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Whitey's Weekly - Battles To Watch
Posted by DCFanatic at 5/28/2008 12:52 PM and is filed under Player Info,Whiteys Weekly,Cowboys News
Battles To Watch
The 2008 Dallas Cowboys will look very similar to the 2007 edition. With only one starter who will not be returning (Julius Jones was starter in name only) there is a ton of continuity on the team. That should mean good things for the Dallas Cowboys this year.
With so much stability in place, what position battles are even going to be interesting to watch in the coming months as a Dallas Cowboy fan? There are three that I feel will really take center stage once training camp starts up.
The first is Marcus Spears trying to hold off third-year player Jason Hatcher. Now that the cornerback position seems to be solidified with the drafting of Mike Jenkins and Orlando Scandrick, as well as the trade to bring in Pacman Jones, the defensive line is the position most in need of an upgrade from last year.
And since it won’t get improved from the outside, the only way to improve it is from within. A lot of people expected Jason Hatcher to challenge Spears to start last year, but an injury in the offseason derailed those talks, and kept Hatcher as a reserve player. But this d-line needs a spark, a playmaker, and Hatcher has proven than when he’s in the game, he makes plays.
He may not be as strong against the run as Spears is, but if he can improve that this offseason, he has already shown he can be a disruptive force. Spears will always be a solid yet unspectacular player, while Hatcher has a higher ceiling. He can be exactly what this base defense needs to generate some pressure from somewhere besides the OLB positions. Look for Hatcher to really push Spears this offseason, regardless of who ends up starting.
The next, and in my opinion only other starting position up for grabs, is at left guard. Kyle Kosier is a guy who you never hear from, or hear about. He’s a worker who does his job, and does it adequately. Kosier is definitely the weak link on the line, even though he’s still a serviceable player. This offseason, expect Pat McQuistan to make the switch from tackle to guard, and push Kosier to start.
Both Bill Parcells and Wade Phillips have gone out of their way to praise McQuistan over the last few years. Last offseaon, there was talk of him making the switch from guard to tackle, and I fully expect it to happen this year. Kosier was a nice player to have for us, but this team has outgrown him, and I feel McQuistan deserves at least a chance to start for us.
With the drafting of Doug Free and James Marten last year, this team is deep enough to allow McQuistan to make the switch to guard. If that happens, don’t be surprised to see him in the starting lineup on week one. The Cowboys offensive line was already great last year, but if they can get an upgrade at their weakest spot, it would mean even bigger things are on their way for this offense.
The third position involves a highly drafted player this year, Martellus Bennett and a guy who went undrafted a few years ago, Tony Curtis. While the number two tight end might not technically be a starting job, it is still a position that will see a lot of snaps for the Cowboys next year.
Most people assume that, because Bennett was a second round pick, he will automatically be thrust into the position of number two tight end. But what most people don’t realize is that when the Cowboys traded Anthony Fasano this offseason, it was because Tony Curtis was going to pass him on the depth chart anyways. Don’t count out Curtis’ three years of experience in this league that he has over Bennett.
This position may come down to who can be the better blocker for the team, and because Tony Curtis has been schooled with pro-style protection, he could have the advantage over Bennett right now.
Let’s also not forget that Tony Curtis had three catches last year, all for touchdowns, so we know the Dallas coaching staff likes him down near the red zone, which will also be another benefit for Curtis.
Right now, Curtis definitely has the advantage over Bennett in this race, but if Bennett can prove to be a capable blocker, as well as a better threat in the passing game, then he’s got a shot at earning himself the number two spot behind all-world TE Jason Witten. This, in my opinion, is going to be the best battle to watch for when training camp starts up.
So while there may not be any glamour positions up for grabs this offseason, that can be seen as a good thing. The team is mostly in tact from last year, and it’s the little battles like these three that will determine if the 2008 iteration of the Dallas Cowboys can go farther than the 2007 version did.
