The Best Player Available Myth

CouchCoach · Oct 24, 2020

What team can truly take the highest ranked player on their draft board regardless of needs?

The Dallas Cowboys had the #1 offense and #2 passing offense in 2019 and didn't lose a WR in FA. Add to this they used the #1 pick on a WR in 2019. And they renewed him for a top 5 WR contract.

This is not against CeeDee Lamb, he's a fine player and a find at 17 but why didn't he get picked earlier? Some teams had him as the #1 WR in that draft, ahead of Jeudy and Ruggs. Why didn't they take him?

The Cowboys lose their best DB and DL and have an injury prone LB and another with a neck issue, not a good issue for a LB.

Some wonder why this team continues to struggle but consider the % of the cap that goes to the offense, they spent the 1st pick on a WR, they hired an offensive HC who made a questionable DC hire. Would you feel 2nd class to be on this defense?

Management continues to treat the defense like a red headed stepchild and then wonders why it is such a problem.

The answer to the question I pose is none. No team can afford to ignore needs and all teams have more than one draft board and few use the main board.

Now, had you been constructing the needs position board for the Cowboys in this last draft, where would WR have fallen? Was that position even on your needs list going in? It wasn't on mine.

J12B · Oct 24, 2020

I love Lamb.

But a trade back to pick up additional picks would've been the right move.

It appears as if no one wants to do business with the Cowboys front office except for the Raiders.

conner01 · Oct 24, 2020

We actually did lose a WR
Our slot receiver
But though I agree need has to be factored in, and if a need player is say 3rd and your 2 on your board is still there need should override that small a difference
But with Lamb that wasn’t the case
He was well ahead of anyone on the board at the time

kskboys · Oct 24, 2020

conner01 said:
We actually did lose a WR
Our slot receiver
But though I agree need has to be factored in, and if a need player is say 3rd and your 2 on your board is still there need should override that small a difference
But with Lamb that wasn’t the case
He was well ahead of anyone on the board at the time

And didn't make the team any better.

I really like Lamb, and he's a fine player for the future. It's not the Lamb pick, it's that we keep ignoring needs. And that's led to a bottom 5 D.

Jarntt · Oct 24, 2020

In a redraft we take Lamb again without hesitation. Actually in a redraft he is gone long before we pick.

If you cant see his value on Sundays think of it this more indirect way. First off you don't draft for one year you draft for the long term. In a cap world Lamb allows us to let Cooper go after two years and use his $20M per year elsewhere (defense?) on a star without much of a hit to our Offense. It was a great move for so many reasons. We were going to take Chaisson if not Lamb. How would that make us better. BPA doesn't always work based on the makeup of your team but stars win games in the NFL and Lamb is a star

MoistMayonnaise · Oct 24, 2020

Lamb was taken to replace Cooper in two years. Sometimes you play the long game.

charron · Oct 24, 2020

I wanted defense too but picking the way better player over need is the right call.

The next defensive player might have been chaissan- 6 games 8 tackles. Maybe he explodes next year but CeeDee will too.
Seattle took Jordan brooks at 27, 3games 1 tackle. Would that make you happy? Heck no.

Drafting Lamb isn't just about this year, though he had been one very productive receiver so far. He should continue to get better and will be a long tenured receiver in Dallas.

conner01 · Oct 24, 2020

kskboys said:
And didn't make the team any better.

I really like Lamb, and he's a fine player for the future. It's not the Lamb pick, it's that we keep ignoring needs. And that's led to a bottom 5 D.

Where I have a problem is when two players are close and they go with the wrong one
While I think Lamb was the right pick, your point is valid
Too me the taco pick was one I felt there were better options on the board to take

Crazed Liotta Eyes · Oct 24, 2020

They've spent plenty of picks on D but they just haven't worked out. I think some of it is poor evaluation (Taco) and some are wishful thinking (Jaylon Smith). Lamb was the right call though in my opinion. You can't pass on his talent.

Jipper · Oct 24, 2020

you cant pass on the value that Lamb gave us there...that was just too much to pass up.

CATCH17 · Oct 24, 2020

J12B said:
I love Lamb.

