A Closer Look at Dallas' Age

[Gryphon]

Originally posted by bone_smasher31 from a sports forum:

Starters:

QB - Drew Bledsoe, 34
RB - Julius Jones, 24....MB3, 23
WR - Terrell Owens, 32
WR - Terry Glenn, 31
TE - Jason Witten, 24
TE - Anthony Fasano, 22
LT - Flozell Adams, 31
LG - Kyle Kosier, 27
C - Al Johnson, 27
RG - Marco Rivera, 34
RT - Rob Petitti, 24

DE - Marcus Spears, 23
NT - Jason Ferguson, 31
DE - Chris Canty, 23
LB - Demarcus Ware, 23
LB - Akin Ayodele, 26
LB - Bradie James, 25
LB - Bobby Carpenter, 22
CB - Terence Newman, 27
CB - Anthony Henry, 29
SS - Roy Williams, 25
FS - Keith Davis, 27......Pat Watkins, 23

Looks like a pretty young squad doesn't it....particularly on Defense.

 

[Eskimo]

The team has a nice mix overall of youth and experience.

However, the main areas of concern are regarding the injury potential and depth behind some of our aged starters.

In particular, who fills in when Glenn or TO is injured as both are old and have a history of missing time. Much of what we want to do offensively is probably dependent on these two terrorizing secondaries and leaving lots of space for Julius and Witten do some damage underneath. I have little faith in any of the other WRs on the roster.

The same concern has to hold true for Rivera (although we have Gurode) and Adams who are over 30 and coming off injuries.

As is the case these days, it is often the healthiest team that takes home the trophy at the end.

 

[Q_the_man]

nobody over 30 on Defense,WOW, Just think if we can have a top 10 or top 5 D, Whew...... Even after 5 years we still would be a very young D

 

[AsthmaField]

Man... with:

Spears 23
Canty 23
Ware 23
Ayodele 26
James 25
Carpenter 22
Newman 27
Williams 25
Watkins 23

Plus you could throw in:

Burnett
Hatcher
Reeves
Beriault
Ratliff
Pepper Johnson
Stanley
Boiman

Who are all very young... and it looks like Dallas has the makings of a very, very good, dominating defense for about the next 6-7 years.

That is a ton of very good to great players. We will be cutting very good players this year and the next few years. That is 17 defensive guys who are very young and very good.

It's going to quickly become difficult for draft picks to make the team on the defensive side of the ball. I think next year, we'll probably spend a lot of our draft picks on the offensive side of the ball because we're just plain loaded on the defensive side. A number one or a number two draft pick might have the talent to stick on the defensive side, but it will be all but impossible to find later round draft picks that have as much talent as many of the defenders we currently have.

 

[MONT17]

and this compares to what? every other team in the NFL!!!

 

[Gryphon]

and this compares to what? every other team in the NFL!!!

This is a general overview of the direction that BP has been moving the team.

 

[JackMagist]

Except for the WR positions we are not old at all. 31 is not over the hill for an O-Lineman so Flo is still in his prime. Rivera is old but he is the only old one on the line. Bledsoe is getting up there but QB's often play into their late 30s so he still should have a couple of years left in him. I am pleased to be able to say that overall this is not an old team anymore. In fact the ONLY player on the team that is a real concern due to age right now is Rivera.

 

[STSINAZ]

we got alot younger by getting rid of glover, LA, Key and starting carpenter

 

[tvooz]

dan campbell too

 

[SteveOS]

A nice mix of aging vets on offense, but man, that "D" is shaping up really nice!

 

[InDakWeTrust]

Spending a high draft pick on the Oline and WR could inject even more youth to a postion that needs it. It is amazing that there is no one over the age of 32 on defense, a sign of BP's ability to find defensive talent. Now if he can do the same to the offense.

 

[Jimz31]

Now, how long can we keep all of them together?

 

[JackMagist]

Now, how long can we keep all of them together?

We should be able to get three or four (maybe five) good years out of this defensive group with a replacement or two each offseason. We still have some work to do in getting younger on the offense but we can get that done fairly quickly with a couple of good drafts and a key FA pickup or two...As long as we are through throwing big money at old guys like Rivera.

 

[MONT17]

maybe... just maybe if we draft the ALL UPS team from 2000-03 maybe this team would have more guys in the late 20 and early 30s!


but if u wanna go Rainbow Walkin over Parcells dont let that stop u!!!

 

[big dog cowboy]

In particular, who fills in when Glenn or TO is injured as both are old and have a history of missing time.

This really cracks me up everytime I read that TO is old. He is in better shape than any other WR out there and certainly doesn't play or look anywhere close to his age. His main injury was cause from Roy and we all know the deal with that. As for the #3 WR, we already know it will be Crayton.

 

[JackMagist]

This really cracks me up everytime I read that TO is old. He is in better shape than any other WR out there and certainly doesn't play or look anywhere close to his age. His main injury was cause from Roy and we all know the deal with that. As for the #3 WR, we already know it will be Crayton.

It may crack you up but your laughter doesn't make Owens any younger or less injury prone. Yes, I know he is talented but that doesn't make him any younger or less injury prone either. It is the fact that he is talented that makes this more of a concern because it makes him harder to replace if/when he goes down. BTW the injuries that Roy inflicted on him were just the latest in a fairly long list of injuries.

 

[burmafrd]

Any one calling Owens injury prone or not reliable as far as playing is concerned really has not done their homework. Up untill last year, he played in 135 of 144 possible games in his first nine seasons. He never played in less then 14 games, and played in all 16 four times, and 15 once. You will find VERY few WR's who play at THAT level with as good a record. Marvin Harrison has almost the same record. Randy moss a LITTLE better. Steve Smith lost a whole season to injury. So take your jab about TO's record on playing and eat it.

 

[JackMagist]

Any one calling Owens injury prone or not reliable as far as playing is concerned really has not done their homework. Up untill last year, he played in 135 of 144 possible games in his first nine seasons. He never played in less then 14 games, and played in all 16 four times, and 15 once. You will find VERY few WR's who play at THAT level with as good a record. Marvin Harrison has almost the same record. Randy moss a LITTLE better. Steve Smith lost a whole season to injury. So take your jab about TO's record on playing and eat it.

Deep breaths Burm...deep breaths. Go on in and...well…do whatever you do...with your life size poster of Owens in a pair of speedos and calm down.

He's made it through only 1/4 of the seasons in his career without injury. And more importantly he has been missing more games each year the last few years as he gets older. What was it...4 games with a broken collar bone his last year in SF and then 4 or 5 games and most of the playoffs with a broken leg in Philly? Of course last year was only a broken attitude so that doesn't count but it wasn't a full season so we don't know what he might have hurt had he played. History would indicate that it is ridiculous to expect him to make it through a full season uninjured so any discussion of who might replace him if he goes down is very legitimate.

 

[big dog cowboy]

any discussion of who might replace him if he goes down is very legitimate.

Patrick Crayton. Guess we better hope TO stays healthy. I like Crayton a lot. But that is a big step down in talent.

 

[burmafrd]

AS I SAID, before someone with less brains and more mouth screwed up, 135 of 144 games over a career is pretty good. SO I think that particular poster has been taken care of.