Cowboys Fill Holes On O-Line; Wait For Results
Nick Eatman - Email
DallasCowboys.com Staff Writer
IRVING, Texas - In the days leading up to the NFL Draft, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said he was fortunate his team had few, if any, glaring weaknesses, which allowed the Cowboys the flexibility to draft the top-rated players regardless of position.
But had the draft been held a few months earlier, that would not have been the case.
No, instead of having the freedom to take another pass-rushing linebacker in Anthony Spencer in the first round, the Cowboys likely would've had to turn their attention to the offensive line.
Because when new head coach Wade Phillips took over the team in mid-February, the offensive line was anything but fixed.
Two starters were set to become unrestricted free agents and another had just undergone his second back surgery in two years.
"We really had a lot of problems there," Jones said of his offensive line. "That was one area that really concerned us."
But things can turn around rather quickly, especially with deep pockets.
And Jones and the Cowboys dug deep even before the free-agent signing period began and came away with three starters, just like that.
In a three-week span, the Cowboys re-signed Pro Bowl center Andre Gurode, right tackle Marc Colombo and then locked up enormous free-agent guard Leonard Davis with an even bigger contract that included the largest signing bonus in franchise history.
And if that wasn't enough, the Cowboys came back the following month and picked up two versatile offensive linemen in the middle rounds of the draft that should provide instant depth at the backup positions.
"When Wade first got here, we didn't really know what we were going to do," Jones said of the offensive line. "We had some holes up front. But as we sit here now, it's a position that we can be excited about."
Excited because the potential is there with four of the projected starters being former first- or second-round picks.
But the Cowboys still have reason to be cautious as well. None of the five starters will enter this season without a bit of uncertainty surrounding them.
For starters, despite making the Pro Bowl three of the last four years, left tackle Flozell Adams has not been the dominant player he was back in 2003. Adams on Monday underwent minor surgery on his right knee - which he suffered an ACL injury in 2005 - to clean up some debris that had been causing swelling but is fully expected to be ready for training camp.
Adams played in all 16 games last season, but had a few rough moments while returning from the knee injury, plus a calf injury he sustained late in the preseason.
Adams has not been able to participate in either of the two recent OTA practices open to the media and is not expected to practice again until the start of camp, which opens July 24 in San Antonio.
For now, the Cowboys have used second-year lineman Pat McQuistan at left tackle with the first-team. But when Adams returns, it's likely McQuistan will move back to left guard, where he should at least give some competition to Kyle Kosier, the 16-game starter from a year ago.
Kosier isn't flashy - not that many offensive linemen are - but he was solid for the most part of last season. Although the Cowboys gave him a five-year, $15 million contract before last season, Kosier won't get a free pass to return to the starting lineup.
McQuistan, who played guard and tackle at Weber State, was the team's swing tackle towards the end of last season, able to back up either the left or right side. But McQuistan might not slide back over to guard until the start of training camp.
At center, there is little question who their starter will be this season. Gurode received a six-year, $30 million contract, which all but locks up his position in the starting lineup. But considering Gurode was an unrestricted free agent two years ago and only signed a one-year deal before the 2006 season, the Cowboys weren't exactly sure what they would get out of the second-round pick in 2002.
Gurode has played both guard and center and was in and out of the starting lineup under former coach Bill Parcells. But he turned the corner in training camp last summer and beat out Al Johnson for the starting center position. Gurode never looked back, starting all 16 games and eventually earned a spot on the NFC Pro Bowl squad, not to mention the lucrative contract.
"I'm focused on getting better and better this year," Gurode said. "I learned a lot from Coach Parcells. He taught me how to be a better professional. So I just want to keep improving and keep working as hard as I can every day."
If there is a question at center, it involves the backup position. Cory Procter, who is also competing at the guard position, has been working at center during the OTAs and mini-camps this off-season. The Cowboys are also looking at fourth-round pick Doug Free, the rookie from Northern Illinois, who has also played guard and tackle in college.
