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Dallas Cowboys 2018 offseason thread


DougO

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11 hours ago, Viper said:

Garrett went to see Courtland Sutton the other day. Certainly looks like the Cowboys will draft a WR in the first couple rounds 

 

 

Jason Garrett lives .8 miles from Ford Stadium. It didn’t take much effort to be there.  (In response to Jane’s tweet)

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cutting him now won’t happen.  his talent is elite.  jerry will give him every chance to contribute on the roster.  if he’s passed all the drug tests like miles said there’s no reason to think he won’t be playing week 1.  I’m ecstatic. 

Shit in one hand and wish in the other and see which one fills up first
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27 minutes ago, irishtexan said:


Shit in one hand and wish in the other and see which one fills up first

I think you should be happy that with lawrence and gregory bookending our line on passing downs we’ll have one of the top sack tandems in all of football.  it really is going to be incredible. 

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On 3/28/2018 at 5:26 PM, Vic Mackey said:

Swaim could actually contribute if we weren't so married to that corpse of a TE named Witten. 

Witten is still a "serviceable" TE, for this season, should stock up on a few WR , then a few spots on defense, then tight end replacement...

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Round up of mock drafts. Some good choices here

https://www.bloggingtheboys.com/2018/3/30/17177176/2018-mock-draft-tracker-alabama-players-dominate-but-derwin-james-makes-an-appearance

 

 

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With the news that Jason Garrett decided to personally head down to Tuscaloosa to look over the Alabama players at their pro day, speculation has shifted to which player they would really want. In our mock draft tracker, three names from Bama show up in multiple drafts. But, for Cowboys fans, the first appearance of Derwin James reignites fantasies of the safety falling in the first round right into the Cowboys’ lap at pick #19.

Many of the usual suspects show up again in these mocks. Da’Ron Payne is the choice of three out of 16 mocks. Vita Vea and Taven Bryan each make one mock. At linebacker, Rashaan Evans seems to be a favorite of the mockers (presuming that Roquan Smith and Tremaine Edmunds would both be gone). Evans shows up twice in our survey, and yesterday he was the choice of Mel Kiper, Jr. Leighton Vander Esch gets in there once. At wide receiver, Calvin Ridley is the only choice in this week’s list, being the pick in three mocks.

But it’s definitely Derwin James’ name that brings the most excitement this week. The FSU product is expected to go before the Cowboys get on the clock at #19, but safety has never been a highly-desired first-round position, and James could be pushed down by a run on quarterbacks, edge rushers or offensive linemen. Those positions have a long history of being valued high enough for teams to reach.

So what do you think BTB, does James have a chance of dropping to #19?

DEFENSIVE TACKLES

Da’Ron Payne, DT, Alabama
NFL.com(Schrager), Mar 29 The Cowboys could use a few more young, big bodies on that defensive line, and Payne is one of the best in this year's college crop. Great against the run; will improve as a pass rusher.
SB Nation(Stites), Mar 26 The Cowboys were relatively quiet in free agency, but addressed receiver by signing Allen Hurns. Adding more talented options for Dak Prescott may still be a priority, but the top one now is bulking up the middle of the defensive line. By adding Payne, Dallas could quickly establish itself as a team with one of the best defensive fronts in the NFL.
247 Sports(Edwards), Mar 29 Payne showed flashes of dominance in a few games last season. If he can limit the number of valleys in his roller coaster ride, he will be a special player. The Cowboys pair him with last year's first round pick - defensive tackle Taco Charlton.
Taven Bryan, DT, Florida
NFL.com(Zerlein), Mar 27 While the Cowboys could go with Michigan's Maurice Hurst here, Bryan is an even more explosive athlete and has a higher upside in Rod Marinelli's defense from the three-technique spot.
Vita Vea, DT, Washington
CBS Sports(Brinson), Mar 27 The Cowboys have secured some pass rush this offseason, so they need to get a big body in the middle of the defensive line.

LINEBACKERS

Rashaan Evans, LB, Alabama
Bleacher Report(Miller), Mar 26 Defense, defense, defense. That's how the Cowboys' draft board should read with a wide receiver and offensive guard sprinkled in along the way. With pick No. 19 overall, Jerry Jones and Co. can address a number of positions, but I keep hearing they're connected to linebacker. Rashaan Evans can do it all—NFL clubs have asked him to play outside linebacker or edge-rusher. In Dallas, he's a natural to replace departed free agent Anthony Hitchens and adds youth and speed to a defense that's being rebuilt well through the draft.
CBS Sports(Trapasso), Mar 26 The Cowboys go linebacker here and view Evans and the eventual replacement for Sean Lee, who'll be 32 in July.
Leighton Vander Esch, LB, Boise St.
CBS Sports(White), Mar 29 The Cowboys addressed their receiver need by signing Allen Hurns, so even though Calvin Ridley is on the board, I have them passing on the position. Dallas has shown plenty of interest in Vander Esch in the run up to the draft, and he'd be an excellent replacement for Anthony Hitchens who could slot in as the long-term heir to Sean Lee as a three-down tackling machine.

