Spring Retrospective: Jarwin, Veatch to be Missed at Cowboy Back

Keenan Brown and Britton Abbott are fine players, but they are not and will not be what Zac Veatch and Blake Jarwin were in 2016. Let’s continue with a look back at spring practice with a dive into what we saw from the cowboy backs.

Summary

Only a few weeks before National Signing Day, coach Mike Gundy said he was still looking for another cowboy back to come in and fill the blocking role Veatch left.

Gundy got him in Sione Finefeuiaki, but he won’t be on the field until the fall. The way Gundy talked about him made it seem as if he would change the outlook of the position. That’s good because the group seems like it is one name away from having a chance to have a meaningful impact on the field.

“We’ve chewed on them pretty good, they have big shoes to fill,” Gundy said. “We couldn’t have won 11 (LOL) games last year without Veatch and Jarwin. We don’t have a lot of experience at that position. We’ve got guys here that have skill and need to develop.”

The effort was there all spring. Cowboy backs coach Jason McEndoo had his guys out at the Sherman E. Smith Training Center before any other position group. They even beat the reporters. McEndoo stood across from his group with a laminated piece of paper and shouted blocking calls that the cowboy backs walked through.

It seemed monotonous, but it must have been working to some degree.

“They’re dedicated, and they’re working hard,” Gundy said. “They understand the importance of that position in our offense. I would say that’s why they’re out here (early).”

In the spring game, cowboy backs combined for a pair of completions for 30 yards. Still, if Gundy feels like he isn’t getting enough bang for his buck, he shouldn’t have a problem going to four or five receivers, which is something he has said will be used more in 2017.

Camp Star

On a fourth and three at one point last season, offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich drew up a play for a walk-on.

Britton Abbott flooded to the flat and was open but dropped Mason Rudolph’s pass. Turnover on downs.

In the spring, it was a turnover of leaf for Abbott.

“Britton Abbott’s twice the player he was at this time last year,” Gundy said.

Abbott is a blocking-first, Veatch-esque cowboy back who is part of a family of athletes. His brothers play football at Tulsa, and his dad spent time in the NFL with the New York Giants. Abbott hasn’t been a game-changer by any means for the Cowboys through his first two seasons in the program.

At a position with less skill than normal, that is likely to change.

Projected Two Deep