What I Learned from The LA Rams Preseason Game

[eromeopolk]

Ok, the Cowboys 2nd, 3rd, and 4th team look much better versus like competition. Its not that it was a win but that our back ups played better than theirs which is a sign on better depth.

QB Mike White is still a waste of a Cowboys uniform as 3rd QB. Hyatt is a turnstile at LT and should not have been paid a free agent bonus by any NFL team. WR Reggie Davis will not make the team unless he can play special teams. WR Devon Smith is pushing the Cowboys to keep him. However, he is not a special teams player. If he shows special teams ability, he will make the 53 man roster. DL will make the Cowboys adjust their roster to keep perhaps the best DL group we have had since the Parcells days. McElroy is why Gathers is gone. If he can in line block, he is will be better than Jarwin and Shultz who can not block at all. CB Olumba play has shown why the Cowboys like him. Goodwin is a special teams ACE and now you know why you have to have a Kenny Gant, Dwayne Harris, Bill Bates type player on the team even though the may not be your choice as a position player. WR Jaevon Johnson has shown he should be converted to DB. He can not catch.

Finally, I told you when the Cowboys stupidly cut LB Justin Phillips and smarter heads prevailed that he is a football player that makes plays. He does not have the size/weight cafeteria but neither did Russell Wilson and who would you take between Luck, Griffin and Wilson now? Phillips was at Pearland High with my Daughters, and I had 3 children graduate from Pearland High from 2010-2015. So I got to see him play a lot. All he did was look like a football player that make plays. This is his highlight from the High School championship game versus Kyler Murray's Allen Team (Pearland of course lost but Phillips made plays) https://www.maxpreps.com/athlete/ju...?videoid=a8a5bfd0-545f-4e7f-9288-154d7666f56c

He may not make the team but he will play for someone in the NFL

 

[blueblood70]

NOTHING learned nothing..

 

[Future]

A highschool highlight tape as a reason to keep a player on an NFL roster is a new one to me.

 

[Fletch]

A highschool highlight tape as a reason to keep a player on an NFL roster is a new one to me.

Nay on HS highlight reels.

 

[CouchCoach]

OP, your first para ignores one thing. The backups are not asked to play against other backups, there is no JV in the NFL.

Depth is how a backup fills in for a starter and that has been misapplied to the DL and OL on this team. Depth is too often associated with numbers, not quality. There are not 32 quality players at any position in the NFL, let alone backups.

 

[xwalker]

Ok, the Cowboys 2nd, 3rd, and 4th team look much better versus like competition. Its not that it was a win but that our back ups played better than theirs which is a sign on better depth.

QB Mike White is still a waste of a Cowboys uniform as 3rd QB. Hyatt is a turnstile at LT and should not have been paid a free agent bonus by any NFL team. WR Reggie Davis will not make the team unless he can play special teams. WR Devon Smith is pushing the Cowboys to keep him. However, he is not a special teams player. If he shows special teams ability, he will make the 53 man roster. DL will make the Cowboys adjust their roster to keep perhaps the best DL group we have had since the Parcells days. McElroy is why Gathers is gone. If he can in line block, he is will be better than Jarwin and Shultz who can not block at all. CB Olumba play has shown why the Cowboys like him. Goodwin is a special teams ACE and now you know why you have to have a Kenny Gant, Dwayne Harris, Bill Bates type player on the team even though the may not be your choice as a position player. WR Jaevon Johnson has shown he should be converted to DB. He can not catch.

Finally, I told you when the Cowboys stupidly cut LB Justin Phillips and smarter heads prevailed that he is a football player that makes plays. He does not have the size/weight cafeteria but neither did Russell Wilson and who would you take between Luck, Griffin and Wilson now? Phillips was at Pearland High with my Daughters, and I had 3 children graduate from Pearland High from 2010-2015. So I got to see him play a lot. All he did was look like a football player that make plays. This is his highlight from the High School championship game versus Kyler Murray's Allen Team (Pearland of course lost but Phillips made plays) https://www.maxpreps.com/athlete/ju...?videoid=a8a5bfd0-545f-4e7f-9288-154d7666f56c

He may not make the team but he will play for someone in the NFL

Mike White: Agree

Hyatt: He looked decent initially in camp practices but took a nose drive in the games.

Reggie Davis: He is 6-0, 170. Tavon Austin looks like a bodybuilder standing next to him.

Devin Smith: He played 23% of the ST snaps in the Rams game.

