Oxnard Blog: Brandon Moore Edition

Perhaps in many respects, what we have seen in the last 12 hours is simply how life in the NFL works.

A rookie emerges.  A veteran blows out his knee.  A prospect retires.  A signing changes his mind.  It is a roller coaster of emotions surrounding a series of practice sessions.

For it was around 10pm Central time last night when word started circulating that a deal with Brandon Moore was close for the Cowboys.  Then, within the hour, word broke from a number of reliable sources that, in fact, the deal was done.  They had signed a right guard who had played 11 seasons in the same New York Jets uniform, starting most of those 11 seasons and playing at a very high level with impressive health.

I watched about 200 of his snaps last night to break down his ability from 2012 on this blog and I will tell you that although I would not consider him to be Carl Nicks or Mike Iupati when it comes to All-Pro Guards, he would have easily been the best guard the Cowboys had in their lineup since Leonard Davis in 2007 or so.

Watching Moore play a strong game for a Jets team that was a squad that had no choice but to play a strong and powerful run game made you understand how strength is a real factor in running zone stretch plays, but more importantly, inside runs and pulling guard opportunities.  He was stout and almost never turned back (Vince Wilfork could do it) and when he got on the move - which the Jets featured often - he was a very impressive player who would seek and physically dominate guys around the corner as he opened a path for his running back.

In pass protection, he hardly had anything to criticize.  He was confident and strong and generally not challenged on pass rushes and looked like he had seen everything 1,000 times.  Most likely, because he had.

If you have read my work for a week, you know my feelings about the offensive line.  And therefore you likely realize that I was pretty excited about the prospect of adding a guy like this who almost nobody in the NFL circles have anything bad to say about the guy.  He would have filled out that 3rd interior spot with a level of play that was beyond my expectations since the Cowboys neglected to upgrade their guard situation in the spring when it is best addressed.

Brandon Moore would easily walk from the street to being perhaps the offensive lineman you would rate behind Tyron Smith as the guy you least have to worry about in 2013.  And, he verbally agreed to terms last night and was going to fly in, and medicals pending, sign today.

Well, that changed at sunrise.

Moore decided that he second thoughts and instead has decided to retire.  He had played from his house for 11 years and with his family had settled in nicely.  To change all of that and leave them all to move to Dallas for 1 more year (most likely) was something that he tried to sleep on and couldn't.

He also told Sirius NFL Radio that the time to prepare was critical as well, as he had no desire to show up in August and not play at his normal level.  Had this been in March or April, he could have confidently prepared as he normally does, but now just 1 month from the opener was not enough time for him to feel good about where he would be in Week 1.   He wanted to do this because of his personal regard for Bill Callahan, but between family and preparation time, he had cold feet this morning.

Now, that leaves us with a number of questions that you have presented me with:

1) - If he is so great, why was he available on August 6th?

Well, this is the CBA these days.  Many players make a ton of money.  But, the long-time veterans get to a spot where when their contract expires, they find that multi-level deals are not offered to 33 year old guards who play at a solid level.  1-year deals for the veteran minimum are everywhere, but they are accustomed to long term details at $4m a season, they are not dying to jump across the desk to sign in May.  So, they sit out, waiting for something better.  As July arrives, they start to ponder whether they still want to play if the money is only at that level.  And that is where many vets over 30 sit right now.  If they have managed their money well, each day comes closer to them pondering if they really are that committed anymore.  Obviously, Moore decided that whatever the deal (thought to be around $2m) was not worth his trouble.  And given that he made very solid money for the last decade, you can understand that he didn't feel he had to leave his setup for a 5 month work detail in the NFL trenches.

2) - Were the Cowboys telling us that they are in big trouble on the Offensive Line?

I think that this verifies that the first 2 weeks have not told them good things about their starters from 2012 - Nate Livings and Mackenzy Bernadeau.  Both have had poor health summers after mediocre seasons and the combination of the 2 has many wondering if either were going to start on Opening Night.  This, combined with Travis Frederick at center and Ronald Leary at Left Guard playing so well has put the OL in a different spot altogether from where it was 12 months ago. The premise that they were ready to cut Bernadeau if they got Moore done is not a difficult idea to wrap your head around.  David Arkin is not a starter, Phil Costa doesn't appear to be, either.  So, with Livings out the next month, and Bernadeau is what he is, you can see that they could go with Leary-Frederick-Bernadeau if they had to, but who would argue that Leary-Frederick-Moore is a major upgrade from that and anything they have run out in 5 years?

