132 Comments to ‘So There!’: »

jarhead:

it will be interestig to see how things change on offense with one sherrif in town.

another year in WP’s scheme should only help the defense.

is it camp yet?

Jebeelzabub:

Hey, if he’s good enough for Emmitt, he’s good enough for me.

donnyposner:

I respect Emmitt for his heart on the football field not his choice in women, his analyst skills, or opinions of other RBs.

Good try Rafael.

pecos_slim:

Yeah, I respect your opinion far more than Emmitt’s, you know, ’cause of your production and ability to juke and fake, and all that.

What would Emmitt know about hips anyway?

Gmoney:

There’s “combine speed” and then there is “playing speed”…

For all the Rashard Mendenhall supporters out there, the Pittsburgh Post-Gasette’s Penn-State columnist posted the following highlight on his blog.

http://www.post-gazette.com/steelers/blogngold/

It is the St. Louis Rams 4th round selection CB Justin King runnig Mendenhall down from behind (and without an angle, I might add) during the Penn State / Illinois game last season.

So much for Mendenall’s supposed speed.

Lowdaddy:

Well hold on now…not taking sides but King may have some knocks, but speed was never one of them…he plays corner at 180 or 185..he should catch Mendenhall…Its not all about speed but more size to speed ratio…little are expected to be faster..but if you get a big guy who is kinda fast, then u have a good combo

Lowdaddy:

test

Squidlo97:

Felix over Mendanhall deserves some debate but I think its the right choice. There are bigger question marks against Mendenhall.

Felix over Chris Johnson in the first round is an easy decision.

Gmoney, Not sure what that is suppose to mean. Mendenhall has enough tape to show he has game speed as well as combine speed. Not to mention I dont think their is any shame in being run down by King. He cant cover but he man can he run. Wow, no wonder why Scout had a mancrush on him.

cormanman:

Look, when I watch Felix highlights he is running around people. He is not making anyone miss or running through anyone.

If he is running around people because he has superior vision then he will be successful in the NFL and have a long career. If he is just running through holes or profiting from playing in gimmicky formations with an elite RB that will be clear pretty quickly.

We can speculate all we want for now. We probably won’t know much about Felix during camp because there is not a lot of hitting. But, somewhere between weeks 1 and 4 we’ll know what we’ve got.

It’s not like Mendenhall has no question marks. I don’t trust any back that:

1) plays in a spread offense and,
2) can’t beat out a guy that is not an elite back

I’m not saying anything one way or another.

vandy:

Pecos:

What does Emmitt know about hips?

How about this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4LEoMfvdJJ4

How’s that for hip movement?

Jason:

Nothing matters till they actually play real ball games! we have to trust Jerrah, and believe in his and Jason’s judgement concerning what back will bring the most to the the games.

i can’t wait for the season to begin!

bring on the browns!

CowboyMan:

DonnieP, Emmitt’s “…choice in women.” Over men you mean? I’ll let Emmitt Smith set the early odds on Jones vs. Mendenhall any time.

boyzrockin:

jason:

trust jerrah?! wow. i really have no problem felix jones. mendenhall or johnson or jones - all are fine backs. they just blocking and good schemes. however, as far as trusting jerrah - he has to EARN that trust friom me as a fan. he has shown that without jimmy johnson or parcells that he cant build and keep a team. trust jerrah? anyone remember 96-02….some of the most miserable, directionless years…horrible drafts, free agency moves, head coaches. and why? jerrahs unbridled ego in thinking he is a genius football guy. hes not - he needs direction. great owner, bad gm. please jerrah prove me wrong - please, i want you to. trust is earned and he hasnt yet earned it as a team builder. last year was one step only…with the team parcells built. yes, im glad bp is gone. hes not a great game day coach, but hes a genius team builder. go cowboys…13-3 again in 08!

CowboyMan:

Spencer sacks Quinn four times as Dallas whips Cleveland 30,10. Bloggers and TV analyists everywhere are quick to take credit for the trade down to quit on Quinn, then back up, to get Spencer.

ym:

There’s lots of good things being said about Scandrick. If Pacman doesn’t get reinstated, it looks like he’s going to be a solid dime back.

THEAIRFORCEBAT2:

Donny,

The same guy that said that someone should turn a gun and shoot themselves shouldn’t even use the word respect.

You have none.

joey2zs:

sticks and stones, airforce. jebus, lighten up. i care about as much as what you think about non-football matters as i do donny posner.

Who thinks Chris Johnson should’ve been drafted before Felix Jones? That’s CRAZY.

THEAIRFORCEBAT2:

Oneforthethumb:

“we get a consistent pass rush and Roy won’t look that bad.

Too much time for the QB allows even the best DB to look foolish.”

Dallas had the third most sacks of a team in the NFL. While your statement isn’t wrong, and you can always apply more pressure, I don’t think that is a good excuse for Roy.

Hopefully Campo does make him better, but last year Dallas was applying enough pressure that its not like Roy was having to run downfield alot. Generally he was getting beat on quick passes or taking bad angles on people.

THEAIRFORCEBAT2:

Yeah Joey,

Calling someone stupid and being called a murderer is something totally different.

THEAIRFORCEBAT2:

For all of the Danny Amendola lovers out there, it looks like Jerry is pretty smitten with him right now.

FanSince72:

Watching video of Jones on YouTube I am struck by how often Felix is tackled from behind. He doesn’t have the speed to out run people. I don’t think that he should be considered a speed back. However, he does seem to make a lot of people miss. He sees the open field really well and knows how to get there. His vision and cutting ability will make him a good back. He will be better than Julius “I’m glad to be in Seattle” Jones.

I’ll take that.

THEAIRFORCEBAT2:

Fansince: I didn’t see that many times he was caught from behind. Generally it was win someone was in front of him and came up on him at an angle.

