Getting better quickly requires a change in off-season strategy. Will our FO do it?

[kskboys]

I don't feel like even the dumb casuals are buying it anymore. We certainly aren't.

I have never seen this many fans turn against Jethro, not even close.

 

[Rayman70]

Frankly, unless our front office approaches this year’s off-season differently, we will not be able to re-tool this roster fast enough to be a serious contender in 2025. There are Swiss cheese sized holes in this roster that require a major infusion of talent that can play at a high level now, not waiting until players “develop”.

The cold truth is we have depended almost solely on the draft to refresh the talent pool which puts all the pressure on each and every draft pick being a home run. Without at least 3-4 quality free agents that can not only plug holes but actually have positive impact, we will probably remain a mediocre team.

How did we get here?

• The front office apparently STILL has not learned in the modern NFL era, you cannot be a serious contender relying solely on the draft.
• Relying solely on the draft to improve your roster is slow and is always a gamble.
  • Very few players in the draft are just plug and play with immediate improvement at that position. Only guys like Parsons or Lamb or Tyler Smith have done that in the last 5 years. Most players - even good ones - take some time to develop.
  • Last year our FO apparently believed the 2024 draft would fix their offense-season inactivity. It didn’t.
  • The 2023 draft has not been great so far, putting us in a deeper roster squeeze. First and second round picks Mazi Smith and Luke Schoonmaker have been major disappointments. Those guys by now should be solid starters. DeMarvion Overshown was a star in the making but with two blown out knees, his reliability is in serious question.
• Free agency is the tool used by real contenders who understand you need some impact FAs to shore up areas where the draft didn’t. If you’re serious about competing, you cannot just dumpster dive,
• Understanding how to manage the cap is essential. And the Jones boys either don’t know how or refuse to learn. It’s either of those.
• I did not like the Dak Prescott new contract. It was a mistake in my view. But we’re stuck with it for at least two-three years. That’s just the reality of having a short sided GM. But it also means if we’re going to make applesauce out this rotten apple situation, we better be aggressive NOW!

So what should be done?

1. Decide what kind of team you are trying to be. FIRST. Otherwise you are just collecting players - in other words playing fantasy football.
2. Do a hard assessment of your current talent. Some players need to go. Be willing to cut some people. Honestly, I believe Jerry keeps players way too long for sentimental reasons. That will kill your team every time.
3. Create some additional cap space. A quick example- designate Trevon Diggs as a June 1 cut. He has an out this year in his deal. Two knee surgeries tell me he’s not worth it anymore. Nothing against Diggs. But you can’t be sentimental!
4. Draft and select FAs that support the kind of team you want. It’s not enough just to acquire talent. You must acquire the RIGHT talent that fits what you want to be,
5. Be open to an impactful trade. I would strongly consider trading Parsons. Maybe it could translate into acquiring Myles Garrett who IMO is better and still young enough to have impact for years. He would cost less than Parsons and be less of headache.

This is just scratching the surface. But the bottom line to me is this: If we keep using the same old off-season approach to retooling a roster, we are going to keep getting what we’ve been getting. Which is four wild card wins in three decades.

Will they do it? No way to tell until March when free agency starts. To me, that's when the rubber meets the road. So far we have Shotty and the staff all talking the same lingo about culture and change. It's refreshing actually. However, the two chuckleheads in the front office seem to be talking out both sides of their mouth. Question is, will they enable Shotty to make those changes then sustain it?

 

[InPhiltraitor]

With this FO, thoughts of changes to the off-season strategy has surpassed the proverbial, “I’ll believe it when I see it” status.

Fans should be placing these hopes in the “some things will never change” bin, or more appropriately, in the “when hell freezes over” basket.

 

[deerhunter11]

Great post once again, Bullet.

I don't know if this front office is humble enough to change course or admit that their way hasn't worked completely. I don't know if they are agile enough to
change course or direction from solely using the draft and occasional small trades as the only ways to build a contender. Do they have the sense to know the type of player FA, trade, and draft fits the team they want to be, I don't know.

