Calvin’s Cowboys notes: Moore’s philosophy, the wide receiver bubble and more

Cotton

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By Calvin Watkins 4h ago

Cowboys offensive coordinator Kellen Moore was asked what his offensive philosophy is last week. On face value, that should be an easy question to answer given Moore’s new responsibilities as the offensive play caller. Moore couldn’t answer it. Maybe he was being coy. Maybe he really didn’t have one.

His foundation as a coach is built on the spread offense he ran in college and the timing-based offense the Cowboys employ. They’re two vastly different schemes, so perhaps it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the answer Moore did give was rooted in a hodgepodge of philosophies.

“You take bits and pieces of everywhere,” he said. “From high school, my dad was a high school coach, (I) learned a lot from him foundationally. College at Boise with Coach (Chris) Petersen, and then different spots, whether it’s Detroit or whether it’s here. Different people you interact with, you can pull bits and pieces from everyone and piece it all together and hopefully comes out with something well.”

So far, what’s come out is something unexpected given those roots. During the two OTA practices open to the media, the Cowboys have run tight formations with 11 personnel. Dak Prescott is doing everything from throwing short, quick passes at slot receivers such as Randall Cobb to intermediate throws over the middle to running bootlegs. The key, though, is how it’s set up. The Cowboys are trying to use the same formation but run different things out of it, similar to the Los Angeles Rams. That is the opposite of what Moore did at Boise State and what the Cowboys displayed in 2018 with Scott Linehan as the offensive coordinator. It might be difficult to pinpoint what Moore is trying to accomplish from a philosophy standpoint because he’s not running an offense he was raised on. So Moore will try new things utilizing the speed of this team.

“It’s a nice little blend that’s been established here,” Moore said. “Certainly the (offensive) system has been in place for a while with Coach (Jason) Garrett. I understand the system, recognizing it and then being able to naturally in terms as a different play caller. There are different voices each year, there’s going to be different spins on it and different presentations that maybe you can experience elsewhere that you can incorporate into it.”

Another thing he’s doing is listening. Linehan wasn’t open to taking suggestions from players. That’s changing under Moore.

“I think, at the end of the day, it’s a collaborative effort,” Moore said. “It starts with the coaching staff (and) what we do all offseason. But you like hearing how players feel about certain things, whether it’s Dak, whether it’s Zeke (Elliott) or (Jason Witten), or whoever it may be. Sometimes, it justifies things and you have to explain things better. Certainly, I think there’s nothing wrong with this being a collaborative effort.” [HR][/HR]
The Cowboys have 12 wide receivers on their 90-man roster and it’s safe to assume Cobb, Amari Cooper and Michael Gallup will make the final 53. If the Cowboys keep six receivers, nine players will fight for three spots.

Jon’vea Johnson, Reggie Davis and Lance Lenoir Jr., have been impressive through two weeks of OTAs. That doesn’t mean these three will make the roster, but Moore is set on using more speed on the field, which should give Johnson, who ran a 4.40 40 at his Pro Day at Toledo, plenty of chances to showcase his skills.

The Cowboys also have two veterans, Allen Hurns and Tavon Austin, on the bubble. Hurns has nearly recovered from a broken ankle but the Cowboys are reluctant to pay his $4 million base salary. The team also hasn’t approached his agent about a pay cut, which wouldn’t occur until late August if it’s determined he will make the 53-man roster. Austin, meanwhile, was supposed to provide a spark for the offense last year, and he did in short spurts until a groin injury cost him a significant part of the year. If the Cowboys can get production from younger, inexperienced players, vets such as Hurns and Austin become expendable. [HR][/HR]
Defensive end Robert Quinn was acquired with the hope of finding a productive pass rusher to complement DeMarcus Lawrence. So far, so good. Quinn has been impressive in OTAs, especially against Connor Williams in 11-on-11 sessions.

