4 and 12 record = Zeke

Verdict

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Losing last year put us in position to win it all this year. We drafted high in every round and the difference in the quality of players drafted last year is head and shoulders above prior years.

I am glad we had the 4 and 12 record last year no matter how bad it hurt last year. The 8 and 8 mediocrity that we have had over the years has kept us below the threshold of being a super bowl contender and too good to acquire the talent we needed to put us over the top.

We are doing great drafting. It would be nice to see us trade back in one of the rounds this year and get a pick that is likely to be higher next year if the situation is right to do that.

This team is drafting well enough that I really hate to see us taking chances on weak minded players like Randy Gregory. I'm ok with the Jaylon Smith gamble because if he gets well we won't have a weak minded player who we can't depend on.

If we are going to take a risk with a player let's keep it to a reasonable health risk rather than a mental health/chemical dependency risk unless the risk we are taking is not with a premium pick.
 
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Losing last year put us in position to win it all this year. We drafted high in every round and the difference in the quality of players drafted last year is head and shoulders above prior years.

I am glad we had the 4 and 12 record last year no matter how bad it hurt last year. The 8 and 8 mediocrity that we have had over the years has kept us below the threshold of being a super bowl contender and too good to acquire the talent we needed to put us over the top.

We are doing great drafting. It would be nice to see us trade back in one of the rounds this year and get a pick that is likely to be higher next year if the situation is right to do that.

This team is drafting well enough that I really hate to see us taking chances on weak minded players like Randy Gregory. I'm ok with the Jaylon Smith gamble because if he gets well we won't have a weak minded player who we can't depend on.

If we are going to take a risk with a player let's keep it to a reasonable health risk rather than a mental health/chemical dependency risk unless the risk we are taking is not with a premium pick.

Jerry loves to gamble but I think this last fiasco will take druggies off his list of possible 'bargains'.
 

Longboysfan

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Good point made here.

That is how the NFL keeps balance.

You're good for a few years you pay for it in the level of the players you get to take in the draft.

That is why you need to hit on your top three picks each year.
You can go the route of the Patriots and trade out of the top round and get multiple picks later.
But you had better have a great scouting department to get those players needed to fill the gaps.

But with the scouting services in place now - it's rare - you do not get what you drafted.
The only thing the NFL can't measure exactly is how hard the player will go at the next level.

Dak is an exact example of this.

This past draft we hit multiple players.

We can go on and on about this and drafting.
 

PhillyCowboysFan

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Jerry loves to gamble but I think this last fiasco will take druggies off his list of possible 'bargains'.

I remember after the Michael Irvin fiasco in the mid 90's, it scared Jerry away from drafting Randy Moss because of his weed infractions in college.

Some people can kick the habit and some seem to can't!
 

VACowboy

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Losing last year put us in position to win it all this year. We drafted high in every round and the difference in the quality of players drafted last year is head and shoulders above prior years.

To me, picking at the top just gets you one high pick before the draft really starts.

I am glad we had the 4 and 12 record last year no matter how bad it hurt last year. The 8 and 8 mediocrity that we have had over the years has kept us below the threshold of being a super bowl contender and too good to acquire the talent we needed to put us over the top.

Mmm. I dunno. I HATE losing, and I heartily disagree that NFL teams have to lose to win. Some teams are playoff regulars every year and some teams keep on losing, even though they keep on losing. I don't think mediocre draft position has prevented the Cowboys from contending. I think mediocre drafting, coaching and playing has kept the Cowboys from contending.

We are doing great drafting. It would be nice to see us trade back in one of the rounds this year and get a pick that is likely to be higher next year if the situation is right to do that..

Unless someone offers something ridiculous (like a 1 and a 3 for a barely average QB), I hate kicking the can down the road. I'm kind of partial to staying put and drafting BPA.
 

jazzcat22

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We have quite a few FA's after this year. If some of them aren't out right released before the season ends. So we could get some decent comp picks. But wouldn't those go to the 2018 draft, nott he 2017. Not sure.
I won't speculate on Romo. As far as I am concerned, he will be on this team next year. If something happens, then I will look at things then.

So 2018 may be a huge draft to replace a few players, add depth. Still need to go D next year. And they can trade up, as they will have or should have some extra picks in 2018, for if they trade up and have less picks in 2017.
 

thunderpimp91

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Disagree... Travis Fredrick, Zach Martin, Byron Jones weren't top 5 picks, but all are just as crucial the the success of this team as a guy like Zeke is. We are in a really good spot right now because of consistent hits in the first round, and the ability to find good role players/boarderline starters in the middle rounds. We could have been 8-8 last year, had a pick around 12-17 and still been ok. Probably don't have Zeke right now, but with as good a job of scouting college players the Cowboys have done the past 5 years I think we would still be sitting in a decent spot.
 

Verdict

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Disagree... Travis Fredrick, Zach Martin, Byron Jones weren't top 5 picks, but all are just as crucial the the success of this team as a guy like Zeke is. We are in a really good spot right now because of consistent hits in the first round, and the ability to find good role players/boarderline starters in the middle rounds. We could have been 8-8 last year, had a pick around 12-17 and still been ok. Probably don't have Zeke right now, but with as good a job of scouting college players the Cowboys have done the past 5 years I think we would still be sitting in a decent spot.


