Moore: Cowboys couldn't beat teams with their ground game if they tried

[Midswat]

Comment From Larry C

Do you think that Miles Austin has lived up to that fat contract? He seems to lose focus. He drops too many balls and and there seems to be a disconnect between himself and Romo on those back shoulder fades.

David Moore:

I would argue any player would need to play deeper into that fat contract you referenced before it can be said he lived up to it. While Austin did drop two balls against New England, it's hard to find an elite receiver other than Calvin Johnson who doens't drop a few these days. I'd argue Romo and Austin have a great connection, close to the one Romo shares with Witten. I also think if he Austin didn't catch nine passes for 143 yards and three touchdowns against San Francisco, this team would be 1-4 right now instead of 2-3.


Comment From dbru

It seems that without an effective running game, the offense will put too much pressure on Romo. Do you see any movement towards a strong running game philosophy?

David Moore:

Here's the question: do the Cowboys have the offensive line and running backs to warrant a strong run game philosophy? I'd say no. This team is better built to beat a team through the air than on the ground.


Comment From Manny

Isn't it a bad sign that Arkin is behind a seventh round pic (Nagy), a free agent cast-off (Dockery), and undrafted free Agent (Kowalaski) and now an oveweight back-up that was cut (Holland). Arkin was the starting Guard in the first preseason game. What happened?!

David Moore:

It's a sign that Arkin comes from a small school and they felt Nagy, given his college career at Wisconsin, was better suited for the big stage from Day One. The Cowboys like Arkin and his potential. They drafted him with the idea he will help them down the future, not this season. Don't read too much into his absence yet.


Comment From markm

what is going on with Free, seems he has taken a step backward, and is Tyron Smith just getting to where teams know what his weaknesses are?

David Moore:

Free isn't playing as well this season as he was at this stage last season. Some of it is that defensive coordinators have had an off-season to study tape of what he does and doesn't do well and attack him. But he's also playing next to inexperienced players. That factors into his performance as well.
Sunday's game was Smith's worst. You will have those with a rookie tackle. Overall, I think he's played very well and has arguably been the team's best offensive lineman.

 

[VA Cowboy]

DavidMoore1967
It's a sign that Arkin comes from a small school and they felt Nagy, given his college career at Wisconsin, was better suited for the big stage from Day One. The Cowboys like Arkin and his potential. They drafted him with the idea he will help them down the future, not this season. Don't read too much into his absence yet.

4th round is when you draft projects for the future. 7th round is when you take players you hope can contribute now. Good analysis.

 

[Midswat]

4th round is when you draft projects for the future. 7th round is when you take players you hope can contribute now. Good analysis.

I think the correct answer is you draft with more than just the upcoming season in mind.

If you like Arkin, and think he can be a long term answer at Guard, after given some time to develop, then I'd definitely take him in the fourth.

Think back to pre-draft Tyron vs Carimi discussions. Most agreed that Tyron would be the better tackle in the long term, but because of his age, size, etc, he'd likely take a few years to develop (appearantly that isn't/wasn't the case) and that Carimi was the most NFL ready tackle in this draft. He would be able to step right in from Day 1 and start. But his ceiling was lower.

To draft only players you think can contribute immediately is short-sighted thinking.

 

[VA Cowboy]

To draft only players you think can contribute immediately is short-sighted thinking.

I agree. I also think drafting for potential is dangerous too though.

 

[Midswat]

I agree. I also think drafting for potential is dangerous too though.

But you could say that every player drafted is drafted based on potential.

 

[carphalen5150]

But you could say that every player drafted is drafted based on potential.

Absolutely, but I feel better about guys from bigger programs as projects. They have played better competition and are not overwhlemed like Arkin seems to be. I hope he works out, I really do, but it is just bad news that he cannot play both G spots and is passed over by Holland.

 

[NoDak]

Absolutely, but I feel better about guys from bigger programs as projects. They have played better competition and are not overwhlemed like Arkin seems to be. I hope he works out, I really do, but it is just bad news that he cannot play both G spots and is passed over by Holland.

Is he being overwhelmed mentally or physically? Or both? I honestly don't know. From what little I saw in preseason, he didn't look that powerful at the point. Maybe he just needs a year in an NFL strength and conditioning program. I wouldn't think his school would be as good as Wisconsin's in that regard. But that's just a guess.

 

[carphalen5150]

Is he being overwhelmed mentally or physically? Or both? I honestly don't know. From what little I saw in preseason, he didn't look that powerful at the point. Maybe he just needs a year in an NFL strength and conditioning program. I wouldn't think his school would be as good as Wisconsin's in that regard. But that's just a guess.

