2009 Offensive Line Analysis - Dallas Cowboys

2009 Projected Starters:
Left Tackle: Flozell Adams
Left Guard: Kyle Kosier
Center: Andre Gurode
Right Guard: Leonard Davis
Right Tackle: Marc Colombo

2008 Injuries:
G Kyle Kosier: Weeks 1-2, 4-9, 13-17

2008 Statistics:

ALY (Adjusted Line Yards): It is an alternate measure for yards per carry developed by Football Outsiders that takes into account various factors including down, distance, situation and opponent.
Source: www.footballoutsiders.com

Overview:
The Dallas Cowboys had a very disappointing season in 2008 with only nine wins and they ranked only 13th in yards of offense after finishing in the top five in the past two years. Many will blame the injury to Tony Romo but the Cowboys were still only 8-5 with Romo in the line-up and certainly did not reach the expectations that most had for them when the season began. The running game was as effective as it was in 2007 but it seems that there was more pressure on Romo despite the sack total being similar to last year.

At tackle, the Cowboys will once again start 6’7” and 340 lbs Flozell Adams who will be playing his 12th season as a Cowboy in 2009. Adams who was named to his fifth Pro Bowl last season still has five years left to the contract he signed last off-season. His technique is not the best and he will struggle to stay with quicker pass rushers at times but his strength allows him to open up big holes in the running game. Adams however still takes a lot of penalties due to his trouble hearing out of his right ear and speed rushers are becoming more and more of a problem due to his age. Last season, Adams ranked 22nd amongst left tackles with 7.25 sacks allowed. His years may be counted as a left tackle in the NFL and it is unfortunate that the Cowboys don’t have anyone to replace him on the left side because his skills are much more suited for the right tackle position. Marc Colombo will be the starting right tackle for a fourth consecutive season with the Cowboys. Colombo suffered a very serious knee injury while with the Bears in 2002 and it kept him out of football for almost two full years. The Bears released him in 2005 and he was signed by the Cowboys later in the year to provide depth and play on special teams. Colombo is a very tall lineman who uses his wingspan very well in pass protection but he lacks the lower body strength to overpower defensive linemen. Colombo is a very hard worker but remains much better at pass protection than run blocking. The Cowboys selected tackle Doug Free in the 2007 draft and added Robert Brewster in the third round of the 2009 NFL Draft. One of these guys will need to step up within the next few years or this line will start struggling more and more in pass protection.

At guard, Kyle Kosier will be returning as the starter on the left side for a fourth consecutive season after being acquired as a free agent from the Detroit Lions. Many felt that Kosier was the weakest link on the line before the season started but in 2008 he played in only three games and the Cowboys won all three. He is a very good run blocker and has the ability to get to the second level but has struggled in pass protection in the past few years. On the right side, the Cowboys can count on the very strong and versatile Leonard Davis. Davis was the starting left tackle for the Cardinals but switched over to guard after being signed by the Cowboys. At 6’6” and 350 lbs, Davis is an overpowering guard who will open up big holes in the running game. He is a much better fit as a guard because of his lack of speed so he will occasionally struggle if he is required to pull to the outside. Davis did not play as well as he did in 2007 and struggled in pass protection but his run blocking skills still make him an above average guard in the NFL. The 29-year old Montrae Holland adds depth at guard and center; he started two games last year in place of Kyle Kosier but he also got hurt. Pat McQuistan was a seventh round pick in 2006 and also provides depth at guard. The management seems to be like him but he has not seen much action since being drafted.

Andre Gurode will be the team’s starting center for a fourth consecutive season. Gurode has great strength to open up holes in the running game and will rarely get pushed into the backfield. He has struggled with his shotgun snaps at times but he is still a very good center who well deserved his third trip to the Pro Bowl. Gurode missed the final two games of the 2007 season and was adequately replaced by Cory Procter. Procter also has the versatility to play left guard as we saw last year when he started 11 games in replacement of Kosier. He is a very useful player on this team but is still better suited as a backup.

2009 Outlook:
The Cowboys had a difficult season in 2008 but it is hard to blame the offensive line for the problems. The running game was effective for most of the season and pass protection wasn’t too bad until Brad Johnson came in. This group should be slightly better with Kyle Kosier in at left guard but age might slow down a few of these big men. Overall, you can probably expect more of the same for the Cowboys line in 2009: above 4.0 yards per carry for the running game (same as the last three years) and Romo to be sacked about 25 times or so. However, this line is getting old (all five starters are at least 30 years old) and if they get unlucky one year and have to deal with two or three long-term injuries, they will be in trouble.

See all of our 2009 Offensive Line Analysis Articles