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Happy camper: Dallas Cowboys' Bennett has been impressive
05:56 PM CDT on Wednesday, August 19, 2009
The way Martellus Bennett has performed in training camp, we're going to spend considerably more time talking about MartyB the football player – not MartyB the Internet sensation.
With one day left in training camp, no one has had a better camp than Bennett.
The way he's performed indicates that he's going to be an impact player as a receiver and blocker.
Recently, Jerry Jones said that if Bennett didn't have such good hands and run such good routes, the Cowboys would consider moving him to tackle because they think he could be a Pro Bowler. Yes, he mentioned Hall of Fame tackle Rayfield Wright in the conversation.
That's because Bennett has such good lateral quickness and understands how to play with leverage. The other day after practice, he spent about 10 minutes working with DeMarcus Ware on his pass blocking.
While Bennett had a solid rookie year as a receiver with 20 catches for 283 yards and four touchdowns, he should at least double his catches and yards this season. And it's not far-fetched to think he might double his touchdowns because he's going to be a weapon inside the 20.
Not only does Bennett run routes like a slot receiver, he has excellent hands. He made an over-the-shoulder fingertip grab the other day at practice that would have gone for a touchdown.
Nearly every practice, he does something that leaves the coaches awed. He's the reason formations with two tight ends are going to be such a big chunk of the Cowboys' offense this season.
MartyB, it seems, is about to be known for a lot more than what he does on YouTube.
Q: If Jerry had to do it all over again, knowing what he knows now, would he at least consider Vick? Or take him?
Robert Hyman, Dallas
TAYLOR: Nope. As I wrote in a column earlier this week, Jerry couldn't rid the locker room of T.O., Pacman and Tank Johnson and then sign a guy like Vick. The Cowboys do like backup Jon Kitna and think he'll be a quality backup. They would be better with Vick on the roster, but I understand why Jerry didn't do it.
Q: The idea that Jerry should have signed Vick to keep the Eagles from signing Vick doesn't make sense? And who backs up Tony Romo for the first six weeks or whatever suspension Vick has to serve? It also wouldn't be smart to bring him in during the second week of preseason rather than bringing Kitna in for all of the off-season OTAs? J-J, I think you were doing this one off the rearview mirror, and not doing it in terms of what was known and doable at the time.
Dick Cassidy
TAYLOR : You make some good points, but the NFL is all about adapting and improvising. Your thought process has to change as circumstances change. Vick is expected to get suspended for the first three games. In that sense, it wouldn't be any different than if Jon Kitna suffered a high ankle sprain and missed the first three games of the season. Signing Vick wouldn't preclude Kitna from being the third quarterback. Or cutting him when Vick was eligible, since someone has to be released to make room for him on the roster. Ideally, you'd like to have Vick in for OTAs and off-season workouts, but I did say you have to adapt sometimes. It could've been worked out, but after the events of last season, there was no way Jerry could add him.
Q: I think the league was wrong to allow a felon to continue to play in the NFL. Players are suspended for many games and even a season for doing less than what Vick did. It is a privilege and honor to be able to play in the NFL not a right. This felon KILLED dogs for a profit. What is wrong with this world? So are you kidding that the Cowboys can't win the NFC East because Vick is sitting the bench with the Eagles?
Scott A. Kincaid
TAYLOR : I really get tired of people talking about what a privilege it is to play in the NFL. You get to play in the NFL for one reason – you have a talent that 99 percent of the other people in the world don't have. That's why you get to play in the league. You get to play because owners think you can help their team win a Super Bowl. If they didn't, you wouldn't have the opportunity. As I've said before, what job isn't a privilege? Or are you making some statement about people who have less glamorous, blue-collar jobs? The NFL has players who have committed all sorts of crimes from sex-related offenses to manslaughter. The man paid his debt to society. The last time I checked, once you go to jail and serve your time, you have a right to find a job. He interviewed for a job and got it because he has a unique skill.