DLine: Early in the season is the big question. Quinn out 2 games and DLaw currently on PUP.

McElroy: Good receiver but has no clue as a blocker. In the game stats the NFL lists him as a WR.

Schultz: He is the best blocker of the TEs on the team. They used him as the blocking TE last season.

Jarwin: Knows the blocking assignments but not very physical as a blocker.

Olumba: I need to see him challenged deep. I don't know if he has enough speed to ever be a starting NFL CB (maybe, but I would like to see it).

5th CB: It could be a choice of long term upside vs current readiness. If Byron Jones is on schedule for game 1, then long term upside is more important for the 5th CB.

C.J.Goodwin: He is a special teams ace. It is highly unlikely that he plays any snaps on defense. He has been in the NFL since 2014 and has less than 200 snaps on defense.

53rd player: If they put any players on IR, the player must make the initial 53 in order to be eligible to return. They could cut a player like C.J.Goodwin, move a player to IR and then re-sign Goodwin.

Jon'vea Johnson: Over-hyped by media in camp then over-criticized by fans in the games. Great candidate as a practice squad WR.

Justin Phillips:
- When a player gets cut at the time he was cut, it is almost always due to some issue other than talent.
- i.e. Got into trouble with police or got into a fight with teammates or refused to cooperate with coaches, etc..
- They obviously did NOT cut him due to seeing a lack of talent in the OTAs. There had to be another reason.
- They originally kept LB Andrew Dowell who is similar in size to Phillips (Dowell 6-0, 224 & Phillips 5-11, 224).

 

[jazzcat22]

Justin Phillips:
- When a player gets cut at the time he was cut, it is almost always due to some issue other than talent.
- i.e. Got into trouble with police or got into a fight with teammates or refused to cooperate with coaches, etc..
- They obviously did NOT cut him due to seeing a lack of talent in the OTAs. There had to be another reason.
- They originally kept LB Andrew Dowell who is similar in size to Phillips (Dowell 6-0, 224 & Phillips 5-11, 224).

I think Phillips was just caught in a numbers game. It was too early to tell in TC about him. They needed to sign several players at other positions for the reps in practice. Like a few OL as well as Morris to have enough RB's. They had quite a few LB's and one needed to go at the time.

Once McDowel was injured, they brought back Phillips. Still Phillips was not on anyones radar until Gifford was injured. Then he outplayed the other LB's. Now everyone has him on the team as usual. I like his play, but still need to see more.

 

[viman96]

Instead of calling out the FO for cutting Phillips during OTAs, why know throw them a bone for resigning him AND giving him a chance to prove it on the field?

Phillips did his part against the Rams and now has a shot to make the 53. As an UDFA that is HUGE.

 

[eromeopolk]

A highschool highlight tape as a reason to keep a player on an NFL roster is a new one to me.

OP, your first para ignores one thing. The backups are not asked to play against other backups, there is no JV in the NFL.

Depth is how a backup fills in for a starter and that has been misapplied to the DL and OL on this team. Depth is too often associated with numbers, not quality. There are not 32 quality players at any position in the NFL, let alone backups.

The reason for the high school highlight is to show history that he is a football player that make plays when given the opportunity. Byran Broadus mention Phillips as having a good game against the 49ers and he had a great interception, tackles, and tackles for loss vs. the Rams. That what you want to see from an UDFA (consistent play making and performance).

In regards to depth, the Cowboys 1st team for 2 weeks in a row have gone up against the opponents 2nd team DL. So what the 1st team has done is what you want them to do. After that all you want from a preseason game is you 2nd, 3rd and 4th team to compete and look better than the opponents depth. We did not have that versus the 49ers and had it for the Rams. Cooper Rush played the 1st half last week and got the 2nd half this week and look way better than White. White does not look like he belongs as a 3rd QB on anyone's 53 man roster. Depth is Cooper Rush not Mike White. So your points on back ups not playing back ups and there are not 32 quality players at any position in the NFL is nonsense. If you are not looking for quality player, Why draft, sign FA, sign UDFA, and develop a roster.

 

[Future]

The reason for the high school highlight is to show history that he is a football player that make plays when given the opportunity. Byran Broadus mention Phillips as having a good game against the 49ers and he had a great interception, tackles, and tackles for loss vs. the Rams. That what you want to see from an UDFA (consistent play making and performance).

Yea but every player in the NFL has a history of making plays in highschool.

