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The Cornerback Gambit, Part II

Because we’re about football here at the ‘BoysBlog and not taking up pitchforks and leading coach firing mobs, we’ve followed up yesterday’s Let-Flozell-go theory with some sound analysis on the top cornerbacks in this year’s market.

Our good friend K.C. Joyner has graciously answered two questions:

1. I asked K.C. to rate the top three free agent cornerbacks, Nnamdi Asomugha, Asante Samuel and Marcus Trufant.
2. I asked him for some names of sleeper second-tier CBs who personnel guys might know but casual fans might not.

Here are his answers.  His response to question two will probably surprise you:

Asomugha has been the most consistent YPA-wise.  Samuel’s YPA in his first two years was mediocre but has improved into the high-6, low-7 range the past two years.

On the down side, Samuel has a very bad history when facing top-level WRs (his metrics against Reggie Wayne are positively abysmal) and three of his picks this year came against backup QBs.  I think the NE system is making Samuel look a lot better than he might look in say the Dallas system.

The free agent CB market this year is quite thin, so there aren’t any under-appreciated  unknowns.  One player who could be getting some play is the Cowboys’ Jacques Reeves.  I ran some of his metrics this year and he did a lot better than generally thought.  I would not be surprised to see him rack up some interest on the free agent market.

The Cornerback Gambit

I was talking to a source the other day about the new assistants and he made an intriguing comment about new/old offensive line coach Hudson Houck.  “You know,” he said, “Houck and Flozell [Adams] never really got along.”

That comment got me thinking, thinking that I’m going to conduct out loud here.  Quality OL coaches can get players to perform beyond themselves.  They can get young players ready in a hurry.  Jim Myers, Tom Landry’s OL guy, had to play a Thanksgiving Day game with five guards in his lineup, because injuries had wiped out his OTs and C.  His makeshift line won.

This year the Colts’ Howard Mudd took rookie Tony Ugoh and had him playing at a high level from day one protecting Peyton Manning’s blind side.  Houck was able to incorporate rookie Larry Allen into his All-Star line in 1994.

If — and I’m stretching the if here — Houck views tape and works with youngsters Pat McQuistan and Doug Free and feels one of them can handle the left tackle spot, might you use Flozell’s money on another need position?  Might you say, pursue one of the top cornerbacks in this year’s veteran crop?

How tight might the Cowboys coverage be if a Marcus Truffant or a Nnamdi Asomugha were playing opposite Terence Newman?  I know, you have to pay Newman his money first and then decide if how much you want to bid on Ken Hamlin and Dallas already has decent money tied up in Anthony Henry and it makes little sense to put another huge deal in one area of the team…

That said, the comment made me wonder if Dallas is considering using Flozell’s money on another position and wondering what position that might be?  What do you think?

It’s Good to Have Friends — Dom Capers to Interview for LB Coach

Wade Phillips probably knows most of the assistants in the NFL, having coached in the league since the mid-’70s.  And he almost surely knows all the assistants who are expert at coaching the 3-4.

It’s not surprising then that Dom Capers, the former Steelers DC and Jaguars and Texans HC is coming to Valley Ranch to interview for the LB coaches spot vacated by Paul Pasqualoni, who left for Miami with two other defensive assistants.

Capers has a long history working with aggressive, blitz-heavy 3-4s, having run Bill Cowhers first playoff contenders in Pittsburgh.  He missed the Steelers ‘95 Super Bowl trip, having left for Carolina to take over the expansion Panthers.  He did help get Pittsburgh to the ‘94 AFC title game, where they were upset by San Diego.

In Carolina his team signed veteran OLBs Lamar Lathon and Kevin Greene and their blitzing skills helped propel the Panthers to the NFC Championship game in the franchise’s second year of existence.  Carolina beat the Triplets Cowboys 26-17 in the divisional round.

Capers later went to Houston and most recently ran the Dolphins defense.  If he joins the Cowboys staff, its arguable that Bill Parcells move to Miami has helped upgrade the Dallas defensive staff.   I’ve been told new DL coach Todd Grantham is an upgrade over former position coach Kacy Rogers and while Pasqualoni was good, his resume doesn’t match up to Capers’.

We’ll see.  The Cowboys have to hire Capers first.

Dallas East

I read a story in the Miami press earlier this week saying the Dolphins are uncertain if they’ll go 3-4 or 4-3.

I just saw today’s league wire and see the Dolphins brought in three players for tryouts:

1. Matt Baker, QB
2. Trey Darilek, C
3. Junior Glymph, OLB

Where have we seen these names before?