But Quinn is more than a pass rusher. For the last three seasons, Quinn raised a fist during the national anthem to raise awareness of police brutality and other social ills. It’s a stance that bears monitoring. Jerry Jones said last year he wants his players to stand at attention during the national anthem with “toes on the line.” That didn’t happen last year. During the national anthem, there were two sets of players who stood for the anthem. The first group stood with “toes on the line” while a second group lingered near the bench area. Tyrone Crawford was among those who stood near the bench but indicated no one was protesting anything. Stephen Jones said he didn’t have a problem with two sets of groups standing for the national anthem. Jones said there wasn’t enough room for every player to stand on the sidelines nearest the field.

The Cowboys talked to Quinn about his quiet demonstrations during the national anthem but nothing was determined if it would continue in 2019.

“Right now, I’m focused on football,” he said. “We’ll see where it goes.” [HR][/HR]
Here’s a look at ten players who might need to worry about their roster spots in late July. We’ll change this list from time-to-time.

  1. QB Mike White: He was third-string last year and has taken some reps with the second group during this offseason program. White most likely will make the squad, but his range of possibilities is wide. There’s a chance he surpasses Cooper Rush, and a chance he winds up being released.
  2. WR Tavon Austin: We talked about him earlier, and it seems Cobb and some younger players might push him to the unemployment line. Austin’s ability to return punts gives him a chance.
  3. WR Allen Hurns: If Hurns can return from his broken ankle and outplay Hurns, he might be around. Of course, that $4 million base salary doesn’t help his cause.
  4. TE Rico Gathers: This has to be it, right? Gathers made the roster last year but with Jason Witten on the squad, it’s doubtful the Cowboys keep four tight ends in 2019.
  5. G/C Adam Richmond: The Cowboys selected Connor McGovern in the third round to provide depth and position flexibility to the interior. That creates problems for Richmond.
  6. T Mitch Hyatt: He’s listed at 6-foot-5 and 306 pounds. Like Connor Williams last year, Hyatt’s arms don’t look developed, so he might need another year in an NFL weight-lifting program to get stronger.
  7. DE Taco Charlton: He’s been put on notice this offseason. The Cowboys traded for Quinn and signed Kerry Hyder in free agency. Charlton is recovering from ankle surgery, making his return date uncertain. Charlton was in the doghouse last year, and his play was below average.
  8. S George Iloka: He’s supposed to be the consolation prize for the Cowboys, who passed on Earl Thomas’ contract demands. But Iloka lingered behind Jeff Heath on the depth chart in OTAs.
  9. S Darian Thompson: He’s got good size — six-foot-4 — but it’s a numbers game at this position. Thompson might need to impress on special teams.
  10. S Donovan Wilson: The Cowboys like this sixth-round pick from Texas A&M, but Iloka, Thompson and Heath are all fighting for spots. Wilson has impressed the coaches so far.
 

boozeman

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Certainly the (offensive) system has been in place for a while with Coach (Jason) Garrett.
The word "same" operative word here.

It is still Garrett's system at its core. This is basically like the same sauce, just some different spices.
 

L.T. Fan

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Key operative word here.

It is still Garrett's system at its core. This is basically like the same sauce, just some different spices.
It may be at this time but I think the transition will begin this season and depending on how quickly the players react will determine the speed of the transition.
 

p1_

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It may be at this time but I think the transition will begin this season and depending on how quickly the players react will determine the speed of the transition.
what do you think the end result will be of said transition? What will it become?
 

Simpleton

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The end result is that we narrowly make or miss the playoffs, then narrowly win or lose 1 playoff game if we do make it, and then Garrett is fired. I truly believe that barring a rash of injuries or suspensions that Garrett will be fired if we don't make the NFCC.
 

boozeman

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The end result is that we narrowly make or miss the playoffs, then narrowly win or lose 1 playoff game if we do make it, and then Garrett is fired. I truly believe that barring a rash of injuries or suspensions that Garrett will be fired if we don't make the NFCC.
Not falling for it. We will likely get the same song and dance from the Joneses about Garrett unless they just completely miss out on the postseason.