That's how they got into college programs.

 

[Oz-of-Cowboy-Country]

Yea but every player in the NFL has a history of making plays in highschool.

That's how they got into college programs.

Dido.

 

[xwalker]

I think Phillips was just caught in a numbers game. It was too early to tell in TC about him. They needed to sign several players at other positions for the reps in practice. Like a few OL as well as Morris to have enough RB's. They had quite a few LB's and one needed to go at the time.

Once McDowel was injured, they brought back Phillips. Still Phillips was not on anyones radar until Gifford was injured. Then he outplayed the other LB's. Now everyone has him on the team as usual. I like his play, but still need to see more.

They had 10 LBs after he was cut before camp. They had 11 LBs going into camp last year.

Phillips was on my radar with regards to how I had the LBs ranked based on draft information and college game footage.
- I had Phillips over Andrew Dowell and Nate Hall.
- I was surprised that Phillips didn't get drafted.
- He didn't run at his Pro Day due to a knee issue.

Looking back at my draft notes:

• Justin Phillips
  • Height: 5'11-3/4"
  • Weight: 230
  • 40 Yrd Dash:
  • 20 Yrd Dash:
  • 10 Yrd Dash:
  • 225 Lb. Bench Reps: 20
  • Vertical Jump: 32
  • Broad Jump: 09'00"
  • 20 Yrd Shuttle:
  • 3-Cone Drill:
  • Hand: 09 1/2
  • Arm: 31 7/8
  • Wingspan: 76 3/4

 

[gimmesix]

A highschool highlight tape as a reason to keep a player on an NFL roster is a new one to me.

I've got some video of Mike Weber excelling on McDonald's Playland equipment when he was in grade school. We should keep him because you can obviously see his skill level to be a top-notch pro running back by watching how well he moved through the tunnels.

 

[Mr_437]

Dalton Shultz is the best blocker at TE on the roster, and he's not poor at that job imo.

Phillips hypetrain is boarding...I'll wait.

Some guys play DB because they like to hit...most WRs can't convert to DB. Hands rarely have anything to do with it. Also, the way the ball comes at a DB is different than a WR, so it makes catching the ball more challenging.

 

[McKDaddy]

Few other players that maybe haven't been mentioned as much as they should.

Christian Covington made a few plays that jumped out to me.
Hyder has shown lot of hustle.
Starting secondary seems to be pretty locked in & ready to give offenses trouble finding open receivers (even without Byron). J Lewis is a player. get the man on the field.

Offense - pretty much as i expected.
CWill has shown improvement.
Gallup is doing exactly what a talented 2nd year player should do.
Ced Wilson (if not for dirty hit) would probably have laid to rest any discussions about who the top 5 receivers are.
Whoever rounds out the receiving corp is going to be decent.
C Rush has been pretty darn effective in both practices & games.

 

[408Cowboy]

Nobody should have the size or weight of a cafeteria.

 

[xwalker]

Dalton Shultz is the best blocker at TE on the roster, and he's not poor at that job imo.

Phillips hypetrain is boarding...I'll wait.

Some guys play DB because they like to hit...most WRs can't convert to DB. Hands rarely have anything to do with it. Also, the way the ball comes at a DB is different than a WR, so it makes catching the ball more challenging.

There are certain things that people post that makes it obvious that they don't really watch players in any amount of detail and just blurt out their feelings which are based on nothing.

The "Schultz can't block" statement is definitely one of those.

 

[OmerV]

I'm disappointed we haven't seen more from a 3rd RB - Weber hasn't looked good in either game, and I hoped to see more from Morris in this one. Not a lot of running room, but even making a yard or two out of nothing would be nice to see. I almost want to say Jordan Chunn has taken the lead at this point because he has run as well as the others, and has made some nice special teams tackles. Almost … Chunn has to be a pretty big long shot.

 

[AbeBeta]

Wow. The old "This guy isn't too small ... just look at Russell Wilson!" argument.

Did you know that the weakest form of argument is using a rare instance rather than a common instance to support a point?

 

[OmerV]

Wow. The old "This guy isn't too small ... just look at Russell Wilson!" argument.

Did you know that the weakest form of argument is using a rare instance rather than a common instance to support a point?

You might want to quote who you are responding to. I remember seeiing the comment you are referring to, but I don't recall who wrote it, or when or exactly what it said. I'm sure a lot of other readers never saw it at all, possibly not even the poster you were responding to.