3) - So What Do They Do Now?

Everyone is discussing Brian Waters, but he hasn't played since 2011 and I think the football department is not nearly as interested as the fan-base.  I think they saw Moore as unique opportunity because of his friendship with Callahan and saw that as an easy chance to upgrade with a guy who understood the system.  That doesn't mean that they were panicked and had to make a move and now sign the next guy.  I don't love Bernadeau starting for me, but I do think he can be ok there for now and the real idea is to get Leary and Frederick to prove their merits to see if they are truly as good as they look at this moment in time.

Either way, I feel better about the line.  But, for about 10 hours, I felt great about the upgrades when it looked like Moore was in the fold.  Now, we must return to the reality that they have plenty of work to do and plenty of "ifs" that they are going to try to prove as realities.

As teams across the NFL find out every day, there is no telling what the next 24 hours might have in store for a team preparing for a season.

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Live From Oxnard: The 17 Pre-Garrett Cowboys

It isn't too difficult to pick through the public speeches of Jason Garrett to see the items that he deems worthy of pounding home on his 2013 campaign trail.

If you listen to a few of them, you do pick up on the words that are most often used, including "passion", "energy", and of course, one that seems to have gone missing early in camp '13, "process".  Not sure if he has retired the term, "process", but at least for now, it has been taken out of the rotation.

However, this spring and summer, he has reflected quite a few times about how the program is being built with a certain type of player and a certain type of roster.  During these quick moments of reflection, he generally mentions a number of "17 players" that were here when he coached his 1st game on November 14, 2010 at the New Meadowlands Stadium against the New York (Football) Giants.

You may or may not remember this chart we made at the end of last season on "How the Cowboys were built", but either way, here it is with the different colors designating the different coaching regimes.  Top Silver is Garrett, Blue is Phillips, Bottom Silver is Parcells.

YEAR	DRAFT PICKS	FREE AGENTS	UNDRAFTED FAs
2012	Claiborne, Crawford, Wilber, Johnson, Hanna, Coale, McSurdy	Livings, Bernardeau, Orton, Vickers, Carr, Sims, Moore	Beasley, Leary, Dunbar, Bass
2011	Smith, Carter, Murray, Arkin, Harris		Kowalski, Tanner, Callaway, Albright, Jones, Bailey
2010	Dez Bryant, Sean Lee, Sean Lissemore		P Costa, J Parnell, B Church, D McCray
2009
2008	Orlando Scandrick
2007	Anthony Spencer, Doug Free
2006	Jason Hatcher		Miles Austin
2005	DeMarcus Ware, Jay Ratliff	LP Ladocuer
2004
2003	Jason Witten		Tony Romo

We will wait until the 2013 additions have made the team to redo this chart with the appropriate additions and subtractions, but for now, that gives you a pretty good idea of the soft underbelly that 2008 and 2009 presented the 2013 roster.

For one thing, the drafts (as has been reported on numerous occasions here and everywhere) certainly left the team in dire straits.  But, let's not underestimate that the undrafted rookie free agency bins and the free agency signings were non-existent there, too.  They literally added no players who could last for almost 24 months straight.  What was everyone doing in the personnel department during 2008 and 2009?  Actually, the truth might be that so many assets were lost in the Roy Williams trade that they didn't have much they could do.  Still....

As you can see, 2010 is looking to be a very plentiful season that should help this team recover.  Everyone can see that Dez Bryant and Sean Lee both have a chance to be cornerstones here for the balance of their careers like the greats Witten and Ware, perhaps, but don't lose sight of the others added during that season:  Barry Church, Jermey Parnell, Phil Costa, and Danny McCray all were undrafted free agents and Parnell was a practice squad signing from New Orleans.  All are players that have significant roles here today of either starters, depth, or special teams contributors.  Same for Sean Lissemore who was found in the 7th round that year.  We won't mention again the football ramifications of losing a young bull like Josh Brent, but safe to say that he would likely have played 500 snaps this season if he hadn't made another horrendous life decision last December.

