10 things I think I think freshly eliminated edition

[CWR]

All of our LBs are garbage.

From the best up and coming LB corps in the league to straight trash. Got me good.

 

[RS12]

First as always thanks for the interaction. When I do these I expect exactly 0 people to agree with all 10 of my random but very specific thoughts. Some of these things I may not agree with myself in 24 hours.

Various comments across many threads.

I'd prefer to go DT round 1 if it lines up because there may only be two starting grade DT3s in this draft and couple NT. CB seems a legit fit at 10 and I'd probably mock Dallas there if no DT had top 15 value.
When you do those addicting but largely pointless draft simulators it lines up pretty sexy to go:
DT at 10 --say Nixon
CB at 42: Asante Samuels Jr for instance
Safety at R3: I went Trevon Moehrig
LB in R3Como: Charles Snowden
OT in R4: Walker Little
Edge in R4Comp: Shaka Toney
LB in R5: Ventrell Miller (Will)
et al....

FWIW DT is tough because I think they are among the slowest to get grades handed out.
Alim McNeill is the best NT prospect for most and you can steal him R3 on most mock boards but come real draft I think he'll go about 50.

Like others I'd be perfectly fine throwing away the LB corps and starting over. but if you look at what all we need and what all assets we have to use I'm making that a 2 year job and padding my LB depth without making a massive swing on a LB that is a day 1 stud. Fix a lot of the things around them than see what the LB corps looks like IMO. LVE and Jaylon are both probably on 1 year make or break seasons. Not that anyone wants to hear that.

Love to get Nixon and McNeil. McNeil stock will rise at workouts as he is projected to test as a freak athlete. Definitely a name to watch leading up to the draft.

 

[RS12]

1) Giving up 3 TDs in the 1st half to a Giants team that only scored 2 TDs in the previous 3 games --- the Cowboys effort was far worse than the Eagles
2) 32 team boards, 250 or so draft slots available (7 rounds + compensation allotments)---the spring draft is in a constant state of flux because no pick is set in stone (with the exception of the no. 1 pick most years).
3) No team replaces 50% of their roster in the off-season . Each evaluates their starters and core backups, PS players from the just-completed season, etc.
('Rehabilitate' -!?!)
4) Due to the unprecedented off-season, McCarthty was not going to get cannned after 1 season. But he needs to cease wirh the motivation gimmicks ASAP --and work very hard on his in-game crucial decision-making
5) When it comes to the draft - research each prospect well, and value each pick no matter the team's draft position
6) NFL offseason calender nearly the same every year -- have a staff in place that knows what to do
7) jterrell: A- does not believe Prescott's goof rehab reports
B- is smokin' thinking a contract gets done now. Jones & Jones keep announcing that is the longterm Cowboys QB --but ink hits paper - anything is possible
8) If CB Sustain II or Farley is still on the board -take either on over OT Slater

4) What you really mean is Jerry wasn't going to pay him to sit around eating Ho-Hos for the next 4 years.

 

[jterrell]

1) --uh NO. Dallas played poorly but didn't stop trying. They had the starting QB in and were 1 play from a win. Dallas was competitive and watchable Just really bad. There is zero way Andy Dalton wanted to play as poorly as he did that first half with his next contract and a lot of money on the line. The Cowboys aren't openly questioning their coach for quitting.
2) exactly. but draftniks act as of today like they have a firm top 25 and thats why i made the note. gotta let the boards flesh out and other less sexy players get studied.
3) ('Rehabilitate' -!?!) Yup guy is a C- level player but IF you can get him to a B+ next year you've rehabbed him
4) Gimmick stuff has a shelf life but if you are 2-0 with watermelon smashing and 4-10 without, heck smash all day. Decision making I 100% agree with. They need to evaluate that as a group and perhaps Dak needs to hanlde on field calls for O(Like Rodgers did) and someone (possibly new) in a booth needs to own challenges.
5) When it comes to the draft - research each prospect well, and value each pick no matter the team's draft position --totally agree in theory but in actuality you only have so much time and so many bodies. I don't care if they deep dive study a single WR in this class TBH. Basic overviews is enough for me.I can dive deeper come day 3 as players fall.
6) NFL offseason calender nearly the same every year -- have a staff in place that knows what to do
7) jterrell: A- does not believe Prescott's goof rehab reports === not sure what this one means?
B- is smokin' thinking a contract gets done now. Jones & Jones keep announcing that is the longterm Cowboys QB --but ink hits paper - anything is possible--- Totally on team schedule. Sooner deal gets done the better for Dallas. Jerry and Stephen are deadline guys but they were 95% agreed when deadline ran out last year. So the deadline didn't make the deal and now they gotta decide
8) If CB Sustain II or Farley is still on the board -take either on over OT Slater ---Farley is a bit scary but has an insane ceiling. He only played 2 years of CB in a soft conference and ended 2019 injured then skipped 2020. Freak athlete though who should wow at the combine.

