<span style="font-size:14pt;line-height:100%"><span style="color:#0000FF"><span style="font-family:Arial Black">Projected Starters</span></span></span> <span style="font-size:10pt;line-height:100%"><span style="color:#0000FF"><span style="font-family:Arial Narrow">OFFENSE</span></span></span> Offense (Team Rankings) <u>Total Offense</u> 365.7 Yards Per Game (3rd) 6.0 Yards Per Play (3rd) 28.4 Points Per Game (2nd) +5 Turnover Margin (9th) <u>Passing</u> 64.4% Completion Rate (7th) 8.1 Yards Per Attempt (2nd) 36 TD Passes (2nd) 56 20+ Yard Plays (2nd) 25 Sacks Allowed (10th) 97.1 QB Rating (T-3rd) <u>Rushing</u> 4.2 Yards Per Carry (T-7th) 14 TD (T-10th) 12 20 + Yards Plays (10th) 2007 Key Contributors Stats: Crayton: 50 Catches, 697 Yards, 7 TD Adams: 16 G.S. Kosier: 16 G.S. Gurode: 14 G.S. Davis: 16 G.S. Colombo: 16 G.S. Owens: 81 Catches, 1355 Yards, 15 TD Witten: 96 Catches, 1145 Yards, 7 TD Romo: 64.4% Completion Rate, 36 TD, 19 INT, 4211 Yards Passing, 97.4 QB Rating Barber: 975 Rushing Yards, 4.8 YPC, 282 Receiving Yards, 12 Total TD Other Expected Contributors: WR Sam Hurd: 19 catches, 314 Yards, 1 TD WR Terry Glenn*: N/A RB Felix Jones**: 1162 Rushing Yards, 8.7 YPC, 176 Receiving Yards, 11 Total TD TE Martellus Bennett: 49 Catches, 587 Yards, 4 TD * Injured ** College Player Progression to Watch: Sam Hurd is a 6'2" 196 pound WR for the Dallas Cowboys. He went undrafted in the 2006 NFL Draft out of Northern Illinois. He was quickly signed by the Dallas Cowboys, who liked both his potential to contribute on special teams and his potential to develop into a solid WR. Hurd just turned 23 in March and is entering his 3rd season in the NFL. Hurd displays excellent body control in going up for passes, earning him the nickname of "noodle" by Cowboys teammates. Hurd also displays the best hands and is the furthest along in the development of the young Dallas WRs. Hurd is similar to Crayton in that both lack the required speed to get open and must rely upon running good routes. But the comparison's don't stop there; they both seemed to have developed along a similar timeline: Hurd's rookie season: 5 catches, 75 Yards, 0 TD Crayton's rookie season: 12 catches, 162 Yards, 1 TD Hurd's 2nd Season: 19 catches, 314 Yards, 1 TD Crayton's 2nd Season: 22 Catches, 341 Yards, 2 TD Hurd's 3rd Season: ? catches, ? Yards, ? TD Crayton's 3rd Season: 36 catches, 516 Yards, 4 TD Dallas has a need for WR in the near future. If Sam Hurd can develop into a Patrick Crayton type of WR (a solid #2, better suited for #3), it will alleviate some of that need. Dallas will still need a #1 WR in the next couple of years, but if they can develop some of their younger WRs (Austin, Hurd, Stanback, Jefferson, etc) into good 2nd, 3rd, and 4th WRs, Dallas can use its abundance of picks next year to trade up for a #1 WR prospect. Prospect Profile: <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>The 6-3, 216-pound Austin's biggest contribution on offense in his first two seasons came when he drew two long pass interference penalties in the win over the Packers. He had a couple drops on potential touchdowns in the regular-season finale against the Redskins, but he's shown enough progress to make the Cowboys' coaches believe he could make an impact this season. "There's no question," WR coach Ray Sherman said after today's practice. "I think Miles Austin has tremendous speed. He's got size, he's strong, he's very athletic. With Miles, he was young, and he's starting to come around. He's made great strides from last year, from last camp. I really like what I'm seeing from him right now, and I expect him to get better."</div> WR Miles Austin is also entering his 3rd year in Dallas after being undrafted in the 2006 NFL Draft. He came out of Monmouth College incredibly raw. However, his size, speed, athleticism, and raw potential made him attractive as a prospect. He is also able to contribute on special teams as a KR, averaging 25.5 yards per return (9th among those with more than 20 KRs). Austin has the ability to get instant separation from DBs with his quickness and speed. Then, he has the size to go up and get the ball and strength to overpower DBs. He has all the physical tools you want in a prototypical WR. What he has lacked, however, is the skills of being an NFL WR. His hands have been suspect; his route running mediocre, and as a result, has been behind Sam Hurd on the depth chart. However, this training camp could change that. Austin has been making noise in minicamps by showing vast improvement over last year, making tough catches, showing better body control, and running better routes. Already, he has drawn attention to himself by beating Adam Jones for a tough TD catch in the back of the end zone and beating Pro Bowl CB Terence Newman. Granted, it is minicamp and these drills favor the offense drastically - however, if he can continue this display of growth, he will climb the depth chart