has also received really good coaching

Dallas got very lucky to nab a guy with his measurables, toughness, and smarts in the 4th round. What a steal he has been (@YouKnowWho). Had Dallas missed on this pick, I'm not so sure the team is even in the same position it is in today. Hitch has saved their butts more than one on that LB Corps.

#FourthRoundStealFromIowa

 

[8FOR!3]

Doesn't have the upside of some of these crazy athletes coming out of college, but he seems like he understands the game and he's proven he can play from day one.

 

[FuzzyLumpkins]

He is a good physical tackler. He has a consistent motor and good stamina. Mostly needs to play and see how NFL teams run routes and how to play them both in man and zone situations.

 

[jobberone]

This is from a ten year study of NFL draft picks. I'll put up the first and the second rounds and try to find the 3rd and 4th rounds as well as a graph of the success rates per round. I've posted some of this stuff on multiple occasions but some seem to think their opinion, while important, is better than mere facts.

This is for the first round. I have more recent data if I can figure out where I put it.

http://i471.***BLOCKED***/albums/rr75/jobberone/ScreenShot2014-12-20at111040PM_zpsb7b29048.png

This if for the second round:

http://i471.***BLOCKED***/albums/rr75/jobberone/ScreenShot2014-12-20at111625PM_zps85f37697.png

Here is a graph of all rounds over time:

http://i471.***BLOCKED***/albums/rr75/jobberone/ScreenShot2014-12-20at112033PM_zps654cbeeb.png
http://datascopeanalytics.com/what-we-think/2012/05/01/the-chance-of-a-bust-in-the-nfl-draft

4th round picks are #97-128. So a 4th round pick has only roughly a 55% chance of contributing some and Hitchens has already done more than that by far.

It is helpful to understand the odds a 4th rounder has of contributing in small measure before becoming critical although it certainly doesn't stop some.

It is difficult to draft players successfully and many very qualified even HOF coaches and FO people have said so many times. It appears to me most would hear that and reflect on it.

 

[MissouriCowboy]

After 14 games, what do you guys think of him? I must say i wasn't happy with that pick during the draft, but I've changed my mind, Zack Martin has had a tremendous year as a rookie but one can argue Hitchens has been equally as important.

I was iffy on him but he has played well. Just at first thought he was drafted way to high but glad I was wrong.

 

[Wood]

I have gone from thinking Hitchens is backup-to starter- back to backup. I have no idea really. He was incredibly slow in t-day game but so was entire team. Ideally, he is nice back up but has some limitations that get exposed when starting each week.

 

[CyberB0b]

He's OK. Not an NFL starter, but a good backup. That's great, considering where he was drafted.

 

[Fla Cowpoke]

Or they were like 90% of the people on this board and didn't know anything about him until they looked at his scouting reports/highlights after the pick was made. I didn't poo-poo the pick, but like a lot on here, was ambivalent. It's just funny that about 90% of the people on this board act like they knew Hitchens would be a great pick when in reality the vast majority knew very little about him at the time.

Yeah, the point is that we have now seen him play and Risen still says he is a scrub. That's BS. Not many rookies can come in as 4th rounders and play one spot effectively....and Hitchens has played 3 different and the Cowboys are confident that he can call the defense if needed. That is pretty heady stuff for a rookie. I think he will one day be a starter, but at the very worst he is probably the first LB off the bench in the event of an injury going forward. That is worthy of being picked in the fourth.

The concept that he might have been available in the 5th so they could have taken someone "better" in Rd 4 is a great concept but hardly ever is the case. How many guys have been rated as 3rd rounders and turn out to suck? So we could have got some schmuck more highly regarded by some as a prospect but who never gets on the field.

 

[Fla Cowpoke]

He is only leading the team in tackles today, has a pass defensed and an int today. Not bad for a scrub.

 

[IAmLegend]

Worst player on the team, a complete waste of a 4th round pick. Can't believe he hasn't been cut yet.

 

[jobberone]

Worst player on the team, a complete waste of a 4th round pick. Can't believe he hasn't been cut yet.

You guys are everywhere!

Hitchens is playing with some football speed now.

 

[IAmLegend]

 

[Derekmtl85]

Hitchens is damn solid for a rookie. Very excited to see what this guy can do with more experience.

 

[BoysfanfromCanada]

Hitchens was awesome today. Some impact hits

 

[mattjames2010]

Really can't believe some of the comments here, "He's okay", "Meh, looks like a backup!". These things are only being said because of where he was taken. He's doing more than what a lot of early round players do their rookie seasons. Yes, he's been forced into a starting role, but he has played far above from where he was taken and is learning quicker than most rookies.

 

[Bleu Star]

After 14 games, what do you guys think of him? I must say i wasn't happy with that pick during the draft, but I've changed my mind, Zack Martin has had a tremendous year as a rookie but one can argue Hitchens has been equally as important.

I wasn't happy with the pick either but boy has he ever been a pleasure this year to see develop! Dude is a beast on the field now. This is what one would expect from a rookie coming into the league.. We do have the typical 3 year rule for rookies but there is nothing that says a rookie can't catch on over the course of his first season. Cough Hello DLAW cough....

I'm so glad to have been so wrong about Hitchens. I'ma certified fan now.

 

[xwalker]

Hitchens was balling today against the Colts.

He seemed to make the tackle on the first several plays of the game. He appeared to play the most snaps of the LBs with McClain out of the game at times. They ran a dime package with 1 LB and it was Hitchens. I saw him telling Selvie before the snap to look for the run coming to his side and he was correct. He had an INT.

 

[jobberone]

Really can't believe some of the comments here, "He's okay", "Meh, looks like a backup!". These things are only being said because of where he was taken. He's doing more than what a lot of early round players do their rookie seasons. Yes, he's been forced into a starting role, but he has played far above from where he was taken and is learning quicker than most rookies.

Better believe it. There are more than a few around here who think they can't say I was wrong as if it would topple them from their perch. (ok maybe some it would). He looked more than good today. He's looking faster. Generally that's because he's confident of where he's going.