Seahawks sign DT Hankins

[TheMarathonContinues]

Quality franchises look to mitigate risk, however. A quality franchise would see what Mazi Smith was in 2023 and admit to themselves they have to mitigate some risk in case he doesn't improve and plays closer to what he did in 2023. We do not and that's a huge problem. See the Cowboys don't need Smith to just improve. The way they have this set up, they are counting on him to be great and solve our DT issues. How likely is that?

Well for one I don't think you or me confuse this franchise with being ran like a quality franchise.

If this team ever did win a SB it would be in spite of Jerry IMO.

As far as Mazi goes....they need him to be what they wanted when they drafted him. He doesn't need to be a star. Hell if he's a younger Jonathan Hanskins that in itself would help.

Like I said in a previous post, we needed Christian Wilkins. Did we need to spend 100 million on him? It's not my money so I wouldn't have cared but it wouldn't have been smart. Cowboys need improvement personnel wise at linebacker and DT. They could've improved it this offseason in free agency. They don't seem to want to take on salary. I don't get it. People seem to think it means they are rebuilding. I think it's just the same incompetence we've been seeing for 28 years.

 

[TheMarathonContinues]

And it’s basically the problem with the front office I call it the “hope” effect. Last year instead of getting Wagner? They rely on lve and “hope” he stays healthy. Few years ago they go into the year with no wide receivers and “hope” one established themselves as a 1- before ultimately trading for cooper.

Let pollard go? Sign an established vet? Nope, we “hope” Rico can be that vet and we “hope” a drafted rb can be our 1. Need a d tackle? Sign a vet? Re- sign Hankins? Nope, we “hope” mazi steps. It’s just half measures all around with them. They won’t go the extra step necessary to cover their bases.

I mean if our options are Pollard and Hankins then yeah I Dont' fault the Cowboys for going with Mazi and drafting a RB. The production of those two guys can be replaced.

 

[Sydla]

Well I don't disagree the approach is silly and foolish. I'm just saying we are so quick to write guys off. We assume a guy will be bad when we just don't know.

I think some scheme change will improve this rush defense. And if they make the choice of putting Micah at linebacker that too will improve it. I also think Mazi will be better next year. It will improve IMO. Super Bowl worthy? I don't see it. But they will add some DT's at some point.

The DT's that we needed to put us over the top got 100 million. Everyone else was a JAG.

There are just some positions you have to draft. To me linebacker and DT are those spots. In order to find those generational guys who can come in and impact a defense you have to find them in the draft. Because teams typically don't let them go and when they do they get 100 million.

I am not writing anyone off. I am simply being realistic and understanding that you can mitigate some roster risk and youth risk by being more active in FA and trying to sure up some positions.

I mean let's be quite clear. Mazi Smith was bad last year. He looked slow at times, got beat off the snap quite a bit, manhandled at times. He was likely one of, if not the, worst first round pick last year. Seems extremely risky to then just say, as a franchise, well he'll be much better and therefore, we can go cheap at DT again and maybe draft a kid. We can do pie in the sky or we can do reality. Cowboys seem to love pie in the sky.

 

[TheMarathonContinues]

I’m doing the exact opposite actually….the poster said the linebackers are “greatly improved” and included overshown in that. You can’t because exactly of what you said. We don’t know. He could suck, he could be great. He could be ok, but you can’t just pencil it in like it’s problem solved. I’m saying we don’t know.

We literally have no idea. So while Kendrick’s is a good add, ideally he’s linebacker 2 or on really really elite teams he’d be number 3.

With Greenlaw out Kendricks was about to be #2 on the 49ers. I don't know what to expect out of Kendricks. I assume the same we typically get from past their prime linebackers but who knows.


As far as what the poster is saying....the linebacker group could be greatly improved. It could be bad. We just don't know. So I wouldn't say he's wrong in that opinion just like I wouldn't say you are wrong that Overshown wouldn't be good.

 

[TheMarathonContinues]

I am not writing anyone off. I am simply being realistic and understanding that you can mitigate some roster risk and youth risk by being more active in FA and trying to sure up some positions.

I mean let's be quite clear. Mazi Smith was bad last year. He looked slow at times, got beat off the snap quite a bit, manhandled at times. He was likely one of, if not the, worst first round pick last year. Seems extremely risky to then just say, as a franchise, well he'll be much better and therefore, we can go cheap at DT again and maybe draft a kid. We can do pie in the sky or we can do reality. Cowboys seem to love pie in the sky.

