jday
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With your feet on the air and your head on the ground
Try this trick and spin it, yeah
Your head will collapse
But there’s nothing in it
And you’ll ask yourself
Where is my mind?
~ Pixies ~
If you follow my work, you know I believe the Dallas Cowboys have the potential to be very entertaining this year. I’m not making any predictions beyond that at this point in the year. For some, though, even that may seem a stretch.
Same mediocre Head Coach, same antique road show offensive/defensive coordinators, same inept dink & dunk quarterback, same Dr Jeckyl Mr Hyde defense hanging by an injury-prone thread named Sean, minus Dez, minus Witten, and no additions that would come close to filling the shadows the aforementioned legends cast. In a nutshell, I’d say this sums up the collective local concerns, as well as, the nationally parroted narrative of our beloved Cowboys.
Unless, of course, you don rose-colored glasses and look again:
Zeke behind that offensive line might just be the best ground game combo in the league. The defensive line might just be the most talented it has ever been in Jason Garrett’s tenure. I could easily stop here, because if the Cowboys are able to win in the trenches on both sides of the ball, they will win more games than they lose, in spite of all their aforementioned so-called faults. When they went player shopping in this offseason, rather than pursue the brand names with all the bells and whistles, they instead focused on player products that might not look pretty while doing it, but quite simply get the job done. And the Dallas Cowboys currently boast one of (if not the) youngest teams in the NFL.
Whilst all of these songs are marching to the beat of their own drum, deeper in the recesses of my mind is a torrential scratching sound; furious and frantic, but at the same time dampened and muted, like drowning rats stuck in a submerged cardboard box. I really have to focus on it to notice the noise playing behind the cacophony of my consciousness…but it is definitely there.
Will Jason Garrett finally get out of his own way?
For the most part, throughout Garrett’s tenure as Head Coach, I’ve supported him…even defended him at times. But that doesn’t necessarily mean I’m blind to his many blunders; from time management to abject stubborn refusal to make in-game adjustments, I’ve been there and catalogued them all.
But the one thing that really has bothered me beyond anything else is when he misevaluates or waste the talent/youth at his disposal. It happened with Felix Jones both in the reserved manner he used him in his rookie season and in asking him to put on weight to try and convert him to a bell cow, which ruined Felix’s career. It happened when Jason tried to fit the square talent that was Martellus Bennett into the perfect circle of skillsets that Jason Witten possessed; Tom Brady won a Super Bowl with Bennett being featured as a favorite target, regardless of his lack of Wittenesque well-roundedness. Demarco Murray and Miles Austin became temporary stars not because of the keen talent evaluation of Jason but because injuries forced them into the lineup. Danny Amendola went on to eventually become an excellent receiver with the Patriots following his contract expiration from the Cowboys practice squad and like Martellus, also has the rings to prove his ability that Jason apparently overlooked.
We rarely discuss it, but it is seriously disconcerting that there are this many examples of him not knowing what he has until he no longer has the player. For a coach that is all about getting and staying young across the roster, he has displayed a maddening reservation in playing his youthful talent in lieu of the veterans who have earned his trust. I get the importance of trust and I’m not suggesting he completely abandon his reluctance to exercise the bottom of his roster in favor of his dependable veterans. My concern is it’s not so much about trust issues as it is him placing the team standards even over winning.
As a receiver and red zone threat, Rico Gathers very well could be dangerous. For those of us that watched preseason last year, you know exactly what I’m talking about. He played like a beast. He looked natural catching the ball and I don’t recall once seeing the first defender on the scene being credited with the tackle unless he was already in the endzone. Rico made quite a few life-long football players look the fool. In response to questions pertaining to Rico recently, Garrett admitted as much: Rico has the passing game down, but he’s a little behind on what they will ask him to do in the run game.
I get it. The Cowboys are a running football team. If you play on the offensive side of the ball and you don’t pass or run with the ball, you have to block. That is the standard. And standards are great. But where do you draw the line? If you have a guy whose best blocking ability might just be getting in the way, and yet at the same time provides a great red zone target and a beast with the ball after the catch, do you continue to bury him on the depth chart, if not completely cut him, as many seem to believe will happen at the conclusion of preseason? Blake Jarwin (6’5” 246 lbs), Geoff Swaim (6’4” 260 lbs), and Dalton Schultz (6’6” 242 lbs) are practically clones in terms of skillset…will Jason decide to keep 3 of the same player over finding a special role for Rico where he could be a mismatch nightmare?
Based on past experience, I’m afraid Jason will and when he does there will be a line of teams at Rico’s door…feel free to scoff the notion all you like…I know a dangerous pass-catching TE when I see one and Rico has all the tools to be great.
