Did We Move the Proverbial Needle this Off-season?

[Rockport]

No I want them to win a SB. I also KNOW they can't with this QB. He has shown who he is over and over again, no reason to think this year will be any different.

Well, we’ll see you when they get a new QB then. Until then, hasta la vista. There’s no reason for you to be here.

 

[CowboysFaninHouston]

Thank you for finally admitting that the signing moved the needle towards becoming a better team.

I never said we didn't become better. that's you not reading my posts. or not understanding because you are so dug into your own way of thinking.

I said, we are not a championship Level team. we got a player. we weren't one player away. and its a one year rental. we were top offense two years ago. ended up getting gashed on defense by GB, the year before that couldn't stop the run and got abused. and the year before that we got gashed on the ground at home. see the pattern?

 

[beware_d-ware]

For 2025, I think we're treading water.

We fired McCarthy, and replaced him with another puppet coach, Schotty is a career mediocrity hired mostly so that Dak doesn't need to learn a new offense. Just another normal Jerry coach. Eberflus was god awful as a head coach, just completely in over his head and completely toxic, but we've seen him fare much better as a DC.

Free agency was the normal non-impact. I like that we kept Osa on a very reasonable deal, don't like that we lost Dowdle and Golston. As usual, we added zero outside help, just a parade of first-round busts. At least we didn't have like eight freaking starters walk out the door like last offseason.

The draft was pretty good. Booker is going to have to be a stud to meaningfully move the needle over TJ Bass. Eziaroku and Revel were absolute steals, but they're probably not going to be Day 1 impact players. DEs usually take a season to blossom, and Revel has a bad wheel.

Pickens is toxic as hell off the field, but on it, he's exactly what this offense needed. Joe Milton was a sneaky good grab that doesn't get discussed enough. Obviously he's unproven, but he has physical talent that Cooper Rush can only dream of, and he's not far away from putting those tools together. Rumor was that he was playing neck and neck with Maye on the Patriots practice field, and the Pats dealt him because they were hard-committed to developing their 3rd overall pick.

Long term, I just don't think we're winning anything with this Dak/Schotty combo. Dak is racking up lower-body injuries and likely heading towards the end of his career, and the "yes, Jerry" puppet HC strategy has never led to success here. If anything, it's only got #1 seeded playoff teams to fall flat on their face.

 

[Pass2Run]

For 2025, I think we're treading water.

We fired McCarthy, and replaced him with another puppet coach, Schotty is a career mediocrity hired mostly so that Dak doesn't need to learn a new offense. Just another normal Jerry coach. Eberflus was god awful as a head coach, just completely in over his head and completely toxic, but we've seen him fare much better as a DC.

Free agency was the normal non-impact. I like that we kept Osa on a very reasonable deal, don't like that we lost Dowdle and Golston. As usual, we added zero outside help, just a parade of first-round busts. At least we didn't have like eight freaking starters walk out the door like last offseason.

The draft was pretty good. Booker is going to have to be a stud to meaningfully move the needle over TJ Bass. Eziaroku and Revel were absolute steals, but they're probably not going to be Day 1 impact players. DEs usually take a season to blossom, and Revel has a bad wheel.

Pickens is toxic as hell off the field, but on it, he's exactly what this offense needed. Joe Milton was a sneaky good grab that doesn't get discussed enough. Obviously he's unproven, but he has physical talent that Cooper Rush can only dream of, and he's not far away from putting those tools together. Rumor was that he was playing neck and neck with Maye on the Patriots practice field, and the Pats dealt him because they were hard-committed to developing their 3rd overall pick.

Long term, I just don't think we're winning anything with this Dak/Schotty combo. Dak is racking up lower-body injuries and likely heading towards the end of his career, and the "yes, Jerry" puppet HC strategy has never led to success here. If anything, it's only got #1 seeded playoff teams to fall flat on their face.

But what if Milton does end up being QB? Pickens would feast, theoretically at least.

 

[Pass2Run]

You nailed it.

Let's shoot for last place so we can get first place. Self-hating, backwards thinking.

 

[beware_d-ware]

But what if Milton does end up being QB? Pickens would feast, theoretically at least.

I think Dak can get Pickens to some pretty decent production. Pickens put up an 1,100 yard season with Kenny Pickett. Dak's arm is really fading on him, but there's a lot more to throwing a deep ball than raw arm strength, and Dak has the other stuff down.

If Milton breaks out, then Pickens is going to feed, but it would also confirm that the Cowboys have the devil's luck with QBs. Romo and Dak were both monster hits considering that we paid almost nothing to get them, and hitting on Milton would make it 3 steals in a row.

 

[Pass2Run]

I think Dak can get Pickens to some pretty decent production. Pickens put up an 1,100 yard season with Kenny Pickett. Dak's arm is really fading on him, but there's a lot more to throwing a deep ball that raw arm strength, and Dak has the other stuff down.

If Milton breaks out, then Pickens is going to feed, but it would also confirm that the Cowboys have the devil's luck with QBs. Romo and Dak were both monster hits considering that we paid almost nothing to get them, and hitting on Milton would make it 3 steals in a row.

True. It's either good luck or just being savvy at finding good QBs on the cheap.

