Breaking Down The Dallas Cowboys -
|
|
Business Related Topics...
Entertainment, Recreation & Sports Related Topics...
Health & Fitness Related Topics...
Home & Family Related Topics...
You are here: DIME Home > Football > Breaking Down The Dallas Cowboys
GET YOUR POPCORN READY!!!
wpm5587 is an extremely passionate Texas sports fan and can be found writing more articles at rootzoo.com, an online home for sports fans. He is working his way up on the leaderboard for their sports trivia and doesn't miss a chance to participate in nfl fantasy advice
Author: wpm5587 at rootzoo.com
Date: Jul 23, 2008 - 11:13:25 AM
Printer friendly page
The Dallas Cowboys
Last season ended in frustration as I watched Patrick Crayton quit on a route as Tony Rono threw a perfect pass that would have been a touchdown. I still haven't forgiven Crayton for that yet. But knowing me, it will be over once I hear the first whistle blow. I expect great things for my Dallas Cowboys this season. There are some teams that I feel will be very good in the NFC, but I do believe that Dallas can climb that mountain and once again be the best team in the NFC, as well as earning their 9th trip to the Super Bowl. So here I am, looking at my team and doing a armchair evaluation of every position as if I am an expert in all things football, and specifically, all things Cowboys. I thought it would be fun to share with Rootzoo my thoughts on my favorite team. Well, times awasting. Here is my humble assessment of my favorite team, the Dallas Cowboys. Let's begin with...
THE OFFENSE.
Quarterback:
Most Dallas Cowboys fans will tell you that we are happy to have Tony Romo as our quarterback. There are many teams that are suffering at that position and we are glad that we are not one of them. But Romo must prove that he can win a playoff game, something he has not done yet. I do think people are harder on him than they should since he has only had one full year in the league, but that is the way it is when you are the quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys. The first loss fell squarely on his shoulders. And the way he bore that shame showed the type of man he was. And I mean that in a positive way. Many would have cracked under the weight of that failure. He came back in 2007 and had a great season. The second loss? Not so much his fault, but he will get the blame. Tony must show that last season was no fluke and that he can take Dallas to the next level. Right now, Super Bowl is the goal for the Cowboys, and anything less will a failed season. Dallas does have a nice backup in Brad Johnson. If anything happens to Tony, I feel that Brad can step in and produce.
Running back:
I can’t think of a time when Dallas was so strong at one position. No, not ever. Dallas did have an aging Tony Dorsett and a young Hershel Walker at one time, but Dorsett was past his prime. Today’s Cowboys have Marion “The Barbarian” Barber coming out of the backfield. He will be the featured back, which I think is great news for the Cowboys. But a marked improvement in the backfield will be Felix Jones. Julius was not happy in Dallas and it could be seen both on and off the field. It was good that he left. But Felix Jones will be a great replacement. He is dangerous and a threat to take it to the house no matter where he is on the field every time he touches the ball. But I am not done. Dallas also drafted Tashard Choice, a Barber prototype. This could give Dallas one of the most dangerous backfields in the NFL. With Deon Anderson leading the way at 245 pounds at Fullback, I see good things for the Boys at this position.
Wide Receiver:
As strong as we are at running back, we are almost as weak at receiver. I complained when Dallas did not draft a receiver. I feel even more justified in my complaints now. Apart from the great Terrell Owens, who is 34, we are going to once again rely on an aging, injury prone receiver in Terry Glenn (if we can get him in training camp), who is 33. We do have some young receivers, but they are an inconsistent bunch (Patrick Crayton, Sam Hurd, Myles Austin, and Isaiah Stanbeck, who was a quarterback in college and never played receiver until the pros). But Stanbeck is the one I am most intrigued by at receiver. He has great size and speed. He has shown he has the ability to make great plays. But that was not against the best in the NFL: preseason stuff. But I would love to see what he can do in the regular season consistently. Nevertheless, Dallas does have a problem here. It was not addressed in this past draft, or was it addressed this off season so far. And if it is not addressed, Dallas will have another year of TO, and injury prone Glenn, and Patrick “Can’t run your routes right” Crayton.
