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By Bob Sturm 1h ago
The good news about mid-to-late June is that we have almost navigated through all of the “NFL offseason” as we have managed to kill off all but five weeks or so until the opening of training camp.
The bad news about mid-to-late June is that there should probably be almost nothing left to discuss before the first practice of training camp happens and we are down to the bottom of the barrel for talking points and arguments about what might be in the 2021 season. Of course, the NFL MVP still seems annoyed at his present tense in life and that has to qualify as a major story and all, but given that we wouldn’t anticipate either side budging until several weeks after camp begins, it sort of looks like what we see will be what we have for the foreseeable future.
Thankfully, the playoffs continue in the NBA and NHL, we have golf majors and Olympic Games and even a pennant race (for places that have teams not trying to win the top 2022 MLB Draft choice), so we should all survive without NFL news.
But, you readers and subscribers are great at bringing up pertinent and relevant Cowboys’ topics of the day, so let’s reach deep into the Cowboys mailbag:
Since last year the linebackers seemed to constantly have o-linemen unhindered while getting to their second-level blocks. How much confidence do you have that will change this year just by adding a 3rd round DT, a late-round NT, and a couple of cheap free agents? I’m hoping a different scheme under DQ helps, but it’s just hope right now. — Joe in Montrose, Pa.
I think that it has been one of the real focuses of the entire offseason plan. The defense has understood that one of its massive shortcomings in recent years has been the diminished ability for the linebackers to be able to get a clean look and run at the ball. So, they have brought in several large defensive tackles who should really be a piece of the puzzle. From Brent Urban to Carlos Watkins as veterans that kept them from having to reach deep into the draft to what they did find with their picks. The picks of Osa Odighizuwa and Quinton Bohanna should add some strength inside that demands attention and double teams. If there is one thing I have been very pleased with this offseason, it would be the attention to this matter. It doesn’t require massive investment in top-end resources, but the 2020 defensive tackle situation was a disaster and it wasn’t on Mike Nolan. It was on the personnel department not having “strength in numbers” and I believe they have addressed that well. We shall see.
If Tyron and/or La’el go down for a month this Fall, are you comfortable with Josh Ball, Brandon Knight, or Terence Steele filling in? Is there an experienced veteran swing tackle out there to target on a one-year deal? — Charles in Mansfield
Yes, there is, Charles! And the Cowboys have signed him already! You will be happy to know that Ty Nsekhe has been one of the better veteran swing tackles who can fill in for a good stretch and not be outclassed on the market. He is also a DFW product and they brought him on a one-year/$1.75 million deal from Buffalo and even though he is getting up there in age — he will turn 36 during the season — but I have always enjoyed his overall ability and I think they are in better hands than they have been at swing tackle in a few years. I guess we will have to see about that. As for Ball/Knight/Steele, they all have promise, but one or two of them will probably not even make the team because you cannot keep that many tackles on a roster, most likely.
With Quinn in as DC and his background in 4-3, why would his base be a 3-4 with Dallas? I understand you’re not in base hardly ever but it seems strange. — Brad G.
His base is very much a 4-3 that may look like a 3-4 so this is all going to serve to confuse and confound. But, I will continue to point out that there is an enormous amount of talk about something that will be used about 15 plays per game. Even then, the scheme is built around trying to confuse the offense by having hybrids and jokers who can be “either/or” guys who you won’t know until the play is actually in motion. I think the bottom line on much of this is that they will be in nickel most of the time (65 percent or so) and then dime will be there (about 20 percent more), too. That leaves roughly 15 percent to maybe 20 percent of plays that will end up being in base (just four defensive backs) but even then you will have two of the linebackers who are also borderline safeties in Keanu Neal and Jabril Cox. In other words, as this sport evolves to try to find position-less players and just put 11 athletes on the field, the designations of personnel groupings on defense will be more and more confusing to those who want black-and-white definitions.
Hear me out. You’re great at the details of data, but I think you’re good at also highlighting the intangibles. It seems that Dak is leading this whole team. It was very evident when the air when out of the team during Dak’s injury. But when Tony got hurt, it never seemed to deflate the team the same way. Just a thought of an example, but there are many other examples as well. I think a massive difference in this next decade of football will be watching a real leader perform and lead, vs. a guy who just performed. — Josh
Without wandering too far into the Tony Romo narrative of how good of a leader he was and whether he actually was seen as a guy in the room the group would fight for, I would simply agree with you on the Prescott premise. He is a natural-born leader and it is clear his guys love him. That will not be easy to maintain as the money he receives will be so substantially beyond that of anyone else on the roster. This often causes an unintentional separation, but it can be overcome. I think Prescott’s best weapon is his unflappable personality and his even demeanor that never seems rattled or losing his mind. We’ll see if that can equate to great team success, but there was a division in the locker room back in 2008 when the players had major issues with how the QB and coaches seemed to divide the room. Of course, Terrell Owens had his place, so it is tough to know where the blame would be properly placed.
Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard (Tim Heitman/ USA Today)
Will Tony Pollard get more touches this season and why is the answer no? — Jack
Haha, I think he will, but I think the Cowboys’ willingness to give Ezekiel Elliott a more controlled role and to use Pollard’s exceptional tools needs to be seen before we fully believe it. I would also like to see the offensive staff and Kellen Moore put a little more into the offense with regards to this the old “WEB” or “whatever back” that they talked about when they acquired him in the draft as a RB/WR/slot guy. For instance, we see a lot of motion now, but do we see the motions used like the offensive leaders? The orbit motions, the jet motions, and of course, even the down-and-back motions that really make a defense wrong. Relative to the league, I would like to see Dallas catch up a bit to what we have seen from several of the more creative motion teams in the league even more in 2021.
Hey Bob, if the Cowboys have a top 3 offense and make the playoffs, I expect Kellen Moore will get head coaching offers from other teams. Would the Cowboys consider letting go of McCarthy to keep him? That would probably be awkward internally, but if he really is the next Sean Payton or Sean McVay, would hate to see him leave just to keep McCarthy. — Anton S.
I cannot stress this enough, but the difference between being a decent offensive coordinator who has the offensive roster that Kellen Moore has and being a decent head coach is pretty vast. At the same time, some can do it and without much of a transition. I would like to see Moore take the next step and force teams to consider him for a head coaching job. But, no, I am not terribly close to considering the possibility of firing a coach off a successful 2021 because I don’t want to lose Kellen Moore. If Moore has a good year then McCarthy will also have a good year. I think McCarthy is used to playoff success, division titles and deep postseason runs. Those coaches do not grow on trees, so I guess I remain on this shaky limb of thinking he knows what he is doing and everyone needs to understand that 2020 was not one where any human coaching the Cowboys would have come out of it smelling like a rose. It was a disastrous season and many of the culprits were out of the control of a head coach — a broken ankle to his quarterback, the loss of his three best offensive linemen for a huge amount of the season and a worldwide pandemic far exceed anything he failed at.
Is it realistic to expect more production out of Randy Gregory? Lawrence could use the help. He’s played so few games and has shown flashes of being the pass rusher they expected when drafting him, but is he going to be known as the “he could’ve been” guy? — Kevin B.
In his last 20 games, Randy Gregory has 9.5 sacks, 5 forced fumbles, and 11 tackles for loss. If he can put together a 16-game season anything close to that, the Cowboys will be very pleased and will talk contract with him for sure. I will happily examine his future very soon in an upcoming piece, but for the most part, all he needs is a full season to produce. When he plays, he is a handful for sure. And he has a lot on the line in 2021, to say the least.
If McCarthy struggles, is Quinn the coach? If so, was Quinn brought in just in case of this scenario so he could be a bridge between the coaches and players? — Matts D.
Again, just like the Kellen Moore situation, I see where people can see a scenario where the McCarthy run here is two years and done because they have a potential head coach at both coordinator spots. But, I have not wavered and have not seen information that leads me in a different direction at all. They have a very solid roster which can absolutely compete in the NFC playoff picture and I expect them to have a very solid season. If they do, McCarthy will likely be here for the length of his contract (2024), but if he does not, then they have internal options. The real key is if they are right about their QB. If Prescott can play the best season of his career in 2021, then clearly all of this heat that people think is currently on the head coach’s rear-end will fade away quickly and we will look back at this mailbag with a laugh or two.
Look, this NFC East has three opponents who all look beatable. Philadelphia and New York just don’t have enough in my estimation and the Eagles are likely not even trying to win. That leaves Washington and while we all thought they were a bold strike at QB1 away from being a massive problem, I submit they didn’t take that bold strike and Ryan Fitzpatrick is a slightly better version of Alex Smith. I think Washington is a real decent contender for sure, but not one that Dallas cannot compete with by any stretch. It looked like a mismatch without your offensive pieces, but they will all be back now. In other words, I like where Dallas is currently at.
Of course, on June 17, we certainly don’t know what is around the next curve in the road. Let’s talk again next week.