I have yet to hear either one of them say anything strong enough to indicate it is NFCC game or bust for him.
 

Cotton

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p1_

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Not falling for it. We will likely get the same song and dance from the Joneses about Garrett unless they just completely miss out on the postseason.

I have yet to hear either one of them say anything strong enough to indicate it is NFCC game or bust for him.
Stephen said the equivalent of title game or bust. He said the expectation is that we proceed further in the playoffs this coming season.
 

boozeman

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Stephen said the equivalent of title game or bust. He said the expectation is that we proceed further in the playoffs this coming season.
You have a direct quote on that? I don't recall anything nearly that specific.
 

p1_

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You have a direct quote on that? I don't recall anything nearly that specific.
Tuesday, Feb 26, 2019

Asked about head coach Jason Garrett entering the final year of his contract, Jones pointed out that the team has been in this position before with Garrett. In 2014, the Cowboys won the NFC East and Garrett received a new five-year deal. “No one wants Jason to be around here for the long term more than the Jones family,” he said. “No one thinks more of him than we do. But at the same time, I know he uses it (the phrase) – ‘everybody’s back is against the wall right now.’ We’ve got a really good young team. We’ve got high expectations for this young team. And everybody, from Jason to his staff, to our players, to ownership, to the organization, feels the pressure to take the next step. Our fans deserve that.”


I interpret 'next step' to be specifically meaning the next step in the playoffs. I could be wrong.

https://www.dallascowboys.com/news/stephen-jones-on-dak-s-future-garrett-zeke
 

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what do you think the end result will be of said transition? What will it become?
An offense with a versatile game plan and less predictable. The system will probably be schemes that play to the strengths of the personnel and will adapt to circumstances. If you are asking me what type of offense it will be, I don’t know what it will be but Moore has a tendency for deception so I guess it could be anything tied to the Air systems. I dont think anyone knows presently.
 

boozeman

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And everybody, from Jason to his staff, to our players, to ownership, to the organization, feels the pressure to take the next step. Our fans deserve that.”
Yeah, gotta infer a bit from this. Feeling pressure is not the same as being put on notice with a firm expectation.
 

Cotton

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An offense with a versatile game plan and less predictable. The system will probably be schemes that play to the strengths of the personnel and will adapt to circumstances. If you are asking me what type of offense it will be, I don’t know what it will be but Moore has a tendency for deception so I guess it could be anything tied to the Air systems. I dont think anyone knows presently.
Nobody on this board knows Moore's tendencies as he has yet to even call a single NFL game.
 

p1_

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Yeah, gotta infer a bit from this. Feeling pressure is not the same as being put on notice with a firm expectation.
I agree. Stephen won’t come out with a mandate in n a public forum. This is close as he gets, and my desperate ass will take it.
 

1bigfan13

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One thing that I'm interested in but haven't seen mentioned in these article about Kelleen Moore and the offense is how well and how quickly is Dak processing the information (pre & post snap) and is he throwing with more anticipation.

Those were the two areas he struggled the most with the past couple of seasons. It seemed like he was still operating at college speed on too many occasions.
 

1bigfan13

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Yeah, gotta infer a bit from this. Feeling pressure is not the same as being put on notice with a firm expectation.
I have a hard time believing Jerry will part ways with him if they put up a similar season as 2018.
 

p1_

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I have a hard time believing Jerry will part ways with him if they put up a similar season as 2018.
how similar? 10-6 with a single playoff win and loss? Thats not 'next step' material to me.
 

boozeman

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I have a hard time believing Jerry will part ways with him if they put up a similar season as 2018.
That would just mean a shorter extension. NFCCG = lifetime contract.
 

L.T. Fan

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Nobody on this board knows Moore's tendencies as he has yet to even call a single NFL game.
Moore has had a pretty long career for his age with his dads systems and a college career under Petersen who used a significant amount of deceptive plays and alignments, it seems reasonable that he will in incorporate this in his schemes and game plans.
 
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