2008 NFL OVERVIEW : DALLAS COWBOYS
by Juds Pressbox
As training camp nears, I have decided to break each teams regular season outlook down. I will be leaving out the impending injury factor. I am a Redskin fan, so I start with the NFC East. I start with the team I think will win the division: the Dallas Cowboys.
QUARTERBACK
Tony Romo has shown nice progression. He still tends to throw off his back foot when not needing to. This causes lollipop passes that end up in jump balls. That is a sign of youthful exuberance. He forced less passes as last season wore on. This season should be another stepping stone in his career. The Cowboys are expecting another All Pro season from Romo. At the least, he can be a field general whose job is to ensure good field position for the defense. This season may be more telling of his future than ever before. Brad Johnson will be 39 in September. He is a top notch back up, but the grooming of Ron Bartel, or someone else, is imperative.
GRADE: A
RUNNING BACK
Marion Barber has been sharing carries since college. His lack of wear came in handy last year when Julius Jones fell out of favor. Barber responded with a Pro Bowl season down the stretch. He does his best work between the tackles and will not outrun many defenders. He will be asked to give them more of the same. My pick for NFC Rookie of the Year has long been Felix Jones. He will line up all over the field. The plan is to bring him along slowly in the rushing attack at first, while passing him the ball in open spaces to utilize his speed and quickness. Felix should be a big part of the game plan by mid season. Tashard Choice is a very interesting draft pick. I can see him getting the ball quite often if he shows he can hang onto it. Alonzo Coleman has decent size for his height, and can help if needed to. Whether the Cowboys carry 3 or 4 Halfbacks will be the question. Ronnie Cruz is a good lead blocker at Fullback, but Deon Anderson has better overall skills. Julius Crosslin will try to make the team. That will be a battle to watch during pre-season. The running game should be solid enough to keep defenses from keying on the pass. Heath is the key factor, as always.
GRADE : A -
TIGHT END
Jason Witten is an All Pro. A decent blocker who is smart and finds the seams with ease. Expect him to continue his quest to be the best tight end in Cowboys history. He may get help from Martellus Bennett. Bennett is a great athlete who was a good basketball player. He may make more impact down the road, but he is a big option to be considered. Tony Curtis has shown to be a decent back up so far. The TE is a big part of the attack, and this season should not be any different.
GRADE : A +
WIDE RECEIVER
Terrell Owens is the go-to guy. He is an All Pro, and should have a bust made for Canton made one day. All that is missing from the resume is a Super Bowl ring. He will be 35 in December, but has shown little sign of slowing down. Expect no less than 80 catches from him. The rest of the unit is mixed. Patrick Crayton has shown flashes of being a starter type, but still drops too many balls and rounds off his routes. This season is very important to him, and the team, as far as determining his future place in the scheme. Terry Glenn is nearing the end. He has to show health in camp, and maintain it. His trade value is non-existent. Sam Hurd is nothing more than a #4 type. Isaiah Stanback is still learning the position, but has to show his improvement this year. His size and athleticism would be a much needed influx into this corp. Mike Jefferson and Miles Austin will battle for a roster spot. Danny Amendola is an undrafted rookie who has been turning heads in pre-camp workouts. Daniel Polk is a small school rookie with intriguing skills.
GRADE : B -
OFFENSIVE LINE
This unit is maybe the most uncertain on the team. Andre Gurode is a fine Center who made the transition from Guard easily. Corey Procter backs him up. Leonard Davis was pretty good at Guard last year. He needs to show consistency, which has been his issue so far in his career. Kyle Kosier is the other starting Guard and is a good run blocker. Flozell Adams is the Left OT. He has battled injuries, but shows skill and toughness. His ability to suit up every game is crucial. Marc Colombo is the Right OT, and is average at best. Pat McQuistan and Doug Free are young guys who are hoping to be the future starting tackles. Cory Lekkerkerker and James Marten add depth at tackle. Adam Stenavich and Joe Berger add depth at Guard. Dallas is hoping this mixed bag can cobble together an acceptable season. If they do not perform, it could end up costing the team in crunch time.
