CFZ A bold roster strategy I would support

[Risen Star]

I don't see how you can guarantee this will happen, Bob.

 

[Bobhaze]

yeah I have been saying trade lamb for exact same reasons. The picks you get for him, if used wisely could make the team better than it is with him,
and paying all that money to one guy. Also once he gets his "bag" he might let up like many do, or become more of a diva.

Fans like him, and that is why jerry will keep him, regardless of what he does in games, he puts fans in seats, and sells jerseys.
He is what i will call a KTR player, Keep Team Relevant ! lol

As long as jerry keeps building KTR teams they wont be good enough to win in playoffs, much less win a SB.

The other thing is I keep saying coaching is important, but fans dont get it. They focus on players.
Take dak for example.
Dak is awful, Dak is great. but without a good HC, and staff, Dak will never be great, Same for the team.

Jerry keeps hiring these lame HC's, and that is the biggest problem cowboys have had since
2007.
MM is like dak, unless you give him a all star roster, he will falter in playoffs. And jerry has only given him and JG the KTR rosters.

And now Jerry has gotten worse,wont use FA at all except for jags, and gives the bulk of money to a few supposed stars.
So without a new and good HC Who hires his own staff. Cowboys are doomed to be KTR and nothing more.

I would love to see BB hired in 25, and see what he could do, give him a few years and see if he can change the culture, and have
the team prepared for games, and less penaltys , more innovation, etc.

Dandy I’m with you on this except one area. I think Bill Belechick is done. He’s mid 70s by next season and he lacks the energy needed for a rebuild at that age. Plus as long as Jerry is breathing he will never allow a HC to upstage him.

I do like your idea of getting a HC who has the ability to command respect and is also innovative. Mike McCarthy is way better than Garrett ever was but I believe he is no longer innovative. He is liked by the players but I think it’s for the wrong reasons. He’s not as demanding as this team needs. The absolute softest culture in the NFL needs a tougher HC. But the Jones boys won’t allow it.

 

[75boyz]

Totally on board with every bit of this Bob.

As you stated it's a most likely "never will happen" scenario while the current family is in charge of personnel but just for the sake of outside the box and aggressive rebuilds, count me totally in.

Gotta get the right HC to go along with the right elite QB though.

Other than that, sign me up. I totally agree. Ain't none of 'em untouchable imo.

 

[Einstein]

Bob, I had a friend that played fantasy football and his draft strategy was to draft the best players on bad teams... your thinking seems sort of like his to me, he ended up dead last 2 years in a row...

 

[Bobhaze]

Bob, I had a friend that played fantasy football and his draft strategy was to draft the best players on bad teams... your thinking seems sort of like his to me, he ended up dead last 2 years in a row...

Using a good fantasy football strategy is IMO exactly what this team does every year. Get a bunch of guys you make stars, pay them at the top of the market and then fizzle in the playoffs. They win in fantasy football but not real football.

What I’m talking about is trying aggressively to get better. What this FO seems to do every year is magically believe we will get better with the same guys by adding some draft picks and a few cheap FAs. This strategy has given is 4 wild card wins the last nearly 3 decades. Why would continuing that strategy get us different results?

 

[Bobhaze]

I don't see how you can guarantee this will happen, Bob.

How about this RS- I guarantee what I’m recommending won’t happen.

 

[Sheepherder]

You're getting bold here Haze I love it!!!! I wonder what the cap problems we would accrue doing all of this, instead of not letting the guys like Martin/lawrence play out their last season here

Another cry baby Stephan Diggs if you ask me.I mean CD Lamb

 

[fivetwos]

Using a good fantasy football strategy is IMO exactly what this team does every year. Get a bunch of guys you make stars, pay them at the top of the market and then fizzle in the playoffs. They win in fantasy football but not real football.

What I’m talking about is trying aggressively to get better. What this FO seems to do every year is magically believe we will get better with the same guys by adding some draft picks and a few cheap FAs. This strategy has given is 4 wild card wins the last nearly 3 decades. Why would continuing that strategy get us different results?

Giving big contracts to guys they drafted validates them as football people…in their own minds.

Lifetime Cowboys sell jerseys for a lifetime, Bobby Wagner would not have.

It may not be as much about being cheap as knowing they will probably have to overpay to keep the players that will keep them marketable, etc.

Whatever. I’m about out of hopes and/or any expectations in the near future. The joy is about all gone and that’s sad.

 

[Diehardblues]

The thing about the Jones FO that baffles me the most: They are more than willing to pay top dollar - even SET the market with players that have essentially done almost nothing in the playoffs.