THEAIRFORCEBAT2:

As a matter of fact I just watched that 9 minute clip of F. Jones stuff, and the only time I really saw him get caught from behind when he was slowing down to make his cut, or he had just slowed down to knock some guys off of him on that USC kickoff return.

sirius:

Fan:

I also did not see many times when he was caught from behind. While watching those videos the thing that kept coming to mind was. It must have been fun to be a Hogs fan these past few years, and how did they ever lose with Jones and Dmac

THEAIRFORCEBAT2:

Sirius:

how did they ever lose with Jones and Dmac?

Casey Dick and a defense that gave up 31 points to Alabama.

sirius:

Airforce:

I looked up a few Hog stats from last year, looks like most of their games were shoot outs. Still must have been fun when they had the ball

Jason:

boyzrockin:

Heres the deal, if you like the last few drafts those were all done with the strong input of Jerry and sons.

if you like Ware and Canty and Barber Jerrah stamped the final approval of all of those deals. he has had a powerful input on every drafte weve ever had for good and for bad.

Johnson and Parcells both deserve a lot of credit, but not all of the credit, as Jerrah’s paws were on almost every deal done since he bought the team

what we should also be grateful is for the strong continuity being built into Jerry’s long-term plan for our boys. When the day comes The next generation will be more than ready to take over and lead on to more superbowls

FanSince72:

AFBat2:

I went back to look at video and your right. When he is caught from behind it is usually in traffic. I don’t think he has elite speed however, but it should be adequate.

pecos_slim:

vandy,
I just lost my man crush on Emmitt, turns out he knows a thing or two about hips, Samba hips.

I prefer to remember him lowering his shoulder busting into the end zone.

Jason:

The worst part about Emmitt on DWS is that he isn’t even dancing a or to a SAMBA! I love Stevie Wonder, but his music is NOT Samba!

the second worst thing about it is the leprechaun suit! Who the hell knew Emmit was Irish?

FanSince72:

Perhaps you didn’t know but Emmitt’s last name was O’ Smith until his family emigrated from Ireland and shortened it.

Just a bit of trivia that not too many people know.

donnyposner:

Questions for Training Camp

Offense
1. Who can become a #2 WR?
2. Who are the 4rth, 5th, and 6th WRs?
3. Do we have a capable FB?
4. How are the OL progressing? McQuistan, Free, Martin, Proctor, Berger
5. Will we retain a 3rd QB?
6. Is Terry Glenn healthy enough to play?
7. Who will be the second TE? Tony Curtis, Martellus Bennett

Defense
1. Will Adam Jones be reinstated and where will he play?
2. Will Roy Williams improve and keep his position?
3. Who is capable of manning FS if Hamlin moves to SS? Pat Watkins, Courtney Brown
4. Will Anthony Henry see any time at FS?
5. Where will Mike Jenkins & Orlando Scandrick fit in?
6. Do we have another OLB candidate? Justin Rogers, Khari Long, Tearrius George, Erik Walden
7. Will Bobby Carpenter push for playing time a weak ILB?
8. Does Zach Thomas have anything left?
9. Will Jay Ratliff play NT or DE?
10. Are there any NT candidates? Junior Savaii, Remi Ayodele
11. Will Marcus Spears keep his starting role at DE? Jason Hatcher, Jay Ratliff

Special Teams
1. Who will be the main punt returner? Adam Jones, Mike Jenkins, Orlando Scandrick, Isiah Stanback
2. Who will be the KRs? Miles Austin, Felix Jones, Isiah Stanback, Adam Jones, Mike Jenkins, Orlando Scandrick

ym:

I flipped through the latest Sporting News for analysis of the draft. They had a whole article on DMac’s draft day. There was a picture of him in his hotel bathroom with the throng of reporters behind him. His midsection was awfully bloated, as if he had too many spare ribs. He’s talented, but are running backs like this?

THEAIRFORCEBAT2:

Fanssince:

I guess it really depends on what you call “elite speed”.

I mean he did have like a 8.7 average. You really don’t get that by being slow. He’s not scatback fast, but he’s not a scatback either.

I think the most impressive thing about when he runs is that when he does move back and forth and cut, it seems really smooth. Its like Julius would stop and try to cut around, Felix will slow down some but its just real smooth and its like he never stops moving.

THEAIRFORCEBAT2:

Donny:

I find it hard not to believe that Martellus Bennett wouldn’t be the number 2 tightend. Even though Curtis is more acclimated to the offense, Bennet should be a WAY better blocker.

pecos_slim:

Here are the answers to donnyposner’s numerous questions. Thanks for asking:

Questions for Training Camp

Offense
1. Who can become a #2 WR? T. Glenn
2. Who are the 4rth, 5th, and 6th WRs? Hurd, Stanback, Mike Jefferson
3. Do we have a capable FB? Yes, Deon
4. How are the OL progressing? We’ll find out in the preseason. I wonder how NY, Phi, Wash OL’s doing?
5. Will we retain a 3rd QB? Yes, unlike last year.
6. Is Terry Glenn healthy enough to play? He’ll give it a try, doing a reduced workout in training camp.
7. Who will be the second TE? Tony Curtis will start out as our #2, supplanted by Martellus Bennett by Week 4

Defense
1. Will Adam Jones be reinstated and where will he play? Yes. In Dallas.
2. Will Roy Williams improve and keep his position? Yes, he’ll have his best year since 2005.
3. Who is capable of manning FS if Hamlin moves to SS? Hamlin won’t move to FS
4. Will Anthony Henry see any time at FS? No, he’ll be our starting CB for the 3rd year in a row. No one is good enough to knock him out of his spot.
5. Where will Mike Jenkins & Orlando Scandrick fit in? I predict we won’t know this until preseason.
6. Do we have another OLB candidate? Justin Rogers, Khari Long, Tearrius George, Erik Walden JR, TG, EW will be on special teams at best.
7. Will Bobby Carpenter push for playing time a weak ILB? OK, I finally get to type “Mo”
8. Does Zach Thomas have anything left? Yes, he will set the world on fire this year, and 2009 will be his last season.
9. Will Jay Ratliff play NT or DE? Both.
10. Are there any NT candidates? They’ll be riding pine.
11. Will Marcus Spears keep his starting role at DE? Spears will start and be pulled in passing situations (again) but we’ll see improvement this season.
Special Teams
1. Who will be the main punt returner? Crayton, then Adam Jones after Week 6
2. Who will be the KRs? Felix

sirius:

