Should the Cowboys cut Montrae Holland?
by VAfan on Sep 3, 2010 1:55 PM CDT
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From reading various post-game analyses, you wonder why the Cowboys have stuck with this cast-off for so long. We paid a 5th rounder for him I think. Yet he couldn't get acclimated to the offense, then couldn't stay healthy. Now he's penalty-ridden, and can't get to the second level. Runs to his side are futile. He doesn't mesh well with Free and Gurode on pass blocking, leading to free guys coming in on Romo. And I'm sure his contract is up there as well.
Anyone have a redeeming thing to say about Holland? Why not keep, and play, the younger guy who might quickly overtake Holland if given a few plays? I'd rather have a guy on the upside trying to work his tail off to get better than the overweight, slow, penalty-prone Holland.
If they aren't ready to move Brewster in there, then go with one of the other young guys. Or consider making a cut-down type trade like we did when we got Holland in the first place.
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my my, on a roll with the panic-filled fanposts, aren’t you?
Simple answer: no. They keep Montrae Holland because he’s a decent band-aid at guard. Surrounded by starters, he’s going to be a slightly-below average guard, which is just about what you’d expect from a backup. Your list of knocks against him come from two preseason games, one of which he played with the second-string. Holland has upwards of 40 starts in the league that say he’s not spectacular, but not the flabby waste of space you’re portraying him as.
Would we like an upgrade? Absolutely, particularly given the age of the guys in front of him. Is there anything better on the roster now? Not even close. Is someone better going to walk through the door between now and Sept 12? Highly doubtful.
I'm not panic stricken, but it's cut down time, so the post is timely
Your main argument is that Holland has started a few games. But that was years ago. He’s done absolutely nothing since he came to Dallas. And, as a veteran, he’s making false start penalties while sitting next to the center. He can’t get to the second level. Etc.
Give me a young guy who will get better rather than a guy who has never seemed to get with the program in Dallas.
If you're going to cut him, name a replacement
Bright? If you don’t like the reports on Holland, you’re going to hate the reports on Bright from this preseason. Move Brewster inside? Sure, give him a week to get ready and he’ll definitely do a better job than Holland… Costa hasn’t played guard all camp either, and McQ is, thankfully, joining the rest of the former Cowboys backups down in Miami.
It’s one thing to complain that Holland hasn’t played well, and completely something different to call for him to be cut without having a viable alternative to offer.
by greatwhitenorth on Sep 3, 2010 7:09 PM CDT up reply actions
Eagles just added a guard in a trade
who had started thelast 90 games for AZ. I don’t know squat about him, but if he has started that many in a row, he was on the Super Bowl Cardinal team, so I’d take him over Holland sight unseen, and without a day in our system.
Cowboys going with youth on the outside by unloading Crayton. They need to do something about their line.
In two years, the only guy on the line who should still be there is Doug Free. Cowboys need to upgrade this part of their offense with guys who can move their feet. Slow fat guys will not cut it if we want to win Super Bowls.
Yes, they should cut him, and then replace him with who?
Cutting Holland would be a terrible idea, because who are you going to have to play in those first few regular season games? Holland stepped in two years ago and did a more-than-decent job, and that’s something valuable to have in a backup.
Holland is a proven veteran who probably hasn’t lost too much steam yet, he just needs to shake off some of the rust. And even if he doesn’t, the question still stands… who do you start in his place?
What about Costa or Bright or even moving Brewster inside?
Or see who’s available for the 7th rounder we just got for Crayton? There have to be better options. I’d rather have one of the young guys on our roster who can move in space than Holland. From what I’ve read, Holland gets no push. So what the heck is he good for? We know he can’t get to the second level. His one talent ought to be pushing the guy directly in front of him.
Teams like Indy seem to be able to plug in young linemen and keep on clicking. Cowboys get stuck with older and older veterans until we are forced to move them.
Our #1 need is to get a younger and more agile line that can get out and block in space. This would help us improve our sweeps and screens, and allow guys to move to pick up stunts and blitzes. I’d trade a little power for much greater agility.
he is?
http://twitter.com/BloggingTheBoys
by Aaron Novinger on Sep 3, 2010 7:15 PM CDT up reply actions
I fail to see why people think Brewster would make a good guard.
His problem is his strength—how does that translate into playing guard? The fact is, there just isn’t anyone better than Holland on the roster right now. The coaches believe in him—they almost gave him the starting job over Kosier last season, and paid to bring him back. We’ll see how he does for the season opener—I’d be willing to et he’s at least decent.
by Admiral Dallas on Sep 3, 2010 7:10 PM CDT up reply actions
Maybe this is why "teams like Indy"
Are always in the Super Bowl hunt and teams like the Cowboys are trying to put together back to back successful seasons for the first time in over a decade.
