3 issues to anticipate from Cowboys new offensive coordinator Klayton Adams

The Dallas Cowboys employed former Arizona Cardinals offensive line coach Klayton Adams as their new offensive coordinator. Many are glad in regards to the rent because of the Cardinals’ overachieving within the run recreation throughout his time within the desert. Will he be capable to duplicate that success in Dallas? It’s unclear what issues will seem like, however listed here are three issues we must always anticipate after including Adams to the teaching workers.

1. Re-invest within the operating again

With a run-game specialist as the brand new OC, it’s no secret the Cowboys will concentrate on enhancing their potential to run the ball. Dallas completed because the third-worst speeding effectivity crew final 12 months with simply 4.0 yards per try. Throughout his time with the Cardinals, Adams’ squad ranked second within the league with 5.0 yards per try in 2023 and 5.3 yards per try final 12 months. Operating the ball successfully goes to be precedence one.

It helps when you’ve got a succesful operating again dealing with the workload and the Cardinals have had that in James Conner. Over his profession, he’s been a gentle 700-yards-per-year sort of runner, however throughout these previous two seasons, we’ve seen a leap in manufacturing.

Since taking on the beginning job in Pittsburgh (2018-2020) = common 719 yards/season
His first two years in Arizona (2021-2022) = common 767 yards/season
His final two years in Arizona (2023-2024) = common 1,067 yards/season

That may be a 300-yard-per-season leap for Conner since Adams began teaching the Cardinals offensive line. His solely two 1,000-yard seasons have include Adams and likewise embody the 2 greatest yards-per-attempt years of his profession.

Whereas Conner has been a superb operating again through the years, he’s not a kind of dynamic playmakers like Saquon Barkley or Jahmyr Gibbs. As an alternative, he’s a straight line operating with a little bit of wiggle and sufficient physicality to punish arm tacklers. He’s not electrical, however he’s efficient. In quite a lot of methods, he’s like Rico Dowdle. Lots of methods. Take a look at their 2024 speeding stats…

Video games performed: Conner = 16, Dowdle = 16
Dashing makes an attempt: Conner = 236, Dowdle = 235
Yards per carry: Conner = 4.6, Dowdle = 4.6

That isn’t to say the Cowboys will once more be content material with re-signing Dowdle and calling it good. Even with Conner taking part in properly, the Cardinals drafted Florida State’s Trey Benson within the third spherical. He was the second operating again taken in final 12 months’s draft. The Cowboys should take motion to improve the operating again place group, however it may not come within the type of utilizing their twelfth general decide on Ashton Jeanty as many anticipate.

2. Getting linemen into house

The success the Cardinals had operating the ball isn’t predicated on having a star operating again, however relatively having all fingers on deck when run blocking. Our personal David Howman did an awesome job breaking down what we must always anticipate from Adams, highlighting a number of key parts of his blocking schemes.

The Cardinals have been one of many high gap-blocking groups within the league these previous two years, utilizing not less than one pulling offensive lineman on just below two-thirds of their run performs this previous 12 months. In 2024, they discovered nice success operating counter, ending second within the NFL in counter-run performs however exhibiting a large variation of formations they ran it from.

Adams will rely closely on the athleticism of his offensive linemen. It wouldn’t shock us if Tyler Smith finally ends up the highest left guard within the league below Adams’ watch. Smith strikes in house very properly and will open up his personal home of pancakes with the variety of operating begins he’ll be getting.

The stage is ready for most of the crew’s younger linemen to take a step ahead. Cooper Beebe had an awesome rookie season and ought to be even higher in 12 months two. And whereas many are bitter on Tyler Guyton, the athleticism is there and it will likely be attention-grabbing to see what he seems like with Adams. And even Terence Steele, the man most consider will likely be a cap casualty this offseason, ought to flourish on this new system. Earlier than his harm, Steele flashed some nice shifting run-blocking chops and may very well be in retailer for a profession season this 12 months.

One cool factor about Klayton Adams’ run schemes is how usually his RBs get a operating begin earlier than they’re even touched. The fixed pulling of linemen, nice seals, and second-level execution makes for some good operating lanes. pic.twitter.com/xpkr8gJlt8

— Dan Rogers (@DannyPhantom24) February 1, 2025

3. Heavy tight finish personnel

The Cowboys are not any strangers to utilizing a number of tight ends up to now, however final season was a special story as they relied closely on three huge receiver units. They ran 775 performs final 12 months utilizing three huge receivers, rating inside the highest 10 in 11-personnel utilization (one RB, one TE, and three WRs).

Conversely, they ranked exterior the highest 20 in heavy tight finish private, operating simply 119 performs with two tight ends, and solely 13 performs with three tight ends. They did use a fullback fairly a bit, operating 90 performs utilizing 21 personnel (two RBs, one TE), which ranked seventh most final season. Mike McCarthy liked him some Hunter Luepke.

Anticipate a change with the addition of Adams operating the offense. He completely loves tight ends. There have been 13 gamers for Arizona final 12 months who had not less than 400 offensive snaps, and three of them have been tight ends. Everyone knows in regards to the pass-catching Trey McBride, however Adams additionally employed fairly a little bit of Tip Reiman (third-round decide final 12 months) and Elijah Higgins (sixth-round decide in 2023). Listed below are final 12 months’s personnel tendency charges for each groups (information courtesy of sumersports.com)

TEAM
11 PERSONNEL
12 PERSONNEL
13 PERSONNEL

Dallas Cowboys
70.2% (ninth)
10.8% (twenty sixth)
1.2% (thirteenth)

Arizona Cardinals
50.4% (twenty fifth)
29.2% (eighth)
14.5% (eighth)

League Common
60.7%
21.7%
3.3%

Adams might want to determine what he desires to do with Luepke as he might transition to extra of a decent finish position or proceed to make the most of him as a fullback. The Cowboys may also depend on another undrafted guys like Brevyn Spann-Ford or John Stephens Jr. (if he can get wholesome), or probably return to the properly to seek out one other robust blocking tight finish within the draft. They’ve some choices, however anticipate the Cowboys to depend on tight ends much more this upcoming season.

Conclusion

It’s spectacular what Arizona has been capable of do when operating the ball. Throughout Adams’ two years with the crew, solely 5 different groups have completed with the next EPA per play than the Cardinals, and all 5 are groups whose speeding recreation we envy.

The groups above the Cardinals both have the league’s high backs, a duo of backs, an elite offensive line, or a Shanahan offense that may run the ball with anybody. And in some instances, greater than a kind of issues.

The Cardinals had none of these issues. That they had a strong operating again in Conner and no standout gamers alongside the offensive line. It was a complete group effort. The Cowboys have a younger promising offensive line and will take steps to improve their operating again room. In addition they have some good beginning items at tight finish.

With a brand new head coach whose power has been the operating recreation and a pointy former offensive line coach taking on as offensive coordinator, issues look promising for the Cowboys speeding assault in 2025.