fast. He's a much better athlete than Hurd or Crayton, and if he can get his skill level up to Crayton's, he'll easily become the new #2 WR. Austin is just 24 years old, so if Dallas can turn him into a legitimate #2 WR opposite Owens, they'll have a long term solution to the #2 WR in Austin, #3 WR in Crayton, and #4 WR in Hurd. Display of Austin's speed: Miles Austin KR Help on the Horizon? Much has been made of Dallas' attempts to get another veteran WR opposite of Terrell Owens this offseason. Certain media sources have linked Dallas to Roy Williams, Anquan Boldin, and Chad Johnson, yet no trade ever materialized. Dallas also did not draft a WR, in large part, because Cowboys brass didn't feel there was a WR who could come in as a rookie and be that much better than the young WRs that were already being developed. But it is rumored that Dallas was interested in Limas Sweed in round two. The reality of the WR situation in Dallas is this: They do not need another veteran WR this year to compete (assuming everyone is healthy). Dallas posted one of the most prolific offenses in franchise history with a receiving core of Owens, Crayton, Hurd, Austin. This of course, was done while Terry Glenn was recovering from an injury. The need for a WR is mentioned because Owens/Glenn are entering the later phases of their career (and Glenn could be done). If Owens stays healthy, the Cowboys have the horses to move the ball effectively. Getting a veteran WR would give Dallas insurance in case Owens does get injured. For now, Dallas has decided to remain with the status quo and count on the continual development of young WRs Sam Hurd, Miles Austin, and Isaiah Stanback (whom the team is really high on). But if Terry Glenn does get something worked out with Jerry Jones and returns to the Cowboys, the question remains how effective can he be? Glenn had posted previous to this season, back to back 1000 yard seasons. He clearly is a very good #2 WR and would give the Dallas offense a boost if he can return to full form. But can he? What Glenn does is open things up for the offense moreso than Crayton can. Glenn can command coverages being rolled to him with his speed/quickness. He displays excellent body control on catches and has great hands. He is an ideal WR to pair with Owens because Glenn can get separation by himself on any CB, can work the middle of the field/underneath coverages, and can stretch the field opposite Owens. Even if Glenn cannot return 100%, he can still provide Dallas with enough juice to be a key cog in the offense. That could be the difference Dallas needs this season in order to achieve their goal of reaching the Super Bowl. What Terry Glenn can do for Dallas... Putting "Wow" into the Offense Dallas surprised many people in selecting Felix Jones over Rashard Mendenhall in the 2008 NFL Draft. Certain media sources have suggested it was because of the Jerry Jones-Arkansas connection, but that could not be further from the truth. The truth is, Felix Jones is a better compliment to Marion Barber than Mendenhall could have been. Additionally, there were concerns about Mendenhall's ability to thrive in a 2 back system (See Scouts' opinions on this later). Lastly, there was some concern that Mendenhall had done it [produce] for only 1 year, while Felix Jones has continually produced. Take all of that, couple it with Felix' versatility, and it became clear why Dallas chose Felix and why it had nothing to do with any sort of media-contrived connection (This was the first time Jerry has taken a Razorback in the draft. Ever.) <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>“He gives us a dimension we haven’t had,” Dallas Coach Wade Phillips said of Jones. “We would have the same [style runner ] with both Mendenhall and Barber. “ This way you’ve got a little more versatility in your offense.” ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit referred to Jones as “a home run hitter” after he was drafted by the Cowboys. “This guy took a back seat to Darren McFadden, but he’s electrifying in the backfield,” Herbstreit said. “He’s similar to Marion Barber in size and determination. “ When he gets in the open field, not only does he make people miss, he runs right by them. And he’ll surprise you with his ability to run between the tackles.”