We shall see in March. Starting with how they handle Parsons contract negotiations and free agency.

The truth and nothin but the truth good post, if the Jones clan do not try to better this team in free agency this season it will be a hard pill to swallow.But Ol Jerry and Son have put themselves in a position ,where I think they feel pressure from this coaching staff , not just the fans.It's now or never.

 

[TwentyOne]

Frankly, unless our front office approaches this year’s off-season differently, we will not be able to re-tool this roster fast enough to be a serious contender in 2025. There are Swiss cheese sized holes in this roster that require a major infusion of talent that can play at a high level now, not waiting until players “develop”.

The cold truth is we have depended almost solely on the draft to refresh the talent pool which puts all the pressure on each and every draft pick being a home run. Without at least 3-4 quality free agents that can not only plug holes but actually have positive impact, we will probably remain a mediocre team.

How did we get here?

• The front office apparently STILL has not learned in the modern NFL era, you cannot be a serious contender relying solely on the draft.
• Relying solely on the draft to improve your roster is slow and is always a gamble.
  • Very few players in the draft are just plug and play with immediate improvement at that position. Only guys like Parsons or Lamb or Tyler Smith have done that in the last 5 years. Most players - even good ones - take some time to develop.
  • Last year our FO apparently believed the 2024 draft would fix their offense-season inactivity. It didn’t.
  • The 2023 draft has not been great so far, putting us in a deeper roster squeeze. First and second round picks Mazi Smith and Luke Schoonmaker have been major disappointments. Those guys by now should be solid starters. DeMarvion Overshown was a star in the making but with two blown out knees, his reliability is in serious question.
• Free agency is the tool used by real contenders who understand you need some impact FAs to shore up areas where the draft didn’t. If you’re serious about competing, you cannot just dumpster dive,
• Understanding how to manage the cap is essential. And the Jones boys either don’t know how or refuse to learn. It’s either of those.
• I did not like the Dak Prescott new contract. It was a mistake in my view. But we’re stuck with it for at least two-three years. That’s just the reality of having a short sided GM. But it also means if we’re going to make applesauce out this rotten apple situation, we better be aggressive NOW!

So what should be done?

1. Decide what kind of team you are trying to be. FIRST. Otherwise you are just collecting players - in other words playing fantasy football.
2. Do a hard assessment of your current talent. Some players need to go. Be willing to cut some people. Honestly, I believe Jerry keeps players way too long for sentimental reasons. That will kill your team every time.
3. Create some additional cap space. A quick example- designate Trevon Diggs as a June 1 cut. He has an out this year in his deal. Two knee surgeries tell me he’s not worth it anymore. Nothing against Diggs. But you can’t be sentimental!
4. Draft and select FAs that support the kind of team you want. It’s not enough just to acquire talent. You must acquire the RIGHT talent that fits what you want to be,
5. Be open to an impactful trade. I would strongly consider trading Parsons. Maybe it could translate into acquiring Myles Garrett who IMO is better and still young enough to have impact for years. He would cost less than Parsons and be less of headache.

This is just scratching the surface. But the bottom line to me is this: If we keep using the same old off-season approach to retooling a roster, we are going to keep getting what we’ve been getting. Which is four wild card wins in three decades.

We will not be a contender in 2025. Especially not in 2025.

And this is not even about the very questionable players we have. This is about salary cap dependent FA and the way we draft.
We have zero chance to build this roster to be competitive in any kind of way. Not in one off season.

I know here are some people who will not accept this reality. Those are the people who said "hey we just need to replace 6 players with the draft". Those 6 starters that left in 2024.
I showed that we werent able to find at least 2 day one starters since 2017. We were lucky since then to even find one.

Sorry, you put in a lot of work into something that is not worth any words.

