Moving on to Tampa Bay

[dbair1967]

Whoa, seriously? I thought he looked great in presason.

I wouldn't be surprised if a team like the Seahawks or Broncos claim him.

Yeah this makes no sense. they just cut a young, big, fast back who can catch the ball and return kickoffs (who by the way is under contract for 3 yrs) so they can keep one absolute scrub (Dunbar) and an aging RB who has missed 13 games of the 16 game season, each of whom is a free agent after this season.

There really needs to be something more to this story for me to understand, otherwise this seems to reek of really poor roster management.

Jackson is younger, bigger, faster, just as versatile (if not moreso) and makes a fraction of what Dunbar and McFadden make, and oh by the way he was locked up for two more seasons.

 

[dbair1967]

Yep for some reason we don't want to throw the ball to Zeke anymore. Like, they decided it wasn't fair to the opponent to have a guy who can take a screen pass 83 yards to the house at any given time.

We are under-utilizing our best weapons and failing to put our players in the best position to make plays. That is the very definition of bad play calling.

Taking him out of the game for Dunbar is stupid (as I've mentioned almost weekly since this started) but I don't think there's anything to the first part of your statement. Garrett and Linehan don't decide where the ball goes once the play starts. Prescott has to do that. There are plenty of plays where Elliott releases out of the backfield and a number of those plays he is wide open (incl several the other night) This seems to happen on an almost weekly basis, and appears to be getting worse.

If anything Prescott should be getting more comfortable progressing through reads and finding outlet guys as the season wears on, not worse. He's definitely missed a number of easy gains that eventually would force teams to alter their coverages to compensate for Elliott out in pass routes.

 

[MrB]

Absolutely stupid. Keeping Dunbar as a completely unnecessary third down back when you have a completely necessary Elliot ready to play is just stupid. This is another one of those idiotic "Well we wanted to have a third down back" type reasoning where Garrett is trying to fit square peg scheming into round hole players.

3rd down and 2 and they take Elliot out of the game for a smaller weaker slower more fragile Dunbar. Why? For the concept?

Jackson can and did outplay Dunbar in college, at his pro day and in preseason.

Just stupid.

Makes no fucking sense to me Jackson was cut and Dunbar is still on this team, or McFadden either. Neither will be on the team next year so you let a promising young RB go for them? Absolutely stupid.

What are the chances he gets signed to the practice squad?

 

[Scot]

Someone will pick him up just from his pre season performance

Some team will need a RB going into the playoffs

 

[Bushmaster78FS]

Good ol FanSided. Still hoping we won... lol

 

[cmd34]

Wait, Darius Jackson was cut?

Yeah, I'm not happy with that at all.

 

[Midswat]

Bucs look like different team since 3-5 start, winning 5 in a row

By Charean Williams
cjwilliams@star-telegram.com

When the Tampa Bay Buccaneers sat 3-5, critics wondered why in the world they fired Lovie Smith after only one year. But Dirk Koetter, in his first stint as a head coach, has delivered since.

The Bucs, along with the Detroit Lions, are the hottest team in the league with a five-game winning streak. Their eight victories this season include wins over Atlanta, Kansas City and Seattle, and one of their losses was in overtime to Oakland.


The Bucs travel to Arlington to play the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday for a chance to prove even more in what writers in Tampa are calling the team’s biggest game since 2008. That was Jon Gruden’s final season as the Bucs’ coach.

The Bucs’ eight victories this season include wins over Atlanta, Kansas City and Seattle.

Second-year quarterback Jameis Winston has shown steady improvement and has 23 touchdowns this season. The defense, featuring defensive tackle Gerald McCoy, linebacker Lavonte David and cornerbacks Brent Grimes and Vernon Hargreaves, has ranked as the best unit in the NFL since Week 10 in points allowed (12.8), takeaways (14, including a league-best 10 interceptions), touchdowns allowed (six) and opposing passer rating (62.5).

The Bucs, though, have only nine offensive touchdowns in the past five games.


Evans’ production

Former Texas A&M receiver Mike Evans ranks third in the league in catches (80), fifth in yards (1,100) and 10th in touchdowns (10). But teams have gone out of their way to stop Evans the past two weeks.

The San Diego Chargers and New Orleans Saints limited Evans to a combined seven catches for 80 yards and no touchdowns.

The Bucs do not have a true No. 2 receiver, allowing teams to plan their defense around stopping No. 13.


Running nowhere?

The Bucs re-signed Doug Martin to a long-term deal in the off-season after he rushed for 1,402 yards in 2015. That was second only to Adrian Peterson. Martin averaged 4.9 yards per carry.

But Martin, who signed a five-year, $35.75 million deal, has struggled this season, missing six games with a hamstring injury.

Martin gained only 66 yards on 23 carries against the Saints on Sunday. For the season, he has 379 yards on 128 carries. His 2.87 yards per carry is a career-low and lowest among the 33 running backs with 100-plus carries this season.



Red-zone defense

The Bucs rank only 21st in total defense, but they have proved a different unit the past five games. They have played particularly well in the red zone, giving up only two touchdowns in five goal-to-go situations.

For the season, Tampa Bay has allowed 22 red-zone touchdowns in 37 such situations

 

[Bob Sacamano]

Whoa, seriously? I thought he looked great in presason.

I wouldn't be surprised if a team like the Seahawks or Broncos claim him.

The Browns claimed him.

They already have 2 pretty good backs, so it says something that they added him to their roster.

edit: looks like Crowell is set to be a free agent after the year. So I guess they did it to hopefully cover some loss if they don't re-sign their feature back from this year.

 

[ThoughtExperiment]

Was just about to post that.

And they're first in line on waiver claims. Even if they hadn't claimed him, someone else probably would have.

