Without Allen, O-line has no sure thing
Without Allen, O-line has no sure thing
By JEAN-JACQUES TAYLOR / The Dallas Morning News
IRVING – There is no known quantity on the offensive line now that Dallas has released 12-year veteran Larry Allen.
Left tackle Flozell Adams is coming off a season-ending knee injury that forced him to miss 10 games, and the new left guard, Kyle Kosier, is playing with his third team in three seasons.
"He's a very consistent player," vice president of college and pro scouting Jeff Ireland said of Kosier. "He plays with a lot of power and explosion."
Coach Bill Parcells can't decide whether he likes undersized Al Johnson, who's better at blocking in space, or more powerful Andre Gurode, who doesn't always make the right line adjustments, at center.
Right guard Marco Rivera, who is 33, struggled last season with back and hamstring injuries and newly signed right tackle Jason Fabini, 31, missed the last seven games of 2005 with a chest injury.
"Bill has had Jason before," vice president Stephen Jones said last weekend. "If he has a good off-season, he can throw himself into the mix. He's a tough competitor."
Owner Jerry Jones always has considered himself an optimist.
If everything works out in the Cowboys' favor, then the line will be much improved and have strong leadership in Adams, Rivera and Fabini. If it doesn't work out, the Cowboys are likely to have the same types of struggles they did last year.
Dallas failed to score more than 14 points in six games, losing each of them last year.
At times, Dallas couldn't run or pass because of inadequacies on the offensive line, especially at tackle, where Rob Petitti and Torrin Tucker finished the season 1-2 in the league in sacks allowed with 13.5 and 12.5.
The offensive line's performance against St. Louis – a 20-10 loss in the regular-season finale – was a microcosm of its season. The Rams played eight, sometimes nine defenders, within five yards of the line of scrimmage to hold Julius Jones to 35 yards on 15 carries.
When the Cowboys attempted to pass, the tackles couldn't give quarterback Drew Bledsoe enough time to find his receivers. St. Louis sacked him five times, and Dallas scored just one touchdown.
Jones has spent the off-season saying the Cowboys must improve their offensive line to get the most out of Bledsoe, who has limited lateral mobility. That's why most teams try to apply pressure up the middle, forcing Bledsoe to move left or right and limiting his effectiveness.
Although Allen struggled to make blocks on the perimeter, he was still good at pass protection. Rarely did he allow defenders to crash the middle of the Cowboys' offensive line. He allowed just 2.5 sacks last season.
More important, he allowed Johnson to often help Rivera. This year, Kosier probably will require help, which means Rivera will be involved in more one-on-one blocking situations.
The addition of Fabini does not mean the Cowboys won't draft an offensive lineman. They need depth at the position because 2004 second-round pick Jacob Rodgers has been released without playing a down in a regular-season game and 2004 thirdround pick Stephen Peterman probably will have to show significant improvement to make the team this year.
PRO BOWLS
Cowboys with the most pro bowl appearances:
Player Pos. Gs
Bob Lilly DT 11
Larry Allen G-T 10
Mel Renfro CB-S 10
Randy White DT 9
Emmitt Smith RB 8
LARRY ALLEN BY THE NUMBERS
170
Starts
45
Number of players selected before him in the 1994 draft
11,463
Yards of Emmitt Smith's 17,162 Cowboys total that came after Larry Allen joined the team
9
Times he started 16 games
STARTING FIVE
Here's a look at Staff Writer Jean-Jacques Taylor's projected 2006 starting lineup with comment:
Flozell Adams, left tackle: Although he's recovering from a season-ending knee injury, Dallas needs him to be a dominant player.
Kyle Kosier, left guard: Questions exist about his ability to succeed as a starter.
Andre Gurode, center: He will be given every opportunity to win the starting job but must improve his decision-making.
Marco Rivera, right guard: Organization hopes he's one of the most improved players on the team.
Jason Fabini, right tackle: start if Rob Petitti can't handle the job.