 

[gimmesix]

Frankly, unless our front office approaches this year’s off-season differently, we will not be able to re-tool this roster fast enough to be a serious contender in 2025. There are Swiss cheese sized holes in this roster that require a major infusion of talent that can play at a high level now, not waiting until players “develop”.

The cold truth is we have depended almost solely on the draft to refresh the talent pool which puts all the pressure on each and every draft pick being a home run. Without at least 3-4 quality free agents that can not only plug holes but actually have positive impact, we will probably remain a mediocre team.

How did we get here?

• The front office apparently STILL has not learned in the modern NFL era, you cannot be a serious contender relying solely on the draft.
• Relying solely on the draft to improve your roster is slow and is always a gamble.
  • Very few players in the draft are just plug and play with immediate improvement at that position. Only guys like Parsons or Lamb or Tyler Smith have done that in the last 5 years. Most players - even good ones - take some time to develop.
  • Last year our FO apparently believed the 2024 draft would fix their offense-season inactivity. It didn’t.
  • The 2023 draft has not been great so far, putting us in a deeper roster squeeze. First and second round picks Mazi Smith and Luke Schoonmaker have been major disappointments. Those guys by now should be solid starters. DeMarvion Overshown was a star in the making but with two blown out knees, his reliability is in serious question.
• Free agency is the tool used by real contenders who understand you need some impact FAs to shore up areas where the draft didn’t. If you’re serious about competing, you cannot just dumpster dive,
• Understanding how to manage the cap is essential. And the Jones boys either don’t know how or refuse to learn. It’s either of those.
• I did not like the Dak Prescott new contract. It was a mistake in my view. But we’re stuck with it for at least two-three years. That’s just the reality of having a short sided GM. But it also means if we’re going to make applesauce out this rotten apple situation, we better be aggressive NOW!

So what should be done?

1. Decide what kind of team you are trying to be. FIRST. Otherwise you are just collecting players - in other words playing fantasy football.
2. Do a hard assessment of your current talent. Some players need to go. Be willing to cut some people. Honestly, I believe Jerry keeps players way too long for sentimental reasons. That will kill your team every time.
3. Create some additional cap space. A quick example- designate Trevon Diggs as a June 1 cut. He has an out this year in his deal. Two knee surgeries tell me he’s not worth it anymore. Nothing against Diggs. But you can’t be sentimental!
4. Draft and select FAs that support the kind of team you want. It’s not enough just to acquire talent. You must acquire the RIGHT talent that fits what you want to be,
5. Be open to an impactful trade. I would strongly consider trading Parsons. Maybe it could translate into acquiring Myles Garrett who IMO is better and still young enough to have impact for years. He would cost less than Parsons and be less of headache.

This is just scratching the surface. But the bottom line to me is this: If we keep using the same old off-season approach to retooling a roster, we are going to keep getting what we’ve been getting. Which is four wild card wins in three decades.

I doubt it. They will bring in multiple players, but will stick with the cheap philosophy for outside FAs, especially after they pay big money to Parsons and possibly Odighizuwa.

Look for multiple one-year deals in the $3 million and under range. I mean, we got a new defensive coordinator last year in Zimmer and they went out and got him a linebacker he wanted for his scheme because the aging linebacker (Kendricks) only cost $3 million.

I think that's what we can expect, except more of it this year, which means more players coming off injury or bad seasons.

I hope I'm wrong, but I'm not going to change my expectations for this front office until it proves it will change.

 

[fivetwos]

Jerry already said they aren’t going to change much then immediately brought up the Parsons contract.

I’m not sure how anyone would conclude that they will be active in FA based on that.

They couldn’t win when they were paying their top players nothing, yet seem to expect to once they break the bank. Paying Parsons more will not improve the team, but that’s how he thinks.

 

[kskboys]

Jerry already said they aren’t going to change much then immediately brought up the Parsons contract.

I’m not sure how anyone would conclude that they will be active in FA based on that.

