Why you don't need to tank

[RonnieT24]

People kill me coming up with all these scenarios as to why the Cowboys need to play to lose so they can get a better draft pick.. If you watched the special on the top 60 players in franchise history ask yourself how many of them were top 10 picks?

Emmitt? - Nope 17th
Roger? - Not even a first rounder
Witten? - second rounder
Zack Martin - Nope 16th
Dez Bryant - Nope 24th
Larry Allen - Nope - second round
Mark Tuinei - Undrafted
Nate Newton - Undrafted
Erik Williams? - Nope 3rd round
Bob Hayes - Nope 7th round
Drew Pearson - Nope undrafted
Harvey Martin - Nope 3rd round
Demarcus Ware - 11th close..
Michael Irvin? - 11th .
Bob Lilly? - 13th
Romo? - Undrafted
Flozell? - Second rounder.

Yeah.. that list is getting long .. so let's go to the shorter list..

Of the all time 60 greatest Cowboys here are your top 10 picks:

Troy Aikman 1-1
Too-Tall Jones - 1-1
Tony Dorsett - 2nd overall
Randy White - 2nd overall
Zeke - 4th overall
Tyron Smith - 9th overall
Deion - 5 th overall (by the Falcons)

Unless I have missed someone that is the entire list of top 10 overall picks who have turned into great players for the Cowboys. 7 out of 60. In fact there are almost as many undrafted guys on the list as top 10 picks. Point being, there is plenty of talent to be had throughout the draft. You simply need good scouting to find them and good coaching to develop them. I think the Cowboys scouting department has done a pretty good job finding good players.. I'm not sure I can say the same about our ability to coach and develop them over the past two decades. Here's hoping this coaching staff gets better at it. If they don't then it really doesn't matter where or who we draft, this team is going to suck. And we will continue to watch guys go elsewhere and win Super Bowls.. and look good doing it.

 

[kskboys]

All of that is true, however the fact remains. Closer you pick toward the front, the more good players will be available. That is the fact that cannot be refuted.

Good players being selected elsewhere does not negate this fact.

 

[BotchedLobotomy]

Besides that, the tanking life is a miserable life as fan. Give me 3 hours a week where I can just sit back and cheer on the Cowboys without all the other BS.

 

[kskboys]

Besides that, the tanking life is a miserable life as fan. Give me 3 hours a week where I can just sit back and cheer on the Cowboys without all the other BS.

Not miserable at all. Everyone has their own personal way of being a fan. Not evaluating and assessing is your way, and I respect that.

 

[rnr_honeybadger]

The demand for tanking is directly correlated to the moron GM who does the picking - figured the closer we get to the #1 pick the less chance Mr. Jerry "I want to draft special teams" Jones, will have to screw it up

 

[12+88=7]

Those that want to tank were hoping to be in the Lawrence sweepstakes. But that ship has sailed. Now they want to tank to maintain a high draft choice.

Dallas won last week, but so did Atlanta and San Diego. NY, Jacksonville, and Cincinnati have clinched the top three spots. The highest Dallas can select is #4.

Drafting higher is not about the 1st round but every round. With a 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th round comp picks, along with their own, Dallas can take a big step of addressing deficiencies on the team.

 

[ClappingCarrot]

Witten was actually a third rounder, wasn't he?

 

[jazzcat22]

So a question to the tankers.
Not that you would go out of your way to go to a sports bar to watch them if it was the only way to do so.

So say, if you had to go and you had no other choice not too.
And the crowd was all wanting Dallas to win. Would you actively be rooting for a loss in front of them? Saying we must have a higher draft pick. Knowing you may get your butt whipped.

 

[CATCH17]

Well..

We haven’t had a great season since we had a top 5 pick...

Maybe tanking was good..

Also, the last time we were winning Superbowls our QB was the #1 pick in the draft.

 

[Sydla]

All of that is true, however the fact remains. Closer you pick toward the front, the more good players will be available. That is the fact that cannot be refuted.

Good players being selected elsewhere does not negate this fact.

Yes. Listing players from a different time that weren't Top 10 picks doesn't disprove this theory at all. Plus, the value of a higher pick could be as important as any potential player if a team can trade that pick for a windfall of other picks.

Based on this draft and who might be available and the fact there could be 4 QBs taken in the Top 10 picks, having a top pick could result in the Cowboys being able to trade out and grab a few more premium picks.

 

[MoistMayonnaise]

Funny, the reason we have so few top 10 picks is that we are just good enough to not be bad enough. The curse of being mediocre.

 

[Sydla]

So a question to the tankers.
Not that you would go out of your way to go to a sports bar to watch them if it was the only way to do so.

So say, if you had to go and you had no other choice not too.
And the crowd was all wanting Dallas to win. Would you actively be rooting for a loss in front of them? Saying we must have a higher draft pick. Knowing you may get your butt whipped.