But a trade back to pick up additional picks would've been the right move.

It appears as if no one wants to do business with the Cowboys front office except for the Raiders.

What about a trading for Minkah Fitzpatrick?

I know some felt like he was a risk but I felt pretty confident that Miami had just screwed that whole thing up royally.

blueblood70 · Oct 24, 2020

charron said:
I wanted defense too but picking the way better player over need is the right call.

The next defensive player might have been chaissan- 6 games 8 tackles. Maybe he explodes next year but CeeDee will too.
Seattle took Jordan brooks at 27, 3games 1 tackle. Would that make you happy? Heck no.

Drafting Lamb isn't just about this year, though he had been one very productive receiver so far. He should continue to get better and will be a long tenured receiver in Dallas.

exactly fans keep bring that up but at 17 who was available on defense that was better choice?

Instead of Kasson they picked up Smith, Griffen, Poe, Haha and McCoy and have Gregory coming back plus Tank already paid..so who exactly would have helped at 17 on defense who was there that was far superior to Lamb?

they brought in many guys to fill holes they couldn't find in the draft, added Diggs in the second and few mid rounders for defense.it wasnt like thy didnt try.

trading down is stupid, we you get player like Lamb instead.. maybe lamb can be traded later , Gallup's here maybe Coops expendable now..

ill waiting to see the long list of better options at 17?

aside from Hindsight being used as the defense looks so back now and the team hit with the biggest injury bug in my recent memory..

this was not the way the FO and Coaches had in mind..there are far more reaching issues then Lamb at 17..

if any fan can sit her with straight face and say that Injuries' to the entire starting OL, backup OL, Jarwin, MCCoy, Awuzie, Brown, Lee , woods, LVE, Hill and Dak who was haivng his best start to season of his career..im most likely missing someone but this is an excuse even if you dont like the word its valid reason the season went south in hurray

add a short offseason no preseason games new staff and new shcemes..it went south and to use anything that happened this year as judgement to the FO or Staff is plain ignorant..its been an avalanche of issues that no team could overcome...

this is year you write off, go in and reboot..

Hawkeye0202 · Oct 24, 2020

2019 was an excellent draft for the FO. Taking Taco over JT Watt is the draft that set them back. But I see what OP is saying and what's funny Stephen has actually gotten a little better about investing FA talent in the D. Remember when he didn't trust any FA 30 or older or he used to sign a bunch of bottom feeders for the DLine and expect them to start. I think his ( and Jerry ) thinking was as long as we had #9 (Romo), we don't need a lot of top talent on defense coz of the scheme.

AbeBeta · Oct 24, 2020

CouchCoach said:
What team can truly take the highest ranked player on their draft board regardless of needs?

The Dallas Cowboys had the #1 offense and #2 passing offense in 2019 and didn't lose a WR in FA. Add to this they used the #1 pick on a WR in 2019. And they renewed him for a top 5 WR contract.

This is not against CeeDee Lamb, he's a fine player and a find at 17 but why didn't he get picked earlier? Some teams had him as the #1 WR in that draft, ahead of Jeudy and Ruggs. Why didn't they take him?

The Cowboys lose their best DB and DL and have an injury prone LB and another with a neck issue, not a good issue for a LB.

Some wonder why this team continues to struggle but consider the % of the cap that goes to the offense, they spent the 1st pick on a WR, they hired an offensive HC who made a questionable DC hire. Would you feel 2nd class to be on this defense?

Management continues to treat the defense like a red headed stepchild and then wonders why it is such a problem.

The answer to the question I pose is none. No team can afford to ignore needs and all teams have more than one draft board and few use the main board.

Now, had you been constructing the needs position board for the Cowboys in this last draft, where would WR have fallen? Was that position even on your needs list going in? It wasn't on mine.

If we followed your advice, we'd have Chaisson.

Do you really wanna trade 1 sack and 8 tackles for CeeDee?

/thread

kskboys · Oct 24, 2020

Jarntt said:
In a redraft we take Lamb again without hesitation. Actually in a redraft he is gone long before we pick.