Also probably means even if they release him, we aren't getting him back.

 

[Scot]

I wish we would have kept this kid. He flashed some talent in preseason

I would have gladly traded away Dunbar and McFadden for picks and kept this kid along with AM. Even with Morris' production and reps falling off the fast few weeks

There is nothing Dunbar can do that Zeke can't do better, and McFadden is often injured

 

[Bob Sacamano]

Was just about to post that.

And they're first in line on waiver claims. Even if they hadn't claimed him, someone else probably would have.

Also probably means even if they release him, we aren't getting him back.

I think they did it so we couldn't stash him on our PS which was the plan. We're only 3 spots removed down the waiver claim.

 

[ThoughtExperiment]

I thought at some point the claim order reflected current standings and not last year's. Are they still going off the 2015 records?

 

[Bob Sacamano]

I thought at some point the claim order reflected current standings and not last year's. Are they still going off the 2015 records?

I believe so.

 

[dbair1967]

I thought at some point the claim order reflected current standings and not last year's. Are they still going off the 2015 records?

This is correct. Its only the first few weeks of the season that uses last years W/L record.

 

[dbair1967]

More good news here. Chaz Green has a herniated disk, probably needs surgery.

FRISCO
Dallas Cowboys swing tackle Chaz Green has been diagnosed with a herniated disc in his back, but is going to try and play through it down the stretch.

Green practiced on a limited basis Wednesday and is hoping to progress throughout the week. He is still hoping to be an option for the Cowboys at some point this season.

“It’s something I’m trying to work through,” Green said. “Given the time of the season, obviously it needs time but I don’t have that, so just trying to see if it’s something I can work through.”

Green opened the season as the swing tackle and started two games at left tackle with Tyron Smith sidelined with a back injury. Green started a Week 3 game against Chicago and again in Week 4 at San Francisco, a game in which he injured his foot.

The foot has fully healed for Green, but the back injury is what’s slowed him of late. Green acknowledged that he may have to undergo back surgery in the offseason.

“I’m not trying to think like that,” Green said. “I mean, it’s a possibility, but I’m not thinking like that. I’m just trying to stay positive, try to make sure I can calm it down and see if I can work through it.”


Cowboys OT Chaz Green slowed by herniated disc, surgery possibility | The Star-Telegram

 

[ThoughtExperiment]

Speaking of, who cares about Chaz Green... but we're really lucky Tyron's back problem seems to have cleared up. Now that would be a big loss.

 

[dbair1967]

Speaking of, who cares about Chaz Green... but we're really lucky Tyron's back problem seems to have cleared up. Now that would be a big loss.

I do. Green kinda showed he can play when he got on the field earlier in the season. If he had been healthy the whole time he might have already replaced Doug Free.

And at a minimum, he's a far better player than Emmett Cleary.

Green probably would be the 6th OL instead of Looney when they go to those heavy sets as well.

 

[dbair1967]

Practice Update: Starters Missing On Both Offensive & Defensive Lines


Wednesday, December 14, 2016 12:28 PM CST

By David Helman
DallasCowboys.com Staff Writer
@HelmanDC

FRISCO, Texas – The Cowboys looked a little light on the front lines as they reported for their first practice of Week 15.

Two of the team’s starting five offensive linemen, Tyron Smith and Ron Leary, were absent as the Cowboys took the field for the first time this week. DeMarcus Lawrence Lawrence and Cedric Thornton were also absent from the defensive line.

Wednesday is always a little early to panic, given the nature of injuries in the NFL. Smith has played through a back injury for much of this season and has occasionally refrained from practicing, while Lawrence played 13 snaps last week while fighting through a back injury.

It’s unclear what problems are bothering Leary and Thornton, though it’s worth noting that both players finished the game last week in the Cowboys’ 10-7 loss to the Giants.



On the positive side, second-year tackle Chaz Green did return to practice on Wednesday, as he tries to work his way back from his own back injury. Green injured his foot in the Oct. 2 win against San Francisco and hasn’t appeared in a game since. It’s only been in recent weeks that the back injury has shown up on practice reports, but his ability to get onto the field is a good sign.

Defensive backs Morris Claiborne and J.J. Wilcox were also absent, though that’s to be expected. Claiborne is still recovering from his Oct. 30 groin injury, and team officials have already said it’s unlikely he plays against the Buccaneers.

Wilcox hurt his thigh in the Thanksgiving Day win against Washington, and he has not yet practiced in the time since.

Long snapper L.P. Ladouceur was at practice with a wrap around the knee he appeared to tweak on Sunday night.

 

[MrB]

I wish we would have kept this kid. He flashed some talent in preseason

I would have gladly traded away Dunbar and McFadden for picks and kept this kid along with AM. Even with Morris' production and reps falling off the fast few weeks

There is nothing Dunbar can do that Zeke can't do better, and McFadden is often injured

This move reeks of Matt Moore. We get to watch while this kid becomes a very solid player for another team.

And there is no reason Dunbar should be on this team.

 

[Midswat]

Sunday night: Buccaneers at Cowboys

Can I take the Bucs over the Cowboys in good faith? You better believe it. The Dallas offense has hit an unexpected road bump the past two weeks, averaging 12 points per game, and the Tampa defense is suddenly the 85 Bears re-incarnated. No one — not Philip Rivers, not Russell Wilson, not Drew Brees and not Alex Smith — has been able to figure them out. Lavonte David and Kwon Alexander could give Dak Prescott fits, and if this is the biggest game the franchise has been in since 2007 I don’t expect Jameis Winston to wilt away. Upset special. Give me the red hot Bucs, and let’s enjoy (suffer?) through a week of Tony Romo speculation before Cowboys-Lions Monday night football.

The pick: Buccaneers 23, Cowboys 20