</div> And electrifying Jones is, as he averaged 8.7 ypc his final season in Arkansas. No one is suggesting that he'll average that in the NFL, but it does go to show you that Jones has plenty of "wow" in him. Dallas has experimented in minicamps with a duo RB backfield of Jones and Barber. <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>Barber and Felix lined up in the backfield together several times during today's workout. Barber lined up in front of the offset I with Felix starting at tailback and motioning out wide. "I'm very comfortable with it," said Felix, who played some slot receiver at Arkansas. "Right now, they're just getting me introduced to it. They're just showing me some of the things that I can do in the future." Felix didn't put up big receiving numbers at Arkansas, which had a poor passing games. But the Cowboys' scouts and coaches saw a back with good hands and route-running ability who could blossom as a receiver in the pros</div> Dallas will attempt to utilize Jones in a similar fashion as Reggie Bush in New Orleans or a Brian Westbrook in Philadelphia, who has been a matchup nightmare for the Dallas Cowboys. Revenge is a dish best served cold, and if Jones can become a multi-dimensional back, it will create matchup problems for NFC East opponents. Motioning him out into the slot will either draw a LBer in coverage (advantage: Jones), a safety in coverage (freeing up the run game), or a CB (freeing up other WRs or forcing defenses to put an extra DB into the game, opening up the run game). Jones has the speed to turn it to the outside, the quickness to hit the holes, the shiftiness to avoid tacklers/set up safeties, and good hands coming out of the backfield, which he displayed in minicamp. Wade Phillips has already become a big fan of Felix Jones, drawing (premature) comparisons to another RB he coached, Thurman Thomas. <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>"When I saw him on tape, he runs a lot like Thurman Thomas did," Phillips said. "His feet are close to the ground so he can cut quickly. And he sees people. He has great vision in my opinion, we'll see how it all works out. He sees the safety over here if he's coming. When he running with the ball over here, he sees people over there.</div> Its clear Dallas has high hopes for its 1st draft selection of 2008. Felix has already been impressive in minicamps, drawing praise from Jerry to Wade to Jason Garrett....and even Emmitt Smith. Felix Jones has a chance to add another dimension to an already potent offense, creating the extra "wow" Jerry was looking for. Run, Felix....Run..... Going Big in the Red Zone Big time offenses need to produce touchdowns, not field goals, when in the red zone. The Cowboys know that, so they went after a big target, TE Martellus Bennett, in the second round of the 2008 NFL Draft. This was partially done to offset the loss of Anthony Fasano (traded to Miami with Akin Ayodele for a 4th round draft pick). So why did Dallas dump Fasano? Let's see what Mickey Spagnola had to say about it: <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>Now then, I'm told Fasano didn't fit Jason Garrett's offense and that he busted too many assignments. The Cowboys thought Tony Curtis was going to beat him out for the second spot. The trade was about Fasano, and at the last minute the Cowboys included Ayodele, who in the end they felt didn't make enough plays last year. And with the acquisition of Zach Thomas and possibly wanting to give Bobby Carpenter a chance to play, they traded Akin instead of possibly cutting him. It really wasn't too much about salary cap, since keeping Ayodele was going to cost $3.5 million against the cap this year and his escalated signing bonus now costs $3 million, but again, for nothing in return.</div> Martellus Bennett Draft Profile <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>Regarded as the "most complete" prospect at his respective position in the 2008 NFL Draft, Bennett combines excellent size, strength and quickness to excel not only as a clutch mid-range receiver, but also as a devastating blocker. A testament to his athletic skills was the fact that he became the first Aggie since Billy Bob Barnett in 1969 to letter in basketball and football during the same season.</div> Bennett will give Garret another TE who can stretch the field, creating mismatches with either LBers (with his speed) or DBs (with his size). And if we look at what Garrett likes to do, we understand the Bennett pick even more: <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Blow Your Cover (Two) By Rafael Vela I’m moving on post-draft to watch some of the Cowboys’ ‘07 games for ideas on what Jason Garrett and Wade Phillips will do with Wade 2.0, otherwise known as the ‘08 ‘Boys. 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 - Two zone scheme. Look at the Bears games, the Packers game and even the Redskins’ games. Now, the Packers are far from a pure Tampa - Two 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 of Patrick Crayton would run the same conbination on the other side of the field. In these situations, Tony Romo rarely threw away from his “strong” side; why, after all, go to 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 Wittens’. 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 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?