GRADE : C -
DEFENSIVE LINE
This unit is the key to the teams Super Bowl hopes. They need to control the line of scrimmage weekly. Jay Ratliff was huge last year at NT after Jason Ferguson went down. Tank Johnson was brought in to add depth. With Ferguson now gone, these 2 need to occupy a few blockers every snap. Ratliff is not huge, and will play some DE too. Junior Siavii is an experienced NT who will add depth. Remi Ayodele will try to catch on to add depth. Marcus Spears is solid against the run. Chris Canty has shown flashes, and will expected to provide more solid play. Jason Hatcher and Stephen Brown are big DE's who were decent last year and should be again. Marcus Dixon is a versatile rookie who is adept at rushing the passer. L.P. Ladouceur is the long snapper. Marcus Smith will try to find a roster spot to stick. This unit has versatility and the ability to go to a 4-3 set. Their freeing up the linebacking until is vital.
GRADE : B +
LINEBACKERS
DeMarcus Ware is their pass rushing specialist. He isn't asked to do much more than that and provide run support. Greg Ellis showed how good he was by easily transitioning to OLB. He is a run support specialist, and can still get to the opposing teams quarterback. Zach Thomas is one concussion away from retiring. If he stays healthy, his run support from the MLB position should be a boon to the defensive scheme. Anthony Spencer showed improvement, for the most part, game to game in his rookie year. He is expected to push Ellis. Bobby Carpenter makes $5,000,000. He needs to justify his salary by finally showing why he was a 1st round draft pick. Justin Rogers was picked up after New England cut him in preseason last season. He is a solid player. Bradie James gives quality veteran depth. Kevin Burnett, Khari Long, Tearrius George and Tyson Smith all will try to stick from special teams. Eric Walden is a pass rush specialist drafted in the 6th round who may tough time making the team. Darrell Robertson is an interesting prospect. A DE in college, he is excellent in run support and pass coverage. In 101 running plays last year, opponents only gained 33 yards and one first down against him. He went undrafted, for some reason, but has a relentless motor and has a chance to stick and develop. This unit, on paper, may be the deepest in the NFL.
GRADE : A+
DEFENSIVE BACK
The key to the whole season. This could be the best unit in the NFL. Terence Newman is the top CB and is a Pro Bowler. Anthony Henry is experienced, versatile, and solid. Adam Jones has shown that he can shut down opponents. Mike Jenkins is a big CB who will provide quality depth in dime packages and be brought along slowly. Orlando Scandrick has the skills to start, but will need time to learn and mature. Alan Ball, Jerron Wishorn, Evan Oglesby, Justin Phinisee, and Quincy Butler will all try to battle for a roster spot on special teams. Roy Williams is a slow, hard hitting SS. He may be destined to be a 2 down player this season now that the team has better options. Ken Hamlin is versatile and solid at FS. Pat Watkins, Tyler Everett, and Courtney Brown will battle for a back up job. This unit has so many options. They could move Williams to LB, Hamlin to SS, Henry to FS, and put in Jones and Jenkins on obvious passing downs. This unit is expected by many to be amongst the NFL elite.
GRADE : A +
SPECIAL TEAMS
Nick Folk was solid enough at K that the Cowboys didn't even invite anyone to their camp to compete. Matt McBriar is maybe the best P in the NFL. His net was 41 yards per punt, to go with a 47 yard punt average. The return specialist is an unknown. Adam Jones can do the job on punts, as can Sam Hurd, and Alonzo Coleman on kickoffs. This unsettled issue will be resolved by the end of preseason.
GRADE : B
COACHING
Wade Wilson, like his dad Bum, is a defensive expert. Jason Garrett was a career back up who learned from a few coaches. He is a future head coach somewhere. Hudson Houck has been coaching the OL in the NFL for 26 years. He has taught Hall of Famers and numerous All Pros. Brian Stewart is the Defensive Coordinator. He is a Phillips disciple from their San Diego days. Former Cowboys Head Coach Dave Campo returns to coach the impressive secondary, with long time NFL Safety Brett Maxie working under him. Former Cowboy All Pro MLB Dat Nguyen will work under long time college Defensive Coordinator Reggie Herring with the linebackers. Former Cleveland Browns Defensive Coordinator Todd Grantham will coach the defensive line. Bruce Read will coach the special teams after enjoying success at Oregon State. This unit is experienced. They have excellent players to work with too.
GRADE : A
OVERVIEW
The Cowboys should win the NFC East. They are complete, and especially solid on defense. The questions on the OL may come into play sometime during the season, but the defense has the talent to bail out the offense. They spent a lot of money, had a excellent draft, and probably were the best in signing undrafted rookies after wards. They did their homework. Jerry Jones put his all into trying to procure a Super Bowl win this year. Anything less will be a disappointment to him. Injuries may come into play, but they have good depth in most positions. This is not an easy feat in today's NFL with free agency and salary. This depth may be what gets them over the hump this decade.
