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Brice Butler learning the whys and hows of Cowboys offense
By Todd Archer
IRVING, Texas -- Brice Butler was a stranger last year, picked up by the Dallas Cowboys in a trade with the Oakland Raiders after Dez Bryant was injured in the season opener.
On his first reception with the Cowboys -- a 67-yarder against the New Orleans Saints -- in his third game, he suffered a hamstring strain. He returned two weeks later against the New York Giants and had two catches for 41 yards before getting hurt again.
He was inactive for the next seven games.
"This is monumental," Butler said. "This is my fourth year, a contract year. I feel like I'm in a really good position to have a good year. I just got to go out there and do it, stay healthy. Cowboys fans saw a guy that came in made a play, got hurt, made some more plays, got hurt and had to sit out for a while. For me that was tough because I never ever missed a game due to injury until I came here. I believe if I can stay healthy and if I'm on the field, I'm going to make plays."
Butler did not have the chance to really learn the Cowboys' offense last year after the trade. The Cowboys were in game-plan mode when he arrived and did not have a chance to teach the ins and outs of their scheme to a new receiver.
"You have different variations of plays and the whole year you're sitting there like, 'Why are we doing that?' because you just don't know the philosophy," Butler said. "I was just out there running what they called rather than knowing why. Now I can learn the why."
He can also learn Tony Romo. The quarterback broke his left collarbone in Butler's first game and Butler was inactive when Romo returned later in the season.
He estimated he and Romo had one or two practices together and he maybe caught a couple of passes from him.
"The big thing is building a rapport with him, making sure he feels comfortable and trusts that I know what I'm doing and I'm in the right spot at the right time," Butler said.
With Bryant limited in what he can do in the offseason program, Butler is working with Romo and the first team. During 7-on-7 work in last week's organized team activities, Romo looked deep to Butler on the second snap. As Butler reached for the ball, he was nudged by Morris Claiborne and the ball fell incomplete.
"He's got some ability," Romo said, "and he's seeming to get better each day. He's done some good things when he's been out there. He's been a little banged up, but we'll see what he's got this offseason and into camp."
Late last season, Butler showed a little bit of the skill the Cowboys saw of him in Oakland. He caught eight passes for 134 yards in the final two games with Kellen Moore as the Cowboys' starting quarterback.
"It's just going to be good to get him back into the offseason program and lay the foundation with our strength and conditioning staff but also with the system, knowing how we do things starting from ground zero," coach Jason Garrett said. "I think he's responded well to that. I think he's getting a better feel for how we want things done and he's competing well out there."
The philosophy is the one part of the offense that is failing, debilitating and wreaking havoc to any and all hope that the talent can manufacture yards, first downs, points, leads, and then victories. Go through the history of Linehan, Bratkowski, Turner, Cam Cameron (especially), and Mike Tice and you will find at some point there are two common complaints, one from the fans/media and one from the players: from the fans/media the complaint is "Why are you running the same basic 4 over and over and expecting different results." And from the players (most recently shown on NFL Network about the Rams, Torry Holt screaming at Scott Linehan) it's "Why are you calling these plays when other ones are better?"
Cam Cameron was fired from the Baltimore Ravens because he stuck to the Coryell philosophy (same coaching tree branch that Garrett is on) and would not run the ball because of the opposing defense and the result was interceptions and sacks of Flacco.
The Ravens saw that Cameron's philosophy failed the eye test.
Similarly, when the Romo has to scramble to make completions and takes a beating despite the "great O-line" them the eye test says the WR routes are not working, the plays themselves are easily defended and/or the defensive scheme and talent is just better than the Cowboys.
When the team has a 2014 Murray and takes him off the field despite all his production and being the fastest WR on the team and having the 3rd most receptions on the team, it fails the eye test.
When the brilliant coach loses games, solely because of his bad decisions. It fails the eye test.
When the team cannot function on offense without the one QB who routinely turns the bad scheme into gains. It fails the eye test.
When the team is 8-8, 12-4, and 4-12, changing the defense 4 times but never, ever allowing the offensive philosophy to change. It fails the eye test.
When my 8 year old daughter can accurately predict the next Dallas play based on the gain and field position of the previous play. It fails the eye test.
This "philosophy" that Brice is talking about is about as productive and fecund as Communism. Those who purport Communism would caution to stay with the philosophy despite the losing results. But over time, if the philosophy does not adapt to the current opportunities, people, and need for change, it will become a failing system of doing the same thing over and over expecting different results.
And when we read about the philosophy of Communism and it's attempts and failures throughout history.
