Craig’s Cowboys Blog
Dallas Cowboys Predictions
Craig Bagby – Featured Writer Silver and Blue Report & Hook’em Report
After watching the Dallas Cowboys preseason games, I have a few predictions to make before the game tonight and the first cut day.
1) I think Tashard Choice will be cut or traded. DeMarco Murray will move into the second slot, and Phillip Tanner will be #3.
It has already been announced that Choice will not be playing in tonight’s game, so this prediction is probably not too much of a stretch. Plus, Choice does not play special teams, and the Cowboys want the backups to contribute to special teams in a major way.
I am also just really pulling for Tanner. I can’t imagine cutting a player with his potential simply because there is not enough room. Tanner will play on Sundays and I hope it’s with a star on his helmet.
2) I have a feeling we may be seeing the last of Martellus Bennett as a Cowboy, or at least I hope so. To me, Bennett’s time with the ‘Boys has been a lot like Bobby Carpenter’s was; Everyone waited around year after year hoping for some explosive play that never really happened. Sometimes a player just doesn’t live up to his potential. Sometimes you just kind of get a dud.
Bennett may not be a dud, but he hasn’t scored a touchdown since 2008. And prior to his high ankle sprain last week, he had a couple of drops this preseason. $2.5 mil is just too much money to spend another season watching Bennett get hit between the numbers with a football and not catch it. Tight end John Phillips may not be as big or fast, but he’s consistent and a hard worker. Also, he doesn’t have off the field issues or attitude problems. I am thinking (or at least hoping) that the Jason Garrett era of the Cowboys is going to be far freer of drama, and much more results driven. I don’t know if Bennett’s persona will mesh with that ideal.
3) There’s really no fair way to judge the effectiveness of a kicker in preseason camp or games, but I think the Cowboys will go with veteran Shayne Graham, whom they acquired last week from the Redskins. Although he missed a couple of field goals in some preseason games for Washington, Graham’s career percentage is 86% and boasts an extra point percentage of 98.4. He does not have a cannon of a leg, so even with the new kick off rule, his kicks will be run back. But last year we traded accuracy for power and ended up a field goal percentage of 75.
I don’t know if I agree with this choice or not. I just have a feeling this is the direction the Cowboys will take. I think they will hedge their bets on experience, just like they typically have done when getting veteran backup quarterbacks. All I know is the Cowboys have lost far too many games by a field goal or less in the past few years and I am praying the situation is under control as we roll into this season.
4) I am pretty sure that sometime during this season, Jerry Jones will ask me to come on board the coaching staff somewhere. I don’t mean to brag, but I consistently take the Cowboys to the Super Bowl when I play Madden on my PS3. I am pretty sure that Madden football is just like real life, so how could they not hire me? Eventually, the news will get out that I not only beat our opponents, but actually punish the ones who deserve it. That’s right – I will run a pass play with 5 seconds on the clock to defeat the Eagles 52-7. Why? Because they’re the Eagles and they deserve it. You don’t applaud Michael Irvin’s neck injury while he is still on the field and think you can get away with it.
Of course I could be wrong about every bit of this, but that is what makes it fun. So what do think? Do you agree with this, or am I just full of it and should stick to just writing status updates on my Facebook page? Let me know!
LIKE US ON FACEBOOK
FOLLOW @SilverBlueRpt ON TWITTER
SUBSCRIBE TO "RSS" FEED
JOIN US ON YOUTUBE (Soon!)
