FRISCO, Texas – With the second week of Cowboys’ OTA’s came the discussion of new offensive line coach Paul Alexander. At the center of the offensive line, Pro-Bowler Travis Frederick commented on what he has observed from his new leader “Coach Alexander is a really smart guy. You can tell hat he has been doing this for a really long time. He continues to try and teach us those things that he is bringing in. He is just trying to give us new tools for our toolbox and help some of these younger guys get up to speed. “
Alexander has the opportunity to enhance the talents of the Cowboys O-line and to strengthen its core execution on the field going into the 2018 season. Last season, the Cowboys dealt with pass-protection issues as injuries hindered the line, causing the Boys to rely on the passing game. Guard, Zack Martin, missed the second half of the game against the Chargers, due to concussion protocol after a head injury on a running play. Left Tackle, Tyron Smith, missed three games due to back and groin injuries. During Smith’s absence in the game against the Atlanta Falcons, quarterback Dak Prescott was sacked seven times, six times by defensive end Adrian Clayborn. It is a miracle; Prescott was not carried off the field on a stretcher. Over the three games Smith missed, Prescott was sacked 12 times. With Smith in the lineup, during the first eight games, Prescott was not sacked more than two times in one game. Fixing the pass-protection issues to protect Prescott and creating better depth at the O-line positions is essential. The Cowboys are hopeful and enthusiastic about Alexander.
Frederick mentioned Alexander’s different handling of pass protection” We want to absorb as much information as we can. We know that he has got different things and different ideas and different ways of doing it. It’s about blending some of that stuff together and then taking some of the new stuff. Particularly, in pass protection, he has a different way of doing it, and so we are just learning that and figuring out how that best suits us. “
Head coach Jason Garrett is thrilled with the addition of Alexander. He remarked on his experience as a coach in the league, “ I have known Paul for a long time. He has been one of the best offensive line coaches in this league for a while. He was in Cincinnati for over 20 years as a line coach…he is really an interesting guy because he has been in one place for a long time but he has worked with a lot of different coordinators so he has been exposed to a lot of different schemes and a lot of different technique. He really has a broad range of knowledge about this position and he is a really good teacher and someone that I have really enjoyed getting to know through the years. “
Alexander will have a difficult job ahead of him, blending the talents of the oldest veterans left on the Cowboys team, and the young rookies into a new successful offensive scheme. The Cowboys believe he is just the man for the job to mend the two together, fix the issues of pass-protection, and to build a strong force at the line of scrimmage for opposing defenses.