Questions for Training Camp

Offense
1. Who can become a #2 WR? If TG does not come back with the same abilities as he had in 2006 then the Cowboys do not have a true #2 WR. Crayton is a joke.
2. Who are the 4rth, 5th, and 6th WRs? If TG is even able to walk then I think it goes TO, TG, Crayton, Hurd, Stanbach and Danny Amendola
3. Do we have a capable FB? I hope so because they let a monster go by in the draft. Owen Schmidt.
4. How are the OL progressing? McQuistan, Free, Martin, Proctor, Berger: lets hope good, because the line the Cowboys had last year was a finess line. they passed blocked effectively but could not open holes. Felix Jones like Julius Jones last year will not move many piles or run over many defenders.
5. Will we retain a 3rd QB? they let a very good one go last year and he is a panther now
6. Is Terry Glenn healthy enough to play? Better hope so because teams showed late in the season if they take TO and Witten out of the game Crayton and gang cant get open.
7. Who will be the second TE? Tony Curtis, Martellus Bennett: Bennett, do you think JJ is going to draft someone in the 2nd round and not see to it that he plays

Defense
1. Will Adam Jones be reinstated and where will he play?NO, this guy is an idiot. He should be looking at signing his 2nd contract for huge dollars instead he is giving money back and cant even work out with the Cowboys. I think there is more going on to this Vegas shooting then has come out. Even if there is not he has shown that he can’t help himself. He is a screw up.
2. Will Roy Williams improve and keep his position? I think mentally Roy is done. When you go on a radio show and say you hope they do not throw at you. His confidence is shot.
3. Who is capable of manning FS if Hamlin moves to SS? Pat Watkins, Courtney Brown: I am thinking Watkins, but both leave me worried.
4. Will Anthony Henry see any time at FS? hope not because it means bad things are happening.
5. Where will Mike Jenkins & Orlando Scandrick fit in? Jenkins is struggling in rookie camp and remember this is against WR’s that in all likelihood will not be on the final roster or practice squad. In MY perfect world Jenkins will improve and Scandrick will be a gem and in the dime packages it will be Tnew, Henry, Pacjones, Jenkins and Scandrick..rush six and watch the other teams OC wet his pants!
6. Do we have another OLB candidate? Justin Rogers, Khari Long, Tearrius George, Erik Walden
7. Will Bobby Carpenter push for playing time a weak ILB? he better, or suddenly all these drafts on the defensive side of the ball will make me scratch my head
8. Does Zach Thomas have anything left?NO, a ILB with head injuries is not long for the league. Remember Trent Green..and he was trying not to get hit.
9. Will Jay Ratliff play NT or DE?I think a little of both
10. Are there any NT candidates? Junior Savaii, Remi Ayodelelets hope so as the Cowboys let another slip through in this draft..lets hope tank has a better 2nd year.
11. Will Marcus Spears keep his starting role at DE? Jason Hatcher, Jay Ratliff: yes jayRat will be playing to much NT and Hatcher did not show much last year.

Special Teams
1. Who will be the main punt returner? Adam Jones, Mike Jenkins, Orlando Scandrick, Isaiah Stanback; I think Scandrick, or Standback…if PacJones is on the team he and Jenkins will be to risky to leave back there
2. Who will be the KRs? Miles Austin, Felix Jones, Isaiah Stanback, Adam Jones, Mike Jenkins, Orlando Scandrick: same as above, you don’t risk Jones, Jones, or Jenkins

VAfan:

Offense
1. Who can become a #2 WR? T. Glenn gives us one last year.
2. Who are the 4rth, 5th, and 6th WRs? Hurd, Stanback, Amendola
3. Do we have a capable FB? Yes, Deon
4. How are the OL progressing? Who knows? I hope one of them plays well enough to crack the starting lineup in Kosier’s spot.
5. Will we retain a 3rd QB? Yes, unlike last year.
6. Is Terry Glenn healthy enough to play? I hope so.
7. Who will be the second TE? Tony Curtis will start out as our #2, supplanted by Martellus Bennett by Week 6

Defense
1. Will Adam Jones be reinstated and where will he play? Yes. Starting LCB.
2. Will Roy Williams improve and keep his position? He will improve, but it won’t keep him on the field on passing downs. We have so many cover guys now that it would be criminal to play Roy in those situations.
3. Who is capable of manning FS if Hamlin moves to SS? Henry. But I see Henry and Hamlin as interchangeable when Roy sits, so I think Henry may end up closer to the line on a lot of those plays.
4. Will Anthony Henry see any time at FS? Yes. And he’ll want to when he realizes that Adam Jones and Newman have pushed him out of his starting CB spot. It would also likely keep him healthier, too.
5. Where will Mike Jenkins & Orlando Scandrick fit in? Scandrick is sounding good in minicamp and may give Jenkins a run for 3-4th CB, depending on where they play Henry. I just hope when 5 DBs are on the field that Roy is not and either Jenkins or Scandrick is. When we go with 6 DBs, both should play.
6. Do we have another OLB candidate? We have several, but none of them seems that strong.
7. Will Bobby Carpenter push for playing time at weak ILB? Yes.
8. Does Zach Thomas have anything left? I hope so.
9. Will Jay Ratliff play NT or DE? Both.
10. Are there any NT candidates? I have no view.
11. Will Marcus Spears keep his starting role at DE? Yes.
Special Teams
1. Who will be the main punt returner? Adam Jones, with Jenkins or Scandrick as the backup.
2. Who will be the KR? Felix

FanSince72:

Speaking of Owen Schmidt,

He is quite a character. I live in the Seattle area and he was being interviewed on local sports radio. The commentator mentioned last years game against Pitt and how it knocked WV out of the national championship. Schmidt commented on how painful it was and then pretended that he was jumping out the window. It was hilarious.

