Those changes are here.

Starting today, we are renaming and moving. I welcome you all to continue to visit here if you so desire, but to continue reading the insightful analysis of Rafael, you can visit us at http://www.blueandsilverreport.com.

Stop by and check out our new digs!

One pattern I see in last year’s model, a pattern that explains the move for Martellus Bennett, is Garrett’s use of Terrell Owens as Jason Witten’s flanker.   Understand that Garrett played T.O. in various spots — as the split end, in the slot and sometimes lining the Players up deep in the backfield.

Garrett did some especially nasty things to secondaries when he put Owens and Witten on the same side.  Both can get up the field and have great football speed at their positions.  Witten’s ability to motor up the seam means that corners and safeties have to respect his deep route tree.

As a consequence, the two often run combination patterns that take them deep, with Witten breaking wide and Owens switching inside.  This tactic is especially effective against teams that play the Tampa-2 zone scheme.  Look at the Bears games, the Packers game and even the Redskins’ games.  Now, the Packers are far from a pure Tampa-2 team and the now departed Redskins’ DC Gregg Williams loved to blitz, but they gave their linebackers lots of deep coverage duties that Owens and Garrett were able to destroy.

In a pure Tampa-2, the safeties often rotate to the sidelines to offer deep help for corners, who release receivers on deep patterns and roll up into short zone coverage on the sidelines.  The scheme has a natural hole in the deep middle;  this is why teams in these schemes look for athletic middle linebackers;  they have to drop into the deep middle and disrupt posts.

If you collect tapes, watch the Bears game.  T.O. made a living running intermediate routes over the middle, in front of Brian Urlacher and Adam Archuleta.  Meanwhile, Witten ran a lot of 14 to 18 yard routes that broke to the outside.  He was able to get behind linebackers who tried to chase him.

Garrett has a lot of fun with these pairings in the Packers and Redskins games, where Owens either lined up in the slot or ran in and up routes that froze middle linebackers and then outran them up the center.  He scorched Washington’s London Fletcher on  such a route and left Green Bay’s A.J. Hawk in his plastic dust on a similar route in the Packers game.

Dallas would often run plays where T.O. and Witten would run a route combination on one side of the field and Anthony Fasano and Sam Hurd or Patrick Crayton would run the same combination on the other side of the field.  In these situations, Tony Romo rarely threw away from his “strong” side;  why, after all, go away from two Pro Bowlers?

Bennett got high marks from many draft services.  All of them praised his athleticism.  The War Room rated him as the top TE in the draft and compared his game favorably to Witten’s.

I get the impression Dallas is trying to build another TE/WR pairing that can threaten a defense opposite Witten and Owens.  Bennett is indeed getting a coaching force feed from position coach John Garrett.  If he responds, Dallas could have half of that second duo in place.  Can a receiver step up and provide the deep threat on Bennett’s half, so Romo will have two sides of the field to work?

Bring on Oxnard.   We need some answers…

Here’s an opinion from somebody who knows more about running backs than any of us — a guy named Emmitt Smith:

“I think Mendenhall is a very good back. I just think Felix has a lot better hip movement and cuts better in traffic.”

So there!

Dual CEOs?

The DMN’s Albert Breer noted yesterday that Jason Garrett has taken a more hands-on approach to running the offense, now that ‘06 OC Tony Sparano has left to run Miami’s show.

This means the Cowboys are looking at a co-CEO approach, with Garrett riding herd over the offense and HC Wade Phillips doing the same with the defense. I noted during training camp last year that Phillips had a hand in everything on his favored side of the ball and would regularly take over from DC Brian Stewart and secondary coach Todd Bowles if he felt his input was needed. (scroll down)

And remember this — good news travels fast;  bad news travels quietly.  In ‘91 and ‘92 when Jimmy Johnson made his great draft hauls the local papers could barely contain themselves with guarded rumors about how good guys like Erik Williams were.

Thank you Jerry. After a summer of broiling in San Antonio — yeah, they practiced in a dome, but you still had to go outside into roasting heat — we campers can again look forward to fog rolling in for the morning practices, sweater weather for those sessions and the ability to watch practice just feet away from the players.

And here’s where you come in. I’ve been able to bring you coverage due to your generosity and I’ll need it again this year. One week is a sure thing but a good return will keep me in Oxnard from opening to close.

