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In Cole Beasley, Ryan Switzer, Cowboys go 'Dak friendly'
Todd Archer
ESPN Staff Writer
FRISCO, Texas -- When the Dallas Cowboys selected Ryan Switzer in the fourth round of last week's draft, the receiver’s punt-return ability was lauded most.
He had a school-record seven punt returns for touchdowns at North Carolina, one shy of the NCAA record.
But the Cowboys have more visions for Switzer than just a punt returner. They view him as another Cole Beasley.
Beasley led the Cowboys with 75 receptions last season, quickly becoming a Dak Prescott favorite because of his ability to win on routes early.
Owner and general manager Jerry Jones called Switzer a "Dak-friendly pick," which is perhaps the first time he swung the tag from "Romo friendly," to "Dak friendly."
The NFL is becoming -- or has become -- a "space player" game. Beasley is one of the more effective space players in the league. The New England Patriots operate one of the best offenses in the NFL without a narrowly defined No. 1 receiver by having space players like Julian Edelman and Danny Amendola.
Edelman, listed at 200 pounds, has a thicker build but has the quickness to find spots in the middle of the field. He also plays more on the outside with Amendola, listed at 190 pounds, playing mostly the slot. Beasley and Switzer are 5-foot-8 and weigh about 180 pounds.
Of Edelman’s 98 catches last season, 63 came from the slot. Of Amendola’s 23 catches, 20 came from the slot.
"He’s a very good inside receiver as a slot, a lot of the same traits that Cole Beasley has and his ability to get away from people in man-to-man coverage, to find soft spots in zone coverage, very productive, very quarterback-friendly," coach Jason Garrett said of Switzer. "You can see him playing in Beasley’s role. You can see him playing in an offensive package where both those guys are out on the field at the same time. Really a productive football player in everything they asked him to do, and he took advantage of his opportunities."
The Cowboys will have to show some creativity to get Beasley and Switzer on the field at the same time, especially with how well tight end Jason Witten works the middle of the field. Back in 2013, the Cowboys drafted tight end Gavin Escobar in the second round with the idea that he would be an Aaron Hernandez type to Witten's Rob Gronkowski type. It never happened in four years.
It is possible Switzer, who played running back in high school, can do some of the things in space the Cowboys asked Lance Dunbar and Lucky Whitehead to do the past few seasons, creating mismatches in the screen game or with jet sweeps.
Switzer, who helped Mitchell Trubisky become the No. 2 pick in the draft with 96 catches for 1,112 yards and six touchdowns last season, has studied Beasley a ton over the past few years.
"He plays the game the way it is supposed to be played," Switzer said. "He is a tough cover one-on-one and he knows how to work zones as well. This fourth year for me as a receiver was the best because the game slowed down for me. I was able to feel things out. I was able to read coverages post-snap. In the Carolina offense, we had a lot of post-snap route recognitions where we had to determine what route to run. I think that helped me a lot. Hopefully I can continue to grow because I know my ceiling is really high as a receiver."
Todd Archer
ESPN Staff Writer
FRISCO, Texas -- When the Dallas Cowboys selected Ryan Switzer in the fourth round of last week's draft, the receiver’s punt-return ability was lauded most.
He had a school-record seven punt returns for touchdowns at North Carolina, one shy of the NCAA record.
But the Cowboys have more visions for Switzer than just a punt returner. They view him as another Cole Beasley.
Beasley led the Cowboys with 75 receptions last season, quickly becoming a Dak Prescott favorite because of his ability to win on routes early.
Owner and general manager Jerry Jones called Switzer a "Dak-friendly pick," which is perhaps the first time he swung the tag from "Romo friendly," to "Dak friendly."
The NFL is becoming -- or has become -- a "space player" game. Beasley is one of the more effective space players in the league. The New England Patriots operate one of the best offenses in the NFL without a narrowly defined No. 1 receiver by having space players like Julian Edelman and Danny Amendola.
Edelman, listed at 200 pounds, has a thicker build but has the quickness to find spots in the middle of the field. He also plays more on the outside with Amendola, listed at 190 pounds, playing mostly the slot. Beasley and Switzer are 5-foot-8 and weigh about 180 pounds.
Of Edelman’s 98 catches last season, 63 came from the slot. Of Amendola’s 23 catches, 20 came from the slot.
"He’s a very good inside receiver as a slot, a lot of the same traits that Cole Beasley has and his ability to get away from people in man-to-man coverage, to find soft spots in zone coverage, very productive, very quarterback-friendly," coach Jason Garrett said of Switzer. "You can see him playing in Beasley’s role. You can see him playing in an offensive package where both those guys are out on the field at the same time. Really a productive football player in everything they asked him to do, and he took advantage of his opportunities."
The Cowboys will have to show some creativity to get Beasley and Switzer on the field at the same time, especially with how well tight end Jason Witten works the middle of the field. Back in 2013, the Cowboys drafted tight end Gavin Escobar in the second round with the idea that he would be an Aaron Hernandez type to Witten's Rob Gronkowski type. It never happened in four years.
It is possible Switzer, who played running back in high school, can do some of the things in space the Cowboys asked Lance Dunbar and Lucky Whitehead to do the past few seasons, creating mismatches in the screen game or with jet sweeps.
Switzer, who helped Mitchell Trubisky become the No. 2 pick in the draft with 96 catches for 1,112 yards and six touchdowns last season, has studied Beasley a ton over the past few years.
"He plays the game the way it is supposed to be played," Switzer said. "He is a tough cover one-on-one and he knows how to work zones as well. This fourth year for me as a receiver was the best because the game slowed down for me. I was able to feel things out. I was able to read coverages post-snap. In the Carolina offense, we had a lot of post-snap route recognitions where we had to determine what route to run. I think that helped me a lot. Hopefully I can continue to grow because I know my ceiling is really high as a receiver."
