FanPost

Help Dak Morphs Into Stop the 49'ers...

Remember that argument after the Cowboys lost to Mr. Irrelevant in January?

"Dak is our guy and we will help him".

11 picks after Dallas took Mazi Smith, the Rams took Steve Avila. The first interior OL taken. The write-up below is from NFL.com.

Opening Day starter at LG, borderline dominant and will give you 60 plays. Mazi comes off the field for long downs.

So you need Mazi to stop the 49'ers on 1st down? Probably. You can also stop them with your own ball-control running game, in which they can't get the ball. And you help Dak directly with that same bruising ground attack, because you drafted a good solution for LG.

2 birds, not 1. 60 plays not 20 or 25. Value.

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HEIGHT
6’ 3 1/2’’
WEIGHT
332 lbs

Overview
Three-year starter who offers versatility, power and athleticism. Playing at a lighter weight should not be a problem if teams want that from him. His girth makes him resistant to opposing power, and he’s light enough on his feet for pass protection duties and run blocks that extend beyond the box. He’s not a consistently nasty finisher and below average hand work has a clear impact on his ability to sustain blocks. Avila is likely to start right away as a Day 2 draft pick and should have a solid NFL career as either a guard or center.
- He didn't allow a single sack in 515 pass-blocking snaps in his final season at TCU -

Strengths
  • Team captain.
  • Full season of starting experience at both center and left guard.
  • Frame is dense and capable of absorbing contact.
  • Plays with good flexion and body control for a man his size.
  • Able to snap hips into initial block fits.
  • Seal blocks create sturdy wall for A-gap run tunnels.
  • Pass sets tend to be balanced and firm throughout the rep.
  • Lateral slides to mirror and defend his edges.
Weaknesses
  • Occasional delays in recognizing twist setups.
  • Needs to steady his hands and improve his punch accuracy in pass pro.
  • Could use better rhythm and control with settle steps into first strike.
  • Has a tendency to play too tall at the point of attack.
  • More of a banger than a sustainer on the second level.
  • Inconsistent hand usage prevents steering and cinching up blocks.
Sources Tell Us

"Good teammate and good worker. You can watch as much tape as you want and you aren’t going to see anyone purely outmuscle him." -- Area scout for NFC team


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Russ_Te is the Cowboys screen name for Roy Greenfield / site author of the mid-2000's board "Cowboy Saloon"

- where the bar fights were legendary...

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