I don't disagree about Mazi. I guess I'll ask what did you want them to do? You invested a 1st rounder in Mazi. It's year 2. So for me personally if I felt he was good enough for a 1st rounder last year I feel like he should be good enough to start.

He was a 1st round pick. He needs to be ready. And if he shows he can't do that replace him. Trade for someone. I

 

[rambo2]

We took a DT in Rd 1 last year and he was a non-factor. Assuming a DT we take in Rd 2 or Rd 3 this year can make an immediate impact seems kind of foolish, no? And that's one guy. You need at least 4-5 DTs on a 53. We have two we can count on right now. Two. And one is Mazi Smith who we have no idea if he will develop into even a competent player.

I like Overshown but he is an undersized LB. He has a certain role. If you are counting on him being some sort of run stopping thumper, guess what? You are going to be disappointed. In fact, it may be shown that he was a better fit in Quinn's defense than Zimmer's.

No, it isn't foolish. These dtackles are good.

 

[CTcowboy203]

I mean if our options are Pollard and Hankins then yeah I Dont' fault the Cowboys for going with Mazi and drafting a RB. The production of those two guys can be replaced.

their options weren’t pollard though..they passed on Derrick Henry, Aaron jones, Barkley, moss, Jacob’s, ekeler, even the Dillon’s and foreman cheap guys etc. there options weren’t only Hankins, they passed on reader, Stewart, aarmstead, Williams, jones, kinlaw etc.
That doesn’t include the linebackers they passed on.

So no pollard and Hankins weren’t the only options. The cowboys are worse right now at o line, d line, running back and corner until Gilmore comes back and yes Hankins can be replaced again it’s hoping that mazi can be the one to replace him.

While the nfl is always risky and unexpected things happen, the championship teams mitigate their risk. The cowboys are doing the opposite and that’s the point.

 

[CTcowboy203]

With Greenlaw out Kendricks was about to be #2 on the 49ers. I don't know what to expect out of Kendricks. I assume the same we typically get from past their prime linebackers but who knows.


As far as what the poster is saying....the linebacker group could be greatly improved. It could be bad. We just don't know. So I wouldn't say he's wrong in that opinion just like I wouldn't say you are wrong that Overshown wouldn't be good.

Right, so it’s a crap shoot. lol. We have no idea. Championship teams don’t go into years consistently with that level of risk if they are serious about “stopping the run” and running the ball.

That’s the entire point. They rely entirely on the draft - which is hope. Free agency you are over paying for established proven talent. That’s why u pay more. The cowboys can do BOTH. The draft and free agency. They do nothing in free agency and the results are always the same.

You can’t just completely ignore one of the three main components of building a roster ; trades, free agency, draft. They don’t need to go crazy with blank checks but they can be smart and make good signings.

 

[starfan1]

of all the activity or non activity thus far I think this is the one that that concerns me. I can live with the other ones but we have to stop the run and as of now Mazi sucks. He could improve this year but letting big hank go is annoying but nothing new. one could hope for some variation of this. Need a trade down partner. I feel like Mims and JPJ will both be gone at 24 maybe Barton as well. DT must be one of first 2 picks IMO
27.
Byron Murphy IIDT Texas

56.
Cooper BeebeOG Kansas State
87.
Blake CorumRB Michigan
91.
James WilliamsLB Miami (FL)

169.
Tommy EichenbergLB Ohio State

174.
Jarrian JonesCB Florida State
216.
Charles TurnerOC LSU
233.
Carson SteeleRB UCLA
244.
Ryan WattsS Texas

 

[LittleD]

Oh I know who owns the team.

All I am saying is IF he's undertaking some sort of under the radar rebuild, he's screwing it up by keeping Dak on the roster for 2024.

I believe that Dak's contract is guaranteed for this year and his base salary is 29 million. He's going to get that money so he might as well play for this year so that he and Fat Mike leave together.

 

[Sydla]

I don't disagree about Mazi. I guess I'll ask what did you want them to do? You invested a 1st rounder in Mazi. It's year 2. So for me personally if I felt he was good enough for a 1st rounder last year I feel like he should be good enough to start.

