What we cannot see yet

[ArtClink]

Shouldn’t we all just let everyone fan as they choose?

No one should be critical of any fellow fan for here their opinions. That’s the heart of this site isn’t it? Fan how you choose.

Besides who is the judge of what’s positive or negative here? Calling someone “pessimistic” is kind of negative in and of itself.

This!!

 

[Kwyn]

Yes for once our trenches have been fortified on both sides of the ball.
We have finally started to build the team correctly from the inside out.
It's not always glamorous selling the most jerseys.
But big physical men with talent in the middle of both lines is a good way to start imposing your will on the rest of the league.

Offensive line fortified?

What makes the 2026 oline better than last year?

 

[SteveTheCowboy]

I think we can agree the defense will be better. How could it not be with all the talent we’ve added and where it was .

How much we will have to wait and see along with how much it impacts results. That’s all been trying to say.

What I’ve been pushing back on from others is making predictions how far it will take us into playoffs and beyond. Too early to tell.

I think a new coach will help.

I think individually....we could not be THAT bad. I think with better coaching, schemes, plans and ....motivation. it could have been better.

And it would seem we did add some way better talent.

Just have to put it together.

 

[SteveTheCowboy]

Nope, you swung and missed.

A leader is nothing w/o talent.

I didn't swing at anything.

Of course you need some talent ....competence will do.

A true leader....can make someone better than what their perceived talent indicates.

Of else....why have a "leader"? If they are so very talented.

 

[Cowboys5217]

This franchise has had soft teams for most of the last 3 decades. I think 07 and 14 were 2 teams that were not soft. I want to see them be nasty and physical and push teams around. Go hammer the Giants week one. That's what I want to see.

They were soft when it the stakes were the highest.

 

[plasticman]

At least we can say the circumstances are improved.

For the first time in a long time, they will not enter the regular season dripping in adversity.

There is no devastating injury list (knock on wood).

No public, nasty contract dispute.

It would be refreshing to have a season where the adversity is limited to their won/loss record and their standings in the division and conference.

 

[kskboys]

I didn't swing at anything.

Of course you need some talent ....competence will do.

A true leader....can make someone better than what their perceived talent indicates.

Of else....why have a "leader"? If they are so very talented.

Sure.

 

[kskboys]

I agree you need talent I'm not saying that you can take a couple good leaders and get by with a bunch of Scrubs.

But I am saying that proper elite leadership gets the most out of the talent you have.

I believe that we have had talent in the past and because of lack of leadership I think we have underachieved and that talent has not reached its potential.

A guy like Randy Gregory comes to mind if he was coached by Ernie stautner and on a defensive line with Randy White Harvey Martin and too tall would he have straightened his act up and made something out of his career .

Definitely think with that kind of leadership around him things could have turned out different

Disagree. We lacked talent, plain and simple. Leadership does not make someone who can't stop the run suddenly be able to stop the run.

 

[kskboys]

Talent is the first thing a great football team needs. But Kev, we also know that leadership does matter. A ton.

Great GMs, front office staff, and especially…outstanding coaching is huge in this league.

If talent alone was all that mattered, even some yahoo could coach a team to a championship. I’ve always believed that great teams have a math formula: Leadership (with a vision) + Talent + coaching + culture = great team. Take one of those away and it’s extremely difficult.

You’re right. Without talent, leadership doesn’t matter. But talent alone is not enough. Of all fan bases, we should know that.

All of it matters, absolutely. However, talent is first. I've never said talent is all it takes.

 

[SteveTheCowboy]

All of it matters, absolutely. However, talent is first. I've never said talent is all it takes.

No...you said pretty much that.

Talent over anything else....was the message you clearly sent.

If you didn't mean exactly that....well...come in not so hot.

 

[kskboys]

No...you said pretty much that.

Talent over anything else....was the message you clearly sent.

If you didn't mean exactly that....well...come in not so hot.

No, I did not.

Yes, talent over everything else. Absolutely. However, you also need coaching and chemistry and a thousand other little things.

I come in hot because talent is first, and w/o it you are going nowhere.

 

[Blackrain]

Offensive line fortified?

What makes the 2026 oline better than last year?

First we used first round picks on Tyler Smith Tyler Booker and Tyler guyton and a third round pick on Cooper BB.
In my mind that's some substantial draft capital used to improve the offensive line.

Tyler Booker is no longer a rookie and with a year under his belt and another year of strength training he will be improved.

Tyler guyton is said to have secured the left tackle job and has played really really well per Brian shotenheimer.
So this is good news as he was inconsistent and obviously needed time to develop.

Tyler Smith is a dominant player and Cooper bee bee is more than living up to his draft status.

Terrance Steel is the one weak link on the line but it's kind of hard to have first round draft picks at every position on your offensive line.
I think we have done a pretty good job of trying to provide good talent in this area by way of the draft.

 

[Hawkeye0202]

First we used first round picks on Tyler Smith Tyler Booker and Tyler guyton and a third round pick on Cooper BB.
In my mind that's some substantial draft capital used to improve the offensive line.

