What are Dallas Free Agency Needs? Part Four, Offensive Line
February 28, 2005
Two swings. Two misses.
That’s the story of Bill Parcells and the Dallas offensive line in 2003 and 2004. When he took over the team, Parcells targeted the line as a priority. While he has spent a lot of free agency capital and draft picks on the problem, the problem stubbornly persists.
In 2003 Parcells assumed a line in flux. LT Flozell Adams was up for free agency, and the consensus among many Metroplex pundits was that he was not worth a big contract. LT Larry Allen was coming off a subpar year and there was growing concern that his lack of conditioning was catching up to him. The center position was a mess. Right guard looked optimistic, with rookie Andre Gurode coming off a promising debut. Right tackle, however was a black hole.
Parcells attacked the right side of the line. He signed Ryan Young away from the Texans and spent his second round pick on Wisconsin center Al Johnson. He settled the issue at left tackle by signing Adams to a long term deal, citing supply and demand as he reason; Adams play may have been sub-par to that point, but there was no suitable replacement for him on the veteran market.
The final piece of the first year puzzle was signing offensive line coach George Warhop from Arizona. The changes brought mixed results. The number of sacks allowed decreased significantly. Adams greatly improved his play. On the negative side of the ledger, Gurode regressed, and struggled with his pass blocking. Johnson impressed the coaches and had already been named the starter by week two of camp when he injured cartilage in his knee. Exploratory surgery found significant damage and Johnson was given microfracture surgery, which scuttled his rookie year.
The biggest disappointment was Young. He suffered chronic tendenitis in his right knee and never lived up his past standard of play. He was cut immediately after the season ended. The Cowboys finished 2003 as a left handed running team that could generate yards behind Adams and Allen, but could not create a push in the right side. Furthermore, the Cowboys were poor in short yardage running situations.
The 2004 offseason brought an infusion of youth. Parcells spent his second second round draft pick on USC tackle Jacob Rogers. The plan was to plug Rogers into Young’s spot at right tackle. The Cowboys drafted LSU guard Stephen Peterman in the third round with the hope of pushing Gurode, or possibly replacing Allen, who was shopped to Detroit and Oakland in the offseason. Johnson returned and was platooned early in the year with Tyson Walter.
Johnson made good on the promise he showed in 2003. He took over as the sole center early in the season and produced steady if unspectacular play. Johnson admitted his lower body strength was not up to par, since he kept his weight as low as possible while rehabbing his injured knee. A full offseason of conditioning suggests even better play this year. Allen reported to camp in his best shape in recent memory and showed flashes of his old dominating self.
Again, as in ‘03, the improvements were wiped out by failure. Gurode started well, but regressed as the year went on. He was benched in the final games for Ben Noll, a waiver claim from the Rams. Adams’ level of play dropped off considerably. He looked disinterested at times and gave up an unacceptable number of sacks. At right tackle, Rogers had trouble adjusting from left tackle, and never made a start. That left the position to second-year-vet Torrin Tucker. The undrafted free agent from Mississippi State looked like the converted guard he was; he, like Adams, struggled in pass protection and was erratic on running plays. The Cowboys again found themselves being left handed, as Gurode and Tucker showed as much, if not more inconsistency than Gurode and Young displayed the year before. This was especially disappointing given the emergence of RB Julius Jones.
Dallas again enters the offseason with a hole at right tackle. There is a question mark at right guard, though Parcells this week cited Noll’s late season play and the return of Peterman as reasons for optimism. His failure to mention Gurode should concern the third year pro from Colorado. 2005 is probably his last chance to impress.
And Gurode will have a new coach to impress. The up-and-down play of the line cost Warhop his job. Parcells replaced him with tight ends coach Tony Sparano, who has some o-line experience from his days at Jacksonville. Sparano has a lengthy list of chores: he will have to re-inspire Adams, keep Allen fit and motivated, keep Johnson healthy, find a young option at right guard and plug in whomever the front office provides at right tackle.
That player will likely come from free agency, since Parcells told the Dallas Morning News over the weekend that Rogers will play left tackle when he returns from offseason shoulder surgery. He also has no intention of moving Adams from left tackle.
The list of options will be short and expensive. The supply of starting quality tackles is small while the demand is high. Topping the list of veterans are Jonas Jennings of Buffalo and Kareem McKenzie of the Jets. A third option is Packers LG Mike Wahle, whom I have been tracking over the past week. Wahle has the skill to play either tackle position and will be one of the most sought after players once free agency starts. The Cowboys will have a chance to sign him if nobody offers him a contract in line with a quality LT. If some team does, the Cowboys will likely have to move on to their next option, even with $15 million in cap room.
