Tag: Asim Richards

Asim Richard’s versatility could mean an intriguing future with Cowboys

Richards didn’t contribute much as a rookie but his future is bright and he could be the Cowboys top swing OL in the 2024 season, says @ReidDHanson.

When the Cowboys drafted Asim Richards from North Carolina in the fifth round of the 2023 NFL draft, many called it a steal. The 38-game starter had a track record of success in college. He was a technically sound prospect with loads of experience and proven durability. It was believed the main thing he lacked, strength, was something a year in the weight room could fix.

For roughly three years the Cowboys have been trying to turn a Day 3 draft pick into a viable NFL OT. There is reason to believe the third time is the charm with Dallas’ selection of Richards. Looking at contributions, he’s already ahead of his two Day 3 predecessors.

Josh Ball was selected No. 138 in the 2021 draft. After suffering a soft tissue injury in the hip/groin area, he landed on IR contributing zero snaps his rookie season. Matt Waletzko was then selected 155th in the 2022 draft but he only gave Dallas one offensive snap in his rookie year. Richards’ 39 snaps his rookie season are modest but technically blow both of the other guys’ rookie numbers out of the water.

It’s not the snaps he did get, but rather the reports coming from around the team that lead many to be optimistic about Richards’ future.

Gaining experience, however miniscule, at LG, RG, and LT should payoff down the road. Richards, 6-foot-4, 307-pounds, might not have fit Dallas’ prototype at OT but his 35-inch arms put him in rarefied air as a tackle prospect (pro day measurement).

Cowboys’ offensive line already accounts for almost 25% of ’24 salary cap

Following the money spent on the offensive line finds Dallas’ depth impressive but two big holes have to be filled. | From @ArmyChiefW3

Budgeting for the offensive line is not an easy task as this group, whose numbers normally hover around 10 every season, can consume a large portion of a team’s salary cap. Even when only one player is paid top dollar, the amount of money spent on linemen can be a burden based on sheer numbers. With so many teams across the league scrambling for viable options, Dallas has assembled a cast of young hopefuls that could provide depth for the next few years.

The Cowboys will need to address the starting left tackle position this offseason, and although the upcoming draft is full of options, bringing back Tyron Smith could be the smart play. So could an agreement with center Tyler Biadasz, who is slated to hit the open market for the first time in his career. Here’s a rundown of what is currenly on the ledger for the group going into 2024.

Charlie Heck comes in as injury replacement, helps Texans to blowout win

Former UNC offensive tackle Charlie Heck was supposed to start an NFL Playoff game yesterday. He instead came on in injury relief.

The Cleveland Browns, with all the injuries they faced and quarterbacks they rotated through this year, weren’t even supposed to be in the playoffs.

The Houston Texans, who drafted rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud second overall in the 2023 NFL Draft, were hoping to see better on-field results this year. Playoffs were a dream, but not something that seemed entirely possible.

Both teams faced off in an AFC Wild Card matchup on Saturday, with Stroud and rookie head coach DeMeco Ryans overwhelming Cleveland in a 45-14 blowout.

We talked about former Tar Heel Charlie Heck starting this game at right tackle, but it was instead George Fant who did so. Heck actually came on in the first half as an injury replacement, with Texans All-Pro starting left tackle Laremy Tunsil leaving due to a knee injury.

Heck helped block for a Houston team that hung 356 yards of offense on the NFL’s top-ranked defense, which limited Houston to just 250 yards on Christmas Eve. Stroud threw for 274 yards and three touchdowns, while Texans running back Devin Singletary ran for 66 yards and a score.

Good news for UNC fans – Heck isn’t the only former Tar Heel in the  NFL postseason. Dallas Cowboys offensive tackle Asim Richards and Detroit Lions wide receiver Antoine Green play this evening, with both hoping to help their respective teams to Wild Card victories.

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Several former Tar Heels set to play in NFL Playoffs

There are six former UNC football players on NFL postseason rosters. Houston Texans right tackle Charlie Heck will be the only one starting.

Starting in just two days, there’ll be a lot of smiles and broken hearts.

No, we’re not talking about weddings and breakups. We’re talking about the NFL Playoffs.

The San Francisco 49ers are looking to win their first Super Bowl since 1994, with 2024 their best chance to do so, thanks to a pair of MVP candidates in Brock Purdy and Christian McCaffrey.

The Cleveland Browns have defied all injury odds, winning four December games to put themselves in the AFC’s top Wild Card spot, by playing top-notch defense and bringing in Joe Flacco behind a banged-up offensive line.

UNC football fans should also be excited about the NFL postseason, with six former Tar Heels set to take the field. This should offer the Carolina faithful some much-needed relief, with the college campaign not ending so well.

You might want to know – which Tar Heels will be suiting up in pursuit of a Super Bowl? There’s one name you might be able to guess (former second overall pick), but you’ll have to read the full list below for more names.

