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[h=2]George: Three OL who have caught the eyes of NFL scouts this week at the Senior Bowl[/h]
ByBrandon George
bgeorge@dallasnews.com
6:15 PM on Wed., Jan. 25, 2012 |
MOBILE, Ala. - Cowboys coach Jason Garrett said there are two characteristics in a football player he looks for the most no matter the position.
Garrett said he's on the lookout this week at the Senior Bowl for players who are smart and tough.
The Cowboys' offensive line was a unit that many questioned the toughness of last season considering how defenses often charged up the middle and disrupted quarterback Tony Romo.
This off-season, one of the Cowboys' priorities is to improve the interior of their offensive line.
The Cowboys also value versatility among their offensive linemen. Three linemen who have embodied that at the Senior Bowl this week are Wisconsin's Kevin Zeitler, Iowa State's Kelechi Osemele and Georgia's Ben Jones.
Zeitler and Jones said they interviewed with the Cowboys this week. Osemele declined to say whether he had talked to the Cowboys.
Zeitler (6-3½, 315) played right guard at Wisconsin and is a former college teammate of Cowboys guard Bill Nagy. He has also been working at center this week.
Osemele, a mountain of a man at 6-5¼ and 333 pounds, is a guard who also worked some at tackle Wednesday. Osemele, whose arms are 37 inches long and has a 77½-inch wingspan, also doesn't lack for confidence.
"I showed today I can do both guard and tackle," Osemele said. "I did well. I dominated."
Then there's Jones (6-2½, 304), who was one of the nation's top centers last year but played some at guard Wednesday for the first time since high school.
Asked what his strengths are, Jones didn't hesitate.
"My intelligence," Jones said. "I'm a smart guy. I can get the whole offensive line on the same page and I'm tough as hell."
Ah, smart and tough. That's music to Garrett's ears.
ByBrandon George
bgeorge@dallasnews.com
6:15 PM on Wed., Jan. 25, 2012 |
MOBILE, Ala. - Cowboys coach Jason Garrett said there are two characteristics in a football player he looks for the most no matter the position.
Garrett said he's on the lookout this week at the Senior Bowl for players who are smart and tough.
The Cowboys' offensive line was a unit that many questioned the toughness of last season considering how defenses often charged up the middle and disrupted quarterback Tony Romo.
This off-season, one of the Cowboys' priorities is to improve the interior of their offensive line.
The Cowboys also value versatility among their offensive linemen. Three linemen who have embodied that at the Senior Bowl this week are Wisconsin's Kevin Zeitler, Iowa State's Kelechi Osemele and Georgia's Ben Jones.
Zeitler and Jones said they interviewed with the Cowboys this week. Osemele declined to say whether he had talked to the Cowboys.
Zeitler (6-3½, 315) played right guard at Wisconsin and is a former college teammate of Cowboys guard Bill Nagy. He has also been working at center this week.
Osemele, a mountain of a man at 6-5¼ and 333 pounds, is a guard who also worked some at tackle Wednesday. Osemele, whose arms are 37 inches long and has a 77½-inch wingspan, also doesn't lack for confidence.
"I showed today I can do both guard and tackle," Osemele said. "I did well. I dominated."
Then there's Jones (6-2½, 304), who was one of the nation's top centers last year but played some at guard Wednesday for the first time since high school.
Asked what his strengths are, Jones didn't hesitate.
"My intelligence," Jones said. "I'm a smart guy. I can get the whole offensive line on the same page and I'm tough as hell."
Ah, smart and tough. That's music to Garrett's ears.