If Adams and Kosier end up regaining their starting jobs as expected, the only real change on the offensive line could be at right guard, where Davis has replaced Rivera.
While Rivera remains under contract, his future is rather unclear. Jones said in April he planned to meet with Rivera regarding his status with the team, but no announcement has been made. Rivera has not practiced with the team but has remained on the sidelines, still communicating with coaches and players while rehabbing his injury.
"I really don't know about him right now," Wade said of Rivera last month. "I don't know. We're kind of hoping for the best right now and we'll go from there."
While the Cowboys still seem unsure of Rivera's status, imagine their feelings back in February when word first broke that he suffered yet another herniated disk in his back, the same injury he sustained two years ago shortly after he signed with the team.
So the Cowboys went out and acquired Davis, who has played tackle the last three years in Arizona but spent his first three seasons at guard.
Wherever he plays, Davis will take up some room. At 6-6, 366 pounds, he will be a roadblock for defenders at guard or tackle.
But the Cowboys obviously paid him to do more than simply get in the way. His seven-year, $49.6 contract and whopping $16 million signing bonus suggests the Cowboys are expecting to Davis to be dominant wherever he plays.
"When you get a chance to sign a player like Leonard, you're hoping that he can come in and help right away," Jones said. "That's what we want out of him. We know he's got the size, and the experience and we feel like he's going to be a really good fit here on this line."
The Cowboys plan to squeeze Davis in between Gurode and center and Colombo and right tackle, where he started all 16 games last season as well.
While it appeared Colombo might be looking elsewhere in free agency, especially after Davis signed his deal, he eventually signed a two-year, $7 million contract. Considering his knee injury that limited him to just nine games played in the previous three years before last season, the Cowboys and apparently the rest of the NFL teams were a bit wary of giving Colombo a long-term deal, despite his play last year.
But the Cowboys have covered all of the bases on the offensive line, and even have some contingency plans in promising backups such as McQuistan and Procter along with rookies Free and third-round pick James Marten.
And at this stage of the off-season, that's all the Cowboys can ask for out of this position. Especially when it looked so bleak just a few months ago.
DallasCowboys.com Staff Writer
IRVING, Texas - In the days leading up to the NFL Draft, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said he was fortunate his team had few, if any, glaring weaknesses, which allowed the Cowboys the flexibility to draft the top-rated players regardless of position.
But had the draft been held a few months earlier, that would not have been the case.
No, instead of having the freedom to take another pass-rushing linebacker in Anthony Spencer in the first round, the Cowboys likely would've had to turn their attention to the offensive line.
Because when new head coach Wade Phillips took over the team in mid-February, the offensive line was anything but fixed.
Two starters were set to become unrestricted free agents and another had just undergone his second back surgery in two years.
"We really had a lot of problems there," Jones said of his offensive line. "That was one area that really concerned us."
But things can turn around rather quickly, especially with deep pockets.
And Jones and the Cowboys dug deep even before the free-agent signing period began and came away with three starters, just like that.
In a three-week span, the Cowboys re-signed Pro Bowl center Andre Gurode, right tackle Marc Colombo and then locked up enormous free-agent guard Leonard Davis with an even bigger contract that included the largest signing bonus in franchise history.
And if that wasn't enough, the Cowboys came back the following month and picked up two versatile offensive linemen in the middle rounds of the draft that should provide instant depth at the backup positions.
"When Wade first got here, we didn't really know what we were going to do," Jones said of the offensive line. "We had some holes up front. But as we sit here now, it's a position that we can be excited about."
Excited because the potential is there with four of the projected starters being former first- or second-round picks.
But the Cowboys still have reason to be cautious as well. None of the five starters will enter this season without a bit of uncertainty surrounding them.
For starters, despite making the Pro Bowl three of the last four years, left tackle Flozell Adams has not been the dominant player he was back in 2003. Adams on Monday underwent minor surgery on his right knee - which he suffered an ACL injury in 2005 - to clean up some debris that had been causing swelling but is fully expected to be ready for training camp.
Adams played in all 16 games last season, but had a few rough moments while returning from the knee injury, plus a calf injury he sustained late in the preseason.
