Your Expectations for Doug Free

xwalker

xwalker

Well-Known Member
Messages
57,193
Reaction score
64,699
CowboysZone ULTIMATE Fan
gimmesix said:
I think his struggles were a product of getting away from his technique, not because he doesn't work hard, but simply because he was losing some physical battles and he tried to compensate the wrong way (such as trying to outguess the defender and putting himself in a bad position).

I expected Parnell to beat him out this year, but I've been pleasantly surprised that he appears locked back into his technique and thus is making few mistakes. Parnell might have lost his shot, but I'm glad that he's also been looking good since his return from injury.
Click to expand...

Parnell's injury was a big disappointment. I believe that if Parnell started all 16 games that he would be much better than Free by game 16. The problem is that he wouldn't be better than Free in game 1 and he's not going to improve sitting on the bench.
 
CowboyMcCoy

CowboyMcCoy

Business is a Boomin
Messages
12,749
Reaction score
235
KJJ said:
That's not why you reserve your opinion you want to get a consensus first I already know how you tick. :) My feeling about Free is we'll find out where he is when the regular season starts. Can't come to any conclusions after 2 preseason games. I commented during the offseason that all the criticism Free has received along with having to take a big pay cut may motivate him. You're asking questions about Frederick and Free that will be answered in the regular season.

It's when the real bullets start flying that you find out where players are. We do know that Free is capable of playing much better than we've seen the past 2 seasons. I feel pretty confident he'll be better than what we saw last season but not sure it will be good enough for him to be the long-term answer at the position.
Click to expand...

If you knew me, and others on here can vouch for this, you'd know I'm definitely not afraid to give an opinion and particularly an unpopular one. That's my MO.

However, I like to be objective. So I don't try to influence the thread. Mostly, I'm interested in hearing others opinion and sometimes I don't care for the argument to be centered on the OP--agree or disagree, et cetera. Instead, I'd rather approach as a discussion where everybody contributes and nobody has to be write or wrong.

With that being said, I've been a big fan of Doug Free since before last year. That's also no secret.

But I did watch him play last year, and I was very unimpressed.

With that said, I expect he'll be back in old form. I suspect his problems came from switching positions so frequently. For that, I commend him. He helped our team by moving to LT when he was really a RT. He played pretty well, but then moved back to RT. Not only was that a team move. But he also had a tough task of adapting to two positions. And I think the Cowboys owe him an opportunity to settle in to his natural position.

I think he'll do that.

Let me know who's post I bit since I'm unable to form my own opinion.
 
CowboyStar88

CowboyStar88

Well-Known Member
Messages
23,174
Reaction score
25,564
CowboyMcCoy said:
If you knew me, and others on here can vouch for this, you'd know I'm definitely not afraid to give an opinion and particularly an unpopular one. That's my MO.

However, I like to be objective. So I don't try to influence the thread. Mostly, I'm interested in hearing others opinion and sometimes I don't care for the argument to be centered on the OP--agree or disagree, et cetera. Instead, I'd rather approach as a discussion where everybody contributes and nobody has to be write or wrong.

With that being said, I've been a big fan of Doug Free since before last year. That's also no secret.

But I did watch him play last year, and I was very unimpressed.

With that said, I expect he'll be back in old form. I suspect his problems came from switching positions so frequently. For that, I commend him. He helped our team by moving to LT when he was really a RT. He played pretty well, but then moved back to RT. Not only was that a team move. But he also had a tough task of adapting to two positions. And I think the Cowboys owe him an opportunity to settle in to his natural position.

I think he'll do that.

Let me know who's post I bit since I'm unable to form my own opinion.
Click to expand...

Nice post... I want to point out that not only did the position change make it hard but he wasn't buying into Callahans technique. Once he got comfortable and started buying into it and using it at the end of last year he played much better. So I have hope he will be solid this season. I think he's had a good camp and preseason so far. Encouraged
 
KJJ

KJJ

You Have an Axe to Grind
Messages
62,177
Reaction score
39,427
CowboyMcCoy said:
If you knew me, and others on here can vouch for this, you'd know I'm definitely not afraid to give an opinion and particularly an unpopular one. That's my MO.

However, I like to be objective. So I don't try to influence the thread.
Click to expand...

You're not going to influence the thread or anyones opinion by giving your own opinion. Who the heck are you? LOL Posters are either going to agree or disagree. The only thing that can change anyones mind or influence their opinion is what they see on the field. Free has looked better this preseason so naturally some of the opinions on him have changed. It's a week to week thing on this board because most FANS live in the moment. One terrible game by Free and everyone will be down on him again.
 
KJJ

KJJ

You Have an Axe to Grind
Messages
62,177
Reaction score
39,427
FuzzyLumpkins said:
This is simply not the case. People quite often make up their mind without (or despite) seeing for themselves.
Click to expand...

That's common amongst FANS. Even though the Cowboys are a mediocre team on the field and have been for 3 years some refuse to accept it and maintain the opinion they're a legitimate SB contender.
 
Idgit

Idgit

Fattening up
Staff member
Messages
58,971
Reaction score
60,826
CowboysZone ULTIMATE Fan
KJJ said:
That's common amongst FANS. Even though the Cowboys are a mediocre team on the field and have been for 3 years some refuse to accept it and maintain the opinion they're a legitimate SB contender.
Click to expand...