Q: Last year, you stated that you didn't want Pacman Jones on the team because "you cannot trust Pacman Jones to do the right thing." Well what makes you think you can trust Michael Vick? How do you know Vick is rehabilitated?
Emil Calomino, Kingston, Pa
TAYLOR : I really wouldn't compare Pacman, who has had a string of police-related incidents to Vick, who really hasn't been in consistent trouble. Now, Vick committed a heinous crime, but he doesn't have a track record of breaking the law. How do you know anyone is rehabilitated until you give them an opportunity? We'll see whether he is or isn't. If he commits another animal cruelty crime, then he won't get another chance.
Q: Having watched the entire game against Oakland, the Cowboys' offensive line is not very good, their linebackers are not very good, their secondary is not very good and their special teams are weak. Thoughts?
Mike Tanco
TAYLOR : I've told you not to overreact to the first preseason game. I would pay a lot more attention to the third game against San Francisco because the starters will play about three quarters and the coaches will do some gameplanning. The first game is pretty basic, and you're playing a lot of young players. I would spend more time evaluating individual players than the entire team. Let's wait a couple of weeks before we make blanket statements.
Q: Sam Hurd had a good showing against Oakland. Will he get more practice repetitions? What's the status of Miles Austin, and did he hurt himself with that dropped pass?
Sidney Montgomery, Killeen, Texas
TAYLOR : Sam is competing for playing time. He and Miles have each had pretty good camps, but there's no doubt that Sam is making plays and getting the attention of the coaches. Miles didn't help himself with the drop, but it was one play. It wasn't the end of the world. You have to keep it in perspective.
Q: Eleven penalties. Not bad for a preseason game. As the season progresses, I am sure the team can improve to the 13-15 range.
Dudley Morris
TAYLOR : Wow. People call me negative, but you have me topped. The first preseason game is usually sloppy. Let's see what happens the next two weeks. The Cowboys have emphasized reducing penalties in camp by having the officials referee practice several times and making guys sit out a play when they commit a presnap penalty.
Q: Do you think Stephen McGee will make the opening day roster?
Lloyd Piper
TAYLOR : Absolutely. He won't play this year, and he's still learning the game, but the Cowboys seem to like his size and tools. He's a solid project, and we'll see what kind of progress he makes over the next year and how much more improved he is next training camp. It won't be hard to tell, if he's getting better.
Q: We have seen three- and four-WR receiver formations and two-TE formations? Is there a formation using three running backs?
N. T. Umamaheswaran, Washington, D.C.
TAYLOR : Yes. We've seen the Cowboys use a couple of them in training camp, but I think they're waiting until they get back to Dallas, where they have more privacy to work on them. You have to remember that when all three are in the game, someone has to block. I don't know who's going to do it with that group on the field.
Q: When Tony Romo first took over for Drew Bledsoe, he spread the ball around. Drew only had eyes for Terry Glenn, but Tony came in and changed all of that. Once T.O. came and Jason Whitten started to emerge, finding the open man was secondary to getting T.O. and Whitten their catches. My hope is with T.O. gone and Martellus forcing looks and plays his way that maybe we can return to what initially made Tony such a great quarterback – spreading the ball around and putting pressure on defense to cover all the skill positions. Your thoughts?
Darren Tidwill
TAYLOR : You make some good points. Jason Garrett wants him to spread the ball around and use all of his weapons. That will be easier to do without T.O. The other guys want the ball, but they won't grumble nearly as much as T.O. More important, Romo can drop back and go through his progressions without having to worry about whether he needs to force the ball to T.O. He can go where the reads take him.
Q: I know there is a lot of talk about using more 2-TE sets but have they given thought to using Bennett as a slot receiver?
Larry R. DeBoever
TAYLOR : Bennett will be used all over the formation. He lined up wide during practice on Tuesday and caught a curl. They will put him in positions to create mismatches. He's going to be a weapon.
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