Tag: brock hoffman

Zack Martin can’t be replaced but this UDFA can carve out his own role

Brock Hoffman isn’t Zack Martin and for the Cowboys O-line, that’s fine, says @ReidDHanson.

When Hillary Swank replaced Ralph Macchio as the Karate Kid in the franchise’s fourth movie, she wasn’t met with open hearts and open minds. For as annoying as the Daniel LaRusso character was at times, Macchio was a legend in his role. Swank never stood a chance in her bid to replace Macchio because legends simply can’t be replaced.

Legends aren’t just the standard bearers for which all replacements are measured, they hold a mythical status to fans. Zack Martin holds that mythical status reserved for legends. For years he’s been the Cowboys most dominant player. He’s a generational offensive lineman who is both blue-chip and blue collar. He has been the model of consistency in Dallas and a beloved character in and out of the locker room.

So, when Martin announced he’ll be having season-ending surgery this week and will not be returning to the field this year, fans were understandably heartbroken. It’s been long speculated 2024 will be Martin’s last year as a pro and the Cowboys will be turning the last page on this truly awesome offensive line era that once also featured him, Tyron Smith and Travis Frederick.

Brock Hoffman, the man who has started in Martin’s place the last two weeks, will presumably replace him down the stretch as well. Fans loved what Hoffman brought to the table in his two starts. He graded out well in both phases of the game and was a frequent thorn in his opponents’ side up to and even after the whistle.

Hoffman’s nasty attitude endeared him to fans and inspired teammates along the way. While this could make for a smooth transition to the new era, filling in for injury is one thing but replacing a legend on a more permanent basis is something else entirely.

The good news for Hoffman is that he doesn’t need to be Martin. The Cowboys have something like that already in 2023 All-Pro Tyler Smith. What they need from Hoffman is for the 25-year-old to just be his regular, cantankerous self.

Instead of trying to fill Martin’s enormous shoes, Hoffman just needs to bring a pair of his own. The value he brings isn’t in dominance at the point of attack it’s in his ability to put opponents on tilt and raise the energy amongst his brethren alongside him. It’s been a while since the Cowboys had a certified jerk on their offensive line and that might have been a problem. It takes all types to round a strong unit, and Hoffman fits his own unique role.

Replacing Martin is impossible and if fans are looking for a player even half as dominant as Martin in his prime, they will be disappointed. But Hoffman brings different skills to the table, and who knows, as a developing player he may become a dominant blocker one day, too. The point is what he brings today is enough because it’s a special quality that’s been lacking from the unit.

Hoffman isn’t Hillary Swank trying to replace Ralph Macchio, he’s a different karate franchise altogether.

Related articles

[affiliatewidget_smgtolocal]

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Why is this undrafted OL becoming such a beloved Cowboys figure in a lost season?

Brock Hoffman just endeared himself to Cowboys fans with his inspiring play and his unfriendly attitude, finds @ReidDHanson.

If style points counted towards the final score, reserve lineman Brock Hoffman might be the Cowboys MVP. Making a somewhat surprise start for the injured Zack Martin, Hoffman wowed fans with his effectiveness, no-nonsense attitude and innate ability to get under his opponents’ skin.

Often playing past the whistle, Hoffman seemed to take pleasure in being, for lack of a better word, a jerk. It was a welcomed sight to a fanbase who grew tired of emotionless, even lackadaisical, efforts throughout the 2024 season.

Coming off five consecutive losses, reviving a flatlined fanbase is a difficult task for anyone, especially an offensive lineman. But Hoffman’s honest effort as the resident villain combined with the surprisingly good showing by the Cowboys on both sides of the ball, made the 25-year-old reserve the talk of Cowboys Nation.

Up until Sunday’s showdown with the Commanders, Hoffman had become a somewhat forgotten name in Dallas. He had entered training camp and the preseason as a player to watch. He was a known standout in offseason programs and had endeared himself to coaches in teammates in the way Terence Steele once did. But a lackluster training camp and preseason quickly bounced the two-year veteran from expected starting center to an interior swing lineman.

Sunday’s Week 12 showing put Hoffman back on the map in many ways.

He played well on the field all while firing up teammates and frazzling opponents. It was a perfect display of the buzz surrounding him throughout the offseason.

There’s nothing wrong with players having friendly off-field relationships with each other but losing has a way of lessening tolerances for otherwise menial items. Fans grow tired of their favorite players laughing off losses, swapping jerseys, and getting friendly with opponents. Seeing someone like Hoffman getting the job and making enemies along the way is a sort of dysfunctional breath of fresh air many fans need.

