Morning After: Cowboys lose to the 49ers in preseason game #1

Football season got underway for the Dallas Cowboys against the San Francisco 49ers Thursday night.  Sort of.

The final score is about as worthless as the box score but we can find some answers to the questions surrounding the Cowboys as they prepare for the 2018 regular season.

• Who is going to lead the wide receiver group without Dez and Witten?
• Has Dak improved his ability to throw the ball downfield?
• How are the draft picks performing?

First, you cannot draw any conclusions good or bad from one preseason game or the first few weeks of training camp.  However, you can find some evidence that can suggest an answer to those questions.

Allen Hurns was the significant free agent acquisition who has yet to clearly separate himself from the group in practice but has not disappointed either. He runs good routes and showed against the 49ers the ability to make a contested catch over the middle on 3rd down to keep the chains moving.

I expect the opportunities to open up for Cole Beasley this season running routes downfield and option routes especially on money downs. He became Dak's favorite target as a rookie and think that chemistry will lead to a career year for Beasley.

Tavon Austin is an undersized but elite speed element who will be used to make defenses pay for crowding the line to stuff the run or jump underneath routes. Last season, the Cowboys offense failed to intimidate defenses to respect the deep ball or assign extra coverage to one side of the field. That should change this season.

The wildcard is Michael Gallup, the 3rd round rookie from Colorado State.  Here is my summary of Gallup prior the draft:

Michael Gallup is an above average receiving prospect with good speed to become a deep threat but he is not a polished route runner to consistently generate separation, strong enough to make physical catches or quick enough to be an underneath option.  He needs to improve his route running and has got to improve his hands for the money catches over the middle. Until then, he is only a secondary receiver who will draw downfield attention from the defense but an NFL corner will be handle the rest of his game. Late 3rd round grade.

Reports from camp suggest that Gallup has improved his route running to add to the speed element he brings. He managed to show off that speed early on against the 49ers to open the scoring.

The impressive part of the play is Dak manipulating the safety playing in the middle of the field with his eyes looking left and then throwing backside to Gallup. Dak was criticized last season for failing to throw the ball effectively downfield and Dallas lacked the speed outside to threaten defenses deep.

I expect Michael Gallup to challenge Terrance Williams for his job this season and to add a competent outside receiver to the Hurns and Beasley corp by seasons end.

Dallas' next pick in the draft was Dorance Armstrong, pass rusher from Kanas. Here is my summary on Armstrong:

Dorance Armstrong has the ideal frame for an OLB in a 3-4 scheme. He brings excellent speed but only average burst off the snap. He needs to improve his strength in games, struggles to convert speed to power or hold the POA when teams run at him. He isn’t able to get his hands into the blocker and drive them back into the pocket. He needs to improve his technique, use his length properly and develop some pass rush moves to get off blocks against better tackles. It was over in college when tackles got their hands on him. He needs to make a position change to be a stand up LB at the next level to give him the best chance. He needs to learn to drop back, get comfortable in space and become adequate in coverage. He has more than enough athleticism to be adequate as an OLB in a 3-4 scheme. He could be a pass rusher in a rotation or subbed in on passing downs early in his career. 4th round grade.

Here you can see Armstrong, wearing #74 at defense end, use his left hand and knock the offensive tackle back into the QB. The play breaks down and he continues to pursue him. He moves well and nice to see him convert that speed to power to force the QB out of the pocket.

It wasn't all good news for the rookies. Connor Williams, second round pick from Texas, had some struggles lining up at left guard. It was good for him to match up against top competition in DeForrest Buckner and Solomon Thomas, both former first round picks. Buckner knocks Williams' down off his body and explodes past him to Prescott. Williams played left tackle in college and is projected to start the season. There will be growing pains but fully expect him to learn and get better for opening day.

We can't forget about Dallas' top pick, Leighton Vander Esch #55, from Boise State. He did not start the game but did see time at middle and outside linebacker with the backups.

He totaled 4 tackles but he was mostly a spectator on defense for the night. Take a look below to find out why.

Vander Esch was described as a tremendous athlete but average football player at this point. A workout warrior or passive linebacker when taking on blockers. Here is my summary on LVE at the draft:

Leighton Vander Esch brings excellent size to the position and moves well for his size. However he doesn’t do anything special and needs to play in the right system and role to be successful at the next level. He needs to do better taking on blockers, finding the ball quicker and playing to his talent level in coverage. He is athletic and has good speed but doesn’t play like it consistently. He is at his best when attacking the line and more than capable of stuffing the play at the line or even for a loss. He projects to be a inside backer in a 3-4 scheme but needs protection as a mike backer instead of the thumper. 4th round grade who has good potential if he can play a more consistent attacking style of play.

I saw that exact player in San Francisco but the Cowboys brass have to hope the athlete they drooled over will make his way onto the football field sooner rather than later.