They couldn’t win when they were paying their top players nothing, yet seem to expect to once they break the bank. Paying Parsons more will not improve the team, but that’s how he thinks.

I cannot agree.

Jerry does not think!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[deerhunter11]

I have never seen this many fans turn against Jethro, not even close.

And we will find out soon if Ol Jerry cares or not.

 

[john van brocklin]

Frankly, unless our front office approaches this year’s off-season differently, we will not be able to re-tool this roster fast enough to be a serious contender in 2025. There are Swiss cheese sized holes in this roster that require a major infusion of talent that can play at a high level now, not waiting until players “develop”.

The cold truth is we have depended almost solely on the draft to refresh the talent pool which puts all the pressure on each and every draft pick being a home run. Without at least 3-4 quality free agents that can not only plug holes but actually have positive impact, we will probably remain a mediocre team.

How did we get here?

• The front office apparently STILL has not learned in the modern NFL era, you cannot be a serious contender relying solely on the draft.
• Relying solely on the draft to improve your roster is slow and is always a gamble.
  • Very few players in the draft are just plug and play with immediate improvement at that position. Only guys like Parsons or Lamb or Tyler Smith have done that in the last 5 years. Most players - even good ones - take some time to develop.
  • Last year our FO apparently believed the 2024 draft would fix their offense-season inactivity. It didn’t.
  • The 2023 draft has not been great so far, putting us in a deeper roster squeeze. First and second round picks Mazi Smith and Luke Schoonmaker have been major disappointments. Those guys by now should be solid starters. DeMarvion Overshown was a star in the making but with two blown out knees, his reliability is in serious question.
• Free agency is the tool used by real contenders who understand you need some impact FAs to shore up areas where the draft didn’t. If you’re serious about competing, you cannot just dumpster dive,
• Understanding how to manage the cap is essential. And the Jones boys either don’t know how or refuse to learn. It’s either of those.
• I did not like the Dak Prescott new contract. It was a mistake in my view. But we’re stuck with it for at least two-three years. That’s just the reality of having a short sided GM. But it also means if we’re going to make applesauce out this rotten apple situation, we better be aggressive NOW!

So what should be done?

1. Decide what kind of team you are trying to be. FIRST. Otherwise you are just collecting players - in other words playing fantasy football.
2. Do a hard assessment of your current talent. Some players need to go. Be willing to cut some people. Honestly, I believe Jerry keeps players way too long for sentimental reasons. That will kill your team every time.
3. Create some additional cap space. A quick example- designate Trevon Diggs as a June 1 cut. He has an out this year in his deal. Two knee surgeries tell me he’s not worth it anymore. Nothing against Diggs. But you can’t be sentimental!
4. Draft and select FAs that support the kind of team you want. It’s not enough just to acquire talent. You must acquire the RIGHT talent that fits what you want to be,
5. Be open to an impactful trade. I would strongly consider trading Parsons. Maybe it could translate into acquiring Myles Garrett who IMO is better and still young enough to have impact for years. He would cost less than Parsons and be less of headache.

This is just scratching the surface. But the bottom line to me is this: If we keep using the same old off-season approach to retooling a roster, we are going to keep getting what we’ve been getting. Which is four wild card wins in three decades.

Jerry and Stephen are not capable.
They simply are in over their heads.
Their unwillingness to face this reality is keeping this team from competing deep into the playoffs.

 

[rags747]

Short Sighted, not Short Sided. Thx…

 

[deerhunter11]

Jerry and Stephen are not capable.
They simply are in over their heads.
Their unwillingness to face this reality is keeping this team from competing deep into the playoffs.

This is always on my mind,why Ol Jerry and Son can't seem to do basic GM duties as do other teams in the NFL.Is it that they can't manage the cap or is it they don't care about their number one in the world sports franchise .Which ever it is I would be embarrassed if I were them.I am trying to give Ol Jerry and son a reprieve ,because I like the coaching staff ,but as a long time fan it's a mystery.Wow.Maybe this coaching staff can help change the culture here we can only hope.