David Irving?
Not in shape for OTA’s? Participation on again and off again? To say nothing of the baby mama drama that seems to perennially follow him around from one season to the next. David has an opportunity few in the history of the world have been presented. He is staring at financial security for his grandchildren right in the eyes and laughing at it. His age is 20 years in my rearview, so I understand his mindset is quite simply not on my level, but his priorities are clearly and severely out of whack.
Meanwhile, the Cowboys are throwing some serious numbers at the defensive line. Irving may be under the mistaken impression that he can’t be replaced, but he seems to forget that when considering players for the final 53 roster, the entire package (on the field as well as off the field) is being heavily scrutinized, not just the product of his work or lack thereof, when he is actually available. Granted, on the field (however inconsistent), David Irving has flashed elite talent; at times taking over games and living in the opposing QB’s face down after down.
If he doesn’t stick here, his career is far from over; there will be teams willing to give him a second chance. But will it be the same opportunity? Different teams employ different schemes and ask their defensive lineman to do different things. The Cowboys scheme was tailor-made for Irving’s skillset. If he will simply put in the requisite work, he could very well be a super star and garner a huge pay day. If not here, most certainly somewhere else and collect checks that won’t need to be cashed until his grandkids come of age (with sound financial planning).
The curious case of Terrence Williams is baffling. I get mistakes happen. I understand the pitfalls of youth balanced against the mistake-opportunities of millionaires (in theory not practice, mind you). But when Dez was cut, Bryce was allowed to seek greener pastures and Switzer was traded, an amazing opportunity materialized in front him like a light pole in front of his Lamborghini.
I’ll be honest; every choice he made up to knocking that light pole down I can wrap my head around. These things happen. Shouldn’t have happened, of course, but it did and it is what it is. Everything that happened after the crash is what is the most perplexing. In one story, he wasn’t even in the car when the crash happened. The honors for that gaff according to him belonged to old Baylor teammate and current receiver for the Vikings, Kendall Wright. Another story suggested the knocked over light pole was an exaggeration and that he only jumped the curb to avoid crashing into a motorist in front of him. Whatever the truth is, it is clear he is a man operating with a child’s mentality…a child that just recently discovered the wonders of lying to evade trouble and doesn’t quite know how yet.
Mind you, I’m not saying he needs to get better at lying…just saying being a father of two, his actions and statements to date remind me of my sons when they went through their lying stages respectively.
This last bit is for the national mediot talking heads who claim the Cowboys season is doomed before it has started due to the lack of a true #1 receiver:
Can anybody tell me what Terrell Owens was considered before he erupted on the scene as a dominant #1 (drafted in the third round)? How about Miles Austin (UFA)? Antonio Brown (drafting in the sixth round)? Drew Pearson (UFA)? Can anyone tell me in the June before these guys went from nobodies to Super Stars in the regular NFL season what the world was calling them at the time?
I think the point I’m making is pretty evident. Just because the Cowboys roster is currently peopled by players who don’t have national name recognition at this time, doesn’t mean they don’t have potential to be #1 receivers. And to be clear, I’m not talking about the X receiver; I’m simply talking about reliable targets who will be where they are supposed to be when they are supposed to be and will go get the football. Because that’s all the Cowboys really need.
Sure, they want a guy who can do something with the ball after the catch. They want a guy who is a good redzone target and can highpoint the ball. They want that guy who can carry the team when their down on the scoreboard. But they don’t need that guy…especially when they have Zeke running behind that offensive line.
The ugly truth is, right now news is slow and programs dedicated to the NFL are scraping the bottom of the pan for something worthy of discussion. The Dallas Cowboys are great for ratings which is why they so often catch a mention. These shows as often as not are hosted by former players and former players above all analyst tend to be the hardest on team’s that don’t boast players with established names. And if it’s not a former player, it is someone simply parroting a former player because rare is the TV personality who will jeopardize his credibility to speak against the established narrative on a team.
The beautiful truth is the doubt the national media is throwing at our beloved Cowboys is fueling the team’s fire to get better. Call it a hunch, but I suspect the Cowboys receiving core will be better as a result of the criticism.
The theme is fairly simplistic today ladies and gents. Where is their mind? Why does Jason throw away talent because they don’t fit in his perfect mold of what he thinks a player should be? Why is David Irving not in shape and engaged in getting better at his craft? What part of the opportunity in front of Terrence William is he not seeing? Why does the lack of name recognition in a team’s receiving room spell doom for a team’s chances in the regular season?