He was a 1st round pick. He needs to be ready. And if he shows he can't do that replace him. Trade for someone. I

Simple. Knowing the downside risk in Mazi, you go out in FA and sign a quality DT. You don't even have to go Christian Wilkins or Chris Jones. Go out and grab a mid level DT that, worst case, just gives you solid, adequate play. Maybe someone a little better than Hankins. That's what a smart franchise would do. Smart franchises understand realities and don't get bogged down in loyalty or concerns over how they would look if they accepted the reality their top pick might not be that good. They look to mitigate risk if they can.

They literally have done nothing at DT. Nothing. They have two viable ones on their entire roster right now and one is an undersized guy that one might say isn't an ideal fit in Zimmer's defense and the other is Mazi Smith who was woeful last year. It's not like you'd have to move a DT off the roster to make space. You literally only have two halfway competent DTs on your entire roster right now.

 

[fivetwos]

Their all-in is being willing to pay big money for their star players. I don't think they view who they've lost as must keeps.

Armstrong and Fowler were rotational ends. They've got Lawrence and Parsons as their primary pass rushers and have not gotten as much out of their second-round pick as they've probably wanted. Removing his competition means they get to see if he can live up to it.

Biadasz wasn't a star center worthy of a star contract, so they've gone with the young backup for the moment. (I'm absolutely sure we will draft a center; not sure when.)

Tyron was an aging star with injury issues. We drafted his eventual replacement a couple of years ago and saw promising play in limited roles from Bass and Richards.

Pollard didn't live up to his franchise tag. I think Dowdle is just a placeholder and running back will be high on our draft list.

This tweet says we tried to keep Hankins, but weren't willing to pay as much as Seattle. Our justification for that is likely that we spent a first-round pick on an NT last year.

If our strategy was to tank this season, like some believe it is, we definitely would not have signed Kendricks and we probably would not have re-signed Lewis.

That’s exactly what that comment meant. I don’t know think many people actually heard the quote because it was clear within the context that it did not mean a FA bonanza.

As far as the strategy, from the POV of what they probably think…they know they aren’t good enough to win but don’t want to admit they are headed into a ‘transition’ (watch and see if Jerry doesn’t utter that word when he comes out of his hole), and want to ride the three 12 win seasons the way they have been living off past championships.

The guys they let go….every one of them was expendable and the case could be made that they were better off moving on, but there’s absolutely NO way the case could be made that they are going to be better off one draft….even if they were picking high and had extra capital, which is far from the case.

 

[Sydla]

No, it isn't foolish. These dtackles are good.

What DTs are good? The ones in the draft?

Well you also thought Mazi Smith was good and would help. How'd that work out? Further, how do you even know we'll be in a position to grab one of them?

You are literally proving my point and are too foolish to see it.

 

[gimmesix]

I’m not saying the team will not find replacements, but this is not their typical m.o. with regards to their own free agents. Replacing this many snaps in a year they are evidently extending their 31 year old QB is not their m.o.

It looks like they are playing the long game, so why would they do that with an older QB about to be extended? The long game approach is something I would prefer at this point, but it is a contradiction to do it with an aging QB-and has not been their off-season plan for awhile.

The Joneses are a walking contradiction. I simply think this free agent class for Dallas was viewed differently than others. Some were allowed to leave because they fit the former defensive coordinator's scheme better than Zimmer's. Some were allowed to leave because they didn't play up to their contract or what they would receive in free agency. Some were allowed to leave because the team had replacement options in hand. We've done all three of those before under the Joneses' current FA strategy. But I think how it has come together this year is making some view it as something it is not.

IMO, if they were playing the long game, then they would have not signed a 32-year-old linebacker to a one-year contract. If they were playing the long game, they would not have re-signed a third corner to a one-year deal. They would have just let their young players fill those positions because this year doesn't really matter.

I believe what we are seeing is their typical MO, but it's a version of it where it worked out that the defensive changes and who we had as free agents meant very few of them were going to be brought back. Why sign any of them, especially to one-year deals, if this is being viewed as a rebuilding or lame-duck season? We could have just as easily filled all those roster spots with rookies and UDFAs.

Even with Hankins, it looks like Dallas tried to bring him back for one year for cheap, which tells me the team is still using its typical free agent philosophy. I think in the end that will be more clear, even if they don't bring in more replacements before the draft.