By JEAN-JACQUES TAYLOR / The Dallas Morning News
IRVING – There is no known quantity on the offensive line now that Dallas has released 12-year veteran Larry Allen.
Left tackle Flozell Adams is coming off a season-ending knee injury that forced him to miss 10 games, and the new left guard, Kyle Kosier, is playing with his third team in three seasons.
"He's a very consistent player," vice president of college and pro scouting Jeff Ireland said of Kosier. "He plays with a lot of power and explosion."
Coach Bill Parcells can't decide whether he likes undersized Al Johnson, who's better at blocking in space, or more powerful Andre Gurode, who doesn't always make the right line adjustments, at center.
Right guard Marco Rivera, who is 33, struggled last season with back and hamstring injuries and newly signed right tackle Jason Fabini, 31, missed the last seven games of 2005 with a chest injury.
"Bill has had Jason before," vice president Stephen Jones said last weekend. "If he has a good off-season, he can throw himself into the mix. He's a tough competitor."
Owner Jerry Jones always has considered himself an optimist.
If everything works out in the Cowboys' favor, then the line will be much improved and have strong leadership in Adams, Rivera and Fabini. If it doesn't work out, the Cowboys are likely to have the same types of struggles they did last year.
Dallas failed to score more than 14 points in six games, losing each of them last year.
At times, Dallas couldn't run or pass because of inadequacies on the offensive line, especially at tackle, where Rob Petitti and Torrin Tucker finished the season 1-2 in the league in sacks allowed with 13.5 and 12.5.
The offensive line's performance against St. Louis – a 20-10 loss in the regular-season finale – was a microcosm of its season. The Rams played eight, sometimes nine defenders, within five yards of the line of scrimmage to hold Julius Jones to 35 yards on 15 carries.
When the Cowboys attempted to pass, the tackles couldn't give quarterback Drew Bledsoe enough time to find his receivers. St. Louis sacked him five times, and Dallas scored just one touchdown.
Jones has spent the off-season saying the Cowboys must improve their offensive line to get the most out of Bledsoe, who has limited lateral mobility. That's why most teams try to apply pressure up the middle, forcing Bledsoe to move left or right and limiting his effectiveness.
Although Allen struggled to make blocks on the perimeter, he was still good at pass protection. Rarely did he allow defenders to crash the middle of the Cowboys' offensive line. He allowed just 2.5 sacks last season.
More important, he allowed Johnson to often help Rivera. This year, Kosier probably will require help, which means Rivera will be involved in more one-on-one blocking situations.
The addition of Fabini does not mean the Cowboys won't draft an offensive lineman. They need depth at the position because 2004 second-round pick Jacob Rodgers has been released without playing a down in a regular-season game and 2004 thirdround pick Stephen Peterman probably will have to show significant improvement to make the team this year.
PRO BOWLS
Cowboys with the most pro bowl appearances:
Player Pos. Gs
Bob Lilly DT 11
Larry Allen G-T 10
Mel Renfro CB-S 10
Randy White DT 9
Emmitt Smith RB 8
LARRY ALLEN BY THE NUMBERS
170
Starts
45
Number of players selected before him in the 1994 draft
11,463
Yards of Emmitt Smith's 17,162 Cowboys total that came after Larry Allen joined the team
9
Times he started 16 games
STARTING FIVE
Here's a look at Staff Writer Jean-Jacques Taylor's projected 2006 starting lineup with comment:
Flozell Adams, left tackle: Although he's recovering from a season-ending knee injury, Dallas needs him to be a dominant player.
Kyle Kosier, left guard: Questions exist about his ability to succeed as a starter.
Andre Gurode, center: He will be given every opportunity to win the starting job but must improve his decision-making.
Marco Rivera, right guard: Organization hopes he's one of the most improved players on the team.
Jason Fabini, right tackle: start if Rob Petitti can't handle the job.
posted by The Gryphon at 7:08 PM
<< Home