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Machota: Three key storylines I'll be watching when Cowboys camp opens
By Jon Machota
SportsDay's Jon Machota answered questions in a live chat Friday. Here are some highlights.
Question: What storylines should fans be paying attention to in camp?
Jon Machota: No. 1 for me is defensive line play. Can Marinelli find combinations to get pressure on the QB? There weren't any big free agency signings or early-round draft picks spent on pass rushers. Where will the pressure come from? I'm not saying they have to be the 2015 Broncos but there's certainly cause for concern when it comes to getting after opposing quarterbacks.
No. 2: How does Zeke look running with the first-team offense when the pads come on? He's going to get every chance to be the guy. Will he immediately thrive in that situation?
No. 3: How do the defensive backs look? We haven't seen Carr, Claiborne, Scandrick, Church and Jones all out there together. Will that group make it through camp without an injury setback? How will they look playing together? Without those five staying healthy and something that resembles a pass rush, I'm not sure how the defense is going to contain the better offenses in the league.
Question: Do you expect Dez and Romo to be full go from Day 1 at camp?
Jon Machota: I do. They'll get a lot of work, but don't be surprised if they're also given a rest day here and there. No. 1 goal for this offense during training camp: stay healthy. They know how good that unit can be if all of their weapons are available Week 1.
Question: With Romo coming off the surgery and missing so much time last year, should the Cowboys play him more or less than normal during the preseason?
Jon Machota: It's not like franchise QBs play much in the preseason, regardless of health. I wouldn't be surprised if Romo didn't play at all in the first preseason game. Then he'll play a series in the second game and 5 or 6 series in the third at Seattle. He won't play at all against Houston in the fourth game. So all together, maybe 6 or 7 preseason series for Romo.
Question: What would be your guess at how the carries split up percentage-wise among Zeke, McFadden, Morris and Dunbar?
Jon Machota: If Ezekiel Elliott is healthy for all 16 games, I think he'll get around 60-65 percent. That would leave about 35 percent to split between McFadden and Morris depending on how they are performing.
Question: Do you think this Cowboys offensive line is as good as the '90s Super Bowl teams OLs, or are they still behind that group?
Jon Machota: No, but if they are able to keep Tyron, La'el, Travis and Zack all together beyond their rookie contracts, this group certainly has a chance to be historically good. I think those guys realize that, and that could be an advantage for the Cowboys when they're working on those contract extensions.
Question: Training camp is nearly here. Can you really assess a team in training camp, or does it take the preseason games before you begin to get an idea about players?
Jon Machota: You can get an idea during training camp, but I don't think you'll really know until you see it during the regular season. In the 2014 camp, I don't think anyone was expecting Murray to play all 16 games and carry the ball almost 400 times. I'm sure the Cowboys would like to do something similar this season with Zeke, but they won't know for sure if he'll be able to handle that workload just off of training camp and some preseason work. That will have to evolve over the season. The one thing that can be monitored is where you are along the defensive line. Lawrence and Gregory are allowed to participate in camp. Will this line be able to generate any pressure against the league's top O-line? How are those D-linemen performing in one-on-one drills against Tyron, Zack and Travis? That's one of the biggest things I'll be watching for when we get to Oxnard.
By Jon Machota
SportsDay's Jon Machota answered questions in a live chat Friday. Here are some highlights.
Question: What storylines should fans be paying attention to in camp?
Jon Machota: No. 1 for me is defensive line play. Can Marinelli find combinations to get pressure on the QB? There weren't any big free agency signings or early-round draft picks spent on pass rushers. Where will the pressure come from? I'm not saying they have to be the 2015 Broncos but there's certainly cause for concern when it comes to getting after opposing quarterbacks.
No. 2: How does Zeke look running with the first-team offense when the pads come on? He's going to get every chance to be the guy. Will he immediately thrive in that situation?
No. 3: How do the defensive backs look? We haven't seen Carr, Claiborne, Scandrick, Church and Jones all out there together. Will that group make it through camp without an injury setback? How will they look playing together? Without those five staying healthy and something that resembles a pass rush, I'm not sure how the defense is going to contain the better offenses in the league.
Question: Do you expect Dez and Romo to be full go from Day 1 at camp?
Jon Machota: I do. They'll get a lot of work, but don't be surprised if they're also given a rest day here and there. No. 1 goal for this offense during training camp: stay healthy. They know how good that unit can be if all of their weapons are available Week 1.
Question: With Romo coming off the surgery and missing so much time last year, should the Cowboys play him more or less than normal during the preseason?
Jon Machota: It's not like franchise QBs play much in the preseason, regardless of health. I wouldn't be surprised if Romo didn't play at all in the first preseason game. Then he'll play a series in the second game and 5 or 6 series in the third at Seattle. He won't play at all against Houston in the fourth game. So all together, maybe 6 or 7 preseason series for Romo.
Question: What would be your guess at how the carries split up percentage-wise among Zeke, McFadden, Morris and Dunbar?
Jon Machota: If Ezekiel Elliott is healthy for all 16 games, I think he'll get around 60-65 percent. That would leave about 35 percent to split between McFadden and Morris depending on how they are performing.
Question: Do you think this Cowboys offensive line is as good as the '90s Super Bowl teams OLs, or are they still behind that group?
Jon Machota: No, but if they are able to keep Tyron, La'el, Travis and Zack all together beyond their rookie contracts, this group certainly has a chance to be historically good. I think those guys realize that, and that could be an advantage for the Cowboys when they're working on those contract extensions.
Question: Training camp is nearly here. Can you really assess a team in training camp, or does it take the preseason games before you begin to get an idea about players?
Jon Machota: You can get an idea during training camp, but I don't think you'll really know until you see it during the regular season. In the 2014 camp, I don't think anyone was expecting Murray to play all 16 games and carry the ball almost 400 times. I'm sure the Cowboys would like to do something similar this season with Zeke, but they won't know for sure if he'll be able to handle that workload just off of training camp and some preseason work. That will have to evolve over the season. The one thing that can be monitored is where you are along the defensive line. Lawrence and Gregory are allowed to participate in camp. Will this line be able to generate any pressure against the league's top O-line? How are those D-linemen performing in one-on-one drills against Tyron, Zack and Travis? That's one of the biggest things I'll be watching for when we get to Oxnard.