Cowboys want Carpenter to force their hand

Jean-Jacques Taylor: Cowboys want Carpenter to force their hand


Bobby Carpenter has played in one game this season. There is no indication his role is going to change anytime soon.

For now, he is a wasted draft choice.

The Cowboys are preaching patience. They want to wait until midseason to see if the light bulb goes off and he becomes a more productive player.

Now, you can blame some of his slow development on shifting from outside linebacker to inside linebacker because of the Greg Ellis experiment. And you can say Akin Ayodele is playing so well that it's hard for Carpenter to push him for playing time.

The reality is that the coaching staff would love to put its No. 1 draft choice on the field, but he hasn't forced them to do it yet.

His performance in practice has not demanded playing time. He played in the nickel defense in Week 2 against Washington but was not much of a factor.

The most disappointing aspect of his development has been on special teams. The Cowboys thought he would be good, but he has been a liability.

There is time for Carpenter to improve and contribute this season, but it needs to happen quickly. Otherwise, he will spend the rest of the season as a wasted draft choice.