Who makes the roster at OL?

[Biggems]

I know who the 5 starters will be, but I am not exactly certain about our depth, especially after Nate said our reserves suck. I am asking for your thoughts on who else makes the roster besides the starters.....and do we keep 4 or 5 reserves....THANKS

Starters in Bold

Ryan Gibbons
Andre Gurode
Cory Procter
Joe Berger
Leonard Davis
Kyle Kosier
Adam Stenavich
Flozell Adams
Marc Colombo
Doug Free
Cory Lekkerkerker
James Marten
Pat McQuistan

 

[burmafrd]

Free seems to be in the lead to be the swing tackle this year, but that competition with McQ still has a way to go. Obviously we keep both of them.
Marten had better start showing something - berger and procter are strictly backups and everyone knows that. Just a question of if some of the younger guys are able to beat them out. I am thinking we keep 9 active and 10 on the roster. I was hoping one of our tackle guys could beat out Kosier but it does not sound like that is going to happen. Marten is just not showing much. I have heard speculation about bringing in Siavi and trying him at guard- but that would be a real project.
Now its a possibility that if Free shows a clear edge on McQ that he might be tried at guard as it was talked about last year- but since we do not know if Colombo is going to be around next year maybe they do not want to mess around with McQ since he would be either the swing tackle or the starting RT next season.

 

[Biggems]

Free seems to be in the lead to be the swing tackle this year, but that competition with McQ still has a way to go. Obviously we keep both of them.
Marten had better start showing something - berger and procter are strictly backups and everyone knows that. Just a question of if some of the younger guys are able to beat them out. I am thinking we keep 9 active and 10 on the roster.

I am thinking 10 as well....though I would prefer 9 and be able to use that extra spot elsewhere.

I sure wish one of these guys could long snap effectively, that way we wouldnt have to waste a roster spot on LP.

 

[ddh33]

For some reason, I think they go with 9 this year, and they end up trading away one of their backups like Procter or McQuistan.

 

[burmafrd]

Long Snapping is not as easy as a lot of people make it seem. witness Gurode on the shotgun snaps which are easier. Here is a guy who has been a center in college and the pros for years. The Long Snapper cannot be too big since he has to move real fast after the snap to block; that is why you rarely see a LS bigger then 250 or so.

 

[burmafrd]

No way do they trade either McQ or Free since we learned to our sorrow how important good young tackles are.

 

[Walker]

The same line that we had last year we will have this year. I am not surprise that Nate said the backup sucked. Free and Marten were 3 year projects when drafted, although you wouldn't mind seeing them progress faster. McQuistan was a 7th round pick so if he could develop into a solid backup that would be good enough although you would like to see him be starter material. By looking at the list posted I just can't see there being a change of roster in the offensive line especially since we didn't draft a lineman either.

 

[sago1]

I think we definitely keep Free & Marten (probably moving to OG perm) unless Hudson Houck totally unimpressed with Marten. Sometimes he takes an OL more then just a rookie season & a week into TC of his 2nd year before he starts showing anything. Heck, if Nate assessed his own play in his 2nd season as harshly as he does our backups, he'd have been out of footbal before his 2nd year was over. Now Proctor to my knowledge is the only backup OC we got unless Stenavich can also play OC.

The problem of course is how many DB we keep & that decision might be based on how good one of the younger players is on STs vs one of the younger OLs on ST. Similarly, if we decided keep 6 WRs, doubt we can keep 11 DBs.

Finally if Nate is right re our backups, can't rule out our picking somebody up off the waiver wire who could help us.

If Marten permanently moved to LG, that opens the door for another OT (assuming McQuistan makes the team) like maybe Kerkerkerker (sp?) if he's any good. So I think we keep 5 OTs & 3 OGs and maybe 1-2 more spots still open. spo

 

[AbeBeta]

barring injury, I can't see any changes from last year because we didn't acquire anyone who stands much of a chance to beat our Berger or Proctor -- Marten could stink it up and make the roster again b/c Jerry hates to be wrong on picks

 

[burmafrd]

Sago, it sounds like Marten is even having a hard time making it as a guard. So he is a lot closer to going then McQ is.

