When building a roster: WWBBD

[atlantacowboy]

When our front office is making decisions about who to keep and who to let go of on our roster; which FA to sign, which to avoid...I wish that our decision makers would consider this: “What Would Bill Belechick Do?”

I’m still amazed how many of our fans on this forum think Bill Belechick is lucky just because he’s had Tom Brady. Or that his coaching genius alone is his key to success. Let’s examine this:

• Sure having Tom Brady as their QB has been an advantage but in this cap era, you can’t win 6 SBs over 19 seasons just because you have a great QB. Each of his SB teams have had a ton of different players.
• Aaron Rodgers and Drew Brees each only have one SB win, proving that building a successful roster takes more than just a star QB.
• Playing in over half of your conference’s championship games the last two decades isn’t just about Tom Brady or being lucky. It’s about BB and his ability to put together a new roster every year because he constantly churns his roster without any sentimentality.

Belechick’s roster genius is his ability to evaluate each player on his roster with cold-blood in his veins. He doesn’t give a rat’s arse what you did last year if you’re going to cost too much or may lose a step. BB keeps his eyes on the present and future, not the past. Our lifetime contract FO treats their roster more like a family reunion than a football team.

So when considering some of the Cowboys roster ideas I see being considered on this forum, WWBBD?

• Dez Bryant: WWBBD? Not sign him. Period. Take out the sentimental reasons to bring back one of our favorites to somehow be a “4th receiver” is just stupid. Good FOs don’t make moves like this. In a talent starved league like the NFL, if Dez still was still legit, someone would have already signed him.

• Jason Witten- Would Belechick have signed him in 2019? No. Did his inclusion on our roster really help this team? Not really. We resigned Witten because our owner had a soft spot for him.

• Tyrone Crawford- I think BB would have cut him last year.
  
  
• Dak Prescott- I think BB would have already resigned him. The Jones boys act like they are “not going to set the market” and yet make a questionable high dollar deal with their star RB that sets the market...a year earlier than they had to.

• Byron Jones- this one is a little trickier. I think BB would probably let him walk as he has with many of his former star defenders because of cost. But I’m not sure.

This list could go on and on...And I’m of course just guessing what BB would do and I could certainly be wrong on all of these- except Dez and Witten, lol.

Your thoughts?

Solid post. I think BB keeps Byron Jones b/c he likes his DBs and Byron is still young. A bill Belechek defense starts in the secondary.

 

[atlantacowboy]

solid.
love to see you do another thread...WWTLD.
(what would Tom Landry Do).

Landry never had to make these kinds of decisions b/c there was no salary cap or free agency . Back in the day, you had one avenue of building a team......the draft. The coaches who were best at developing players were the ones who succeeded. Now, you can go out in free agency and buy what you need and go from 4-12 to a super bowl in one year.

 

[blueblood70]

Zeke "helped the team" by holding out while under contract, something Dak did not do. I was surprised that Dak didn't similarly hold out last year.

Neither of them are doing the team any favors, nor should be expect them to. They have a business relationship with the Cowboys, as do their agents.

it didnt hurt the team missing TC hes a vet ,been a starter his whole life, Zekes situation is very different he had one chance at leverage and one big deal, likely his last shot and he did what he had too..dak has 2 more big deals as QBs get many more opportunity's… Zeke did tale a team friendly deal and daks being a total DB..

 

[Diehardblues]

Landry never had to make these kinds of decisions b/c there was no salary cap or free agency . Back in the day, you had one avenue of building a team......the draft. The coaches who were best at developing players were the ones who succeeded. Now, you can go out in free agency and buy what you need and go from 4-12 to a super bowl in one year.

There was limited Free Agency. We picked up some talent as a result . And the draft was still the bedrock to accumulating talent. The difference was you could hang on to them all without a Cap.

 

[Diehardblues]

Solid post. I think BB keeps Byron Jones b/c he likes his DBs and Byron is still young. A bill Belechek defense starts in the secondary.

Most analysts I’ve read have argued Bills defense begins on DL?

 

[atlantacowboy]

Most analysts I’ve read have argued Bills defense begins on DL?

Nope. Bil came up as secondary coach. If you look at where NE spends there cap money, they never go cheap in the secondary. In fact, if you look at their roster by salary, 4 of their top 10 paid guys are in the secondary. There most expensive defensive lineman is Lawrence Guy at 2.3 million per.

 

[atlantacowboy]

There was limited Free Agency. We picked up some talent as a result . And the draft was still the bedrock to accumulating talent. The difference was you could hang on to them all without a Cap.

It was rare and didn't exist in its current form.

 

[Diehardblues]

It was rare and didn't exist in its current form.

I agree it wasn’t in current form . It was limited FA.

I’m just not sure I’d describe it as rare while it wasn’t as common obviously.

We had several FA from other teams back in the day.

 

[Diehardblues]

Nope. Bil came up as secondary coach. If you look at where NE spends there cap money, they never go cheap in the secondary. In fact, if you look at their roster by salary, 4 of their top 10 paid guys are in the secondary. There most expensive defensive lineman is Lawrence Guy at 2.3 million per.

Yea but aren’t their drafts defensively usually more about their DL than secondary. They continue churning it.

