Cooper vs DLaw-if you can keep 1?

Hawkeye19 said:

I keep D Law over Coop. Defense needs leadership and playmakers. I think D Law is a solid DE…. Despite what many fans think lol

Cooper is getting to be an issue on a few fronts:

1. JJ clearly did not like him missing those 2 games and was public about it
2. He disappears from games at times (not all his fault)
3. Always dealing with an injury
4. Appears to be getting more moody the longer he is here
5. WRs are easier to find than DEs

Click to expand...

I agree he's a solid DE but he's making $20M to be a stellar DE not solid.

CowboysFaninHouston said:

good debate....I just didn't see Lawrence as that big of a key to the defense as we held up pretty well when he was out and improved. I don't see the drop off as immense, although I agree there is a drop off. Armstrong had 5 sacks....not a lot but he has had 3,5, 6 sacks the past three years. last time he had double digits was 2018 with 10.5....that's not saying much for a 20M (top paid) DE.

but it saves more than just 8. his cap hit is 27M. releasing him after June 1 would have cap hit of 9M. that's 18M saved.

so its either rework his contract. or cut the cord.

also, I would like to draft OL in the first two rounds......not saying we should reach, but if a guard or center is available, slight reach is OK at 24. or do a trade like we did in getting fredrick, but we can get more by fixing the OL than drafting a DE (I agree with that).

Click to expand...

Question is who is left after June 1st? I thought Defense was at it's best when we had our big 3 in the lineup late in the season. I think doubling up on the OL is unrealistic to expect in the first 2 rds, we have other needs to address. What we hope is, they do not create other open spots or they will have to use more draft resources to fill.

glimmerman said:

What’s the tag for him. Any ideas.. It’s not a sales tag. Lmao..

Click to expand...

I believe it's 17.5.

Cowboyny said:

Question is who is left after June 1st? I thought Defense was at it's best when we had our big 3 in the lineup late in the season. I think doubling up on the OL is unrealistic to expect in the first 2 rds, we have other needs to address. What we hope is, they do not create other open spots or they will have to use more draft resources to fill.

Click to expand...

doubling up on the OL, is perhaps a wishful thinking, given we have Faronik and he was drafted last year...but we need to upgrade the center position for sure. by far the biggest weakness. perhaps some shuffling if the coaches were willing to do, move collins back to LG and put steele at RT and that would go a long way in addressing the OL issues

CowboysFaninHouston said:

doubling up on the OL, is perhaps a wishful thinking, given we have Faronik and he was drafted last year...but we need to upgrade the center position for sure. by far the biggest weakness. perhaps some shuffling if the coaches were willing to do, move collins back to LG and put steele at RT and that would go a long way in addressing the OL issues

Click to expand...

I think Collins stays at RT and they draft a starter at Left Guard. Open competition to start at Center.

I'd keep Coop. Atleast he produced in his career as a whole while Lawrence only balled in contract years and needed a rookie to motivate him. Smh

quickccc said:

- Something the more experienced veteran Cooper himself still cannot do vs elite, better CBs ... Now you have that stickler ..plus now on top of that, you have to continue to pay him among the very highest paid WRs in NFL.

Click to expand...

You’re half ********. He’s beaten top corners since signing with us.

I would be cool if both left… but if I had to keep one it would be Cooper. At least he comes to play every now and then plus he’s at the mercy of Dak, oline and Kellen Moore.. plus we’ve seen Dak without his weapons.

Where as DLaw, he doesn’t have any excuses. He just doesn’t make crucial plays or change the game like other star pass rushers.

I don’t want either but I will say DLaw. My hope would be to ditch Cooper and sign Gallup.

Cowboyny said:

I still it's time that CeeDee steps up and becomes that #1 WR we drafted him for.

Click to expand...

I agree. Ceedee needs to get in the weight room to increase strength. Physical DBs have a field day against him.

Radio guy has it wrong. Gregory, not Coop, probably decides if we keep Tank. Can’t see them parting ways if they lose Gregory. But I agree with most of you, both of their contracts suck for the production.

I make DLaw a post June 1 cut.

I trade Amari Cooper to the Falcons for Calvin Ridley. Amari has more value than DLaw as is right now.

You now have room to sign whatever FA's this team wants to keep otherwise, sign draft picks and have a more productive WR that is 1 year younger. If he remains to be a head case you weren't going to hold onto Cooper much longer anyways.

Need a LB and another pass rusher which can be an outside LB/DE type for the other side and interchangeable with #11. Von Miller will be on the block, who knows if the Rams can resign him.

I would seriously consider going to a 3-4 base with the DT's we have. Osi LDE, Gallimore NT, Hill RDE. Gholston, Bohanna and if we keep Watkins, they all rotate. A cost effective FA NT.

Micah and the other outside LB are the pass rushers that's why we get a pass rushing LB in the draft and/or a FA.

