Led by offensive coordinator Scott Linehan, the Dallas Cowboys are using Run/Pass Options (RPO) to be more creative in the Red Zone in order to give their second year quarterback Dak Prescott more space to work with. It appears the team installed it last season when they used it in their comeback against the Green…
Dak Prescott is the starting quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys. A year ago that sentence might have given some people in Dallas anxiety. After all, Prescott was a fourth round rookie quarterback who was replacing the then franchise quarterback Tony Romo after a preseason injury. Yet, after one of the league’s best rookie seasons for…
Rich men play games like spiders while their prey, including ordinary folk, spin endlessly in a web, caught up in the gossamer fabrics of an ecosystem that demands its attention and participation. This is nowhere more evident than in the world of football where the game played out on the field goes hand and bushel…
The second instalment of The Option Route series now takes a closer look at New York Giants wide receiver, Sterling Shepard. If you’re not familiar with the purpose of this series, it is to focus on a chosen wide receiver and illustrate what he does well. I’ll be demonstrating his traits, including athletic ability, route-running,…
Through two preseason games there is a lot to like about Rico Gathers. The 6’6”, 290-pound Dallas Cowboys tight end has made the most of his opportunities thus far catching seven passes for 106 yards – averaging 15.1 yards per reception – and two scores. His play is showing everyone exactly why Jerry Jones took…
This will be a multi-part series covering several areas of offensive line play in 2017; predictions on the five best OL units, top 3 OL at each position based on tape study, surprise OL unit, top backup OL, and a Q&A session with Chiefs RT Mitchell Schwartz – covering different aspects of his career and…
New York Giants Rookie Who is Needed Early: Evan Engram Players Who Needs to Develop Quickly: Ereck Flowers/Bobby Hart Veteran Who May be Ready to Decline: Eli Manning Most Intriguing to Study: Darian Thompson Excited About Expanded Role: Paul Perkins Make or Break Year for the Team: Devon Kennard The 2016 season was far…
Welcome to a new series here at Inside the Pylon called The Option Route. This one has a primary focus on the wide receiver position. The idea for this series stems from another great series you may be familiar with here at ITP, the Under the Microscope series from my ITP colleague Brandon Thorn who…
Ezekiel Elliott was the most talented running back to be drafted over the last three drafts. That includes names like Todd Gurley, Melvin Gordon, Derrick Henry, Leonard Fournette, Christian McCaffrey, and Dalvin Cook. And next year LSU’s Derrius Guice and Penn State’s Saquon Barkley will look to knock Zeke off the top of the running…
Dallas Cowboys left tackle Tyron Smith is the most physically talented tackle in football, and showcases his dominance through elite athleticism, play strength, discipline, and overall technique. Marrying his rare physical traits with an increasingly improving skill set has resulted in the mastering of the position when he’s been healthy. Despite struggles with a bulging…
Background Travis Frederick was selected in the first round (pick 31) of the 2013 NFL Draft surprising nearly every analyst as well as Frederick himself. Six of the top 11 picks in that draft were offensive linemen, and Frederick was the ninth OL drafted in the first-round. Since that surprising selection in 2013, Frederick has…
It’s pretty much a word that Cole Beasley uses to sum up his ability to create separation with defenders last season. Because of Dez Bryant’s injury, Beasley developed a special chemistry with quarterback Dak Prescott early on and had a career season, catching 75 passes for 833 yards and five touchdowns. Beasley even put together…
It is has been 10 years since Jerry Reese’s first draft as the General Manager of the New York Giants and the fans of the renowned franchise still remember many key members of the 2007 draft. Aaron Ross, Kevin Boss, Jay Alford, Steve Smith, and Ahmad Bradshaw were all essential parts in conquering the undefeated…
The Dallas Cowboys finished the 2016 regular season with the best record in the NFC in large part due to the impacts of their rookie class. It was led by Ezekiel Elliott and Dak Prescott offensively, but Maliek Collins and Anthony Brown also played a nice role in their success on the defensive side of…
The Philadelphia Eagles did a good job in the 2017 NFL Draft of balancing their selections between taking the best player available and addressing immediate needs. Luckily for them, their needs aligned well with the positions of strength throughout the draft. They were able to add talent at edge rusher, cornerback, wide receiver, running back…
The New York Giants selected Ole Miss tight end Evan Engram in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft, adding to their already loaded group of receiving threats that includes Odell Beckham Jr., Brandon Marshall, and Sterling Shepard. The Ole Miss product impressed throughout the draft process from his time down in Mobile at…