In the running game, centers are often blocking defenders that outweigh them by 30 to 40 pounds.Ĭenters also must be high mental processors, as they are required to read a defense and identify where the offense is moving. A center must be quick but strong at the point of attack. Frederick immediately became the rock for this unit. The Cowboys added to their offensive line in 2013, drafting their stalwart at center, Travis Frederick, with the 31st pick in the first round. Smith was named the All-Pro left tackle in 2014-17. He swallows up defenders quickly, allowing his running backs room to run and his quarterbacks the ability to drop back without fear of getting hit from behind. Smith has a prototypical body for an offensive lineman, with thick legs, long arms, giant hands and excellent feet. After allowing eight sacks on 641 pass-protection snaps in 2011, Smith allowed 19 over his next 4,591 snaps, spanning from 2012 to present. It was easy to see from the start of his career Smith was something special, even as he worked through some rookie struggles. The USC product was drafted by the Cowboys in the first round of the 2011 NFL Draft and immediately started 16 games. The anchor for those Dallas units was future Hall of Famer Tyron Smith. The Cowboys followed this plan and hit a gold mine. It’s important to draft offensive linemen - especially early in the draft when you’re expecting them to play fairly quickly - from well-known offensive-line factories. With less practice time in the NFL, it’s hard to develop players when wholesale technique changes are needed. College success does not translate into NFL success for a variety of reasons, including the college schemes and techniques, which are often very different between the levels. So, how did the Cowboys build this monster for it only to be torn down piece by piece? It starts with drafting the right guys, developing their talent with the right coaching and keeping them healthy.ĭrafting offensive linemen can be a tricky business. Unfortunately for the Cowboys, the success of their big boys only produced two playoff appearances and a single postseason victory. Henry Melton spent the first four seasons of his NFL career with the Chicago Bears before signing with Dallas in the offseason.The injury to Zack Martin in a Thanksgiving Day game against Washington was symbolic of the decline of the one of the NFL's best position groups. Whaley will be joined on the Cowboys roster by another former Texas running back turned defensive tackle. He is the second player in school history to score on a pick and fumble in the same season (Brandon Foster had two interception returns for TDs and one fumble return in 2007). Whaley is first defensive tackle in school history to have two defensive touchdowns in the same season. Whaley also scored on a 40-yard fumble return vs. He had a pair of defensive touchdowns in 2013, including a 31-yard interception return for a score that helped key a 36-20 win over Oklahoma in the annual Red River Rivalry. Whaley, who started 19 career games, was one of four team captains as a senior and was invited to the 2014 NFL Combine, though he was unable to compete in drills due to his knee injury. He tallied 25 tackles, including five for a loss, and two fumble recoveries last season. The native of Madisonville, Texas, who spent five years with the Longhorns, was a 2013 honorable mention All-Big 12 choice despite missing the final four games due to a knee injury suffered vs. Whaley played in 47 career games at Texas, the first 12 at running back and the final 35 at defensive tackle where he flourished as a two-year starter. Longhorns 2014 NFL Index | Video: Whaley highlightsĬhris Whaley was signed as a free agent by the Dallas Cowboys on Saturday after the conclusion of the 2014 NFL Draft.
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