Man, I wish he had been taken by the Cowboys. In fact, I think that the Seahawks must have been looking at this site because they seemed to out maneuver Dallas on the second day of the draft on two occasions. Of course, it isn’t hard when JJ keeps trading back.

Chandus:

Good to see that no one is putting too much confidence on Junior Siavii, he’s huge, but not only was the guy out of football for the past 2 years, the guy played in Kansas City a team that’s been needing DTs to stop the run or rush the passer in a consistent basis and they let him go because he wasn’t good at either…

sirius:

Fan:

If Tim Ruskell selected him in the draft you can rest assured he is of high character as well.

Chandus:

LOL that does not sound good at all

TARHEEL_PAUL:

“Jenkins has struggled in rookie mini camp” ????????? Some people just crack me up. Its freakin rookie mini camp! These guys haven’t even put on a helmet since january. I’m sure Jenkins will be just fine. Of course there is always the chance that he won’t, but i think i’ll wait till atleast the preseason before i pass judgement.

DannyWhite:

^^ And let’s not forget that Jenkins played mostly press coverage in college, and is now being asked to play off the LOS, which is definitely adjustment.

He’ll be fine.

sierrareef:

I just watched the FJones You Tube highlights. Here are the thoughts that come to mind:
Fluid
Smoothe
Great Vision
Excellent Use of Blockers
Good Balance
Quick Change of Direction.

Too slow didn’t come to mind.

Getting the ball to him in the flat could become a potent weapon. Dallas could keep Bennett in to block and put both FJones and MBIII in opposite flats with TO, Witten & Crayton/Glen pressing the outside edges and middle. All of those options coupled with a mobile QB - sounds daunting to opposing D’s.

I have complete faith in the offensive mind of Jason Garrett.

No wonder the rest of the division went WR-happy. They’re thinking the only way to beat Dallas is in a shoot-out. Unfortunately for them, Dallas really beefed up its’ secondary.

Roy Williams will be a role player - a run support guy. In passing downs, any combination of TNew, AHenry, KHamlin, AJones, MJenkins & possibly OScandrick will be a huge upgrade to last year.

Here’s to good health for the Dallas players!!

KDP_KINGPIN:

re #42:
two TE’s, two WR’s, two RB’s 5 lineman and no QB, i think it might just work!

jevans1729:

KDP your #43

Isn’t that like the formation that Arkansas used when DMAC got the direct snap from center? I don’t think that thing is NFL ready.

ElBerraco:

to #40, i think the issue is Raf’s earlier comment that news travels fast. given that specific context, it bears wondering then whether news that amendola was catching balls all day being covered by jenkins is more indicative of a great find in amendola, or the beginning of a problem with jenkins. like you, i’m not sure how much stock to put in “news travels fast” when you are talking about rookie camp.

Jim Vance:

Amendola vs Jenkins-

Rookie camp, no hitting, pure reaction, no game film prep to look for tendencies…advantage offense…always.

Amendola has the snap count, knows where he’s going, no worries about contact, AND he’s a good receiver.

When Jenkins gets over the new-ness, and starts to feel his way around a bit, he will show his stuff.

People forget that in this gunfight, the offensive guy gets to start with his pistol already out of his holster.

cowboy bert:

In these early reports, I’m less concerned about Jenkins than about Campo (along with Stewart and Wade). Why trade up to draft a guy whose main strength is press coverage, if you are going to ask him to play off the ball and get beaten by a UFA? To determine what he can and can’t do? To ruin his confidence?

They could have kept Reeves to play off the ball.

sierrareef:

Big goof on my 12 person team - I just got too excited. Thought I was swapping an FB for a TE - duh!

Trey:

Burt,

They drafted him because he has the experience and potential to be really good at press coverage; but he will have to be able to play off the ball a good amount of the time.

It’s rookie mini camp which is a the time to figure out what a drafted rookies need to work on prior to training camp.

RParr:

just watched the 9 minute Felix highlight video. http://youtube.com/watch?v=4miK7GnuSAI

his speed may not be “elite” as mentioned earlier, but it’s pretty darn close. He outruns just about everybody. But while he might not have that extra elusive burst that chris johnson might have, i think his shiftiness makes up for it. he changes directions and makes people miss with ease and is aided by great speed. Also, look at the caliber of defenses he is facing: USC, LSU, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, etc., teams that are full of NFL talent. His transition to the NFL might be a bit quicker than C Johnson, having played in Conference USA w/ East Carolina. Maybe not. But Felix’s versatility to catch (started 4 games at WR in 2006) return kicks, line up in the slot, etc., should have Jason Garrett quite excited

Fighter15:

Here’s a question for training camp. Will Donny just STFU?

We have 20 of 22 starters coming back. One was replaced by a 7-time Pro Bowler and the other was replaced in the playoffs last year (Jones by Barber).

Our draft replaced obvious talent gaps at RB & CB (I mean seriously, could Jones & Reeves been any more of a liability).

Our QB hits his prime moving year based on history. If he improves any more, we are in for a truly special year.

Yes, NT & WR are long-term questions, but the answers are in house. TG, and a quartet of youngsters need to fill one spot. If they can’t (which is a 50-50 proposition), then we go with last year’s roster. Gee, only the most productive in team history. Boo-freakin’-hoo.

NT should get a lot better. Tank with a full year (Full Tank ) and Ratliff with a full offseason to prepare…remember, he was a DE throughout training camp and didn’t really switch until late in the pre-season.

Further, Bennett looks like a huge upgrade over Fasano.

But most of all, we now have a team in it’s second year with the same systems. Both O & D systems changed last year. Everyone should feel a lot more comfortable and production should be better on both sides of the ball.

I’m on record right now saying we go 19-0. Was there any doubt?

kameleon_o:

cowboy bert,

I was thinking the same thing as you. Wouldn’t we want Jenkins to play more press coverage?? I thought one of the problems our secondary had last year was that they played too far off the LOS. I really hope we’re not planning for another year of 10 yard cushions on D.

