SB Nation - Kevin Ogletree

Cowboys Offense: Breaking Down the Training Camp Battles

Carl Shelton (GloryDayz88) — Thu, 07 May 2009 15:44:02 -0000

While training camp position battles will undoubtedly be intense on the defensive side of the ball, the fight for roster spots on offense should be a bit less interesting. There should be no competition at quarterback, as Tony Romo will obviously be the starter. The team drafted Stephen McGee in the 4th round when the team had bigger needs, so that ought to be an indication of how much the team likes the former Texas A&M signal caller. Jon Kitna was acquired via trade, and is the only experienced depth at the position. He will be safe for that reason. Rudy Carpenter is coming to camp to minimize arm fatigue, and maybe log enough preseason snaps to impress another team.

While their 2009 roles have yet to be defined, we do know that Marion Barber, Felix Jones, and Tashard Choice will occupy the team’s three running back roster spots. No disrespect to Ray Ray’s little brother (Keon Lattimore), but he will be at camp for the sole purpose of preserving the bodies of Bash, Dash, and Tash. The only way we will see any movement at running back is if Minnesota, in an attempt to clear cap space for Brett Favre, offers us Adrian Peterson for a bag of K-balls.

Most of the offense is locked up, but there are still a few spots up for grabs. Let’s look at this year’s offensive contestants for Survivor:Dallas.

Wide Receiver

Starters: Roy Williams, Patrick Crayton/Miles Austin

Survivor Contestants: Sam Hurd, Isaiah Stanback, Kevin Ogletree, Julian Hawkins, Manuel Johnson, Travis Wilson

Cowboys will likely keep: 5-6

Breakdown: Sam Hurd will probably make the squad again. He is a good special teams player, and of the group he has the body and skill set that most closely mirrors that of Roy Williams. Hurd would be the most natural fit to step in for Williams at the "X" in the event of an injury. Travis Wilson has nice measurables, but his mouth is bigger than his game. It is unlikely that his arrogance will fly in the recently cleansed Cowboy locker room. I think Manuel Johnson has a real shot. His play far outshines his measurables, and the team could possibly view him as an eventual heir to Patrick Crayton’s role.

I think the guy to watch here is Kevin Ogletree. Ogletree is an accomplished receiver with top notch NFL speed. Ogletree was widely ranked among the top 20 wide receiver prospects, but saw his stock drop due only to a 2007 ACL tear. Ogletree has to be viewed as the favorite if the team keeps six wideouts, and still a possibility is the team keeps only five. At the end of the day, I still think Isaiah Stanback makes the team. The team did little to bolster it’s kick return options behind Felix Jones in the off season, leaving Stanback as the best remaining alternative. Stanback would also be the best option if the ‘Boys want to tinker with some wildcat action, and most importantly, Jerry Jones likes him.

Tight End

Starters: Jason Witten, Martellus Bennett

Survivor Contestants: John Phillips, Rodney Hannah, Jamar Hunt

Cowboys will likely keep: 3

Breakdown: I know Martellus Bennett is not technically a starter, but he will be a key part of the offense, so he’s not going anywhere. I was a little surprised that the Cowboys drafted a tight end at all. As high as the club had appeared to be on Rodney Hannah, I figured he would get his chance to step in with the departure of Tony Curtis. Nonetheless, the University of Virginia has a history of producing well-rounded tight ends, and John Phillips is no different. This battle is really between Phillips and Hannah. Jamar Hunt’s best quality is his ability to serve as a long snapper. You don’t mess with a good thing, so unless the Cowboys are desperate for roster spots, I don’t see the team dumping L.P. Ladouceur.

