A Case for Redball

[Hoofbite]

Redballs roster changes (Before - After - 3rd year):

Romo - Romo - Romo
Barber - Jones - Murray
Austin - Austin - Austin
Williams - Bryant - Bryant
Witten - Witten - Witten
Free - Free - Smith
Kosier - Kosier - Livings
Gurode - Costa - Costa
Davis - Nagy/Holland - M.B.
Colombo - Smith - Free

Spears - Coleman - Spears
Ratliff - Ratliff - Ratliff
Olgoshansky - Hatcher - Hatcher
Spencer - Spencer - Spencer
James - James - Carter
Brooking - Lee - Lee
Ware - Ware - Ware
Newman - Newman - Carr
Jenkins - Jenkins - ClaiMaker
Ball - Elam - Church
Sensabaugh - Sensabaugh - Sensy

Not quite sure I'm following the "Before - After - 3rd Year" part.

Before what? After What and is that projected to next year?

 

[Hoofbite]

RKG is getting played out.

What, is Jason the only coach in the NFL who can identify players of quality character?

 

[Beast_from_East]

LOL at the part where we had 35 players on the roster that could not make an NFL roster when Garrett took over.


The previous year we won a playoff game.




Hey, I get it. Garrett has done jack so far as head coach so you have to make it sound like he took over an expansion team full of CFL caliber scrubs to justify all the losses. The only problem with this story is that those CFL scrubs won a playoff game the year before.........LOL.

 

[Idgit]

RKG is getting played out.

What, is Jason the only coach in the NFL who can identify players of quality character?

There's something to be said for committing to fill a roster with the right kinds of players. He's done a nice job with it, so far.

 

[CowboysFaninHouston]

RKG? Nonsense. Winning is what counts. And to win you need to play like winners. Ask Jen Floyd Engel. She seems to get it.

http://http://www.foxsportssouthwest.com/12/03/12/Cowboys-ugly-win-wont-save-coach-Garrett/landing_cowboys.html?blockID=829857&feedID=4680

and in order to play like winners you need the RKG, not gurode, williams, davis, barber, TO, etc.

 

[Woods]

Hey all - I wrote this for another forum that I am part of. Part of the reason I wrote it though is due to all the crazy negativity I read here this morning. I thought I would share this with you guys - feel free to rip apart.

Also - PS - Adam, if you are reading this - WOULD LOVE TO SEE SOME CAP ANALYSIS!! What kind of shape are we in for next year????

A case for Garrett:

So - As many of you know, I am a supporter =>OF THE DIRECTION<= the franchise is going under Garrett. I emphasis those words to make a point. I do think Garrett as a coach and play caller has some significant deficiencies. Namely, the game day management of the offense and the perpetual problem with penalties (side note, 2003 was the last year we had under 6 penalties a game. We have been in the bottom 10 almost every year since then).

So Matt, why do you like Garrett? I think he has brought something that we have sorely lacked for far to long. He brought an identity.

Identity, who cares about that? All that matters are W/L.... Right? Sure - Wins are all that matters. But to build a franchise that can have continued success, you need to have an identity. For some teams that is "Smash Mouth"', "Defense" or "Passing Attack". Others it is simply "fundamental/Smart". But look at the teams that have continued success and they have a coach that embodies the identity of their team. Those coaches are in place for a significant tenure and mold a culture that breeds success.

Well then Mr. SmartyPants - What is our identity? RKG. Right kind of guy. Listen to Garrett talk about any roster move and you will hear this phrase. You will hear it more than once. Its our hope for the Dallas Cowboys, our future. Its a mentality. Its a type of player. Its a type of person. Its the culture that Garrett has started to implement.

Lots of hyperbole there, still didnt define RKG. Well, I can give you what MY definition would be. Not sure if it is Garretts. To me, it means a person with good character. A player who has passion for the game. A scrappy fighter who will give it 100%. Its people who will put in the work. An ode to the old school in that sense - football means more than money or fame. A team full of players that all have the heart of Jason Witten.

Thats cute, but I see an 8-8 team. Wheres the proof? I am impatient. I NEED A SUPERBOWL NOW!! You're right - we are an average team right now. There is no reasonable thought process that says otherwise. But that doesn't mean we are not improving. I posted this in another thread, but take a look at this:

Alright, so we've transformed ~60% of the starters in 2 years. We are still AVERAGE, you said it yourself. Sure, I said it. I think we are average for a few key reasons:
1. We are young in a lot of places
2. Even with all the turnover, not all positions have been appropriately addressed.
3. We are injured... Very injured.


Injuries are an excuse. Besides, we drafted injury prone players, what can you expect? We should be able to overcome *some* injuries. But the truth is we are not talented enough to overcome multiple injuries at key positions. When Garrett took over, he had ~5 great players, ~5 good players, ~5 good enough guys and about ~35 guys who wouldn't make it on most NFL rosters. We know this because we have cut them - and most are buried on a depth chart or not on a team at all.