SAFETY

Derwin James, S, FSU
Denver Post(Kosmider), Mar 27 I was tempted to move James up the board quite a bit, and his staying at No. 19 is more a reflection of how team needs play out in front of the Cowboys. This would be a steal for Dallas, which has dealt with inconsistency in its secondary for the better part of the last two seasons.
CBS Sports(Fornelli), Mar 23 The Cowboys have been connected to Seattle's Earl Thomas, but why give up draft picks on him when they could just use their first on James?

CORNERBACK

Mike Hughes, CB, UCF
NFL.com(Davis), Mar 29 With a 4.53-second 40-yard dash, Hughes did not run as fast as expected at the NFL Scouting Combine (pro day is March 29), but he has tremendous ball skills, and big-play ability as a kick returner. The Cowboys need to cover some big-time playmakers on the perimeter in the NFC East..
Josh Jackson, CB, Iowa
NJ.com(Giglio), Mar 23 Why: In a division with Carson Wentz, Alex Smith and Eli Manning, Dallas needs to do two things really well: Rush the quarterback and stop big plays down the field. Jackson will help with the latter.
Chicago Sun-Times(Finley), Mar 26 We’re in best-player-available territory. Jackson is that.

WIDE RECEIVER

Calvin Ridley, WR, Alabama
CBS Sports(Prisco), Mar 22 They have to get more speed in their passing game. Ridley is that type of player.
San Diego Union-Tribune(Brown), Mar 22 The Cowboys made a serious attempt to sign Sammy Watkins and still need a threat to lineup on the opposite side of Dez Bryant. Ridley features explosive speed and you’ll be hard-pressed to find a better route runner in college football. A rare combination
The Sporting News(Iyer), Mar 29 The Cowboys are keeping Dez Bryant, but they are lacking a true outside No. 2 who can do everything as a good-hands possession receiver. Ridley would be an upgrade over Terrance Williams and give 

 

 
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On 3/28/2018 at 12:16 AM, cmontexas said:

Am I crazy for not being super impressed by Ridley?

 

Callaway is far an away a better player; trouble several times and probably not draftable, but still

No, I I wouldn’t take Ridley in the first unless I had a QB and system that relies on a WR getting quick separation out of their break, like SF or the Pats. 

 

To me, he’s a route specialist, not a genuine #1.

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My hot take for Easter weekend is that I'd rather have Minkah Fitzpatrick than Derwin James if I'm Dallas ( based off of what I know, which certainly isn't a lot about the personal side ). James took a ton of plays off last season, his best season was 2015, I don't think he has positional flexibility.

Fitzpatrick would be an split safety on 1st / 2nd, then on 3rd down you can put him wherever you need that week. He's already demonstrated he's a great slot corner in man, he's got all the instincts to make a killer robber safety, he would be great in 2nd level zone coverage as well.

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Gotta draft a guard by round 4, but first round is too high. THey already have so much of their cap tied up in O-line with more to come. Do like the really good drafting teams do and find an outstanding guard in the third or fourth round.

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2 hours ago, Farkimedes said:

My hot take for Easter weekend is that I'd rather have Minkah Fitzpatrick than Derwin James if I'm Dallas ( based off of what I know, which certainly isn't a lot about the personal side ). James took a ton of plays off last season, his best season was 2015, I don't think he has positional flexibility.

Fitzpatrick would be an split safety on 1st / 2nd, then on 3rd down you can put him wherever you need that week. He's already demonstrated he's a great slot corner in man, he's got all the instincts to make a killer robber safety, he would be great in 2nd level zone coverage as well.

I'm guessing that unless they trade up, Fitzpatrick is gone before their turn. I like him though so if he is there I'd take him. 

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38 minutes ago, DougO said:

Gotta draft a guard by round 4, but first round is too high. THey already have so much of their cap tied up in O-line with more to come. Do like the really good drafting teams do and find an outstanding guard in the third or fourth round.

This is a very good draft for interior OL. There will be guards to be had.

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22 hours ago, DougO said:

Rashaan Evans declined to run the 40 at pro day after not running at the combine. That won't make Dallas eager to draft him.