– Rafael Vela
Wahle of a Prospect
February 28, 2005
The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel today quotes unnamed agents who predict OL Mike Wahle will be the top free agent this year, regardless of position. The Ft. Worth Star-Telegram today named Wahle as one of Dallas’ potential free agent targets.
– Rafael Vela
A Sharper View(ing)
February 28, 2005
Keep an eye on Green Bay to see what it does with FS Darren Sharper. Sharper and the Eagles’ Brian Dawkins have been the top free safeties in the NFC the past few years, but Sharper had a down 2004. He claims he played with a recurring leg injury that robbed him of his speed. The Packers are worried that age is catching up to him. Sharper has a big contract and may be part of the Packers’ anticipated salary-cap purge in the next two days.
The Cowboys medical staff could be heroes if: a.) Sharper is in fact cut and; b.) Sharper is right about his injury. Two years ago the Chargers cut Pro Bowl safety Rodney Harrison after he had an injury-filled season. The Chargers felt he was washed up. Harrison argued that he was merely playing injured. Harrison was right. The Patriots signed him to a reasonable contract and were rewarded when his play returned to past form. He has been the leader of their secondary during their last two Super Bowl runs.
– Rafael Vela
Ferguson: Playing Footsie With Dallas?
February 28, 2005
The Newark Star-Ledger is reporting today that contrary to reports in the New York press, the Jets are “privately nervous” that they will lose DT/NT Jason Ferguson when free agency begins on Wednesday. The Jets fear Ferguson’s agent may be setting up Ferguson to land in Dallas .
Ferguson is the linchpin of Dallas’ proposed defensive moves. The lists that have been leaking in the Metroplex press contain players who fit the 3-4 and the 4-3. It is clear that the Cowboys would like to go 3-4, but have contingency plans to stay in the 4-3 should they miss out on their targeted 3-4 players.
A nose tackle is THE key acquisition to making the 3-4 switch. The Cowboys won’t change schemes unless they can find an anchor, and if Ferguson comes, expect the Cowboys to make a push for a corner and an inside linebacker, at minimum.
Cooling on Coles, Stalling on Smoot?
February 27, 2005
Today’s Washington Times quotes Redskins head coach Joe Gibbs as being far less optimistic that a trade with the Jets for Laveranues Coles will be worked out. The Redskins sounded like they were resigning themselves to having Coles return for 2005. Gibbs was adamant that Coles would not be traded to the Cowboys .
Gibbs also sounded optimistic that the club would be in the mix for free-agent-to-be Fred Smoot. The cornerback is another player who is apparently high on the Cowboys’ wish list.
– Rafael Vela
Outfoxed on Ferguson?
February 27, 2005
Today’s New York Post reports that the Jets are closing in on a new contract with DT/NT Jason Ferguson . Ferguson is widely rumored to be one of the Cowboys’ targets in the upcoming free agency period.
– Rafael Vela
What are Dallas’ Free Agency Needs? Part Three, the Secondary
February 26, 2005
Whatever problems the Cowboys faced on their defensive line and linebacking corps were small compared to those in the secondary. In 2003 the Cowboys had a consistent quartet of Mario Edwards and rookie Terrence Newman at the corners and Roy Williams and Darren Woodson at the safety position. Coordinator Mike Zimmer used an aggressive scheme that put Edwards and Newman in man-to-man coverage and used Woodson and Williams close to the line of scrimmage, where they could aid a pedestrian rush with blitzes.
The consistency the Cowboys enjoyed began to unravel in the Spring of 2004 when Edwards left for Tampa Bay in free agency. The Cowboys considered signing a veteran cornerback like Antonie Winfield or Shawn Springs, but were scared away by the exorbitant prices being paid in last year’s free agency. In the Cowboys’ defense, not only were the prices outside their anticipated range, but the players getting these deals were old by NFL standards; of the top ranked CBs in 2004, only Winfield, at age 28, was under 30. And he received a seven year deal from Minnesota, a length the Cowboys were unwilling to match.
Parcells rolled the dice, hoping nickel corner Pete Hunter could approximate Edwards’ 2003 level of play. And the Cowboys drafted three corners on the second day of the draft to fill in Hunter’s position of nickel corner. What he could not anticipate was the effect of losing Darren Woodson for the entire season to a back injury. Woodson was the leader of the defense and his absense made two positions weaker; not wanting to trust the free safety position to inexperienced players like Lynn Scott, the Cowboys moved Williams to FS from his preferred SS position for the first half of the year. This diminished Williams’ effectiveness as a rusher and run supporter, as it took him away from the line of scrimmage. And it played to Williams’ weakness, which is pass coverage on receivers.
