State of the Team

Risen Star

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I was just eyeballing our roster on the team website and I wanted to break down the players to get a real sense of the state of the team before we flip over the couch cushions and enter FA like a wounded lamb.

This was done with an eye to the future. I put them into 6 categories.

Seniors: Quality players who are huge factors now but don't have much of a future with this team.
Core: Established productive young (enough) players you can build around.
Hopes: Young players who have the potential to work their way into the core.
Role: Players who are limited but can be productive within a role on this team. Also any kickers.
Bodies: Spare parts. Players who can make a roster but are easily replaceable.
Flush: Players who either for a lack of talent or a poor contract, need to go now.

A few notes:

I batted around where to put Romo. He could be the QB here for another 5 or 6 years, making him core worthy. But he could also be playing his last couple of years in Dallas with that back. I'm playing it conservative and putting him in with the seniors.

I know most would put Brandon Carr among the core players. I am not one of those people. He's probably the single most over paid player in the league and I'd look to get out of that contract pronto. I could replace Brandon Carr in the 3rd round of this draft class.

Bernadeau is in with the role players. That role being a C/G backup. I like him there. I do not like him as a starting player.

Try not to hyperventilate over where I have Barry Church and/or Doug Free. To me, these guys are bad starters on a bad team. I actually think Church has talent but the game has evolved away from his strengths and exposes his weaknesses. He can not cover a route of ground like you need these days from your safeties. An in the box safety belongs in the Bodies list in today's NFL.

Yes, I expect DeMarcus Ware to remain a Cowboy but with his injuries the last couple of seasons I could not include him in any long term core of players.

No impending free agents with the exception of the exclusive rights FA Chris Jones. I did not include any practice squad players. I just didn't have time to break down all that talent.

If you disagree with any of these evaluations feel free to chime in and tell me why you're wrong.

Here is your state of the Dallas Cowboys. Peek through your fingers.

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Seniors
Tony Romo
DeMarcus Ware
Jason Witten

Core
Dez Bryant
Travis Frederick
Sean Lee
DeMarco Murray
Orlando Scandrick
Tyron Smith

Hopes
Bruce Carter
Morris Claiborne
Tyrone Crawford
Gavin Escobar
DeVonte Holloman
Ronald Leary
B.W. Webb
Kyle Wilber
J.J. Wilcox
Terrance Williams

Role
Dan Bailey
Cole Beasley
Mackenzy Bernadeau
Dwayne Harris
L.P. Ladouceur
Sterling Moore
Kyle Orton
George Selvie

Bodies
Ben Bass
Barry Church
Tyler Clutts
Lance Dunbar
Justin Durant
Doug Free
James Hanna
Chris Jones
Jermey Parnell
Joseph Randle
Darrion Weems

Flush
Miles Austin
Brandon Carr
Phil Costa
Jakar Hamilton
Nick Hayden
Jeff Heath
Matt Johnson
Frank Kearse
Cameron Lawrence
Orie Lemon
Martez Wilson
 

reddyuta

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its just time to rebuild,its not the time to give Lee a big contract and its not a time to give a kicker one of the biggest contracts ever.its time Jerry realizes this because will will be mired in mediocrity and only the good play of Romo is helping us achieve even that.
 

NJ22

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I think people would argue that Barry Church was part of the core too. I am not one of them. I would like to see Carr with a pass rush. I don't think anyone could cover with as little pass rush as we had last year.
 

Nation

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Certainly isn't a bad list. I think the exercise itself is tough to do due to the roles other positions have in making an individuals position run correctly. Brandon Carr to me is more than a Flush player in terms of talent, but you can argue him in that spot based on the lack of pressure this team puts on opposing defenses. When they played teams like New York, Washington, and Philly where the D could harass the quarterback Carr was above average to great. When they played Denver, Detroit, and Chicago and the opposite was the case Carr was a disaster. But I think in terms of your premise you're correct, in the sense I'd rather have a JAG at corner and a 8M player on my defensive line than I would a JAG on DL and a 10M player in the secondary.
 

Common Sense

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its just time to rebuild,its not the time to give Lee a big contract and its not a time to give a kicker one of the biggest contracts ever.its time Jerry realizes this because will will be mired in mediocrity and only the good play of Romo is helping us achieve even that.

If it makes you feel any better about the kicker, the Jets just franchised Nick Folk at $3.4 million, or $800,000 less than what Bailey's going to make in 2014 and 2015 combined.
 

Nova

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Not bad list

Why don't you like Bern as a starting player? He played as well as, if not better than the guy everyone was thrilled with early in the season, Brian Waters.
 

Vanilla2

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Church and Carr should be in the role category.

I'd even consider them for hope just because you've gotta hope that they can take a step towards core.
 

DavidS

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I don't fully agree with the list but your threads are much better than Romo2Dbag or whatever his name is.

So good job

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Risen Star

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Not bad list

Why don't you like Bern as a starting player? He played as well as, if not better than the guy everyone was thrilled with early in the season, Brian Waters.

Because I don't trust him to do it over the course of a 16 game season. In fact, I think he was regressing late in the year.
 

AmericasTeam81

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What would be the best way to get Jerry and his son to change their ways or to get them out of the picture?
 

SWG9

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I could nit pick a few placements, but that's a pretty clear eyed and sober assessment.
 
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