(This is the second part of a multi-part series breaking down the Dallas Cowboys by position, identifying areas of need and possible solutions for those needs, based on my film work and notes taken throughout the season, the first part was Offensive Tackle)
 |
| Veteran Cowboys Guard Kyle Kosier |
The Cowboys gave their rookies every opportunity to play after they released veteran guard and constant underachiever Leonard Davis. Unfortunately, Arkin was not ready to contribute coming from a small school and Nagy won the job by default, helped by the fact that he came from Wisconsin which produces NFL offensive linemen, Penn State produces NFL linebackers, Southern Cal produces NFL quarterbacks, and Texas produces NFL "busts". Holland was eventually released due to a bad back and poor conditioning (those two conditions were directly related).
Fast forward to October 16 and Nagy is placed on injured reserve, Derrick Dockery is still nursing a sprained MCL, Kyle Kosier is already banged up and now what appeared to be a strength in the preseason became a major liability. Enter Holland, who came back after getting in shape and the entire offense immediately improved.....
One advantage the Cowboys have at the guard position is a lot of bodies, from veteran stop-gaps and young players that the fans and organization have high expectations for, to a wide range of options in the draft and free agency. In fact, the guard position may be one of the most talked about positions on the Cowboys team from now until the season starts. So what do they have right now and what options do they have heading into the 2012 season.
Montrae Holland (Free Agent) - After being cut in training camp due to conditioning and back issues, Holland was brought back to start at Guard for the Cowboys after injuries and ineffectiveness; excelling in the 10 games he started. I believe that Holland (and Tony Fiammetta) was the primary reason for the emergence of DeMarco Murray along with the overall improvement in the line play as the season went on, as he is quick off the line for a man his size and is both strong and tough. While Holland is not a long term solution at guard, he should be brought back on a short term contract to compete come training camp, dependent on his recovery from biceps surgery and his level of conditioning. If the team is unable to draft a long term option at guard, sign a big money free agent or develop one of the younger guys; than Holland should come back as a starter.
Kyle Kosier (signed through 2013) - Kosier has been the most underrated offensive lineman for the Cowboys over the past few seasons while struggling with injuries throughout his time with the team. After being hampered by a foot injury for most of the year, his season ended just before the rest of the team when he tore his MCL in the final game of the season.
Kosier's strengths are his intelligence and technique, consistently getting underneath larger/stronger defenders and using leverage to control them. While Kosier will be with the 'Boys in training camp, he is not guaranteed a roster spot. One way to improve his odds of making the team is a position change to Center, which will be addressed in the next installment of this series (yes, I am plugging my next article, hopefully it works and you will be back).
Bill Nagy (signed through 2014) - As a rookie 7th round draft pick, not many expected Nagy to see much playing time this year, while others (myself included) prayed that he would not see many snaps. On film (from my perspective) Nagy was completely unable to move anybody, ending up 2-3 steps in the backfield in pass protection and was blown up by linebackers when he tried to clear running lanes as the pulling guard (and he had a full head of steam). He also drops his hands when not engaged with a defender wasting movement and time to get them in position.
While never seeming to make mental mistakes (seems intelligent), the NFL game was to fast and strong for him this past year, after a full off season hopefully he can get stronger and learn to use his hands to leverage defenders (should learn from Kosier). Also the Center may prove to be a better fit for Nagy going forward (again this will be addressed in the next installment).
David Arkin (signed through 2014) - As a rookie 4th round pick, Arkin was inactive for all 16 games after starting off camp playing with the first team. Only notes (from the preseason obviously) I have on him are that while he was routinely overpowered he showed more hustle than all other linemen, he seems to play with a mean streak (both hustle and mean streak contributed to a late hit penalty in preseason game against Vikings) and is excellent at getting to the second level and getting his head across the defender and into position to control where his man goes.
Coming from a small school (Missouri State) where he played left tackle his senior year (3 years at right guard), transitioning to the NFL game appeared to be much harder for him, especially without an off season. I have heard recently that the team is very high on Arkin and has the same belief in him i do, that he will become an NFL starter. If Arkin can develop in the weight room, look for him to compete with the veterans for a starting spot, and to be no worse than a backup (no more practice squad).
Derrick Dockery (Free Agent) - Another aging guard who has struggled with injuries, Dockery is an experienced player who played well in his two starts and should garner a training camp spot as an insurance policy against injuries and ineffective play.
Free Agent/Draft Options
 |
| Saints Guard & UFA Carl Nicks |
As a 27 year old All-Pro just entering his prime, Nicks will demand/land a contract that rivals (and in all likelihood will exceed), current teammate Evans and Patriots guard Logan Mankins recent bank busting of between $8-9 million per year on a 6-7 year deal.
With no major weaknesses in his game that I can see, he will be worth it. The Cowboys have the cap room and Jerry Jones has never shied away from spending money on guards in free agency (see: Marco Rivera, Leonard Davis, & Kyle Kosier). The wildcard in the "Carl Nicks Sweepstakes" that may help Dallas could be his connection to new offensive line coach Bill Callahan who recruited and coached him at Nebraska.
Other notable free agents: Ben Grubbs(Ravens), Chilo Rachal(Niners), Jake Scott(Titans), Deuce Lutui(Cardinals)
 |
| Stanford Guard David DeCastro |
The other viable draft option is to take a "second tier" guard with their second or third pick where Georgia's Cordy Glenn, Wisconsin's Kevin Zeitler, or Wake Forest's Joe Looney should be available.
2012 Outlook
So what should the Cowboys do at the guard position for 2012? While many fans, radio people, bloggers, analysts, etc. are saying they should either draft DeCastro with their first round pick or pay big money to Nicks in free agency, I believe they should stand pat with what they have.
The Cowboys have MUCH bigger problems than guard, in fact it is not even their biggest need on the offensive line (Center is), and the guard play this past season was above average once Holland returned to the team healthy and in shape. And from everything I have heard, the team believes they have a starting caliber guard in Arkin, and see potential in Nagy. So develop those two and bring back one (or a mix of) the veterans that are still playing well (Kosier, Holland, & Dockery).
I think we can all agree that the money and draft picks need to be used to fix the secondary, defensive line, center and/or for another pass rusher to take the pressure off of DeMarcus Ware. This team has a lot of holes/weak spots and they cannot all be addressed in one off season, so take care of the areas with the biggest deficiencies first. With all that said, I cannot disagree with upgrading if Nicks or Grubbs is available for a good price, OR taking DeCastro at fourteen if he is the highest rated player their board.
Follow ReclinerQB on Twitter: @ReclinerQB
Don't Forget to Follow ReclinerQB's other contributors on Twitter: @amazingmattyp, @zatchj62, @mwyche2, @theffaddict, @heartsfootball,
No comments:
Post a Comment