I don't root for them to lose. I am largely indifferent as to whether they win or lose. But I am also not a moron that can't see having the highest pick possible is much better for this franchise than winning a couple of meaningless games down the stretch.

 

[RonnieT24]

Those that want to tank were hoping to be in the Lawrence sweepstakes. But that ship has sailed. Now they want to tank to maintain a high draft choice.

Dallas won last week, but so did Atlanta and San Diego. NY, Jacksonville, and Cincinnati have clinched the top three spots. The highest Dallas can select is #4.

Drafting higher is not about the 1st round but every round. With a 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th round comp picks, along with their own, Dallas can take a big step of addressing deficiencies on the team.

All true.. but 5-37-59-91 is not a huge difference from 8-40-62-94 to me. I still get 4 of the top 100 players. If I scout well and coach well they will be fine. The Garrett regime drafted in the middle of the draft most of his tenure thanks to all them 8-8 seasons.. Yet managed to get Dez, Fredbeard, Zack, Tyron, Zeke, Byron, Murray, and Dak. 7 All pro players while almost always drafting in the middle. Two, Tyron and Martin, probably on a hall of fame trajectory unless injury takes them out. That aint nothin to sneeze at. With better coaching that nucleus would have a ring by now. Or maybe a LITTLE more focus on drafting quality on defense. While they have not completely ignored it.. they have certainly reached for more guys on defense than most of us would like. Hopefully now that Rod is not here to fall in love with a guy during the interview we can just draft the best f-in football player on defense. Send him to charm school if we need him to be likeable.

 

[Sydla]

Funny, the reason we have so few top 10 picks is that we are just good enough to not be bad enough. The curse of being mediocre.

There should be a mega-like button on this board. Because this post would deserve it.

The Cowboys draft just well enough to be anywhere from mediocre to good. But enough screw ups in FA and coaching hires prevents them from being great.

 

[kskboys]

Witten was actually a third rounder, wasn't he?

Aikman was the 1st pick in the draft, wasn't he?

 

[SteveTheCowboy]

Not miserable at all. Everyone has their own personal way of being a fan. Not evaluating and assessing is your way, and I respect that.

It's my belief that we do have fans that enjoy being "miserable"...constant complaining...and try to encourage others to be/do the same.

 

[RonnieT24]

I don't root for them to lose. I am largely indifferent as to whether they win or lose. But I am also not a moron that can't see having the highest pick possible is much better for this franchise than winning a couple of meaningless games down the stretch.

I dunno.. maybe it's the old player and coach in me.. but aside from games played after everything is clinched, I've never really thought of any game as "meaningless." I have zero interest in watching my team lose. I guess that makes me one of your "morons."

 

[SteveTheCowboy]

All of that is true, however the fact remains. Closer you pick toward the front, the more good players will be available. That is the fact that cannot be refuted.

Good players being selected elsewhere does not negate this fact.

And that does not negate the FACT..that if you draft well...you can find good players anywhere.

Or that you can EASILY screw up those high picks.

And that is surely worth losing for.

 

[Sydla]

All true.. but 5-37-59-91 is not a huge difference from 8-40-62-94 to me. I still get 4 of the top 100 players. If I scout well and coach well they will be fine. The Garrett regime drafted in the middle of the draft most of his tenure thanks to all them 8-8 seasons.. Yet managed to get Dez, Fredbeard, Zack, Tyron, Zeke, Byron, Murray, and Dak. 7 All pro players while almost always drafting in the middle. Two, Tyron and Martin, probably on a hall of fame trajectory unless injury takes them out. That aint nothin to sneeze at. With better coaching that nucleus would have a ring by now. Or maybe a LITTLE more focus on drafting quality on defense. While they have not completely ignored it.. they have certainly reached for more guys on defense than most of us would like. Hopefully now that Rod is not here to fall in love with a guy during the interview we can just draft the best f-in football player on defense. Send him to charm school if we need him to be likeable.

A 3 spot difference in the first round could also mean an extra pick in any sort of trade. Now maybe you don't believe the Cowboys will make a trade but the reality is the higher the pick, the more valuable in a trade. Just by using the draft value chart, the difference between 5th and 8th is 300 points which is a late 2nd round, early third round selection.

You may not think that's important but it can be.

 

[TequilaCowboy]

So a question to the tankers.
Not that you would go out of your way to go to a sports bar to watch them if it was the only way to do so.

So say, if you had to go and you had no other choice not too.
And the crowd was all wanting Dallas to win. Would you actively be rooting for a loss in front of them? Saying we must have a higher draft pick. Knowing you may get your butt whipped.

You seem to assume that "tankers" are only found here on CZ.... i would not be shocked if half of those fans in the sports bars at this point of the season have also smartly realized this team is a joke and roadkill and might as well win a top prize at the end of the season for their feeble efforts.