Here is the game-book front page from Garrett Game #1 and you may click on it to see the entire roster from that game when Garrett took over the 1-7 2010 Cowboys:

And now I further altered it with blue accents with just the "Pre Garrett 17" Cowboys:

Given that this was less than 3 full seasons ago, it does shed light on how quickly things change in the NFL.  Only 3 offensive and 3 defensive starters remain from the team that took the field that day.

Today's rosters are largely built through the draft as there are no free agents from other NFL teams on this roster from before 2012 except for the Cowboys long snapper, LP Ladouceur.

Jerry Jones and Garrett have quickly turned this thing over.  We think that the NFL is a great departure from college football and the mentality that every season is a new team that we all expect in the college ranks.  But, perhaps this chart shows us differently.

Sure, there are a few players who can stay a decade.  But, overall, when you have a guy like Orlando Scandrick that is now one of your 10 longest-tenured Cowboys, you can see that you better be careful when you a buy a jersey of a young player.  There is very little evidence that they are promised to see their 5 year anniversary in a Cowboys uniform.  I imagine there are plenty of Felix Jones jerseys available on EBay these days.

So those are your 17 Cowboys who were here when Garrett took the job promotion.  I figure you can dazzle those in the next cubicle over with guys like Barry Church and Danny McCray.  Even Parnell was added a month before the change was made at head coach.  And all of those names are now veterans for the young guys behind them.

Hard to believe and yet it is the reality of the NFL.

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Live From Oxnard: Crawford Down; Depth Discussions

It may only be July 22, but the depth chart is already being tested for the Dallas Cowboys as on July 21, they lost a key member of a thin defensive line to what appears to be a season-ending achilles injury as Tyrone Crawford, a 2012 3rd Round pick, went down in a heap early in the practice #1.

Regardless of the propaganda peddled by Jerry Jones back in April, the defensive line is not a position of great strength by any means.  They were incredibly thin as a starting 4, with at least 2 players (Jay Ratliff and Anthony Spencer) attempting to play positions that do not appear ideal to learn for both size reasons and age reasons - and now their more promising reserve goes down for the entire season.  

Crawford, of course, is the guy that came quickly to mind when they would internally discuss replacements next winter as 2 of the starters - Spencer and Jason Hatcher - both head into unrestricted free agency.  He could still be that guy, but as far as having any sort of preparation for the 2014 season before he is handed the job has now become very unlikely.

And, more urgently, let's remember the entire focal point of a Monte Kiffin/Rod Marinelli defense; that is, they will base most of their defense on the premise of generating a pass rush with just the front 4 getting to the QB, and dropping 7 into zones (often 5 shallow/2 deep) and a 4 man pass rush is born almost completely from having a rotation of 6-8 linemen who can rotate and stay fresh throughout 4 quarters and sometimes 50 pass plays.  So, to lose the only regarded reserve who can offer some versatility and cover multiple spots is not a small matter on any level. 

Here is what Jerry told the Dallas Morning News (and the rest of the media) back in April:  

“[Tyrone] Crawford is certainly going in that right direction,” Jones said. “In no way do I think [Jay] Ratliff has injury issues. He did last year but that was pretty unique. I think [DeMarcus] Ware’s an exception. Spencer and these guys are young 30-year-olds. Don’t get me wrong, I’m interested in long term but I’m real interested in what’s happening in the next 24-36 months. That’s really what you ought to be looking at.”

If the Cowboys had stayed at No. 18, many experts believe the best fit would’ve been one of the following defensive tackles: Florida’s Sharrif Floyd or North Carolina’s Sylvester Williams.

Floyd was projected to go as high as No. 3 but slipped to the Minnesota Vikings at No. 23. 

“We feel like defensive line is a position of strength for us,” Jones responded when asked about Floyd. “In our system, we would probably put a premium on a quick-twitch potential three-technique. We [graded] him as not that, but that he certainly may be capable of getting there. That’s a case where are switch from a 3-4, he was obviously a nose tackle that had a lot of promise there at nose tackle. He’s an outstanding football player. … Again, I think you got to put our decision-making with a real focus on doing something with the interior of our offensive line.”

Obviously, there is going to be gnashing of teeth about passing on Shariff Floyd even more the day when Crawford gets hurt, but understand, this is what the set-up was even when Jay Ratliff was unable to pass the conditioning test without pulling his hamstring.  They just don't have very many options on this key spot on the roster.