None of this matters if Hoffman can’t continue a strong level of play, of course. It’s on big No. 67 to continue this in Week 13 if Martin is still out.

Related articles

[affiliatewidget_smgtolocal

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

NFL names Cowboys’ Cooper Beebe among 10 most overlooked rookies

Cooper Beebe has been identified as a budding all star for the Cowboys in 2024, finds @ReidDHanson

NFL.com scout and occasional Cowboys contributor, Bucky Brooks, knows a thing or two about college players transitioning to the NFL. The former player turned writer and scout, makes a living breaking down film while explaining and projecting player performance. He’s a draft expert and someone many people turn to for informed and insightful takes.

While looking through a list of NFL rookies hoping to make splash in their first season in the league, Brooks named a Cowboys rookie as one of 10 overlooked rookies who have “showed serious flashes” this preseason. The player he mentioned was aspiring starter, Cooper Beebe.

The Cowboys took a gamble when they selected Beebe in the third round of the 2024 NFL draft. It’s not that the Kansas State guard was a poor prospect because he was actually very well regarded in the draft community. Dane Bruglar at The Athletic even slotted him in as the No. 3 guard in the class rating as his 38th ranked prospect in the draft. What made Beebe a gamble was role the Cowboys were going to ask him to play.

Drafted as a center, Dallas wanted Beebe to play a position he wasn’t acquainted with in the past. In his 48 collegiate starts, Beebe played at left tackle, right tackle and left guard, but never center. The Cowboys strategy was a rebuttal for what scouts perceived to be Beebe’s biggest weakness, arm length.

For as much as Brugler liked Beebe as an NFL prospect he did admit his 31.5-inch arms could be a dealbreaker for some team scouts. Interestingly enough, the Cowboys are one of those teams who value arm length to an extremely high degree. They just found a way to work around the issue.

At center arm length isn’t as much of a factor as it is at other spots along the line. Center is often seen as an extra blocker who either takes part in a double-team, picks up blitzes, or slices the defense in half getting up to the second level. They aren’t susceptible to long-armed defensive lineman like the other linemen are.

The reason all dominant short-armed guards don’t make the transition to center is because the center position is challenging in its own way. NFL centers are required to be one of the smartest players on the field.

Based on previous Wonderlic scores, center ranks as the second highest scored position in the NFL. The Wonderlic test, designed to measure a number of items up to and including intelligence, has been widely used in the NFL for years. Center falls just one point behind offensive tackle and one point ahead of quarterback in average scores. Tasked with recognizing defenses and calling blocking assignments, center plays a vital role in both phases of the offense. It’s why many (this writer included) thought Beebe might struggle as a rookie and Brock Hoffman could possibly start.

Low and behold, when the pads came on and the contact was real, the cream rose to the top and Beebe, not Hoffman, stood out as the man to beat.

“Obviously, once you get in a game it’s easier,” Beebe said. “The playbook shortens down and it gets easier, but I think I’ve been doing well. There are some weird looks here and there that I’ve got to continue working on but, overall, I think I’m doing pretty well.”

Brooks at NFL.com sure thinks so.

He saw Beebe flash signs of dominance saying, “the rookie has shown impressive skills controlling the point of attack from the pivot.” Brooks even doubled down saying that playing between Zack Martin and Tyler Smith, Beebe could play like an all-star as a rookie. For as bold at that is to say about a third-round rookie, it’s hard to find a Cowboys fan or media member who disagrees.

It’s hard to tell where the 2024 season will take the Cowboys, but most believe the success of the team hinges on the Cowboys’ ability to replace two-fifths of their offensive line with a pair of rookies who came into the summer with major question marks. By all accounts Tyler Guyton at LT and Beebe at center have answered those questions by exceeding all immediate expectations.

The Cowboys organization was hoping for it, Cowboys fans were seeing it and now the national media is predicting it. Beebe is going to make some waves in Dallas.

RASmatazz: Athleticism not a problem for Cowboys’ projected OL

If the Cowboys are forced to play with their current offensive line projection, their Relative Athletic Scores should provide optimism. | From @ReidDHanson

The Cowboys offensive line is in a state of flux. LT Tyron Smith and OC Tyler Biadasz left in free agency opening up enormous holes in the starting lineup. Dallas would like to fill at least one of those vacancies with a rookie draft pick this April. But with so many roster needs and so much unpredictability in the draft, there’s no telling how successful that strategy will be.