It fails the eye test.
By Todd Archer
IRVING, Texas -- Brice Butler was a stranger last year, picked up by the Dallas Cowboys in a trade with the Oakland Raiders after Dez Bryant was injured in the season opener.
On his first reception with the Cowboys -- a 67-yarder against the New Orleans Saints -- in his third game, he suffered a hamstring strain. He returned two weeks later against the New York Giants and had two catches for 41 yards before getting hurt again.
He was inactive for the next seven games.
"This is monumental," Butler said. "This is my fourth year, a contract year. I feel like I'm in a really good position to have a good year. I just got to go out there and do it, stay healthy. Cowboys fans saw a guy that came in made a play, got hurt, made some more plays, got hurt and had to sit out for a while. For me that was tough because I never ever missed a game due to injury until I came here. I believe if I can stay healthy and if I'm on the field, I'm going to make plays."
Butler did not have the chance to really learn the Cowboys' offense last year after the trade. The Cowboys were in game-plan mode when he arrived and did not have a chance to teach the ins and outs of their scheme to a new receiver.
"You have different variations of plays and the whole year you're sitting there like, 'Why are we doing that?' because you just don't know the philosophy," Butler said. "I was just out there running what they called rather than knowing why. Now I can learn the why."
He can also learn Tony Romo. The quarterback broke his left collarbone in Butler's first game and Butler was inactive when Romo returned later in the season.
He estimated he and Romo had one or two practices together and he maybe caught a couple of passes from him.
"The big thing is building a rapport with him, making sure he feels comfortable and trusts that I know what I'm doing and I'm in the right spot at the right time," Butler said.
With Bryant limited in what he can do in the offseason program, Butler is working with Romo and the first team. During 7-on-7 work in last week's organized team activities, Romo looked deep to Butler on the second snap. As Butler reached for the ball, he was nudged by Morris Claiborne and the ball fell incomplete.
"He's got some ability," Romo said, "and he's seeming to get better each day. He's done some good things when he's been out there. He's been a little banged up, but we'll see what he's got this offseason and into camp."
Late last season, Butler showed a little bit of the skill the Cowboys saw of him in Oakland. He caught eight passes for 134 yards in the final two games with Kellen Moore as the Cowboys' starting quarterback.
"It's just going to be good to get him back into the offseason program and lay the foundation with our strength and conditioning staff but also with the system, knowing how we do things starting from ground zero," coach Jason Garrett said. "I think he's responded well to that. I think he's getting a better feel for how we want things done and he's competing well out there."
The philosophy is the one part of the offense that is failing, debilitating and wreaking havoc to any and all hope that the talent can manufacture yards, first downs, points, leads, and then victories. Go through the history of Linehan, Bratkowski, Turner, Cam Cameron (especially), and Mike Tice and you will find at some point there are two common complaints, one from the fans/media and one from the players: from the fans/media the complaint is "Why are you running the same basic 4 over and over and expecting different results." And from the players (most recently shown on NFL Network about the Rams, Torry Holt screaming at Scott Linehan) it's "Why are you calling these plays when other ones are better?"
Cam Cameron was fired from the Baltimore Ravens because he stuck to the Coryell philosophy (same coaching tree branch that Garrett is on) and would not run the ball because of the opposing defense and the result was interceptions and sacks of Flacco.
The Ravens saw that Cameron's philosophy failed the eye test.
Similarly, when the Romo has to scramble to make completions and takes a beating despite the "great O-line" them the eye test says the WR routes are not working, the plays themselves are easily defended and/or the defensive scheme and talent is just better than the Cowboys.
When the team has a 2014 Murray and takes him off the field despite all his production and being the fastest WR on the team and having the 3rd most receptions on the team, it fails the eye test.
When the brilliant coach loses games, solely because of his bad decisions. It fails the eye test.
When the team cannot function on offense without the one QB who routinely turns the bad scheme into gains. It fails the eye test.
When the team is 8-8, 12-4, and 4-12, changing the defense 4 times but never, ever allowing the offensive philosophy to change. It fails the eye test.
When my 8 year old daughter can accurately predict the next Dallas play based on the gain and field position of the previous play. It fails the eye test.
This "philosophy" that Brice is talking about is about as productive and fecund as Communism. Those who purport Communism would caution to stay with the philosophy despite the losing results. But over time, if the philosophy does not adapt to the current opportunities, people, and need for change, it will become a failing system of doing the same thing over and over expecting different results.
And when we read about the philosophy of Communism and it's attempts and failures throughout history.
It fails the eye test.