Kevin Brady, Author at Inside The Star Archives

Healthy Competition: 5 Matchups To Watch In Camp

The battle between starting tight end and established veteran Jason Witten and young phenom starting safety Byron Jones has already begun. And boy is it going to be a fun one. During mini-camp this week, Witten caught a ball on Jones and immediately turned around and yelled “All day!” before heading back to his huddle. The two are obviously fierce competitors, and while some people are looking for a decline in Witten with age, he is clearly working to keep himself on a productive track.

Written by: Kevin Brady

Published on: June 17, 2016

NFC East Position Rankings: Tight Ends

We are a little over halfway through the NFC East position group rankings, with our Dallas Cowboys in the “lead,” with three wins out of the first five groups. Now we move to tight ends, a group which the Dallas Cowboys have dominated in over the last decade, but are beginning to fall behind the pack. Dallas Cowboys Like I said, the Cowboys have had Jason Witten since 2003. So they are used to being on top of the tight end category in the NFC East. However, the tide is beginning to turn as Witten ages and the younger Cowboys tight ends have yet to step up.

Written by: Kevin Brady

Published on: June 16, 2016

Ezekiel Elliott The Returner: Crazy Good, Or Just Crazy?

Finally! After weeks of the post-draft lull and continued offseason, football is now on the horizon. Yes, real football. It’s close, oh so close. The Dallas Cowboys opened up their Mandatory Mini-Camp at Valley Ranch yesterday, and there was no shortage of news, nor excitement.

Written by: Kevin Brady

Published on: June 15, 2016

NFC East Position Rankings: Offensive Line

Last time, we finally dove into the analysis of the NFC East’s linemen. Though we started by taking a look at what many consider the more “athletic” bigs, let’s now rank the big uglies across this division. Dallas Cowboys After talking about the potentially disastrous defensive line last time, let’s move on to greener pastures in Dallas. I don’t know if any offensive line on the planet is discussed more than the Dallas Cowboys’ “Great Wall of Dallas.” Of course, Travis Frederick anchors the middle as the center, Zack Martin and La’el Collins start as the guards, and Doug Free and Tyron Smith serve as the starting tackles.

Written by: Kevin Brady

Published on: June 13, 2016

NFC East Position Rankings: Defensive Line

So far in this series, we have focused solely on the offensive side of the ball, taking a look at the quarterbacks, running backs, and wide receivers of the NFC East. I am an offensive lineman, so I feel like I am doing myself and the readers a disservice by starting the series off with the three offensive “skill” position groups. Let’s finally take a look at the real athletes on the field, the big guys up-front, starting with the defensive line. Dallas Cowboys Maybe it was the Cowboys fan in me that held off the defensive side of the ball until the fourth post, because for the first time all series, the Cowboys might have the most question marks of the entire division. Dallas decided to let Greg Hardy walk this offseason, a decision which I and plenty of fans are behind.

Written by: Kevin Brady

Published on: June 10, 2016

A Big Picture View of Terrance Mitchell’s Move

I can’t think of any position group on any team that has received as much criticism and blame as the Dallas Cowboys secondary has over the past decade or so. Trust me, they’ve been easy to blame. The downfall of Terence Newman in 2011, the failed Alan Ball experiment in 2010, and even the (so far) disappointing career of Morris Claiborne are all examples which detractors will point to in order to prove the Cowboys secondary as inadequate. The thing is, the last couple of seasons, the Cowboys secondary hasn’t been bad whatsoever. Last year, they ranked fifth in pass yards against in both per game and overall categories.

Written by: Kevin Brady

Published on: June 9, 2016

NFC East Position Rankings: The Running Backs

As we move along in this position group ranking series with the third installment, we stay on the offensive side of the ball. Having already touched on the quarterbacks and wide receivers, why not get to the last “small skill” position group, the running backs. Dallas Cowboys No NFC East team made the splash at running back this offseason like the Dallas Cowboys did in the 2016 draft. By drafting Ohio State stud back Ezekiel Elliott with the number four overall pick, the Cowboys further solidified what was already considered to be a formidable and feared running game. Before drafting Zeke, Dallas signed former Washington Redskins running back Alfred Morris in free agency.

Written by: Kevin Brady

Published on: June 8, 2016

NFC East Position Rankings: The Wide-Outs

After assessing the divisions’ signal callers in the last installment of the series, why not take a look at the main targets in the passing games of each offense. Today we will discuss possibly the best position group in the entire division, a group which features superstars such as Dez Bryant, Odell Beckham, and Desean Jackson, the wide receivers. Dallas Cowboys Outside of star player and weekly beast Dez Bryant, the Cowboys’ receivers have been much maligned throughout this offseason. Two seasons ago, players like Terrance Williams and Cole Beasley were considered to be the perfect compliments to Dez Bryant in the Cowboys dynamic offense. But after injuries to both Bryant and quarterback Tony Romo resulted in lackluster years from Dallas’ receivers, this group has a lot to prove in the eyes of many this season.

Written by: Kevin Brady

Published on: June 7, 2016

NFC East Position Rankings: The Quarterbacks

For decades, the NFC East was the most competitive and most feared division in all of football. In fact, an NFC East team participated in six of the nine Super Bowls played between the 1987 and 1995 seasons. However if you were to refer to the NFC East as the most competitive and most feared division in all of football today, you’d be only half right. Lacking a repeat champion since 2004, the division has become a source of parity while still maintaining the highly regarded and nationally viewed rivalry games which have become a staple of the NFL. After a horrid season a year ago where it looked as if a 7-9 team could steal the division at many points during the year, the NFC East looks to be improved and ready to begin to return to its old school form.

Written by: Kevin Brady

Published on: June 6, 2016

Maliek Collins: Minor Setback, Major Comeback?

A few weeks ago, I explored how the Dallas Cowboys’ defensive line could still create pressure and wreak havoc even without the presence of a big time pass-rushing end. My plan focused on the interior of the defensive line shrinking the pocket and getting into the face of the quarterback. This would eliminate any chance of stepping up in the pocket, and would force either a quick throw or a failed escape attempt. Maliek Collins, Cedric Thornton, Tyrone Crawford, and Terrell McClain would be featured in a fearsome interior rotation that would bring hope to an otherwise questionable defensive line. It all seemed so perfect.

Written by: Kevin Brady

Published on: June 3, 2016