TARHEEL_PAUL:

I really dont think wade plans on playing this secondary 10 yards off the ball on a regular basis like he did last year. This secondary and last years are worlds apart (if pacman gets back this season). Most of the coverages we played last year were due to injuries to either Henry or Newman, and also trying to cover up roy wiliams. When Wade got here, the 1st the he said about this defense was that he would let people do what they do best. For instance, letting D-Ware pin his ears back and go get the Quarterback. I have faith that Wade will do whatever is best for the overall defense. If it were up to me, i’d probably play man up and blitz 8 on every snap. But then again, thats why im an engineer and not a football coach. TRUST IN WADE! UNTIL HE GIVES US A REASON NOT TO!

Chandus:

Why is Jenkins playing off the line? Because he needs work playing off the receiver. Is it because last season players played off a lot? No, let’s look at the players:

Terence Newman: He did it all, he played off the receiver or he pressed him by being physical at the line or simply followed him from there. He was good at both. Probably played more off than in previous seasons because of his foot injury.

Anthony Henry: He isn’t that fast and he went down injured and was slowed down, he can play some press because he can be physical, but if he misses his guy he’s going to be burned. Played more off the receiver and looking at the ball (which is something that the Phillips wants).

Jacques Reeves: Played mostly off the receiver. In the few instances in which he pressed the receiver had deep help (and it wasn’t all that deep - between 15 and 20 yards). That has a lot to do with his reaction and reading skills.

Nate Jones: Played off the receiver, I didn’t even saw him playing at the line of scrimmage once. Don’t know if that’s telling us something about him not being physical or about his instincts or about his capacity to read a route…

I wouldn’t read too much out of what the CBs are doing right now, as far as I know Adam Jones is capable of playing off and press, just like Newman. And we know that Jenkins and Scandrick are capable of playing press, are they capable of playing off? If they can, they will play both.

Gunner:

Dual CEO’s?…You mean like the ‘85 Bears?
I’m good with that!

Gunner:

Hopefully minus the fights and arguments! LOL!
Who punched whom on that Bears sideline?

Gunner:

oh, and the paypal site is disabled. Is it too late to contribute?
I can get to paypal, but not to the credit card contribution site.

Sean:

Gunner-Wasn’ that on the Oiler’s sideline with Buddy “bounty” Ryan and Jeff Fisher?

jerryw:

buddy ryan and kevin gilbride…oilers…

donnyposner:

Fighter15-

You should be a stand up comic.

Do you get that comedy from showering with the guys?

donnyposner:

Fighter15-

Next time you shower, why don’t you be of some use and ask the guys if they have any ideas to add to a new site.

You know…like….if the site had this function, it would be very cool.

I’ll tell you what. I’ll donate $20 for every idea that you come up with.

You can check with Rafael to verify my sincerity on the donations.

It shouldn’t cost me much anyway.

Jim Vance:

Ok, correct me if I’m wrong..< that statement was not neccessary on his site!)

But, the more difficult skill for a corner is to play press, and be on a WR from the LOS onward. You bump him, try to take him out of his route, but stay with him no matter what, even 50 yards downfield.

Playing off of a guy is a way to compensate for a lack of deep speed, as well as a way to keep the play in front of you, ala a prevent defense. (Which in my book means you usually end up ‘preventing’ your own team from winning)

So, while there may be strategic reasons for a DB to play off his man, the preferred method of coverage, assuming your players have the physical skills, is to play press. This is when you get a true ’shut down’ corner…someone who shuts down both long as well as the passes underneath. No?

And if so, then Jenkins is more proficient at the more difficult skill and is learning the techniques of the other style.

Again, correct me if I’m wrong!

donnyposner:

I think you are right Jim Vance.

Its a mini camp. They are simply sharpening skills. If Jenkins has not played off the LOS, he needs to practice and thats what he is doing.

I’m rather positive he’ll also get time practicing bump and run coverage as well.

FrankLucas30:

I really like this team.

My favorite Cowboy team still is the team in the 60’s with Bob Hayes, Lee Roy Jordan, & Mel Renfro.

I met with Hayes several times actually. He is a man among boys.

THe 90’s teams were great. Emmitt Smith & Michael Irvin are the guys I will remember most.

This year, the team has a chance to be special once again. Demarcus Ware needs to learn a few more pass rush moves and he can be one of the all time greats. Time to relieve Roy Williams of his duties. Got to love Marion Barber and Terrell Owens.

And I really respect Jerry Jones for giving guys second chances like Adam Jones, Marcus Dixon, Tank Johnson.

THEAIRFORCEBAT2:

No your right Jim.

Plus you really don’t play bump and run when you don’t have pads on.

CowboyMan:

I’m happy to see Dave Campo back among the coaching staff. True, his HC days didn’t go as well as we’d like, but Dave is a true Cowboy. Welcome back Coach Campo.

jarhead:

its just way too early to read anything into practice reports fellas.

BTW,
notable adsence from one rookie mini-camp:

rashard mendenhall, hamstring.

cowboy bert:

OK guys, thanks.

I had thought about Jenkins playing off Amendola to see how Amendola would function in the slot, which made sense to me. I had also thought about how this might help the staff see if Jenkins could cover the slot, if need be. That also made sense. I had neglected to consider how pressing would be difficult in shorts and t-shirts.

My main concern when I saw the item was something I had heard on the radio just before the draft. Some guy from NY was on talking about the Giants, and he mentioned how one of their CBs (Webster, I think) has been drafted because he was so great at press coverage, but the previous DC kept trying to turn him into a read and react cornerback. Needless to say, he played poorly, the staff kept after him, he lost his confidence, and he had “bust” written all over him when the new DC came in last year and spent all year trying to help him regain what he had lost, mostly by having him go back to 100% press. It finally clicked about game 13, and carried NY through the playoffs.

I would not like to see Dallas waste a pick or any time on the same kind of nonsense. If he can only play outside, fine—let him play outside. No big deal. Let him earn his check.

