Preseason updates

[ROMOTOOWENS]

Hyder impressing again

 

[Duane1952]

Wow. Andrew Luck just informed the Colts that he is retiring.

 

[ROMOTOOWENS]

Wow. Andrew Luck just informed the Colts that he is retiring.

Can’t believe it.

 

[Earl Stevens]

I don't know why my post was laughed at. I'm dead serious. I don't know how any Cowboy fan can watch Witten now and think he's still an NFL caliber player.

 

[UK Cowboy]

I don't know why my post was laughed at. I'm dead serious. I don't know how any Cowboy fan can watch Witten now and think he's still an NFL caliber player.

I'll stop laughing when the Cowboys cut him. Stupid post. He's gonna help the team this season on the field and teaching the young guys.

 

[Earl Stevens]

I'll stop laughing when the Cowboys cut him. Stupid post. He's gonna help the team this season on the field and teaching the young guys.

He can teach the young guys while watching from the sidelines. He does not belong on the field.

 

[jarntt]

Hyder impressing again

Hyder and Taco with HUGE preseason game performances. These two came to play (as did the other guys). No chance you can cut either IMO. I know it's preseason (although it was game 3 at least) but the entire DL was just over the top dominant.

Trystan Hill still ends up on the ground over and over and gets blown out of too many plays. I just don't think he is strong enough right now and will benefit from a year of strength training, but whatever Rod told him about not stopping, sank in because he never stops until the whistle. Love his motor. I just don't see him helping us enough this season unless he gets way better (which he may). I wouldn't mind the team coming up with a fake injury for him and putting him on IR so we can keep some of our depth guys that have been real impressive and then get him ready for next year. I'm not writing him off or calling him a mistake by any means, I'm just saying I don't think he is ready right now. I'm never one to think draft picks need to contribute year one unless they are top 10 picks. Always gravy when they produce in their first year.

 

[jarntt]

I'll stop laughing when the Cowboys cut him. Stupid post. He's gonna help the team this season on the field and teaching the young guys.

There is no chance Witten will or should be cut. He isn't the All Pro he once was and he isn't even a top 30 TE in the league I suppose, but he provides a presence, knows the Offense and will contribute. At some point in the very near future Witten will retire again, but the Cowboys won't cut him.

I for one never expected him to come in and play 90% of snaps. He shouldn't have his last year here and he absolutely shouldn't this year. I think he should play about half the snaps. Jarwin is much more explosive and will make more impact plays and can run the seam route that Witten used to years ago to break down the defense. Schultz will hopefully step up as a blocker. But I suspect like always Witten will come up with a bunch of 6 yard catches on 3rd and 4 that will help this team win games. There is a hole there with Beasley gone. Sometimes it's the little things that help teams win. He is IMO kind of the Sean Lee of the Offense. Now a role player but a guy that other players will look to when the pressure is on, emulate 6 days a week in practice and listen to in the huddle when someone needs to speak up.

 

[jarntt]

Hyder and Taco with HUGE preseason game performances. These two came to play (as did the other guys). No chance you can cut either IMO. I know it's preseason (although it was game 3 at least) but the entire DL was just over the top dominant.

Trystan Hill still ends up on the ground over and over and gets blown out of too many plays. I just don't think he is strong enough right now and will benefit from a year of strength training, but whatever Rod told him about not stopping, sank in because he never stops until the whistle. Love his motor. I just don't see him helping us enough this season unless he gets way better (which he may). I wouldn't mind the team coming up with a fake injury for him and putting him on IR so we can keep some of our depth guys that have been real impressive and then get him ready for next year. I'm not writing him off or calling him a mistake by any means, I'm just saying I don't think he is ready right now. I'm never one to think draft picks need to contribute year one unless they are top 10 picks. Always gravy when they produce in their first year.

I left out Maliek Collins as a guy who has been dominant in the preseason. I've thought since I first saw him this guy had Pro Bowl ability. He is another guy that has been hurt a lot but I think with health he earns a huge contract this year. He has both the size to stop the run and the push to rush the passer. I think he will start at the 3 all year, but play a lot of 1 in the nickel. This will allow us to play a guy like Crawford/Hyder/etc inside in pass rushing spots and get guys like Armstrong on the field more to keep our pass rushers fresh.

 

[UK Cowboy]

I left out Maliek Collins as a guy who has been dominant in the preseason. I've thought since I first saw him this guy had Pro Bowl ability. He is another guy that has been hurt a lot but I think with health he earns a huge contract this year. He has both the size to stop the run and the push to rush the passer. I think he will start at the 3 all year, but play a lot of 1 in the nickel. This will allow us to play a guy like Crawford/Hyder/etc inside in pass rushing spots and get guys like Armstrong on the field more to keep our pass rushers fresh.