 

[atlantacowboy]

Yea but aren’t their drafts defensively usually more about their DL than secondary. They continue churning it.

Sometimes, I think you just like argue for the sake of arguing.

 

[CouchCoach]

I think it starts with Kraft he hires a coach with a philosophy that is keenly attuned to todays NFL We bumbled through with Garrett for 10 yrs and watched careers be wasted , teams go into big games totally unprepared and players get drafted that just made no sense at all .

The most prime example of this is our lack of preparation for the end of Romos career . When Belichick saw Romos back was bad enough he couldnt practice a top pick would have been used on a QB . We survive in spite of ourselves !!!

The only reason we have a franchise QB to worry about giving a new contract to is because fortunately we didnt draft the guys we really wanted .

Belichick has the ability to find FOOTBALL PLAYERS instead of business decision makers .Guys that value being a champion over the maximum pay day

He realizes they age in dog yrs and would rather get rid of them a yr early then keep them a yr too long .

One of the most important things he recognizes is that INTELLIGENCE is the most important talent and without it all the physical attributes are useless at the NFL level . This is why guys like Danny Amendola and Julian Edelman can win SBs and guys like Dez are sitting past 30 wondering how there career got away .

I think we now have a coach with an attitude more like Belichicks and hopefully we can get out of the Jason Garrett purgatory of 8-8 and progress more like a normal NFL franchise rather than one of Jerrys family reunions

Kraft deserves a lot more credit than he gets. He was the reason Belichick spurned the Jets when Parcells had that set up. Kraft studied him when he was in NE and he listened to what the players and coaches said about him. Kraft made a judgement call, and a good one at that, that his time in CLE still carried scars because he had no control. The very thing Parcells had complained about when they were with the NYG bit him in CLE because he had been anxious to get his first HC gig. Kraft gave him exactly what he wanted.

He also deserves credit for being the intermediary between Belichick and Brady and brokered the deal that kept both in NE. He got Brady to take less money in exchange for Belichick dealing Garoppolo away. Kraft realized early on that Belichick was that rare breed, like Jimmy Johnson, he could coach and pick the players.

 

[CouchCoach]

Yea but aren’t their drafts defensively usually more about their DL than secondary. They continue churning it.

Belichick is never satisfied with the status quo with any team. He doesn't want his team to get satisfied.

He was the first to respond to the fact the NFL was becoming a passing league. He never gave up on his run game but he did focus on that back 4 more than any other team. He knew if he had cover guys that could hold up in that first 2 seconds, that would help his pass rush and the ancillary benefit was that his QB would work against those DB's and get better on his release, which he did. Brady learned to read and react faster that any other QB by design.

It's like Aikman getting to throw against that secondary that had Sanders, Smith and Woodson, he was either accurate or picked. He speaks of fear of certain DB's from experience.

 

[Diehardblues]

Sometimes, I think you just like argue for the sake of arguing.

Does that mean you agree or not? I challenge when I suspect or believe otherwise.

 

[Diehardblues]

Belichick is never satisfied with the status quo with any team. He doesn't want his team to get satisfied.

He was the first to respond to the fact the NFL was becoming a passing league. He never gave up on his run game but he did focus on that back 4 more than any other team. He knew if he had cover guys that could hold up in that first 2 seconds, that would help his pass rush and the ancillary benefit was that his QB would work against those DB's and get better on his release, which he did. Brady learned to read and react faster that any other QB by design.

It's like Aikman getting to throw against that secondary that had Sanders, Smith and Woodson, he was either accurate or picked. He speaks of fear of certain DB's from experience.

Of course but I’m not sure that means Bill thinks his defense begins in secondary instead of DL?

 

[Diehardblues]

Look how much better our secondary looked in 2018 when we had prob our best pass rush in years.

 

[atlantacowboy]

Of course but I’m not sure that means Bill thinks his defense begins in secondary instead of DL?

They haven't drafted DL in the first 2 round since 2015. None of their top 10 paid players are DL............the case for them starting on the DL can't be made. On the other hand, I made a pretty solid case for the secondary. Not sure how much more evidence is required.

 

[atlantacowboy]

Of course but I’m not sure that means Bill thinks his defense begins in secondary instead of DL?

Put up a link.....or some shred of evidence that supports your point of view. Cap dollars and the draft are out. So, you might a testimonial from Bill himself.

 

[Diehardblues]

They haven't drafted DL in the first 2 round since 2015. None of their top 10 paid players are DL............the case for them starting on the DL can't be made. On the other hand, I made a pretty solid case for the secondary. Not sure how much more evidence is required.

I’m not arguing their top paid players are on the DL.

 

[atlantacowboy]

I’m not arguing their top paid players are on the DL.

What are you arguing? The patriots value offensive line and the secondary the most. Thats what their cap dollars say and that's what their drafting says. .......maybe its just a coincidence that Bill was a secondary coach before he was anything.

You literally have no supporting evidence which is why I accused you arguing for its own sake.

 

[Diehardblues]

Put up a link.....or some shred of evidence that supports your point of view. Cap dollars and the draft are out. So, you might a testimonial from Bill himself.

You’re associating 1st round picks and top paid players as a priority in Bills scheme to his defense.