Why are we desperately hanging on to an 8-8 team?

[1LoyalCowboyFan]

Originally Posted by gimmesix

We lost our two best inside linebackers last year. Didn't have Ratliff for almost all of the year. Ware played busted up. Etc.

That's why we're clinging to an 8-8 team.

The front office and coaching staff don't see many starting positions where we need improved players, just healthy ones. The only position they've shown that they plan to improve is one safety spot, cutting Gerald Sensabaugh.

I disagree with them, but only really concerning the offensive line. I think if we improve the line we've got enough parts in place to contend.

Exactly! A good running game is a defense best friend.

[batman36]

Gimmesix, I hope you are right!

[Verdict]

Originally Posted by CyberB0b

I would understand some of the decisions if we were a Super Bowl defending champ, but what are we clinging to? I don't get it. We are about 500 in the last 20 years and coming off 2 8-8 seasons.

Why are we so committed to guys over 30 who are injury proned? Why did we have the previous Ratliff contract, the Witten contract, the Miles Austin contract? Marion Barber, Ken Hamlin, Doug Free. The list goes on and on.

Why is Jerry so loyal to guys? You don't pay a guy for what he has done, you pay him for what he could do. So far, we have come up short in this department and I don't get it.

In my eyes, the only untouchable is Tony Romo.

It boggles my mind that Jay Ratliff's contract was structured so poorly that the only option we have is to extend him further to avoid paying him more money to cut him. That is insane. Doug Free is the same way.

[View Full Quote]

That is a legitimate question. We are clinging to Spencer as if he has played better than Ware. In my opinion I think that is crazy. Spencer was nothing special for the majority of his contract. Why do so many people choose to judge him to be all world based on a small portion of his time in Dallas and choose to ignore the fact that he was just mediocre for a majority of the time he has been here.

[big dog cowboy]

Originally Posted by Idgit

Because the roster is pretty good and because we have our franchise QB in place.

[gimmesix]

Originally Posted by batman36

Gimmesix, I hope you are right!

I hope I'm wrong, and Dallas plans to improve more than just one safety spot.

The offensive line is and will remain my only real concern. We fix that, we contend.

[CyberB0b]

Originally Posted by crashintonickdm

fix the oline in the draft and we can maybe do better.

So we invest 11 million in a 3-4 OLB converting to a 4-3 DE? When has Jerry ever made the offensive line a priority? Certainly not last offseason. Certainly, not this season. When?

You guys keep hanging your hat on an 8-8 team magically turning into a SB winner. It just doesn't happen that often. We are .500 for the last 20 years for a reason.

Hope in one hand and s in another. Tell me which one fills up faster.

[Idgit]

Originally Posted by big dog cowboy

Sounded like a trick question, didn't it?

[PJTHEDOORS]

Originally Posted by Verdict

That is a legitimate question. We are clinging to Spencer as if he has played better than Ware. In my opinion I think that is crazy. Spencer was nothing special for the majority of his contract. Why do so many people choose to judge him to be all world based on a small portion of his time in Dallas and choose to ignore the fact that he was just mediocre for a majority of the time he has been here.

Hmmm...maybe because his replacement (with basically no cap room to get one) will be far less than mediocre.

[LarryCanadian]

I would agree with your thread title if I saw the team overpaying (this season) for players like Felix Jones, Mike Jenkins, or not parting ways with Sensi or Connors.

The verdict is still out on Doug Free, but I hope they stay sane and replace him after June 1st or as a June 1st elected cut after getting another OT in draft or FA to compete with Parnell.

They aren't desperately keeping the wrong guys yet - YES they are restructuring some risky players (Miles, Rat, etc) but that is to give the team that chance to turn around quickly.

Losing a pro-bowl player in his prime like Spencer would be a tough move. It is really a REBUILD or a go for it type league - and we still seem to be going for it, just in a cheaper fashion than in the past. I still say we are kind of in the 3rd year of a rebuild, even though Jerry never really would admit it (we nuked whole oline and cut a bunch of the bad boys a few years back).