The experiment was torpedoed two more times when Pete Hunter and nickel back Bruce Thornton were lost to season-ending ACL tears. By game six, the Cowboys were down to two of the five starters they had anticipated at the start of camp. The results were ugly; a secondary that helped the defense get a #1 ranking in yardage in 2003 was forced to play passively. In the rare instances when the offense could gain a fourth quarter lead the defense was unable to make the crucial game-saving stop. The final insult came in the season-ender against the Giants when the Cowboys scored a touchdown with less than two minutes left, only to watch the Giants march the length of the field and score a game-winning touchdown in the final seconds.
It is clear entering free agency that Dallas needs at least two starters; one at corner and another at free safety, since Woodson has retired. The Cowboys might also need to invest in a nickel corner though Lance Frazier, a free agent pickup from Baltimore, showed some promise in that role.
The team has made no secret of its intentions to be aggressive this year. In separate interviews both Jerry Jones and Parcells have made it clear that the team intends to get a cornerback. And the roster of prospective players fits their modest “red chip” philosopy of getting solid players at prices that won’t break their budget. What’s more, most of the better corners this year are young. Ken Lucas and Fred Smoot, the two corners who top their wish list , are both four-year veterans. Neither is older than 26. Other option is the Ravens’ Gary Baxter, a former Baylor Bear, though recent reports out of Baltimore suggest that he and the Ravens are close to a new deal.
The free safety position is less clear. The veteran pool is not as distingushed as the cornerbacks. Parcells hinted at the end of the year that NFL Europe alum Keith Davis could see more time there. Don’t rule out the Cowboys using their second #1 pick on Oklahoma FS Brodney Pool. Pool has the size (6′2″, 208 lbs.) and the range to man the deep center.
Whatever the plan, expect the Cowboys to move quickly in the first days of free agency to fill the right cornerback spot. Don’t be at all surprised if they add a veteran safety as well.
– Rafael Vela
More Wahle Sightings
February 26, 2005
Word from Green Bay continues to be that OG Mark Wahle will be cut by Tuesday. Why do I continue to track the developments of a free agent LG, when the Cowboys still have an effective Larry Allen under contract, and their biggest offensive line hole is at right tackle? According to ESPN’s Len Pasquarelli, Wahle is seen by many NFL scouts as the most desirable offensive tackle likely to hit the market. In its 2004 yearbook, Pro Football Weekly rated Wahle as the 12th best guard in the league, but remarked that he could be a “monster right tackle.”
Wahle was a college tight end who put 306 lbs on his 6′6″ frame once he turned pro. With Jacob Rogers a major question mark after shoulder surgery, Wahle could be the right tackle that Bill Parcells has tried so desperately to find the past two seasons. If Rogers proves he can play, Wahle could be moved back inside to guard in a year or so when Larry Allen is ready to retire. He could play any o-line position but center for the Cowboys. I’ve seen no confirmation in the press, but I believe Wahle will be the one big money player the Cowboys pursue next week. Two years of uncertainly at right tackle is enough. Having a relatively immoblile QB in Drew Bledsoe makes finding a RT an even higher priority.
– Rafael Vela
Pryce Update
February 26, 2005
The Broncos appear to be playing some negotiating games through the press for DE Trevor Pryce. The Denver Post quotes Broncos GM Ted Sundquist that a trade for Pryce could take place soon. The article named Dallas as one of eight teams interested in Pryce. However, ESPN’s Len Pasquarelli reports that the Broncos are finding few takers and will likely have to lower their demand of a second round pick for Pryce.
I report. You decide.
– Rafael Vela
Cowboys Target Two Corners
February 26, 2005
The Tacoma News Tribune reported Friday that agents polled at the NFL combine in Indianapolis expect Dallas to make a run at either the Seahawks’ CB Ken Lucas or the Redskins’ CB Fred Smoot.
– Rafael Vela
What Are Dallas Free Agency Needs, Part Two — Linebackers
February 24, 2005
If a shift to a base 3-4 defense means blowing up the defensive line, it entails almost as big a change in the team’s linebacking philosophy. In the wide-end 4-3 the team has played since 1989, the linebackers line up inside the four linemen and five yards behind the line of scrimmage. With the linemen positioned to keep as many offensive linemen pinned on running plays, the linebackers, most notably the middle linebacker and the weakside linebacker, are free to run sideline to sideline in pursuit of plays. This is why Dallas has been willing to draft smaller, speedier linebackers like MLB Dat Nguyen and WOLB Dexter Coakley, who is only 5′10″.
