The mistake of putting everything on the skill position players

[Bobhaze]

I think what it boils down to is 1. having a plan for what you want to be as a team. The Eagles clearly prioritize the trenches. This doesn't mean they do not focus on other positions as well, but when they have an opportunity to acquire impact players in the trenches they do not skip them because a WR or CB is a more sexy pick. 2. They seem to be better at identifying talent at these positions.

At the same time, the Eagles did not get Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis drafting at the end of the first round. Both players were early in the draft. If the Cowboys were drafting where the Eagles were drafting who is to say they would not have taken both players? IMO they wouldn't have but I cannot prove it. Even Landon Dickerson was taken in round 2 at #37. That was after the Eagles finished the 2020 season at 4-11-1.

Look at the Lions, a team people have been ignoring. If not for all the injuries on defense, it could have been the Lions in the SB and not the Eagles. The Lions acquired a lot of their talent drafting Early too, the result of a lot of years of bad football. But the Lions were bad for a long time, like the Giants are now. It took better player evaluation, and a very beneficial trade with the Rams to get them to where they are.

This is why I think it would benefit the Cowboys to accept the situation they are in and take 2025 as another year to acquire talent in 2026. Start clearing CAP space, get high draft picks and make the most of what's there in the draft.

Excellent post. Your point about “having a plan for what you want to be as a team” is so fundamentally important. And I’m still not clear on what kind of team we are trying to be.

 

[Rayman70]

For the first time in a long time, it appears we have a plan. The staff hires indicate this. I think Shotty was the right choice. He's gonna shake things up as well as offer new ideas, stability, expectations. If we have the right players, it will show quickly. If we don't, we will have growing pains for 2 years.

 

[Rayman70]

Excellent post. Your point about “having a plan for what you want to be as a team” is so fundamentally important. And I’m still not clear on what kind of team we are trying to be.

Agree. It appears we have a plan now.

 

[PA Cowboy Fan]

Are Cowboys fans supposed to pretend the egirls aren’t an outstanding team? While simultaneously pretending the Cowboys are outstanding as well? I love the Cowboys which is exactly why I’m frustrated by having these results we keep getting with the same man in charge.

I stated in the OP early on that I hate the egirls. But it doesn’t mean I can’t be a Cowboys fan by speaking the truth. Right now they are way better than us. I don’t like it but it’s a fact.

And this is the perfect place for Cowboys fans to state their opinions about the team and its opponents. Let’s hear some of your Cowboys opinions.

Some fans just want us to live in a fantasy land. It must be nice.

 

[kskboys]

No brother you got the whole fan thing right you're just in the wrong era you go back to the '70s and the team was great built the right way had people who cared about winning.
Now the reason we talk about other teams is because the formula for success is so blatant and hung in front of our noses as we are pushed out by the teams in our division and we watch as our owner stands on his hands does nothing and watches these other teams put together winning rosters very frustrating.
It has nothing to do with us giving up on the team or not being fans we are just frustrated because there's nothing we can do but watch other teams do it the right way while we do it the wrong way

Well said.

 

[PA Cowboy Fan]

There's a ton more to building a team than a bruising OL.

We've had a great ol for years and it didn't get us any closer than when we hadn't had one. Jerry just doesn't know how to build a sb contender.

 

[jazzcat22]

The problem is teams like the Eagles, Ravens, and Rams draft players to add to their plan. Jerry drafts players to replace to players lost via free agent with NO plan. Just plugging holes around a group high priced court players.

It helps when a team has a GM that can sucker other teams into giving up great players for minimum cost.
When their OC went to Indy and traded for Wentz for a king's ransom relay benefited Philly.
It was a Walker trade. But it sure helped Philly with the cap hit.
And still be active with FA's.

With those extra picks, and in the 1st round, they were able to use one of those for Brown, while Jerry gets a 5th for Cooper, after giving up a 1st for him a few years before that.

 

[FuzzyLumpkins]

So tell me…why do you complain so much about other people’s opinions on a Cowboys opinion forum? It just makes zero sense to me. Even ironic. Constantly showing up in a thread to cry about “what this site used to be.” Maybe offer something different.

Disagree with my Cowboys opinion? I welcome it. Whining about people’s right to express their opinion in a thread is the opposite of what this place is all about. Honestly, I think you are better than this.

It seems pretty obvious that he is alluding to people being duplicitous. How can you miss that and not get the import?

 

[kskboys]

It seems pretty obvious that he is alluding to people being duplicitous. How can you miss that and not get the import?

Geeez, stop the spew. He's complaining because people are pointing out the problems Jerry has caused. He wants sunshine and roses. Doesn't like anything but rahrah posts. How can YOU miss that?

