IRVING, Texas – Part 2 of the Dallas Cowboys' Twitter mailbag is ready.
In it we discuss:
Whether a top offense can carry a team.
The role of Lance Dunbar
The role of Dwayne Harris
If you want to check out Part 1, click here.
Away we go:
@toddarcher Do you think that Gavin escobar will get significant playing time this year, and start the transition from Witten#cowboysmail
— Joe Santana (@joeasantana) July 10, 2014
@toddarcher: I believe Gavin Escobar will play a lot more in 2014 than he did as a rookie but it won't come at the expense of Jason Witten. Witten will still play 98 percent of the snaps unless there is an injury or a blowout or three. Escobar's ascension isn't about Witten's descent. It's about using his skills to the fullest and trying to find a role for him. I've said this before here but I don't think Escobar will be a true on-the-line tight end. That doesn't mean he won't play there. It just means he is more Jimmy Graham in style (not ability) than Witten. That's OK. There's nothing wrong with that. Whenever Witten moves on, the Cowboys will need to find more than one guy to replace him.
@toddarcher #cowboysmail Cowboys offense vastly better than defense. Can you win in the NFL with that mix? Do they have enough offense?
— Don Morgan (@Don_Morgan) July 11, 2014
@toddarcher: Sure you can. I know everybody loves the "defense wins championships," adage, but if you're defining winning as only taking home a Super Bowl then I think that's a little narrow view. The New England Patriots, Denver Broncos, New Orleans Saints and Green Bay Packers are carried by their offenses. They've won. Would you take that kind of winning around here with the Cowboys? Sure. The Saints won the Super Bowl in 2009. The Packers won it in 2010. The Patriots last won one in 2004 but have gotten to the big game. The Broncos lost in it in 2013. Since the Cowboys have won one playoff game in 475 years (has it been that long?), I think fans would take the winning those teams have had with offensive-oriented teams.
@toddarcher Is Lance Dunbar 100%, if so how is he going to be used this season. #cowboysmail
— Glenn Primo (@glenn22primo) July 11, 2014
@toddarcher: Lance Dunbar didn't miss a snap in the offseason so that tells me he is fully recovered from the knee injury that ended his season last year on Thanksgiving. He'll have the third-down back role. We saw Scott Linehan use Dunbar in a number of different ways in the spring. He can be good in the screen game because he's a space player. He has the ability to be a change of pace runner for DeMarco Murray. But does this mean he will see a huge role? Not necessarily because I think Murray will still be on the field for the bulk of the game. And if something happens to Murray, I think they would keep Dunbar in the third down role, expand it a little, but use Joseph Randle or Ryan Williams, whoever wins the third back job, as the every-down back.
@toddarcher More mentions of Dunbar, D. Street, Murray when people discuss S. Linehan, what about @D_Harris17 's role?? Increase/decrease??
— Christopher Waetjen (@SingForTheDay) July 9, 2014
@toddarcher: Great question. I think Dwayne Harris' role will stay the same. He will be used when they go to 11 personnel at times and when they go empty. He plays a vital role and he's dependable. The quarterback likes to throw to him. I think part of the reason why you didn't hear much about him in the offseason is because he didn't do any team drills in the spring because of a shoulder surgery. We weren't able to see him do anything with Linehan on offense, so it was put on the backburner. I believe you'll see him have a role in the slot. He's a really good blocker in there. He is also one of the more dangerous punt and kick return guys in the league.