Really? Superbowl contenders? You're seeing a lot of that? I see a lot of posters thinking they're playoff contenders, but that's not exactly a reach given the way the last two seasons ended.
 
KJJ

KJJ

You Have an Axe to Grind
Messages
62,177
Reaction score
39,427
Idgit said:
Really? Superbowl contenders? You're seeing a lot of that? I see a lot of posters thinking they're playoff contenders, but that's not exactly a reach given the way the last two seasons ended.
Click to expand...

I'm sure there's plenty of FANS who believe the Cowboys are SB contenders. Some will never give up believing that no matter what kind of team the Cowboys have. They'll tell you this is a new season and that anything can happen which it can but it's a big reach to think anything more than playoff contender with this team. I mentioned Amberbeer posted he had a feeling the Cowboys are going to win it all this season. There's a few here like Fletch who always believe the Cowboys have a shot at the SB or at least they act like they do regardless of how improbable it is. Sonnyboy who's disappeared never predicted anything less than 12 wins since I've been here and always has the Cowboys as serious SB contenders.

A lot of FANS have been humbled by what's happened to the team the past 2 seasons so the bold SB predictions have pretty much disappeared heading into this season but some still have a tough time ruling out the possibility. The problem with most FANS is they convince themselves the Cowboys are a much better team than they actually are despite what others say and with all the visual evidence that points to the contrary.
 
Idgit

Idgit

Fattening up
Staff member
Messages
58,971
Reaction score
60,826
CowboysZone ULTIMATE Fan
KJJ said:
I'm sure there's plenty of FANS who believe the Cowboys are SB contenders. Some will never give up believing that no matter what kind of team the Cowboys have. They'll tell you this is a new season and that anything can happen which it can but it's a big reach to think anything more than playoff contender with this team. I mentioned Amberbeer posted he had a feeling the Cowboys are going to win it all this season. There's a few here like Fletch who always believe the Cowboys have a shot at the SB or at least they act like they do regardless of how improbable it is. Sonnyboy who's disappeared never predicted anything less than 12 wins since I've been here and always has the Cowboys as serious SB contenders.

A lot of FANS have been humbled by what's happened to the team the past 2 seasons so the bold SB predictions have pretty much disappeared heading into this season but some still have a tough time ruling out the possibility. The problem with most FANS is they convince themselves the Cowboys are a much better team than they actually are despite what others say and with all the visual evidence that points to the contrary.
Click to expand...

I don't know about any of that. I haven't seen much in the way of Superbowl predictions here this offseason. I definitely can't speak for Sonnyboy, and I don't know what his expectations are. I do remember the Amberbeer hunch, but that's a far cry from actually predicting it or thinking the Superbowl is likely.

Personally, I'd wage most fans think the playoffs are a possibility, and then we'd likely go in not as a favorite, but with the usual post-season shot. I don't see anything wrong with that perspective. From what I've seen, the majority of Cowboy fans have been pretty much right on re: the outlook for this team the last two seasons, with most of them predicting the team's going to be lumped right in that pack between 8-8 and 10-6. And that's about how well the team has played during that time.
 
KJJ

KJJ

You Have an Axe to Grind
Messages
62,177
Reaction score
39,427
Idgit said:
I don't know about any of that. I haven't seen much in the way of Superbowl predictions here this offseason. I definitely can't speak for Sonnyboy, and I don't know what his expectations are. I do remember the Amberbeer hunch, but that's a far cry from actually predicting it or thinking the Superbowl is likely.

Personally, I'd wage most fans think the playoffs are a possibility, and then we'd likely go in not as a favorite, but with the usual post-season shot. I don't see anything wrong with that perspective. From what I've seen, the majority of Cowboy fans have been pretty much right on re: the outlook for this team the last two seasons, with most of them predicting the team's going to be lumped right in that pack between 8-8 and 10-6. And that's about how well the team has played during that time.
Click to expand...

I haven't seen much either heading into this season but there has been a few who maintain that the team has at least a shot at the SB and they hold on to that hope every year. I didn't say there's been a lot of SB "predictions" heading into this season I said some refuse to accept that the Cowboys are a mediocre team and maintain the opinion they're a legitimate "SB contender." Predicting a SB and maintaining the belief the team is a SB contender are two different things. There's a lot of fans who think the playoffs are a possibly this season and I'm one of those fans. That's a realistic expectation that even some outside Cowboys Nation have. I'm certainly not saying there's anything wrong with that perspective or even with the perspective that the team is a SB contender if that's what someone wants to believe.

Everyone has a right to believe what they want. For the most part the predictions here are realistic but there are a few who go over the top and refuse to see the Cowboys as a mediocre 8-8 team. I've had plenty of debates with FANS from 2011 to 2012 who tried to convince me the Cowboys were an 11 to 12 win team that could go deep in the playoffs. I mentioned in a previous post that Lane predicted 14-2 last season and changed it to 13-3 just before opening day. By mid season he had changed his prediction to a losing season. LOL The crazy predictions haven't happened so far this year the loss in Washington last Dec really humbled a few.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top