 

[Cowboy4ever]

Well, we’ll see you when they get a new QB then. Until then, hasta la vista. There’s no reason for you to be here.

there is always a chance he gets benched for one reason or another..

 

[big dog cowboy]

we had two bad drafts in a row in 23, 24....essentially ended up with nothing.

 

[big dog cowboy]

I'm still terrified of the Steele/Guyton duo. I think if anything has a chance to derail the season it's our OT play.

If anything derails this season, it won't be the OT's.

 

[Rockport]

I never said we didn't become better. that's you not reading my posts. or not understanding because you are so dug into your own way of thinking.

I said, we are not a championship Level team. we got a player. we weren't one player away. and its a one year rental. we were top offense two years ago. ended up getting gashed on defense by GB, the year before that couldn't stop the run and got abused. and the year before that we got gashed on the ground at home. see the pattern?

You said they didn’t move the needle. They did with the Pickens trade whether you like it or not.

 

[Rockport]

there is always a chance he gets benched for one reason or another..

We’ll see you when that happens.

 

[CowboysFaninHouston]

the only guy who is doing good in those two drafts is Beebe.
Guyton has to prove he was worth the first round pick....he disappointed last year
Jury out on Kneeland who really didn't do much before his injury.
Kneeland didn't do much prior to injury. 14 total tackles in 11 games.

Don't get me started on Mazi. Schoon is nothing but a back up. overshown has been injured more games than he has played
Fehoko is gone


so two bad drafts pretty much.

 

[CowboysFaninHouston]

You said they didn’t move the needle. They did with the Pickens trade whether you like it or not.

I have said it multiple times. we are not a championship level team. this move doesn't make us a contender. it makes you happy because you measure success by regular season success. rest of us don't.

whether you like it or not, we are not going to be championship contenders. but you don't care....that much is obvious.

"everything is awsome"

 

[Rockport]

I have said it multiple times. we are not a championship level team. this move doesn't make us a contender. it makes you happy because you measure success by regular season success. rest of us don't.

whether you like it or not, we are not going to be championship contenders. but you don't care....that much is obvious.

"everything is awsome"

They moved the needle. Deal with it and quit your whining.

 

[lwehlers]

9-8 is the best i see the cowboys doing this year.

 

[iceberg]

Personally, I don't see how you could think the team didn't at least put in a solid effort at improving.

I won't list all the players, but I think the ones we've added via draft or FA or UDFA or trades, probably move the needle at least a little bit.

I just hope they aren't done yet. I don't know what we're getting done. But get 'er done, Jerry!

they sold the future on dak, so it all had to go around him.

did they give him help?

Much better than last year.

plus on RB
plus on WR
plus on OL

you may or may not like the moves, but the right moves were made. now to see if they're the right players.

the big ??? is the coach. will he dominate the sidelines or get lost. that's our future.

 

[StarOfGlory]

Of course we improved. But did we improve more than rest of our division and top teams in NFC?

Ultimately it’s not just about what we did but how the rest of our division and conference did.

It looks like on the face we are still probably a 3rd place team team behind Phil and Wash. And most would argue NY had one of the best drafts. If their new QB blossoms quickly Cowboys could have worst QB in division. For now 3rd best.

I think it’s fairly easy to name 7 NFC teams ahead of us. That said if we can remain healthy this year we should be contending for that last seed if we have 8 or 9 wins which is the forecast for 2025.

I think we pass Washington this year. They had five last minute wins with luck on their side. We should have swept them last year. I wouldn't be shocked if we swept the Commies and Giants but got swept by the Eagles.

 

[StarOfGlory]

The Eagles could take a step back. Not saying they will, but they did lose their offensive coordinator, their top pass rusher (Sweat), one of their top DEs/DTs (Milton Williams), two of their top DBs (Slay, Gardner-Johnson), a starting guard (Mekhi Becton), etc.

Now, the Eagles have replacements for those players, but that doesn't mean that the chemistry will be the same. There's a reason why the NFC East doesn't have repeat division champs.

This is what sucks. The two rookie DB's they drafted looked like seasoned pros all the way through the Super Bowl. When Dickerson and Jurgens had to miss time in the playoffs because they could barely move, the backups came in and did the job--not as good as the starters, but good enough to win. They didn't have a starting LB for the last seven games, and it didn't matter. I have to figure that sooner or later, their luck with draft picks and coaching up other team's castoffs will fall off. Soon, I hope.

 

[gimmesix]

This is what sucks. The two rookie DB's they drafted looked like seasoned pros all the way through the Super Bowl. When Dickerson and Jurgens had to miss time in the playoffs because they could barely move, the backups came in and did the job--not as good as the starters, but good enough to win. They didn't have a starting LB for the last seven games, and it didn't matter. I have to figure that sooner or later, their luck with draft picks and coaching up other team's castoffs will fall off. Soon, I hope.

It's really hard to tell. Some of the fall-off for Philly after their Super Bowl runner-up appearance was health-related. Some of it was players getting frustrated by their roles or by the play of others. Some of it was coordinator failure. Some of it was players not playing as well as they hopes.

I'm not necessarily expecting another fall-off, but they have had quite a bit of change and you never know how that is going to turn out.