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Felix Jones — He’s Crafty — Like a Cat

Felix Jones paid an immediate dividend last night, taking a David Akers kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown one play after the Eagles had drawn within 7-6.  His returns show that he’s a natural at setting up defenders and already understands how to use his wedge. This suggests he’ll have a long and successful kickoff return career ahead of him.

Two years ago, I watched former special teams coach Bruce DeHaven work with the Cowboys’ returners and watched him teach his guys to use cutbacks.  Returners were instructed to initially run directly up the field, even if it was not behind the wedge.  The intent is to pull coverage guys towards you and give your wedge blockers an angle.  After running a few yards upfield, the game is to then cut behind your blockers.

Jones followed this technique perfectly.  Dallas had a center return called.  Jones fielded Akers kick on his two, about three yards inside the yard numbers on the far sideline.

The Cowboys wedge formed at the fifteen, just outside the far hash mark.  The Cowboys use Tony Curtis, Joe Berger, Pat McQuistan and Deon Anderson as their center four.  They join hands and then move forward together under control until they encounter the line of Eagles.  The returner who doesn’t field the kick, Isaiah Stanback in this case, runs up and flanks Anderson, adding a fifth blocker to the wedge.

Jones was about five to seven yards wide and to the left of Curtis, the closest wedge member, when he fielded the ball.  Instead of angling to his right and running immediately to get behind his five bodyguards, Jones ran straight upfield, to about the ten.

At this point, the wedge met the center of the Eagles line, secondary man J.R. Reid and linebackers Akeem Jordan and Torrance Daniels.

By initially heading upfield, Jones challenged the coverage guys to leave their lanes and attack him.  Daniels stayed in his lane and was double teamed by Curtis and Berger.  Reid stayed in his lane and was double teamed by Anderson and Stanback on the right side of the wedge.

Jordan, the center defender of the Philly trio,  tried cutting outside of McQuistan to the offensive lineman’s left, in an attempt to hem Jones towards the sideline.  This was the break Jones was looking for.  As McQuistan was shoving Jordan towards the far sideline, Felix cut sharply to his right, into the lane that Jordan had vacated.  Jones darted through this alley into the second level of coverage, where only Akers stood between the him and a score.

Felix cut sharply back to the far sideline and easily outraced the pursuit down the sideline, perhaps thinking what Brad Sham said on the radio broadcast, “you’re not catching me, you thirty-something year old white kicker…”

The cutback is a seemingly simple task, but it requires expert coordination with your wedge. The best returners have that timing.  Mediocre ones never develop it.  Felix already has it.  That he made two more big returns last night only confirms this skill.  Imagine what he could do with a little more practice?

Full game report later this morning.

Final Cuts Suggest Line Moves Ahead

Update: I’m looking at the league waivers and here’s what’s out there.

At quarterback, the list pretty much begins and ends with Chris Simms. Interested in Todd Bouman, Joey Harrington, or Brooks Bollinger ? Didn’t think so. The Tampa Bay Tribune is speculating that Dallas, Green Bay and Chicago are the most likely landing spots for Simms.

At wide receiver, the veteran pickings are slim. Guys like Reche Caldwell, Sammy Parker, Travis Taylor, and Cliff Russell. There may be a name among the rookies and 1st year vets the scouting staff knows and likes, but no names jumped out at me.

I still think another move or two is coming. The Cowboys don’t need eleven offensive linemen or seven corners.

Dallas cut 21 players today, including Larry Allen, who had been signed to a one day contract in order to retire as a Cowboy.

Here’s the full list:

1. OL Larry Allen
2. WR Danny Amendola
3. TE Drew Atchison
4. NT Remi Ayodele
5. WR Mark Bradford
6. RB Alonzo Coleman
7. FB Julius Crosslin
8. SS Dowayne Davis
9. DE Marcus Dixon
10. LB Tearrius George
11. OL Ryan Gibbons
12. TE Rodney Hannah
13. WR Mike Jefferson
14. RB Keon Lattimore
15. OL Cory Lekkerkerker
16. WR Todd Lowber
17. LB Darrell Robertson
18. NT Junior Siavii
19. DE Marcus Smith
20. LB Tyson Smith
21. LB Erik Walden

Comments:

– There’s some surprise that Dallas cut both Danny Amendola and Mike Jefferson. I’m not too surprised. Neither played exceptional football and would have made the team by default. As I wrote Thursday night, if the team finds a WR they like on waivers who is better, they’ll pick him up. If they can find a better WR for a late draft pick, a la Montrae Holland, they’ll pick him up.