</div> Anyone else getting excited over this? Owens and Witten split to the strong side; Bennett and (Stanback? Austin?) split to the wide side? That's a lot of weaponry for Romo to work with. And size. Both Witten and Bennett are 6'6" targets. Here are some Bennett clips to get an idea of what he can do: Martellus Bennett going BIG Spotlight Focus Here is what former scout Mike Lombardi has to say about Isaiah Stanback <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>One player that caught my eye was Isaiah Stanback, the former quarterback/wide receiver from Washington. Stanback was trying to overcome his foot injury and make the transition from quarterback to wide receiver. He started practicing the first day we arrived and he showed very good size, power and explosion. He may not know what to do, but once he gets comfortable with the offense and the routes, he looks like a player that will be good with the ball in his hands and gain yards after the catch. He has athletic skills and excellent eye hand coordination. The Cowboys have wide outs that contribute to the kicking game they all show toughness and can run with the ball after the catch--which is critical. I hear everyone complaining about their wide receivers, but based on my evaluation, they have a very good blend of youth and age. If Stanback shows the skills this pre-season that I noticed on the field last summer, he will contribute to the team in 08.</div> Wade Phillips on Stanback <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>He's probably where Miles and Hurd were last year. How fast comes along is hard to gague. He has a year in, he learned a lot last year but was out a lot. He's had 100 percent attendance in the offseason. He shows flashes. He makes some big plays that make you say 'wow,' then every once in a while, he doesn't run a route the right way.</div> Stanback was taken in the 4th round of the 2007 NFL Draft out of Washington. He was a WR as a Freshman in college before becoming a QB, where he spent the rest of his Washington career at. Dallas liked his size, speed, and athleticism - all of which are great for a WR. But he is raw, still learning how to run routes, and still learning the nuances of the WR position. Dallas is in the position to bring him along slowly as they have done thus far. Plenty of college QBs who've turned WR have had success in the NFL (Hines Ware, Randle El, Brad Smith, etc)....but the best thing Stanback has going for him is Patrick Crayton. Crayton too, made the transition to WR coming out of college and into the NFL. Stanback has someone on the roster who he can draw upon for help. If Stanback can piece it together, he could become a dynamic playmaker for Dallas. Here you can see some of his running/cutting ability, which is what Dallas is really high on... Isaiah Stanback Getting Offensive with the OL 6'6" 311 Pat McQuistan, 6'6" 306 Doug Free, 6'7" 303 James Marten The starters on the OL are pretty well set with Adams, Kosier, Gurode, Davis, and Colombo. Something drastic would have to occur for one of the starters to lose their spot. Dallas has Adams locked up, Gurode locked up, and Davis locked up to long term contracts. Colombo's deal expires after this year, and Kosier's does the following season. Both LG and RT could be had for the taking long term, as they are the weakest positions on the OL (even though Kosier and Colombo are solid-good in their own right). Its widely believed that Colombo will be let go after this season and RT will be turned over to one of the younger OTs; either Doug Free or Pat McQuistan. Kyle Kosier could also face competition in the near future from James Marten, who is being moved to LG (he played LG at Boston College for awhile). In doing so, the Cowboys would get a more physical, mauling LG, which fits in more with Adams, Gurode, Davis, and company. 4/5 Dallas OL starters are around the age of 30. But OL is a position where there is longevity. But Dallas will be looking in the near future to a couple of these guys to replace starters leaving in free agency; after all, that is why they were drafted and groomed. The key to watch in training camp is how Doug Free does in run blocking, how far along McQuistan's development is and if he is a potential starter, and can Marten have more success at LG than he did in his brief stint at RT? Training Camp Battles to Watch: Offense LG: Kyle Kosier versus James Marten Kosier has the experience and technique advantage. But he lacks the ideal size new OL coach Hudson Houck prefers. Marten has youth, on a rookie contract, mauling ability, and size advantage. But he lacks the technique Kosier does and did struggle in training camp at RT last year. WR2: Patrick Crayton vs Austin/Hurd/Stanback Crayton has the experience advantage in this battle. Crayton also has the best hands, is the most polished route runner, and has produced more to date than any of his challengers. Both Austin and Stanback have the size/speed ratio that everyone covets in their WRs, but lack the polish of Hurd and Crayton. Hurd is probably the most ready of the young trio to challenge for more playing time.
