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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.
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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.