 

[cowboyec]

free-agency is a tool.
this f/o chooses not to use it.
very frustrating because combined with the draft..
this team might be able to break thru.
during coach landry's time...they didn't have f/a and had to rely on the draft.
when that process failed...we had a hard time replacing the aging stars.
this f/o HAS a tool it could use to further strengthen this roster and is chosing not to.
its dumb.
so...i dont expect them to be super bowl contenders...just contend for the east.
its all this f/o chooses to do.

 

[Pass2Run]

Frankly, unless our front office approaches this year’s off-season differently, we will not be able to re-tool this roster fast enough to be a serious contender in 2025. There are Swiss cheese sized holes in this roster that require a major infusion of talent that can play at a high level now, not waiting until players “develop”.

The cold truth is we have depended almost solely on the draft to refresh the talent pool which puts all the pressure on each and every draft pick being a home run. Without at least 3-4 quality free agents that can not only plug holes but actually have positive impact, we will probably remain a mediocre team.

How did we get here?

• The front office apparently STILL has not learned in the modern NFL era, you cannot be a serious contender relying solely on the draft.
• Relying solely on the draft to improve your roster is slow and is always a gamble.
  • Very few players in the draft are just plug and play with immediate improvement at that position. Only guys like Parsons or Lamb or Tyler Smith have done that in the last 5 years. Most players - even good ones - take some time to develop.
  • Last year our FO apparently believed the 2024 draft would fix their offense-season inactivity. It didn’t.
  • The 2023 draft has not been great so far, putting us in a deeper roster squeeze. First and second round picks Mazi Smith and Luke Schoonmaker have been major disappointments. Those guys by now should be solid starters. DeMarvion Overshown was a star in the making but with two blown out knees, his reliability is in serious question.
• Free agency is the tool used by real contenders who understand you need some impact FAs to shore up areas where the draft didn’t. If you’re serious about competing, you cannot just dumpster dive,
• Understanding how to manage the cap is essential. And the Jones boys either don’t know how or refuse to learn. It’s either of those.
• I did not like the Dak Prescott new contract. It was a mistake in my view. But we’re stuck with it for at least two-three years. That’s just the reality of having a short sided GM. But it also means if we’re going to make applesauce out this rotten apple situation, we better be aggressive NOW!

So what should be done?

1. Decide what kind of team you are trying to be. FIRST. Otherwise you are just collecting players - in other words playing fantasy football.
2. Do a hard assessment of your current talent. Some players need to go. Be willing to cut some people. Honestly, I believe Jerry keeps players way too long for sentimental reasons. That will kill your team every time.
3. Create some additional cap space. A quick example- designate Trevon Diggs as a June 1 cut. He has an out this year in his deal. Two knee surgeries tell me he’s not worth it anymore. Nothing against Diggs. But you can’t be sentimental!
4. Draft and select FAs that support the kind of team you want. It’s not enough just to acquire talent. You must acquire the RIGHT talent that fits what you want to be,
5. Be open to an impactful trade. I would strongly consider trading Parsons. Maybe it could translate into acquiring Myles Garrett who IMO is better and still young enough to have impact for years. He would cost less than Parsons and be less of headache.

This is just scratching the surface. But the bottom line to me is this: If we keep using the same old off-season approach to retooling a roster, we are going to keep getting what we’ve been getting. Which is four wild card wins in three decades.

It gets worse if you take a look at our projected opponents. Our home lineup is brutal. Away, too. 5th toughest in the league based on this year's W/L record.

But really, records aside, I'd say we likely have THE toughest schedule based on the teams we play. They all seem likely to get better next year. We face good QBs all year long next season.

The schedule has the potential to be brutal.

And . . . disagree on Parsons trade.

 

[Bobhaze]

With this FO, thoughts of changes to the off-season strategy has surpassed the proverbial, “I’ll believe it when I see it” status.

