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Breaking Down the ‘Boys: Top 5 Dallas Cowboys in Preseason
By Jonathan Bales
9:35 am on August 20, 2012
During the season, I grade the Cowboys based on my film study. Each individual player gets a letter grade, and I’ll be sharing those on SportsDay DFW throughout the year.
When I break down the film, I watch each play a minimum of three times (most plays get more attention), collecting data on things like motions, checks, formations, personnel, pass length, run location, blitzes, coverage, routes, and a whole lot of other stuff that makes me a huge nerd.
While watching the same plays again and again and tracking the results in Excel probably sounds worse than a trip to the dentist for most of you, it gives me a chance to really understand the strengths and weaknesses of each player.
To kick off my 2012 grades, I figured I’d discuss the top five players I’ve seen on film through two preseason games. Before diving into my top guys, let’s take a quick look at a few other high-performing Cowboys. . .
Just missed the cut: Chris Jones, Mario Butler, James Hanna, Tyron Smith
- I was skeptical when the Cowboys let punter Mat McBriar walk, but Jones looks like a more than capable replacement. He’s got a huge leg and, unlike McBriar, he’s actually quite athletic.
- Butler has been all over the field thus far in preseason, particularly against the Chargers. He has cornerback/safety versatility that Rob Ryan will be sure to love.
- Hanna has looked explosive off of the line and out of breaks. He’s a natural receiver and reminds me a lot of Aaron Hernandez in New England.
- Breaking news: Smith actually whiffed on a block against San Diego. It was the only negative play I’ve seen from the second-year stud this preseason.
Now onto the top five. . .
5. Barry Church
Like I discussed in my breakdown of Church, we need to see how he will perform in coverage before placing all of our trust in him. On film, though, Church hasn’t made any major mistakes. He has also been an excellent tackler during his young career, even racking up the highest tackle (10.5 percent) rate of any Cowboys player last year.
4. DeMarco Murray
While we all have enormous hopes for Murray, let’s not forget that Cowboys fans “knew” Julius Jones and Marion Barber would be superstars. In an article I wrote on the differences between Julius and DeMarco, however, I explained why Murray is different.
And it doesn’t take an advanced degree in statistics to watch Murray play and realize he might be something special. Unlike Julius, who averaged just 4.16 yards-per-carry as a rookie, Murray doesn’t go down on first contact. He’s a versatile running back who is just getting better and better. He reminds me a lot of LeSean McCoy.
3. Adrian Hamilton
Hamilton should be getting a whole lot more press than he is right now. I guess undrafted players from Prairie View A&M don’t get most people too excited, but this kid has stood out on film. There are only two players on the roster that have displayed the same type of explosiveness off of the ball as Hamilton: DeMarcus Ware and my next top player. . .
2. Victor Butler
You’re going to hear me talk about Butler a lot this season. A whole lot. He’s the most underrated player on the team, in my opinion, and it isn’t even close. The guy has posted a higher pressure rate (7.9 percent) than Anthony Spencer and a greater tackle rate (4.6 percent) than DeMarcus Ware. No, he doesn’t rush the passer on every play—it’s 51.9 percent of snaps, compared to 53.2 percent for Ware.
Butler has been sensational this preseason. The question many ask is if he can hold up against the run on the strong side. The answer is yes.
1. Brandon Carr
Carr is already toying with quarterbacks, twice baiting Philip Rivers into throwing bad balls in the Cowboys’ second preseason game. Prior to Dallas even showing interest in the cornerback, I wrote an article urging them to bring in Carr. He allowed just a 61.7 passer rating and 45.9 percent completion rate in 2011. He has looked like All-Pro material already in 2012.
By Jonathan Bales
9:35 am on August 20, 2012
During the season, I grade the Cowboys based on my film study. Each individual player gets a letter grade, and I’ll be sharing those on SportsDay DFW throughout the year.
When I break down the film, I watch each play a minimum of three times (most plays get more attention), collecting data on things like motions, checks, formations, personnel, pass length, run location, blitzes, coverage, routes, and a whole lot of other stuff that makes me a huge nerd.
While watching the same plays again and again and tracking the results in Excel probably sounds worse than a trip to the dentist for most of you, it gives me a chance to really understand the strengths and weaknesses of each player.
To kick off my 2012 grades, I figured I’d discuss the top five players I’ve seen on film through two preseason games. Before diving into my top guys, let’s take a quick look at a few other high-performing Cowboys. . .
Just missed the cut: Chris Jones, Mario Butler, James Hanna, Tyron Smith
- I was skeptical when the Cowboys let punter Mat McBriar walk, but Jones looks like a more than capable replacement. He’s got a huge leg and, unlike McBriar, he’s actually quite athletic.
- Butler has been all over the field thus far in preseason, particularly against the Chargers. He has cornerback/safety versatility that Rob Ryan will be sure to love.
- Hanna has looked explosive off of the line and out of breaks. He’s a natural receiver and reminds me a lot of Aaron Hernandez in New England.
- Breaking news: Smith actually whiffed on a block against San Diego. It was the only negative play I’ve seen from the second-year stud this preseason.
Now onto the top five. . .
5. Barry Church
Like I discussed in my breakdown of Church, we need to see how he will perform in coverage before placing all of our trust in him. On film, though, Church hasn’t made any major mistakes. He has also been an excellent tackler during his young career, even racking up the highest tackle (10.5 percent) rate of any Cowboys player last year.
4. DeMarco Murray
While we all have enormous hopes for Murray, let’s not forget that Cowboys fans “knew” Julius Jones and Marion Barber would be superstars. In an article I wrote on the differences between Julius and DeMarco, however, I explained why Murray is different.
And it doesn’t take an advanced degree in statistics to watch Murray play and realize he might be something special. Unlike Julius, who averaged just 4.16 yards-per-carry as a rookie, Murray doesn’t go down on first contact. He’s a versatile running back who is just getting better and better. He reminds me a lot of LeSean McCoy.
3. Adrian Hamilton
Hamilton should be getting a whole lot more press than he is right now. I guess undrafted players from Prairie View A&M don’t get most people too excited, but this kid has stood out on film. There are only two players on the roster that have displayed the same type of explosiveness off of the ball as Hamilton: DeMarcus Ware and my next top player. . .
2. Victor Butler
You’re going to hear me talk about Butler a lot this season. A whole lot. He’s the most underrated player on the team, in my opinion, and it isn’t even close. The guy has posted a higher pressure rate (7.9 percent) than Anthony Spencer and a greater tackle rate (4.6 percent) than DeMarcus Ware. No, he doesn’t rush the passer on every play—it’s 51.9 percent of snaps, compared to 53.2 percent for Ware.
Butler has been sensational this preseason. The question many ask is if he can hold up against the run on the strong side. The answer is yes.
1. Brandon Carr
Carr is already toying with quarterbacks, twice baiting Philip Rivers into throwing bad balls in the Cowboys’ second preseason game. Prior to Dallas even showing interest in the cornerback, I wrote an article urging them to bring in Carr. He allowed just a 61.7 passer rating and 45.9 percent completion rate in 2011. He has looked like All-Pro material already in 2012.
