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Dallas Cowboys' Free having impressive camp so far
Posted Saturday, Jul. 31, 2010
By Jan Hubbard
jhubbard@star-telegram.com
SAN ANTONIO -- If one part of the Dallas Cowboys' grand plan comes true, the legend of Doug Free will be traced to Jan. 3, 2010.
The plan is simple -- replace a five-time Pro Bowler seamlessly with a fourth-year player from the non-football factory of Northern Illinois.
The Cowboys believe they can do it not only because of a seven-game body of work by Free last season, but also because of that one play that symbolized desire, determination and professionalism.
The Cowboys were holding a 17-0 lead over the Philadelphia Eagles in the last game of the regular season when Tony Romo took the snap and pitched back to Felix Jones. The television cameras were focused on Jones, but at the top of the screen, a hulking figure broke off the line and chugged like a locomotive down the field.
Jones began swerving and eluding tacklers. No. 68 kept on running. At the 30-yard line, Free engaged a Philadelphia defensive back and blocked him for 20 yards as Jones caught up, and then bolted into the end zone to complete a 49-yard touchdown run.
"That is really notable," Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said after the game. "To see that No. 68 out in front of Felix Jones down there clearing him in for a touchdown -- there's a young player that we didn't know when we started if he was going to evolve into a player. I was concerned because we hadn't seen him. He gets his opportunity, he steps up."
That was the last of Free's seven starts while filling in for injured right tackle Marc Colombo. It was those seven starts that convinced Jones that Free was capable of moving to the other side of the line to replace 12-year veteran Flozell Adams, who was released in the spring.
Free is projected as the only new starter on a prolific offensive team that finished last season as the No. 2 passing offense and No. 3 rushing offense in the NFC. And at left tackle, one of his more important assignments will be to protect Tony Romo's blind side.
The 6-foot-6, 320-pound Free said he's ready for the task and he doesn't see it as complicated.
"First thing is the snap count," he said. "Playing the left side, you've got all that speed [from opposing rushers].
"No. 2 is position. Getting in the correct body position and also relative to where the quarterback is.
"Three is just fighting. You've got to get out there and fight. There's a couple of steps before fighting, but that's the main thing."
Free is a willing combatant.
"He practices hard," tight end Jason Witten said. "It doesn't bother him going against DeMarcus [Ware] every day. I think it's a great challenge for him. He's got good continuity with the offensive line. He knows what's ahead, and his mentality is to succeed at what we're trying to do as an offense."
Offensive line coach Hudson Houck said Free's greatest physical assets are uncommon speed and quickness for a 320-pound player. What has enabled Free to create confidence in the Cowboys organization, however, is his relentlessness.
"You can't wear him out running him," Houck said. "He'll get downfield and get blocks down field. He can recover. If he doesn't block the guy the first time, he may circle around and get him again."
Free said his work ethic began in his childhood when he grew up on a farm in Wisconsin. He said he had daily chores and spent a lot of time cutting wood and developing a positive attitude.
"I had a few experiences when I was younger and they kind of always ingrained something in my head," Free said. "If you outwork people, you can do anything. Something inside you has got to be the driving force. Nobody can push you to extend. You have to have your own force inside you."
Free said that starting seven games gave him confidence that he could handle the position. While the technique and stance is different on the left side than that on the right, Free said, "Overall, playing tackle on either side is just playing tackle."
Coach Wade Phillips said Free has had a strong first week of training camp.
"Doug has been confident coming in, and I think he has done well," Phillips said. "His pass protection looks strong, and he is a good run blocker. When he played last year, I thought he was one of our best run blockers when he played the right tackle for Colombo.
"And pass protection wise; when you're going up against the guys he is going up against [Ware], I think he has done a good job. And I don't think you can get much better than the guys he is going up against."
Free downplays his great play from the Philadelphia game, but he said it did give him some notoriety with family and friends.
"It created a little bit of buzz," he said. "Everybody was like, 'Oh, I saw you on TV.' But for me, it's a play a lot of guys could have made on this team. Marc Colombo loves that play and would love to do the same exact thing. It wasn't necessarily a one-man thing. It was just the way the play was run."