I have the same view of him I do of Ridley - he's a specialist that I would take in the 2nd, but not the first. He's a great Mike with outstanding instincts in the run game, and good instincts in the passing game. If I'm Dallas, I'd love to have in the 2nd to sit in the middle of Sean Lee / Jaylon Smith, and then serve as an elite special teams guy and 2nd team move linebacker. 

 

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Two Jaylon Smith-type prospects who will fall in NFL draft that Cowboys could eye in later rounds - Dane Brugler, SportsDay

After having the Cowboys take Vander-Esch in round one, Brugler gives two more linebackers to watch.

Question: [Are] there any Jaylon Smith-type guys who are going to fall because of injury that Dallas might have an eye on in later rounds?

Brugler: Wisconsin LB Jack Cichy is the first to come to mind. Early round talent, but he can’t stay on the field. And West Georgia offensive tackle Dez Harrison is an interesting name that the Cowboys have done extra homework on. He has a laundry list of issues that will drop him in the draft, but the raw talent is special. Harrison is an interesting project in the later rounds.

Harrison in the 5th or later sounds like a good project.

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On 3/30/2018 at 10:18 AM, Farkimedes said:

My hot take for Easter weekend is that I'd rather have Minkah Fitzpatrick than Derwin James if I'm Dallas ( based off of what I know, which certainly isn't a lot about the personal side ). James took a ton of plays off last season, his best season was 2015, I don't think he has positional flexibility.

The motherfucker played reps at LB, DE, SS, FS and CB.  I guess he didn't play nosetackle. Of all the things you can knock him on, position flex isn't one of them.  

He's a safety that is able to rush the passer and was known for being disruptive.  That's why he had 4.5 sacks his freshman year and 9.5 tackles for loss.   Those numbers were cut in half last year but that's mostly because he was asked to be a cover guy and he did that very well.  He was always around the ball.  

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I'm not a big fan of "versatile" players the lined up everywhere, or are projected at multiple spots. If you're a great player they put you in one place and lock it down. When they move you around, more often than not, it's to cover up weaknesses. There are exceptions, but the Cowboys get bit by this quite a bit.

And the Cowboys need to be done with the discount refurbished prospects. That's why they keep needing to upgrade the same positions over and over again.

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I'm not a big fan of "versatile" players the lined up everywhere, or are projected at multiple spots. If you're a great player they put you in one place and lock it down. When they move you around, more often than not, it's to cover up weaknesses. There are exceptions, but the Cowboys get bit by this quite a bit.
And the Cowboys need to be done with the discount refurbished prospects. That's why they keep needing to upgrade the same positions over and over again.
Fucking this. They need to stop with these versatile players or whatever term they use. This isn't high school football. At this level, you should play one position and do it well. If you are all over the field, you probably aren't very good at any of them. See Byron Jones.
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3 hours ago, Amobie said:

The motherfucker played reps at LB, DE, SS, FS and CB.  I guess he didn't play nosetackle. Of all the things you can knock him on, position flex isn't one of them.  

He's a safety that is able to rush the passer and was known for being disruptive.  That's why he had 4.5 sacks his freshman year and 9.5 tackles for loss.   Those numbers were cut in half last year but that's mostly because he was asked to be a cover guy and he did that very well.  He was always around the ball.  

By this logic the uber athletic DT at a some random 3A high school that takes snaps at TE in the redzone has "positional flexibility" in college. Lining someone up at the 9-Tech spot while you have 3 other down lineman and telling them to hit mesh point as quickly as possible doesn't make some a DE. It's not like he was taking reps working on defeating hand-replacement moves, or developing a speed-to-power pass rush move. Same with LB - he's not stacking and shedding, he's not working on defeating OL blocks, he's not honing his scraping skills. The dude got lined up to the Field side of the play and got asked to hold the Boundary  . . . whether that was at the Wide-9, or whatever FSU's term for a $backer is, or at either SS or FS. That FSU defense that Kelly called relied on traditional split-field safeties as well, so let's not pretend he was doing something dramatically different between FS and SS.

I personally don't think he can be a Man Corner, out wide or in the Slot, in the NFL - this is the biggest point of difference to me between him and Fitzpatrick. So if I don't think he can play Corner in man, he can't play DE, he can't play LB, he can't play the $backer if you run a lot of man ( i.e., the Cardinals), you're left w/ a guy that can play Safety ( FS or SS ). In fairness, I do think he could play that Earl Thomas Cover 1/3 FS, which not a lot of guys can do. 