If there’s any doubt the Tony Sparano Dolphins will look like the recent Dallas Cowboys, this should dispel it.

This also means the Cowboys will have to fight that much harder for undrafted free agents this April, because Miami will be pursuing the same list of players.

Churning to a Better Place — Grantham Will Improve the D-line

Lost in the massive exodus of personnel people and assistant coaches to Miami was the hiring of Todd Grantham to replace Kacy Rogers. There has been some criticism of Grantham in the threads, based on his league-worst ranking while serving as Cleveland’s defensive coordinator last year.  That’s unfair.  Gratham is being hired to coach the linemen, not run the Cowboys scheme.  And a look at his body of work as a position coach shows he’s more than qualified.  He’s overseen top units with the Colts and Texans.  He’s worked extensively in the 3-4.

I have it from two different sources that he’ll be an upgrade over Rogers.  One told me, “[Grantham's] a very hard worker, is always prepared; he’s very good at teaching techniques.  He’s not afraid to get after players.”

This same source told me he thinks the Cowboys linemen will be better pass rushers under Grantham’s tutelage because they’ll have better technique.  If he’s right, Chris Canty could take the next step towards stardom.    

D-Mac Rumors Alive Again? Consider the Sources

They’re performing draft-chart gymnastics over at the DMN over the Chris Mortensen-fueled rumor that Jerry Jones covets Arkansas RB Darren McFadden.  It’s understandable that Jones might want McFadden, given his undeniable talent.  And it’s certainly debatable whether he’s worth both of Dallas’ #1s, which would be the fodder for such a move up.  (For the record, I’m opposed to it.) Before we get too crazy grinding chart points, let’s look at the messenger and his possible sources.  Here’s the key graf in Albert Breer’s story:

[Mortensen] said it on ESPN Radio’s GameDay and again on NFL Countdown moments ago.  And apparently he has a prospective trading partner in the Dolphins, who have former Valley Ranchers Bill Parcells and Jeff Ireland in charge.

I think the story’s juice depends on Mortensen’s source or sources.  One of my sources told me a couple of years ago that during his Cowboys tenure Parcells would only take calls from two reporters — CNNSI’s Peter King and Mortensen.

Parcells knew King from his time covering the Tuna’s Giants in the ’80s and he knew Mortensen when they both worked at NBC.  Parcells owns the top overall pick.  He’s made it clear that he would like to trade it, replicating his 1997 strategy with the Jets, when he traded out of the top spot with the Rams, who took Orlando Pace.  Parcells has used Mortensen in the past to disperse information.

I’m not saying Mortensen or Parcells are lying, but the Tuna has the motivation to whip up a market for his pick.  Letting it be know that Jerry Jones may have inquired about a move up might smoke out other suitors.  The Dolphins may want to move out of the top spot, but I doubt they want to move all the way down to 22.  They were 1-15 on merit, or lack thereof.  They need to get one of the players in the top five.   In other words, I term this rumor a soft one.

The Gang’s All Here? Dallas Pursuing Campo

The Cowboys have received permission to speak to Dave Campo for the team’s vacant defensive back coach spot. Campo’s spot in Jacksonville will likely be taken by Donnie Henderson, whom Jacksonville hired today.

Campo came to Dallas from the University of Miami in 1989. He, Dave Wannstedt, Butch Davis, Joe Brodsky, Tony Wise and Hubbard Alexander were all members of Jimmy Johnson’s Hurricane staff. Campo coached the Cowboys secondary from ‘89 through ‘94. He succeeded Butch Davis as the Cowboys defensive coordinator in 1995 and retained that job until becoming head coach in 2000.

Senior Bowl Open Thread

Who do you like?

Double & Triple Dipping?

Do the Cowboys address the wide receiver need in free agency or in the draft?

Do they fill their secondary needs with a veteran or a rookie?

Who says the answers are exclusive?  I’m coming to believe that Dallas will double dip at wideout and do the same at d-back.  In fact, I think they may triple dip at that spot.

Look at the receiving corps. Where would it be if Terrell Owens went down again, but early this time?  I think the Cowboys will look for a veteran #2 to complement Owens and dip into the rookie pool for a young big receiver to groom behind Owens.  Rookie  receivers rarely produce big numbers;  most break out in year two.  Getting him in the pipeline is the bigger priority.

Same at defensive back.  Dallas might go after a veteran nickel corner to play immediately.  Even if they do Dallas will likely take a rookie corner high.  There’s age on the edges.

