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.
-
"The Sports Doctors"
iTunes/
Winamp
Windows
Media
RealOne -
Cowboy Up
Dedicated to providing the best Cowboys analysis anywhere, our efforts are free of charge but not free of expense. Your kind donation today will keep our drive alive.
Thank you
Or mail payment to:
RV2 Enterprises
P.O. Box 150093
Austin TX 78715-0093
Advertisers
-
Fave it!
-
SiteMeter
Burst Media