This tells me the team has confidence that Miles Austin and Sam Hurd will return to full strength shortly.

– The Cowboys have 11 offensive linemen on their roster. This won’t last. None of the second unit guys were cut — Free, Berger, Procter, Marten and McQuistan. Add Montrae Holland and this is just too many linemen.

A former scout I spoke to a couple of weeks ago told me that offensive and defensive linemen are the hardest players to acquire this time of the year. While Dallas may not love any of the second five, the fact that demand far exceeds supply means a deal may be in the works for one of these guys.

– Surprising cut: Erik Walden. I don’t think the Cowboys are done shaking up their roster and he’s the most likely to be re-signed or pursued for the practice squad, in my opinion.

– Most disappointing: Marcus Dixon. Todd Grantham told me the week before the Chargers game that he was most excited to see this rookie play. Back problems wiped out his entire preseason. He’s another player who’s probably at the top of the practice squad wish list. to

Holland = Gesek?

In the summer of ‘90, the Cowboys took a small risk and gained a huge reward, shipping a 6th round pick to Oakland for guard John Gesek.  Gesek was never up to the standards of his Cowboys linemates, all of whom made the Pro Bowl.  He was steady, however and earned two Super Bowl rings in ‘92 and ‘93.

Dallas made a similar low-risk move today, sending a 5th round pick in 2010 to Denver for G Montrae Holland.  Holland had fallen out with the Denver coaching staff after reporting overweight and the move seems like an attempt by the Broncos to get something for a player they did not plan on keeping.  (The pick is in 2010, not 2009.)

The former Florida Seminole was a 4th round pick for New Orleans in 2003 and started all sixteen games for Denver last year.

Holland likely moves into the backup guard position and puts backups Joe Berger and James Marten on hot seats.  The team engages in self scouting, ranking its players at every position.  I know that one observer I spoke to rated ‘07 4th rounder Doug Free as 6 on the OL depth chart, but spots 7-9 were in flux.

Assuming backup Pat McQuistan can hold the LG spot while Kosier rehabs (we can’t assume that Holland is in game shape if the Broncos were dissatisfied enough by his conditioning to dump him), the team has a serious problem with coverage behind him.

Free worked almost exclusively at left tackle in camp.  If McQuistan is plugged in as a starter the Cowboys have no adequate backup for RT and at guard.  Consider that McQuistan got many of the starting reps in practice this week, and gets first crack at Kosier’s spot, though he’s only played RT in the preseason games.  This isn’t a good sign for second-unit guards Joe Berger and James Marten.

I’d say Marten is definitely on thin ice and Berger may be as well.  Then again, backup center Cory Procter has had all kinds of trouble with power rushers.  Watch the interior line carefully tonight to see if Berger gets any reps at center.

Holland’s addition means you’ll likely see the last of at least one of the second line C/Gs tonight.

Now We’re Gonna Remember “the Other Guy’s” Name

Remember that old Seinfeld joke about The Three Tenors, where the cast members could all recall Luciano Pavarotti and Placido Domingo but couldn’t remember, “the other guy?”

Kyle Kosier has been “the other guy” on the Cowboys Five Redwoods line. People know Flozell Adams, Leonard Davis and Andre Gurode. They’re Pro Bowlers. We even mention Marc Colombo’s name, since tackles are visible on the edge and since he’s had a good camp.

People tend to ignore Kosier, except to rip him for being the guy who succeeded Larry Allen. When he was signed some folks posted links to YouTube clips of him getting beaten in his 49ers days, when he played out of position at tackle.

Come draft day, he’s always a whipping boy, whom some people are itching to bench. Last year there was a special section of bloggers here just dying to draft Texas’ Justin Blalock and drop him into Kosier’s spot, though Blalock was unproven.

In the meantime, Kosier has become the steady Eddie of the line, playing a solid, consistent left guard. He’s this decade’s John Gesek, the “other guy” from the ’90s,who toiled alongside bigger names like Erik Williams, Nate Newton, Mark Tuinei and Mark Stepnoski.