DLaw and Gregory too old now and not playing full seasons. Too expensive.

We clean up our cap and the next year we do what we have to with Zeke, which is cut him.

There should be no more restructures other than what we did with Dak. He ends up being the last rough contract by next year.

We are not Championship ready with this current roster.

we always tend to keep players for too long. living off what they used to be.

i’d trade cooper and release tank.

team needs to be shaken up.

Cooper's value to this offense goes beyond his numbers, he is a TRUE #1 WR and the opposing defenses treat him as such. The attention and focus he commands allows CeeDee, Gallup, Schultz etc. more favorable matchups and opportunity to make plays down the field. D-Law is a good player but at this point he has become a LUXURY that the Cowboys can't afford.

AKATheRake said:

I make DLaw a post June 1 cut.

I trade Amari Cooper to the Falcons for Calvin Ridley. Amari has more value than DLaw as is right now.

You now have room to sign whatever FA's this team wants to keep otherwise, sign draft picks and have a more productive WR that is 1 year younger. If he remains to be a head case you weren't going to hold onto Cooper much longer anyways.

Need a LB and another pass rusher which can be an outside LB/DE type for the other side and interchangeable with #11. Von Miller will be on the block, who knows if the Rams can resign him.

I would seriously consider going to a 3-4 base with the DT's we have. Osi LDE, Gallimore NT, Hill RDE. Gholston, Bohanna and if we keep Watkins, they all rotate. A cost effective FA NT.

Micah and the other outside LB are the pass rushers that's why we get a pass rushing LB in the draft and/or a FA.

DLaw and Gregory too old now and not playing full seasons. Too expensive.

We clean up our cap and the next year we do what we have to with Zeke, which is cut him.

There should be no more restructures other than what we did with Dak. He ends up being the last rough contract by next year.

We are not Championship ready with this current roster.

Click to expand...

Excellent. I like all of it.

Fuzzee said:

Just curious,, do you think there are too many star players on the offense?....Maybe DAK is trying to keep everyone happy and not having that one truly special connection... like a Burrow to Chase.....

Click to expand...

Not really, I think Dak can't really concern himself with keeping players happy, he has to get the ball out to the open man whomever that may be on any given play. Clearly there are play designs where you can try to isolate a particular WR vs a CB and much of that falls to Moore to call certain plays with the intent of getting the ball to a individual. I do agree with Aikman that Dak can do a better of job getting to the line of scrimmage and finding the weakness where a CB may be giving up way too much cushion or pressing with no safety help over the top and Dak must attack that. Having too many weapons I don't think so

What makes everyone happy is winning, it tends to cure a lot of things.

First, I wouldn't cut either of them. I would look to trade one of them for the best draft pick I could get if one has to be cut.

These contracts have made a mess of the Cowboys CAP situation. First of all, look at the position for each of these players. With Gregory and Armstrong both being free agents the Cowboys are in a bind if they cut Lawrence and can't resign Gregory. When Lawrence returned from his injury he did make an impact on the defense. Imagine the defense with Basham and Golston starting.

The same problem exists at WR. Gallup, Wilson, Malik Turner and Noah Brown are all free agents. If you trade or cut Cooper you have CeeDee and Simi Fehoko. If they sign Gallup the situation improves but remember they have to clear $23 million in CAP room just to get under the CAP. I just do not think the Cowboys are going to clear enough space to sign Gallup and Gregory.

If they cut Cooper and Lawrence, they clear $24 million in CAP space. They can restructure both of their contracts and get the same save. But if they do restructure both of them they better plan on cutting them the following year which means finding replacements in the 2022 draft. That means using their top picks on DE and WR when they really need LG and C, and maybe safety if none of their safeties are re-signed.

Based on the way Jerry and his miniMe are talking about Cooper, I think they are going to ask him to take a pay cut. Of course he will say no, as he should. Then they will try to trade him. I think Cooper will get them at most a 3rd round pick from someone. But no one will want Cooper's $20 million salary. So Cooper is staying.

If I was the GM of the Cowboys my plan would be to continue building the defense. Then I would turn the offense into a strong running offense to set up the passing game. That means I would keep Lawrence and re-sign Gregory. I would use the draft to get a LG and possibly a C. I would have Collins competing for the starting LG and RT positions and play the best 5 linemen.

Maybe it is time for the Cowboys to start planning for a rebuild. By the end of 2023 they should plan on dumping all the bloated contracts, Zeke, Cooper, Lawrence, and Dak the following year. Maybe the Cowboys need a purge and a new attitude about the players they draft. This team lacks chemistry. It lacks that winning attitude. I don't think the players are going to change so it may be time for new players.

DLaw. We need to focus on run game and defense

cut both .

ka0tik said:

we always tend to keep players for too long. living off what they used to be.

i’d trade cooper and release tank.

team needs to be shaken up.

Click to expand...

The way I see it - If we’re going to shake the team up, might as well get rid of Dak too.