As training camp nears, I have decided to break each teams regular season outlook down. I will be leaving out the impending injury factor. I am a Redskin fan, so I start with the NFC East. I start with the team I think will win the division: the Dallas Cowboys.
QUARTERBACK
Tony Romo has shown nice progression. He still tends to throw off his back foot when not needing to. This causes lollipop passes that end up in jump balls. That is a sign of youthful exuberance. He forced less passes as last season wore on. This season should be another stepping stone in his career. The Cowboys are expecting another All Pro season from Romo. At the least, he can be a field general whose job is to ensure good field position for the defense. This season may be more telling of his future than ever before. Brad Johnson will be 39 in September. He is a top notch back up, but the grooming of Ron Bartel, or someone else, is imperative.
GRADE: A
RUNNING BACK
Marion Barber has been sharing carries since college. His lack of wear came in handy last year when Julius Jones fell out of favor. Barber responded with a Pro Bowl season down the stretch. He does his best work between the tackles and will not outrun many defenders. He will be asked to give them more of the same. My pick for NFC Rookie of the Year has long been Felix Jones. He will line up all over the field. The plan is to bring him along slowly in the rushing attack at first, while passing him the ball in open spaces to utilize his speed and quickness. Felix should be a big part of the game plan by mid season. Tashard Choice is a very interesting draft pick. I can see him getting the ball quite often if he shows he can hang onto it. Alonzo Coleman has decent size for his height, and can help if needed to. Whether the Cowboys carry 3 or 4 Halfbacks will be the question. Ronnie Cruz is a good lead blocker at Fullback, but Deon Anderson has better overall skills. Julius Crosslin will try to make the team. That will be a battle to watch during pre-season. The running game should be solid enough to keep defenses from keying on the pass. Heath is the key factor, as always.
GRADE : A -
TIGHT END
Jason Witten is an All Pro. A decent blocker who is smart and finds the seams with ease. Expect him to continue his quest to be the best tight end in Cowboys history. He may get help from Martellus Bennett. Bennett is a great athlete who was a good basketball player. He may make more impact down the road, but he is a big option to be considered. Tony Curtis has shown to be a decent back up so far. The TE is a big part of the attack, and this season should not be any different.
GRADE : A +
WIDE RECEIVER
Terrell Owens is the go-to guy. He is an All Pro, and should have a bust made for Canton made one day. All that is missing from the resume is a Super Bowl ring. He will be 35 in December, but has shown little sign of slowing down. Expect no less than 80 catches from him. The rest of the unit is mixed. Patrick Crayton has shown flashes of being a starter type, but still drops too many balls and rounds off his routes. This season is very important to him, and the team, as far as determining his future place in the scheme. Terry Glenn is nearing the end. He has to show health in camp, and maintain it. His trade value is non-existent. Sam Hurd is nothing more than a #4 type. Isaiah Stanback is still learning the position, but has to show his improvement this year. His size and athleticism would be a much needed influx into this corp. Mike Jefferson and Miles Austin will battle for a roster spot. Danny Amendola is an undrafted rookie who has been turning heads in pre-camp workouts. Daniel Polk is a small school rookie with intriguing skills.
GRADE : B -
OFFENSIVE LINE
This unit is maybe the most uncertain on the team. Andre Gurode is a fine Center who made the transition from Guard easily. Corey Procter backs him up. Leonard Davis was pretty good at Guard last year. He needs to show consistency, which has been his issue so far in his career. Kyle Kosier is the other starting Guard and is a good run blocker. Flozell Adams is the Left OT. He has battled injuries, but shows skill and toughness. His ability to suit up every game is crucial. Marc Colombo is the Right OT, and is average at best. Pat McQuistan and Doug Free are young guys who are hoping to be the future starting tackles. Cory Lekkerkerker and James Marten add depth at tackle. Adam Stenavich and Joe Berger add depth at Guard. Dallas is hoping this mixed bag can cobble together an acceptable season. If they do not perform, it could end up costing the team in crunch time.
GRADE : C -
DEFENSIVE LINE
This unit is the key to the teams Super Bowl hopes. They need to control the line of scrimmage weekly. Jay Ratliff was huge last year at NT after Jason Ferguson went down. Tank Johnson was brought in to add depth. With Ferguson now gone, these 2 need to occupy a few blockers every snap. Ratliff is not huge, and will play some DE too. Junior Siavii is an experienced NT who will add depth. Remi Ayodele will try to catch on to add depth. Marcus Spears is solid against the run. Chris Canty has shown flashes, and will expected to provide more solid play. Jason Hatcher and Stephen Brown are big DE's who were decent last year and should be again. Marcus Dixon is a versatile rookie who is adept at rushing the passer. L.P. Ladouceur is the long snapper. Marcus Smith will try to find a roster spot to stick. This unit has versatility and the ability to go to a 4-3 set. Their freeing up the linebacking until is vital.