As for being injury prone, I don't buy into that for MOST NFL players. You want to say Glass Hammy Austin is injury prone? Okay, fine. But to say a guy who breaks a hand one year and then a toe the next year is injury prone is false (in my opinion). He is simply unlucky. Those are two very different injuries that have absolutely nothing to do with each other.


Ok, so what if I bought into your theory? Redball comes in, rebuilds the bulk of the team under our noses, all while giving us some entertaining competitive football to watch. When should we expect playoff success? Good question. Tough to answer. I think it would be fair and accurate to say that this offseason is highly critical to the future of Garrett. I do not think you put Garrett on the "Hot Seat" for all of next year. But I do think there needs to be some internal conversations with Garrett that 2013 needs to be a significantly more disciplined team. I think it should be made very aware to Garrett that the amount of boneheaded mistakes our team makes is beyond unacceptable. If it were me, I would let Garrett know that he be relieved of the offensive coordinator title. As a young Head Coach, he needs to surround himself with smart people who can help him right the ship.



TLDR version: Garrett has planted the seeds of our new identity. He deserves at least one more year to see the fruits of his labor.

Well written post.

2 points I would make.

1. I like the job showing the changes in our roster over the past 3 years. One point of note is the OL. Whereby we managed to upgrade the LB position, for example and our CBs, it is evident. But when you look at the OL, it is clearly still in progress, imo. I still prefer Gurode from 3 years ago to what we have today. (Though I understand Gurode playing days are over now.)

Same for Kosier. A healthy Kosier was at least as good, imo, as who we're playing at OG now.

Garrett HAS to bring in the players for the OL, etc. this off-season, or I think he will be in the hotseat next year. There is no way I see JJ missing the playoffs 4 years in a row.

2. I think it is important to bring in the RKG. With those type of people, they are self-motivated, improve the culture in the lockerroom. You don't have to worry about them not showing up during the off-season to get their workouts in, drug issues (hopefully), etc.

But, once again, Garrett has to prove he can win with the RKGs. Having the RKGs is not enough, imo.

The point of drafting the RKGs is because you think you can win with them. JG has to show that.


Keeping posting your analysis. Good stuff!

 

[jnday]

If the sloppy play was cleaned up in the least little bit, I would feel different about Garrett. That should have been the first sign that the team is headed in the right direction. There is a long list of things that makes me think the team is not headed in the right direction, but penalties and stupid plays tops the list of changes that should have been addressed. There is no excuse for it.

 

[goshan]

I think Garrett's job at rebuilding and remoulding this roster is a far more daunting task than anyone truly appreciated. After all, he was taking over one of the most talented rosters in the league - the one that had just gotten off to a 1-7 start and two back to back blowout losses including one to the hapless Jacksonville Jaguars and a shellacking by the Giants.

Every single NFL team has this sort of diversity of the roster every single year. This is the reality of today's NFL. Garrett hasn't been molding this and it isn't going to be molded by him. Garret is the head coach - he is responsible for putting together the schemes, practices and game-day management of the team.

 

[gmb85]

Garrett needs to stay. It would be a shame if Tony went through 4 head coaches. We just have to be patient and get better in all phases.

 

[rickjameschinaclub]

"Right kind" of players and "Quality" guys... If you ask them how they define it, they'll coime up with even more vague terms... There is nothing to quantify JG's success...

BTW, that roster that was replaced by JG, was the result of an aging core, that was brought in by Bill Parcells. That aging core, Wade Phillips also inherited, which he wokred with and got much better success. It's not like Wade Phillips wasn't strapped with Anthony Henry, Jacques Reeves, Ferguson and other 'veterans' that were at the end of their terms.

What people claim as the result of JG, was just a natural necessitity, i.e. this team had to fill roles. If we look at what JG has filled his roster with, especially the OL, which has had the biggest holes, he's given this team in reality nothing. The only quantifiable, potential stud drafted, was Smith, and that was a no-brainer for anybody needed an OL at that pick. Picks like Sean Lee and Spencer were done in the Wade era, and a Bruce Carter was a defensive pick, not one of offense, which is supposedly JG's area of specialty. Ratliff was made a NT by Wade. Carr and Claiborne, again were defense, and Dallas wanted to play more man from a defensive stand-point to create TOs and CB was a need going back to the Wade era, hell even Parcells era. Jerry spent a lot of money in getting CBs, because he knew he had to. The defense not creating INTs was a major issue during Wade's tenure, but in reality, I wouldn't blame Wade, because he was saddled with Dave Campo and scrubs at CB. Wade was more hampered than JG ever was in reality, but the Jg supporters don't want to admit it. The whole Garrett family sits in this organization, on of JGs brothers a pssing game coordinator, the other a 'director of pro scouting'....