If you cant see his value on Sundays think of it this more indirect way. First off you don't draft for one year you draft for the long term. In a cap world Lamb allows us to let Cooper go after two years and use his $20M per year elsewhere (defense?) on a star without much of a hit to our Offense. It was a great move for so many reasons. We were going to take Chaisson if not Lamb. How would that make us better. BPA doesn't always work based on the makeup of your team but stars win games in the NFL and Lamb is a star

And weaknesses keep you from making/advancing in the playoffs.

BPA must be balanced w/ need. Using one simplistic draft strategy is the stuff of idiocy. Something Jerry might do, but Belechick and Reid and Harbaugh would never do.

kskboys · Oct 24, 2020

AbeBeta said:
If we followed your advice, we'd have Chaisson.

Do you really wanna trade 1 sack and 8 tackles for CeeDee?

/thread

And if we'd followed my advice in the past we'd have a top 5 D and a disruptive DLine and would be competing for super bowls.

I didn't like Chaisson much, BTW. My argument(and CC's) isn't about this one player, it's about always going for flash and sizzle and passing up needs for what we consider BPA(Which all too often isn't, BTW!!!)

Hawkeye0202 · Oct 24, 2020

conner01 said:
Where I have a problem is when two players are close and they go with the wrong one
While I think Lamb was the right pick, your point is valid
Too me the taco pick was one I felt there were better options on the board to take

This is the pick that set the D back .....you had a DWare, Vonn Miller type player ( JT Watt ) right in your hands and pass. But even worst, the player you chose instead was off the team after only 3 years. That hurts on BOTH ends......

cowboyec · Oct 24, 2020

CeeDee Lamb was an easy pick.
he was without question or hesitation the best player on the board.
DE was probably the bigger need...but at the time of our pick...Lamb was the best player available.
easy pick.
the correct pick.

kskboys · Oct 24, 2020

blueblood70 said:
exactly fans keep bring that up but at 17 who was available on defense that was better choice?

Instead of Kasson they picked up Smith, Griffen, Poe, Haha and McCoy and have Gregory coming back plus Tank already paid..so who exactly would have helped at 17 on defense who was there that was far superior to Lamb?

they brought in many guys to fill holes they couldn't find in the draft, added Diggs in the second and few mid rounders for defense.it wasnt like thy didnt try.

trading down is stupid, we you get player like Lamb instead.. maybe lamb can be traded later , Gallup's here maybe Coops expendable now..

ill waiting to see the long list of better options at 17?

aside from Hindsight being used as the defense looks so back now and the team hit with the biggest injury bug in my recent memory..

this was not the way the FO and Coaches had in mind..there are far more reaching issues then Lamb at 17..

if any fan can sit her with straight face and say that Injuries' to the entire starting OL, backup OL, Jarwin, MCCoy, Awuzie, Brown, Lee , woods, LVE, Hill and Dak who was haivng his best start to season of his career..im most likely missing someone but this is an excuse even if you dont like the word its valid reason the season went south in hurray

add a short offseason no preseason games new staff and new shcemes..it went south and to use anything that happened this year as judgement to the FO or Staff is plain ignorant..its been an avalanche of issues that no team could overcome...

this is year you write off, go in and reboot..

It's not about Lamb. It's about consistently doing this year after year after year. That's what's led to our horrific D.

kskboys · Oct 24, 2020

cowboyec said:
CeeDee Lamb was an easy pick.
he was without question or hesitation the best player on the board.
DE was probably the bigger need...but at the time of our pick...Lamb was the best player available.
easy pick.
the correct pick.

Once again, you guys are fixated on defending this one pick. This is about doing it over and over.

Mo, Jaylon, Taco, Zeke, all were BPA.

The Best Player Available Myth

CouchCoach

J12B

Well-Known Member

conner01

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kskboys

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Jarntt

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MoistMayonnaise

Devil's Advocate

charron

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conner01

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Crazed Liotta Eyes

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Jipper

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CATCH17

1st Round Pick

blueblood70

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Hawkeye0202

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AbeBeta

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kskboys

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kskboys

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Hawkeye0202

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cowboyec

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kskboys

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kskboys

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