Offensive Line

Starters: Flozell Adams, Kyle Kosier, Andre Gurode, Leonard Davis, Marc Colombo

Survivor Contestants: Doug Free, Pat McQuistan, Montrae Holland, Ryan Gibbons, Cory Procter, Matt Spanos, Robert Brewster, Travis Bright, Michael Turkovich, Greg Isdaner

Cowboys will likely keep: 8-10

Breakdown: It’s hard to divide this thing by position since there are so many tackle/guard and guard/center guys on the roster. Regardless of his camp performance, Robert Brewster’s draft position buys him a roster spot, so he’s in. The only true tackles in the group are Free and Turkovich, so if Free can hold off the undrafted Turkovich he’s in as well. Hopefully Montrae Holland mixed an occasional salad into the rotation this off season. If he’s in shape, he’s easily the best guard among the backups. Holland gets good push in the run game, and is by far the most experienced (35 career starts) of the group. I know no one wants to hear this, but Cory Procter will probably be back. Procter and Matt Spanos are the only players in the group with experience at center. If Procter outshines Spanos, he’s probably coming back. This may be a "put up or shut up" year for McQuistan as well, who has logged zero starts in three seasons with the team.

Fullback

Starter: Deon Anderson

Survivor Contestants: Asaph Schwapp, Julius Crosslin

Cowboys will likely keep: 1

Breakdown: Deon Anderson is not a Lorenzo Neal-type lead blocker, but he is a good all-around fullback who does most everything pretty well. I have not seen enough tape on Schwapp to make an educated evaluation, but I was not impressed by the few clips I did see. For a 257-pound guy, Schwapp doesn’t get a ton of push, and can be driven back into the hole rather easily. Again, maybe I just saw the worst handful of clips of his entire career. Crosslin played pretty well for the team last preseason, but it’s hard to envision Anderson being overtaken by any fullback currently on the roster.

Who will survive?

The Valley Ranch Review: More Quick Hits from Yesterday’s Mini-Camp

Aaron Novinger — Sat, 02 May 2009 19:28:07 -0000

More photos » by LM Otero - AP

Dallas Cowboys head coach Wade Phillips, left, shakes hands with team owner Jerry Jones during minicamp.

Browse more photos »

The Ranch Report has a great re-cap of yesterday's practice. A few highlights from their good coverage.

During stretching, FB Asaph Schwapp looked to be one of camp's most flexible players and made an acrobatic catch from Stephen McGee.
K David Buehler was seen participating in tackling drills and actually got to QB Rudy Carpenter. Buehler warmed up with the DBs and said he may be covering punts for the team.
Mini-camp observer, Michael Irvin, offered some pointers to Ogletree before moving on to help out WRs Manuel Johnson and Julian Hawkins.
The near-500lb. combo of T Robert Brewster and OG Travis Bright were working as the two-man wedge on kick returns, and ended up drilling Manuel Johnson.
McGee had nifty footwork and throws well on the run but Rudy Carpenter looks to have the the bigger arm. His deep passes had more power behind them than McGee's.
OC Jason Garrett was getting on the rookies yelling at them to pick up the tempo and for McGee to be more accurate after a low pass.
LBs Jason Williams and Stephen Hodge showed their speed. Both guys looked great in coverage and Hodge stripped TE Rodney Hannah of the ball after a catch and took off with it, to the delight of the rest of the players.

Although OL Robert Brewster could play guard, he is now slotted to learn RT.

Of the four Clemson players drafted last weekend, FoxSports writes that Cowboys' S Michael Hamlin will have the biggest impact.

In Dallas, he immediately steps into the backup strong safety role behind fifth-year pro Gerald Sensabaugh coincidentally, cousin to Clemson backup corner Coty Sensabaugh. Gerald, it should be noted, was signed to only a one-year deal, and Jacksonville made no effort to try to re-sign him. Hamlins greatest competition initially for the backup spot will be another 5th-round pick, Cincinnatis DeAngelo Smith, who played corner in college.

A lot of folks thought Hamlin projected as a situational player in their scheme, but Dallas employs the same ?quarters secondary coverage that Clemson used under Vic Koenning, so there should be an instant comfort there. Plus, if he simply doesnt bite on half the play-action passes, hell be beloved in comparison to the positions predecessor, Roy Williams.

In one year, it could be an all-Hamlin secondary, with Michael playing alongside free safety Ken Hamlin (no relation).

