Rebuilding the Cowboys in 2020

ultron

Well-Known Member
Messages
4,925
Reaction score
8,992
So the Cowboys have a staggering 21 unrestricted free agents coming up this offseason and a ton of them are starters (we're talking like 10 or 11 players). This could go horribly bad, or it could be a good thing.

First and foremost there's a 100% guarantee that Jason Garrett is gone. I don't know what will happen with the coordinators but my best guess is Kellen Moore will be retained and they'll replace the defensive coordinator(s) and special teams coordinator(s). Some people on here will lobby for Kris Richard to stay, but he can kick rocks.

One thing not everyone knows is the CBA is expiring and Dallas can not only use the franchise tag on one of their players but they can also use the transition tag on another - so they could sign one of their top 3 guys and tag the other two.. So that puts them in a powerful negotiating position for players at the top of this list.

Here's some names that you might recognize:

1.) Dak... He never gets hurt, has played well against some pretty bad teams this year and has racked up enough yards to be #2 in the league and the Cowboys have racked up enough yards per game to have the 5th highest yards per game average in NFL history. Yea you read that correctly, but something is missing and I'm not paying this guy more than 30m a year.

2.) Amari Cooper... Gave up a 1st round draft pick to acquire him last year and I think he's been hurt all year and has played extremely well overall. He's a true #1 receiver and I think it's necessary to retain his services.

3.) Byron Jones... Our #1 corner and he was rated as the #1 corner overall in the NFL last season. He can't catch a cold if he was butt naked in Antarctica, but he's a good corner. I think the Cowboys should really start building the best possible defense - so if we can retain Byron, that would be good.

4.) Robert Quinn... Leads the team in sacks but I think he sucks against the run and he's so 'sack happy' that he gets destroyed by the screen game. I hope we can get Randy Gregory back. Quinn can kick rocks if we get Randy back.

5.) Maliek Collins... The DT position is one of the weakest positions on the Cowboys roster and I think Maliek has been a disappointment - if he's gone, I don't really care.

6.) Randall Cobb... I'd love to keep this WR core together, but we might have trouble keeping him. I could see him going back to the Packers, but I hope we retain him.

7.) Michael Bennett... Whatever

8.) Joe Thomas... A serviceable LB that can play all 3 spots. Idk if he's a difference maker or not, I'm looking for some difference makers on D

9.) Sean Lee... I believe he wants to retire as a Cowboy so we'll find a way to make a deal with him

10.) Jeff Heath... He's played hurt for 1/2 the season. I used to hate this guy with a passion and thought he was horrible, but he's gotten better. I think safety is our biggest need - so I wouldn't might an upgrade over Jeff.

11.) Kavon Frasier... Again, if we can get an upgrade at the safety position I don't care if we let him walk

12.) Joe Looney... Filled in nicely for the Beard last year but didn't really play this year. If he'll take a cheap contract I'd keep him but I doubt he stays

13.) Jason Witten... If he wants to stay, I think he's played well enough to give him another year but I don't see him playing another year.

14.) Tavon Austin... Whatever

15.) Anthony Brown... I think we missed him after he went out this year. I think he was our 2nd best CB, but I'm sure not everyone agrees. Don't care either way.

16.) Darien Thompson... KICK ROCKS!

17.) Kerry Hyder... Played well in spurts, I don't care either way if he stays or goes

18.) Blake Jarwin... He's a restricted free agent but he's on my list because I think we really need to resign him and use him a lot more. I think this guy is super athletic and has speed out of the TE position. He has a similar physique to Kittle and we should be using him more and more and more.
 
Last edited:

KingRah

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,319
Reaction score
827
So the Cowboys have a staggering 21 unrestricted free agents coming up this offseason and a ton of them are starters (we're talking like 10 or 11 players). This could go horribly bad, or it could be a good thing.

First and foremost there's a 100% guarantee that Jason Garrett is gone. I don't know what will happen with the coordinators but my best guess is Kellen Moore will be retained and they'll replace the defensive coordinator(s) and special teams coordinator(s). Some people on here will lobby for Kris Richard to stay, but he can kick rocks.

Here's some names that you might recognize:

1.) Dak... He never gets hurt, has played well against some pretty bad teams this year and has racked up enough yards to be #2 in the league and the Cowboys have racked up enough yards per game to have the 5th highest yards per game average in NFL history. Yea you read that correctly, but something is missing and I'm not paying this guy more than 30m a year.

2.) Amari Cooper... Gave up a 1st round draft pick to acquire him last year and I think he's been hurt all year and has played extremely well overall. He's a true #1 receiver and I think it's necessary to retain his services.

3.) Byron Jones... Our #1 corner and he was rated as the #1 corner overall in the NFL last season. He could catch a cold if he was butt naked in Antarctica, but he's a good corner. I think the Cowboys should really start building the best possible defense - so if we can retain Byron, that would be good.

4.) Robert Quinn... Leads the team in sacks but I think he sucks against the run and he's so 'sack happy' that he gets destroyed by the screen game. I hope we can get Randy Gregory back. Quinn can kick rocks if we get Randy back.

5.) Maliek Collins... The DT position is one of the weakest positions on the Cowboys roster and I think Maliek has been a disappointment - if he's gone, I don't really care.