Positional flexibility for a DB comes down to 1 thing for me: are you the swiss army tool that allows me to change my coverage shell with just the players on the field by asking you to switch responsibilities or positions? If an inline-Y gets out of stance to become an F, can I rotate you down to man up against him? Vice-versa, if an F motions back to a Y and suddenly the offense is in 12 personnel, can I trust that you will man up against the TE and hold the boundary if there is a Sky call? Could I run a press-and-bail w/ you as my CB if the X or Z motions inside of the slot? Of these 3 things I've listed, I'd trust him to do the 2nd but that's it. 

I wouldn't want a team filled w/ these guys, but having at least 1 of them on the field for you is an enormous benefit. 

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30 minutes ago, Vic Mackey said:
2 hours ago, DougO said:
I'm not a big fan of "versatile" players the lined up everywhere, or are projected at multiple spots. If you're a great player they put you in one place and lock it down. When they move you around, more often than not, it's to cover up weaknesses. There are exceptions, but the Cowboys get bit by this quite a bit.
And the Cowboys need to be done with the discount refurbished prospects. That's why they keep needing to upgrade the same positions over and over again.

Fucking this. They need to stop with these versatile players or whatever term they use. This isn't high school football. At this level, you should play one position and do it well. If you are all over the field, you probably aren't very good at any of them. See Byron Jones.

Agreed.  In the NFL you don't put James as a CB, LB or DE.  He's a safety that is versatile enough to be able to play the run without being a liability in coverage.  I wouldn't want them to move him around like they did with Jones.

That being said, if you play him at safety, you instantly fix a massive hole with a very talented player.

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Ready for more eye rolling "news" stories? Check this out. Lmao. If that is even Dak in those blurry pics, it is clearly a black & mild. Still looks to have the wrapper on that they come with. Gotcha media at its finest.

Here's the pic so you don't make their views climb up.

Dak-Prescott-Blunt-768x458.jpg

 

Edited by Vic Mackey
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Not a big surprise but still news

Arizona Cardinals Ink Brice Butler To Two-Year Deal - Tyler Nickel, Revenge of the Birds

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Butler had his best season as a pro in 2017, hauling in 15 receptions for 317 yards and 3 touchdowns. Now in his sixth season, Butler figures to come in and compete for one of the top receiver positions, perhaps filling a hole that Jaron Brown once filled before he left this offseason.

At 6’3” and 220 pounds, Butler is another big receiver for the Cardinals to try and mold into a breakout player. Keep an eye out for the team to possibly pick up more wide receiver help in free agency and/or the NFL Draft at the end of the month.

 

 

 

Pre-draft visits

Pre-draft visit list is hint to top pick - Clarence E. Hill, Jr., Fort Worth Star-Telegram

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If you want to know the Dallas Cowboys’ intentions in the 2018 NFL Draft, peruse their list of pre-draft visits.

It has always been a telling sign for the Cowboys, who will host 30 pre-draft national visitors Monday through Thursday and then hold Dallas Day on Friday.

All but one of the team’s first-round picks since 2007 have been brought in for a pre-draft visit.

 

 

Here's BTBs full list of all 19 visitors known so far:

  Player Position School Proj. Round Source Draft Scout Ranking
Official pre-draft visit in Dallas
OL James Daniels C Iowa 1 Rob Howe 18
Will Hernandez OG UTEP 1 Bobby Belt 23
Connor Williams OT Texas 1 David Helman 24
Kolton Miller G/T UCLA 1-2 James Layton 31
Desmond Harrison OT West Georgia 6-7 Josh Norris 228
WR Calvin Ridley WR Alabama 1 Bobby Belt 16
D.J. Moore WR Maryland 1-2 Neal Dalal 29
Christian Kirk WR Texas A&M 1-2 Bobby Belt 32
Antonio Callaway WR Florida 4 Josh Norris 136
Daurice Fountain WR Northern Iowa 5-6 ConnorNFLDraft 196
DL Vita Vea DT Washington 1 Aaron Wilson 10
Da'Ron Payne DT Alabama 1 Albert Breer 14
Harold Landry DE Boston College 1 Albert Breer 19
Taven Bryan DT Florida 1 Albert Breer 25
LB Leighton Vander Esch LB Boise St 1 Tony Pauline 22
Rashaan Evans LB Alabama 1-2 Bobby Belt 36
Darius Leonard LB South Carolina State 5 Tony Pauline 169
Others Nyheim Hines RB NC State 3 The Wolfpacker 87
Deshon Elliott SS Texas 4-5 Jared Stager 145
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Cowboys currently have 10 WRs on the roster.  If they draft one, they are going to need to trade someone which likely means Bryant, Beasley or Williams will be playing somewhere else.  Moore or Kirk in the 2nd would be ideal but I doubt they actually slide that far.