I don’t have anything against Cedee Lamb, Parsons or Dak. Or the other top dollar players. Individually, most of them have had good stats. But the key question for me is, what have they done collectively for us? Again, in the regular season, very good results but in the playoffs they have folded.

Why keep that together at top dollar? Sadly, the answer to that question is because it sells jerseys, seat licenses and advertising.

Unfortunately it’s not just the playoffs . We don’t normally have as much success in regular season either against better teams.

This is a common thread for us. We dominate lesser teams while generally struggle against better teams.

This should provide everyone more of a warning or red flag but too many fans they buy into the hype surrounding the wins. Especially when we win 12 games in a season.

Many fans threw up the caution but not everyone listened. Then when we come up short are severely disappointed.

And yes, our ownership keeps it together because it’s enough to hype and provide hope for the fans which fuels the revenue. A better than average product is easier to market with some key stars .

 

[Rockport]

Let me say right off the bat, what I’m about to suggest will never happen. Why? Because Jerry Jones no longer takes big risks in attempts to build a championship roster. In fact, sadly Jerry and Stephen clearly make sales and marketing the centerpiece of what drives this organization more than sound roster moves that give us better chances of winning playoff games.

Most fans around here probably would not support my roster plan either. And I understand that. But I believe this is the way to make this team better in the long run. So what is the roster building strategy I would support? Here it is:

• Make 2024 an aggressive rebuild. Simply put, if we are being honest, there is no core of this team that has done anything important in the playoffs. Yes, the last 3 years have given us 3 playoff appearances, BUT…that has resulted in 1 wild card win. That’s not worth building around IMO.
• Seek trades for Cedee Lamb, Micah Parsons, Dak, Zack Martin and D-Law. Having all these top paid guys (Lamb and Parsons will be soon) collectively have given us 3 wild card wins - one back when Romo was QB. Here’s my thinking on this:
  • Trade Cedee Lamb- why? Yes Lamb deserves a big payday. But I would not pay him top market dollar because keeping him here at top market value does not make this team better. It keeps it the same. He has disappeared at times in big games and pouts way too easily. I would see if we could get a first round pick for him.
  • Trade Micah Parsons- I would think long and hard about paying this guy top of the defensive market. Not because of talent. He’s the most talented guy on this team. But he’s also the biggest head case on this team. Hate to say it, he disappears in big games, pouts and talks waaaay too much. Trade him while his value is high. He might garner a first and a second round pick.
  • Trade Dak Prescott- I know the Jones boys don’t have the stones to do this but I would be vigorously seeking trade partners right now for Dak. They should have shopped him to Pitts because I think Dak would have agreed to that trade. That “no trade clause” just means they need to find a team he would like. It may be too late now.
  • See what trading Zack Martin, Trevon Diggs and D-Law could garner- doubtful there would be much value for Martin and Law at their age but I would explore it. Diggs maybe.
• Use the haul in draft picks for a rebuild of the core of this team.
  • Draft a QB in the first round for a change.
  • Draft a LT, G/C, WR and edge rusher the next two years that you can build around.

As stated earlier, the current core of this team has not given us much of anything in playoff wins. Isn’t that what we are supposed to be about? Winning playoff games? Like I said at the beginning, this will never happen. The Jones boys are mostly about sales and marketing. This is why they sign their “marquee” players whether or not having them means we have a legit shot at a Lombardi.

IMO it is long past the time to move on from this core of players who have underachieved. A new era of Cowboys football should be in the making. Don‘t hold your breath. There are jerseys and commercials to sell first.

Sorry Bob, but this is the biggest knee jerk reaction I’ve seen. First of all, the season doesn’t start until September. This team will look very different then. Also, this team already was one of the youngest teams in the NFL and will no doubt get even younger. It’s a young mans game. And Zimmer will improve the defense and he will find some real dogs. I expect the defense will be better at stopping the run. Their offensive line has some young guns ready for more improvement and playing time. And I’m sure they will address the position early in the draft. Their starting RB is not with the team at the moment. Let’s see how that plays out.

Bottom line is you, and so many other fans here, are too easy to give up. You experience a gut wrenching loss to Green Bay, a game I’ve never been more disgusted with, and y’all just throw in the towel. Blow it all up. I respect your posts as they are well thought out and written, but you’re giving up with the rest of the yahoos here who’ve done the same. That’s about 95% of posters.

 

[Bobhaze]

I have always said that every player should be availble for trade and every position should be up for grabs every season.

This team needs a core reset and the best way to do that is with removing high-end contracts and having multiple first round picks over 2-3 years.

I would have no issue with trading any player on the roster if doing so yields high round draft picks.

Agree with this 100%.