6.) Randall Cobb... I'd love to keep this WR core together, but we might have trouble keeping him. I could see him going back to the Packers, but I hope we retain him.

7.) Michael Bennett... Whatever

8.) Joe Thomas... A serviceable LB that can play all 3 spots. Idk if he's a difference maker or not, I'm looking for some difference makers on D

9.) Sean Lee... I believe he wants to retire as a Cowboy so we'll find a way to make a deal with him

10.) Jeff Heath... He's played hurt for 1/2 the season. I used to hate this guy with a passion and thought he was horrible, but he's gotten better. I think safety is our biggest need - so I wouldn't might an upgrade over Jeff.

11.) Kavon Frasier... Again, if we can get an upgrade at the safety position I don't care if we let him walk

12.) Joe Looney... Filled in nicely for the Beard last year but didn't really play this year. If he'll take a cheap contract I'd keep him but I doubt he stays

13.) Jason Witten... If he wants to stay, I think he's played well enough to give him another year but I don't see him playing another year.

14.) Tavon Austin... Whatever

15.) Anthony Brown... I think we missed him after he went out this year. I think he was our 2nd best CB, but I'm sure not everyone agrees. Don't care either way.

16.) Darien Thompson... KICK ROCKS!

17.) Kerry Hyder... Played well in spurts, I don't care either way if he stays or goes

18.) Blake Jarwin... He's a restricted free agent but he's on my list because I think we really need to resign him and use him a lot more. I think this guy is super athletic and has speed out of the TE position. He has a similar physique to Kittle and we should be using him more and more and more.
If he's smart, he won't want to play here even if Witten's gone. Times running out. He's already 25.
 

JayFord

Well-Known Member
Messages
12,547
Reaction score
21,229
Id strip a whole lot of players

Lee, Witten, Jones, Heath, 35% of the dline

the coaches too

id sign dak 5 years 70 million if not that then tag him
 

MikeB80

Well-Known Member
Messages
6,870
Reaction score
7,392
It's the perfect season to change course and do a real rebuild. The fan apathy is at an all time high, they have a ton of cap space, they are going to hire a new staff etc.


Perfect time to tear it down and put together a 3 year plan to rebuild.
 

KingRah

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,319
Reaction score
827
It's the perfect season to change course and do a real rebuild. The fan apathy is at an all time high, they have a ton of cap space, they are going to hire a new staff etc.


Perfect time to tear it down and put together a 3 year plan to rebuild.
I don't think we need a 3 year plan. a great coach can win next year with this team. Give us a real top 10 qb and a top 5 head coach and we can win it all.
 

MysteryIceGuro

Well-Known Member
Messages
8,736
Reaction score
15,698
Agreed. Sad part is, rebuilds take years. Especially considering all the parts that need fixing. This goes beyond coaching IMO. Almost every position needs help at this point.
 

superonyx

Well-Known Member
Messages
11,417
Reaction score
15,743
It's the perfect season to change course and do a real rebuild. The fan apathy is at an all time high, they have a ton of cap space, they are going to hire a new staff etc.


Perfect time to tear it down and put together a 3 year plan to rebuild.
What are you rebuilding with?
You want to go overpay a bunch of underachievers from other teams that these teams let walk? Thats what free agency is. Do we have a ton of draft picks we don't know about?

Rebuilding with a tear down typically doesnt happen in the NFL. And when teams try they generally get stuck in Suck mode for a decade.
 

MikeB80

Well-Known Member
Messages
6,870
Reaction score
7,392
What are you rebuilding with?
You want to go overpay a bunch of underachievers from other teams that these teams let walk? Thats what free agency is. Do we have a ton of draft picks we don't know about?

Rebuilding with a tear down typically doesnt happen in the NFL. And when teams try they generally get stuck in Suck mode for a decade.

Depends on the staff. Hire the right guy, hopefully a defensive hard nose coach and you can rebuild the defense in one offseason via the draft and free agents. Teams do it a lot. The buffalo bills have done it and the bears did it last year. you can rebuild a defense in one offseason. You have to have the right staff though.

Dallas has all their draft picks and a few veteran players they could possibly move if they wanted to go that route.
 

MoistMayonnaise

Devil's Advocate
Messages
4,290
Reaction score
7,736
I guess at this point I don't really care what players are on the team next year. I just want Garrett gone, and I mean not with Cowboys in any capacity, even as the laundry guy.
 

CWR

Well-Known Member
Messages
23,660
Reaction score
34,402
I don't think we need a 3 year plan. a great coach can win next year with this team. Give us a real top 10 qb and a top 5 head coach and we can win it all.

So we draft a QB and bring in Luck for a couple years. Leggo! Lol smh blaaaa. I don't know wut to do with this franchise.
 

Kaiser

Well-Known Member
Messages
16,628
Reaction score
28,430
Dak and Amari are locks to come back. I think Byron Jones will be determined by FA market and who the new defensive coaches are.

Health will be resigned and also replaced by a FA or draft pick. Cobb and Quinn likely come back on a 1 year deal, Maliek Collins could if he doesn't get a big FA offer (which is unlikely now).

Everybody below that is resigned or easily replaced.

Tight End is our big FA target and we draft a safety high. This season was death by a thousand cuts but there will be a ton of talent on the team next year no matter what.
 
Top