If he thinks people are being duplicitous on a large scale, then it is him that is missing almost everything.

 

[kskboys]

We've had a great ol for years and it didn't get us any closer than when we hadn't had one. Jerry just doesn't know how to build a sb contender.

As soon as we starting winning, Jerry gets odd w/ the draft picks. That's when we start taking the Kelvin Josephs and Tacos and Schooners and Mazis and Sam Williams's. And then we start fading quickly as Jerry has no plan for when a player becomes ineffective due to age/injury. And lord help us if there is even a hint of a need at TE/CB/WR. He just loves to jump in and take those positions, all too often in detriment to the team.

 

[FuzzyLumpkins]

Geeez, stop the spew. He's complaining because people are pointing out the problems Jerry has caused. He wants sunshine and roses. Doesn't like anything but rahrah posts. How can YOU miss that?

If he thinks people are being duplicitous on a large scale, then it is him that is missing almost everything.

Rachning and I have actually discussed it so I am comfortable speaking for him in this instance. Bob was privy to the conversation at the time that is why I am comfortable saying it to him.

Interesting your vehemence though.

 

[kskboys]

Rachning and I have actually discussed it so I am comfortable speaking for him in this instance. Bob was privy to the conversation at the time that is why I am comfortable saying it to him.

Interesting your vehemence though.

I have extreme vehemence toward Jerry for his incompetence in getting the personnel in here to propel us into super bowl contention. And I don't care for anyone who comes in here bashing on others because they desire nothing but positive posts. Everyone has the right to be a fan the way they want, bashing someone for the way they do their fanhood is just weak. I don't care for either side of that ridiculous ongoing fight between the Rosy crowd and the Gloomy crowd. I'm here for discussion and evaluation, and that mess gets in the way so badly.

Look at the title of this thread. It is most obviously about putting too much on the skill position players. So why in the world would anyone click on this thread just to complain about everything not being peaches and cream? The irony is that he was complaining about the site being less of a site, when it's his type posts that are the biggest ingredient in making it less of a site.

 

[FuzzyLumpkins]

I have extreme vehemence toward Jerry for his incompetence in getting the personnel in here to propel us into super bowl contention. And I don't care for anyone who comes in here bashing on others because they desire nothing but positive posts. Everyone has the right to be a fan the way they want, bashing someone for the way they do their fanhood is just weak. I don't care for either side of that ridiculous ongoing fight between the Rosy crowd and the Gloomy crowd. I'm here for discussion and evaluation, and that mess gets in the way so badly.

Look at the title of this thread. It is most obviously about putting too much on the skill position players. So why in the world would anyone click on this thread just to complain about everything not being peaches and cream? The irony is that he was complaining about the site being less of a site, when it's his type posts that are the biggest ingredient in making it less of a site.

This is two faced. You just were vehement about what Ranching meant and how it could not be what I was speaking to. Now you pretend that never happened minutes later. I can understand you dissembling.

 

[blueblood70]

It’s a fair point Choc but just because we’ve missed on some of those picks doesn’t mean we should stop trying.

I agree with both of y'all,

but at some point you have to circle back around and restock your skill positions... we haven't done that with a running back or a wide receiver in quite some time... they've been trying the defensive front 7 and the offensive line as he posted..

so at some point you can't pass up what might be a generational talent at a skill position, you have to get them if they're there.​

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We can agree it's time it's been awhile we need a superstar either running back or support 2nd for lamb if not maybe a tight end...​

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I mean I can see them looking at all these options including a defensive tackle or middle linebacker /outside linebacker -pass rushing type. you know maybe if Abdul Carter is there you take him.. it's all on the table,​

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i'm sure too many holes to pass up the BPA..​

This may be a popular thought on replenishing the trenches but imagine them taking one of those Michigan players with the knock on the Michigan players we have around here but there's a lot of mocks that have us taking one of those two dudes I'm not sure which ones better I'm not sure we're keeping OSA but only the Cowboys are going to know that come draft I mean we should know that by the draft and that may be what they need to pick....

 

[fivetwos]

Yes, you do. What if rooting for your team means they need to lose for a season or two in order to build a super bowl contender? Do you regret the Herschel Walker trade? Sometimes you have to get worse to get better. And if you have a GM who insists on 9 win seasons every year even though it means no playoffs or 1st round playoff losses, wouldn't you like that GM to do things differently?

I would gladly take several “bad” seasons if they are actually in a rebuild. Following that is fun as a fan. Not many are going to go away…but it doesn’t allow Jerry to get Netflix specials unless he can claim that next years team is SB bound.

That’s pretty much what it’s come to. They could have several 4-6 win seasons in a row and they will still make their money. Maybe slightly less, but negligible….then at least reap the benefits of what you’ve built thereafter. Clearly they don’t see it that way.