We need one of the DEs to pan out.  Getting anything from Taco/Gregory would be a big boost but if we can manage to get Kony Ealy in here, things could get pretty crowded.  He's a Maronelli special and a perfect scheme fit.  That would push Crawford back to the DT rotation and likely would mean we could justify cutting his ass. Post June it would result in 3 million in dead money and 6 million in savings. 

Elliott in the 4-5th would make me happy.

 

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21 minutes ago, Amobie said:

Cowboys currently have 10 WRs on the roster.  If they draft one, they are going to need to trade someone which likely means Bryant, Beasley or Williams will be playing somewhere else.  Moore or Kirk in the 2nd would be ideal but I doubt they actually slide that far.

We need one of the DEs to pan out.  Getting anything from Taco/Gregory would be a big boost but if we can manage to get Kony Ealy in here, things could get pretty crowded.  He's a Maronelli special and a perfect scheme fit.  That would push Crawford back to the DT rotation and likely would mean we could justify cutting his ass. Post June it would result in 3 million in dead money and 6 million in savings. 

Elliott in the 4-5th would make me happy.

 

If they draft one in the top 60, it almost surely means they're moving on from Dez.  They may be already, but it makes the decision easier.  And we have 7 that count (Lenoir, Brown, and Cannon aren't really in the mix currently), which is still a tad high although we had 6 active last year.

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3 minutes ago, Patrick Bateman said:

If they draft one in the top 60, it almost surely means they're moving on from Dez.  They may be already, but it makes the decision easier.  And we have 7 that count (Lenoir, Brown, and Cannon aren't really in the mix currently), which is still a tad high although we had 6 active last year.

I wouldn't object to the move based on his recent performances.  I'm just not sure they can trade him (cap number) but i do think they can get something for Williams.  

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"Butler is another big receiver for the Cardinals to try and mold into a breakout player."
 
Good luck. There really aren't that many 28 year old breakout players in the NFL.
Butler seemed to do good when Dez was not playing. He didn't get a fair shot here. I'll take him any day over TWill.
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8 hours ago, Vic Mackey said:
9 hours ago, DougO said:
"Butler is another big receiver for the Cardinals to try and mold into a breakout player."
 
Good luck. There really aren't that many 28 year old breakout players in the NFL.

Butler seemed to do good when Dez was not playing. He didn't get a fair shot here. I'll take him any day over TWill.

He got a fair shot. They really tried to get him more snaps and catches, but he doesn't have good hands and brings nothing else to the table but some deep speed. He made a couple of nice plays, but he never could develop as a complete receiver.

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He got a fair shot. They really tried to get him more snaps and catches, but he doesn't have good hands and brings nothing else to the table but some deep speed. He made a couple of nice plays, but he never could develop as a complete receiver.
He absolutely did not get a fair shot to be apart of this offense. You don't develop by just getting some plays every now and then. They are married to the stale core of Dez, Witten and Twill. Butler's hands are not any worse than Dez and Twill.

That's like saying Marty B got a fair shot here. He didn't. And neither did Butler.
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2 minutes ago, Vic Mackey said:


That's like saying Marty B got a fair shot here. He didn't. And neither did Butler.

I think that idiot got a fair shot.  witten was crushing it back in those days and tellus was the backup TE.  he didn’t deserve more of a “shot” because he wasn’t the better player. 

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They wanted him to step up and replace Williams, but he couldn't cut it. They see him in practice every day. They tried to coach him up. They found out why he toiled with the Raiders for three years, who also needed receivers but couldn't develop him.  But he can't do the things Williams can do all over the field, away from the ball, despite his limitations. He's a one trick pony and it wasn't going to get any better. They absolutely tried to get him there, but it wasn't happening.

 

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Fartsmellus did nothing but miss blocks and drop balls in Dallas. He apparently just didn't take to their coaching or chemistry or something, which may be bad on Dallas as well. But they sure as hell gave him ample opportunities. He just massively screwed the pooch with them.

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There's something about the Cowboys, maybe it's coaching, but the lack of development seems far too frequent. We see a number of players in and out that show some real promise in their rookie season, but never take another step, even regress. It has become far too common.

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10 hours ago, DougO said:

"Butler is another big receiver for the Cardinals to try and mold into a breakout player."

 

Good luck. There really aren't that many 28 year old breakout players in the NFL.

Butler has never had a 400 yard recieving season in college or the pros.  He should get down on his knees every night and thank god that hes tall and fast and sometimes catches the ball.  

Williams isnt a world beater but hes twice the player Butler is.  Plus he blocks his ass off

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