I’ll gladly sing, or blog for my supper. We were the first to blog from camp, a year before Matt Mosley started his Cowboys Blog. And I think we’re good for it. Here are some reports from ‘05, ‘06 and ‘07. See if we got it right:

– Here’s an ‘05 camp recap;

– Here’s an ‘06 report that shows Tony Romo already had the quickest draw on the team;

– Here’s an ‘07 report on the push to make Demarcus Ware a smarter rusher.

The PayPal links are on the lower left and the snail mail address can also be found there.

I would recommend two things:

– First, consider the entire offseason as an exercise. Look at free agency gains and losses and the draft.

– Next, simply look at each pick as an asset. Then, consider whether that asset raises or lowers the overall value of the roster.

Let’s put the ‘07 and the ‘08 starters and role players together and see if the overall value of Dallas’ team has gone up or down. Positions of change will be in bold:

• Offense — ‘07 — ‘08
• QB — Romo, Romo
• RB — Barber, Barber
• RB — J. Jones, Felix Jones
• TE — Witten, Witten
• U-back– Fasano, Bennett
• LT — Adams, Adams
• LG — Kosier, Kosier
• C — Gurode, Gurode
• RG — Davis, Davis
• RT — Colombo, Colombo
• WR — Owens, Owens
• WR — Crayton, Crayton
• WR — Hurd, Hurd

Until Terry Glenn shows he can play for an extended period of time I’m not including him in this rotation.
Defense

• LE — Spears, Spears
• NT — Ratliff, Ratliff
• RE — Canty, Canty
• LOLB — Ellis, Ellis
• SILB — James, James
• WILB — Ayodele, Thomas
• ROLB — Ware, Ware
• LCB — Newman, Newman
• SS — Williams, Williams
• FS — Hamlin, Hamlin
• RCB — Henry, Henry
• Nickel — Reeves, A. Jones*
• Dime — N. Jones, Jenkins

There may be some changes at LE, with Spears being on the bubble and facing a challenge from Hatcher. And Pacman Jones has yet to be reinstated, so Jenkins may be the choice at nickel back at this minute. Still, he should be no worse than Jacques Reeves.

Let’s draw some conclusions from this comparison:

1. The Cowboys’ roster is remarkably stable. The only change in the starting 22 comes at inside linebacker, where Zach Thomas replaces Akin Ayodele.

2. Let’s further dispel the idea that Dallas drafted “backups” with its top picks. Was Julius Jones a backup last year? No, he was the bigger half of a running back platoon. Similarly, Felix Jones has to be considered a platoon back also this year. Does anybody think Marion Barber will suddenly get 90% of the carries, as Emmitt Smith did in the days when guys like Derrick Lassic and Sherman Williams were backing him up? Felix wasn’t drafted to get five touches a game.

At nickel or dime back, Mike Jenkins will be a key member of a situational unit. Not an every down starter, but in this day of specialization, he’ll have a major role.

The same is true for Martellus Bennett. He’s gonna get a lot of reps at the U-back spot, which the Cowboys use a lot more than a traditional fullback. Tony Curtis may get a lot more reps early in the season but Bennett will play as much as his blocking permits him to.

3. Look at the five spots where the Cowboys have a new face. Did the Cowboys decline, stay the same or improve at those positions? Will Felix Jones be worse than Julius Jones? Will Martellus Bennett be worse than Anthony Fasano? Will Zach Thomas be worse than Akin Ayodele? Will Pacman Jones be worse than Jacques Reeves? Will Mike Jenkins be worse than Nate Jones?

I think the answer is no to every one of those five questions save Bennett. He might be better or the same as Fasano but also has the chance to be sub-’07 Fasano, if his blocking isn’t up to NFL standard.

4. Finally, was there a 2nd round receiver who could put Patrick Crayton to shame as a rookie? We may find this fall that one will. But look at the guys Dallas considered — the Devin Thomases, the James Hardys and the Limas Sweeds. The pressure is on them to prove that Dallas erred in passing on them. Given that every other team did in the first round, the Cowboys will have lots of company if one of these guys excels.

Your team is on the clock. There’s no John Elway-like talent atop this year’s board. Yeah, we’ll hear the Dallas-is-going-to-trade-up rumors a few more times, but let’s get real. You can’t get the team at pick five to jump up because the bonuses are too big and there’s no Reggie-White like talent there either. You can’t hold an auction. And be honest. If the next Elway or Lawrence Taylor was sitting there you would have signed him already.