Very nice preview. I really hope Felix and Marion can work together better than Jones did. However, I think Wade will give Mario more touches, due to the fact Felix is a rookie, but I don't know that he'll do that for the whole season. And I hate Patrick Crayton! The guy cannot catch a football and he plays WR. I want Sam Hurd there and Crayton off the field.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (King Shake @ Jul 9 2008, 08:11 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Very nice preview. I really hope Felix and Marion can work together better than Jones did. However, I think Wade will give Mario more touches, due to the fact Felix is a rookie, but I don't know that he'll do that for the whole season. And I hate Patrick Crayton! The guy cannot catch a football and he plays WR. I want Sam Hurd there and Crayton off the field.</div> I think Marion will get the majority of the touches for the season. I think they'll use Felix more as a multidimensional weapon than just a RB. Felix will get carries as a RB; but its Marion's load. And Crayton can catch. He just didn't catch it when we needed it the most. Hurd isn't the receiver Crayton is. Crayton does an excellent job of settling into zones and getting open. Crayton also has more quickness than Hurd and uses it better to get open. Crayton came up small in the playoff game after running his mouth. But he's still the 2nd best WR on the team; and outside of Glenn, has the best hands of any of our WRs.
I'm skeptical, but I'll take your word for it. I know he's a smart WR and knows how to set in to zones and get open, but how he played in the playoffs set me off to him. However, if he does step up, he'll be great. He's pretty quick and he actually works very well with TO.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (King Shake @ Jul 9 2008, 08:23 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>I'm skeptical, but I'll take your word for it. I know he's a smart WR and knows how to set in to zones and get open, but how he played in the playoffs set me off to him. However, if he does step up, he'll be great. He's pretty quick and he actually works very well with TO.</div> Parcells said Crayton had the best hands on the team (or one of the best hands on the team)....on a team that featured Owens, Crayton, a healthy Glenn, Witten, etc... He does have good hands. He just made some dumb plays in the playoff game. And a lot of Cowboy fans are (understandably) upset with him still. But he's still a solid WR. Ideally, he'd be our 3rd WR working out of the slot, where he is better suited to. We might see that if someone like Miles Austin can step his game up considerably. Austin's speed would be ideal to pair up opposite of Owens. Its hard to look at our weapons on offense and not get excited....
Crayton drove me nuts last year, in every big game it seems he was dropping the ball on what would have been chain moving plays. I missed the part where the Boys shipped Julius Jones out. I know he's in Seattle, but what the heck did we get for him? I'm up for seeing how the team does during the regular season, but I think all Cowboys fans are anxious for the playoffs after the last 2 disappointing seasons.
He (Julius) was an unrestricted free agent. We didn't offer him a contract. Good news is, we'll get a compensatory pick for him next year!
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Vintage @ Jul 9 2008, 11:14 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>He was an unrestricted free agent. We didn't offer him a contract. Good news is, we'll get a compensatory pick for him next year!</div> works for me, I found him to be disappointing to say the least.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (CelticKing @ Jul 9 2008, 11:14 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Cowboys suck, Celtic Fan. </div> give a historically crappy team a few SB's and all of the Sudden they're hot shit... well much like the Spurs, once your superstar is done, the Pats will go back to being unimportant
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Celtic Fan @ Jul 9 2008, 11:15 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Vintage @ Jul 9 2008, 11:14 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>He was an unrestricted free agent. We didn't offer him a contract. Good news is, we'll get a compensatory pick for him next year!</div> works for me, I found him to be disappointing to say the least. </div> Definately. IIRC, he averaged 3.5 ypc. Barber averaged 4.8 ypc Same OL. Felix can fill JJ's role more than adequately.
so will Felix be the 3rd down back who can catch or Run for the first down? or will it be Felix one set, Barber the next set like the Broncos kinda do.