Here is the schedule for today and tomorrow's practice times:

Saturday, May 2

10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Practice

12:15 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. Locker room open to media

2:45 p.m. to 3:45 p.m. Practice

3:50 p.m. Wade Phillips available

Sunday, May 3

10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Practice

12:00 p.m. to 12:45 p.m. Locker room open to media

The Valley Ranch Review: Friday’s Rookie Mini-Camp Update

Aaron Novinger — Fri, 01 May 2009 23:58:09 -0000

More photos » by LM Otero - AP

7 months ago: Dallas Cowboys quarterback Stephen McGee (7) looks to pass during team rookie football minicamp at Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, Friday, May 1, 2009. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

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The DMN reports that S/CB DeAngelo Smith came up limping after covering wideout Kevin Ogletree, but the injury didn't seem serious.

Some other happenings in today's afternoon practice courtesy of the blog:

Sixth-round TE John Phillips isn't a great athlete, but he has a knack for getting open. He's very precise on his cuts and is a clever route runner. Case in point: He got behind third-round ILB Jason Williams on a seam route by lulling him to sleep with a little hesitation. The pass was incomplete after Stephen McGee threw a rope, which Williams was able to deflect, instead of putting over Phillips' shoulder.

Undrafted FB Asaph Schwapp got behind Williams on a wheel route. As LB coach Reggie Herring said this morning, Williams is raw.

[snip]

Sixth-round ILB Stephen Hodge looked much better in coverage during the afternoon practice than he did this morning. He had several deflections on passes to the flat.

TE Rodney Hannah, a two-year practice squad vet, looked good catching the ball again. He made a leaping grab over fifth-round S Mike Hamlin on a post route.

The defensive coaches congratulated fifth-round S/CB DeAngelo Smith after he broke up a pass to Manuel Johnson. But it sure looked like defensive holding. Smith made a nice break on a slant to break up Stephen McGee's pass to undrafted WR Julian Hawkins earlier in the practice.

Quarterback Stephen McGee spoke to DC.com about his first day at camp.

"Well, it's a lot of learning obviously, just trying to get a feel for the new plays, new routes and the new receivers," McGee said. "There's a lot of good coaching out there with Coach Wilson and Coach Garrett. I'm just trying to get into the rhythm. Obviously, everyone is new. There's a new system, new terminology. We're just trying to get adjusted and get the timing down."

QBs Coach Wade Wilson already likes what he sees in McGee.

"I was impressed with him, the way he handled it mentally and took everything from the classroom to the field," Wilson said. "He threw the ball real well. I was very impressed with his mechanics. I was real impressed with his presence in the huddle. He conducts himself very well on the field. He's got an aura about him. You can tell he is very confident and has some fine leadership qualities."

Nick Eatman sums up today's practice here.

Tom Orsborn takes an in-depth look into the Cowboys' crop of rookies, finding no bad character issues.

Orsborn's article on David Buehler sheds some more light on the kicker's athleticism.

The Star-Telegram profiles LB, Brandon Williams, who discusses his work with kids in the south Fort Worth area and his relationship with late Broncos' CB, Darrent Williams.

The Cowboys have even found some backups to long-snapper L.P. Ladouceur. Both linebacker Matt Stewart and rookie free agent TE Jamar Hunt have experience with deep-snapping.

The Valley Ranch Review: More Cowboys Draft Reviews and Other News

Aaron Novinger — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 18:00:14 -0000

We got a "B"! Tony Moss at TSN was nice enough to take into account the Cowboys not drafting until Sunday. Here's his analysis:

The Cowboys were the last team in the league to make their first pick, and used it on Jason Williams, the first player below the FBS level to be selected. Williams is extremely athletic but will need some polish. The same goes for Brewster, who looks like a depth guy at one of the guard slots. McGee, the first selection of the fourth round, projects as the eventual backup to Tony Romo. Butler and Brandon Williams are pure edge pass rushers who could compete to play in a situational role if things go well. Hamlin was one of the top pure strong safeties available and could also contribute early. Buehler, the first kicker selected, has a huge, erratic leg and looks like a kickoff guy. The club's final four selections could all be long shots.

Bottom Line: No sure-fire impact players when your first pick comes in the third-round, but Dallas did a good job of adding depth to a team that needed it.

Grade: B

Adam Schein said Dallas had a solid draft, giving love to the David Buehler (yeehaw!) and Mike Mickens picks. Schein even proclaimed that Roy Williams "could end up being the single best receiver in the NFL East this year."

More VRR after the jump, including some stuff on unheralded and unloved draft pick John Phillips, the TE from Virginia.