GRADE : B +
LINEBACKERS
DeMarcus Ware is their pass rushing specialist. He isn't asked to do much more than that and provide run support. Greg Ellis showed how good he was by easily transitioning to OLB. He is a run support specialist, and can still get to the opposing teams quarterback. Zach Thomas is one concussion away from retiring. If he stays healthy, his run support from the MLB position should be a boon to the defensive scheme. Anthony Spencer showed improvement, for the most part, game to game in his rookie year. He is expected to push Ellis. Bobby Carpenter makes $5,000,000. He needs to justify his salary by finally showing why he was a 1st round draft pick. Justin Rogers was picked up after New England cut him in preseason last season. He is a solid player. Bradie James gives quality veteran depth. Kevin Burnett, Khari Long, Tearrius George and Tyson Smith all will try to stick from special teams. Eric Walden is a pass rush specialist drafted in the 6th round who may tough time making the team. Darrell Robertson is an interesting prospect. A DE in college, he is excellent in run support and pass coverage. In 101 running plays last year, opponents only gained 33 yards and one first down against him. He went undrafted, for some reason, but has a relentless motor and has a chance to stick and develop. This unit, on paper, may be the deepest in the NFL.
GRADE : A+
DEFENSIVE BACK
The key to the whole season. This could be the best unit in the NFL. Terence Newman is the top CB and is a Pro Bowler. Anthony Henry is experienced, versatile, and solid. Adam Jones has shown that he can shut down opponents. Mike Jenkins is a big CB who will provide quality depth in dime packages and be brought along slowly. Orlando Scandrick has the skills to start, but will need time to learn and mature. Alan Ball, Jerron Wishorn, Evan Oglesby, Justin Phinisee, and Quincy Butler will all try to battle for a roster spot on special teams. Roy Williams is a slow, hard hitting SS. He may be destined to be a 2 down player this season now that the team has better options. Ken Hamlin is versatile and solid at FS. Pat Watkins, Tyler Everett, and Courtney Brown will battle for a back up job. This unit has so many options. They could move Williams to LB, Hamlin to SS, Henry to FS, and put in Jones and Jenkins on obvious passing downs. This unit is expected by many to be amongst the NFL elite.
GRADE : A +
SPECIAL TEAMS
Nick Folk was solid enough at K that the Cowboys didn't even invite anyone to their camp to compete. Matt McBriar is maybe the best P in the NFL. His net was 41 yards per punt, to go with a 47 yard punt average. The return specialist is an unknown. Adam Jones can do the job on punts, as can Sam Hurd, and Alonzo Coleman on kickoffs. This unsettled issue will be resolved by the end of preseason.
GRADE : B
COACHING
Wade Wilson, like his dad Bum, is a defensive expert. Jason Garrett was a career back up who learned from a few coaches. He is a future head coach somewhere. Hudson Houck has been coaching the OL in the NFL for 26 years. He has taught Hall of Famers and numerous All Pros. Brian Stewart is the Defensive Coordinator. He is a Phillips disciple from their San Diego days. Former Cowboys Head Coach Dave Campo returns to coach the impressive secondary, with long time NFL Safety Brett Maxie working under him. Former Cowboy All Pro MLB Dat Nguyen will work under long time college Defensive Coordinator Reggie Herring with the linebackers. Former Cleveland Browns Defensive Coordinator Todd Grantham will coach the defensive line. Bruce Read will coach the special teams after enjoying success at Oregon State. This unit is experienced. They have excellent players to work with too.
GRADE : A
OVERVIEW
The Cowboys should win the NFC East. They are complete, and especially solid on defense. The questions on the OL may come into play sometime during the season, but the defense has the talent to bail out the offense. They spent a lot of money, had a excellent draft, and probably were the best in signing undrafted rookies after wards. They did their homework. Jerry Jones put his all into trying to procure a Super Bowl win this year. Anything less will be a disappointment to him. Injuries may come into play, but they have good depth in most positions. This is not an easy feat in today's NFL with free agency and salary. This depth may be what gets them over the hump this decade.
posted by The Gryphon at 9:51 AM
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