Shifting to a 3-4 would make many of these smallish players obsolete. The 3-4 requires bigger linebackers since the scheme has fewer lineman and is less able to stack, or hide linebackers behind them. Outside LBs have to be big enough to take on tight ends head up. Inside linebackers also have to be able to step up to the line and take on and beat offensive guards.
Right now, the Cowboys have only two or perhaps three linebackers who could work in this scheme. Outside, both 2004 starters Coakley and strong side linebacker Al Singleton are too small. The best fit is probably Kalen Thornton. The 6′3″, 240 lb. former Texas Longhorn made the team as a non-drafted free agent. Parcells remarked a couple of times during the season that he liked Thornton but described him as a “square peg in a round hole.” Thornton got his most playing time on sure passing downs when the Cowboys would put a 3-4 look on the field. Thornton showed some skill as a pass rusher and would get extended playing time in a new scheme. Even if the Cowboys get quality play from Thornton in 2005, they need another big OLB. Many mock drafts are awarding Maryland’s Shawne Merriman, a 6′4″, 245 pounder with 4.6 speed, to Dallas with the 11th pick. While it’s far from a certainly, the Cowboys would seriously consider a player like Merriman or Oklahoma’s Dan Cody to bookend with Thornton.
Inside, the question marks abound. Nguyen excelled as an inside linebacker for Texas A&M and could probably go back to his old college scheme without too much difficulty. What’s uncertain is who would play alongside him? Bradie James has the size and strength to be an inside backer, but he has not developed as fast as the team had hoped. There are still questions about his recognition skills that may keep the Cowboys from committing an inside spot to him.
Free agency will contain two inside linebackers who are young and excel in run stopping. Edgerton Hartwell of Baltimore and Kendrell Bell of Pittsburgh are both four year veterans who will find big paydays next month. While Ray Lewis garnered all the acclaim in Baltimore, Hartwell has distingushed himself as the guy who does the dirty work. At 250 lbs., Hartwell is skilled at taking on interior linemen and stuffing them. When the Cowboys played the Ravens last season, Hartwell lived in the Cowboys’ backfield. He will be available because the Ravens are considering a return to a 4-3, which would make Lewis the lone ILB. Bell is a similar type player, though he is coming off an injury-filled 2004 and will require a thorough medical checkup.
Then there is the question of what Dallas will do with Dexter Coakley? The team has suggested in the last couple of days that it will keep Coakley and rework his deal. (He is due a $502,000 bonus next week.) Since Coakley is the starter least likely to fit in the 3-4, one wonders just how many 4-3 packages the Cowboys plan to use next season?
The bottom line is that Dallas only has about half the linebackers needed to run a 3-4. Look for them to address the inside position, which is historically cheaper, in free agency and to pursue an outside rusher in the draft.
– Rafael Vela
The Price for Pryce Goes Up
February 24, 2005
The latest word from the Denver Post is that the Broncos will accept a first round pick in next year’s draft for Trevor Pryce. Since Pryce will be 30 this year and missed 14 games with injury in 2004, I would be surprised if the Cowboys retained interest — at this price.
– Rafael Vela
Wahle Watching
February 23, 2005
Keep an eye on Green Bay. The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel all but declared that the Packers would cut guard Mark Wahle in the next few days in order to get under the salary cap.
Wahle, at age 27, would zoom to the top of the free agent guard lists. Some scouts have speculated that Wahle, a powerful run blocker, would be even more effective at tackle. His versatility would make him intriguing to the Cowboys.
– Rafael Vela
More Offensive Tackle Tidbits
February 23, 2005
Offensive tackle Jacob Rogers’ recent shoulder surgery will prevent him from any contact work until training camp opens. This means tackle is a new free agent priority for the Cowboys. One rumored target is Jets free-agent-to-be Kareem McKenzie. Today, McKenzie’s agent was coy about McKenzie’s next place of employment.
– Rafael Vela
Catalytic Coles, Part Deux
February 23, 2005
The Laveranues Coles saga grows more interesting. The Washington Times reports that the Redskins are actively attempting to trade Coles and have interested his old team the Jets. However, the Washington Post claimed that Coles was resisting reworking his deal in order to be traded. Coles is upset with the Redskins, believing he had an agreement to pay back part of his bonus in order to be released.
It appears Coles is playing a game of chicken with Joe Gibbs and Dan Snyder. Gibbs changed his position Tuesday and remarked that he does not feel obligated to move Coles and would start 2005 with him. It remains to be seen how Coles would respond to this turn of events. Regardless of whether Coles become free or not, it’s clear that any discord at Valley Ranch is small compared to that at Redskins Park.
– Rafael Vela
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