Talent>Character - Dallas Cowboys Forum

tm1119 · 01-31-2013

Can we please stop saying things like "player x is off the board because of character concerns"? And for the love of god please stop saying "RKG". We are talking about a franchise that was a dynasty at one point with several convicted criminals and a whole bunch of drug users on the team. And everyone of you cheered your off and loved those guys.

Now I agree, there has to be a line drawn somewhere. If a guy is a habitual drug user or has multiple arrests that's one thing. But I'm constantly seeing people say to not draft guys cause of minor slip ups by 20 year old kids. This is football, not the presidential election. I'll take the 11 most talented guys on both sides of the ball.

Ok rant over. Agree or disagree.

Edit: why the heck is there a goose laying an egg next to the title lol?

xwalker · 01-31-2013

Quote:

Originally Posted by tm1119

Can we please stop saying things like "player x is off the board because of character concerns"? And for the love of god please stop saying "RKG". We are talking about a franchise that was a dynasty at one point with several convicted criminals and a whole bunch of drug users on the team. And everyone of you cheered your off and loved those guys.

Now I agree, there has to be a line drawn somewhere. If a guy is a habitual drug user or has multiple arrests that's one thing. But I'm constantly seeing people say to not draft guys cause of minor slip ups by 20 year old kids. This is football, not the presidential election. I'll take the 11 most talented guys on both sides of the ball.

Ok rant over. Agree or disagree.

Head Coaches like Jimmy Johnson or Bill Belichick can get by with those type of players on their team.

Head Coaches like Wade Phillips (soft) and Jason Garrett (lack of cred) are much more affected by these types of players, IMO.

Also, you can't really compare the early nineties teams to present day teams due to the significant changes in the rules and the enforcement of the rules. All the talent in the world is useless if the player is suspended.

Having said all of that, my biggest concern with character issues is in the top 2 or 3 rounds. Players that are drafted in the 5th round know that if they have any issues then they're probably off the team and possibly out of the league; whereas, 1st round draft picks have influence in the locker room and are generally not worried about getting cut.

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reddyuta · 01-31-2013

have we learnt nothing from Brent? people dont really change and having more moeny makes them do more stupid things.I think multiple drug violations and a single arrest or misdemeanor should be a automatic undraftable grade.

joseephuss · 01-31-2013

The problem is that some of the guys with off the field issues aren't super talented. Mathieu for instance isn't an all-world talent, so in his case the talent doesn't trump character.

cowboysooner · 01-31-2013

Quote:

Originally Posted by tm1119

Can we please stop saying things like "player x is off the board because of character concerns"? And for the love of god please stop saying "RKG". We are talking about a franchise that was a dynasty at one point with several convicted criminals and a whole bunch of drug users on the team. And everyone of you cheered your off and loved those guys.

Now I agree, there has to be a line drawn somewhere. If a guy is a habitual drug user or has multiple arrests that's one thing. But I'm constantly seeing people say to not draft guys cause of minor slip ups by 20 year old kids. This is football, not the presidential election. I'll take the 11 most talented guys on both sides of the ball.

Ok rant over. Agree or disagree.

I think you are right about the drug use stuff. Guys that had a one weed issue should definitely be on the board, especially west coast guys.

I think you need guys that love football. Ray Lewis loves football. So does Willis, Peterson, Dez, Watt. You need to draft guys that it is the most important thing. I wonder if we would have drafted Dez Bryant had Jason had more of a voice that year?

If you are going to run a bunch of sight adjustment stuff or some super complicated 2004 Patriot defense then you need a bunch of guys that are football smart.

I would like to take more character risks in the 6th and 7th rounds and with UDFA's. The Rams got three guys that look like steals with Jenkins, Givens and Trumane Johnson. The Patriots got a starting corner in Dennard in the 7th. Bryce Brown went in the 7th. The Bengals hit a grand slam with Burfict as a UDFA. I don't think taking Caleb McSurdy that late helps you as much as one of those guys can.

robert70x7 · 01-31-2013

Quote:

Originally Posted by tm1119

Can we please stop saying things like "player x is off the board because of character concerns"? And for the love of god please stop saying "RKG". We are talking about a franchise that was a dynasty at one point with several convicted criminals and a whole bunch of drug users on the team. And everyone of you cheered your off and loved those guys.