Anyone?
Try this trick and spin it, yeah
Your head will collapse
But there’s nothing in it
And you’ll ask yourself
Where is my mind?
~ Pixies ~
If you follow my work, you know I believe the Dallas Cowboys have the potential to be very entertaining this year. I’m not making any predictions beyond that at this point in the year. For some, though, even that may seem a stretch.
Same mediocre Head Coach, same antique road show offensive/defensive coordinators, same inept dink & dunk quarterback, same Dr Jeckyl Mr Hyde defense hanging by an injury-prone thread named Sean, minus Dez, minus Witten, and no additions that would come close to filling the shadows the aforementioned legends cast. In a nutshell, I’d say this sums up the collective local concerns, as well as, the nationally parroted narrative of our beloved Cowboys.
Unless, of course, you don rose-colored glasses and look again:
Zeke behind that offensive line might just be the best ground game combo in the league. The defensive line might just be the most talented it has ever been in Jason Garrett’s tenure. I could easily stop here, because if the Cowboys are able to win in the trenches on both sides of the ball, they will win more games than they lose, in spite of all their aforementioned so-called faults. When they went player shopping in this offseason, rather than pursue the brand names with all the bells and whistles, they instead focused on player products that might not look pretty while doing it, but quite simply get the job done. And the Dallas Cowboys currently boast one of (if not the) youngest teams in the NFL.
Whilst all of these songs are marching to the beat of their own drum, deeper in the recesses of my mind is a torrential scratching sound; furious and frantic, but at the same time dampened and muted, like drowning rats stuck in a submerged cardboard box. I really have to focus on it to notice the noise playing behind the cacophony of my consciousness…but it is definitely there.
Will Jason Garrett finally get out of his own way?
For the most part, throughout Garrett’s tenure as Head Coach, I’ve supported him…even defended him at times. But that doesn’t necessarily mean I’m blind to his many blunders; from time management to abject stubborn refusal to make in-game adjustments, I’ve been there and catalogued them all.
But the one thing that really has bothered me beyond anything else is when he misevaluates or waste the talent/youth at his disposal. It happened with Felix Jones both in the reserved manner he used him in his rookie season and in asking him to put on weight to try and convert him to a bell cow, which ruined Felix’s career. It happened when Jason tried to fit the square talent that was Martellus Bennett into the perfect circle of skillsets that Jason Witten possessed; Tom Brady won a Super Bowl with Bennett being featured as a favorite target, regardless of his lack of Wittenesque well-roundedness. Demarco Murray and Miles Austin became temporary stars not because of the keen talent evaluation of Jason but because injuries forced them into the lineup. Danny Amendola went on to eventually become an excellent receiver with the Patriots following his contract expiration from the Cowboys practice squad and like Martellus, also has the rings to prove his ability that Jason apparently overlooked.
We rarely discuss it, but it is seriously disconcerting that there are this many examples of him not knowing what he has until he no longer has the player. For a coach that is all about getting and staying young across the roster, he has displayed a maddening reservation in playing his youthful talent in lieu of the veterans who have earned his trust. I get the importance of trust and I’m not suggesting he completely abandon his reluctance to exercise the bottom of his roster in favor of his dependable veterans. My concern is it’s not so much about trust issues as it is him placing the team standards even over winning.
As a receiver and red zone threat, Rico Gathers very well could be dangerous. For those of us that watched preseason last year, you know exactly what I’m talking about. He played like a beast. He looked natural catching the ball and I don’t recall once seeing the first defender on the scene being credited with the tackle unless he was already in the endzone. Rico made quite a few life-long football players look the fool. In response to questions pertaining to Rico recently, Garrett admitted as much: Rico has the passing game down, but he’s a little behind on what they will ask him to do in the run game.
I get it. The Cowboys are a running football team. If you play on the offensive side of the ball and you don’t pass or run with the ball, you have to block. That is the standard. And standards are great. But where do you draw the line? If you have a guy whose best blocking ability might just be getting in the way, and yet at the same time provides a great red zone target and a beast with the ball after the catch, do you continue to bury him on the depth chart, if not completely cut him, as many seem to believe will happen at the conclusion of preseason? Blake Jarwin (6’5” 246 lbs), Geoff Swaim (6’4” 260 lbs), and Dalton Schultz (6’6” 242 lbs) are practically clones in terms of skillset…will Jason decide to keep 3 of the same player over finding a special role for Rico where he could be a mismatch nightmare?
Based on past experience, I’m afraid Jason will and when he does there will be a line of teams at Rico’s door…feel free to scoff the notion all you like…I know a dangerous pass-catching TE when I see one and Rico has all the tools to be great.