The biggest problem I see with a “core reset” is I’m not sure we have the front office talent, savvy or insight to do a reset without either lucking into it with the Jones boys or JJ deciding he needs to hire someone that knows what they are doing. I just can’t see the last one happening.

So we are all praying for Lady Luck to have sweet mercy on us!

 

[Bobhaze]

Sorry Bob, but this is the biggest knee jerk reaction I’ve seen. First of all, the season doesn’t start until September. This team will look very different then. Also, this team already was one of the youngest teams in the NFL and will no doubt get even younger. It’s a young mans game. And Zimmer will improve the defense and he will find some real dogs. I expect the defense will be better at stopping the run. Their offensive line has some young guns ready for more improvement and playing time. And I’m sure they will address the position early in the draft. Their starting RB is not with the team at the moment. Let’s see how that plays out.

Bottom line is you, and so many other fans here, are too easy to give up. You experience a gut wrenching loss to Green Bay, a game I’ve never been more disgusted with, and y’all just throw in the towel. Blow it all up. I respect your posts as they are well thought out and written, but you’re giving up with the rest of the yahoos here who’ve done the same. That’s about 95% of posters.

Rock, to me this is the exact opposite of giving up. This strategy to me is being aggressive to get better. Instead of being passive to get the same results. IMO doing what we’ve been doing is more of a ”give up.”

 

[Diehardblues]

Giving big contracts to guys they drafted validates them as football people…in their own minds.

Lifetime Cowboys sell jerseys for a lifetime, Bobby Wagner would not have.

It may not be as much about being cheap as knowing they will probably have to overpay to keep the players that will keep them marketable, etc.

Whatever. I’m about out of hopes and/or any expectations in the near future. The joy is about all gone and that’s sad.

For me it’s been gone for years . I’ve become almost numb to it lowering my expectations.

 

[Sheepherder]

The thing about the Jones FO that baffles me the most: They are more than willing to pay top dollar - even SET the market with players that have essentially done almost nothing in the playoffs.

I don’t have anything against Cedee Lamb, Parsons or Dak. Or the other top dollar players. Individually, most of them have had good stats. But the key question for me is, what have they done collectively for us? Again, in the regular season, very good results but in the playoffs they have folded.

Why keep that together at top dollar? Sadly, the answer to that question is because it sells jerseys, seat licenses and advertising.

I could go along with that only under one condition. That the Jones's would agree to sell the team.

 

[CowboyStar88]

I’m not letting go of Diggs, and I’d think long and hard about CeeDee. I think CeeDee’s attitude is tied directly to how his QB buckles when it matters. I’d keep CeeDee as any QB you bring in would be 10x better than without him. He will build confidence for a young guy.

 

[Diehardblues]

Agree with this 100%.

The biggest problem I see with a “core reset” is I’m not sure we have the front office talent, savvy or insight to do a reset without either lucking into it with the Jones boys or JJ deciding he needs to hire someone that knows what they are doing. I just can’t see the last one happening.

So we are all praying for Lady Luck to have sweet mercy on us!

Pretty much. Cowboys fans should have learned by now with this ownership. But for some reason many have remained too hopeful.

Lowering expectations due to recent history helps comfort the frustrations and disappointments.

 

[acr731]

Bad idea. Let's see what they have got this year. They could end up much better than you think.

They could go 1-16 in 2024 and you would say the same thing next offseason.

 

[Rockport]

Rock, to me this is the exact opposite of giving up. This strategy to me is being aggressive to get better. Instead of being passive to get the same results. IMO doing what we’ve been doing is more of a ”give up.”

You’re trying to put lipstick on a pig. Your strategy is exactly the meaning of giving up.

 

[Diehardblues]

Giving big contracts to guys they drafted validates them as football people…in their own minds.

Lifetime Cowboys sell jerseys for a lifetime, Bobby Wagner would not have.

It may not be as much about being cheap as knowing they will probably have to overpay to keep the players that will keep them marketable, etc.

Whatever. I’m about out of hopes and/or any expectations in the near future. The joy is about all gone and that’s sad.

You have to adjust your expectations. I waved my white flag years ago.

We still have hopefully at least 17 meaningful games each season we can root our team on.

Anything beyond that is shallow. It is what it is. This franchise priorities are out of whack. And expecting something different is foolish.

 

[Diehardblues]

You’re trying to put lipstick on a pig. Your strategy is exactly the meaning of giving up.

You don’t have to give up. Just lower expectations. Doesn’t mean we still can’t root our team on . We just aren’t as likely to win a championship under this dysfunctional ownership .

I have found a way to just enjoy trying to win each game . It just takes a different mentality to root on a more dormant or less successful organization. Unfortunately I’ve had a lifetime of practice with my Alma Mater.