Last week, I mentioned that the Cowboys’ weakness is their interior offensive line depth. That fact could be rudely demonstrated next week against the Vikings because Kosier has suffered an apparent foot sprain and has an MRI scheduled for this afternoon to learn its severity.

Pray it’s not serious because the team needs him. The backups in the interior line, Joe Berger, Cory Procter and James Marten has been consistently underwhelming. Procter and Marten have looked just awful thus far and a source I spoke to this week, one who has seen game tape of the San Diego and Denver games, seconded that opinion. He also said Joe Berger had a poor performance against Denver.

I watched their games last night, brief as they were — the trio did not play until the last two series in the 4th quarter. I’m sorry to report that nothing has improved.

Berger and Procter are consistently being pushed backwards by bull rushes. This is a big no-no for an interior lineman. If you can’t anchor, how can your QB step up in the pocket and throw? Marten has had a lot of trouble handing quick interior rushers.

In short, I don’t trust any of these guys to sub in the absence of Kosier, Gurode or Davis. If Kosier’s injury is serious, I think the team might move RT Pat McQuistan to left guard. He worked at multiple positions in camp, but took most of his reps at RT and LG. He’s bigger and more athletic than any of the other three guys and played guard in college.

The Cowboys can’t afford any interior line leaks. The Vikings have two massive, athletic DTs in Pat Williams and Kevin Williams. They’re probably the best DT duo in football right now. If the Cowboys have to put Berger in at left guard I’m not confident he can keep the Williams boys off Tony Romo without center help. If Kosier isn’t around for the season opener, new Brown and former Lion Shaun Rogers will be lined up over Berger a lot.

It’s said you often don’t know what you have till it’s gone. If Kosier is gone for any appreciable amount of time, Cowboys fans may learn what he’s really worth — the hard way.

Update: Kosier is out up to six weeks. This is bad news, though the big brains at the DMN think Isaiah Stanback’s injury, which will cost him two weeks, is “the biggest blow.” I’ll refer you again to the title of my post.

Early Scouting ‘09 — Look to Offensive Line

Before camp started, a source told me that offensive line was probably the top priority going into the ‘08 campaign, as the Cowboys had concerns about their depth.

That same source told me today that line depth remains the biggest area of concern on the team.  I wrote last week that Cory Procter and James Marten struggled against the Chargers and Joe Berger played poorly against the Broncos.  Doug Free looks solid at LT but Pat McQuistan has been hot-and-cold under Hudson Houck’s tutelage.  He looked more stable to my eyes against Denver but looked more consistent in ‘07.

Offensive and defensive lines are the hardest positions to find, at any time of the year so don’t look for Dallas to get lucky plucking anybody off waivers.  Any young lineman who hits the market will have multiple claims put on him and the Cowboys have one of the last slots in the claim order.

Hope that the linemen stay healthy again this year, especially at the center and guard positions.

Other tasty crumbs from the source:

– the Cowboys are NOT nervous about their WR play, even with Miles Austin’s setback.  “They want to see the young guys play,” I was told.  I’ll say it again.  Watch Isaiah Stanback carefully against Houston.  He’ll get a lot more reps with the second unit and while he’s not as far along as Austin, he is improving.  Hold off on those Anquan Boldin trade packages, folks, at least for the time being.

– Dallas is happy with the safety play as well.  Take an early bow, Roy Williams.  And does this mean that Courtney Brown has a chance to make the final roster?  He made some plays on the line of scrimmage late against Denver, knifing in from the edge to spill a Broncos runner in the backfield.  On the other hand, he was also victimized by a long bootleg pass on a 4th-and-1 play.  These next two games are huge for him.

– I asked about the John Beck-to-Dallas rumors and was told that the characterizations from the Miami press, that Dallas had shown “mild interest” were “a nice choice of words.”  I take it there’s not much to this story.

Camp Cowboys: Compare and Contrast, ‘07 vs. ‘08

It’s hard to get a definite read on anything after three days of camp. Hudson Houck laughed when I asked him on Saturday what, if anything he could tell me after one day in pads? “That I still have 22 practices to go,” was his reply.

