If you had to make tough call and only keep 3 of 4, who walk, Coop, Dak, Zeke, DLaw?

DallasEast said:

True. In 2018. The team with the run-oriented offense in 2016 was 13-3 with a lesser wide receiver talent in Dez Bryant along with Elliott.

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The 2016 version of Bryant was still quite good. 2017 was the year of diminishing returns.

2016 Bryant 59 of 108 928 yds 8.6 ypa 10 td 2 int 106.5
2017 Bryant 68 of 131 829 yds 6.4 ypa 6 td 5 int 71.6
2018 Cooper 66 of 94 896 yds 9.5 ypa 7 td 2 int 116.2

Dak without a doubt.

Easy...Dak. Franchise him and trade him next year. Tank (the season im not talking about the DE) for 1 year. Draft Trevor Lawrence.

Cowboy Brian said:

Agreed with your conclusion, but your lack of mentioning Cooper is noteworthy.

We saw the team before and after we got him... I do think losing DLaw is an easier pill to swallow thank Dak, Zeke, or Cooper. Plus cap wise, he'll be the second most expensive after Dak, so financially it makes keeping the next wave of Jaylon, Jones, etc; more possible.

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Guilty as charged. I personally disagree with Cooper's inclusion in Broaddus' question, especially if it meant positional importance that also included quarterback, running back and defensive end (a.k.a. pass rusher).

DallasEast said:

Guilty as charged. I personally disagree with Cooper's inclusion in Broaddus' question, especially if it meant positional importance that also included quarterback, running back and defensive end (a.k.a. pass rusher).

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Almost invariably, the highest passer rating of the league's top QB is on the targets to the WR1. Make no mistake as to the importance of that position.

Saints
Thomas 124.5
others 109.0

Chiefs
Hill 117.0
others 112.7

Texans
Hopkins 118.8
others 95.9

Giants
Beckham 95.6
others 91.5

Vikings
Thielen 115.4
others 94.6

Falcons
Jones 109.4
others 107.5

Chargers
Allen 115.0
others 102.3

Colts
Hilton 108.8
others 96.4

Packers
Adams 121.6
others 90.2

percyhoward said:

Almost invariably, the highest passer rating of the league's top QB is on the targets to the WR1. Make no mistake as to the importance of that position.

Saints
Thomas 124.5
others 109.0

Chiefs
Hill 117.0
others 112.7

Texans
Hopkins 118.8
others 95.9

Giants
Beckham 95.6
others 91.5

Vikings
Thielen 115.4
others 94.6

Falcons
Jones 109.4
others 107.5

Chargers
Allen 115.0
others 102.3

Colts
Hilton 108.8
others 96.4

Packers
Adams 121.6
others 90.2

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Good stuff. Broaddus poses the question of which player would the reader would he or she would sacrifice out of four. If forced to make a choice of the four proposed players even in the face of your data, I would say:

• The quarterback gets the ball to any receiver. I keep Prescott.
• A run-oriented offense depends on a reliable running back. I keep Elliott.
  
• Defense depends on getting solid quarterback pressure. I keep Lawrence.

Cooper finishes as the odd man out in my elimination process. Selfishly, I would like keeping a play making receiver out of any positional importance scenario and would prefer editing Broaddus' selections instead--although Lawrence would likely prefer that I strictly respected Broaddus' hypothetical choices.

DallasEast said:

• The quarterback gets the ball to any receiver.

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Unfortunately, not with the same level of success.

Prescott, 2018 (games 1-7)
to Hurns/Gallup/Thompson/Austin
38 of 73 for 563 yds 3 td 3 int 74.2
to Cooper (games 8-18)
66 of 94 for 896 yds 7 td 2 int 116.2

Three of those players are under contract for another year, so the team doesn't really have to answer this question. The only player it has to worry about is Lawrence. We probably want to redo Cooper's contract, though, because of how high this year's number is. Otherwise, it's just a question of whether we want to give Dak and Elliott new deals going into this season or wait and see how they do. My tendency would be to give Elliott a new deal because he's set to make $7 million anyway, then wait to see if Dak can build on the good parts of his game.

