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Ellis: New WRs Coach Must Make Dez Best He Can Be
IRVING, Texas - I don't even remember what it was Ray Sherman said to him. Something about being quicker, or crisper. Whatever. It escapes me now.
But I do recall exactly what Dez Bryant replied back to his position coach this random Wednesday very early in his rookie season, and how confidently emphatic he sounded, like some new enlistment at boot camp trying to impress his drill sergeant.
"Yes sir."
Bryant's been a polite kid since he got here, and gives the air that he would be any coach's dream to work with. Maybe he will be.
But it was never a question that he was in excellent hands with Sherman, perhaps the best in the business. Having been around so many great young receivers in his 22 years as an NFL assistant coming into 2010, and having lobbied to get Bryant here, it seemed working under Sherman would be the best thing that could happen to the Cowboys' immensely talented first-round pick. Sherman taught Miles Austin to become a star, and undoubtedly helped Bryant polish his game quite a bit in 2010.
But the work with Bryant is hardly done, and the extent to which his position coach can help him going forward is not worth gambling. It's so important to the future of this team. Because Sherman's contract was expiring, we can't completely know if it was his decision to leave, or Jason Garrett's first move as head coach to move on without him.
"I appreciate the opportunity that the Cowboys have given me," he said in a statement. "I was able to coach a great group of receivers who now have a tremendous foundation, giving them the ability to continue to excel for years to come in the NFL."
It can't be completely dismissed that Sherman would choose to leave on his own, perhaps upset that he wasn't going to be considered for a promotion to coordinator, perhaps just ready to go try something new. A guy like him can get a job in this league in pretty short order, even with the current market uncertainty. If Garrett chose not to offer him a contract extension, though, the new head coach is being awfully cavalier with his new power of final say on the staff.
Sherman came to the Cowboys the same year as Garrett, presumably with the blessing of the then-offensive coordinator. But there is some reason to believe Garrett might want something different from his wide receivers coach now that he has the power to make it so. Sherman did occasionally have the soft touch with his guys. He was often ready to explain away some of their shortcomings. For instance, when a ball bounced off Miles Austin's fingertips and into the arms of a defender this season, Sherman described it as an early throw by the quarterback due to a blitz, rather than "late hands" on Austin's part.
And the wide receivers haven't exactly been Garrett's closest allies in the locker room these last four years. It's in the personalities of Terrell Owens, Patrick Crayton and Roy Williams to be outspoken, and they have often taken issue with the way the offense has been handled since 2007. Maybe Garrett would have expected Sherman to stop his guys from going public with their complaints, but he couldn't, or wouldn't.
It's hard not to imagine that Sherman and running backs coach Skip Peete have the toughest jobs on the entire staff. Because not only do they have several guys to teach, but they also are charged with managing personalities and egos on an everyday basis. At the end of the day, that's the real trick with these jobs - keep everyone at your position happy and motivated. Skill positions aren't like the defensive line, which plays in a pretty rigid rotation. Either Sherman's and Peete's guys get the ball, or they do not, and it's virtually impossible to please everyone.
How much quieter could one have expected Sherman to keep the big personalities who happened to meet in his room?
Here's where the new wide receivers coach is going to have his work cut out for him. His No. 1 job responsibility is going to be to make Bryant the absolute best he can be. Yes, he has to fix Austin's problem of volleying balls to defensive backs, but the development of Bryant is how he'll truly be judged. On top of continuing to serve as a personal tutor for a kid who still has a long way to go to fully grasp this Princeton offense, he'll have to control the emotion of the wide receiver at least as well as Sherman.
Bryant is an expressive guy, and he has the full attention of the media whenever he wants it. It will be almost impossible for Bryant not to be portrayed as the bad guy in the locker room. When he gets more skins on the wall, and really figures out where he's supposed to be, everyone will start trying to convince him he should be getting the ball more often. His new coach has to keep him driven and content.
So who's it going to be? Tight ends coach John Garrett, brother of Jason, would seem like the favorite. On top of having unquestionable loyalty to the new head coach, he's been in charge of wide receiving units in the NFL and college, and his brother probably likes the way he's kept Martellus Bennett in check. The Cowboys seem to be happy with Bennett's play in 2010, and for all of the crazy stuff he says, he's never really questioned the wisdom of the coaching, or the offense, despite having to play second fiddle to Jason Witten these last three years.
Much more is going to be expected of Bryant than of Bennett, of course. As the second tight end, good play for Bennett doesn't always necessarily mean production as a receiver. He's asked to block more often than not. Bryant, on the other hand, is being wasted if he isn't catching a lot of balls, gaining a lot of yards, and scoring a lot of touchdowns.
Whoever takes over, they've got to help Bryant become a legitimate No. 1 receiver, and still keep him humble.
It's hard to imagine anyone more suited for the job than the incumbent. But whether he is leaving on his own volition or Jason Garrett decided to let him go, choosing who will replace Sherman is the first crucial decision for the new head coach.
