His speed is more lateral than straight line so he will be able to cover most tight ends in the league and the short to intermediate portion of the field.  In his college career, he totaled seven interceptions.  He has good attack speed to get to the offensive back field as well and did post some impressive numbers in terms of tackles for loss.  Holloman plays with a quick, aggressive style and relies on his abilities to process his read and react skills to make plays.

October 13, 2012; Baton Rouge, LA, USA; LSU Tigers running back Spencer Ware (11) runs past South Carolina Gamecocks linebacker DeVonte Holloman (21) during the first half of a game at Tiger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

Unfortunately, his biggest weakness seems to come in his tackling technique.  He does not often wrap up and finish tackles, preferring more to deliver a big blow than finish the play out properly.  There are times when he appears to be lunging or off balance when he takes on the opposition.  This should be something that can be coached up, however as he is physical and sheds blockers well with his hands and arms.

As a sixth round pick, this is the right spot for him.  He does not make enough plays to warrant a 3rd or 4th round grade, but is solid enough to be drafted anywhere in the 5th or 6th round and not be considered a reach.  He will probably be solely used in special teams situations as he acclimates to the pro game but could push guys like Kyle Wilber, Alex Albright and Caleb McSurdy for time in the rotation with Sean Lee and Bruce Carter.

Holloman also has some off-the-field issues. He was arrested for D.U.I. in 2011 and suspended by his university for the first two games of his final season.

Just sit back and think about it for a second. Why would a NFL team NEED to go out and overpay for an unrestricted free agent in the first place? (more…)

With the in-game performance being so critical, let’s review who did and did not do well for themselves in the first actual game action of the 2012 season.

August 13, 2012; Oakland, USA; Dallas Cowboys linebacker Alex Albright (55) tackles Oakland Raiders wide receiver Rod Streater (80) during the second quarter at O.co Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-US PRESSWIRE

Positives:

1)      Dez Bryant – While he didn’t play long at all, he looked very explosive in making his one catch for 24 yards. The reports that have been coming out of camp have stated he’s looked good, and he didn’t fail to impress.  Let’s just hope his endurance and conditioning have improved from last season and he can do it for all four quarters.

2)      Andre Holmes – He ended the game with three catches for forty yards. Of all the receivers vying for the 3^rd receiver position, he played the best. The Cowboys to date seem firm to their commitment to let this battle play out in camp without bringing in an outside veteran. With his performance, he may have a leg up on his competition after week 1.

3)      The starting safeties – Barry Church looked good in his limited time as a starter. Gerald Sensabaugh showed some good range and awareness to come over and pick off Carson Palmer on Oakland’s first drive.  With the improved personnel at the cornerback position, if the Cowboys can get some solid play out of the safety position in 2012, the sky could be the limit.

4)      Marcus Spears – He is on the bubble to make the roster this year. Between Kenyon Coleman and Marcus Spears, only one will be on the fifty-three come week 1.  He played a solid game and finished with four tackles.  While his salary is higher than Coleman’s, as a former first round pick of the Cowboys, fans should hope he can continue to stick with the team.  He has never been great at getting after the quarterback, but is pretty good at slowing the run, which is his assignment in the Cowboy’s 3-4 scheme.

5)      Alex Albright – After making the team as an undrafted free agent in 2011, the word out of training camp is that he has shown great versatility and is open to do whatever the team requires of him.  In this game he moved from outside to inside linebacker while also contributing on special teams. They’ve put him into some tight end packages at camp, and he is a lock to make this team.  In this game he made six individual tackles and assisted on three others.

Negatives:

1)      Jason Witten – While doing what he does best and being Tony Romo’s personal security blanket, Witten took a strong hit from Oakland’s Rolando Mclain with three minutes left in the first quarter. He was diagnosed on Wednesday with a lacerated spleen that has caused internal bleeding. He is expected to miss the rest of the preseason, and his availability for week 1 against the defending Super Bowl Champion New York Giants is in doubt.

2)      Doug Free – Although the entire interior of the offensive line seems to be injured, the tackles were supposed to be the strong part of the line.  Free did not play particularly well last year at left tackle, and the move back to right tackle is suppose to help rectify that. However, he has not looked to be the same player since signing his four year extension back in July 2011.  While the Cowboys hope he will get readjusted and play well on the right side, they must be concerned and will pay attention to this growing issue. It was a breakdown by Free in the first quarter that caused the pressure on Romo on the play that Witten got hurt.

3)      Kyle Wilber – This player can’t catch a break.  First he missed most of the team’s OTAs and summer minicamp with a broken finger.  In the second quarter he broke his thumb and is expected to miss around a month.  The Cowboys drafted him in the fourth round of the 2012 NFL Draft, and are hopeful he can be a solid contributor this year on sub packages and special teams. Going forward, they want to see what type of player he can project to become.  This is very important for the Cowboys as they have placed the franchise tag on Anthony Spencer for the 2012 season, paying him almost nine million.  This injury slows Wilber’s development and growth, and delays this evaluation.

With preseason week 1 in the books, Cowboy fans will look anxiously to week two and a match-up with the San Diego Chargers. Hopefully the team can put together a better performance. With a week 1 game against the Giants in less than three weeks away, the NFL season is right around the corner and will be here before we know it.

For any questions or comments, please reach out to me at the following:

Email:            http://craigcortemeglia@gmail.com

Twitter:        @ccortemegliaTLH