Did the Cowboys Really Improve The Offensive Line?
By cowgirlcas
Following the 2010 season, Jerry Jones made some interesting decisions, some of which were downright disconcerting. The most confusing to me, was cutting Pro Bowl Center Andre Gurode. Before we continue, let’s take a look at the top 10 Centers in the NFL.
Pass Blocking Efficiency, Centers, Top 10, 2010
| Rank | Name | Team | Pass Blocking Snaps | PBE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jeff Saturday | IND | 746 | 0.80 |
| 2 | Matt Birk | BLT | 656 | 0.84 |
| 3 | Lyle Sendlein | ARZ | 641 | 0.90 |
| 4 | Andre Gurode | DAL | 668 | 1.27 |
| 5 | Jason Brown | SL | 672 | 1.38 |
| 6 | Nick Mangold | NYJ | 661 | 1.40 |
| 7 | Jeremy Zuttah | TB | 443 | 1.58 |
| 8 | Nick Hardwick | SD | 614 | 1.67 |
| 9 | Olin Kreutz | CHI | 665 | 1.77 |
| 10 | Alex Mack | CLV | 555 | 1.85 |
Who in their right mind, would cut the 4th ranked pass blocking Center in the NFL for an undrafted, unproven guy? I mean seriously, I watched the games, I am sure you did too. Do you recall Costa getting pushed in to Tonys’ lap on almost every play? As far as rankings go, Costa didn’t even make the top 50 in the NFL for the 2011 season. Was this an improvement?
Now lets move on to the other FA signing of McKenzy Berndeau, but before we do, take a look at the rankings for the OG’s.
Pass Blocking Efficiency, Guards, Top 20, 2010
| Rank | Name | Team | Pass Blocking Snaps | PBE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bobbie Williams | CIN | 660 | 1.59 |
| 2 | Brandon Moore | NYJ | 669 | 1.61 |
| 3 | Wade Smith | HST | 646 | 1.78 |
| 4 | Logan Mankins | NE | 348 | 1.87 |
| 5 | Josh Sitton | GB | 810 | 2.07 |
| 6 | Travelle Wharton | CAR | 330 | 2.12 |
| 7 | Jahri Evans | NO | 780 | 2.18 |
| 8 | Chris Snee | NYG | 597 | 2.18 |
| 9 | Harvey Dahl | ATL | 706 | 2.23 |
| 10 | Will Montgomery | WAS | 337 | 2.30 |
| 11 | Brian Waters | KC | 531 | 2.31 |
| 12 | Carl Nicks | NO | 780 | 2.34 |
| 13 | Rich Seubert | NYG | 569 | 2.37 |
| 14 | Mike Brisiel | HST | 295 | 2.37 |
| 15 | Kyle DeVan | IND | 546 | 2.38 |
| 16 | Andy Levitre | BUF | 579 | 2.42 |
| 17 | Jacob Bell | SL | 662 | 2.61 |
| 18 | Kyle Kosier | DAL | 495 | 2.63 |
| 19 | Steve Hutchinson | MIN | 409 | 2.69 |
| 20 | Richie Incognito | MIA | 643 | 2.72 |
Pass Blocking Efficiency, Guards, Bottom 20, 2010
| Rank | Name | Team | Pass Blocking Snaps | PBE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nick Cole | PHI | 372 | 6.12 |
| 2 | Tyronne Green | SD | 296 | 6.00 |
| 3 | Chris Kemoeatu | PIT | 588 | 5.61 |
| 4 | Davin Joseph | TB | 375 | 5.33 |
| 5 | Adam Goldberg | SL | 600 | 5.13 |
| 6 | Ted Larsen | TB | 370 | 5.00 |
| 7 | Cooper Carlisle | OAK | 609 | 4.93 |
| 8 | Chris Williams | CHI | 535 | 4.72 |
| 9 | Jamey Richard | IND | 200 | 4.50 |
| 10 | Artis Hicks | WAS | 365 | 4.45 |
| 11 | Ryan Lilja | KC | 546 | 4.44 |
| 12 | Kory Lichtensteiger | WAS | 651 | 4.42 |
| 13 | Mackenzy Bernadeau | CAR | 424 | 4.36 |
| 14 | Nate Livings | CIN | 606 | 4.29 |
| 15 | Leroy Harris | TEN | 508 | 4.28 |
| 16 | Pat McQuistan | MIA | 381 | 4.27 |
| 17 | Roberto Garza | CHI | 569 | 4.26 |
| 18 | Anthony Herrera | MIN | 345 | 4.13 |
| 19 | Dan Connolly | NE | 504 | 4.12 |
| 20 | Matt Slauson | NYJ | 665 | 4.10 |
Enlightening isn’t it? Andre Gurode was the 4th ranked C in the NFL with a PBE of 1.27, and he was replaced by Phil Costa, who didn’t even make the top 50. Kyle Kosier (even playing hurt) was 18th with a PBE of 2.63. The 2 FA acquisitions, who the fans are expected to believe are an improvement, rank at the bottom of the barrel. Bernadeu had a PBE of 4.36 and Livings’ PBE was 4.29. The worst part is that pass protection is Livings strong suit. He was ranked 56th overall due to his way below average run blocking skills. The Cowboys biggest weakness on offense last year was the running game.
The question is: if the running game was the biggest problem in 2011, why sign an OG whose worst trait is run blocking? When you consider that there are only 64 starting OG’s in the NFL, Livings’ long term contract is baffling to say the least. When you consider Bernadeaus’ poor production, and combine that with the fact he was signed while needing hip surgery, no one should believe that either player is an improvement. If the coaches truly believe that Livings and Bernadeau are improvements, this shows just how bad the OL was last year.
I have to admit, there is room for improvement/development with the young guys, but you can’t throw a bunch of below average inexperienced players on the field and expect them to make much of an impact. The part that sickens me the most is the fact that Doug Free got a Pro Bowl type contract, yet he graded out as the worst player on the OL last year. The fact remains, out of all the players left on the OL, only 1, Tyron Smith, has a grade better than way below the NFL average. So to answer your question Carlos:
"“Based on all of the data compiled in this article, the Cowboys did absolutely nothing, to make any kind of a significant improvement to the offensive line. If anything, they weakened it. Oh what I would give to have a guard that brought even half of what Larry Allen did to the table.”"
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