So make your decision and pick. There’s no need to wait…

– “An Open Letter to Bill Parcells,” The ‘Boys Blog, March 21st

[Martellus] Bennett is another matter. Most mocks put him in the 3rd but the War Room team rates him as the best tight end in this year’s crop, comparing his game to Witten’s. Every service I’ve read rates him as the best blocking tight end of the top tier and he appears to have the most balanced game of any first day tight end candidate.

In other words, don’t rip your hair out if you hear Bennett called with the 61st pick. The Cowboys may be looking for “wow” offensive skill position guys but they’re also looking for another hard hat to replace the Moose. Still.

– “Looking for Mr. Moosebar,” The ‘Boys Blog, April 7th

That last name got my attention. Imagine what a young Tiki Barber would add to the Cowboys’ offense.

The Cowboys are so close they can’t afford to miss with their first round picks, and right now I think Felix Jones is the surest thing at running back where the Cowboys draft.

The mockers can be right for the wrong reasons and I’m beginning to think they’re right.

– Today, I’d take Jones at 28 and hope that Mike Jenkins is available at 22. He’s the CB I want from the top tier…

– Dr. Strangehog, Or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Felix Jones,” The ‘Boys Blog, April 8th

Like to Have (3)

2. OLB — Dallas has Demarcus Ware, Greg Ellis and Anthony Spencer, but Ellis is long in the tooth. If the Cowboys can find a player like Brent Hawkins, a 5th round tweener who has turned into an effective situational rusher for Jacksonville, they’ll add him. You can never have enough pass rushers.

– “How Many Jobs Are Up For Grabs?” The ‘Boys Blog, April 13th

I take shots at picking Dallas’ round 3 and 4 players:

4th — Will Franklin, WR, Missouri — Some good WRs are available — Early Doucet, Earl Bennett, Andre Caldwell, Mario Manningham — but how many of these guys will last till the end of the round?

New 4th round pick — Tashard Choice, Georgia Tech — Even with Felix Jones the Cowboys have only two RBs they can count on. Choice is a Marion Barber type, a banger who does every thing well but lacks great speed.

– “Taking Shots” The ‘Boys Blog, April 26th

Some fancy pants Metroplex blog claimed it would give “unprecedented Cowboys-related draft coverage” but no site got you closer to what the Cowboys actually did than this one. Because no other blog has the community this one does. I set the topics but you put every idea to the test. You folks bring in data, observations, clips and well-honed opinions. No fluff. No filler. Just hard core analysis. You make us show our work. Your high standards make our conventional wisdom stronger.

So give yourselves a big pat on the back. We beat the big boys — again.

Myth One — Martellus Bennett is a luxury pick. He’ll be a backup tight end, like Anthony Fasano.

Who’s the team’s fullback? They have one guy with FB by his name. He’s Deon Anderson and he’s coming off rotator cuff surgery, which means his blocking ability isn’t known. Will he be able to lower his repaired shoulder and mash with abandon in Cleveland on opening day? I’m not sure he knows right now.

The Cowboys force fed Fasano into the offense in ‘06. He was the starter in Jacksonville, and got a lot more reps than Lousaka Polite, who never cut it as a lead blocker. Fasano wasn’t up to it, which is why the coaches gave Oliver Hoyte a crash course in lead blocking about a month into the season. Fasano blocked much better under John Garrett’s tutelage than he did under Paul Pasqualoni’s the year before, but the Cowboys obviously felt he wasn’t up to their expectations.

There’s nothing luxurious about Martellus Bennett. He’s probably the starting blocking back right now. I wouldn’t be shocked to read a month from now that Bennett is living in Garrett’s guest room while Garrett rushes to get him ready for an NFL season.

He’s going to be counted on a lot this year, which is probably why Jerry had trouble getting war-room support for a trade up to get James Hardy. His guys were trying to keep him from getting cute. He listened.

Myth two: Dallas could have taken Mike Jenkins at 22, Felix Jones at 28 and saved the trade-up picks from the Seattle deal for other players.

Okay, take Jenkins first. Then this would have happened:

23. Pittsburgh — Rashard Mendenhall;
24. Tennessee — Felix Jones;

It’s been said by several sources that the Titans wanted Jones.

