Archer: Bubble watch: Danny Coale

Todd Archer | ESPNDallas.com

With the Cowboys set to open practice on Sunday, ESPN Dallas takes a look at players fighting to make the 53-man roster and how they might potentially fit on the roster in 2013.

Name: Danny Coale

Position: Wide receiver

Contract status: Signed through 2014

Why he should make it: Coale was a fifth-round pick last year, and teams will be patient with their selections. He has the ability to play inside and outside and can play in a couple of special teams roles as well, which is important for players fighting for the final roster spot. He gets by more on precision than speed. Knowing where to go and when to get there should help his case with Tony Romo.

Why he should not make it: Is his knee 100 percent? He did not take part in all of the offseason because of a torn ACL last December but did more in the June minicamp. He will have to push through the injury to make a name for himself. He will have to fight his way on the roster with guys who showed last season they can handle different roles in Dwayne Harris and Cole Beasley. His best bet would be if the Cowboys kept six wide receivers, but that might be a luxury they cannot afford.

Main competition: Cole Beasley, Anthony Armstrong, Tim Benford, Eric Rogers, Anthony Amos

Chance to make roster: 25%

I think it's smarter to keep 6 WRs this year than 5 based on that it's a position of some depth for us.

No sense in going long somewhere else with a lesser player.

I would like to keep 6 as well...so that means Weems, McCray, or Hayden probably have to go.

Carp said:

I would like to keep 6 as well...so that means Weems, McCray, or Hayden probably have to go.

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No issue with any of those guys going.

I'd much rather have an extra OL, DL, LB, or even TE or ST specialist than Cole Beasley. He is a waste of a roster spot. Give me Coale over him for sure, and I'd take Laurent Robinson after week one to minimize the injury risk.

Carp said:

Chance to make roster: 25%

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This is f'ing retarded. I'm betting this guy has Beasley at a stone cold lock.

I agree that I'd suspect Coale is hands down better (more potential) than Beasley, but you know how our roster is. Guys get teflon. Seems like Beasley may have already achieved that.

mschmidt64 said:

I agree that I'd suspect Coale is hands down better (more potential) than Beasley, but you know how our roster is. Guys get teflon. Seems like Beasley may have already achieved that.

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It's embarrassing. I'd look high and low just to find anyone who could remember their patterns, catch the ball, and not get hurt. No matter who you find they'd be faster than Beasley who's a one-trick pony and it's a pathetic trick that only works because he's tiny and gets ignored.

Well, I don't want to say Beasley is "embarrassing."

As sad as it might be there are plenty of guys in the league who don't know how to run routes or catch balls cleanly. Beasley at least does that. I'd have no problem with him as the 5th WR if he wins that job, and on a worse team I could see him having some value in that role.

But I think Coale is a nice prospect and could be more than that someday if not already. He deserves a chance to make the roster too and I wouldn't want to see Beasley get the last spot over him solely on the basis of what Beasley did last year.

I'm of the mind that a professional receiver should be able to run a route reliably, catch the ball, have some durability, and should be taller, stronger, and heavier than me. His game doesn't allow him to use his speed. Beasley's 8.5 yards per catch was about as bad as it got in the NFL. Only two WR's leaguewide (with at least 15 catches) averaged less.

OTOH I'd love for Coale to make the squad, but he's always hurt-- two training camps in a row, and who knows how badly knee and foot injuries have affected his 4.4 speed.

This is as worthy of churn as any position on the team. If Beasley's still the team's 5th WR, then the front office just hasn't done its job (again).

ravidubey said:

I'm of the mind that a professional receiver should be able to run a route reliably, catch the ball, have some durability, and should be taller, stronger, and heavier than me. His game doesn't allow him to use his speed. Beasley's 8.5 yards per catch was about as bad as it got in the NFL. Only two WR's leaguewide (with at least 15 catches) averaged less.

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Yeah, but you'd still take Beasley over Kevin Ogletree, right? And look at the contract Ogletree got in Tampa. 2 years, $2.6 mil.

mschmidt64 said:

Yeah, but you'd still take Beasley over Kevin Ogletree, right? And look at the contract Ogletree got in Tampa. 2 years, $2.6 mil.

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If forced to choose I'd take Ogletree without a second thought. He's faster, taller, and actually threatens the defense. Beasley's greatest asset is that people tend to ignore him in the center of the defense and you can only draw from that well so much. Once defenses catch on, his catch to target ratio will drop greatly. I'd much rather put John Hannah in that role.

I'd like my 5th WR to have the potential to start one day and barring catastrophic 11th hour injuries Cole Beasley will never, ever start a game in the NFL.

ravidubey said:

If forced to choose I'd take Ogletree without a second thought. He's faster, taller, and actually threatens the defense. Beasley's greatest asset is that people tend to ignore him in the center of the defense and you can only draw from that well so much. Once defenses catch on, his catch to target ratio will drop greatly. I'd much rather put John Hannah in that role.

I'd like my 5th WR to have the potential to start one day and barring catastrophic 11th hour injuries Cole Beasley will never, ever start a game in the NFL.

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I wouldn't take Ogletree over anybody. That shithead can't play.

boozeman said:

I wouldn't take Ogletree over anybody. That shithead can't play.

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Nope. You can't rely on him. He is way too inconsistent.

ravidubey said:

I'm of the mind that a professional receiver should be able to run a route reliably, catch the ball, have some durability, and should be taller, stronger, and heavier than me. His game doesn't allow him to use his speed. Beasley's 8.5 yards per catch was about as bad as it got in the NFL. Only two WR's leaguewide (with at least 15 catches) averaged less.

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I don't know if Beasley has enough catches to really call his YPC a meaningful statistic. With that being said Beasley is a very specific type of WR. He has a role in the NFL but I just think it is a very limited role. He is a small WR who can beat you with quickness and make plays on certain routes. He has absolutely no long speed and is pretty worthless running other routes. Basically he is a tiny possession WR who you hope can break some tackles or make people miss and get you yards. I don't like WR's like that because I think they are very limited, but I can see how he could have a specific role in an offense.

I bet we try to get him on the PS again this year.

Cowboysrock55 said:

Basically he is a tiny possession WR who you hope can break some tackles or make people miss and get you yards. I don't like WR's like that because I think they are very limited, but I can see how he could have a specific role in an offense.

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And that's the dilemma. If he contributes strongly on ST's then I'd be fine with it, but a whole roster spot just for those few plays in a year where he makes short possession catches passes across the middle-- eh, give me Hannah instead. As I said before Beasley will never start, and as disappointed as we are in Ogletree he has started at least a couple of NFL games before and made a serious impact in one.