Dallas can do without a traditional back on the list

The Cowboys had a successful offseason, all things considered. They finally made the necessary changes to the coaching staff after underperforming in 2019. And while the Cowboys have lost a ton of talent for free will and retirement in recent months, the front office has done a good job to fill in the gaps and strengthen the strengths of the list.

Despite the loss of Travis Frederick, Randall Cobb and Jason Witten, the Cowboys’ offense is still among the best in the NFL in 2020. The Cowboys still have three offensive pro Bowl liners (Tyron Smith, Zack Martin and La ‘el Collins) on what plans to appear in the top five units of the league. But the real excitement in attack comes from Dak Prescott’s improved weapons in the passing game. The first round pick CeeDee Lamb is the ideal replacement for Randall Cobb, and his ability to play big will be evident from the start. Witten’s departure could be an addition by subtraction, as it allows the Cowboys to finally free Blake Jarwin from second place in the depth table. Witten is a future Hall of Fame and one of the best ends of all time, but there is no doubt that Jarwin is the most dynamic receiver at the moment.

The outlook for defense is a little more confusing, although a change in scheme, in theory, could give a boost. Although the Cowboys have yet to sign someone to adequately replace Robert Quinn, the combination of Aldon Smith’s signing and Tyrone Crawford’s return from injury should make up for much of that loss. After years of largely overlooked defensive tackle – nose tackle in particular – the Cowboys clearly improved the position by signing Gerald McCoy and Dontari Poe and drafting Neville Gallimore in the third round. These steps should not only improve the productivity of Dallas’ defensive forwards, but they should also have a positive effect on a linebacker group that was a big disappointment in 2019. Leighton Vander Esch’s health will be essential for this unit in 2020. In high school, the Cowboys lost a top 10 cornerback to Byron Jones. It’s almost impossible to adequately replace this kind of high school talent, but the Cowboys have certainly tried. They bombarded the corner position with an influx of talent, signing Daryl Worley and Maurice Canady and writing Trevon Diggs and Reggie Robinson II. In security, Dallas replaced Jeff Heath with Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, which should be seen as an upgrade.

The Cowboys have made an effort to improve their special teams by hiring one of John Fassel’s most respected special team coordinators. In addition, they re-signed Kai Forbath and signed Greg Zuerlein to try to solidify the kicker after a few years of below-average contributions to the position.

Dallas has done a commendable job from a macro perspective, but there are still a few micro-moves he should make to put the icing on the cake for a successful offseason. With that in mind, let’s play Armchair GM and take a look at some moves the Cowboys should be doing – but probably not – before the season.

Eliminates the full back of the list

While a few teams have found a way to use traditional backs effectively (see: the 49ers), the Cowboys are a team designed to win without the archaic position on the list.

With Amari Cooper, Michael Gallup and Lamb, the Cowboys have one of the best trio receivers in the NFL, that’s why they should remove a page from Sean McVay’s book and live with 11 people (one in reverse, one end tight and three receivers) for the vast majority of snaps. Even in 2019, the Cowboys’ precipitated success rate increased from 54% for 11 people to 51% for 21 people (two runners, one right side and two receivers), a strong indication that 11 people are already more effective than two. back.

Eliminating the back position doesn’t mean the Cowboys have to separate from Jamize Olawale, who has a skill set that blends well with the modern ball carrier.

Despite what his 6-1, 240 pound frame may make you believe, Olawale is actually one of the sportiest players on the list – anyone who has paid attention to Olawale’s kickoff coverage can bear witness. He is also an adequate ball carrier who can be effective in short distance situations. Olawale is extremely strong in pass protection – in 118 assists in pass protection, he has four haste, no quarter hits and no sacks – which is important in the NFL d ‘today, where exotic blitzes arrive everywhere in the third trials. From a skill standpoint, Olawale would be the # 3 ideal as a ball carrier. He is clean in pass protection, can be effective in the passing game, and is an ace for special teams.

In the back, Olawale fails to express these skills almost enough. Instead, it is forced to contribute mainly in an area where it provides an intermediate positive impact (if any): blocking execution. Olawale is not a very good race blocker, as evidenced by the fact that Dallas yards per carry in 2019 went from 3.57 with Olawale on the field to 5.02 with him on the sidelines. The difference was even worse in 2018, when Dallas averaged just 2.25 yards per rush with Olawale on the field versus 4.83 yards per rush without him.