They were taking an enormous gamble by not addressing the defensive line somewhere with their 4 picks in the top 80.  That was already true with a healthy Ratliff and a healthy Crawford.  Now, I am really not sure how we can expect Kiffin and Marinelli to generate a proper 4 man rush through 4 quarters (and one that is stout against the run) without having enough pieces.

This isn't about Sharrif Floyd - although the selection of Floyd would have allowed Crawford to slide back to your 3rd best interior guy or your 3rd best outside man.  Then Crawford and Sean Lissemore are part of a 7 man rotation that now has just 5 (assuming Ratliff can start 16 games).

And this isn't also about the folly of taking offensive linemen - because they needed that, too.  They also needed depth at WR, RB, and a plan about safety.  What they addressed in the draft, with the possible exception of using such a high pick on a 2nd TE, were all sound football decisions that filled needs that were obvious.

What this is more about is the macro view of Dallas Cowboys football in this current era.  It is feeling devastated about losing a reserve lineman on July 21.  It is about scrambling and wondering if someone is going to cut a guy who can instantly beat everything you have on your depth chart to fill his role - and knowing cuts won't happen for a month.

It reminds me of what we wrote about back in April:

When you have too many holes you are in a situation where there are no wrong answers (any pick you make will address a need, most likely) and there are no right answers (no matter who you pick, there will still be some major needs that don't get addressed).  This is the curse of the 2013 Cowboys draft.  They had needs and needs and needs.  They had too many holes and not enough plugs.  They shocked the NFL with all of the street free agents that they signed mid-season (in 2012) who stepped right onto the roster and into the huddle because of their absurd lack of depth.  They could not afford injuries in a sport that injuries are part of the deal.   

So, when they entered this weekend, they were at a distinct disadvantage against the league for 2 reasons.  1) they had more needs than your average team and 2) they had fewer picks than your average team.   

When you do look at those NFL Draft grades that I asked you to ignore, you will find that it starts with your pick load.  The Ravens and 49ers are celebrated for their awesome draft.  Well, they entered with the 2 most picks.  Green Bay was congratulated for their draft.  Well, they had 10 picks on Day 3 to use and trade with.  Minnesota graded well - I should hope so with 3 1st Rounders.  You will generally see that the teams with volume are going to hit the target more often. 

And this is why the Cowboys operate from a distinct disadvantage.  This is the macro view.  They butchered several drafts in a row by most counts.  2006-2010 have very little left to show for it.  We have discussed this at great length and if you compare them with the power teams in the league, you will see that the issue lies there - not with what they do in the 2012 or 2013 draft.   

Imagine a car in a race that is 4 laps down before it finally gets its set-up right.  It would make no sense to criticize them too hard for whatever happened after that.  They were too far behind to recover.  And that is where the franchise stands.  Too many holes and no matter who they take, it is the wrong answer.

This really is just the current situation.  A massive hole from the 2008-2009 drafts that now comes home to roost when players from those 2 drafts are hitting the start of their 2nd contracts and their NFL primes on other teams (contenders).  This massive hole does not take months to dig out of, but rather years.  

I believe that the Jason Garrett-led drafts might have a chance to fix this, but that won't be realized until they, too, hit their 2nd contracts and their primes in the 2015-2016 seasons.  On July 22, 2013, nobody wants to hear that noise.

Losing Tyrone Crawford hurts.  But as you can see, that is just the result of Mike Jenkins, Felix Jones, Martellus Bennett, Bobby Carpenter, Roy Williams, etc.  

Everyone in the NFL gets injuries.  Just like in real life, everyone gets a car accident or an unexpected expense of $1,000 or $2,000 once in a while.  Some people have money in the bank where that does not cripple them, and others are left without a solution.

Unfortunately, there are no savings accounts right now in the Cowboys talent bank.  

In 2013, they are already scrambling.  

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And Off We Go To Oxnard

The 2013 NFL season represents the 18th year since Super Bowl 30 for the Dallas Cowboys.  To this point, 17 seasons have been played since they won their 5th Super Bowl, and 281 games have been played during that stretch (regular and post season).