Cowboys backup LT Chuma Edoga leave on cart after leg injury

The Cowboys lost their backup left tackle in the midst of a blowout win. | From @KDDrummondNFL

The Dallas Cowboys started the week with their cleanest injury report of the entire season. On Wednesday, only backup safety Juanyeh Thomas was listed and even he was a full participant. Thursday though brought an unexpected listed, as Tyron Smith was limited with a neck injury, after suffering a stinger.

It was assumed he was going to play based on words from both head coach Mike McCarthy and owner Jerry Jones, however Smith was among the seven inactives named over an hour before kickoff. Now, deep into the second half of a blowout victory, Dallas is down to their third-string left tackle.

Chuma Edoga, who has played in Smith’s absence throughout the season, had his right leg fallen on during a pass block on a huge play to Ceedee Lamb. Edoga laid stretched out on the field for a long time before the cart eventually took him into the locker room for futher evaluation.

Fifth-round rookie Asim Richards, who looked good during the preseason but has only seen 20 regular-season snaps entering the week, came in to replace him.

Where does the Cowboys’ draft class stand ahead of cutdown day?

Questions surrounded the 2023 class yet as cutdown day approaches things look promising for each member’s chances. From @ArmyChiefW3

It has been said one must wait three years in order to properly gauge how well a team’s draft class fared. Growth is part of the process, but immediate impact by special players reinvigorates fanbases and quickly changes the season’s outlook. Take the rookie seasons of QB Dak Prescott and RB Ezekiel Elliott for obvious examples.

While the three-year mark is a nice guideline, it is far from a rule and honestly, a lot less fun. Gauging a player with draft grades sets a baseline of expectations which are fun to track throughout a player’s career.

While immediate impact is always desired, having the patience to trust the developmental program may be the most beneficial support a young player can have. So where do the players from the Cowboys 2023 draft class currently stand before rosters are trimmed to 53?

Asim Richards looking more and more like Cowboys’ top reserve OT

Asim Richards has exceeded expectations as a rookie and now looks like one of the Cowboys top young reserves at left tackle. | From @ReidDHanson

When the Cowboys drafted Asim Richards with the No. 169 pick in the 2023 NFL draft, they thought they had themselves a steal. Richards, a three-year starter at North Carolina, came to the NFL with experience, technique, and athleticism.

Lacking ideal NFL strength, Richards was expected to require a year of development in the weight room before he could feasibly contribute. Good feet and athleticism can only get an offensive tackle so far in the NFL. He’d need to bulk up.

Luckily for the Cowboys they had a few promising options on their roster who could buy Richards time to develop. But as Cowboys fans know all too well, things don’t always go as planned and patience isn’t always an option in the NFL.

The Cowboys’ most promising young OT prospect, Matt Waletzko, has had a preseason to forget. Not only has he struggled in live action, but he recently suffered an injury which has kept him off the field. Suddenly patience is no longer a luxury Dallas enjoys and the time for Richards to perform is now.

It’s a challenge Richards has seemingly embraced and a situation that’s given him the inside track on the OT3 role in 2023.

Over the first preseason games, Richards has shown all traits that made him such a highly regarded developmental prospect. His feet, movement, and agility are things that can’t be taught. His strength limitations are apparent, but at the same time they’ve been manageable.

Richards has been one of the Cowboys’ top rated pass blockers in the preseason. He’s played 118 offensive snaps, with 78 of them in pass protection. Of those 78, he hasn’t been called for a penalty, allowed a hit, or given up a sack.

He’s given up four pressures total, but based on his workload and early expectations, four pressures represent a big win for Richards. He no longer looks like the project player he was when drafted and is starting to look like a legit depth option for Dallas as they embark on the 2023 season.

Based on preseason usage, the Cowboys view Waletzko as a RT (all of his snaps have come at RT) and Richards as a LT (where majority of his snaps have come). It’s possible the traditional label of “swing tackle” isn’t applicable to this year’s squad and each side has their own specialist waiting in the wings.

Yet performance indicates it’s Richards who’s the third best tackle of the preseason and he’s blown his previously modest expectations out of the water.

None of this is to say Richards is the next man up if Tyron Smith goes down this season. Tyler Smith is still regarded as the LT of the future so it stands to reason if Tyron Smith is lost for an extended period of time, Tyler Smith would be considered the replacement for him. This would conceivably push the rookie Richards down a rung on the depth chart.

Regardless of how specific scenarios would hypothetically play out, Richards has been a breath of fresh air to a unit that’s struggled all preseason. He provides added security for 2023 and could be an invaluable piece down the road.

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Asim Richards gets start for Dallas Cowboys in preseason opener

Former UNC football standout Asim Richards got the start in the Dallas Cowboys preseason opener.

Former North Carolina Tar Heels offensive lineman Asim Richards is was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys to help boost the depth on the offensive line to protect Dak Prescott.

The fifth-round pick, No. 169 overall, has some versatility to him as he’s able to play both guard and tackle. And in Saturday’s preseason opener, Richards did both.

He started the game at tackle for the Cowboys and the moved to guard late in the third quarter. In all, Richards played a ton in the game against the Jacksonville Jaguars and impressed in a key area.