 

[gimmesix]

You don't know that this isn't the approach - it's not like there's dozens of "top-notch" free agents available every year. It's more likely that this is exactly what they do, but they don't get into bidding wars. Griffen was the best passrusher on the market, and they got him.

The only consistently effective FA strategy is to try to fill roles with cheaper - 2nd or 3rd tier - FAs. Big money free agents are a 50/50 proposition and those are the contracts that kill your cap. The probability of a cheaper player hitting the mark is basically the same, but the out is easy for teams if they don't work.

We do not target top-notch players. The Joneses themselves have said that they stay out of the first week of free agency because there's a spending frenzy where players are overpaid. Staying out of the frenzy also means not going after the best FAs available.

I absolutely disagree with you on effective FA strategy. The strategy the Joneses have been using, avoiding paying top-tier money, has absolutely not worked. I think a limited approach to free agency targeting only a couple of top-tier player is more effective. You pay more, but you also get more.

We signed Gerald McCoy (three years, $20.25 million) last year despite the injury concern when we could have had Javon Hargrave (three years, $39 million). We signed Aldon Smith (1 year, $2 million plus bonuses) when we could have had Emmanuel Ogbah (two years, $15 million). Neither of those moves would have crippled our cap, but both would have helped our defense immensely.

We signed Ha Ha Clinton Dix (1 year, $2.25 million) when we could have signed James Bradberry (three years, $45 million). They don't play the same position, but again free agent acquisition needs to be about getting the best players available at a position of need not getting a player at a position of need.

Hargrave made $3.45 million this year. Ogbah made $7.5 million. Bradberry made $10.25 million. Dallas had the cap space to handle that and the ability to create more space if needed.

 

[jterrell]

We do not target top-notch players. The Joneses themselves have said that they stay out of the first week of free agency because there's a spending frenzy where players are overpaid. Staying out of the frenzy also means not going after the best FAs available.

I absolutely disagree with you on effective FA strategy. The strategy the Joneses have been using, avoiding paying top-tier money, has absolutely not worked. I think a limited approach to free agency targeting only a couple of top-tier player is more effective. You pay more, but you also get more.

We signed Gerald McCoy (three years, $20.25 million) last year despite the injury concern when we could have had Javon Hargrave (three years, $39 million). We signed Aldon Smith (1 year, $2 million plus bonuses) when we could have had Emmanuel Ogbah (two years, $15 million). Neither of those moves would have crippled our cap, but both would have helped our defense immensely.

We signed Ha Ha Clinton Dix (1 year, $2.25 million) when we could have signed James Bradberry (three years, $45 million). They don't play the same position, but again free agent acquisition needs to be about getting the best players available at a position of need not getting a player at a position of need.

Hargrave made $3.45 million this year. Ogbah made $7.5 million. Bradberry made $10.25 million. Dallas had the cap space to handle that and the ability to create more space if needed.

Dallas would have lost 3rd and 4th round comp picks had they signed guys to those deals.
They slow played FA and maxed out the comp pick return to get the R3 for BJ31 and an R4 for our 1 year DE rental.

All that said they chose some really bad players when they did choose and that's an issue. .
With no elite FA other than Dak they can probably worry far less and comp picks this off-season.
All that said they are unlikely to go spend crazy in FA.
The 27M they roll over s very very useful for making the reduced cap work.