 

[CTcowboy203]

Dak will be 31 in July. So this year the cowboys plan to reset the cap and clear the books, while developing players on the roster and banking on unproven players from the draft to step into roles. That’s one year of your qb’s dwindling prime years down the drain.

Cleaning the books is likely a 2 year process for the team. Assuming he’s being extended, which he is imo, that means your starting quarterback will be 33 years old when you have any cap flexibility and you essentially wasted 2 years of his new deal to do a soft rest.

If the plan is bringing dak back, which I’m fine with. You go for it now. Right now. Not in 2025.

 

[rambo2]

See this is why it's hard to take you seriously.

They have only 3 real DTs on the entire roster and one is Carl Davis who is a total body and been churned off like three rosters in the last 2 years. The others are Odi, who is a good situational guy but might not be the prototypical DT in Zimmer's system and Mazi Smith who was woeful last year and arguably the worst first round pick from 2023.

You aren't a serious person if you sit here and say our DTs are "good".

Obviously they are going to add some dtackles. I said the dtackles in the draft are good.

 

[gimmesix]

That’s exactly what that comment meant. I don’t know think many people actually heard the quote because it was clear within the context that it did not mean a FA bonanza.

As far as the strategy, from the POV of what they probably think…they know they aren’t good enough to win but don’t want to admit they are headed into a ‘transition’ (watch and see if Jerry doesn’t utter that word when he comes out of his hole), and want to ride the three 12 win seasons the way they have been living off past championships.

The guys they let go….every one of them was expendable and the case could be made that they were better off moving on, but there’s absolutely NO way the case could be made that they are going to be better off one draft….even if they were picking high and had extra capital, which is far from the case.

The only part I don't agree with is what I've bolded. I don't think the Joneses think that way. I think they believe they've got the core of those 12-win teams and if they just draft well to add to that core, they can compete with anyone. They are "all in" on doing what it takes to keep that core because they view that as the path to a title.

 

[TheMarathonContinues]

it’s the timing though that you aren’t factoring in though…when they let guys like ware or Newman and other guys they were a roller coaster organization. One good, one bad year, one good year, one bad year, up and down and all over the place. This team has been a consistent playoff team for 3 straight years….stability the organization hasn’t seen since 96’. They should be adding to that to close the gap between them and the baltimores,buffalo’s, San Fran’s etc.

They let guys go in the past and brought in adequate replacements via free agency (in their price range). Now they are letting guys go and hoping they can fill them in in the draft or hoping they get replacement from guys who have shown nothing. It’s bad execution and terrible timing given where the team is.

Ok well let' look over the past 3 years....let Gregory go, Chido, Xavier Woods, Connor Williams....these were all starters.

Simple. Knowing the downside risk in Mazi, you go out in FA and sign a quality DT. You don't even have to go Christian Wilkins or Chris Jones. Go out and grab a mid level DT that, worst case, just gives you solid, adequate play. Maybe someone a little better than Hankins. That's what a smart franchise would do. Smart franchises understand realities and don't get bogged down in loyalty or concerns over how they would look if they accepted the reality their top pick might not be that good. They look to mitigate risk if they can.

They literally have done nothing at DT. Nothing. They have two viable ones on their entire roster right now and one is an undersized guy that one might say isn't an ideal fit in Zimmer's defense and the other is Mazi Smith who was woeful last year. It's not like you'd have to move a DT off the roster to make space. You literally only have two halfway competent DTs on your entire roster right now.

This is my point though. Why spend money on average DT talent when you can just go to your underachieving 1st round talent from last year? You have that on the team already. We needed a Chris Jones or Wilkins impact on defensive line.

 

[John813]

The problem I see with the draft and DTs is they are like tight ends coming out of the draft. They need time to develop and it's rare to get a good one right off the bat unless you are drafting high and still have some luck on your side.

Say Mazi improves a bit. Going with Mazi and a rookie is a huge risk.
Maybe they'll sign a free agent but it's just odd on what they are doing.
No talks with Prescott on a possible extension to lower his cap hit till July. No talks with CDL to lock him up/reduce cap hit.
No money to "sign" even the lower tier free agents.
Stephen is looking like the next Mike Brown.

Hawkins was replaceable, but I'm not seeing a replacement yet.

 

[Sydla]

Obviously they are going to add some dtackles. I said the dtackles in the draft are good.

I edited my post. I misread your post thinking you were referring to our current roster.