Tag: brock hoffman

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Brock Hoffman could give Cowboys ultimate, immediate flexibility on OL

Dallas has a need at both guard and center, so a Day 2 pick who could start at both positions might just give Kellen Moore the ammunition to fix the line. @DiabeticTyler looks into the Hokie hero.

The Dallas Cowboys offensive line is riddled with question marks and it is likely time to reinvest in it. What was once arguably the most dominant unit in the league has seen a steady decline in play ever since Travis Fredrick’s retirement. Second-year center Tyler Biadasz had up and down play throughout the year, as did left guard Connor Williams who also happens to be a free agent. The only for sure thing on the interior of the offensive line is perennial All-Pro Zack Martin.

Virginia Tech center Brock Hoffman is an accomplished starter and was a team captain for the Hokies. He got experience playing at LG, RT and RG prior to finding his home at center. He is a powerful, high IQ player who helped lead the Hokies’ offense from the trenches. So how would he fit in Dallas?