Tight End:
I love, love, love, our tight ends. Jason Witten is one of the best in the league and is a huge weapon for the Cowboys. Drafted tight end Martellus Bennett will be a great second option at the position. What could be great is having both Witten and Bennett on the field at the same time. Both can catch, both are good blockers, and both will be dangerous weapons. I am truly pleased with this position.
Offensive Line:
Here is one of my biggest concerns for this coming season. Our starting five are very good in Flozell Adams, Kyle Kosier, Andre Gurode, Leonard Davis, and Marc Columbo. But if there are injuries, we have a problem. The backups are unproven and there seems to be a huge drop off in talent. This is another area that Dallas should have addressed in the draft but failed to do so. If we remain healthy, Dallas will be fine. If injuries occur, making the playoff will be in jeopardy.
THE DEFENSE
Safety:
When one hears the names of the Cowboy safety, one would thing that we have the best duo in the NFL, but names can be deceiving. Ken Hamlin is more than I thought he would be. He has become the leader of that defense and he is the one that calls out the cover signals and oversees the Cowboy defense. Roy Williams is great at time, but in the passing game, he can become a liability: a big liability. But I think Dallas has their bases covered in this case. I will explain with the next group.
Cornerback:
Ever since the days of Kevin Smith and Deion Sanders, I don’t think Dallas has been this talented at this position. Terrance Newman is the most underrated cornerback in the NFL. He’s young, with great speed, very good cover skills. Anthony Henry is a nice compliment to him. But what makes this group so talented is the addition of Adam Jones, formerly known as Packman Jones. Here we have a great corner as the third option (if he is reinstated that is). And I would not be surprised if Roy is taken out on third down situations and Adam comes in for Henry, and Henry is moved to Safety. Let’s see if that happens. And with our great draft picks in the Nickel package instead of Jacgue Reeves (thank God he’s gone), we should do quite well this season. But when you add draft picks Mike Jenkins and Orlando Scandrick to the mix, you have a group that can come in immediately and make things happen. Dallas has improved one of their weakest positions in one draft and one off season.
Linebackers:
Dallas has the two of the best linebackers in the league in Demarcus Ware and Greg Ellis. Both racked up 14 sacks and 12.5 sacks respectfully. Dallas also has a very talented inside linebacker in Bradie James. It was a slow process for him, but he has learned the NFL game and is a very productive inside linebacker. But Dallas added Zack Thomas to this talented group. If he can play like he did in 2006, great. It would be extremely hard to run on the Cowboys, which is good considering who Dallas faces every year in the NFC East. But injuries ruined Thomas’ last season. But with his leadership and experience, I must admit I am excited about this group and expect very good production out of all of them. Unlike many who feel he is a bust, Bobby Carpenter impresses me once he gets a chance to play. I would love it if he was given a shot at ILB. Kevin Burnett also adds depth to this group. Now if only the defensive line was as talented.
Defensive Line:
I am not as excited about our defensive line. If we don’t get pressure from Ellis and Ware, there is no pass rush. I do like Chris Canty, though. He is great against the run and he did produce 3.5 sacks last season. I see him improving and expect a better pass rush out of him this year. Marcus Spears is decent. He is great against the rush, but disappears against the pass. Jason Hatcher completes a three man rotation, and it is average at best. Apart from Canty, Dallas does need to improve this bunch. At nose guard, Dallas could have drafted two mammoth players but passed them up, one of which was Frank Okam. He would have been the perfect nose guard. But I digress. Jay Ratliff was a surprise past season. He was able to get pressure up the middle at times and was effective against the rush. But for a starting nose guard, he is small. He is better suited for the 4-3 defense, not the 3-4. Likewise, Tank Johnson will have a full training camp and a full year. He is the more talented of the two and I expect will be the starter at the beginning of the season. But, like Ratliff, he is small for a nose guard. I know it weird to say 300 pounds is small, but it really is better to have more size as a nose guard. All in all, though, I think we will be fine at this position.