IRVING, Texas - I don't even remember what it was Ray Sherman said to him. Something about being quicker, or crisper. Whatever. It escapes me now.
But I do recall exactly what Dez Bryant replied back to his position coach this random Wednesday very early in his rookie season, and how confidently emphatic he sounded, like some new enlistment at boot camp trying to impress his drill sergeant.
"Yes sir."
Bryant's been a polite kid since he got here, and gives the air that he would be any coach's dream to work with. Maybe he will be.
But it was never a question that he was in excellent hands with Sherman, perhaps the best in the business. Having been around so many great young receivers in his 22 years as an NFL assistant coming into 2010, and having lobbied to get Bryant here, it seemed working under Sherman would be the best thing that could happen to the Cowboys' immensely talented first-round pick. Sherman taught Miles Austin to become a star, and undoubtedly helped Bryant polish his game quite a bit in 2010.
But the work with Bryant is hardly done, and the extent to which his position coach can help him going forward is not worth gambling. It's so important to the future of this team. Because Sherman's contract was expiring, we can't completely know if it was his decision to leave, or Jason Garrett's first move as head coach to move on without him.
"I appreciate the opportunity that the Cowboys have given me," he said in a statement. "I was able to coach a great group of receivers who now have a tremendous foundation, giving them the ability to continue to excel for years to come in the NFL."
It can't be completely dismissed that Sherman would choose to leave on his own, perhaps upset that he wasn't going to be considered for a promotion to coordinator, perhaps just ready to go try something new. A guy like him can get a job in this league in pretty short order, even with the current market uncertainty. If Garrett chose not to offer him a contract extension, though, the new head coach is being awfully cavalier with his new power of final say on the staff.
Sherman came to the Cowboys the same year as Garrett, presumably with the blessing of the then-offensive coordinator. But there is some reason to believe Garrett might want something different from his wide receivers coach now that he has the power to make it so. Sherman did occasionally have the soft touch with his guys. He was often ready to explain away some of their shortcomings. For instance, when a ball bounced off Miles Austin's fingertips and into the arms of a defender this season, Sherman described it as an early throw by the quarterback due to a blitz, rather than "late hands" on Austin's part.
And the wide receivers haven't exactly been Garrett's closest allies in the locker room these last four years. It's in the personalities of Terrell Owens, Patrick Crayton and Roy Williams to be outspoken, and they have often taken issue with the way the offense has been handled since 2007. Maybe Garrett would have expected Sherman to stop his guys from going public with their complaints, but he couldn't, or wouldn't.
It's hard not to imagine that Sherman and running backs coach Skip Peete have the toughest jobs on the entire staff. Because not only do they have several guys to teach, but they also are charged with managing personalities and egos on an everyday basis. At the end of the day, that's the real trick with these jobs - keep everyone at your position happy and motivated. Skill positions aren't like the defensive line, which plays in a pretty rigid rotation. Either Sherman's and Peete's guys get the ball, or they do not, and it's virtually impossible to please everyone.
How much quieter could one have expected Sherman to keep the big personalities who happened to meet in his room?
Here's where the new wide receivers coach is going to have his work cut out for him. His No. 1 job responsibility is going to be to make Bryant the absolute best he can be. Yes, he has to fix Austin's problem of volleying balls to defensive backs, but the development of Bryant is how he'll truly be judged. On top of continuing to serve as a personal tutor for a kid who still has a long way to go to fully grasp this Princeton offense, he'll have to control the emotion of the wide receiver at least as well as Sherman.
Bryant is an expressive guy, and he has the full attention of the media whenever he wants it. It will be almost impossible for Bryant not to be portrayed as the bad guy in the locker room. When he gets more skins on the wall, and really figures out where he's supposed to be, everyone will start trying to convince him he should be getting the ball more often. His new coach has to keep him driven and content.
So who's it going to be? Tight ends coach John Garrett, brother of Jason, would seem like the favorite. On top of having unquestionable loyalty to the new head coach, he's been in charge of wide receiving units in the NFL and college, and his brother probably likes the way he's kept Martellus Bennett in check. The Cowboys seem to be happy with Bennett's play in 2010, and for all of the crazy stuff he says, he's never really questioned the wisdom of the coaching, or the offense, despite having to play second fiddle to Jason Witten these last three years.
Much more is going to be expected of Bryant than of Bennett, of course. As the second tight end, good play for Bennett doesn't always necessarily mean production as a receiver. He's asked to block more often than not. Bryant, on the other hand, is being wasted if he isn't catching a lot of balls, gaining a lot of yards, and scoring a lot of touchdowns.
Whoever takes over, they've got to help Bryant become a legitimate No. 1 receiver, and still keep him humble.
It's hard to imagine anyone more suited for the job than the incumbent. But whether he is leaving on his own volition or Jason Garrett decided to let him go, choosing who will replace Sherman is the first crucial decision for the new head coach.