I agree Holland should not make the final cut, but there has not been anyone else in camp who looks better, and that is a scary thought.
maybe another reason “teams like Indy” are teams like Indy is they have a real GM and the Cowboys have Jerry who likes flash more then substance.
"Talent is God-given; be humble. Fame is man-given; be grateful. Conceit is self-given; be careful." John Wooden
Whoa there buckaroo.
flash more then substance
What, Dez is just flash? Sean Lee? Brent? AOA?
Michael Silver has a great column at Yahoo! Sports: http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news;_ylt=AjudFPBux2DvTg7kYRLcCPNDubYF?slug=ms-ownerrankingsparttwo090310
Everyone keeps crying about how the Cowboys have not addressed the O Line. Well, look at the flip side: Everything else looks pretty darn good. The team only has so many draft picks to work with, and then you have to go into free agency and UDFAs. Jerry has not gone for outrageous moves in free agency, perhaps having learned from TO and RW that there are limits to that approach. And based on the interview he did on the radio, he doesn’t think the O Line is in such bad shape once Kosier and Columbo get back. (I saw the link on another post, but can’t find it right now.)
Any NFL team is always just one or two players away from having the season fall apart. Any team can get crippled by the wrong injury. Yes, Jerry could have done something different with the O Line – but what would he have given up? There are always trade offs. Other than not paying so much for RW, I think most of the moves in the last two to three years have been pretty good.
I also think you have to look at the input of Stephen Jones. I think the future of the Cowboys is very bright if he is going to take over for his dad one day. Just please, if Jerry stays with us for several years, don’t let him turn into Al Davis.
If at first you don't succeed - blame someone else.
actually i dont think he would
Turn into Al Davis that is. I honestly think he values Stephen’s judgement enough that he would step down if Stephen asked him to and proved that Jerry was harming the team
"Of all the things I have lost , I miss my mind the most-Random T-shirt
"There is a fine line between Genius and Insanity"-Unknown Author
by I draft the Cowboys!!!! on Sep 4, 2010 12:30 PM CDT up reply actions
No one knows how good Dez, Lee and AOA might turn out to be
What we do know is that the starting o-line is old and when healthy average at best. I think it is also safe to say that the back ups a huge drop off.
The Silver article is good, but it talks about the best owners. Which I agree Jerry is a very good owner, but unfortunately Jerry does not see himself as JUST an owner but as
Owner-president-GM-and quasi coach.
I would hoped that GM Jerry would have learned from Joey Galloway trade several years before he traded the draft picks he did for RW. But Roy does play a skilled position which is much flasher then a big ugly.
Please do not kid yourself Stephen will not take over the Cowboys until Jerry has passed away.
1 playoff win in 13 years, GM Jerry is already closer to being Al Davis then any of us would like to believe.
Let me ask you this. If you owned the Cowboys how long would you have kept GM Jerry around? If Jerry the GM was not Jerry the Owner, Would Jerry the GM still have a job?
"Talent is God-given; be humble. Fame is man-given; be grateful. Conceit is self-given; be careful." John Wooden
I wish we could
unfortunately, hes the new Corey Proctor – a guy who shouldn’t make this roster but will because we have no interior depth
Who would be our backup guard?
Until you can answer that question decently you can’t cut Holland. And for the slack he’s taken in these last two preseason games, he looked pretty good in the first game he played this preseason and played well in 2008 when he had to fill in.
If I had a nickel for every Super Bowl the Eagles have won, I would have zero nickels.
Holland is a scrub
is a band aid thats worth covering the cut, its like the kind that comes apart soon as a little sweat/water gets near it. we have to find a better plug or defenses are going to abuse him. our OL has problems w/ the starters being healthy but adding Holland is just like having a hole in the line. their has to be something better out their that we can find for a better replacement, i’m not saying a staring quality player but someone who can do better then him.
Barron didn’t impress me much either but hopefully CoLombo will be back for the opener & we can’t afford for him to miss any time. i almost thought Brewster did just as good as Barron for the most part. even w/ barron in the game he’s going to need the same help Brewster got. theirs a couple teams that are heavy on the OL depth & its up to Jerrys scouts to find which one might want to wheel & deal.
its obvious we need help but so does a lot of other teams, make it happen Jerry
Move Over Sweetness, Make A Place For Emmitt!
Who knows something about the guard the Eagles just got from Arizona?
Wells is his last name I think. Started last 90 games, which means the Super Bowl Cardinals. Don’t know what the Eagles gave up, but if we aren’t going to go with youth on the line, we could use a veteran with more than Holland can give us.
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