http://www.cowboysnation.com/2012/04/where-theres-smoke-there-are-dummies.html
When Chuck Noll coached the Steelers, his team's offensive signals were known by defenses across the league. The team rarely changed them. Steelers QBs continued running the offense effectively because they employed lots of "dummy" calls, which faked the play but called for the opposite. For instance, Mark Malone might make a dummy call for a trap, get the opposing linebackers to call it out, and crowd then line, then drop a play action pass over them.
The defenders could never clue in on whether the call was a live one or a dummy, and eventually gave up guessing, because the penalty for missing was so strong.
Are the Cowboys employing dummy calls in their recent draft teasers? They're making a point of telling the world how much they like Memphis defensive lineman Dontari Poe, but simultaneously telling the press how much they don't want the world to know that they love him. Jerry Jones praised him recently. Earlier this week, CNNSI contributor Tony Pauline posted on his site that Poe was ''the apple of [the Cowboys'] eyes."
That sentiment has been echoed by at least two Dallas-area scribes, most recently the Ft. Worth Star-Telegram's Clarence Hill reported that,
Which is only the most certain way to deflect attention away from Poe, no?
Are the Cowboys letting the rest of the NFL know their signals, or is this a dummy call?
I think the Poe rumors reek of smoke. There appear to be several players the Cowboys could take and insert into their lineup who will get official visits -- Dre Kirkpatrick, Cordy Glenn, Peter Konz, Stephon Gilmore, Fletcher Cox, and yes, even Poe.
There are also a couple of players who would most certainly help who will not be visiting the Ranch, in David DeCastro and Michael Brockers.
It's all for the good. I don't want the team to make its intentions known. They're in a position where other teams could leapfrog them and grab their real target, or targets, were they known.
My rule of thumb for April is to disregard any open proclamations of love by any team for any player. Think to what the team was putting out a year ago:
This isn't a slam at the messenger. Matt Mosley does a fine job. It's clear, however, that his sources were passing on some fiction. I suspect they may be doing the same again, since so many writers are onto this ''exclusive, top-secret, don't-tell-anybody, but-tell-everybody" rumor.
Are the Cowboys making their draft call in the open, or using another dummy? I feel dumb trying to tease it all out.
* * * *
Notes: If the Cowboys have an interest in Peter Konz, they can't get too cute trading back. Pauline has heard that the Bengals might use their 2nd pick at 21 on him and the Packers would grab him at 28 if he lasted that long. They lost Scott Wells and it makes sense that they would covet the U.W. standout. The Ravens would take him at 29. Bottom line -- a trade down with a team like San Diego or Cincinnati (for their pick at 17) could work, but nothing more drastic than that.
-- Why I think the Cowboys covet a DE at pick 14, reason 52. I reviewed the Cowboys 2011 moves last night and was reminded that one week into last year's training camp, Rob Ryan was running nickels and gimmicks because he only had Sean Lissemore as a true DE option. Marcus Spears, Jason Hatcher and Kenyon Coleman could not sign veteran deals until camp was several days old.
DE is the most hastily assembled position on the team.
When Chuck Noll coached the Steelers, his team's offensive signals were known by defenses across the league. The team rarely changed them. Steelers QBs continued running the offense effectively because they employed lots of "dummy" calls, which faked the play but called for the opposite. For instance, Mark Malone might make a dummy call for a trap, get the opposing linebackers to call it out, and crowd then line, then drop a play action pass over them.
The defenders could never clue in on whether the call was a live one or a dummy, and eventually gave up guessing, because the penalty for missing was so strong.
Are the Cowboys employing dummy calls in their recent draft teasers? They're making a point of telling the world how much they like Memphis defensive lineman Dontari Poe, but simultaneously telling the press how much they don't want the world to know that they love him. Jerry Jones praised him recently. Earlier this week, CNNSI contributor Tony Pauline posted on his site that Poe was ''the apple of [the Cowboys'] eyes."
That sentiment has been echoed by at least two Dallas-area scribes, most recently the Ft. Worth Star-Telegram's Clarence Hill reported that,
According to a team source, the Cowboys, "like him a lot but don't want to draw attention to him."
Which is only the most certain way to deflect attention away from Poe, no?
Are the Cowboys letting the rest of the NFL know their signals, or is this a dummy call?
I think the Poe rumors reek of smoke. There appear to be several players the Cowboys could take and insert into their lineup who will get official visits -- Dre Kirkpatrick, Cordy Glenn, Peter Konz, Stephon Gilmore, Fletcher Cox, and yes, even Poe.
There are also a couple of players who would most certainly help who will not be visiting the Ranch, in David DeCastro and Michael Brockers.
It's all for the good. I don't want the team to make its intentions known. They're in a position where other teams could leapfrog them and grab their real target, or targets, were they known.
My rule of thumb for April is to disregard any open proclamations of love by any team for any player. Think to what the team was putting out a year ago:
This isn't a slam at the messenger. Matt Mosley does a fine job. It's clear, however, that his sources were passing on some fiction. I suspect they may be doing the same again, since so many writers are onto this ''exclusive, top-secret, don't-tell-anybody, but-tell-everybody" rumor.
Are the Cowboys making their draft call in the open, or using another dummy? I feel dumb trying to tease it all out.
* * * *
Notes: If the Cowboys have an interest in Peter Konz, they can't get too cute trading back. Pauline has heard that the Bengals might use their 2nd pick at 21 on him and the Packers would grab him at 28 if he lasted that long. They lost Scott Wells and it makes sense that they would covet the U.W. standout. The Ravens would take him at 29. Bottom line -- a trade down with a team like San Diego or Cincinnati (for their pick at 17) could work, but nothing more drastic than that.
-- Why I think the Cowboys covet a DE at pick 14, reason 52. I reviewed the Cowboys 2011 moves last night and was reminded that one week into last year's training camp, Rob Ryan was running nickels and gimmicks because he only had Sean Lissemore as a true DE option. Marcus Spears, Jason Hatcher and Kenyon Coleman could not sign veteran deals until camp was several days old.
DE is the most hastily assembled position on the team.
