"Why I'm neither high nor low on Switzer", otherwise titled "A History of Cowboys 4th Rounders"

[Knotamus]

I'm not worried about the '4th round' myth.. Switzer by all accounts will be good, if not great as long as he commits himself like Beasley did. Switzer has talent and will cement himself initially as our primary returner, without a doubt. If you look at our most recent 4th picks, you'll notice successful picks made during the Stephen Jones/Will McClay/Garrett era. It's the dawn of a new era of picks and ideology.

 

[_sturt_]

I grant that Switzer could be one of the approximately 1/3 who end up being so productive he eventually merits starter status. (Please don't miss that I said as much in the OP.)

I don't grant that that law of averages is absolutely wrong in any particular 4th rounder's case. Switzer included.

Right now, imo, people are hyped, and maybe they should be.

But then again, the point is that you can be hyped (or not hyped) in any particular year about any particular player filling any particular role... it's subjective. What's not subjective is what we've commonly been able to get from the 100-125-ish player selected in a given draft.

 

[speedkilz88]

*** Message was removed by demand from DMN ***

 

[MileyDancer]

I would count Tashard Choice as a "success." He was effectively a 3rd running back behind MBIII and Felix Jones. He played very well when he filled-in as a spot starter (remember that Steelers game).

He always annoyed me as a wannabe leader and the fact he was reluctant to play special teams didn't win him any favors, but as a 4th rounder he produced.

@Bleu Star agrees.

#Tulious

 

[tyke1doe]

I count about 1 out of every 3 actually being impact players who end up at some point in their careers being productive enough to start.

Maybe we'll continue our recent good fortune. Maybe we're due to regress back to the mean. Who knows.

How other fourth round picks performed has no baring on how Switzer will perform.

 

[_sturt_]

impact players who end up at some point in their careers being productive enough to start.

I suppose I should've qualified that "...enough to be the prohibitive starter at his position"... or something to that effect.

 

[Alexander]

Switzer was a lot more productive than most of these bums.

 

[_sturt_]

How other fourth round picks performed has no baring on how Switzer will perform.

See "I grant... I do not grant... " post above.

 

[tyke1doe]

Switzer isn't a Beasley clone. Switzer can play outside or in the slot, he is dangerous at returning punts. Switzer is stronger as well, not to even mention might be the best route runner on the team right now.

Not putting Beasley down but skin color and height are about the only thing they are the same

Not to forget Beasley, if memory serves me correctly, was a college quarterback converted to a receiver, so it took him sometime to learn the receiver position.
On the other hand, Switzer is coming into the league to play the position he played in college. He likely won't have as difficult a transition as Beasley did.

 

[tyke1doe]

Let me direct your attention to this post...
http://cowboyszone.com/threads/we-dodged-a-bullet-on-draft-day.378672/#post-7343919

I admitted Switzer was not on my radar before we drafted him but I did research him afterwards. You're not giving up any dirty on me that I haven't already give on myself so rather than feeling smug about your post you need to back off. If you know where to look there is enough information out there on this young man to have a great feeling he'll be an immediate contributor to our team. Any of us that aren't on the Cowboys staff are just cheerleaders.

Not to mention a lot of guys aren't on our radar. Doesn't mean they aren't good picks or won't contribute or won't be good players in the future.

 

[speedkilz88]

Not to forget Beasley, if memory serves me correctly, was a college quarterback converted to a receiver, so it took him sometime to learn the receiver position.
On the other hand, Switzer is coming into the league to play the position he played in college. He likely won't have as difficult a transition as Beasley did.

Beasley was a high school qb, played wr in a spread offense at smu

 

[Stash]

I count about 1 out of every 3 actually being impact players who end up at some point in their careers being productive enough to start.

Maybe we'll continue our recent good fortune. Maybe we're due to regress back to the mean. Who knows.

I don't see the worth in this exercise.

 

[tyke1doe]

Beasley was a high school qb, played wr in a spread offense at smu

I stand corrected.

 

[CalPolyTechnique]

Not to forget Beasley, if memory serves me correctly, was a college quarterback converted to a receiver, so it took him sometime to learn the receiver position.
On the other hand, Switzer is coming into the league to play the position he played in college. He likely won't have as difficult a transition as Beasley did.

Beasley played hackney-sack in the quad in college.

 

[_sturt_]

I don't see the worth in this exercise.

Sure you do. We're sports fans. We look at stats routinely for insight into what should be expected. It says nothing about any one player, but it gives us context... and particularly in the midst of so much seeming lock-certainty about the prospects for a given player. To your point, or so I presume, it's true it doesn't tell us what Switzer will or won't achieve, any more than it would have told us a few drafts ago what Anthony Hitchens would or wouldn't--and who, to my admittedly-limited memory, was about as dissed immediately following the draft as Switzer is being hyped.

The context, thus, says.... objectively, no hype or dissing being infused here... that it is about as reasonable to expect Switzer to someday emerge as a regular starter as it is to see one of baseball's better hitters to get a hit.

So... reasonable to expect, but.. and I guess this is where there'll be protest... not reasonable to be lock-certain of it. Some seem to be lock-certain, and maybe should soften on that.

 

[waving monkey]

You may be looking for that but I'm not. Nor is any well run NFL franchise.

Hitchens, Butler and Wilber are bums. Wilson may be too.

Edit - Tashard Choice. Another bum.

The only player we've gotten in the 4th round since Free is obviously Tapper and yeah that's historically awesome but it's still just one guy. (If we're calling Tapper human.)

your characterizations are schmaltzy to put it politely

 

[Irvin88_4life]

I've heard (and think it's a pretty good observation) that Switzer is very similar to Beasley before the catch. It's after where he's much better with the ball in his hands.

I think the only way Switzer busts is if his body can't handle the rigors of the nfl.

Switzer is much better before the catch as well

 

[Irvin88_4life]

Switzer hasn't played a single down of Cowboys football yet so all those things you just added to his resume are wishful thinking at this point. College ball does not equate to NFL performance so tap on the brakes. I hope he's everything you say he is but for now all we know is his size, skin color and the tape.

Don't take my word for it. He embarrassed first round corners and championship teams. You will see for yourself soon enough

 

[JoeKing]

Don't take my word for it. He embarrassed first round corners and championship teams. You will see for yourself soon enough

Yes I will see for myself but until I do, I'm not going around saying he is things that I only hope he is. I'll wait and see.

 

[Bullflop]

I'm pretty confident that Switzer will initially earn a starting gig on our special teams and gradually work his way into some significant involvement within the Dallas offense. He has all the earmarks of a young receiver who is all but impossible to cover and elusive enough to present himself as a major headache for the opposition. Between Switz and Beasley, I can readily envision some offensive coordinators losing sleep.