Written by Bob Strum at SportsDayNews.
OK, here we go. We are in the postseason. Think for a moment right now how many Cowboys seasons are over and we are thinking draft and free agency. This one is just beginning! How long is the run? Somewhere between 3 hours and 3 unforgettable games. Let’s hope for a little length to this run.
Now, on to your questions from this week….
Q: How much of an advantage is it for Dallas to have the first-round bye from simply a scouting perspective?
Well, it certainly has given the coaches a full week to break down anything they wanted without a clock ticking in their head for the road ahead. I assume they had to dedicate time to each of the three potential opponents, but they have the resources to do that. They also probably used the week to self scout – a chance to give the coaches certain assignments like asking the defensive coaches to scout the offense and the offensive coaches to scout the defense. This can help, too. But, overall, I bet everyone was able to take a breath and prepare for the prospect of just 2 home games that separate them from a Super Bowl berth in Houston.
Q: If Claiborne is healthy for the first playoff game, would you expect him to move right back into a starting role after this much time off?
I do. I don’t know if that means anything too drastic for anyone else as this is certainly a league where even the fourth corner gets plenty of work, but yes, I would assume you would want Mo Claiborne out there with his skills and gifts to try to lock down the opponents’ big threat on the outside. I don’t believe they would ask him to compete for his post that has been mostly occupied by young Anthony Brown. They will definitely have some decisions to make in the offseason on this topic, but for now, Claiborne is inserted right back in for me.
Q: Is La’el Collins close to coming back? Why did the Cowboys feel the need to sign Jonathan Cooper?
Yes, Collins is close and I expect he is available. I like him for a number of possibilities, including if they want a OL option in multiple TE sets to be a blocking TE, I like his chances better than Joe Looney. Collins has proven to be fantastic in the open field, so that suggests he can help the 12 and 13 personnel looks quite a bit more.
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