 

[conner01]

It’s a fair point Choc but just because we’ve missed on some of those picks doesn’t mean we should stop trying.

We can’t draft DT’s. Some is 3 years of playoffs, meaning late picks. Good DT prospects go early. Edge guys are a bit easier. That’s why I’d put me FA dollars in a DT if I could while still drafting one

 

[Acceptablename]

I probably don't need to re-emphasize who the real stars of the SB were but I will anyway. The egirls (who I hate) have made it crystal clear what their cornerstones are on their team that they rely on MOST: Their trench players - OL and front 7 on D. They are hands down the league’s best. They had 6 ALL PROS this year and 4 of them were either OL, DL or LBs.

In fact if anyone really studies what Philly’s most simplified formula for winning is look no further than guys like DT Jalen Carter, LG Landon Dickerson, RT Lane Johnson, LT Jordan Mailata, LB Zack Baun, and NT Jordan Davis. Those guys dominate the LOS and make it much easier for Jalen Hurts, Saquon Barkley and AJ Brown to make plays. Two of the three skill position guys - Barkley and Brown - were both FA acquisitions, not draft picks.

As we begin to prepare for the off-season with FA and the draft, I hope this front office can once and for all learn the real cornerstones we need aren’t just WRs, RBs and QBs. It’s like Jerry still thinks the only reason we were so dominant in the 90s was because of “The Triplets”. Sure that helped to have Troy, Emmitt and Michael but without Mark Tunei, Nate Newton, Erik Williams, and Charles Hailey, the Cowboys don’t win 3 SBs in the 90s.

I know we need a RB, and second WR, but honestly IMO, we need to use a lot of early draft capital acquiring some beasts. Getting good RBs and WRs are way easier than top tier trench players.

I hope our FO can finally learn triplets are only as good as the people who block and tackle in support of them.

It’s been our failing for a while. Not the oline but the D..

 

[Blast From The Past]

I probably don't need to re-emphasize who the real stars of the SB were but I will anyway. The egirls (who I hate) have made it crystal clear what their cornerstones are on their team that they rely on MOST: Their trench players - OL and front 7 on D. They are hands down the league’s best. They had 6 ALL PROS this year and 4 of them were either OL, DL or LBs.

In fact if anyone really studies what Philly’s most simplified formula for winning is look no further than guys like DT Jalen Carter, LG Landon Dickerson, RT Lane Johnson, LT Jordan Mailata, LB Zack Baun, and NT Jordan Davis. Those guys dominate the LOS and make it much easier for Jalen Hurts, Saquon Barkley and AJ Brown to make plays. Two of the three skill position guys - Barkley and Brown - were both FA acquisitions, not draft picks.

As we begin to prepare for the off-season with FA and the draft, I hope this front office can once and for all learn the real cornerstones we need aren’t just WRs, RBs and QBs. It’s like Jerry still thinks the only reason we were so dominant in the 90s was because of “The Triplets”. Sure that helped to have Troy, Emmitt and Michael but without Mark Tunei, Nate Newton, Erik Williams, and Charles Hailey, the Cowboys don’t win 3 SBs in the 90s.

I know we need a RB, and second WR, but honestly IMO, we need to use a lot of early draft capital acquiring some beasts. Getting good RBs and WRs are way easier than top tier trench players.

I hope our FO can finally learn triplets are only as good as the people who block and tackle in support of them.

Jerry played in the trenches at Arkansas and won a championship if I recall right. Did he forget the importance of the lines on both sides? Build from the inside out. It should be his mantra.

 

[75boyz]

It's okay for great teams to have great everythings some times. Roger had great olines and dlines but he was still Roger. And thats a hall of famer as a QB by his own individual performance
Troy had great olines and dlines but he was still Troy. And that's a hall of famer as a QB by his own individual performance.
The only time I get a little contrarian here is when the importance of the QB is minimized as to overall team success while touting the rest of the components and the perspective of looking at the QB position as "just another part" of the team.
Pro football is all about coaching and quarterbacking while all the other components are secondary in their support of those 2 role players. Or 3 role players if you include general managing.

There is no NFL success without effective General Managing, HeadCoaching and Quarterbacking.
That's the triangle to championships.

Building the trenches falls UNDER those.

 

[fivetwos]

The DL is absolutely key to a winning formula. We see it every postseason.

Dallas hasn’t been any good there since Wade left Garrett with the guys that Parcells brought in.

I believe this FO undervalues the unit since they play rotationally. Can’t give big money to someone who doesn’t play every play, right? Great logic. It’s worked well when you get stomped up the gut anytime you play a decent team. Stay with it and get me that 5th round fattie that Jerry is “very excited about.”