Then what at 28?

You trade down with whom? Who traded up from the early 2nd into the 25-30 range? Nobody. The QB in the late 1st market was bull.

And look at the players taken immediately after Jenkins at 25 — Duane Brown, Antoine Cason, Lawrence Jackson, Kentwan Balmer, Dustin Keller, Kenny Phillips, Phillip Merling, Donny Avery, Devin Thomas, Brandon Flowers.

Would you take any of these guys ahead of Jenkins? I wouldn’t. And I wouldn’t take any of these guys ahead of Jones either. Dallas got two guys just before the 1st round dropoff. In recent years, the Cowboys been on the other side of that divide..

You either take Chris Johnson at 28 or you force your WR there, and neither one of them rates with Jones.

What’s more, San Diego was looking for a running back at 27. I don’t know if they had Johnson rated ahead of Antoine Cason but they may have. The only way Dallas could have assured itself a RB at 28 would have meant making the exact same trade with Seattle and taking Johnson at 25.

Then they would have come away with Jenkins and Johnson instead of Jenkins and Jones. And Jerry would be getting crucified for “getting too cute.” He got better value playing it the day he did. Some of the blog regulars love Johnson and would have applauded that scenario, but I have not seen one rating service anywhere that put Chris Johnson ahead of Felix Jones.

The Titans took Chris Johnson and even they had Felix Jones rated higher.

If you think Mendenhall will be a better player than Jones you have a beef. But saying Jenkins could or should have been taken at 22 and Jones at 28 is folly.

So much so that they acquired three cornerbacks in this year’s draft, getting Mike Jenkins in the 1st, trading a 4th rounder for Pacman Jones and moving up into the early 5th to get Orlando Scandrick. Corner was the biggest concern heading into the draft. Dallas has quality starters but Anthony Henry is injury-prone and Terence Newman is heading into a contract year. The team now has five corner prospects, if Jones is re-instated.

If Pacman is in uniform at Oxnard, he and Jenkins should represent a huge upgrade over Jacques Reeves and Nate Jones and give Dallas the man-to-man coverage depth to play their corners up on the line and be even more aggressive with the pass rush.

On the other side of the ball, Dallas entered the draft with only Marion Barber under contract at the running back spot. Julius Jones was allowed to leave and Tyson Thompson was an early roster casualty. Felix Jones appears to be an upgrade over Jones and 4th rounder Tashard Choice offers an across the board game the blocking-challenged Thompson couldn’t match.

Whether by design or accident, the Cowboys have been targeting specific spots in recent years. In ‘05, the team built a d-line from scratch, adding Marcus Spears, Chris Canty and Jay Ratliff. Last year offensive line depth was addressed in the middle rounds with the additions of Doug Free and James Marten.

Linebacker has been a constant in recent years with Demarcus Ware (1st in ‘05) Kevin Burnett (2nd in ‘05) Bobby Carpenter (1st in ‘06) and Anthony Spencer (1st in ‘07) all topping the Cowboys’ wish lists.

This year the secondary and backfield got the attention.

The other high pick saw Dallas get a replacement U-back for the departed Anthony Fasano. Martellus Bennett will get a chance to prove he’s more athletic than Fasano and can be a better blocker. John Garrett got the most out of Jason Witten in ‘07. If he can get Bennett to apply his outstanding athletic skills, Dallas will have a find.

Wide receiver was not called and it seemed that aside from a half-hearted attempt to trade up for James Hardy in the 2nd, the Cowboys were not thrilled by this class. To read the Detroit Free Press this morning, Roy Williams was Jerry Jones’ target but he could not get Matt Millen to trade him.

So, while teams like Washington are following New England’s lead and trying to outgun secondaries across the league, the Cowboys took the opposite tack, beefing up their coverage units to try and nullify any passing game they face.

Upside: Depth and talent for the backfield and secondary. Jenkins, Jones and Bennett have unquestioned athleticism.

Caveat: Jenkins and Bennett get dinged for having inconsistent work ethics. Jerry Jones joked at his Saturday press conference that his players could be special if they got good coaching. I’m guessing he wasn’t entirely joking. If Dave Campo and John Garrett can get Jenkins and Bennett to be true professionals, this draft could be special. Otherwise, the Bad Jerry jokes will again creep into the Cowboys’ discourse.