I'd say both...if he can only play one spot, then mentally he is overwhelmed, and like you said he was not good at the point of attack. I just expected more because he was supposed to be this nasty mauler coming out...and I did not see it in limited time.

 

[Midswat]

Arkin is also not a natural guard.

He played tackle at his refrigerator college.

So he's making a huge transition.

Another thing to consider is, the team is likely looking at how Free is struggling, and attributing some of that to him having an inexperienced rookie on his right side. They could figure that by adding a veteran, especially someone who already knows the offense, that it'll help Free out.

Maybe I'm reaching for excuses, but I'm just not ready to wave the bust flag on Arkin, or get all panicky yet.

 

[carphalen5150]

Arkin is also not a natural guard.

He played tackle at his refrigerator college.

So he's making a huge transition.

Another thing to consider is, the team is likely looking at how Free is struggling, and attributing some of that to him having an inexperienced rookie on his right side. They could figure that by adding a veteran, especially someone who already knows the offense, that it'll help Free out.

Maybe I'm reaching for excuses, but I'm just not ready to wave the bust flag on Arkin, or get all panicky yet.

I am more comfortable with Smith than I am Free...so if Arkin can only play RG, then put Kosier back at LG, and play Arkin at RG.

 

[Bob Sacamano]

4th round is when you draft projects for the future. 7th round is when you take players you hope can contribute now. Good analysis.

Obviously you'd like to draft the best of both worlds. A rookie who will contribute alot from Day 1 and into the future. But when that becomes impossible the BPA should take precedense. I don't think they planned to draft Arkin and Nagy with either starting this year. The starters were supposed to be Holland and Kosier.

 

[Bob Sacamano]

Fuck, how do you spell precedence??

 

[Bob Sacamano]

Absolutely, but I feel better about guys from bigger programs as projects. They have played better competition and are not overwhlemed like Arkin seems to be. I hope he works out, I really do, but it is just bad news that he cannot play both G spots and is passed over by Holland.

Why do you prefer projects from bigger colleges? I'd say that they have the highest potential to bust. That with all that quality teaching they still either: can't get it, or don't want to get it.

The sloppy and lazy attitude part tends to follow them into the pros.

 

[peplaw06]

I'm just not ready to wave the bust flag on Arkin, or get all panicky yet.

This is complete nonsense. You must get panicked because our fourth rounder isn't playing after 5 games.

This team always hits on 4th rounders. See AOA, Brandon Williams, Skyler Green, Isaiah Stanback, etc.

Read it on this forum.

 

[Midswat]

This is complete nonsense. You must get panicked because our fourth rounder isn't playing after 5 games.

All that post needed was a "I know because I've read it right here on this forum" and you might have developed a penchant for incredible stories and a loyal following.

 

[carphalen5150]

Why do you prefer projects from bigger colleges? I'd say that they have the highest potential to bust. That with all that quality teaching they still either: can't get it, or don't want to get it.

The sloppy and lazy attitude part tends to follow them into the pros.

I prefer them because they have played against bigger players, more complicated systems, and are not overwhelmed by the stage. Also...who says they are lazy...take Nagy for instance, he is a project, but he played at a big school, had good coaching, playing/practicing against top competition.

 

[peplaw06]

All that post needed was a "I know because I've read it right here on this forum" and you might have developed a penchant for incredible stories and a loyal following.

Edited... and paraphrased for brevity's sake.

 

[peplaw06]

I prefer them because they have played against bigger players, more complicated systems, and are not overwhelmed by the stage. Also...who says they are lazy...take Nagy for instance, he is a project, but he played at a big school, had good coaching, playing/practicing against top competition.

The reason Nagy was a project was because he didn't play much. He was a backup and only saw significant time after an injury to a starter. If he had started 3 years or so at Wisconsin, he wouldn't be considered a project.

 

[carphalen5150]

The reason Nagy was a project was because he didn't play much. He was a backup and only saw significant time after an injury to a starter. If he had started 3 years or so at Wisconsin, he wouldn't be considered a project.

Plenty of guys who had big time playing time at larger schools are considered projects: Jason Pinkston, Marcus Cannon, Chris Hairston, Julian Vandervelde, DeMarcus Love, for example.

Even our boy Tyron Smith is still a project.

 

[Mr.Po]

It's a sign that Arkin comes from a small school and they felt Nagy, given his college career at Wisconsin, was better suited for the big stage from Day One. The Cowboys like Arkin and his potential. They drafted him with the idea he will help them down the future, not this season. Don't read too much into his absence yet.

If that's the case then why was Arkin starting from game one/day one. That contradicts his statement.

I like the youth movement that was put in place it's just the lack of a contingency plan in case things fell through that was short sighted.