Fans should be placing these hopes in the “some things will never change” bin, or more appropriately, in the “when hell freezes over” basket.

I’ve taken the “I’ll believe it when I see it” mantra for many years. After three decades of the sales pitch we get every year, talk about this team from the Jones’ is cheaper than a used car sales pitch.

 

[Creeper]

If you've ever worked for a boss who is stubborn and thinks he is smarter than everyone else, especially all the people that work for him, then you know Jerry is not going to change his ways. I worked for people like that several times in my career. A few were found out and fired, a few I changed jobs before they fired me because I disagreed with them, and one finally got me just before I was going to retire - then she got fired shortly after she fired me. Karma is a female woofer.

But no one is going to fire Jerry other than the grim reaper so I expect little or no change in 2025.

I still think Jerry's brain is starting to rot and once that begins, it accelerates. Perhaps in 3 years Jerry will have no choice but to retire, or those around him, his family, will start running things behind his back.

 

[Bobhaze]

If you've ever worked for a boss who is stubborn and thinks he is smarter than everyone else, especially all the people that work for him, then you know Jerry is not going to change his ways. I worked for people like that several times in my career. A few were found out and fired, a few I changed jobs before they fired me because I disagreed with them, and one finally got me just before I was going to retire - then she got fired shortly after she fired me. Karma is a female woofer.

But no one is going to fire Jerry other than the grim reaper so I expect little or no change in 2025.

I still think Jerry's brain is starting to rot and once that begins, it accelerates. Perhaps in 3 years Jerry will have no choice but to retire, or those around him, his family, will start running things behind his back.

I have worked for a couple of arrogant bosses like you described but the saving grace for the organization was they got fired or moved on.

It’s the lack of accountability at the top with this team that is the cancer eating the whole Cowboys organization. When the boss isn’t accountable there is no real accountability anywhere else. It creates a sham culture which fans even see now.

I’m also starting to wonder if the Jones kids are already working behind the scenes apart from JJ at times. They still prop him up at pressers and still publicly honor him as the “final authority”, which as long as he is breathing he will never relinquish. But I believe there has to be some whispers among the younger Jones clan that the old man has lost it.

 

[FuzzyLumpkins]

Denial is strong in this one.

Change requires owners and stakeholders who want change. Owners needs to be willing to get out of their comfort zones.

Jerry Jones made it very clear that his number one reason for hiring Schotty was how comfortable they were with him.

It is great and all to come up with a plan to 'fix' things and assume they will work when your plan has zero chance of happening.

 

[Bobhaze]

Denial is strong in this one.

Change requires owners and stakeholders who want change. Owners needs to be willing to get out of their comfort zones.

Jerry Jones made it very clear that his number one reason for hiring Schotty was how comfortable they were with him.

It is great and all to come up with a plan to 'fix' things and assume they will work when your plan has zero chance of happening.

Well you’re probably right Fuzz. It probably won’t happen. But I sure enjoy getting to express my opinion on it, lol.

 

[Diehardblues]

I have worked for a couple of arrogant bosses like you described but the saving grace for the organization was they got fired or moved on.

It’s the lack of accountability at the top with this team that is the cancer eating the whole Cowboys organization. When the boss isn’t accountable there is no real accountability anywhere else. It creates a sham culture which fans even see now.

I’m also starting to wonder if the Jones kids are already working behind the scenes apart from JJ at times. They still prop him up at pressers and still publicly honor him as the “final authority”, which as long as he is breathing he will never relinquish. But I believe there has to be some whispers among the younger Jones clan that the old man has lost it.

There could be some whispers but as long as there isn’t any serious financial fallout the lack of success on the field is just damage control.

As Jethro reminds us he bought the Cowboys for his occupation and enjoyment not his kids. They are just along for the ride however bumpy it becomes.

What we keep missing as fans is in their minds as long as the cash registers are ringing, all is fine. That’s the ultimate accountability.