You're right about Hill, but even he had a half sack. What cracks me up is some of the national show's ''experts''. A couple of weeks ago, every show I listened to talked about DLaw's shoulder, Quinn's hand and Gregory's suspension and how the Cowboys DLine would be their downfall this season. Do these kooks do ANY homework? The Cowboys have one of the 2-3 deepest DL's in football and will end up cutting a couple of guys who will end up on someone else's roster or practice squad. The truth is, the Cowboys cuts will be watched closely by most teams because they will be releasing quality players at WR, OL, DL and DB

 

[jarntt]

You're right about Hill, but even he had a half sack. What cracks me up is some of the national show's ''experts''. A couple of weeks ago, every show I listened to talked about DLaw's shoulder, Quinn's hand and Gregory's suspension and how the Cowboys DLine would be their downfall this season. Do these kooks do ANY homework? The Cowboys have one of the 2-3 deepest DL's in football and will end up cutting a couple of guys who will end up on someone else's roster or practice squad. The truth is, the Cowboys cuts will be watched closely by most teams because they will be releasing quality players at WR, OL, DL and DB

I'm not so sure anyone will be picking up any of our WRs. My guess is Cooper, Gallup, Cobb, Austin, Wilson and D Smith make the roster. I think Noah Brown starts the year off on the PUP List. I'm not sure any of the other guys are worthy of more than a look as a PS guy.

 

[UK Cowboy]

I'm not so sure anyone will be picking up any of our WRs. My guess is Cooper, Gallup, Cobb, Austin, Wilson and D Smith make the roster. I think Noah Brown starts the year off on the PUP List. I'm not sure any of the other guys are worthy of more than a look as a PS guy.

Only because of Brown going to PUP. Otherwise either Wilson or Smith would be cut and gobbled up quick. Johnson, Lenoir and Guyton are all practice squad caliber .

 

[Earl Stevens]

There is no chance Witten will or should be cut. He isn't the All Pro he once was and he isn't even a top 30 TE in the league I suppose, but he provides a presence, knows the Offense and will contribute. At some point in the very near future Witten will retire again, but the Cowboys won't cut him.

I for one never expected him to come in and play 90% of snaps. He shouldn't have his last year here and he absolutely shouldn't this year. I think he should play about half the snaps. Jarwin is much more explosive and will make more impact plays and can run the seam route that Witten used to years ago to break down the defense. Schultz will hopefully step up as a blocker. But I suspect like always Witten will come up with a bunch of 6 yard catches on 3rd and 4 that will help this team win games. There is a hole there with Beasley gone. Sometimes it's the little things that help teams win. He is IMO kind of the Sean Lee of the Offense. Now a role player but a guy that other players will look to when the pressure is on, emulate 6 days a week in practice and listen to in the huddle when someone needs to speak up.

To both of you, I don't think I said Witten would be cut. I said he should be. And he should be cut. To be fair, he should have never been signed. You literally just made the argument why he should be cut. There was no point in bringing him back if he isn't a top 30 TE. He doesn't provide a presence. He is an anchor. That was evident two years ago before he retired. He's been committing stupid penalties for years. He had a penalty last night that negated a positive play. He can't get open. He can't move. Nobody is letting Witten get open for first downs on 3rd and short. He can't beat anybody. You think teams don't know how to defend it? The offense is already anchored down by an outdated and predictable route combination scheme. It's gonna be anchored down even more by a washed up HOF TE who can't beat his man like he used to. He's nothing comparable to Sean Lee. Sean Lee still has enough in the tank to contribute on defense. Witten literally cannot move. You are blinded by Witten's past greatness. He's not great anymore. In fact, he's a negative impact player now. He should be coaching the young TEs on our sidelines, not actually suiting up.

Witten is gonna get a few nostalgic 3rd down conversions and maybe even a few TDs because defenses will forget him sometimes and that will be all the confirmation bias you need that having him on the team is worth it, but fact is, Jarwin or Schultz could do that exact same thing and they would be more of a threat down the field and after the catch. And let's not delude ourselves into thinking Garrett isn't gonna have Witten playing heavy snaps. Garrett ball always keeps the other team close so every game is usually close. The closer the games are, the more Witten plays.

 

[ROMOTOOWENS]

Preseason has had its ups and downs, but the thing that continues to stick out to me is the Depth of this team. I get it that a lot of teams aren’t playing their big names, but I have seen the years where the Chad Greens have been put in. Heck I remember one opener vs the Jets, Barry Church was playing CB- we were so banged up. This roster seems stacked especially in the trenches. The only spot that seems to be lacking good depth is maybe LB. The thing with LB, our fourth guy could start for half the teams in the NFL. Hell of a team put together here.

 

[Earl Stevens]

Preseason has had its ups and downs, but the thing that continues to stick out to me is the Depth of this team. I get it that a lot of teams aren’t playing their big names, but I have seen the years where the Chad Greens have been put in. Heck I remember one opener vs the Jets, Barry Church was playing CB- we were so banged up. This roster seems stacked especially in the trenches. The only spot that seems to be lacking good depth is maybe LB. The thing with LB, our fourth guy could start for half the teams in the NFL. Hell of a team put together here.

I love everything about this team but the TE situation, offensive scheme, and the head coach. It's one of the best Cowboy rosters we've ever had and I'm afraid it's gonna be held back by its archaic passing scheme and head coach.