New linebacker, Victor Butler, will already have his own welcoming committee in San Antonio come training camp.

Offensive lineman, Robert Brewster, was a player the Cowboys certainly had their eye on before the draft, being both interviewed at the combine and brought into Dallas for a visit.

Brewster was a mainstay on the Cardinals' offensive line the past four years, starting all 50 games and contributing to one of the Mid-American Conference's most powerful offenses. The Cincinnati native, who allowed just two sacks in 2008, was a first-team All-MAC performer each of the past two seasons.

[snip]

He will participate in a Cowboys mini-camp beginning Friday. Brewster said the Cowboys plan to give him a look at guard and tackle in mini-camp.

Cowboys' TE coach, John Garrett, may have been the main recruiting tool for Dallas' drafting of UVA tight end John Phillips as well as the signing of UVA wide receiver Kevin Ogletree. Garrett, a former Cavalier assistant coach when both players were brought in as freshmen, provided the Cowboys' coaching staff some perspective on Phillips and Ogletree.

Garrett remembers the Cavaliers' first day in pads during training camp in August 2005. Virginia coach Al Groh challenged his players to make a positive impression in a kickoff-coverage drill.

"Well, John raced down there, knocked over a guy and tackled the kickoff returner inside the 20," Garrett recalled with a laugh. "I mean, he just smashed into the wedge, and we were like, 'Who is this guy?'

"John Phillips loves football, he loves to compete. . . . He is just sort of intangibly the consummate player that Al Groh wants in his program: a smart, tough, reliable, dependable player who loves football."

If you don't know much about Dallas' special teams coach, Joe DeCamillis, Nick Eatman has a nice write-up on him. Our own Jim Vance did a profile on Joe D. a couple of weeks ago.

Here's some guys who could've been Cowboys.

Dallas Cowboys Undrafted Rookie FA Update

Aaron Novinger — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 18:51:05 -0000

More photos » by LM Otero - AP

Will he or won't he? There seems to be some confusion about where Texas Tech UDFA Graham Harrell will sign. Reports said with the Cowboys, but it appears it might actually be the Browns.

Browse more photos »

First, the Graham Harrell rumors about his signing with the Cowboys were confusing. They were rumors, after all. Harrell's first rookie minicamp will be as a Brown.

Here's the 8 undrafted free agents the Cowboys have agreed to terms with so far. Expect this list to be continued as more players are confirmed.

We knew about these guys:

WR Julian Hawkins, Boise State

WR Kevin Ogletree, Virginia (He was ranked the #7 undrafted prospect by draftcountdown.com)

G Greg Isdaner, West Virginia (Russ Lande at The Sporting News ranked Isdaner the #18 prospect still available for Day 2 of the draft.)

Dallas has dipped into The Fighting Irish's player pool.

Notre Dame FB Asaph Schwapp will report to Dallas.

The Dallas Cowboys have come to terms with Notre Dame fullback Asaph Schwapp, TheRanchReport.com has learned.

Schwapp, considered the strongest player on the Fighting Irish team, only had 44 career rushers for 98 yards but is considered a devastating blocker at the point of attack.

OL Mike Turkovich, Notre Dame

According to DC.com, "Turkovich (6-5, 305) was a two-year starter with experience at guard and tackle."

Here's two more:

OG Travis Bright, BYU

From dmn's blog:

Bright (6-5, 316) also has medical issues, having had a rod inserted to stabilize his broken leg two years ago. He's a mauler who can bench press 540 pounds.

TE Jamar Hunt, UTEP

From dmn's blog:

Hunt (6-7, 260) caught 31 passes for 367 yards and two TDs as a senior. He turned 26 years old in December.

QB Rudy Carpenter, Arizona St.

From DC.com's Josh Ellis:

Carpenter threw for 81 touchdowns and 10,491 yards in college. He had long been thought of as a draftable prospect, but had arguably his worst season as a senior, passing for just 16 touchdowns to go with 2,493 yards. Carpenter is 6-3, 225, the same size as the Cowboys' fourth-round pick, Texas A&M quarterback Stephen McGee. The Cowboys typically carry four quarterbacks through training camp in order to keep everyone's arm fresh.

