With NFL training camp creeping up, the Dallas Cowboys head into one of the last steps of the offseason with key players coming off some great and not-so-great momentum.
Let's take a look at whose stock is rising and whose have been falling lately.
Stock Up: Tony Romo
Quarterback Tony Romo is coming off his best year since 2007 (or 2009, depending on who you ask) in terms of statistics, with 31 touchdowns and just 10 interceptions. He also backed up that nice ratio with a smooth 102.5 passer rating to top it all off.
Romo did all that without a true offseason last year, but now with weapons around him like Dez Bryant and DeMarco Murray maturing, this offense is ready to soar to great heights with him at the helm.
Having another training camp to build chemistry with Bryant and Murray along with familiar faces like Jason Witten and Miles Austin gives No. 9 all the tools he needs to add another historic year to his career.
Stock Down: Miles Austin
Speaking of Austin, it's hard to go into training camp with your stock going up when you admit you were out of shape last season.
The Dallas wide receiver played in just 10 games and posted just over 500 yards on the year, ending his two-season streak of breaking the 1,000 yard mark.
Another issue for the Monmouth alum is the fact that analysts like NFL Network's Shaun O'Hara believe it's time for Bryant to take over the No. 1 receiver job.
It's going to be a long and hard camp battle between these two talented wideouts, with Austin needing to prove he hasn't been slacking on his workout regiment like last offseason.
Stock Up: Bruce Carter
Inside linebacker Bruce Carter started getting plenty of buzz down in Dallas thanks to his stellar work ethic and contributions on special teams during the 2011 campaign.
That hard work paired with more of the same during training camp could earn Carter a starting position next to Sean Lee.
The Cowboys did bring over Dan Connor from the Carolina Panthers via free agency, but people like Eric Edholm of Pro Football Weekly believes that Carter has the "inside edge" to the job.
The battle of Connor and Carter will be another camp battle worth keeping an eye on while the Cowboys train over in California, with the chance of Carter's hard work finally paying off.
Stock Down: Kevin Ogletree
It seems like whenever the 'Boys give wide receiver Kevin Olgetree a chance to earn the No. 3 position, he finds a way to underwhelm the coaching staff.
He underwhelmed in 2011, leading to Dallas signing Laurent Robinson, and he's done more of the same during minicamps so far this year with young guns like Danny Coale vying for what should already be Ogletree's job if he played his cards right.
No. 85 is a "long shot" to earn the job according to Tim Cowlishaw of the Dallas Morning News, which just goes to show it's more likely to see Ogletree off the roster or on the bench then in the slot position for Dallas in 2012.
Toronto Raptors Utah Jazz Washington Wizards Kevin Garnett Ray allen kendrick Perkins
Keine Kommentare:
Kommentar veröffentlichen