Still, Cowboys fans hate deferred gratification. Especially after 12 years without a playoff victory. With that in mind, I went back one year to see where the team was at the same stage in their Phillips Over San Antonio ‘07 Tour. This year’s tour is already looking much better. Consider:

– At quarterback, Tony Romo was looking sharp but everybody was wondering if his dropped ball in Seattle would harm his development. Now, he’s trying to stay out of the tabloids. Call this one a wash.

– At running back, Dallas was staying with the status quo, starting Julius Jones and rotating Marion Barber into the lineup. This year, the unit looks faster and deeper. Felix Jones and Tashard Choice have not played pro games yet, but I can already say with confidence that Felix will be a better receiver than Julius and I’ll take Choice already over Tyson Thompson. Score: plus one for the ‘08 squad.

– On the offensive line, the Cowboys were waiting for starters Flozell Adams and Marc Columbo to return from knee scopes. Jim Molinaro and Pat McQuistan were manning the tackle spots. This year, McQuistan is at right tackle and second year man Doug Free is at the left tackle spot. The starting lineup looks set. Score: plus one for the ‘08 squad, based on health and continuity.

– At wide receiver, Terry Glenn was about to drop off the roster with a knee injury, not to return until January. Isaiah Stanback was in a walking boot. This year, Glenn is gone again, perhaps for good. Stanback is playing, though he’s still far from polished. Sam Hurd looks better, but if he’s not displacing Patrick Crayton, he’s risen to his level. That’s a step down from ‘06, when T.O., Glenn and Crayton were the trio, but a minor step up from last year, when Hurd was an unknown. Score: a wash

– At tight end, Jason Witten was a sure thing and Anthony Fasano was the clear backup. Tony Curtis was a promising backup. This year, Curtis is the number two. Martellus Bennett has replaced Fasano, who’s now a Dolphin. He’s a big, talented player, but nobody knows how Bennett will play this year. Score: minus one, because of inexperience.

– On the defensive line, Jason Hatcher’s promising start was wiped out by a hamstring injury. Jason Ferguson was the starting nose tackle. Chris Canty and Marcus Spears were eager to wipe out underachiever labels. This year, Canty and Jay Ratliff are set at RE and NT, after stepping up their respective games last year. Tank Johnson replaces the departed Ferguson. He shows some explosion in drills, but I’ll wait until I see him in some real games before I rate him against Ferguson. Score: plus one for ‘08, because there is far less uncertainty this year.

– At linebacker in ‘07 it was Demarcus Ware and a lot of questions. Greg Ellis was rehabbing a torn Achilles and was grumpy about his contract. Anthony Spencer was an unknown rookie. Inside, Bradie James was claiming his poor ‘06 was due to playing overweight in Bill Parcells’ scheme. Kevin Burnett was an injury prone enigma and Bobby Carpenter had the eau de bust about him.

This year, many experts are touting the Cowboys’ LB corps as the league’s best. Ware and Ellis both had double digit sacks last year. Spencer looked good in a backup role. James bounced back with a steady season. Burnett found a home in the nickel, where he excelled in coverage. And the Cowboys added Zack Thomas to replace Ayodele, who’s also joined Parcells and Tony Sparano in Miami. Score: plus one for the ‘08 guys.

– In the secondary, the Cowboys were hoping for better health and play at several positions. Anthony Henry was trying to come back from a knee injury that hobbled him in ‘06. Terence Newman was days away from a plantar fascia tear. Ken Hamlin was a low budget signing from Seattle but hardly a sure thing. He had a so-so ‘06 after missing ten games in ‘05 with a severe head injury. It was far from clear if he could regain his outstanding ‘04 form. One year ago, Roy Williams was the surest bet in the secondary.

Today, he’s the most maligned. Hamlin earned his first Pro Bowl berth in ‘07. Newman overcame his heel injury and earned his first trip to Honolulu. Henry was leading the league in picks when he suffered a high ankle sprain that cost him six starts.

In addition, the Cowboys have Adam Jones and first rounder Mike Jenkins replacing Jacques Reeves and Nate Jones. Score: plus two for the ‘08 team, based on better health, and much greater depth.