Tyler Booker is no longer a rookie and with a year under his belt and another year of strength training he will be improved.

Tyler guyton is said to have secured the left tackle job and has played really really well per Brian shotenheimer.
So this is good news as he was inconsistent and obviously needed time to develop.

Tyler Smith is a dominant player and Cooper bee bee is more than living up to his draft status.

Terrance Steel is the one weak link on the line but it's kind of hard to have first round draft picks at every position on your offensive line.
I think we have done a pretty good job of trying to provide good talent in this area by way of the draft.

This is encouraging .........Schotty and Adams have made similar comments. Not sure how much this improvement will translate but it's def good to see/hear.

 

[SteveTheCowboy]

No, I did not.

Yes, talent over everything else. Absolutely. However, you also need coaching and chemistry and a thousand other little things.

I come in hot because talent is first, and w/o it you are going nowhere.

I've played with talented teams and bands. We did not always win of play awesome.

Having inspiration . Even just tonight...a player said hard work is better than talent.

I'll take his word over yours. Not sorry.

 

[Blackrain]

I’d have to lean more with KSK on this that Talent is the key factor in NFL.

Cowboys were a great example how a Yahoo could lead the most talented team to a championship. I present Barry Switzer

And I’d agree without it’s extremely difficult as we blew one as a result of not having that leadership. And maybe more.

Winning that Super bowl with Barry Switzer probably set us back decades.

Reinforced Jerry's theory that anyone could coach the team.

We had such great leadership and talent on that team that it overcame the coaching and culture.

We had 10 pro bowlers that year and leaders like Troy. Michael, Emmitt,Charles Haley ,Darren woodson. Larry Allen.

 

[Diehardblues]

I've played with talented teams and bands. We did not always win of play awesome.

Having inspiration . Even just tonight...a player said hard work is better than talent.

I'll take his word over yours. Not sorry.

On some levels that might be successful but at professional level. Talent trumps all. It’s why Jimmy went 1-15 without it. And Landry 0-11-1.

Great leadership has an eye for talent with building skills and then can optimize but without talent is limited . I’m not sure a band is a good analogy for a professional sports team especially NFL. On Amateur level perhaps .

Hard work only goes so far. Someone with far more talent or brains who uses it in certain fields will surpass . That said we need the lunch pale types to help carry the load cause the most talented and gifted don’t always work the hardest cause it comes easier to them.

 

[Diehardblues]

No, I did not.

Yes, talent over everything else. Absolutely. However, you also need coaching and chemistry and a thousand other little things.

I come in hot because talent is first, and w/o it you are going nowhere.

Yep. It all begins with talent. And better leadership , coaching and chemistry optimize. That said all teams need the hard working over achievers as well.

Just ask Jimmy with his 1-15 team and a Landry 0-11-1 if they had more success with more talent. There’s a reason HC’s don’t have as much success season to season or team to team. Talent with a Capital T.

 

[Blackrain]

Disagree. We lacked talent, plain and simple. Leadership does not make someone who can't stop the run suddenly be able to stop the run.

Not the best example stopping the run has a lot to do with physicality and a player sacrificing his body sticking his nose in there and taking on a runner with a full head of steam.

Leadership leads men to do things they can do but may not want to do.

We have all heard the saying his teammates would walk through the fire for him.

A better example I think would be an offensive lineman who has poor lateral movement and bad feet leadership is not going to fix those negative physical traits.
He is still going to get beat by a more talented defensive lineman.

That said take a guy like trayvon diggs.
The guy was talented then evolved into everything I hate about today's football players avoided anything physical didn't want to tackle.
With the right kind of leadership around him he might still have a career that attitude would never have flown on Tom Landry's defense. With Cliff Harris or Ronnie Lott's defense or Ray Lewis's defense.

 

[Blackrain]

Yep. It all begins with talent. And better leadership , coaching and chemistry optimize. That said all teams need the hard working over achievers as well.

Just ask Jimmy with his 1-15 team and a Landry 0-11-1 if they had more success with more talent. There’s a reason HC’s don’t have as much success season to season or team to team. Talent with a Capital T.

There is also a reason why some coaches have success from season to season.

Even though they don't get to draft the most talented players because of where their team is finishing every year.

Coaches like Tom Landry and Bill belichick who had success season after season. Were elite leaders once in a lifetime leaders that knew how to make the absolute best out of the talent that they had even though they were unable to draft the best talent because of finishing so well and making the playoffs

You could throw a guy like Jason Garrett all the talent in the draft year after year and you're still going to get mediocre results because he is not a leader he does not have good leadership qualities he cannot get the most out of his men and that was proven year after year

 

[kskboys]

I've played with talented teams and bands. We did not always win of play awesome.

Having inspiration . Even just tonight...a player said hard work is better than talent.

I'll take his word over yours. Not sorry.

Hard work is irrelevant w/o talent in the NFL. Comparing playing in the NFL to HS football or band doesn't work. The NFL is an entirely different matter.

It's not about taking someone's word. What you're referring to is maximizing one's talent as opposed to skating by.