That said, I would also look for a young safety.  I’ve seen nothing from Pat Watkins and the team looks thin if Ken Hamlin leaves and/or Roy Williams goes down.  Even if they both return, depth, quality depth is needed.

Get your ice cream scoops ready.  The Cowboys will be putting two and three scoops on their pass and pass defense cones.

Look at What Dallas Missed in April ‘07

When we size up the prospects for Dallas’ ‘08 draft, take a look at the positions the team missed on last year. I rank them as follows:

1. CB — Remember all the debates over which DB Dallas might take? I had the FSs Reggie Nelson and Brandon Meriweather at the top of my wish list, though there was a lot of support for Longhorns Aaron Ross and Michael Griffin.

Then, the DB run occurred. When Denver took Jarvis Moss at 17, only Darrelle Revis had dropped off the DB board. From picks 18 through 21 Leon Hall, Griffin, Ross and Nelson went in succession.

Picking 22nd, the Cowboys had to weigh taking Anthony Spencer or Meriweather there or accept Cleveland’s offer for Brady Quinn. They chose to move down and then moved back up to the 26th spot to get Spencer. Meriweather was gone, becoming a Patriot at pick 24.

Might Dallas have stayed at 22 if one of the last three DBs was available? It’s possible. Griffin was moved from CB to FS and had a stellar rookie year for Tennessee. Ross is starting in the Super Bowl next week and Nelson was solid for Jacksonville.

The Cowboys missed on CB/DB last year. Don’t expect them to do so again.

WR — We all know the age in the Cowboys receiving corps. A bum knee might take Terry Glenn out for good and T.O. will be 34. Patrick Crayton isn’t a #1 or a #2. The Cowboys will probably look for a #2 in free agency, since Glenn will undergo microfracture surgery, but don’t be surprised if they used one of their top three picks on a WR. Dwayne Bowe was a player they tracked closely and many mocks had Dallas taking him.

The Cowboys express a lot of faith in Isaiah Stanback, but until he proves himself in a real game, getting a big receiver with #1 potential is a priority. I don’t think Dallas will use its 22nd pick on one, but 28 or the second rounder could finally bring a young wideout.

It’s beyond time.

RB — Julius Jones could return, but at what cost? And who would you rather have, a young RB with no wear on his pro treads or one who has had durability issues?

The Cowboys need a speed threat to complement Marion Barber. The good thing is this year’s RB crop looks deep. What’s more, running backs drop on draft day. And with guys like Ryan Grant and Barber showing that second day players and undrafted free agents can play significant roles on title contenders, don’t expect the running back position to suddenly be overvalued.

S — Dallas has huge money invested in Roy Williams and will have to make a large investment in Ken Hamlin if they want to keep him. Even if Dallas does retain Hamlin, how confident are you in Keith Davis, Patrick Watkins or Courtney Brown if one of the starters goes down? If there’s a quality safety in say round three or even in round two, don’t be surprised if Dallas swipes him.

I showed a couple of weeks ago that we’re in a solid passing era now. The Patriots, Packers, Cowboys and Colts, the top four AFC and NFC teams all passed the ball at least 55% of the time. Defensive back is the most drafted position on the field and will be moreso now.

C/G — Dallas took two OTs last year in Doug Free and James Marten. When you consider how Dallas starting OTs ended the year it’s good to know that the Cowboys have put some youngsters in the pipeline. I’d be curious to see how Free looks after one offseason with Joe Juraszek. He was known for having great feet but needing improved upper body strength.

If he’s the real thing the Cowboys can contemplate letting Pat McQuistan battle for either the RT position or the LG spot, something Wade Phillips mentioned but never tried in last year’s camp.

The weakest backup on Dallas’ line is center. Cory Proctor got his shot when Andre Gurode went down and looked weak against massive nose tackles. This isn’t a high priority but I think the Cowboys will be looking for a center in the middle rounds. They had Hawaii C/G Samson Satele on their radar last year. The Dolphins took him and Hudson Houck got him to start 16 games in the pivot.

The Look of the Future?

Lost in the chaos of the 4th quarter were two interesting defensive personnel changes.

When the Cowboys were trying to stop the Giants offense on their final two series and give the offense two last future opportunities at the win, Anthony Spencer replaced Greg Ellis at one OLB position and Kevin Burnett got some reps with the regular 3-4 in Akin Ayodele’s place.

