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Jean-Jacques Taylor
02:03 PM CDT on Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Never has there been so much fuss over something so silly. Who cares whether Dez Bryant carries Roy Williams' pads off the field?
Conventional wisdom says Bryant would've saved himself a lot of drama and unnecessary attention if he had simply grabbed the veteran's pads and walked off the field with them. Sometimes, the road of least resistance is the best choice.
Of course, that would've been the easy route.
But I don't mind a player who thinks for himself and bucks an old-school tradition.
It shows Bryant has a little moxie. And it showed, as Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy said, that Bryant refuses to be intimidated, a trait that will bode well for him in the future.
Rest assured, Bryant will undergo some hazing before the season ends, whether he's singing Oklahoma State's fight song every other day, or he gets some interesting charges on his hotel bill or he brings donuts for everyone at Valley Ranch every Saturday for the entire season.
In the big picture, none of this will matter once the season starts and Bryant does the things on the field that he's shown he's capable of doing during minicamps and the first few days of training camp. He should be an impact player – even if his role is somewhat limited this season – and once he starts helping this team win games, this drama will be forgotten.
Q&A
Q: I don't know what that pass play is called that they used so effectively with Kevin Ogletree last season, but as I recall, he came close to scoring just about every time he got his hands on the ball. Could that be something they use effectively inside the 20 or is he still too raw?
Tommy Hamilton, Arlington
TAYLOR: I believe you're referring to the bubble screen. If Ogletree is going to be a real contributor to the offense, then he has to add more to his repertoire than the bubble screen. He's going to be the fourth or fifth receiver this season. Realistically, he has to get in where he fits in because this team has a lot of offensive talent.
• • •
Q: With a lot of players, I see them come in and make a splash as a rookie, then regress the next year as they learn and absorb the system. The third year is the breakout year. Anthony Spencer is a good recent example. His tackles and sacks both dropped his second year. I think we can expect the same improvement from Jason Garrett.
Bill Campbell
TAYLOR: Garrett had a pretty good year in 2009 after a bad year in 2008. I would expect him to continue to improve while he develops a better feel for run-pass balance and figures out a way to get more production from their red zone offense.
• • •
Q: Why don't the Cowboys use more hurry-up offense to keep the defense off balance?
Mike Martin, Rowlett
TAYLOR: The Cowboys have enough talent that they don't need to trick people. The Cowboys can just line up and play winning offensive football. They finished second in the NFL in total offense but averaged only 22.3 points per game.
Based on Bill Parcells' belief that teams should score seven points for every 100 yards gained, the Cowboys should have averaged 28.0 per game. Their improved production should occur with more efficiency inside the 20 with more turnovers provided by the defense and better production on kick and punt returns, so they don't always have to travel 80 yards to score a touchdown.
• • •
Q: Kevin Mawae said he's willing to play whatever role and hasn't heard from any teams. What about him at backup center?
Clay Best, Clayton, N.C.
TAYLOR: The Cowboys can do better than a 37-year-old veteran for backup center, especially one who will cost about $1 million and plays no special teams. It doesn't help that he's one of the NFLPA's key union members the year before we head into a lockout.
• • •
Q: Why isn't the usually aggressive Jerry Jones not actively seeking a proven free safety and kicker?
Tim Golden
TAYLOR: First, you can't have high-salaried players at every position – even in a year where there's no salary cap. That's just not good business. Second, the Cowboys like Alan Ball and Mike Hamlin at free safety, which should be among the lowest-paid positions on the team.
Third, whether you get a high-priced kicker like Mike Vanderjagt or a draft pick like Nick Folk, there's no guarantee he will perform any better than an undrafted kicker. David Buehler will get every opportunity to prove he can do the job. We'll see if he can.
• • •
Q: What can the fans really expect from Doug Free? Does he have the attitude to play left tackle?
John R. Whatley
TAYLOR: He played well last year. There's no reason to think he won't play well this season, but you want an answer that no one can give you today. You'll have to wait until the games start.
Free has good size, excellent feet and the stamp of approval from Hudson Houck. Look, the Cowboys didn't have to get rid of Flozell Adams. They chose to go in another direction because they believed in Free.