There have been some good times and some good teams, but given the unreasonably high bar that Cowboys' teams and eras of the past have set, the final results of each of those 17 seasons have left their vast fan-base with feelings of disappointment.  They have become accustomed to better.  It is not a matter of deserving anything, because that is not how sports work.  But, if you would have told the millions of Cowboys fans on that glorious night in Tempe, Arizona, when Jerry Jones held a Lombardi Trophy that did not require Jimmy Johnson's direct assistance, that the next 17 years would include nothing but "break-even" football, it would likely not be believed.

But, here they are.  Starting season 18 since their last Super Bowl and with those 281 games behind them, we look at the results to check that win total:

140-141.

To be fair, if you deduct the playoff games (2-7), the record shifts to 138-134 through 17 seasons.  That, of course, comes out to an average record of 8.1 wins and 7.9 losses per season year after year.

Since 2006, the year Tony Romo became their "QB1", they have a 65-51 mark (64-48 regular season) which equates to a average record of 9.1 and 6.9, and does account for one of those 2 playoff wins since Super Bowl 30 (the other being the wildcard round win against the Vikings in 1996).

Jason Garrett took over as coach of the Cowboys at midseason of 2010.  Since that time, he has coached the Cowboys in 40 games, compiling a record of 21-19.  He has not been to the playoffs to this point in his coaching tenure, which stands as a large impediment to any progress he has made in solidifying a roster and building a program that might be heading in the right direction.

Results matter and the results for Jerry Jones, Tony Romo, and Jason Garrett have all been right around 8-8.

And so, with 2011 and 2012 both being 8-8 seasons, the Cowboys start another training camp with optimism in their words and a fresh start in their minds.  They will talk about winning football and ideas on how this particular season will be different from the others.  They will, Jerry, especially, even mention the Super Bowl as the final destination and goal and talk about a window being open and trying to keep it from closing.

These are the things we do as we go to training camp with the Cowboys year after year.  And in 2013, where optimism has been beaten down by the teams that have come before them, you actually can sense a fan base that has morphed into numb and at times, hopeless about the present condition evolving into that of a perennial contender.

And, the more I look at this team, the more I do wonder if this will be one of those years where a team does play at a level that even surprises their own fan base.  I think this 2013 version can be pretty good, but like its predecessors, the margin for error is not going to be very big.

Yes, they have some very good talent at most starting positions.  Yes, they play in a division with teams that do not seem like impossible obstacles in their path.  Yes, they do seem to have new scheme ideas and strategies that work on paper.  And yes, they have a collection of veterans that are tired of 8-8.

But, of course, as we have seen in the past, injuries always hit and they don't try to be considerate of positions where you can afford the loss.  Even with a reasonably manageable schedule, this team has always found it tough to navigate through long stretches without a stumble.  New schemes are never as easy to figure out as they appear on paper during June and July.  And when you are 8-8, you understand that 2 plays - last year a Dez Bryant finger tip and a Dan Bailey kick in Baltimore from being 10-6.  Of course, as the wins at New York, versus Cleveland, and at Cincinnati showed us, they won some games by the skin of their teeth, too, and weren't miles from 6-10, either.

I absolutely look forward to ever year's trip to camp, but the experience of 15 Cowboys' camps in a row for me has taught me to measure bold claims and perfect optimism with a fair amount of realism and understanding that guys in these sports are wired a certain way to always look at things with the best case scenarios in mind.  They know that bad things are ahead, but they have no choice but to push forward with a brave face in July and August.  It is a new season.  New results are in their grasp if they make the right decisions along the way.

Added cast members will now coordinate a new defensive look.  Monte Kiffin and Rod Marinelli have more knowledge than any 1-2 defensive coaching combo could possibly provide.  They will push this team to create turnovers and negative plays and become a disruptive and physical defense like their other stops in Tampa Bay and Chicago.

On offense, the discussion of play-calling and a more determined emphasis on being physical and running the ball behind a powerful offensive line will be hashed out plenty in the next few weeks.  The Cowboys poured almost all of their major draft resources into plugging offensive holes.  And, it is exciting to see what they have done as Travis Frederick, Gavin Escobar, Terrance Williams, and Joseph Randle all bring tons of ability and youth to the table that should make the offense run more smoothly and effectively.

Over the next few weeks, we will tackle as many salient topics and questions as possible.  We will review 2012 with a microscope and try to sort through what applies to 2013.  We begin another journey with this team as they try once again to work their way up that hill.