Chandus:

Jim Vance:
Terence Newman played both types of coverages and has played them not only because he was injured, he played both the previous year too and he was injury free.

You can gameplan against guys that can only do one thing right, if you’re playing off you can hurt the CB with short routes and then boom a long one. If you’re playing press, you can hurt the CB by moving the receiver before the snap (we’ve seen our team doing this with Owens).

Having versatile defenders helps you in more ways than one.

Jim Vance:

Question time- What is the Philips 3-4?

I read where Wade was talking about Stanback and said, “….our defense couldn’t stop him.” I don’t know where/when this practice took place and if it had the new improved DBs in the mix. It does sound like Stanback has made some good progress and should get some playing time this year. Apparently he’s pretty fast.

Rashard Mendenhall can’t practice because of a pulled hamstring!! He’s a good kid, a good back, but people around here would be freaking out if we took him and he pulled up lame in the rookie mini camp and Felix was quietly winning people over with his fluid moves in Tennessee.

Slide910:

I don’t care what sport we’re talking about here or where any of you are from. Hockey is the most underrated sport in America and I just stayed up through 4 overtimes listening to the radio (don’t have cable) as my Dallas Stars have advanced to the Western Conference Finals. They did us all a favor by breaking the Dallas postseason curse in the first round, and they might do more than that.

Slide910:

Jim Vance

Stanback ran something like a 10.81 in the 100 meter. Now I don’t really know what that means, but it sounds pretty fast. He was injured his senior year in college and didn’t get back to full speed at all last year. He’s probably there now. That’s why so many people have so much hope for him despite his changing positions and being a 4th(?) round pick.

I don’t know about secondary, but the Phillips 3-4 is a one gap system vs. Parcell’s 3-4 which is a 2 gap. A one gap is supposedly less confusing for the d-line as they have one gap to shoot through, instead of reading the offense and judging which gap out of two they should go through. At least I believe that’s how it works.

donnyposner:

10.81 100 meter is equivalent to a 4.32 40 meter

1 meter equals 1.094 yards
1 yard equals .9144 meters

40 meters is a tad longer than 40 yards.

The only issue with these conversions is that speed isn’t consistent. The initial start and 5-10 yards are slower than the remaining portion.

If 10.81 100 meter is accurate, he probably runs a 40 yard time in the 4.4 range…maybe less.

Boy from Oz:

Jim (70),

If you want the short answer on the Phillips 3-4, then I think Slide has succinctly captured the key difference. But if you like longer answers:

Raf’s musings on the Parcells 3-4 and a bit of history:
http://theboysblog.com/2006/05/23/straight-up-cowboys-go-retro-with-3-4-d/

And then Raf’s very direct answer to your question from 9 Feb 07 - What’s a Phillips’ 3-4?:
http://theboysblog.com/2007/02/09/whats-a-phillips-34/

Plus then you get the joy of reading 50-60 of your fellow bloggers’ posts.

rha:

Donny,

you can be so good, yet so bad….

Being a track guy, Stanback is probably pretty good with his start. However, it seems his actual 40 time should be floating around out there somewhere.

joey2zs:

That’s encouraging to me. donny’s math allows the legend of my youthful athletic accomplishments to grow and grow in my own mind.
I ran about a 10.8 in the 100 yds in high school. so that’s like a 4.6 forty?

AustonianAggie7:

rha: he never took an offical 40 because his Lefranc injury (some bone in the foot)

TCBinNYC:

Donny - You don’t trust Emmitt’s taste in women? I got to share a table with Emmitt and his wife Pat at a Fox Sports Grill in the Phoenix airport after the Super Bowl. I thought she was stunningly beautiful. I’ve only seen a few women in person that were as beautiful. Cindy Crawford is tops. And believe it or not, I thought Sandra Bullock was stunning in person as well. I would put Pat Smith in that category.

Jim Vance:

Well, Stanback is faster than Manningham.

4.5 in the 40

http://www.rookiepedia.com/index.php?title=Isaiah_Stanback

DannyWhite:

Interesting observation from SI.com’s Don Banks in his latest column (and he spent the draft in Dallas’ war room, so he has first-hand knowledge):

“I could be wrong about this, but Cowboys offensive coordinator and heir apparent head coach Jason Garrett seemed to be the only Dallas assistant who occupied a seat full-time in the team’s war room during the draft. The rest of the Cowboys’ assistant staff rotated in and out of the room throughout the weekend.

Just another indication that Dallas head coach Wade Phillips is probably what amounts to a well-paid seat warmer in ‘08.”

burmafrd:

When we drafted Stanback, there seemed to be pretty good evidence that he was around a sub 4.4 player.

DannyWhite:

Oh, and weighing in on Felix vs. Mendenhall - I watched about every clip of Felix I could find on YouTube, and I didn’t see one instance where he got chased down from behind. Now, sure, there were times he was slowed by contact and due to a cutback and someone caught up on him, or that someone with a superior angle kept that angle and pushed him out, but not once did I see someone chase him down when he was at full speed.

Now, contract that with the famous Mendenhall being chased down by Justin King clip - apparently Mendenhall doesn’t always run a 4.4, or maybe doesn’t run a 4.4 with pads on, because there’s no way that a 4.3 guy like King should make up ground that fast on a 4.4 guy. There’s just that not much difference between the two speeds, especially over short distances. Granted, that’s only one clip, but it seemed telling.

Chandus:

Duh, what a keen observation from Don Banks…

Wade Phillips will be 61 years old in the season opener, it’s obvious that he isn’t the future of this Franchise. The more that Garrett goes through the better.

I didn’t needed to be there to figure this…

falconPUNCH:

Chandus, Danny,

Wait…

Are you guys implying that Jason Garrett will be the next head coach!?

I don’t believe it

DannyWhite:

Heh.