So, technically, we could give new deals to Elliott and Cooper that actually save us cap money this year that we use on Lawrence. I don't think we'd have to make a "tough call" on whether to also keep Prescott, but I think the prudent thing would be to see him play for another year before handing him the type of money that goes to that position.

Cowboys22 said:

No question it would be Zeke. I love him and don’t want to lose him but RBs are easier to get as free agents and in the draft. We could likely draft a RB this year in the 4th or 5th round and if you took one that was also a good pass receiver out of the backfield, he would likely give you 80-85% of Zeke’s production if you gave him the same amount of touches. That just looks like the least painful loss to me.

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We can replace him with Kareem Hunt on the cheap.

depends on how Dak does in the off season I suppose. Right now I want to keep 1) Zeek and 2) Coop for sure who I consider our #1 and #2 best players. D.Law I also like. However, the Quarterback position is the most important position on any team, so if Dak can somehow look as good as he did back in 2016, before he was figured out like many of us think he was, then you sign Dak. The questions I keep asking myself is can Dak be good without Zeek? Can Zak be good without Coop? Right now I don't believe so.

conner01 said:

One way to look at it is who will be great the longest?
A RB with the carries Zeke gets isn’t last much over maybe 4 more years at an elite level
I think Zeke is certainly an elite RB but the wear is gonna come early
Not only that teams who lead the league in rushing don’t generally have top RB’s
GB avg 5.01 per carry

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Well that is a funny question. Because half the people here think that Dak is the messiah, while the other half think he already isn't great anymore. So if you are one of those, you would let Dak go.

Runwildboys said:

But even though Dak isn't elite, replacing him would be difficult, considering our place in the draft.

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As you know, that is why this should be a prove it year for him, let him prove that we keep him instead of his BFF Zeek. If Dak can't prove it 2020 should be a good time to replace him. Like I asked: Is Dak good without Zeek, Is dak good without Coop? Even his supporters keep saying you got to surround him with people. Unfortunately, I think our owner already has Dak bubbled in and will pay him in the off season, so it will be zeek to go, and then dak will have a bad year. Coop will stay, because why trade for him if you not going to sign him. D.Law will stay, because the defense is what is good about this team. Zeek is the odd man out, considering how Jerry has been the main guy saying things to give the Dak camp all the leverage in contract negotiations.

CouchCoach said:

This plug and play RB notion got started when Shanahan had those RB's in DEN but he had the best and deadliest OL in the NFL back then. DL were more concerned about losing their knees than making tackles. I saw many of them extend their arms and look down instead of up and trying to locate the ball carrier.

I don't know how this "dime a dozen" thing gets any legs if posters just watch the different backs. Guys like Elliott, Gurley and Barkley are in a class of their own.

And for those that would pick Elliott, did you like what you saw when he wasn't playing? And we've seen, at least for part of a season, the team without Cooper. That leaves 2 of the 4.

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Also Parcell's running back by comity approach weakened the position too I think. However, I think the trend on the running back value is changing with how teams are drafting them with high first round picks again. People might be using the easy answer that was true in the last era of the NFL, but we might be in a new era where the running backs are sought after again.

Hawkeye0202 said:

I honestly can't answer.....

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It really only comes down to Lawrence whom absolutely has to be signed this off season. Cooper and Prescott are signed through 2019 and Elliott after the 2019 season the Cowboys can elect to take the 5th year option and then have until after the 2020 seasdon to have to sign him.

So to answer your question sign Lawrence this off season, Cooper and Prescott after the 2019 season and Elliott after the 2020 season providing that he doesn't do what many RB's do and start to show a decrease in production after being in the league for 5 years.
.

