IRVING, Texas – I've gotten plenty of feedback since the team concluded its offseason workouts, so I figured I'd follow up by answering a handful of questions I've gotten in the past week or so.
What do you think about Orlando Scandrick playing left cornerback?
Once the season ended, I started getting a vibe that maybe there would be some consideration of moving Orlando Scandrick to the left side and shifting Brandon Carr to the right. It makes perfect sense to move your best cover corner to the side of the field where the majority of the routes are run by opposing receivers. There is also thought that by putting Carr on the other side, it would help with his confidence -- which was better the last month of the 2014 season. There is no doubt that Scandrick does a better job of moving onto the next play if something happens to him, while Carr tends to allow the flow of the game — especially at him -- to affect how he plays from play to play. There were some snaps during the OTAs where Scandrick was getting work on that left while Carr was on the right and both players looked comfortable in those spots.
In one year, has this defensive line gone from a liability to a potential strength?
I am not sure that I would have called the group that played in 2014 a liability, but I understand the direction of the question. As a unit, they played much better than many were willing to give them credit for. Whether Greg Hardy plays six games, 10 games or the majority of the season, the fact that they got his services was a tremendous addition. Hardy is an elite player and it is rare in this business that you have a chance to grab those types. The same could be said about Randy Gregory and what he can potentially bring as a pass rusher -- not only as a rookie but in future seasons. This front office has to feel fortunate that things feel the right way for them. It was interesting to see all the different combinations in these OTA practices how Rod Marinelli was using Hardy and Gregory to rush the passer. I especially like what I saw from him using them with Tyrone Crawford and DeMarcus Lawrence. I also expect that you will nice some nice rotational work from Jeremy Mincey, Nick Hayden, Terrell McClain and Ben Gardner -- so the potential strength is there.
Do you think that we will still see those Romo Wednesdays?
Jason Garrett is always quick to point out when asked about players practicing or taking time off that he would rather have them practicing. The question that Garrett and the staff must address is that, if it worked so well in helping Romo prepare for these games, then is this the best route to take in his career? For the fear of sounding like a fence rider, I agree with Garrett and his thought toward practices, but there is no question that the time off paid dividens for Romo in the way that he performed in games -- especially late in the season. As crazy as this might sound, the time off helped his arm more than it did his back. Wednesday is a big installation day for NFL teams, and it's the day where the quarterback has to make the majority of his throws during the week. Saving Romo that wear-and-tear each week is a smart approach by this staff, and in my opinion there is no reason to believe that, even with a stronger and healthier Romo, they would change an approach that clearly worked.
