dbair1967
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He puts up a lot of good stuff on NFLN, thought some of this was interesting because it mentions changes to the offense coming and some of this I hadn't heard from any of the local Dallas writers (no surprise, they are useless for the most part).
At the end you can see what he thinks of Dez Bryant's game too (hint, replaced)
I wonder if Prescott is giving them more direction on what he wants in/out of the offense.
Dak Prescott has tons of potential; Norv Turner's perfect for Cam
By Bucky Brooks
NFL.com Analyst
Published: Jan. 11, 2018 at 08:29 p.m.
Updated: Jan. 11, 2018 at 11:18 p.m.
Former NFL player and scout Bucky Brooks knows the ins and outs of this league, providing keen insight in his notebook. The topics of this edition include:
-- A mega matchup between the best WR and CB duos in the biz.
-- An emerging head-coaching candidate from Atlanta.
-- Why Norv Turner's a brilliant hire for the Panthers.
But first, a look at why Dak Prescott is still a franchise quarterback despite Year 2 struggles ...
* * * * * *
Is Dak Prescott really a franchise quarterback?
That's the question that was running rampant in Dallas after his second pro season. But I don't understand why it's been debated on the airwaves and in barbershops around the country. Sure, he took a step back without his RB1 and franchise tackle on the field for an extended period, but I don't know if his struggles were enough to dismiss his chances of becoming an elite quarterback.
Let's be real. Prescott posted a 62.9 percent completion rate, a 22:13 touchdown-to-interception ratio and an 86.6 passer rating for a 9-7 squad that underperformed amid Super Bowl expectations. While those numbers are far from spectacular, they are better than production posted by Derek Carr, Andy Dalton, Joe Flacco, Marcus Mariota, Eli Manning and some other established passers.
That's why I completely understand Cowboys' executive vice president of personnel Stephen Jones' desire to rebuild the team's scheme around Prescott's game.
"Everybody here is all in in terms of their belief that Dak can be a great player in this league and will be," he said on 105.3 The Fan's Ben and Skin show (KRLD-FM). "How do we put concepts in place, how do we put a system in place that fits his skills? Obviously, it worked out great even though we were predominately running a [Tony] Romo-friendly offense with a few wrinkles that took advantage of Dak being young and fresh-legged and being able to have the mobility that he had.
"We were able to do that, but I think as we move forward, we have to really go in and critique and make sure that our concepts and what we're doing offensively give Dak every opportunity to utilize his skill set and get the most out of him."
Think about that. Prescott put up historic numbers as a rookie in an offense that wasn't designed for him, and he followed it up with a solid campaign in a system that still wasn't revamped to fit his game. Imagine how good he could be if the Cowboys built something around the strong points of his game as a dual-threat playmaker who spent his collegiate years running an up-tempo spread offense at Mississippi State.
Remember, Prescott is one of only four players in FBS history and the second player in the Southeastern Conference to throw for 70 touchdowns and rush for 40 in a career. That's the kind of production that should entice a team to fully utilize his skills as a runner-passer on the perimeter. Not that Prescott should be used as a run-first playmaker, but he certainly should be put in an offense that fully takes advantage of his athleticism and playmaking ability inside and outside of the pocket.
Thus, it is sensible for the Cowboys to explore building an offense that better suits Prescott's skills. During his first two seasons, he has been at his best when executing play-action passes with Ezekiel Elliott as a decoy or operating from spread formations (empty or one-back), with No. 4 in the shotgun. These are concepts that are comfortable for Prescott and some of the other Cowboys' stars (Elliott). Most importantly, they have the pieces in place to open up the offense while retaining a ball-control premise that allowed the team to win with a strong running game and a solid defense.
"I feel like they've rebuilt the team like the 1990s teams with the dominant offensive line and an efficient quarterback," said an NFC pro personnel director. "I'm not saying he is Troy Aikman, but if you check their numbers and look at their games, they play the same way. They take care of the football over everything else, and when the team is built the right way, they'll win."
Now, I'm not ready to anoint Prescott a future Hall of Famer, but I do believe he could regain his Pro Bowl form in an offense that should be better when the team adds a true No. 1 receiver and another playmaker in the passing game. While he must continue to make strides as a passer, as evidenced by his nine interceptions over his past seven games (it's not a coincidence that Elliott missed five of those games), he is still a promising quarterback with the potential to help the Cowboys make a run at the title.
