Gosselin: Surprisingly, help for Cowboys offensive line could already be on roster

boozeman

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Gosselin: Surprisingly, help for Dallas Cowboys offensive line could already be on roster


Rick Gosselin



rgosselin@dallasnews.com

Published: 17 May 2013 09:45 PM

Updated: 18 May 2013 12:31 AM

IRVING — The Cowboys believe they fixed the center position in the draft with the selection of Travis Frederick in the first round.

It will be up to offensive line coach Bill Callahan to fix the rest.

Help could be on the way for a blocking front that wasn’t good enough last season, and surprisingly, that help could come from within.

Specifically, David Arkin, Ronald Leary and Jermey Parnell — blockers with a combined one NFL start. Arkin has not played a snap in his first two NFL seasons, and Leary spent almost his entire rookie season in 2012 on the practice squad.

Callahan said all three will be competing for starting positions this summer as the Cowboys attempt to fix the weak link of any potential playoff contention. Frankly the Cowboys need them to compete for starting spots.

The blocking front of tackles Tyron Smith and Doug Free, guards Mackenzy Bernadeau and Nate Livings and center Ryan Cook did a poor job of protecting Tony Romo last season (career-high 36 sacks) and an even poorer job of opening holes for the running game (3.6 yards per carry, second worst in the NFL).

You can already pencil in first-round draft picks Smith and Frederick as starters. But the other three jobs could be up for grabs, which is where youngsters Arkin, Leary and Parnell enter the discussion.

“I feel good about these guys,” Callahan said. “I like these guys. They work their tails off. I like their athleticism. You see it flash. Now, are they flash players? Or are they consistent, NFL-type players who can project into a starting spot? That’s the challenge. How all this translates to pads, we’ll see. But I’m encouraged.”

Parnell has the best chance of starting. His competition at right tackle (Free) accepted a major pay cut this week. The two split time at the end of last season, and Parnell even started once — the Thanksgiving loss to the Redskins.

The Cowboys like Parnell because he has the stature to play right tackle. At 6-6, he has the length to steer pass rushers. At 311 pounds, he has the bulk to anchor against bull rushers.

The Cowboys liked Arkin enough to use a fourth-round draft pick on him in 2011. They liked Leary enough to give him a $40,000 signing bonus as an undrafted free agent last April — one of the largest such bonuses offered league-wide to an undrafted player in 2012.

All three spent the bulk of 2012 watching and learning. It’s time to find out about them. Now. Parnell is entering his fourth NFL season, Arkin his third and Leary his second. If any or all of them can make this offensive line better in 2013, they need to be on the field.

Arkin was a small-school guard (Missouri State) who spent his first summer adjusting to NFL speed and the elevated level of competition. He spent his second summer trying to learn a new position. Because of an injury to Phil Costa, Arkin wound up taking the most snaps at center in training camp.

“His development at guard was delayed because he couldn’t focus on the position,” Callahan said. “Here’s a guy who never played center before and now we tell him, go inside and play there. He went to training camp trying to improve his skill at guard, and now he has to take over the center spot, learn all the calls and all the adjustments — with the [first team] no less — and not disrupt any continuity or timing. And he did an admirable job.

“Then Costa comes back, and we bring in Cook late. After camp, we moved him back to guard. So in fairness to him, he didn’t get the reps he needed to take at guard. I’m not making excuses. I’m just telling you the facts.”

Arkin will get those repetitions at guard this summer. So will Leary.

“Ronald is thicker, stronger in his hips, and there’s more snap, more explosion,” Callahan said. “He has a better feel for pass protection now. And in the case of both Arkin and Leary, the game has seemingly slowed down for them some.”

Parnell was a lifelong basketball player who didn’t try football until his senior season at Ole Miss. He barely played. Still, the Saints signed him as an undrafted college free agent in 2010 and moved him to offense. New Orleans cut him in training camp, and Miami added him to their practice roster.

The Cowboys signed Parnell in October 2010, but he played on offense only once in his first two seasons — a 2011 game against Tampa Bay. Then Callahan arrived in 2012, and Parnell had to learn a new blocking system.

“A year ago he was in my office talking about how he could get better,” Callahan said. “He was trying to learn the basic structure of defenses. What is an over front? What is a two look? What is rotation? What does all that mean to me?

“So we spent an inordinate time on the board just showing him how defenses play, trying to get him to associate different looks with certain formations and trying to sharpen his anticipation.”

“This off-season he hasn’t even been in for that. He understands the structural part. He wants to study the technique part and focus on that. That’s been a real plus. Now he has to take it to the next level, a starter’s level.”

The sooner the better for Parnell. And Arkin and Leary, as well.
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Bill Callahan is a fricking idiot.
 

Smitty

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If even ONE of those guys panned out into a quality starter it would be ridiculously lucky.

For them to act like all three guys are legit prospects is pretty moronic.
 

NoDak

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Arkin is competing for a starting job?

Really?


:lol
 

Texas Ace

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Sad, but completely unsurprising.
 

p1_

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Callahan said David Arkin, Ronald Leary and Jermey Parnell all three will be competing for starting positions this summer. You can already pencil in first-round draft picks Smith and Frederick as starters. But the other three jobs could be up for grabs, which is where youngsters Arkin, Leary and Parnell enter the discussion.

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Each of these guys should be capable of challenging Free, Ber-nads and LivingDead. The competition may not be very close, especially where Free and 'Nads are concerned.
 

skidadl

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Don't worry guys. Jerry has made sure that the small school players have come in a reshaped their bodies. Xrays have been reviewed of any injuries and things look ready to roll. Mick Spags will be writing a piece soon to let us know how how things are progressing.
 

boozeman

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Callahan said David Arkin, Ronald Leary and Jermey Parnell all three will be competing for starting positions this summer. You can already pencil in first-round draft picks Smith and Frederick as starters. But the other three jobs could be up for grabs, which is where youngsters Arkin, Leary and Parnell enter the discussion.

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Each of these guys should be capable of challenging Free, Ber-nads and LivingDead. The competition may not be very close, especially where Free and 'Nads are concerned.
Dammit...get an avatar.
 

Smitty

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At least they are making it open season on the incumbents' jobs.
 

Carp

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I have hope for Leary...I just hope his health does not become an issue. That is really the thing that kept him from being drafted.
 

VA Cowboy

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Same BS we get every offseason. The scrubs from last year's roster are going to be the ANSWER this year. :dunce
 
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