The take on the season no one cares for.

[Romo 2 Austin]

Well I am sure that no one here really cares about my take on football but rather view me as a comedian due to this exaggerated infatuation with Miles Austin that has taken on a life of its own at this point. However I am a huge fan and I doubt any of you would argue that point. I see lots of varying opinions on this season with many calling it a success and others proclaiming it the end of the world... of the Dallas Cowboys. I think it is somewhere in the middle, a season that can not be described in one word but rather one with many positives and many negatives, a season that will not be able to be fully judged until many years pass and most of the current players wearing the star are long retired.

Most importantly when healthy we have the second best linebacker unit in the league (SF). Bruce Carter emergence was much less expected than Lees' but he broke out in similar fashion and filled in Sean's role when he was lost to injury. Sean Lee flashed in previous seasons however this year he blew up to the point where I would argue he is, when healthy, the best ILB in the NFL. Anthony Spencer has always been "almost" great but he dropped the almost tag this year and at times performed better than future hall of famer DeMarcus Ware.


Jason Witten is now the most respected player of this organization. Some of you may point at Ware but Witten stamped and mailed out his ticket to Canton this season. He could retire today and he will be in, Ware still has to produce for a few more years. Playing through his spleen issue with a huge portion of the fanbase turning their backs on him proclaiming him finished, washed up, and begging to turn to Hanna. Well it turned out his injury was the cause of his problems. He had one of the greatest TE seasons of all time and the first 3 games he had more drops than catches. Jason Witten is now my favorite Dallas Cowboy of all time, may not mean much considering my relative young fandom but it is now him nonetheless. The guy should not be as good as he is, never should have been. He is not the strongest, he is not the fastest, he is not the best catcher, he is not the best blocker but there is an X-Factor to him that has made him arguably the best to ever play his position. That is high praise.

Dez Bryant has taken the #1 receiver slot from Miles Austin. It took him some time to get accustomed to running routes and he still had a lot of gaffes this season but he is proving to be an elite receiver. Hopefully the off the field issues come to a halt and he can be our playmaker for the next decade. Desmond is a great player and if the reward can outweigh the risk he may be the best receiver we ever had. Very premature and another decade of production at this level will be needed, but he is getting there and is a top 10 receiver in the league at this point. Arguably top 5.

Miles Austins' injury battles have cost him the fan bases admiration and his status as one of the leagues superstars. He had the most SI covers for a NFL player at one point, 4 in a year. However the people calling for his release are ignorant. When healthy he would be a #1 WR on 20 teams. Dez is our #1 and when Miles is healthy we have one of the 3 best WR tandems in the league. You cut Miles and to replace the production he had this year despite all his injuries you would need to use a first round pick on a WR and get lucky. He still is more than worth keeping.

Jason Garrett tries to outsmart himself by doing the opposite of what someone expects him to do and then doing the opposite of that which ends up in him seemingly doing exactly what is expected most of the time.. except when he does something completely ridiculous like icing his own kicker. I do believe that he deserves another year though, probably even longer. We have a different atmosphere than we did. We are not excuse city any longer we used to blame any little thing we could find for our woes but now with a majority of our great players battling injury and we don't hear a boo about it. Jason has changed our atmosphere and made this team not give up until the final whistle was blown. This is his team.


Tony Romo..... This was an up and down season like no other but we would still be nothing without him. I said before the season the 2013 off season would be the one to get our next QB and I still think that would be ideal however this draft really lacks much talent that I would find desirable in that role. There is no Andy Dalton to be had in the second this year, atleast not apparent yet. I believe this is the last year where we will look at QB as a luxury pick because by the time next years draft roles around we will be looking at a 34 year old QB and be trigger happy. I would rather be early than late with drafting a QB and with Romo entering his contract year having his potential successor could make contract negotiations easier. We should not be cheering to crown a new franchise QB and bench Romo, but we should not be afraid to pull the trigger in bringing in the next guy. Next year we will not be in any position to get Johnny Manzeil or Teddy Bridgewater who are the only two people in college that seem like sure things at the next level. One possible approach is that the Rams are likely to part ways with Sam Bradford after this season if he does not perform at a near elite level as he is due $15m in 2014. We could probably get him in free agency following next season if that turns out to be the case as he would look at Dallas as one of the better situations available barring a Brady or Manning retirement.

The 2012 Dallas Cowboys - Showed heart and determination I have never seen from them. This team should the willingness to go out there and make no excuses, to lay it all on the field. At times they won games that looked like we had no business being in and at times we threw away games that should have been ours. If we can become more consistent we are worthy of playoff discussion next year but at this point we have far too many possible changes that can be made. We have exciting prospects that look like next year can solidify them as key on our team this year such as Dwayne Harris, James Hanna, Sean Lissemore, Morris Claiborne and more on our team. We had Dez Bryant, Bruce Carter & Sean Lee solidify themselves as elite at their position and we made a very drastic improvement on our secondary. Our offensive line is where the biggest holes exist but this draft class can provide the solution if we are so inclined to go heavy on OL with Chance Warmack in the first and trading up for Barrett Jones in the second. Some wheeling and dealing will be necessary to secure both players but if we somehow could our offensive line would be great.