They have never been a bottom feeder (well, Dave Campo's era might have been), but they have also ceased to be a heavyweight over these last 17 seasons.  They have just been stuck in the middle, without ever moving too far up or down the standings.  Right in the mix for the final playoff spots until the end, but recently, just on the outside looking in.

It is an amazingly tough league.  32 teams all hit camp with optimism about how they can figure out how to be one of the 12 teams that will play in the tournament in January.  History tells us that each season, half of the playoff field changes to new teams.

Can the Cowboys be there in that group of new teams?  Absolutely.

But, it will require them answering many of their questions with positive answers.

It all starts today, as they board their planes to California.  1st Practice is Sunday at 4pm Pacific time.

From there, nobody knows what lies ahead.  But, those of us who love the sport cannot wait to begin to find out.

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Tyron's New Home

As we spend 2 weeks at Cowboys Training Camp in Oxnard, California, I will continue doing the regular features on this very Cowboys-heavy blog (11 for '11 and Splash Plays), but now we will begin analyzing position battles and other more relevant training camp issues.

One I wanted to tackle today was something that won't get near the ink of the fictional "window" of the Cowboys or the handling of Dez Bryant, but it is far more interesting to me than either of those well-discussed items.

That is, how well will the Cowboys tackle position be fortified with the flip-flopping of Tyron Smith from Right to Left tackle, and Doug Free going the opposite direction? How can a rookie hold up against the gauntlet of studs that will come his way on Romo's blind side, and just as important how will Free respond to having a very difficult year at left tackle in his 1st season under his new hefty contract?

Let's use this email as a jumping off point:

My question – Everyone raved about Tyron Smith last year and criticized Free. To me, it looked like Smith benefited from having Kosier next to him…..and Free was a little more lost without Kosier. Free had a good year with Kosier next to him in 2010. What do you think?

Bob Woodyard

Jerry Jones and I have a large philosophical difference in opinion when it comes to football it seems, and I have noticed this since I have started covering his team in 1998. It appears that he places a premium - whether in money or in draft picks - on skill position players well above players on the two lines of scrimmage. Whereas, aside from the obvious position of Quarterback - I feel the exact opposite about the game of football. I believe, even in 2012 where there is more passing than ever, that this is still a game that is usually won by the team with the better pass protection and ability to destroy their opponent's pass protection.

The greatest example of this is the Giants, despite uneven QB play for large swaths of the last 5 years have managed to win 2 Super Bowls, largely because they have been able to generate a dominating pass rush group that never seems to need a blitz in its attack. When you can easily drop 7 men in coverage, then you don't have to have great defensive backs - and they don't. They simply enjoy a rotation that reduced Aaron Rodgers to a poor facsimile of himself last January.

Regardless, as Jerry Jones has continued to spend his most important assets on defensive backs, wide receivers, and running backs, I have spent a lot of time typing protests on this blog about the fact that the Cowboys need to invest in their lines more. They need to help DeMarcus Ware destroy passing attacks and they need to give Tony Romo a chance by being able to hold off the Giants pass rush.

And in 2011, it happened. The Cowboys had a Top 10 pick, and they resisted the urge to do anything other than what the situation call for by taking a fantastic offensive lineman prospect, Tyron Smith. Smith's rookie season certainly came with a fair amount of lessons, but there was a ton to like from one of the youngest players in all of the NFL. Here is what I documented back in January about his rookie campaign:

RT - Tyron Smith - 641 pass plays - 8 sacks: A world of expectations have been placed on Tyron Smith, and he took every single snap he could this season at right tackle. From day one, teams tried to confuse him with stunts and blitzes to make his rookie head spin. He also was victim to some old tricks with one pass rush move setting up another. He had Calvin Pace beat him in Week 1, Ryan Kerrigan in week 3. Willie Young bull rushed him on to his back to end the Lions game, Andre Carter went clean around his flank in game 5. Then Jason Babin used two inside spins to get him in Philadelphia and Trevor Laws stunted around him to get a 3rd in that forgettable night against the Eagles. But, here is the great news. Starting in the 2nd half of the year, as the rest of the line was crumbling, Tyron was figuring it out. Kerrigan got him again in Washington and Michael Bennett did get his flank in Tampa Bay, but that was it. All of the troubles against the Giants were not because of right tackle. In his first 7 games, Tyron game up 6 sacks. In his last 9 games, he only conceded 2. His upside is immense and he is only getting better.