Per John Owning, Richards played on 39 pass-blocking snaps and allowed just two pressures. There was a sack that some did blame on Richards but reviewing the tape, it certainly was on the quarterback.

That’s a great start for Richards in his NFL career as he’s looking to have a big role in his rookie season.

Richards was able to show off his versatility while with North Carolina, so it shouldn’t be a shock to Tar Heels’ fans seeing him impress early on.

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Totally Asim: Cowboys’ Day 3 draft pick could blossom under OL coaching in Dallas

From @ToddBrock24f7: Asim Richards saw a quantum leap after a coaching change at North Carolina. He’s primed to do it again in the Cowboys’ vaunted OL system.

Yes, it’s pronounced awesome, at least if your accent is from the right part of the country.

Now Asim (AH-sim) Richards hopes to live up to that billing after being selected by the Cowboys in the fifth round of this year’s draft. And while his numbers as a North Carolina senior were impressive enough on their own, it may have been something else that really caught the eye of the Dallas staff.

Richards came to offensive line play late, transitioning away from defensive end and tight end for his senior year of high school. As a freshman in Chapel Hill, he was mostly a backup. From 2020 to 2022, though, he started his final 34 games, and he went from the line’s weak link as a sophomore to the unit’s leader as a senior.

Richards played over 1,000 offensive snaps in 2022 at left tackle and allowed just three sacks against stiff conference competition. He was named to the All-ACC’s third team as a result.

Something had changed dramatically along the way- namely, the coaching Richards was getting at his position. Jack Bicknell took over OL duties for the Tar Heels’ 2022 season, and it unlocked a whole new level for the Philadelphia native.

“He came in, told us that we can be more physical, get down lower, and that we don’t have to be so passive,” Richards explained last November. “And it really changed the culture of the O-line room.

“It’s about being more aggressive,” he added. “Like with pass blocking, not waiting for them to get there; you can go out and attack… And with run blocking, just getting your hands in the right spot. Keep driving your feet, being more physical.”

That one-year quantum leap hints at even more untapped potential still hidden beneath the surface, just waiting to be drawn out of the 22-year-old by the right coaches.

Mike Solari, in his first year as OL coach for the Cowboys, started the lessons right out of the gate, putting Richards at guard during rookie minicamp. After playing all but one college game at left tackle (and the other at left guard), it will be yet another series of adjustments for the 6-foot-4-inch Richards.

But he’s ready to make an impression on his coaches no matter the assignment.

“I can play wherever,” Richards said shortly after being drafted 169th overall.

The Cowboys may take him up on that. Mike McCarthy’s first comments about Richards referenced his versatility.

“He definitely has position flex, so I think the biggest thing,” the coach explained on draft weekend, “is the ability to play tackle and move down to guard. Position flex is so important.”

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Bulking up may also help the rookie. At 307 pounds, Richards is on the light end of the Cowboys’ preferred range for offensive linemen. UNC coach Mack Brown said improving his strength is Richards’s biggest need; the elite strength and conditioning staff in Dallas can certainly help with that.

But to start, Richards simply wants to show his new coaches he’s ready, willing, and able to take their tutoring.

“You really just have to go out there and give effort, effort, effort,” he said after his first minicamp sessions. “Go out there and run and fly around. I know they try and keep us fresh, but really go out there and fly around, give effort, and if you show that, then you’re gonna be just fine. That’s what I’m trying to do.”

Richards may be coming in as low man on the totem pole, behind Cowboys OL stalwarts Tyron Smith, Zack Martin, Terence Steele, and Tyler Smith. And he’ll have to battle alongside veterans like Josh Ball, Matt Farniok, Matt Waletzko, and Chuma Edoga just to make the roster. But Richards has already shown a knack for learning and then translating that coaching to exponential power on the field. If he can do it in the pros, too, he could quickly prove to be a steal of a fifth-round draft pick and maybe even a long-term answer for the Cowboys up front.

And that would be awesome indeed.

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Asim Richards works at guard during Cowboys minicamp but has versatility

Former UNC football standout Asim Richards brings some versatility to the Dallas Cowboys offensive line.

The Dallas Cowboys made Asim Richards the second North Carolina player selected in the 2023 NFL draft when they took him in the fifth round at pick No. 169 at the end of April. The former Tar Heel joins a Cowboys team that is looking to return to the playoffs but needs some help on the offensive line.

Barring injuries to the line, Richards is expected to stat the year as a backup and work his way into the rotation. At his first minicamp in the NFL, Richards played primarily at right guard. However, he does offer some versatility on the line with where he can play.

“I’m versatile so I’m comfortable at a lot of places,” Richards said via Cowboys Country. “I played left tackle in college so that’s naturally going to be my most comfortable position. I like other positions and I got a little taste at the Senior Bowl so I’ve been working on it for sure.”

Richards was a standout left tackle at North Carolina and was consistent in his college career.

It’s still very early in his NFL career but offering that versatility to play at different spots could be valuable. Especially if there’s an injury or someone isn’t playing their best and there needs to be a move made.

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