At the end you can see what he thinks of Dez Bryant's game too (hint, replaced)
I wonder if Prescott is giving them more direction on what he wants in/out of the offense.
Dak Prescott has tons of potential; Norv Turner's perfect for Cam
By Bucky Brooks
NFL.com Analyst
Published: Jan. 11, 2018 at 08:29 p.m.
Updated: Jan. 11, 2018 at 11:18 p.m.
Former NFL player and scout Bucky Brooks knows the ins and outs of this league, providing keen insight in his notebook. The topics of this edition include:
-- A mega matchup between the best WR and CB duos in the biz.
-- An emerging head-coaching candidate from Atlanta.
-- Why Norv Turner's a brilliant hire for the Panthers.
But first, a look at why Dak Prescott is still a franchise quarterback despite Year 2 struggles ...
* * * * * *
Is Dak Prescott really a franchise quarterback?
That's the question that was running rampant in Dallas after his second pro season. But I don't understand why it's been debated on the airwaves and in barbershops around the country. Sure, he took a step back without his RB1 and franchise tackle on the field for an extended period, but I don't know if his struggles were enough to dismiss his chances of becoming an elite quarterback.
Let's be real. Prescott posted a 62.9 percent completion rate, a 22:13 touchdown-to-interception ratio and an 86.6 passer rating for a 9-7 squad that underperformed amid Super Bowl expectations. While those numbers are far from spectacular, they are better than production posted by Derek Carr, Andy Dalton, Joe Flacco, Marcus Mariota, Eli Manning and some other established passers.
That's why I completely understand Cowboys' executive vice president of personnel Stephen Jones' desire to rebuild the team's scheme around Prescott's game.
"Everybody here is all in in terms of their belief that Dak can be a great player in this league and will be," he said on 105.3 The Fan's Ben and Skin show (KRLD-FM). "How do we put concepts in place, how do we put a system in place that fits his skills? Obviously, it worked out great even though we were predominately running a [Tony] Romo-friendly offense with a few wrinkles that took advantage of Dak being young and fresh-legged and being able to have the mobility that he had.
"We were able to do that, but I think as we move forward, we have to really go in and critique and make sure that our concepts and what we're doing offensively give Dak every opportunity to utilize his skill set and get the most out of him."
Think about that. Prescott put up historic numbers as a rookie in an offense that wasn't designed for him, and he followed it up with a solid campaign in a system that still wasn't revamped to fit his game. Imagine how good he could be if the Cowboys built something around the strong points of his game as a dual-threat playmaker who spent his collegiate years running an up-tempo spread offense at Mississippi State.
Remember, Prescott is one of only four players in FBS history and the second player in the Southeastern Conference to throw for 70 touchdowns and rush for 40 in a career. That's the kind of production that should entice a team to fully utilize his skills as a runner-passer on the perimeter. Not that Prescott should be used as a run-first playmaker, but he certainly should be put in an offense that fully takes advantage of his athleticism and playmaking ability inside and outside of the pocket.
Thus, it is sensible for the Cowboys to explore building an offense that better suits Prescott's skills. During his first two seasons, he has been at his best when executing play-action passes with Ezekiel Elliott as a decoy or operating from spread formations (empty or one-back), with No. 4 in the shotgun. These are concepts that are comfortable for Prescott and some of the other Cowboys' stars (Elliott). Most importantly, they have the pieces in place to open up the offense while retaining a ball-control premise that allowed the team to win with a strong running game and a solid defense.
"I feel like they've rebuilt the team like the 1990s teams with the dominant offensive line and an efficient quarterback," said an NFC pro personnel director. "I'm not saying he is Troy Aikman, but if you check their numbers and look at their games, they play the same way. They take care of the football over everything else, and when the team is built the right way, they'll win."
Now, I'm not ready to anoint Prescott a future Hall of Famer, but I do believe he could regain his Pro Bowl form in an offense that should be better when the team adds a true No. 1 receiver and another playmaker in the passing game. While he must continue to make strides as a passer, as evidenced by his nine interceptions over his past seven games (it's not a coincidence that Elliott missed five of those games), he is still a promising quarterback with the potential to help the Cowboys make a run at the title.
