NFL: Cowboys' big bucks yield stout offensive line
by Tom Orsborn
San Antonio Express-News
IRVING — Nose tackle Jason Ferguson has a tip for defensive linemen scheduled to face the Dallas Cowboys and their massive offensive line this season:
Pack plenty of aspirin.
Ferguson feels like popping a couple after every practice. He can only imagine how much his head would throb after playing four quarters against 6-foot-6, 354-pound right guard Leonard Davis and Co.
"Now that would be a real headache," Ferguson said.
Anchored by bookend tackles Flozell Adams (6-feet-7, 340 pounds) and Marc Colombo (6-8, 315), the Cowboys' offensive line averages 6-6, 324 pounds, making it the biggest in club history and one of the biggest in the league.
And given the way the unit has performed in training camp and the preseason, it has more than a chance to be the franchise's best since the 1996 team landed four offensive linemen in the Pro Bowl.
Adams and 6-4, 316-pound center Andre Gurode earned Pro Bowl nods last season. With the addition of Davis, the Cowboys could send at least three offensive linemen to Hawaii.
"It's a real good group, the real cornerstone of our offense and team right now," coach Wade Phillips said.
Statistics support Phillips' claim. In two preseason games, the Cowboys have averaged 164.5 yards rushing, including 190 in a 31-20 victory over the Denver Broncos on Saturday.
"In the run game, they are going to be phenomenal," quarterback Tony Romo said. "They are really going to move the pile. It will take a lot of pressure off me."
The pass protection has also been impressive. Romo has been sacked only twice and rarely hurried.
"The Broncos couldn't even come close to touching Romo," Dallas owner Jerry Jones said.
Jones deserves much of the credit for turning what was once a weak link into a position of strength.
The Cowboys spent $30 million in signing bonuses during the offseason to keep Gurode and Colombo and to sign Davis, the former University of Texas standout released by Arizona.
Left guard Kyle Kosier, who at 6-5, 294 pounds is what Phillips calls "the little guy on the street," is in the second year of a five-year, $15 million deal. When Adams signed a five-year contract in 2003, he received a $10 million bonus.
As far as Phillips is concerned, it's all money well spent.
"This is kind of the route they've gone here, as far as height and size go," Phillips said. "Looking at it from a defensive standpoint, it's always tougher to push and shove on those guys the whole game. It does wear you down."
That's certainly true of Davis, who is playing the best football of his career after some tough seasons in Arizona.
"He's made a difference in the offensive line," Jones said. "He just gives you that steady power there — a presence."
Labeled an underachiever with the Cardinals, Davis is out to prove his critics wrong. But he's not alone in having something to prove. Colombo, Gurode and Kosier all had career seasons in 2006, so the challenge now is to prove they aren't one-season wonders.
Adams' challenge? He probably needs another Pro Bowl season to persuade the Cowboys to re-sign him.
"Guys are hungry," Davis said, "And we aren't taking nothing from nobody."
That kind of attitude, coupled with the unit's size, should make the Cowboys tough to stop in short-yardage situations, especially if they run to the beefy right side.
"I don't want to give away any secrets," Phillips deadpanned, "but we may run right behind those guys (Davis and Colombo) on third-and-1."
And that could prove to be a real headache for opposing defenses.
Comparing the Cowboys 2007 offensive line to the 1996 unit:
1996
LT – Mark Tuinei 6-5 291 14th season – Turned in solid season in twilight of his career
LG – Nate Newton 6-2 327 11th season – A Pro Bowler for the fifth-straight season
C – Ray Donaldson 6-4 275 17th season – In his final season, earned Pro Bowl honors for the sixth time
RG – Larry Allen 6-3 329 3rd season – A Pro Bowler for a second-straight season
RT –Erik Williams 6-6 317 6th season – Dirty-player label didn’t prevent him from earning Pro Bowl honors
Average size: 6-4, 308
Average experience: 10 seasons
2007
LT – Flozell Adams 6-7 340 10th season – Probably needs a second-straight trip to Pro Bowl to gain new contract
LG – Kyle Kosier 6-5 294 6th season – Raised eyebrows last season with steady play
C – Andre Gurode 6-4 316 6th season – Seeking second-straight Pro Bowl nod
RG – Leonard Davis 6-6 354 7th season – No. 2 overall pick in 2001 hopes to rejuvenate career with first Pro Bowl appearance
RT – Marc Colombo 6-8 315 3rd season – Former first-round pick blossomed last season under Bill Parcells’ tutelage after injury-plagued stint in Chicago
Average size: 6-6, 324
Average experience: Six seasons
San Antonio Express-News
IRVING — Nose tackle Jason Ferguson has a tip for defensive linemen scheduled to face the Dallas Cowboys and their massive offensive line this season:
Pack plenty of aspirin.