Cowboys strike deals with three undrafted free agents

Dave Halprin — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 06:00:14 -0000

The draft may be over, but the business of signing college players isn't. Now it's time for the undrafted free agents, affectionately known as UDFAs. Remember, Tony Romo was an UDFA. Stephen Jones says he expects 7-9 UDFAs to be bagged by the weekend. They've already started the process with WR Kevin Ogletree out of Virginia (The Ranch Report).

Scott Wright on Ogletree.

Strengths:
Good size and bulk...Great timed speed...Smooth and a terrific route runner...Excellent hands...Good body control and ball skills...Great leaper...Gets off the line well...Nice instincts and awareness...Very smart...Mature...Tough...Has a strong work ethic...Decent production.

Weaknesses:
Isn't a vertical threat...Doesn't get much separation...Not very elusive and won't do much after the catch...Not real strong...Could be more physical and aggressive...A sub par blocker...Has durability concerns.

They've also inked West Virginia guard Greg Isdaner (The Ranch Report).

Scott Wright on Isander.

Strengths:
Adequate height...Excellent bulk...Strong and powerful...Very smart with great awareness...Understands angles and positioning...Uses his hands well...Technically sound...Good work ethic...Lots of experience.

Weaknesses:
Has short arms...Not stout at the point of attack...Doesn't get a great push in the run game...Not very light on his feet...Stiff and isn't very agile...Substandard balance...Struggles in space...Durability concerns.

Also, the Idaho Statesman notes a deal with WR Julian Hawkins of Boise State.

Wide receiver Julian Hawkins has agreed to a deal with the Dallas Cowboys, he and his agent said.

"This is a total dream," Hawkins said. "It's a dream finally coming true - not just for me, but for my whole family."

A few older stories on Hawkins here and here.

One guy who won't be joining the Cowboys is Missouri QB Chase Daniel, who opted to sign with the Redskins.

After going undrafted this weekend, former Missouri quarterback Chase Daniel studied the depth charts of the four teams that offered him free agent contracts. In the end, after doing some homework, Washington won over Dallas, the team Daniel grew up cheering.

If you know of any others, or stumble across them during the day, add them in this thread and I will do an updated post later.

The Weekend Bears Den - 4/11/09

ChiFan13 — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 11:00:11 -0000

....where we have already copyrighted Rashied "Dropopotamus" Davis, effective fall 2008!

In The Den

Ladies and gents, give it up for Steve Rosenbloom!

This makes three, count 'em, three consecutive positive Bears posts. As your reward, Steve, you will no longer be called Mr. Negativity.

The Chicago Tribune posted a piece on Mel Kiper's latest mock draft late yesterday afternoon. Here at Windy City Gridiron, we brought that information to you a day and a half earlier. Just sayin :)

Here's the essence of this story: Jay Cutler and Jared Allen are friends, but Jared Allen is already running his yap about sacking Cutler next year. Have fun getting around Orlando, stud.

Chris Williams isn't worried about moving from left to right tackle. My favorite part of the article? "You can put me at free safety if you want as long as I’m playing." Might take you up on that sooner than you think.

Brad Biggs talks about Alabama FS Rashad Johnson and if the Bears should keep an eye on him come draft day.

I brought you a story last week about Kevin Ogletree, the WR from Virginia. Turns out, he has some friends on the Bears, and the organization seems high on him.

Nowhere Near The Den

The NFL is inviting ten prospects (up from six last year) to the draft in NYC. Josh Freeman got invited, which means we'll get to watch him sweat for at least two hours come April 25th.

Jeffri Chadiha breaks down the smartest and dumbest moves of the offseason. Where did the Cutler trade fit it? #1 of the dumbest, but here's why:

1. The Denver Broncos trade quarterback Jay Cutler to the Chicago Bears: I realize the Bears gave up a ton to get their hands on Cutler. But let's not forget that he led the league's second-ranked offense despite operating with a running game that saw eight different backs land on injured reserve. The last time I checked, NFL teams have a hard time finding Pro Bowl quarterbacks. Even with Kyle Orton and some high draft picks now in the fold, new Broncos head coach Josh McDaniels is about to learn how tough it is to win without a big-time player at that position.