Special Teams
I think we have a very good young kicker in Nick Folk who will grow in confidence and consistency. And he was pretty consistent. Mat McBriar is one of the best punters in the game today. I can’t be more pleased with them than I already am. But where we will have a huge jump in production, I suspect anyway, is kickoff and punt return. Adam Jones, Mike Jenkins, and Orlando Scandrick will be so very dangerous. Dallas will have a shorter field to work with on offense and that is good news for the Cowboys and bad news for everyone else.
Prediction:
I do feel that the NFC East will be a huge battle this season, but I do think that Dallas comes out on top as the NFC East Champions. The Eagles and Redskins will be touch games. If the Giants don’t slip like most Super Bowl Champions do they to will be a beast to beat. But in the end, Dallas will win the division. There is no other reason I can think of that Dallas should not win the NFC. But we shall see.
View all articles by wpm5587 at rootzoo.com
Super Bowl XLV Tickets Cowboys StadiumJan 1, 2011 - 5:49:07 AM Football is indubitably one of the standard sports event in the US. This is the it's because the Super Bowl is created. The agreement between the NFL and the AFL championship used to be established in the yr 1966. The owner Lamar Hunt thought of the title super Bowl for this Championship game.... [Read the full story] |
English Premier League Football shirts - Perfect for English Football FansDec 18, 2010 - 11:52:53 PM When it comes to supporting your favourite football team, you already know that there is no better way to go about it than to make sure that you have the best tops that show off your football allegiance. For many people, however, this is out of the question. Sure, they might keep one top or two, but they don’t go out and buy the tops they really want. The reason for this is simply that they don’t have the money. This might sound strange, but if you have seen the prices of tops in the stores and at the big matches, you realize that buying more than one top can be an investment. No one wants to spend this kind of money. The good news... [Read the full story] |
Online Football MagazinesDec 9, 2010 - 1:48:51 AM On an international scale it's well known that football is one of the most popular sports, in most countries it's played by thousands of people and watched by millions. Wherever you come from, live, or work, it's a sport that has a lot of appeal and that's why people from all walks of life follow its every moment avidly. Quite a feat really when you consider that all you need to play is a large area and a ball!... [Read the full story] |
Bad Seasons for College FootballOct 29, 2010 - 2:11:11 AM As many people exam that BCS Standings, it appears that there are a few teams that have already fallen out of the picture when it comes to chances at the bowl. If your team happens to be on the list below, don’t be too upset. Every team has its rough seasons and many feel your pain.... [Read the full story] |
| Search for articles: |
|
|
 Putting Up a Small Commercial Printing Business |
| So You Might Be Unemployed And Desire To Become A San Francisco Real Estate Investor Now |
| Meditation and Mindfulness: Dealing With Emotion |
| CPA Websites: Five Essential Ideas for Composing Convincing Articles |
| Set Goals In Order to Come Up With Your Action Plan |
| Is the Air in Your Home Safe to Breathe? |
| Coarse Fishing Tackle Review: The JW Young 13ft Trotter Rod |
| Section 1031 Exchanges For San Diego Real Estate Investors |
| Phoenix Real Estate Investing For Highest Possible Earnings |
| Legendary are the Volk Racing TE37 Wheels |
| Developing the Next Generation Wall Station (ChaseDesk™) for Healthcare - A Case Study |
| What are step down transformers? |
| Introducing Sharehype, the Revolutionary Tool for Online Marketers |
| Rewards To Shopping For Austin Real Estate On The Web |
| Hydroponics for Beginners |
Would you like submit your articles and have them approved on a priority status? Find out more about how you can become a Priority author for pennies a day! Click here.
|
| Dime-co.com Home |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
About
Featured Authors
Subscribe to our RSS feed for immediate alerts