Ferguson feels like popping a couple after every practice. He can only imagine how much his head would throb after playing four quarters against 6-foot-6, 354-pound right guard Leonard Davis and Co.
"Now that would be a real headache," Ferguson said.
Anchored by bookend tackles Flozell Adams (6-feet-7, 340 pounds) and Marc Colombo (6-8, 315), the Cowboys' offensive line averages 6-6, 324 pounds, making it the biggest in club history and one of the biggest in the league.
And given the way the unit has performed in training camp and the preseason, it has more than a chance to be the franchise's best since the 1996 team landed four offensive linemen in the Pro Bowl.
Adams and 6-4, 316-pound center Andre Gurode earned Pro Bowl nods last season. With the addition of Davis, the Cowboys could send at least three offensive linemen to Hawaii.
"It's a real good group, the real cornerstone of our offense and team right now," coach Wade Phillips said.
Statistics support Phillips' claim. In two preseason games, the Cowboys have averaged 164.5 yards rushing, including 190 in a 31-20 victory over the Denver Broncos on Saturday.
"In the run game, they are going to be phenomenal," quarterback Tony Romo said. "They are really going to move the pile. It will take a lot of pressure off me."
The pass protection has also been impressive. Romo has been sacked only twice and rarely hurried.
"The Broncos couldn't even come close to touching Romo," Dallas owner Jerry Jones said.
Jones deserves much of the credit for turning what was once a weak link into a position of strength.
The Cowboys spent $30 million in signing bonuses during the offseason to keep Gurode and Colombo and to sign Davis, the former University of Texas standout released by Arizona.
Left guard Kyle Kosier, who at 6-5, 294 pounds is what Phillips calls "the little guy on the street," is in the second year of a five-year, $15 million deal. When Adams signed a five-year contract in 2003, he received a $10 million bonus.
As far as Phillips is concerned, it's all money well spent.
"This is kind of the route they've gone here, as far as height and size go," Phillips said. "Looking at it from a defensive standpoint, it's always tougher to push and shove on those guys the whole game. It does wear you down."
That's certainly true of Davis, who is playing the best football of his career after some tough seasons in Arizona.
"He's made a difference in the offensive line," Jones said. "He just gives you that steady power there — a presence."
Labeled an underachiever with the Cardinals, Davis is out to prove his critics wrong. But he's not alone in having something to prove. Colombo, Gurode and Kosier all had career seasons in 2006, so the challenge now is to prove they aren't one-season wonders.
Adams' challenge? He probably needs another Pro Bowl season to persuade the Cowboys to re-sign him.
"Guys are hungry," Davis said, "And we aren't taking nothing from nobody."
That kind of attitude, coupled with the unit's size, should make the Cowboys tough to stop in short-yardage situations, especially if they run to the beefy right side.
"I don't want to give away any secrets," Phillips deadpanned, "but we may run right behind those guys (Davis and Colombo) on third-and-1."
And that could prove to be a real headache for opposing defenses.
Comparing the Cowboys 2007 offensive line to the 1996 unit:
1996
LT – Mark Tuinei 6-5 291 14th season – Turned in solid season in twilight of his career
LG – Nate Newton 6-2 327 11th season – A Pro Bowler for the fifth-straight season
C – Ray Donaldson 6-4 275 17th season – In his final season, earned Pro Bowl honors for the sixth time
RG – Larry Allen 6-3 329 3rd season – A Pro Bowler for a second-straight season
RT –Erik Williams 6-6 317 6th season – Dirty-player label didn’t prevent him from earning Pro Bowl honors
Average size: 6-4, 308
Average experience: 10 seasons
2007
LT – Flozell Adams 6-7 340 10th season – Probably needs a second-straight trip to Pro Bowl to gain new contract
LG – Kyle Kosier 6-5 294 6th season – Raised eyebrows last season with steady play
C – Andre Gurode 6-4 316 6th season – Seeking second-straight Pro Bowl nod
RG – Leonard Davis 6-6 354 7th season – No. 2 overall pick in 2001 hopes to rejuvenate career with first Pro Bowl appearance
RT – Marc Colombo 6-8 315 3rd season – Former first-round pick blossomed last season under Bill Parcells’ tutelage after injury-plagued stint in Chicago
Average size: 6-6, 324
Average experience: Six seasons
posted by The Gryphon at 7:42 AM
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