If the Cowboys fail in their attempts to fill these starting roles through the draft, they will need to get creative with their preexisting internal options. While there is definitely room for growth in performance, the underlying core trait of athleticism is certainly in the house for the majority of the projected starters if the team is unable to augment the group.

The general consensus the team moving Tyler Smith to LT, T.J. Bass taking over at LG, Brock Hoffman elevating to OC, Zack Martin staying at RG and Terence Steele giving it another go at RT.

The Smith-Bass-Hoffman-Martin-Steele quintet isn’t ideal, but it would allow the Cowboys to focus on other needs like DT, RB and LB early. Bass, Hoffman and Steele are all young undrafted players and would give Dallas a low-pedigree offensive line in 2024.

Is it realistic to think that would work? Is it even realistic to think the Cowboys would allow such an experiment to take place?

Under Will McClay the Cowboys have frequently leaned on the analytics of the prospects in order to make draft decisions. They believe in measurables such as arm length, wingspan, height, weight, and explosiveness in making their draft decisions. Players often need to meet minimum thresholds to be considered in Dallas. How they stack up against other NFL players at their position matters so no one should take Combine numbers or pro day numbers lightly.

Relative Athletic Score (RAS) is a metric used to gauge an NFL draft prospect’s athletic standing relative to the position in which he plays. Using measurables such as height, weight, speed, and other athletic drills, RAS creator Kent Lee Platte can compare a prospect against his positional peers to show teams how this player stacks up against others in the NFL.

RAS is exactly the type of thing the Cowboys care about when making draft decisions. It’s not the end-all be-all in the process nor is it more important than film, but it plays a critical role in determining future success.

Despite being undrafted, Steele and Bass both posted excellent RAS scores as prospects. Bass’s 40-yard dash was his only true blemish but his size, strength and 10-yard split more than made up for it. Steele’s explosiveness wasn’t great but his physical measurements and speed were top notch.

The weak link on this proposed lineup is without question at center with Hoffman. Hoffman’s RAS is less than inspiring which is why Bass might be considered in the mix at center if a plug-and-play LT is acquired early in the draft.

None of this data indicates the quality of play these players will deliver but it shows at least four of them have the physical ability to form a good offensive line and that’s certainly a step in the right direction.

[affiliatewidgetsmgtolocal]

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

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.

T.J. Bass, Brock Hoffman give Cowboys crucial interior depth for playoff run

For most of the year it seemed the Cowboys were an injury away from disaster on their O-line, but the emergence of two OGs changes that. | From @ReidDHanson

Over the 2023 offseason, the Cowboys did a spectacular job of filling in holes and building up depth across the roster. They retained their top free agents, signed a few veterans, and conducted a needs-based draft. The result was a championship-level roster capable of withstanding the unavoidable injury here or there. Except for one position group it seemed.

After a full offseason, the Cowboys offensive line was still disturbingly fragile. Dallas failed to select an offensive lineman over the first two days of the draft and did little to instill confidence they could survive a loss to anyone in their starting five.

Throughout the 2023 season their depth would be tested. Injuries at LT, RG and RG gave opportunities to Chuma Edoga, T.J. Bass and Brock Hoffman. While none of them where spectacular in their fill-ins, Bass and Hoffman showed they might have some promise in the NFL. Bass played 344 snaps throughout the season while Hoffman logged 222. The two undrafted interior linemen appeared to develop as the season progressed and finished in Week 18 with their best performances to-date.

It took until the final regular season game of the year, but the Cowboys may have finally discovered they have decent depth on the offensive line after all.

In all fairness, the tackle positions still hold a significant amount of concern. If Smith misses time at LT, Edoga represents an enormous step down in the starting lineup. And since Terence Steele is still struggling mightily in pass protection, there often aren’t enough extra resources available to keep pass rushers at bay.

But the viability of Bass and Hoffman in the interior is comforting regardless. They are on the up-swing in their development and have enough snaps under their belts to seemingly hit the ground running should something happen this postseason.

A final piece of credit is also due to the Cowboys coaching staff and Dak Prescott’s internal clock. With replacements on the field, the Cowboys haven’t just charged on with that “next man up” attitude of old. They’ve often adjusted for the circumstance.

When both starting guards were out last week, the Cowboys sped up the offense and kept responsibilities reasonable. Throughout the season, Prescott has averaged 2.69 seconds to throw. With Bass and Hoffman starting, they dropped that number to 2.4 seconds. Mike McCarthy and Prescott likely understood the limitations and adjusted. It’s a smart move not all teams are willing to do.

