The Dallas Cowboys coaches will man the NFC side of the Pro Bowl this Sunday which is always a cool thing to see. We wish they were coaching a week from now, but we’ll have to be patient for at least another year in that quest.
Occasionally the NFL will test out some potential innovations during the Pro Bowl as it’s an exhibition game. This will indeed be the case this season as they’re going to test things like new camera angles, an adjustment to the play clock, and levels of communication.
A look at some of the game day innovations that will be tested at the 2019 @NFL Pro Bowl.
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One of the more interesting things here is the communication that coaches can have with players. As of now only one player is allowed communication with the coaches, on offense it’s usually the quarterback where on defense it’s typically the play-caller (Jaylon Smith most often for Dallas). The idea of multiple people holding that responsibility makes for some interesting thoughts.
If the NFL were to like this change and incorporate it into regular-season usage, then we’d be looking at a situation where multiple Cowboys can hear what the coaches are saying... who would you like to add?
Amari Cooper
We know that Amari Cooper is quite the cerebral player as he petitioned Dak Prescott to change a play during the home game against the Eagles. The new call went for a 75-yard touchdown so it’s safe to say he knows what he’s doing.
Having your quarterback and wide receiver on the same page as far as hearing the play would be very interesting as you might not have to relay certain things to him as the coaching staff could do it.
Travis Frederick
We’re all hopeful that Travis Frederick will return to the Cowboys next season and if/when he does he’s certainly a great candidate to have communication with the Cowboys coaches. Unlike someone like Amari Cooper, Travis is on the field for every play. That’s extremely valuable.
In a lot of ways Frederick is another quarterback for the team. He’s extremely bright and having him know exactly what the coaches are saying could prove to be next-level awesome.
Leighton Vander Esch
While Jaylon Smith is normally the play-caller for the Cowboys defense it would certainly behoove the defensive effort if their wolf hunter also got to hear whatever his coach was saying. Having Jaylon and LVE both on the same mental page would have a chance to make things all the more similar in mind and in body.
We’re all hopeful that this pair will be the center of the Cowboys defense for a long time. Maybe they can be the center of the coaches and what they want, too.
Byron Jones
There’s logic to having someone in the secondary know what the Cowboys coaches want as well, especially if Kris Richard is the one sending in commands. Jones is one of the smartest players on the Cowboys and having him in charge of a growing secondary is a very good thing.
We’ve seen Jones come a long way over the last season with his position switch. Giving him more responsibility seems like it can only end well. Hopefully that’s the case.