Why have a rear on the list, especially when the holder is not even excellent in the line (race blocking) which differentiates the rear from the rear?

This is why the rear position has become the way of the dodo bird for most teams.

If the Cowboys want to keep certain racing concepts with lead blockers, they can use a tight end in an H-back role to fulfill rear responsibilities. This, combined with a robust pass attack, can create problems for the defenses, as they will not be able to predict where the lineout will be aligned. Sometimes he’ll be online or outside, and other times, he might be in the back field.

That said, head coach Mike McCarthy has repeatedly kept a back on his formations even if they barely played. In 2017, McCarthy’s backs played in only 183 of the 1,048 offense snaps (17.5%).

The Cowboys should remove the rear position. Chances are they won’t.

Sign legitimate competition for Chris Jones

One of the most baffling aspects of the Cowboys’ offseason was that, despite an insistence on improving special teams, they apparently refused to let Chris Jones enter the competition.

Jones seems to have built a status that is not entirely deserved. Jones was an intermediate kicker last year, ranking 36th out of 40 eligible in average net yards for punt attempt (37) and 31st in kicking inside the 20-yard line (20) , according to Pro Football Focus. Jones was slowed by a sports hernia and back problems last year, but he wasn’t much better in 2018 when he was apparently healthy, ranking 19th in net punting (39.6) and 29th in kicks inside the 20 (21).

It is July and the Cowboys have not even smelled in the direction of another bettor. It wouldn’t be a surprise if they brought another bettor to camp, but it would probably just be a local bettor that eases Jones’ workload, as the team is probably afraid to overload someone with a history of problems back.

What the Cowboys should do is sign a capable bettor who can legitimately challenge Jones for the job. Former Falcons kicker Matt Wile is available, and while he only played two games last year, he scored 44.7 yards, ranking first among all bettors. If the Cowboys want someone with more experience, former chief bettor Dustin Colquitt is available. He is a bit long in the tooth at 38, but he still beat Jones in net punting (40.4) and kicked down in the 20-yard line (26) in 2019.

Bringing a bettor does not mean that Jones is destined to be eliminated, he will only have to earn his place through competition, which should be the case for someone who has struggled for two consecutive seasons.

It doesn’t seem to be in the Cowboys’ cards, as they probably would have brought someone around the same time they signed Zuerlein during the offseason. Their intention to give Jones the job of bettor confuses me, but it is not I who make the decisions.

Sign a more powerful tackle

It’s easy to co-sign the majority of Dallas free agent signatures this offseason, but the one that made the least sense was Cameron Erving. The Cowboys had to sign an experienced swing tackle to support Tyron Smith and La’el Collins, but Erving was one of the less attractive options.

In 2019, Erving allowed 26 presses in 10 games, finishing 53rd in tackles for pass blocking efficiency. Erving’s difficulties had a tangible negative effect on Kansas City’s electric pass game. The Chiefs changed their pattern using a tight end or backing up to help Erving protect passes with chip blocks, which meant these players were slower to get out in route distribution and were traveling shorter routes in whole. The racing game was also negatively affected by Erving’s difficulties – the Kansas City racing success rate fell from 54% with Erving off the field to 47.6% with him. Patrick Mahomes missed two games (weeks 8 and 9) that allowed the opponents to focus a little more on the race, but the difference was quite striking with and without Erving on the field to mention.

The Cowboys saved about $ 2 million in caps by refusing Cameron Fleming’s option and signing Erving, but they downshifted when it was not needed, as there are a few more attractive options available.

Jason Peters is the best name, but he is unlikely to sign anywhere where he was unlucky to compete for a starting job.

Earlier this offseason, we discussed why the Cowboys should aim for Donald Penn to be the swing tackle – the same reasoning is true today. It would be an immediate upgrade from any backup hardware currently on the list. Former Buccaneers Tackle Demar Dotson is another veteran who should be considered and would present an upgrade. If the Cowboys wanted someone younger, former Browns tackle Greg Robinson would have been a much better option than Erving. Robinson ranked 31st in tackle efficiency in 2019, a much better finish than Erving at 53rd.

The Cowboys may not be looking to add another swing tackle, as they probably think that Erving’s presence is enough, which is why they signed it in the first place. I just vehemently disagree.

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