Jan Hubbard, 817-390-7760
Posted Saturday, Jul. 31, 2010
By Jan Hubbard
jhubbard@star-telegram.com
SAN ANTONIO -- If one part of the Dallas Cowboys' grand plan comes true, the legend of Doug Free will be traced to Jan. 3, 2010.
The plan is simple -- replace a five-time Pro Bowler seamlessly with a fourth-year player from the non-football factory of Northern Illinois.
The Cowboys believe they can do it not only because of a seven-game body of work by Free last season, but also because of that one play that symbolized desire, determination and professionalism.
The Cowboys were holding a 17-0 lead over the Philadelphia Eagles in the last game of the regular season when Tony Romo took the snap and pitched back to Felix Jones. The television cameras were focused on Jones, but at the top of the screen, a hulking figure broke off the line and chugged like a locomotive down the field.
Jones began swerving and eluding tacklers. No. 68 kept on running. At the 30-yard line, Free engaged a Philadelphia defensive back and blocked him for 20 yards as Jones caught up, and then bolted into the end zone to complete a 49-yard touchdown run.
"That is really notable," Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said after the game. "To see that No. 68 out in front of Felix Jones down there clearing him in for a touchdown -- there's a young player that we didn't know when we started if he was going to evolve into a player. I was concerned because we hadn't seen him. He gets his opportunity, he steps up."
That was the last of Free's seven starts while filling in for injured right tackle Marc Colombo. It was those seven starts that convinced Jones that Free was capable of moving to the other side of the line to replace 12-year veteran Flozell Adams, who was released in the spring.
Free is projected as the only new starter on a prolific offensive team that finished last season as the No. 2 passing offense and No. 3 rushing offense in the NFC. And at left tackle, one of his more important assignments will be to protect Tony Romo's blind side.
The 6-foot-6, 320-pound Free said he's ready for the task and he doesn't see it as complicated.
"First thing is the snap count," he said. "Playing the left side, you've got all that speed [from opposing rushers].
"No. 2 is position. Getting in the correct body position and also relative to where the quarterback is.
"Three is just fighting. You've got to get out there and fight. There's a couple of steps before fighting, but that's the main thing."
Free is a willing combatant.
"He practices hard," tight end Jason Witten said. "It doesn't bother him going against DeMarcus [Ware] every day. I think it's a great challenge for him. He's got good continuity with the offensive line. He knows what's ahead, and his mentality is to succeed at what we're trying to do as an offense."
Offensive line coach Hudson Houck said Free's greatest physical assets are uncommon speed and quickness for a 320-pound player. What has enabled Free to create confidence in the Cowboys organization, however, is his relentlessness.
"You can't wear him out running him," Houck said. "He'll get downfield and get blocks down field. He can recover. If he doesn't block the guy the first time, he may circle around and get him again."
Free said his work ethic began in his childhood when he grew up on a farm in Wisconsin. He said he had daily chores and spent a lot of time cutting wood and developing a positive attitude.
"I had a few experiences when I was younger and they kind of always ingrained something in my head," Free said. "If you outwork people, you can do anything. Something inside you has got to be the driving force. Nobody can push you to extend. You have to have your own force inside you."
Free said that starting seven games gave him confidence that he could handle the position. While the technique and stance is different on the left side than that on the right, Free said, "Overall, playing tackle on either side is just playing tackle."
Coach Wade Phillips said Free has had a strong first week of training camp.
"Doug has been confident coming in, and I think he has done well," Phillips said. "His pass protection looks strong, and he is a good run blocker. When he played last year, I thought he was one of our best run blockers when he played the right tackle for Colombo.
"And pass protection wise; when you're going up against the guys he is going up against [Ware], I think he has done a good job. And I don't think you can get much better than the guys he is going up against."
Free downplays his great play from the Philadelphia game, but he said it did give him some notoriety with family and friends.
"It created a little bit of buzz," he said. "Everybody was like, 'Oh, I saw you on TV.' But for me, it's a play a lot of guys could have made on this team. Marc Colombo loves that play and would love to do the same exact thing. It wasn't necessarily a one-man thing. It was just the way the play was run."
Jan Hubbard, 817-390-7760