Blogging The Boys
It is going to be fun to see what Brian Schottenheimer’s offense fully looks like.
The NFL offseason is full of sporadic reminders and little things that signal the upcoming season’s arrival, and the Dallas Cowboys have arrived at an important one this week. Minicamp is underway at The Star, and while the practices won’t differ too drastically from the team’s OTAs the week before, it is yet another first time obligation for HC Brian Schottenheimer to manage.
Following this Cowboys offseason through the lens of a first-year and first-time head coach has added renewed interest in some of these otherwise mundane offseason events, as each one is a new opportunity to learn more about the coach tasked with picking up the pieces of a very difficult season for his predecessor. The most important area to look for this improvement under Schottenheimer will be offensively, where Schotty will pick up where Mike McCarthy left off as play-caller. Schottenheimer served as offensive coordinator during both the highs and lows of McCarthy’s offense, but will go into his first season with the challenge of calling plays.
Schottenheimer is hardly the only figure that will have a say in the all-important return season for Dak Prescott. The Cowboys front office has been notably much more active in player acquisition this offseason. When it comes to supporting Prescott through better offensive line play, the team spent the 12th overall pick on Alabama guard Tyler Booker. The time to evaluate line of scrimmage players fairly will have to wait until training camp and padded practices though. Much more interesting at the current moment of minicamp is the newest wide receiver the Cowboys traded for, former Pittsburgh Steeler George Pickens.
The Pickens and CeeDee Lamb duo gives the Cowboys a pair of dynamic receivers. There are things to look for when it comes to how Schottenheimer will move the Cowboys offense forward, one of which is another thing Cowboys fans have been wanting for a long time. A more diverse scheme that puts players in advantageous matchups is one thing, but using pre-snap motion and shifts is another thing the Cowboys can do to start closing the gap between them and some of the best offenses in the NFL.
Not only has Pickens had good things to say about the shifts and motions in the new offense so far, but so too has a skill player with untapped potential on offense, return man KaVontae Turpin.
Pickens had this to say about the speed, motions, and versatility between him and Lamb through the offensive install periods so far, via the team website.
“A different scheme could allow me to do more,” he said. “It’s a good thing. … College is probably the most recent time I’ve played with a lot of guys with speed — a lot of guys this fast. … Team speed applies to the scheme, too. So if you got a lot of fast guys, you’re definitely gonna have a different scheme.” ...