Now I agree, there has to be a line drawn somewhere. If a guy is a habitual drug user or has multiple arrests that's one thing. But I'm constantly seeing people say to not draft guys cause of minor slip ups by 20 year old kids. This is football, not the presidential election. I'll take the 11 most talented guys on both sides of the ball.

Ok rant over. Agree or disagree.

Edit: why the heck is there a goose laying an egg next to the title lol?

Go look at the character backgrounds of all the picks since Garrett has been involved. There's a trend and I think there is something to it.

Here. Did this awhile back.

AsthmaField · 01-31-2013

You can tell us to stop talking about the RKG's, but that isn't going to change the fact that the team definitely takes players off their draft board because of character concerns.

Do I agree with it? A lot of the time, yes. Sometimes though, on a player like Tyrone Mathieu where the upside is great and the risk is low... I would like to see them roll the dice.

For instance, Dennard, the CB from Nebraska fell big time last year because of a run-in with police and New England drafted him in the 7th round. He played very well for the Pats this year and is a perfect slot cover guy IMO. I really wish we would have been the team to use a late round pick on him.

The type of problem the guy has had makes a big difference too IMO.

**Idgit** · 01-31-2013

It doesn't matter what we say, it matters what the team is looking for. But RKG doesn't mean a guy who's got more character than talent. It means getting only players with both. Dez is a perfect example of this.

And I agree with the idea, wholeheartedly. The time it takes to develop players, you can't be wasting time and committing limited resources on guys that lack judgment or commitment. Guys who can play and are smart and love football but who have a history with some mistakes can still be RKGs.

Rynie · 01-31-2013

RKG is stupid. By that definition, Michael Irvin is an RKG. He was the hardest worker on that team.

Just quit drafting injured players, regardless of whether they like to study the playbook or put on ice-cream socials.

**Idgit** · 01-31-2013

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rynie

RKG is stupid. By that definition, Michael Irvin is an RKG. He was the hardest worker on that team.

Just quit drafting injured players, regardless of whether they like to study the playbook or put on ice-cream socials.

You wouldn't want Micheal Irvin on the team? I don't see how it's stupid if it results in adding good players who are good teammates.

But then, I also love the injured players we've picked up.

burmafrd · 01-31-2013

Quote:

Originally Posted by tm1119

Can we please stop saying things like "player x is off the board because of character concerns"? And for the love of god please stop saying "RKG". We are talking about a franchise that was a dynasty at one point with several convicted criminals and a whole bunch of drug users on the team. And everyone of you cheered your off and loved those guys.

Now I agree, there has to be a line drawn somewhere. If a guy is a habitual drug user or has multiple arrests that's one thing. But I'm constantly seeing people say to not draft guys cause of minor slip ups by 20 year old kids. This is football, not the presidential election. I'll take the 11 most talented guys on both sides of the ball.

Ok rant over. Agree or disagree.

Edit: why the heck is there a goose laying an egg next to the title lol?

Troublemakers and cancers are never worth their talent. you need to think about that

**ABQCOWBOY** · 01-31-2013

Quote:

Originally Posted by joseephuss

The problem is that some of the guys with off the field issues aren't super talented. Mathieu for instance isn't an all-world talent, so in his case the talent doesn't trump character.

Ding-Ding!

Tezz · 01-31-2013

It's a case by case basis depending on the player's talent, what the red flag is and if the guy is going to change.

You got players that were troublemakers that became stars and you got Titus Young the very definition of character > talent.

jnday · 01-31-2013

The Ravens draft problem players quite often, but they have strong.leadership in the locker room, with the coaches and the GM. Dallas has weak leadership in all these areas. Problems only get worse in Dallas, not better, or at least the media makes it seem this way.

**Idgit** · 01-31-2013

Quote:

Originally Posted by jnday

The Ravens draft problem players quite often, but they have strong.leadership in the locker room, with the coaches and the GM. Dallas has weak leadership in all these areas. Problems only get worse in Dallas, not better, or at least the media makes it seem this way.

The media in DAL jumps all over things like players getting kicked out of a shopping mall. That's the difference.

We've actually got a team full of good character guys right now. Even the horrendously poor decisions we've had when it comes to drinking and driving this season a judgment errors, but they weren't any of them bad guys or bad teammates.