When you have a QB with the potential to put it all together, like Romo (meaning ability to produce yards, TD's, make plays from nothing etc) - you basically stay in the hunt and try and keep your better players with that slim hope that things come together to make a run. Of course not everyone believes he can do it, which is a fair opinion, or, many believe that without an oline and running game to restrict his gunslinger mistake type plays, the odds of success are just that much lower.....

Who else would you cut though - who are we desperate to keep on roster? EAch guy you cut, you need to replace, and FA's cost a lot, or you end up with even worse contracts added to the dead money from the last ones......

[Blackspider214]

I wonder this myself. The core of Romo, Witten and Ware have won just 1 playoff game. And have been apart of many collapses and pathetic performances in win or go home games.

It's time to get rid of the vets and get younger. The name of the game is to get rid of someone while they have value, not keep throwing money at them when they are not in their prime anymore.

[Idgit]

Originally Posted by Verdict

That is a legitimate question. We are clinging to Spencer as if he has played better than Ware. In my opinion I think that is crazy. Spencer was nothing special for the majority of his contract. Why do so many people choose to judge him to be all world based on a small portion of his time in Dallas and choose to ignore the fact that he was just mediocre for a majority of the time he has been here.

Because there's not a single poster who supports Spencer who would characterize him as mediocre for the majority of his time here.

Only the people who didn't pay close attention in the first place find themselves confused by last season's sack totals. Teams have been planning around him on defense for years, and multiple DCs coming through Dallas have commented on what a good player Anthony Spencer is.

[PJTHEDOORS]

Originally Posted by LarryCanadian

I would agree with your thread title if I saw the team overpaying (this season) for players like Felix Jones, Mike Jenkins, or not parting ways with Sensi or Connors.

The verdict is still out on Doug Free, but I hope they stay sane and replace him after June 1st or as a June 1st elected cut after getting another OT in draft or FA to compete with Parnell.

They aren't desperately keeping the wrong guys yet - YES they are restructuring some risky players (Miles, Rat, etc) but that is to give the team that chance to turn around quickly.

Losing a pro-bowl player in his prime like Spencer would be a tough move. It is really a REBUILD or a go for it type league - and we still seem to be going for it, just in a cheaper fashion than in the past. I still say we are kind of in the 3rd year of a rebuild, even though Jerry never really would admit it (we nuked whole oline and cut a bunch of the bad boys a few years back).

[View Full Quote]When you have a QB with the potential to put it all together, like Romo (meaning ability to produce yards, TD's, make plays from nothing etc) - you basically stay in the hunt and try and keep your better players with that slim hope that things come together to make a run. Of course not everyone believes he can do it, which is a fair opinion, or, many believe that without an oline and running game to restrict his gunslinger mistake type plays, the odds of success are just that much lower.....

Who else would you cut though - who are we desperate to keep on roster? EAch guy you cut, you need to replace, and FA's cost a lot, or you end up with even worse contracts added to the dead money from the last ones......

"EAch guy you cut, you need to replace, and FA's cost a lot, or you end up with even worse contracts added to the dead money from the last ones"

Exactly what people who want Spencer and others gone always seem to ignore. Amazing.

[PJTHEDOORS]

Originally Posted by Blackspider214

I wonder this myself. The core of Romo, Witten and Ware have won just 1 playoff game. And have been apart of many collapses and pathetic performances in win or go home games.

It's time to get rid of the vets and get younger. The name of the game is to get rid of someone while they have value, not keep throwing money at them when they are not in their prime anymore.

Uh, we have youth on the team.

[rocyaice]

Originally Posted by PJTHEDOORS

Uh, we have youth on the team.

Yea out of our core the only players over 30 are Romo, Witten, Ratliff and Ware. Its hard to get much younger at this point. And those guys are all still in the prime of their careers.

[rocyaice]

Originally Posted by Hoofbite

Seems to be. Except they call it "coach em up".

Isn't that what you're suppose to do though? Teams that win the Super Bowl don't usually have a bunch of guys they got out of free agency. They are always homegrown. We're on the 2 year anniversary of the "Dream Team" and two years later Babin, Young, Asomugha, DRC and Jenkins are all looking for new homes.