Spencer was stout on outside running plays to his side and looked better against the run than either Demarcus Ware or Greg Ellis.  Ware was hot and cold, stopping some plays and getting pinned inside on others.  Ellis was so-so, which might explain his new calls to be traded almost immediately after the game.

Burnett is smaller than Ayodele, but has much more quickness and seemed to flow past blockers much more easily than the veteran, who had problems disengaging from Giant blockers on inside runs.

If the team feels Burnett is dependable, this would explain the rumors that Bobby Carpenter is being shopped.

Rate Them Gently

I was talking to a personnel source a couple of weeks ago about draft prep.  He gave this bit of war room conventional wisdom:

“Look at the board [your team] puts together in January, after you’ve watched nothing but game tapes of players and chances are it will be better than the final one you put together in April.”

His point is that all-star games, individual workouts and the combine workouts can sometimes distort a team’s ratings.  40 times and shuttle times can get in an organization’s thinking and dilute the grades given off straight game performances.

The Senior Bowl workouts on the NFL Network are great for showing how smaller school guys match up against players from big programs, but be careful of shooting guys up or down in your personal ratings based on this week.

That said, I’ll be watching.  It’s our first chance to see lots of these guys in isolation.

The Ghost of Tom Landry

Watching the Giants beat the Packers yesterday sent me back to the tivo of the Cowboys game. How did Dallas manage to lose to that team, after amassing such an advantage in yardage, time of possession and plays?

Because they did what all the losers did during the playoffs. They did enough to beat themselves. Ask Green Bay. Ask Indy. Turnovers, dropped passes, blown assignments, the works. Conversely, New York avoided the big oops and is now booked for Arizona.

What I noticed was during the second half the Cowboys made crippling mistakes on each of their drives that cost them a chance for points. We know Anthony Fasano’s drop at the goalline, Tony Romo’s overthrow of an open T.O. the next play. That took four points off the board.

But there’s the next series, where Dallas has made a stop and has the ball with its first chance to build on a one score lead. How Leonard Davis takes a first down off the play sheets with a personal foul penalty after a completed pass. How Patrick Crayton’s drop negated Romo’s following throws that would have overcome Davis’ mind freeze.

And the following series, when New York has regained the lead, how Romo has overcome a 2nd and 25 with two throws to Jason Witten, the second putting Dallas at the New York 30, and field goal range. That last throw was nullified because Terry Glenn didn’t line up on the line of scrimmage, leaving an uncovered end and only six Cowboys on the line of scrimmage.

Even if the drive stops there, a field goal could put Dallas at a 21-20 deficit and task the final drive with only making a field goal, not getting a seven.

See here. Three drives. Five mistakes. Five different players, all of them seasoned vets, with the exception of Romo, figuratively and literally dropping the ball.

When I spoke with a few of my older Cowboys’ fan friends after the game, the same line was repeated. “It was a Landry loss.” Tom took a lot of critisicm in his day for being too intricate. To use an old Formula One parallel, Landry’s machines were like the late Colin Chapman’s Lotus racers, sleek, exotic, advanced and highly intricate. They were unstoppable when their parts meshed, but they had so many gears and levers that more often than not, they broke themselves.

Look at any of Tom’s great failures, the three Super Bowl losses, the bungled last goal line series of the ‘66 Championship Game versus Green Bay, etc. and you’ll see case studies in frustration. In every game Dallas had a dozen rotten plays; remove just one of them and the Cowboys win.

And so it went last Sunday. The mistakes I’ve chronicled are just a few of the many that troubled this team. And it’s an pattern that outlasts Wade Phillips‘ brief tenure. Look at any of Bill Parcells‘ close losses in ‘05 and ‘06 and the same problems manifest themselves.

Think of the Seattle playoff loss last year. Romo’s drop of the field goal snap gets all the replays, but what about Terry Glenn’s fumble near his own goalline, or Roy Williams blowing an assignment that would have given Dallas one last possession in the last minute…

The Ghost of Tom Landry, of the bad Tom Landry, has been haunting this team for at least the past three years. Maybe Jimmy Johnson, the master of simplicity and sound execution needs to come back to town, hold a special ceremony on the Texas Stadium midfield star and banish the spirit.

Championship Games Open Thread

Pats are in.

Will the Giants or Packers take them on?

Overwhelmed by Underclassmen

53 underclassmen have declared and been ruled eligible for the ‘08 draft.

Fifty-three, ladies and gentlemen.  That’s almost two rounds worth of players.  Now, lots of these guys are probably later round picks but many of them are top flight talents, which means more quality for Dallas to pick from with its four first day selections.

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