[Verdict]

I agree with most of your post and thought it was pretty much spot-on with the exception of the idea that we will be able to get Sam Bradford. I don't think there is any way that the Rams will let him go. I doubt they would even want to trade him. I guess I could be wrong about that, but I personally think that Bradford is a top 10 caliber QB on a team that has very little talent around him.

[DMAC]

You think Johnny Football and Bridgewater are the only two NFL prospects in college?

Man, as much as I like both of them as college QB's, right now I'd say neither of them will be an NFL QB.

I would much rather build a team around a pro-style QB, 6'5" dropback passser with a cannon for an arm, accurate, and a high football IQ. Much like Brady or Manning. An RGIII is a once in a decade find. ANd the jury is still out on him as to his level of proven success, although I like his chances.

Right now, we're stuck with a "tweener". Not a tall, accurate strong armed guy, but also not an explosive runner and scrambler. He is a little of both, but not great at either.

[Romo 2 Austin]

Originally Posted by DMAC

You think Johnny Football and Bridgewater are the only two NFL prospects in college?

Man, as much as I like both of them as college QB's, right now I'd say neither of them will be an NFL QB.

I would much rather build a team around a pro-style QB, 6'5" dropback passser with a cannon for an arm, accurate, and a high football IQ. Much like Brady or Manning. An RGIII is a once in a decade find. ANd the jury is still out on him as to his level of proven success, although I like his chances.

Right now, we're stuck with a "tweener". Not a tall, accurate strong armed guy, but also not an explosive runner and scrambler. He is a little of both, but not great at either.

I think plenty of prospects exist in the college but if I had to guarantee two translating to the NFL I would have to go with them.

[sureletsrace]

Your best post on this board, by far. My guess is that the season has toughened you up a little bit. Excellent write up. Thanks for this post.

[Future]

Dez > Miles

[Romo 2 Austin]

Originally Posted by Future

Dez > Miles

At this point, yes.

[JustDezIt]

Originally Posted by Romo 2 Austin

At this point, yes.

R2B is that you?

seriously tho good post. dont agree with all of it but you are coming around

[Future]

Originally Posted by Romo 2 Austin

At this point, yes.

Haha, I was just messin, nice post.

[baddude]

Originally Posted by Future

Dez > Miles

I don't agree. I think Miles is better if healthy. For some reason Dez got targeted way more than Miles after the first few weeks. It could be by design or because Miles was hurt. Mles is way better after the catch and also faster. Dez is going to be a fumble machine; he tries too hard after the catch.

[sureletsrace]

Originally Posted by baddude

I don't agree. I think Miles is better if healthy. For some reason Dez got targeted way more than Miles after the first few weeks. It could be by design or because Miles was hurt. Mles is way better after the catch and also faster. Dez is going to be a fumble machine; he tries too hard after the catch.

Dez has enormous hands and is very strong. Doubt he'll be a "fumble machine".

And sorry, no. Dez Bryant is a better WR right now than Miles Austin is.

[Romo 2 Austin]

Originally Posted by baddude

I don't agree. I think Miles is better if healthy. For some reason Dez got targeted way more than Miles after the first few weeks. It could be by design or because Miles was hurt. Mles is way better after the catch and also faster. Dez is going to be a fumble machine; he tries too hard after the catch.

I think the decrease in Miles targets are due to his injury problems no doubt. I also agree with you in a perfect world when both are 100% Miles is the better receiver but his health is far too inconsistent and Dez has pried the #1 spot from Miles hands. Don't see Miles reclaiming it.

[Jenky]

Good post R2A.

But I don't agree with "a healthy Miles > a healthy Bryant."

Bryant was still a beast with a broken finger in his dominant hand. Bryant has all the tools to be on the same level of Calvin Johnson.

Can I say that about Austin? No.

[dadymat]

nice post, I disagree about Bradford....he is a franchise guy and the Rams wont let him get away....soon as they get him some weapons he will shine...I think if they had any doubt about him they would have not traded away the RG3 pick...but if they do Id want Cowboys to kick the tires....

[anj113]

Originally Posted by baddude

I don't agree. I think Miles is better if healthy. For some reason Dez got targeted way more than Miles after the first few weeks. It could be by design or because Miles was hurt. Mles is way better after the catch and also faster. Dez is going to be a fumble machine; he tries too hard after the catch.

I completly disagree. Completly. Now at on earth is Aistin better than Dez. Also Austin can longer to be relied on. He is hurt every year.

No clue where the fumble machine analysis about Dez comes from.

It's time to for this team to cut bait with players who can't help this team on a consistent bases. Hate to say it but Miles is one of them.