LB Bobby Carpenter (official thread)

[Buckskin86]

Time To Find Out For Sure
Mickey Spagnola - Email
DallasCowboys.com Columnist
May 8, 2008

IRVING, Texas - Today, call me Curious Mick.

See, I'm just curious how everyone seems so sure Bobby Carpenter can't play, that the 2006 first-round draft choice is a bust and should be traded for a 50-pound bag of salted-in-the-shell peanuts.

Now I'm not saying he can or he isn't. Maybe he can't and he is.

But how do we know? How are so many so sure? My point is, we really just don't know.

Ever since Carpenter set foot in The Ranch, he's been a man without a position - a man without a legitimate chance to succeed or totally fail. He's only been able to nibble.

The Cowboys drafted the Ohio State 4-3 outside linebacker with the idea of moving him to the strong outside linebacker spot in their 3-4 defense. He was going to be insurance, albeit expensive, against defensive end Greg Ellis failing to make the same conversion to outside linebacker in the 3-4 rookie defensive end DeMarcus Ware did in 2005 or continuing to balk against the move.

Well, as it turned out Ellis finally gave in - begrudgingly - at the start of training camp and became a hit over there. And since that outside linebacker spot was the only place veteran Al Singleton could play and with Kevin Burnett behind Ware, the Cowboys moved Carpenter inside.

Great. Just what you want to do with a rookie. Not only change his position once at the highest level of football, but twice in the matter of a few months. Plus, while he dabbled at inside linebacker in college, that was not in a 3-4 and not the strong-side middle guy.

Now don't start rolling your eyes, acting as if I'm making excuses for Carpenter. I'm not, and the best thing about Carpenter, he doesn't want any excuses either. Even when I offered him one, he said, "This is a performance-based business and you got to come out and perform. I would not ever justify failure."

But again, these are just the facts.

"Wade told me he was moving me to where Akin was playing," Carpenter said, "and I'm excited to play 'Mo,' excited about the move."

The move makes sense for both guys. Where James must take on more blockers in the middle, the "Mo" spot is covered up, giving that linebacker a better chance to freely run to the ball and makes plays. Ayodele didn't hurt the Cowboys his two years starting, but Phillips wanted someone who made more plays - someone to make a bigger impact.

"I think Bobby's got a wonderful attitude and he works very hard at it," Phillips said, "and I'm hoping he comes through, not only for us but for himself because he has a lot of pride, and like I said, he's one of the hardest workers we have.

"He was kind of demoted last year and didn't get to play a lot, and he practiced just as hard, every day, and tried to do everything he could on special teams. He's a great kid, and I'm hoping things work out well for him - and that would help us, too."

Carpenter, when he got his two chances to start in 2006, showed he does have ability to run to the football. And he did a good job of sealing the outside against the run and jumping outside into the flat to defend the short passes to the running backs and fullbacks teams riddled the Cowboys with late in that 2006 season, starting with New Orleans.

Carpenter can't wait. He's a proud kid, the son of former Giants running back Rob Carpenter, and he knows what's been said about him. He knows how the media has written him off. He didn't - or probably couldn't - turn a deaf ear to all the trade insinuations being made in the past months, having become every blogging Tom, Dick and Harry's favorite piece of trade bait.

He even figured I thought he "was going to get traded," and while he didn't "anticipate getting traded," just getting moved to a position more suited to his skills already is boosting his confidence. He figures at least now, providing there are no more position changes, he's got a legitimate chance to compete for some playing time.

"Hopefully I've found a home there," Carpenter said.

Which would be a first with the Cowboys.

And maybe now we'll finally be able to tell if he can or if he can't, if he is or if he isn't.

Aren't you curious, too?

DallasCowboys.com - News

[exhawg]

Maybe they'll trade Bobby to the Browns. They seem to have a good trading relationship with the Browns and the Browns have plenty of open spaces at LB.

[Jake]

As a Buckeye and Cowboys fan, I'm happy to see this move. I doubt Thomas will be able to stay healthy and produce at a high level at this point in his career, and I think Bobby has had a bum rap since arriving in Dallas.

A lot of Cowboys fans are down on him but they wanted Manny Lawson that draft in the first place so they were down on him from day one. I think they're wrong, and I hope Bobby finally gets a chance to prove it.

Mickey Spagnola has a habit of making sense and he's right about Bobby - how do you know he can't play? He's never really had a chance. Maybe he'll finally get it this year.

[Buckskin86]

Posted on Fri, Jun. 13, 2008 After two seasons of struggle, linebacker finds a ray of hope
By CLARENCE E. HILL JR.
Star-Telegram staff writer



GETTY IMAGES/STEPHEN DUNN
Bobby Carpenter, right, chasing the Rams' Dante Hall in a game last season, hopes to make a mark this season.

IRVING -- Dallas Cowboys linebacker Bobby Carpenter drew attention at Wednesday's practice for two pass deflections.

While it might not seem like much -- considering it's only June and the Cowboys are practicing without pads -- it counts as positive news for Carpenter.

Picked in the first round of the 2006 NFL Draft, Carpenter, 24, has received a lot of negative press the past two years because of his lack of playing time.

Labeled a bust in Dallas, Carpenter thought the Cowboys might trade him during the 2008 draft in April. He said he believes the Cowboys received at least two offers for him, including one from the Miami Dolphins, where former Cowboys coach Bill Parcells is head of football operations.

Carpenter said his agent talked to the Cowboys about the trade rumors, and they were told the team had no interest in trading him.

"I'd like to think that means they have a plan for me," Carpenter said. "We will see. I just want an opportunity to play."

Carpenter remains optimistic, but guarded, about his situation in Dallas. He had hopes of playing more last year after ending his rookie season on a high note. However, coach Wade Phillips soured on him after a poor performance in the preseason finale.

Phillips acknowledged Carpenter's play on Wednesday, saying, "He did real well in practice and made a lot of plays."

Phillips said the biggest difference for Carpenter is that he's feeling good about himself and playing with more confidence. Phillips said the coaches also have a better feel for what the 6-foot-2, 248-pound Carpenter can do.

"Just giving him an opportunity and putting him in the right place," Phillips said. "Some of it's us trying to get him where he needs to play. When you first come in, you don't know exactly where the players fit in."

After two seasons of struggle, linebacker finds a ray of hope | Dallas Cowboys | Star-Telegram.com

[cincibuck]

Much as I loved Carp while he was a Buckeye, my disdain for Dallas, starting with their owner, is such that I knew I couldn't do much more than hope that he played well while the rest of the team fell apart.

Situations like this beg for some sort of way in which a player can find a team with a defensive philosophy and a need that fits his talents. Short of a trade, Bobby has no choice but to play out the string in Cowboy land. He deserves much better.

Please, much as I'd like to see him back in Ohio, don't send him to the Bengals. No one deserves that kind of punishment.

[Buckskin86]

Inside linebacker. Bobby Carpenter is going to get a chance to backup Zach Thomas. This is probably Carpenter's last shot with this club after a disappointing 2007. If Carpenter doesn't produce, either as a quality backup or starter, the team will be pressed to find another inside linebacker in next year's draft.

DALLAS COWBOYS Blog | The Dallas Morning News

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Carp needs to find a team that fits his style of play......I think if he could start over with another team and get a real chance to play he would be fine.