David Irving?
Not in shape for OTA’s? Participation on again and off again? To say nothing of the baby mama drama that seems to perennially follow him around from one season to the next. David has an opportunity few in the history of the world have been presented. He is staring at financial security for his grandchildren right in the eyes and laughing at it. His age is 20 years in my rearview, so I understand his mindset is quite simply not on my level, but his priorities are clearly and severely out of whack.
Meanwhile, the Cowboys are throwing some serious numbers at the defensive line. Irving may be under the mistaken impression that he can’t be replaced, but he seems to forget that when considering players for the final 53 roster, the entire package (on the field as well as off the field) is being heavily scrutinized, not just the product of his work or lack thereof, when he is actually available. Granted, on the field (however inconsistent), David Irving has flashed elite talent; at times taking over games and living in the opposing QB’s face down after down.
If he doesn’t stick here, his career is far from over; there will be teams willing to give him a second chance. But will it be the same opportunity? Different teams employ different schemes and ask their defensive lineman to do different things. The Cowboys scheme was tailor-made for Irving’s skillset. If he will simply put in the requisite work, he could very well be a super star and garner a huge pay day. If not here, most certainly somewhere else and collect checks that won’t need to be cashed until his grandkids come of age (with sound financial planning).
The curious case of Terrence Williams is baffling. I get mistakes happen. I understand the pitfalls of youth balanced against the mistake-opportunities of millionaires (in theory not practice, mind you). But when Dez was cut, Bryce was allowed to seek greener pastures and Switzer was traded, an amazing opportunity materialized in front him like a light pole in front of his Lamborghini.
I’ll be honest; every choice he made up to knocking that light pole down I can wrap my head around. These things happen. Shouldn’t have happened, of course, but it did and it is what it is. Everything that happened after the crash is what is the most perplexing. In one story, he wasn’t even in the car when the crash happened. The honors for that gaff according to him belonged to old Baylor teammate and current receiver for the Vikings, Kendall Wright. Another story suggested the knocked over light pole was an exaggeration and that he only jumped the curb to avoid crashing into a motorist in front of him. Whatever the truth is, it is clear he is a man operating with a child’s mentality…a child that just recently discovered the wonders of lying to evade trouble and doesn’t quite know how yet.
Mind you, I’m not saying he needs to get better at lying…just saying being a father of two, his actions and statements to date remind me of my sons when they went through their lying stages respectively.
This last bit is for the national mediot talking heads who claim the Cowboys season is doomed before it has started due to the lack of a true #1 receiver:
Can anybody tell me what Terrell Owens was considered before he erupted on the scene as a dominant #1 (drafted in the third round)? How about Miles Austin (UFA)? Antonio Brown (drafting in the sixth round)? Drew Pearson (UFA)? Can anyone tell me in the June before these guys went from nobodies to Super Stars in the regular NFL season what the world was calling them at the time?
I think the point I’m making is pretty evident. Just because the Cowboys roster is currently peopled by players who don’t have national name recognition at this time, doesn’t mean they don’t have potential to be #1 receivers. And to be clear, I’m not talking about the X receiver; I’m simply talking about reliable targets who will be where they are supposed to be when they are supposed to be and will go get the football. Because that’s all the Cowboys really need.
Sure, they want a guy who can do something with the ball after the catch. They want a guy who is a good redzone target and can highpoint the ball. They want that guy who can carry the team when their down on the scoreboard. But they don’t need that guy…especially when they have Zeke running behind that offensive line.
The ugly truth is, right now news is slow and programs dedicated to the NFL are scraping the bottom of the pan for something worthy of discussion. The Dallas Cowboys are great for ratings which is why they so often catch a mention. These shows as often as not are hosted by former players and former players above all analyst tend to be the hardest on team’s that don’t boast players with established names. And if it’s not a former player, it is someone simply parroting a former player because rare is the TV personality who will jeopardize his credibility to speak against the established narrative on a team.
The beautiful truth is the doubt the national media is throwing at our beloved Cowboys is fueling the team’s fire to get better. Call it a hunch, but I suspect the Cowboys receiving core will be better as a result of the criticism.
The theme is fairly simplistic today ladies and gents. Where is their mind? Why does Jason throw away talent because they don’t fit in his perfect mold of what he thinks a player should be? Why is David Irving not in shape and engaged in getting better at his craft? What part of the opportunity in front of Terrence William is he not seeing? Why does the lack of name recognition in a team’s receiving room spell doom for a team’s chances in the regular season?
Anyone?