 

[jarntt]

Preseason has had its ups and downs, but the thing that continues to stick out to me is the Depth of this team. I get it that a lot of teams aren’t playing their big names, but I have seen the years where the Chad Greens have been put in. Heck I remember one opener vs the Jets, Barry Church was playing CB- we were so banged up. This roster seems stacked especially in the trenches. The only spot that seems to be lacking good depth is maybe LB. The thing with LB, our fourth guy could start for half the teams in the NFL. Hell of a team put together here.

The spots I see depth issues or just not enough talent

We all know Lee will be hurt at some point if he plays a lot of snaps. So when that happens we only have 3 LBs that can play IMO. I am not at all impressed with March and not so sure about Phillips or Covington. As STs guys sure, but playing meaningful snaps would worry me because I've never agreed with the team's recent philosophy about the SAM not really mattering. I get the scheme but if your 3rd LB is a guy like Lee or Thomas they are making plays out there even if the SAM. Since it is reasonable to assume that we won't need a 5th LB for anything but STs for the first few weeks I would put Gifford on the 53 (I'm assuming he is still hurt and can't play for a few weeks). I'm not overvaluing him based on one interception. My comment was based on the quote from Sean Lee when he said he expected him to lead the team in tackles in the first preseason game (or maybe it was in the preseason) and all of the things I read about him once the pads came on. If not Gifford I'd be looking at cuts to fill this spot.

K - obviously Maher is a big question mark. The beauty of having a crappy kicker is that you don't need a guy to come in and learn the scheme. He will be given a chance and if he does well, then it's great. If he does poorly we can bring someone in easily and hope he didn't cost us while he was in there.

OT - Our C and G depth is fantastic. With Looney, XSF and the kid we are solid there. If Smith weren't such an injury risk I would worry less, but we basically have just Fleming and he has looked really bad in spurts. But, the guy was also really good in spurts when Smith was out. So I'm good with him but what else is behind him? I know the team likes Campos, but he was bad and the guy I like (Hyatt) was horrible and looks like PS to build strength for next year. I'm actually thinking Brandon Knight to be the one to make the team because we played him at both OT and OG during the preseason and I think that is for a reason. He's been hurt and probably fell behind because of that, but who knows. Unless they like one of these kids better than I do and there is one they feel comfortable playing in real games this year, I'd be looking at cuts here also

DB - I think it is going to be a tough call between Olumba and Goodwin and I'm happy with either or even both which means Jackson and Westry are PS guys. But safety is still safety. Obviously Woods looks like a breakout player but it's still Heath next to him for some reason. Iloka from what we hear hasn't done much in camp but I think he likely makes the team due to experience. Frazier, while good on STs, just can't cover and is a liability out there and I think is cut. That leaves Thompson and Wilson. Wilson will make the team and has been the one guy to shine so far in the preseason. I read an article this weekend about how much they liked him even pre-draft and he has done nothing to change that. But will they let the kid play knowing he is going to have growing pains? I think we only take 4 safeties because we we will try to keep as many DL as possible and 6 WRs so I think either Iloka or D Thompson is the 4th. I like both and am happy with either. I think Iloka's experience gets him the job especially since Wilson is so green. I wonder if Thompson has PS eligibility? Hopefully by year end our duo is Woods and Wilson

 

[jarntt]

I love everything about this team but the TE situation, offensive scheme, and the head coach. It's one of the best Cowboy rosters we've ever had and I'm afraid it's gonna be held back by its archaic passing scheme and head coach.

We don't have a clue about our Offensive scheme until we actually see it. The predictability of our Offense may still be an issue or it may go away. The issue was our indicators and how easy we made it on defenses because we ran the same plays out of the same sets. Every time Brown (or whomever) dropped from the outside to the tackles hip it was a run. We seldom used any other motion. When we would run the jet sweeps or fake jet sweeps there was no creativity out of it. You could see it coming and we created no confusion from it like other teams do. Dak needs a little help reading defenses so he can get the ball out quicker and we just didn't help him by putting guys in motion. It is the simplest way to help a QB know what he is going to see and we just didn't do it. Also having the speed at WR to run these patterns effectively will help. Beasley was great over the middle but couldn't break that short pattern the way these other guys can. We will finally put pressure on safeties this year. For years the CBs had no worry about anyone getting behind them and safeties felt as they could come up and cover the mid range part of the field without concern of someone running open in the deep third of the field. Making them reluctant to do that is what is going to open up the field and the speed we know have on the field is what is going to make the PAP more dynamic. Plus, Moore has shown he is going to look for more plays down the field. I'm hoping for a huge change in scheme. Huge. But we shall see in a few weeks what happens.

TE situation is fine IMO. We have the wily veteran who the team will look for to be a leader in crunch time and we have two kids that look like they will take a step forward. Jarwin showed it towards the end of the year last year and is explosive for a TE and Schultz hopefully will be a little of a do everything guy, but he does need to step up from what he was last year. If Schultz improved his blocking we will be solid I think with the 3. If not, we need a 4th on the 53 for blocking purposes because Witten is no longer that guy and Jarwin is just not a good blocker. Lucas was very impressive catching the ball in preseason but I think McCelroy is more a blocking guy so it could be him.

 

[jarntt]

 

[jarntt]

 

[ROMOTOOWENS]