[Buckskin86]

Bobby Carpenter ? I admit it, when we drafted Bobby Carpenter I thought he would be a player for us. So far, that hasn?t happened. In his rookie campaign, the Cowboys probably made a mistake by teaching him two positions, inside and outside linebacker, and he never really became comfortable. Eventually, Parcells put him on the outside and he got some playing time late in 2006 when Greg Ellis went down with injury. I watched him closely in film reviews during those games and I came away with the thought that he just wasn?t strong enough yet and had poor technique in shedding blockers. His instincts seemed OK, he was usually in position but he just couldn?t shed the blockers and would get pushed back trying to hold the point of attack, even by tight ends. Down the stretch he did have a couple of good games capped by a stellar effort in the Seattle playoff game.

Coming into camp in 2007 my thought was that a full offseason training regimen at Valley Ranch would give him the strength needed to really become a player. I watched him closely at training camp and came away a little disappointed because he wasn?t making plays that stood out. Wade Phillips stated that he gave him an opportunity to show what he could do in a preseason game and that Carpenter failed miserably earning him a permanent spot on the bench. This was as close as I ever heard Phillips criticize a player by name. The most we saw of Carpenter in 2007 was on special teams where he did a decent job and he was also slowed by a quad injury that stayed with him most of the year. That brings us to 2008, a critical year for Carpenter in terms of his future with the Cowboys. There have already been rumblings that the Cowboys are seeking to trade him and if they can get something decent in return then I wouldn?t have a problem with that. If they aren?t going to use him they might as well get something for him. If he stays with the team he needs to show marked improvement in training camp and preseason so that he can earn some time on the playing field. It doesn?t bode well for a player when two respected coaches with tons of defensive knowledge (Parcells, Phillips) have seen fit to not play him with any regularity. Carpenter needs to bully his way into the lineup this year or he?ll probably end up with another team trying to resurrect his career.

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