Meanwhile, let us offer the reminder of how Doug Free's season went the opposite way:

LT - Doug Free - 641 pass plays - 10 sacks: Free started the season very well coming off his new contract. In the first 4 weeks of the season, Free was not involved in hardly any situations that led to sacks. Andre Carter went around his edge in New England, as did James Hall of the Rams, and Trent Cole of the Eagles. There was one blitz awareness issue in the game at Washington that led to London Fletcher's sack, but otherwise a very strong month of November. But, in December, Free was just beaten over and over again (6 of his 10 sacks in December). In fairness to Free, Jason Pierre Paul was dominating the rest of the league, too, but against the Giants and JPP, Free was eaten alive. 4 sacks in 2 games just from the left tackle spot and Trent Cole got him again in Dallas. In all, I had Free as the primary blame in 10 sacks this season, but with 2 against Cole and 3 against Pierre-Paul (and 1 more against Chris Canty) meant that 6 of his 10 sacks allowed were against the Giants and Eagles. Free sees the toughest match-up nearly ever Sunday, so, I am not here to suggest he is doing a lousy job, but it does appear that he might be more of a right tackle in the long term.

So, as we head to 2012, the decision has been made on the switch. The Cowboys did the right thing in getting Smith a year under his belt before throwing him to the 2nd most important position on the offense. This assignment should not be taken lightly and it won't be. The NFC East is a spot where there is no place to hide for either tackle. The edge rushers in the division are awesome. In New York, it is Justin Tuck and Jason Pierre Paul. In Washington, it is Ryan Kerrigan and Brian Orakpo. And in Philadelphia it is Jason Babin and Trent Cole.

Not only that, but now the interior of those defensive lines are improving as well. Fletcher Cox will join Cullen Jenkins on the interior in Philadelphia. And the Giants will add Shaun Rogers and Marvin Austin returns from missing an entire year. How the Cowboys continue to avoid major investment on their offensive line's interior suggests to me that they didn't watch much of last December's game tape. That is the only explanation that I can come up with, because I still believe guard-center-guard is a major place of concern for a team that could have fortified that substantially with the 2012 draft. Instead, they took a very talented corner and hope that what they have is good enough in front of Romo.

Back to Bob's email. Did Tyron benefit from having a better guard next to him than Free did? Well, what is interesting is that Free's play was better when Bill Nagy was the left guard. Nagy was really struggling and the position improved when Montrae Holland was brought in to replace him after his injury. And in December, Free was just over-run with a pass rush that had exhausted him. Smith, meanwhile had a clean December which says quite a bit given what was happening all around him.

I think the caliber of the guard can affect the tackle, but for the most part, it is line calls and blitz pick-ups more than it is the ability to simply stay in front of your man. I don't think Kosier was helping Smith very much blocking-wise. It appeared that they took the training wheels of Smith early and left him on an island. With his long arms and great recovery, he showed he had great quality.

But, let's not kid ourselves. Left tackle is harder to play. There are fewer occasions where you have a tight end next to you. And, with Trent Cole, Brian Orakpo, and Jason Pierre Paul usually over there, it is a harder assignment. He also will see plenty of Julius Peppers and James Harrison when those teams come to Arlington. He will get beat this season. But, I think he will emerge quite well, because he is that good.

Free, on the other hand, will have to rebound. His confidence was not done any favors last December. And, even though right tackle is not regarded the same way, in today's NFL, the good teams have two edge rushers and the right tackle is going to have to deal with Ryan Kerrigan, Justin Tuck, and Jason Babin. And if you think that is a picnic, you need to watch those players more often.

I am curious about how Romo deals with all of this. As we have seen on the blog in the last few weeks here and here, Romo was starting to hear footsteps quite a bit and he would bail out of the pocket before he had to on some occasions. It appeared he was expecting Free to lose his battle rather than wait for Free to lose. So, he was spinning away and actually making some of his best throws of the year, but to run an efficient offense where you can spread the ball around, you have to believe in your protection. I am curious if this adjustment will actually result in Romo being able to sit in the pocket a bit longer and be able to find something downfield that turns into a nice gain.

It all looks good right now, but 37 days from now in New York that will certainly be tested.

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