It’s been a group effort, and it took until the last week of the season to truly feel it, but the Cowboys have finally found depth on their offensive line.

Dallas expects to have both starting guards back against Green Bay in Round 1 of the playoffs, but it’s good to know the Cowboys could survive a hit to their interior ranks and still survive.

[affiliatewidget_smgtolocal]

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

The Cowboys are rolling the dice at the center position

The Cowboys opted not to carry a backup center on their roster during cut downs, a gamble that will need to be addressed in coming days. | From @ReidDHanson

53-man rosters have been determined and the stage has been set. The Cowboys have made the requisite tough decisions and now have to deal with the consequences.

At first glance, things look solid. Dallas protected their draft class, keeping all eight rookies on the roster. They protected a handful of injured veterans, reportedly starting the “IR designated to return” process with Nahshon Wright and Matt Waletzko. And they rewarded their surprise standouts, rostering players like Juanyeh Thomas, T.J. Bass and Hunter Luepke.

Minor things are sure to change between today and Week 1, but for the most part, the bulk of the roster is set. From top to bottom, the roster looks strong. The various units look well-constructed and able to withstand an injury when/if that day arrives.

All except one spot.

With Tyler Biadasz as the only rostered center on the team, the Cowboys are rolling the dice in the middle of their offensive line.

All back-up options, Matt Farniok, Alec Lindstrom and Brock Hoffman, were released in cut-downs, leaving zero proven depth on the Dallas roster.

Despite reports, Zack Martin, a player who well known to dislike position changes, is not a very likely option. Martin held out over the summer in order to elevate his compensation up to current market values. He’s not afraid to play poker and not someone the Cowboys want to bully into a position move.

Ben Jones and a few other notable players are on the market and could come to Dallas in reserve capacity.

After a strong training camp, Biadasz is expected to take another step in his development in 2023. Entering the last year on his rookie deal, he has incentives to perform well so the concern isn’t about the quality of his play at center, but rather what happens if he falls to injury.

The Cowboys still like Hoffman and signed him to their practice squad so he remains a possibility for the gameday roster down the road.

Since Hoffman is a veteran player with some solid game film, he could pique another team’s interest at any point. If a team signs him off Dallas’ practice squad, the Cowboys lose their emergency parachute behind Biadasz. The Cowboys’ gamble could come back to bite them.

Nothing to do now but sit back and see how it all unfolds.

[affiliatewidget_smgtolocal]

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Browns sign C Jordan Meredith to practice squad, release Brock Hoffman

The Browns have swapped out one center for another on their practice squad, signing Jordan Meredith and releasing Brock Hoffman

The Cleveland Browns have been busy out of their bye week. First, they designated two of their original 53-man players for return from Injured Reserve, and now they have made a move on their practice squad. According to The OBR’s Brad Stainbrook, the Browns have swapped out one practice squad center for another, signing Jordan Meredith and releasing Brock Hoffman.

Hoffman was on Cleveland’s roster throughout training camp, did not make their final roster, and then was signed to the practice squad after a strong preseason. Meredith, an undrafted free agent from the 2021 NFL Draft out of Western Kentucky, has spent time with the Los Angeles Rams and Las Vegas Raiders over the past season and a half.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbw33aqtym0ft0g player_id=none image=https://brownswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

5 roster cuts the Vikings should target

The 53-man roster deadline has passed and there are some roster cuts that the Vikings should target

With it being roster cutdown day, 27 players per team – 864 total – see their NFL dreams take an unfortunate detour. Some of them will be claimed on waivers by another team while others will make the practice squad. Some will stay free agents hoping for a chance or a shot at the USFL or XFL this upcoming February.

When initial 53-man rosters become finalized at 3 pm central time, they won’t stay intact for very long. Waivers will be very busy Wednesday afternoon at that same 3 pm central time.

With the Vikings already making a litany of roster moves, they will be among the teams that are active in both the waiver and trade markets. Here are five players they should target.

Vikings 7-round mock draft: Will Minnesota take a different approach?

Tyler Forness’ full mock draft for the Vikings

Now that the combine has passed, the draft picture is becoming more and more clear. The combine itself provides a lot of crucial information to help us better understand these players. Whether it be physical measurements or athletic testing to help quantify what you see on film, the data is very important to parse out the entire class.

For the Minnesota Vikings, there is only one position that they don’t need to upgrade immediately and that is offensive tackle. Otherwise, they can truly go best player available to try and help improve their roster.

I’ve conducted a seven-round mock draft using The Draft Network’s draft simulator.

[listicle id=60856]