 

[silverbear]

I know who the 5 starters will be, but I am not exactly certain about our depth, especially after Nate said our reserves suck. I am asking for your thoughts on who else makes the roster besides the starters.....and do we keep 4 or 5 reserves....THANKS

I think that McQuistan, Free and Marten are on the hot seat, and from what I've read, none of them is exactly tearing it up in camp... as a result, I think some of these recent signings, perhaps even all of them (Gibbons, Stenavich and Lekkerkerker) stand a real chance of making the team... McQuistan just hasn't stepped forward the way I'd hoped he would, and Marten doesn't seem to be able to get his weight up to NFL standards... that won't sit well with Hudson Houck...

It sounds like Berger is playing his way off the team too, every time I read about him it seems like he got beat by somebody else... so I'd say your top contenders rate like this:

Your starters...

Andre Gurode
Kyle Kosier
Leonard Davis
Marc Colombo
Flozell Adams


Likely top backups...

Ryan Gibbons
Adam Stenavich
Cory Lekkerkerker


Likely top backups...

Doug Free
Pat McQuistan

On the outside, looking in...

James Marten
Cory Procter
Joe Berger

That's my guess...

 

[silverbear]

I think we definitely keep Free & Marten (probably moving to OG perm) unless Hudson Houck totally unimpressed with Marten. Sometimes he takes an OL more then just a rookie season & a week into TC of his 2nd year before he starts showing anything. Heck, if Nate assessed his own play in his 2nd season as harshly as he does our backups, he'd have been out of footbal before his 2nd year was over. Now Proctor to my knowledge is the only backup OC we got unless Stenavich can also play OC.

The Boys list Ryan Gibbons as a center... he has Gurode's size... Stenavich seems to be a pure guard...

 

[FuzzyLumpkins]

I think that McQuistan, Free and Marten are on the hot seat, and from what I've read, none of them is exactly tearing it up in camp... as a result, I think some of these recent signings, perhaps even all of them (Gibbons, Stenavich and Lekkerkerker) stand a real chance of making the team... McQuistan just hasn't stepped forward the way I'd hoped he would, and Marten doesn't seem to be able to get his weight up to NFL standards... that won't sit well with Hudson Houck...

It sounds like Berger is playing his way off the team too, every time I read about him it seems like he got beat by somebody else... so I'd say your top contenders rate like this:

Your starters...

Andre Gurode
Kyle Kosier
Leonard Davis
Marc Colombo
Flozell Adams


Likely top backups...

Ryan Gibbons
Adam Stenavich
Cory Lekkerkerker


Likely top backups...

Doug Free
Pat McQuistan

On the outside, looking in...

James Marten
Cory Procter
Joe Berger

That's my guess...

So wait we should give up on draft picks for scrubs? Have you seen Lekekker and Stenavich play or are you trying to force something where its not there?

I mean we should spend a third rounder on Marten; move him to guard, and then set him free because scrubs no one has heard of are on the roster.

Put me down for no thank you.

 

[silverbear]

So wait we should give up on draft picks for scrubs?

Makes more sense than holding on to draft picks who seem to be scrubs...

My theory is that Houck likes a bigger lineman, while Sparano favored the quicker ones... so the holdover draft picks are not a particularly good fit for the direction the Cowboys are going with their OL...

 

[Iago33]

Makes more sense than holding on to draft picks who seem to be scrubs...

My theory is that Houck likes a bigger lineman, while Sparano favored the quicker ones... so the holdover draft picks are not a particularly good fit for the direction the Cowboys are going with their OL...

Interesting theory...perhaps even plausible, but I'm sure Houck wouldn't keep Lekkerker, Stenavich, and Gibbons just because they're bigger. You would think he'd keep the better linemen. Do you have any evidence that the three "no names" are better than our draft picks?

 

[AbeBeta]

Makes more sense than holding on to draft picks who seem to be scrubs...

Yes, but Jerry is in charge here and historically when he's been running the show he hasn't "known when to fold 'em"

 

[stealth]

Long Snapping is not as easy as a lot of people make it seem. witness Gurode on the shotgun snaps which are easier. Here is a guy who has been a center in college and the pros for years. The Long Snapper cannot be too big since he has to move real fast after the snap to block; that is why you rarely see a LS bigger then 250 or so.

I was pretty sure long snappers don't block at all anymore.

And long snapping is easier than shotgun, you get to look when you aim long snaps. At least I preferred long snapping by quite a bit.