The interesting thing was *not* that Wade is short-timer at HC, but that Redball was in the war room the entire time. That’s not typical of coaches that don’t also have management duties. I like that JJ is getting him involved in all aspects of the building and running of this team.

sam0807:

we’ll see about Felix, i heard he isnt 5-10 and is more like 5-8. I also didnt hear what Emmitt had to say about Tashard Choice. im not sure the best Rb on the team is Felix just yet.

birdness:

“Felix over Mendanhall deserves some debate ”

The discussion is over. Felix is our guy. You don’t like it, become a Squeeler fan.

Jim Vance:

http://www.rookiepedia.com/index.php?title=Isaiah_Stanback

Well at least Stanback is faster than Manningham. (4.5 40 time)

This really makes me think the 40 time is not such a good test, especially in the combine. They ought to make those guys wear all their gear, and run 10 times over those few days at the combine, and take the average.

I think some guys get good anticipation of the gun and get a great start, and come up with a blazing 40 time that isn’t representative of how fast they can run.

Other guys may have a bad day and come off the line slow and the opposite effect on their times.

As much emphasis as people put on 40 times, the NFL should have a way to capture a more accurate example of a guys speed.

Jim Vance:

Sam,

If Felix is 5′8″ then there are guys on the team that are 5′6″ or so because I watched a TV show on the rookie mini-camp last night and there were guys shorter than him.

I thought he looked good in the brief clip they showed and I know what they mean by him looking ’smooth’. He has a very graceful stride and it doesn’t look like he’s running that hard or fast until you notice how many hash marks are blurring past under his cleats.

I think it would be easy to take a bad angle on him because his speed is deceptive.

We did good.

Squidlo97:

The Combine and the draft is over. It no longer matters how fast these guys run. 40s, shuttles, leaps, jumps, wunderliks, cones, Ht, Wt, ect….The question new question is can they play.

The big question is can Felix run between the tackles, can he make a guy miss, and can he make a play. For Stanbach the real and ONLY question is can he get open and catch. You guys are splitting hairs or in some cases atoms.

For the sake of argument, King came up on Mendenhall mostly in his blind spot. I dont think he saw him or expected him so I dont know if he had another gear or just striding it out thinking he was clear. Also how do you know Mendenhall didnt tweak his knee or ankle a few plays before or was even playing that game at 85%. One flipping play and your breaking it down like a Van Gogh painting.

You guys need a reading assignment. Please read “The Blind Side” by Micheal Lewis. Captain Comeback, Raf and Tim Wilson have read it and mentioned that they liked it. I also reccommend “Next Man Up”, by John Fienstein. Its a behind the scenes look at the Ravens from The last loss of the old season all the way though to the last game of the new season. Drafts, minicamps, trades, media, GMs, ect… its all covered and will give you an interesting look at what you know and what you think you know. I couldnt put it down. Got a hardback for 7 dollars at booksamillion on the sales rack.

Im going to read the GM next and will let everyone know if its worth it. If you have read it, I would be interested in what you have to say about it.

birdness:

The current method of 40 timing (Combine) uses a motion capture system. The clock starts when the player starts. A judge cancels the run if the player has a rolling start (without a clean start, they run slower). Chris Johnson ran the fastest 40 using this system. The players run two 40’s I’m not sure how the official time is established. Over the decades, several guys have had faster hand timed Combines. Deion Sanders is a legend for running 4.2 forward and 4.4 backward. Bo Jackson hand timed sub 4.2

Stanback’s 100 meters is a different annimal. He must anticipate the gun. The last 40 is much faster than the first 40.

birdness:

“One flipping play and your breaking it down like a Van Gogh painting.”

Ben Watson ran down Champ Bailey, should he be playing FS? He’s huge, fast and great hands.

Slide910:

Jim Vance

Stanback was hobbled coming into the draft. He missed a lot of training camp because of his ankle. I remember his 40 time being poor (if you can call 4.5 poor), but I also remember him saying that he wasn’t full speed when they timed him. That’s when he said in the interview that he ran a 10.81 in the 100m. Too bad the NFL doesn’t regularly time guys once they make it in. We won’t know how fast he really is until Raf goes to TC.

Slide910:

Squidlo

You’re right, but we can’t worry about Stanback’s playing ability until they get to play. Right now we can wonder how fast he is. We don’t have much to go off of as far as route running, but it’s fun to talk about how fast he might be.

Jim Vance:

Birdness- Thanks, that’s why I like this blog, you can learn a lot about things football related.

What do you think is the explanation for the difference in times for some players and their game speed? I’m having articulation problems here, but you know, one guys 40 time seems mediocre and yet no one seems able to catch him from behind.

You would expect that a guy in pads would run slower than in shorts, but we’ve all heard the ‘game speed’ expression, which flips that premise on it’s head.

Maybe it’s the adrenaline factor of being chased by some big guy who wants to hurt you.

AustonianAggie7:

Some guys just don’t seem slowed down by their pads, and their 4.4 stays there, while another dude runs a 4.3 and his pads make him a 4.5.

Also, how quick one makes choices is probably the biggest factor in game speed

AustonianAggie7:

Some guys seem more slowed down by their pads than others. Also, it is a question of how quickly one makes choices, or if there is hesitation

THEAIRFORCEBAT2:

On Stanback:

I don’t know how many of you saw him play at Washington, but the guy is hella fast. I don’t ever think he was michael vick quick, but as far as straight line speed, he was one of the fastest QB’s I’ve ever seen.

I don’t know how he’ll translate to the NFL, but he is for sure an athlete, and if he can develop into anything, he could be a diamond in the rough.

birdness:

He’s fast but the Huskies were down. It’s hard to standout when your team is getting killed.

maxdout:

imo, it is only natural to run faster if someone is chasing you. i do think there is more adrenaline going during a game when someone is chasing you. it’s like when you were a kid and you were outside by yourself just when it got dark. the hairs on the back of your neck stand up and you take off running imagining someone chasing you. talk about adrenaline and running fast. it felt like my feet weren’t even touching the ground.

joey2zs:

and that was the non-sequitur of the day. If not of all time.