Fuzzee said:

Good reply, but Zeke is 70% of the offense, a 1400yard RB, a 560yard WR and a heck of a Blocker. Cowboys had a little over 5000yards for 2018 and Zeke accounted for over 2000 by himself. How did the offense and the Cowboys do when Zeke was suspended? I pay TANK, COOPER and ZEKE.... then sign Joe Flacco or CJ Bethard. Would consider the Franchise Tag for DAK for a year to see if he has reached his ceiling or able to take the next step

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The funny thing is, they'll probably bring up the offensive line for that, but when it is time for the Dak Narrative we have the worst offensive line in the league. So Zeek is 70% of our offense with the worse offensive line in the league it seems

Batman1980 said:

People take it so personally you'd think the cash was coming out of their own checking accounts.

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or it is the realization that the team will suck for the next 5 years or more because of an overpayed player who might not live up to the contract. Look at Greenbay and the price in talent they had to pay for paying their top guy. And that is for a top three player. Do the same for a quarterback that might just be avarage?

rocyaice said:

It’s easier to find a running back in this league than a quarterback. I don’t understand why that’s hard for you to understand.

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Yes, it's hard to find a "franchize QB" in this league you're right...

But, bus driving QBs are a dime a dozen...

You could plug in Case Keenum, Blake Bottles, Teddy Bridgewater or any other journeyman QB in this offense (and ask him to do what Dak does just play it safe) and still have the same bottom third passing attack in the league.

Dak is the easiest to replace if you're being realistic.

Gangsta Spanksta said:

The funny thing is, they'll probably bring up the offensive line for that, but when it is time for the Dak Narrative we have the worst offensive line in the league. So Zeek is 70% of our offense with the worse offensive line in the league it seems

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Even the line of 2016 many of the announcers said as great as that line was on run blocking they weren't quit as good on pass blocking. However they were far better pass blockers in 2016 than they were for 2017 and 2018.
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Gangsta Spanksta said:

or it is the realization that the team will suck for the next 5 years or more because of an overpayed player who might not live up to the contract. Look at Greenbay and the price in talent they had to pay for paying their top guy. And that is for a top three player. Do the same for a quarterback that might just be avarage?

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Only a Prescott hater would even suggest that Prescott would hold out for Rodgers type money or that the Cowboys would offer or sign Prescott for Rodgers type money.
.

gjkoeppen said:

Even the line of 2016 many of the announcers said as great as that line was on run blocking they weren't quit as good on pass blocking. However they were far better pass blockers in 2016 than they were for 2017 and 2018.
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That is a good point and true. But again, Dak is also responsible for some of his sacks this season. When you see your quarterback run forward straight into the pass rush, well that is bad pocket awareness. Dak has regressed in that department from 2016. Dak has the potential to be the guy I think, but alot of his warts have been exposed since 2017. What if he peeked in 2016? Other teams have made it to the playoffs with an average not perfect quarterback before. Teams have won the superbowl with an average quarterback before. If those are true, why is it so impossible for some people to think that the cowboys just might have a very good team and are a quarterback away? And when I say a quarterback away, I also mean that, that guy could be Dak, if he improves, but I don't think it is Dak now. He has flaws in my eyes, and I'm hoping he can overcome them in the off season. Personally, at this point, considering how talented I think this team is, I would go for the Win now approach and pay Foles the money, hoping it could be enough to get the cowboys at least deep into the playoffs. The other approach is to let dak prove himself, don't be foolish and pay him right away, wait for the end of 2019 to see if he can make it to the playoffs again, or if teams really can game plan against his unwillingness to consistently throw the ball for over 15 yards. In 2016, I was thinking at time that Dak could surpass Romo. Right now I don't think that anymore, and I especially won't think that if people keep whining about the offensive line being the reason for his woes. I mean we seen our previous quarterback be able to do things despite a bad offensive line and this line isn't *that* bad.