Adams has not been able to participate in either of the two recent OTA practices open to the media and is not expected to practice again until the start of camp, which opens July 24 in San Antonio.
For now, the Cowboys have used second-year lineman Pat McQuistan at left tackle with the first-team. But when Adams returns, it's likely McQuistan will move back to left guard, where he should at least give some competition to Kyle Kosier, the 16-game starter from a year ago.
Kosier isn't flashy - not that many offensive linemen are - but he was solid for the most part of last season. Although the Cowboys gave him a five-year, $15 million contract before last season, Kosier won't get a free pass to return to the starting lineup.
McQuistan, who played guard and tackle at Weber State, was the team's swing tackle towards the end of last season, able to back up either the left or right side. But McQuistan might not slide back over to guard until the start of training camp.
At center, there is little question who their starter will be this season. Gurode received a six-year, $30 million contract, which all but locks up his position in the starting lineup. But considering Gurode was an unrestricted free agent two years ago and only signed a one-year deal before the 2006 season, the Cowboys weren't exactly sure what they would get out of the second-round pick in 2002.
Gurode has played both guard and center and was in and out of the starting lineup under former coach Bill Parcells. But he turned the corner in training camp last summer and beat out Al Johnson for the starting center position. Gurode never looked back, starting all 16 games and eventually earned a spot on the NFC Pro Bowl squad, not to mention the lucrative contract.
"I'm focused on getting better and better this year," Gurode said. "I learned a lot from Coach Parcells. He taught me how to be a better professional. So I just want to keep improving and keep working as hard as I can every day."
If there is a question at center, it involves the backup position. Cory Procter, who is also competing at the guard position, has been working at center during the OTAs and mini-camps this off-season. The Cowboys are also looking at fourth-round pick Doug Free, the rookie from Northern Illinois, who has also played guard and tackle in college.
If Adams and Kosier end up regaining their starting jobs as expected, the only real change on the offensive line could be at right guard, where Davis has replaced Rivera.
While Rivera remains under contract, his future is rather unclear. Jones said in April he planned to meet with Rivera regarding his status with the team, but no announcement has been made. Rivera has not practiced with the team but has remained on the sidelines, still communicating with coaches and players while rehabbing his injury.
"I really don't know about him right now," Wade said of Rivera last month. "I don't know. We're kind of hoping for the best right now and we'll go from there."
While the Cowboys still seem unsure of Rivera's status, imagine their feelings back in February when word first broke that he suffered yet another herniated disk in his back, the same injury he sustained two years ago shortly after he signed with the team.
So the Cowboys went out and acquired Davis, who has played tackle the last three years in Arizona but spent his first three seasons at guard.
Wherever he plays, Davis will take up some room. At 6-6, 366 pounds, he will be a roadblock for defenders at guard or tackle.
But the Cowboys obviously paid him to do more than simply get in the way. His seven-year, $49.6 contract and whopping $16 million signing bonus suggests the Cowboys are expecting to Davis to be dominant wherever he plays.
"When you get a chance to sign a player like Leonard, you're hoping that he can come in and help right away," Jones said. "That's what we want out of him. We know he's got the size, and the experience and we feel like he's going to be a really good fit here on this line."
The Cowboys plan to squeeze Davis in between Gurode and center and Colombo and right tackle, where he started all 16 games last season as well.
While it appeared Colombo might be looking elsewhere in free agency, especially after Davis signed his deal, he eventually signed a two-year, $7 million contract. Considering his knee injury that limited him to just nine games played in the previous three years before last season, the Cowboys and apparently the rest of the NFL teams were a bit wary of giving Colombo a long-term deal, despite his play last year.
But the Cowboys have covered all of the bases on the offensive line, and even have some contingency plans in promising backups such as McQuistan and Procter along with rookies Free and third-round pick James Marten.
And at this stage of the off-season, that's all the Cowboys can ask for out of this position. Especially when it looked so bleak just a few months ago.
posted by The Gryphon at 10:16 PM
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