I mean if you want to talk personnel on offense, you can go back to Roy Williams, Brad Johnson, Jon Kitna and a bunch of other scrubs, which clearly show JG's over-rated personnel skills, by his group of loyal followers. Funny, how the defendors of JG at the beginning of the season were telling us how these brilliant picks were not so brilliant, because none of the WRs could run routes. Our best blocking TE was drafted before JG as well, and one can see how well his loss left us from a blocking standpoint, because Phillips can't block worth a dime. Bennet was allegedly the other 'cancer' that created problems for JG.

And when the team loses and looks bad, which is quite often,, all of the sudden, Jason Garrett has no players...

 

[visionary]

If the sloppy play was cleaned up in the least little bit, I would feel different about Garrett. That should have been the first sign that the team is headed in the right direction. There is a long list of things that makes me think the team is not headed in the right direction, but penalties and stupid plays tops the list of changes that should have been addressed. There is no excuse for it.

this^^

if you can "make a case for garrett" at this point, you are delusional

delusion = bad

self delusion = worse

 

[Idgit]

"Right kind" of players and "Quality" guys... If you ask them how they define it, they'll coime up with even more vague terms... What the hell does that mean?

Winning is more important to them and personal achievement, and they'll maximize the effort they're willing to put out every day, practice, game, snap.

There are a lot of talented players in the NFL who don't meet those criteria.

 

[visionary]

There's something to be said for committing to fill a roster with the right kinds of players. He's done a nice job with it, so far.

so the aim should be to "fill the roster with RKGs"

does "winning" factor in somewhere along the way?

RKGs, hmmm... should we also get Mr. Rogers while were at it?

the only thing that is to be said for the job our GM has done thus far cant be said in front of kids

from 8-8 to 6-6

now that is the kind of progress i want to see

 

[rickjameschinaclub]

Winning is more important to them and personal achievement, and they'll maximize the effort they're willing to put out every day, practice, game, snap.

There are a lot of talented players in the NFL who don't meet those criteria.

More vague terms...

I thought Doug Free got a fat check and packed it in... So based upon what you observe in practice, who in the Wade era that has been let go didn't want to win... How is this measured? So why are the WRs always running wrong routes, the OL can't block, and so on? Is it because they don't want to win, or just suck?

So wanting to win is more important than actually winning?

 

[CATCH17]

Same here. Lets see what happens next year. Get some help in the trenches in the offseason and you can see a much improved Cowboys team next season.

Unreal. The guy is terrible and some of you want to give him another year.

He has absolutely zero presence as a coach and his playcalling plus in game management is amateur.

I don't want a coach that doesn't adjust his system to his players.


People are a little happy with Garrett right now because he went out and beat a completely inferior team at home.

We also came out stinking in a typical Garrett coached team fashion.

 

[goshan]

Winning is more important to them and personal achievement, and they'll maximize the effort they're willing to put out every day, practice, game, snap.

There are a lot of talented players in the NFL who don't meet those criteria.

Just stop it guys. Every NFL team would ideally fill all positions with RKGs. There is nothing new or interesting about it. But a team with 100% RKGs will lose to a team with 80% RKGs that has a lot more talent all day long.

It is amazing how so many have latched onto this.

 

[goshan]

Unreal. The guy is terrible and some of you want to give him another year.

He has absolutely zero presence as a coach and his playcalling plus in game management is amateur.

I don't want a coach that doesn't adjust his system to his players.

Your comment about his presence is something I have mentioned before. His presence is bad for the Cowboys brand, and over time this will affect the bottom line.

 

[CATCH17]

Your comment about his presence is something I have mentioned before. His presence is bad for the Cowboys brand, and over time this will affect the bottom line.

This franchise can get and deserves a top of the line coach at all times.

Jerry may not give us an advantage with his ability to get the team what it needs on the field but he can put his pieces in the best position for success if he'll just get it right with the guy on the sidelines instead of hiring friends and puppets.

 

[visionary]

More vague terms...

I thought Doug Free got a fat check and packed it in... So based upon what you observe in practice, who in the Wade era that has been let go didn't want to win... How is this measured? So why are the WRs always running wrong routes, the OL can't block, and so on? Is it because they don't want to win, or just suck?

So wanting to win is more important than actually winning?

dont expect an answer

just more double talk

 

[WV Cowboy]

But I do think there needs to be some internal conversations with Garrett that 2013 needs to be a significantly more disciplined team. I think it should be made very aware to Garrett that the amount of boneheaded mistakes our team makes is beyond unacceptable. If it were me, I would let Garrett know that he be relieved of the offensive coordinator title. As a young Head Coach, he needs to surround himself with smart people who can help him right the ship.

So who will do this?

Who will have this internal conversation about discipline?

How will he know that the amount of boneheaded mistakes are beyond unacceptable?

Who has the coaches ear?

Please don't say Jerry Jones.