Overall, the ‘08 team looks much deeper and has far fewer question marks than Wade 1.0. The injury questions at offensive tackle, outside linebacker and cornerback are gone. You could pencil in the entire starting 22 for Dallas today, where you could not do so for several positions last year.

It’s far too early to hit the giddy button, but there’s clearly far less reason to even consider locating the panic button this time around. Let’s hope things stay this way.

Source: The Questions Are On Offense

I talked to a source who broke down the issues facing the team less than a month before training camp. Although the offense ranked 2nd overall in points, averaging just more than four touchdowns per game, I was told the organization sees its biggest questions on the offensive side of the ball. Some key points:

BSR: What are the biggest concerns on each side of the ball?

– The defense looks solid. I think the secondary looks strong, the linebackers look strong and the line looks solid. In the secondary, Terence Newman is solid, Adam Jones is solid. I think Anthony Henry didn’t look like he was 100% in the mini-camps, but he should be fine.

I think one of the rookie corners will be in the mix, though I’m not sure if it will be the one [Mike Jenkins] or the five [Orlando Scandrick]. One will be in the lineup this year and the other will be inactive. We won’t really know until they put on the pads at Oxnard.

I’ll add that I think the secondary will be improved with Dave Campo running that unit. They appeared to be better fundamentally. Nothing against the last coach [Todd Bowles] but I think Campo is an exceptional teacher and the guys know he’s got their backs.

BSR: So you don’t see an overhaul positon wise? I’m of the belief that they’ll stick with Ken Hamlin at the free and limit Roy Williams’ reps, getting him off the field when they’re in nickel and dime sets.

– Absolutely. Teams find guys like that. I also think the team is playing Hamlin right. Make him do it more than one year. If he plays well again, then you think about something long term.

BSR: What about the offensive side of the ball? Where are the weak links there?

– There are a few questions there. I think the team wants to get a better sense of its offensive line depth. They have Pat McQuistan going into his third year and Doug Free entering his second year and they moved James Marten to guard. They’ll give their starters some time but you may see the young guys going two and three quarters in some games so the team can get a really good look at them against top competition.

I also have some questions about backup quarterback. Brad Johnson is a smart guy but when he’s in there the ball goes sideways a lot. I think he’s here for 2008 but I’m sure the team has an eye out for another prospect beyond this year. 95% of the teams in this league are cooked if they lose their starting QB but if Tony Romo missed any significant time I think the Cowboys are an 8-8 team without him.

Without question, the biggest issue is at wide receiver. The team isn’t panicking yet, but I do think they have some worries about the #2 position. The offense stopped scoring touchdowns when Terrell Owens got hurt last year. Patrick Crayton is okay but he’s more of a #3 than a #2.

The team was looking for a young receiver before who could become a number one and could not find a fit.

I think they might need a little luck to fill that this year. It gets harder to fill holes once camp begins.

BSR: I know the Tom Landry Cowboys often filled holes with trades for veteran receivers. Lance Alworth, Billy Parks, guys like that. Might Dallas look at a veteran who’s dependable, in the way Keenan McCardell was for the Chargers a few years ago? And does this explain the Joe Horn rumors?

– My understanding is that Horn’s agent was given permission to shop him. The Cowboys have not called Atlanta.

BSR: So this is likely his agent trying to drum up interest?

– Yes, but if you asked me would I take Terry Glenn with nicks or Joe Horn, I’d take Glenn.

BSR: If the team can’t fill this need via trade, does this mean they’ll turn more to a guy like Felix Jones as a receiver?

– I think Jason Garrett is a guy who wants to open things up and get the ball down the field. I think one of the bigger questions is: how fast can Felix Jones learn what’s going on? He has to be a blocker, a catcher and a runner.

He’s got the potential to be a matchup problem, because he’s an explosive player, and because Dallas has T.O. and Jason Witten and Marion Barber, who can play every down, and they’re legitimate weapons, so defense can’t just lock in on him. But they will if he’s not clear on his responsibilities. It’s going to be interesting to track him in the one-on-one drills in camp, to see how he does against linebackers. Will they rag doll him, or will be be able to stay square and hold his ground?

If he doesn’t picks things up fast enough he’s Reggie Bush, a guy you draw up special plays for. And he has to be better than that. If all he can do is run special plays just for him, defenses will clue in very quickly that he’s in the game to get the ball.

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