DannyWhite:

THEAIRFORCEBAT2 (post 93),

Yeah, I saw Stanback play several times while he was at UW, and he is an amazing athlete - incredible combo of size and speed. He is certainly more than athletic enough to be an elite WR, it just depends on whether he can get the technique/route running down.

Luke.:

I know this shouldn’t bother me but dammit it does!

For all those people who keep saying Felix is 6′0” 200 and that’s not a good size or people who are now saying (for some inconceivable reason) that Felix is only 5′8” !! Listen closely as it’s been posted here about 10 times; Felix Jones is officially (that means measured by professional NFL scouts) 5′10 1/8” and 207 pounds. At his next weigh in he was 210 pounds. Ok, one more time real slow; he’s not 6′0”, he’s not 5′8”, he’s not 200 pounds, he is 5′10” and 210 pounds. Which is by the way, an excellent size for a RB.

Jason:

anyone know the size/weight of Reggie Bush?
Emmitt Smith?
or Barry Sanders?

seems like those guys were pritty good!

well except Bush !

THEAIRFORCEBAT2:

Dannywhite:

Or catch for that matter haha….

THEAIRFORCEBAT2:

Yeah he’s definitly not 5 foot 8.

I’ve seen him listed at 5 foot 10 and six foot… neither one matters that much, but 5 foot 8 he isn’t.

realist:

“Bill Barnwell of the Web site FootballOutsiders.com formulated an equation that combines 40 time and body weight, and is an even better predictor of N.F.L. success than 40 time alone. Multiply a running back’s weight by 200, then divide that product by his 40-yard dash time, raised to the fourth power. The result will be a number that is, on average, about 100 for an N.F.L. running back, with big, fast players having higher numbers and small, slow players having lower numbers.”

That’s from a NYT article-old stuff, I
read it elsewhere too.

So, Felix, is say 205, OK?, x 200=41000, then divided by 4.48 to the 4th power =101, give or take a little.
(Feel free to check that 40 time and the math)

He’ll be just about average as an NFL back (101)-so there, don’t need to worry about it anymore!

seriously, the idea is that size plus speed matters in the end, in most cases.

Go ahead, argue about it, it’s the Outsiders, not me.

THEAIRFORCEBAT2:

Must be kind of slow… so anybody here see Ironman?

Becho:

Yes it was great. I am a big comic book fan and hate most of the comic book movies that come out. Iron Man was great though. I hope Capitan America is that good.

THEAIRFORCEBAT2:

Yeah me too, did you not like Batman Begins?

StillHateTheGiants:

Felix Jones was the pick and he’ll soon be a signed Cowboy. I hope he has a great career here. However, I just watched 6 1/2 minutes of the 9 minute tape and he finally had a run where someone hit him before 5 yards into the secondary. I know MBIII has the job of the tough running, but I’ll be very curious to see how he runs against NFL speed after being hit. He did look very good catching the ball out of the backfield and had good speed.

THEAIRFORCEBAT2:

http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/football/nfl/cowboys/stories/MYSA050408.cowboysmailbag.WEB.en.d077a3fd.html

Did anyone read this article on Scandrick?

Pretty fun read, I like the guys attitude.

Gray:

Has anyone heard anything on Free or Marten? I have not heard a word. I am hoping that Free can be a player but had doubts about Marten when we drafted him last year.I am assuming that McQ moves inside and will push Koiser this year. Free & Marten were both projected as a tackle,correct?

jevans1729:

Stanbach’s best 100m time was 10.48 when he was trying to qualify for the NCAA championships. He also has a 60m indoor best of 6.80.He also played wide reciver his freshman year in college which should help some. He is plenty fast.

sirius:

Jevans1729:

And if I am thinking correctly the UW coaching staff really wanted him to go back to WR, but he really wanted to play QB.

Raf talked about him having another gear, I do not think he will make much of a impact this year, but hopefully in 09 maybe 2010

Gray:

Cowboys back on HBO “Hard Knocks”

Mendenhall robed at gunpoint

http://www.profootballtalk.com/category/rumor-mill/

ym:

So what are the rookies doing right now? Just conditioning?

Becho:

yeah i do not see how stanback can be very good this year, seeing as he played very little last year and it takes a while for receivers. he does have to show something though. so who gets cut this year, i cant see us keeping more than six recievers and right now we got austin, hurd, owens, stanback, glenn, crayton, and amendola making a strong showing.

Becho:

i guess drafting a WR might have been a bad idea after all. there are some decent players there. there is also that mike jefferson kid who has been receiving some positive press too.

to answer my own question we cut austin, amendola, and jefferson. of course this is just speculation and if one of them lights it up in camp they will make the team.

Rafael Vela:

squidlo,

Save your money on The GM. The guy who authored it is a good writer, but has a weak understanding of the game. In other words, you’ll get lots of anecdotes about what a great person so and so is, but you won’t learn much, if anything, new about football.

There is a GREAT anecdote, however, about how Tom Coughlin left the question of whether to draft Chris Snee or not up to his WIFE!

Rafael Vela:

sheesh. Didn’t get any sleep last night cause I had to get up super early to catch a flight, but now I have insomnia!

What’s up with that?

jevans1729:

Sirius your #110

I think that Stanback has to at least “get on the field” this year. Doing what, I have no clue. If we use Crayton as a comparison, I believe he got on the field his second year. I just don’t think we can carry a guy 3-4 years without him having a productive role. Of course if he is injured again, all bets are off.

VAfan:

Stanback is still the key wild card in our receiving corps. Because of his injury last year, none of us got to see him play. Yet, based on speed and the moves he showed running the ball as a college QB, it’s plain to me that he has the best potential on our team outside TO and Glenn to be a #2 receiver.

Crayton is fine at #3, and passable at #2, but he lacks speed and has concentration lapses (with his hands he should never drop anything).

Hurd strikes me as very similar to Crayton. Austin has straight line speed but doesn’t seem to have the moves to get open as a regular receiver, and is likely on the bubble. The new UDFAs - Amendola, Bradford, Polk, and holdovers like Jefferson - seem in competition for Austi