 

[john van brocklin]

1. I think I think that I'd rather pick 10th then have put on the head tucked between knees performance the Eagles did week 17.

2. I think I think draft boards are going to change a lot in the next month or two. A guy I really think fits Dallas is Daviyon Nixon, DT Iowa. He's an attacking 3T type guy who was an All-American and the Big 10 D player of the year but came out of no where with only 1 season as a starter. But he had quite a year with 5.5 sacks and 13,.5 tackles for loss as an interior DL. If he tests well he could be rated top 15 and be DT1 on most boards.

3. I think I think Dallas has to rehabilitate some of these guys as you can't replace 50% of your roster ion 1 off-season. Even if there was ample cap space it'd be nearly impossible to turn it all over that quick unless you want to look as lost as this team on defense early in the year.

4. I think I think MM made some head-scratching in game mgmt calls for a SB winning Coach but I know he also at least brought something different and at times that nonsense like smashing watermelons works and beats just clapping.

5. I think I think this draft season should be really good to Dallas. With a heavy allotment of comp picks and picking top 3rd of the rounds you should expect a healthy does of help out of this draft. Given what they did last year picking 6 slots lower and with about 75% as many picks you gotta feel pretty good.

6. I think I think March can't get here quickly enough as so much, from cap totals to who we resign will be up the air and just speculation.

7. I think I think I'd have Dak hobble into a press conference by the end of the week to sign his extension. I want his cap savings versus a full tag price to go shopping.

8. I think I think I'd be willing to pass OT at pick 10 because Zack Martin is probably a better tackle than whomever we could draft there. And the Connors can play OG in tandem if Zack is needed at OT.

9. I think I think I need to draft LB and RB in that 4-5 area because even if they don't start next year they can develop in our systems and save me a lot of money in a couple seasons.

10. I think I think I need to explain to anyone suggesting we draft Kyle Pitts how that whole team 40 burgers stuff worked out in 2020. And just how poor a blocking team you'd field with 3WR and Pitts in a game together.

Appreciate the effort!!!!

 

[Corso]

From the best up and coming LB corps in the league to straight trash. Got me good.

LB's are very dependent on the the team surrounding them.
To think they are the guys that control the D despite everything else is folly.

 

[Ranched]

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[Corso]

​

I see the one guy who has his helmet off.

 

[Pantone282C]

I think this is a very good assessment. Not emotional and pretty spot on.

I used to think about the team's focus, but I can stop with the headaches. It's a fairly good set of points. Let's hope our D stops giving up the need for 40 Burgers.

 

[Pantone282C]

I will be very disappointed if the Cowboys draft a TE at #10. No freakin way they do this... I think

We have a good set of TEs.

 

[Pantone282C]

I see the one guy who has his helmet off.

Celebrating early again.

 

[Corso]

Celebrating early again.

It wasn't early, but it was a ME ME ME thing, while his teammates were being unified in celebration.

 

[Pantone282C]

It wasn't early, but it was a ME ME ME thing, while his teammates were being unified in celebration.

He makes my head hurt. I could use his helmet.

 

[Pantone282C]

I have been disappointed in the last two year's defensive output. We have had some decent players, but the lack of a coordinated defense in 2019 set us back after a promising 2018. The new scheme in 2020 produced Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde results after making some adjustments. If they can't coach the players or adapt a scheme to them, it won't matter who we get on the field.

 

[Corso]

He makes my head hurt. I could use his helmet.

It's on the ground, waiting for you to grab it!

 

[Pantone282C]

It's on the ground, waiting for you to grab it!

LOL. He will try to tackle me and go the wrong way.

 

[Corso]

LOL. He will try to tackle me and go the wrong way.

That helmet would have so been yours.

 

[Echo9]

Justin Simmons is the one I think we should go after, but yeah, I can't see the Joneses doing that, either. The worst problem is they won't go for the second or third guy, either, but the cheap guy, which is how we ended up with a player like Dix last offseason.

I think we'd be in pretty good shape if we could get Marcus Maye or Marcus Williams.