'Whitey's Weekly' is an independent column written by Andrew Woodward, he can be reached at whitey_aw@hotmail.com
Posted by DCFanatic at 5/28/2008 12:52 PM and is filed under Player Info,Whiteys Weekly,Cowboys News
Battles To Watch
The 2008 Dallas Cowboys will look very similar to the 2007 edition. With only one starter who will not be returning (Julius Jones was starter in name only) there is a ton of continuity on the team. That should mean good things for the Dallas Cowboys this year.
With so much stability in place, what position battles are even going to be interesting to watch in the coming months as a Dallas Cowboy fan? There are three that I feel will really take center stage once training camp starts up.
The first is Marcus Spears trying to hold off third-year player Jason Hatcher. Now that the cornerback position seems to be solidified with the drafting of Mike Jenkins and Orlando Scandrick, as well as the trade to bring in Pacman Jones, the defensive line is the position most in need of an upgrade from last year.
And since it won’t get improved from the outside, the only way to improve it is from within. A lot of people expected Jason Hatcher to challenge Spears to start last year, but an injury in the offseason derailed those talks, and kept Hatcher as a reserve player. But this d-line needs a spark, a playmaker, and Hatcher has proven than when he’s in the game, he makes plays.
He may not be as strong against the run as Spears is, but if he can improve that this offseason, he has already shown he can be a disruptive force. Spears will always be a solid yet unspectacular player, while Hatcher has a higher ceiling. He can be exactly what this base defense needs to generate some pressure from somewhere besides the OLB positions. Look for Hatcher to really push Spears this offseason, regardless of who ends up starting.
The next, and in my opinion only other starting position up for grabs, is at left guard. Kyle Kosier is a guy who you never hear from, or hear about. He’s a worker who does his job, and does it adequately. Kosier is definitely the weak link on the line, even though he’s still a serviceable player. This offseason, expect Pat McQuistan to make the switch from tackle to guard, and push Kosier to start.
Both Bill Parcells and Wade Phillips have gone out of their way to praise McQuistan over the last few years. Last offseaon, there was talk of him making the switch from guard to tackle, and I fully expect it to happen this year. Kosier was a nice player to have for us, but this team has outgrown him, and I feel McQuistan deserves at least a chance to start for us.
With the drafting of Doug Free and James Marten last year, this team is deep enough to allow McQuistan to make the switch to guard. If that happens, don’t be surprised to see him in the starting lineup on week one. The Cowboys offensive line was already great last year, but if they can get an upgrade at their weakest spot, it would mean even bigger things are on their way for this offense.
The third position involves a highly drafted player this year, Martellus Bennett and a guy who went undrafted a few years ago, Tony Curtis. While the number two tight end might not technically be a starting job, it is still a position that will see a lot of snaps for the Cowboys next year.
Most people assume that, because Bennett was a second round pick, he will automatically be thrust into the position of number two tight end. But what most people don’t realize is that when the Cowboys traded Anthony Fasano this offseason, it was because Tony Curtis was going to pass him on the depth chart anyways. Don’t count out Curtis’ three years of experience in this league that he has over Bennett.
This position may come down to who can be the better blocker for the team, and because Tony Curtis has been schooled with pro-style protection, he could have the advantage over Bennett right now.
Let’s also not forget that Tony Curtis had three catches last year, all for touchdowns, so we know the Dallas coaching staff likes him down near the red zone, which will also be another benefit for Curtis.
Right now, Curtis definitely has the advantage over Bennett in this race, but if Bennett can prove to be a capable blocker, as well as a better threat in the passing game, then he’s got a shot at earning himself the number two spot behind all-world TE Jason Witten. This, in my opinion, is going to be the best battle to watch for when training camp starts up.
So while there may not be any glamour positions up for grabs this offseason, that can be seen as a good thing. The team is mostly in tact from last year, and it’s the little battles like these three that will determine if the 2008 iteration of the Dallas Cowboys can go farther than the 2007 version did.
'Whitey's Weekly' is an independent column written by Andrew Woodward, he can be reached at whitey_aw@hotmail.com