You would seldom get player with Zeke's talent level at 12 to 17.
 

Nightman

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Getting a player like Zeke was a silver lining to going 4-12 but it is nothing to shoot for

He could have easily fell to 10-15th as RB and after the 1st round it is really about taking guys you like......we could have got JSmith at 50 instead of 34 imo

NE, BAL and GB prove you can draft well and win....CLE, JAX and DET prove you don't always win with top picks
 

JBell

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Everyone wants to talk about how the 4-12 season was a blessing in disguise.

But it doesn't matter if we went 4-12, 8-8, or 11-5 last year......NONE of it matters if we don't draft Dakota Rayne in the late 4th. He is the catalyst.
 

NEODOG

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Had we traded up....we'd had Sir Wentz & nothing else....Brown, Gathers
 

eyedoc

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Losing last year put us in position to win it all this year. We drafted high in every round and the difference in the quality of players drafted last year is head and shoulders above prior years.

I am glad we had the 4 and 12 record last year no matter how bad it hurt last year. The 8 and 8 mediocrity that we have had over the years has kept us below the threshold of being a super bowl contender and too good to acquire the talent we needed to put us over the top.

We are doing great drafting. It would be nice to see us trade back in one of the rounds this year and get a pick that is likely to be higher next year if the situation is right to do that.

This team is drafting well enough that I really hate to see us taking chances on weak minded players like Randy Gregory. I'm ok with the Jaylon Smith gamble because if he gets well we won't have a weak minded been drafting so well lately. It's great to be able to draft top notch players that make it to the field. I was on the fence between Boss and Zeke. We certainly made the right choice. Go Cowboys

If we are going to take a risk with a player let's keep it to a reasonable health risk rather than a mental health/chemical dependency risk unless the risk we are taking is not with a premium pick.
I agree we were terrible on the field last year. However we could of drafted several top notch players at four i.e. Bosa or the CBC from Florida. The point I am trying to make is just because you have a high draft slot does not mean you will hit on the player. Look at the Cleveland Browns. Year after year they have not drafted many productive players even though they have had very high picks. I
Losing last year put us in position to win it all this year. We drafted high in every round and the difference in the quality of players drafted last year is head and shoulders above prior years.

I am glad we had the 4 and 12 record last year no matter how bad it hurt last year. The 8 and 8 mediocrity that we have had over the years has kept us below the threshold of being a super bowl contender and too good to acquire the talent we needed to put us over the top.

We are doing great drafting. It would be nice to see us trade back in one of the rounds this year and get a pick that is likely to be higher next year if the situation is right to do that.

This team is drafting well enough that I really hate to see us taking chances on weak minded players like Randy Gregory. I'm ok with the Jaylon Smith gamble because if he gets well we won't have a weak minded player who we can't depend on.

If we are going to take a risk with a player let's keep it to a reasonable health risk rather than a mental health/chemical dependency risk unless the risk we are taking is not with a premium pick.
it was painful but we wound up with an incredible running back! Go Cowboys
 

waldoputty

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Losing last year put us in position to win it all this year. We drafted high in every round and the difference in the quality of players drafted last year is head and shoulders above prior years.

I am glad we had the 4 and 12 record last year no matter how bad it hurt last year. The 8 and 8 mediocrity that we have had over the years has kept us below the threshold of being a super bowl contender and too good to acquire the talent we needed to put us over the top.

We are doing great drafting. It would be nice to see us trade back in one of the rounds this year and get a pick that is likely to be higher next year if the situation is right to do that.

This team is drafting well enough that I really hate to see us taking chances on weak minded players like Randy Gregory. I'm ok with the Jaylon Smith gamble because if he gets well we won't have a weak minded player who we can't depend on.

If we are going to take a risk with a player let's keep it to a reasonable health risk rather than a mental health/chemical dependency risk unless the risk we are taking is not with a premium pick.


the injured player 2nd round strategy has yielded Lee, Carter and Jaylon.
Lee is borderline probowler
Carter started before leaving.
Jaylon - we shall see.
But seems like the strategy is working.

Agreed on Gregory, it seems drafting weak minded players is not the way to go.
Live and learn...
 

thunderpimp91

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You would seldom get player with Zeke's talent level at 12 to 17.
That's not true at all. Every draft has superstars slip past the first round all together. We got one in dak in the 4th. Dez wasn't a top 5 pick, neither was anyone on this oline, romo, witten, Lee, etc. Even the other top RBs in the league aside from AP weren't top picks.
 

TheMarathonContinues

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In a perfect world this would've been the year to get a game changer at linebacker or DE but sadly this was the year where none was available at the top of the draft........that guy ended up getting hurt..........we got him in the 2nd round.

I was never for taking a running back that early but being with what was there I had no problem with it. I wouldn't have shed a tear over getting Ramsay but there were too many question marks there. Zeke was going to have his impact felt immediately.
 
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