02:03 PM CDT on Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Never has there been so much fuss over something so silly. Who cares whether Dez Bryant carries Roy Williams' pads off the field?
Conventional wisdom says Bryant would've saved himself a lot of drama and unnecessary attention if he had simply grabbed the veteran's pads and walked off the field with them. Sometimes, the road of least resistance is the best choice.
Of course, that would've been the easy route.
But I don't mind a player who thinks for himself and bucks an old-school tradition.
It shows Bryant has a little moxie. And it showed, as Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy said, that Bryant refuses to be intimidated, a trait that will bode well for him in the future.
Rest assured, Bryant will undergo some hazing before the season ends, whether he's singing Oklahoma State's fight song every other day, or he gets some interesting charges on his hotel bill or he brings donuts for everyone at Valley Ranch every Saturday for the entire season.
In the big picture, none of this will matter once the season starts and Bryant does the things on the field that he's shown he's capable of doing during minicamps and the first few days of training camp. He should be an impact player – even if his role is somewhat limited this season – and once he starts helping this team win games, this drama will be forgotten.
Q&A
Q: I don't know what that pass play is called that they used so effectively with Kevin Ogletree last season, but as I recall, he came close to scoring just about every time he got his hands on the ball. Could that be something they use effectively inside the 20 or is he still too raw?
Tommy Hamilton, Arlington
TAYLOR: I believe you're referring to the bubble screen. If Ogletree is going to be a real contributor to the offense, then he has to add more to his repertoire than the bubble screen. He's going to be the fourth or fifth receiver this season. Realistically, he has to get in where he fits in because this team has a lot of offensive talent.
• • •
Q: With a lot of players, I see them come in and make a splash as a rookie, then regress the next year as they learn and absorb the system. The third year is the breakout year. Anthony Spencer is a good recent example. His tackles and sacks both dropped his second year. I think we can expect the same improvement from Jason Garrett.
Bill Campbell
TAYLOR: Garrett had a pretty good year in 2009 after a bad year in 2008. I would expect him to continue to improve while he develops a better feel for run-pass balance and figures out a way to get more production from their red zone offense.
• • •
Q: Why don't the Cowboys use more hurry-up offense to keep the defense off balance?
Mike Martin, Rowlett
TAYLOR: The Cowboys have enough talent that they don't need to trick people. The Cowboys can just line up and play winning offensive football. They finished second in the NFL in total offense but averaged only 22.3 points per game.
Based on Bill Parcells' belief that teams should score seven points for every 100 yards gained, the Cowboys should have averaged 28.0 per game. Their improved production should occur with more efficiency inside the 20 with more turnovers provided by the defense and better production on kick and punt returns, so they don't always have to travel 80 yards to score a touchdown.
• • •
Q: Kevin Mawae said he's willing to play whatever role and hasn't heard from any teams. What about him at backup center?
Clay Best, Clayton, N.C.
TAYLOR: The Cowboys can do better than a 37-year-old veteran for backup center, especially one who will cost about $1 million and plays no special teams. It doesn't help that he's one of the NFLPA's key union members the year before we head into a lockout.
• • •
Q: Why isn't the usually aggressive Jerry Jones not actively seeking a proven free safety and kicker?
Tim Golden
TAYLOR: First, you can't have high-salaried players at every position – even in a year where there's no salary cap. That's just not good business. Second, the Cowboys like Alan Ball and Mike Hamlin at free safety, which should be among the lowest-paid positions on the team.
Third, whether you get a high-priced kicker like Mike Vanderjagt or a draft pick like Nick Folk, there's no guarantee he will perform any better than an undrafted kicker. David Buehler will get every opportunity to prove he can do the job. We'll see if he can.
• • •
Q: What can the fans really expect from Doug Free? Does he have the attitude to play left tackle?
John R. Whatley
TAYLOR: He played well last year. There's no reason to think he won't play well this season, but you want an answer that no one can give you today. You'll have to wait until the games start.
Free has good size, excellent feet and the stamp of approval from Hudson Houck. Look, the Cowboys didn't have to get rid of Flozell Adams. They chose to go in another direction because they believed in Free.