A Cowboys’ Offseason Plan, Part 1: What Is Their Team-Building Philosophy?

[waving monkey]

Overview
This ten-part series is going to take a step-by-step approach to the offseason, looking at the following:

1. What is Dallas’s team building philosophy? What factors, other than trying to get better, are going to drive the Cowboy’s decisions this offseason?
2. Where are the Cowboys strong? To decide how to get better, you first have to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the team. This will be the first of three articles on that topic.
3. Where are the Cowboys just okay? Where can the Cowboys get by if they can’t improve?
4. Where are the Cowboys weakest? This includes an assessment of the holes that would be created if the team’s free agents leave.
5. Freeing up money. The Cowboys are above the salary cap for 2017. Before they do anything, they need to get under the cap. How can they do so?
6. In house free agents. Who are the best candidates for Dallas to try to bring back, and why?
7. Free agents - offense. Who might Dallas target on the offensive side of the ball? (This might be a very short article!)
8. Free agents - defense. Who might Dallas target on the defensive side?
9. Draft - offense. What positions are likely to be bolstered on offense?
10. Draft - defense. What positions are likely to be bolstered on defense

llllink/http://www.bloggingtheboys.com/2017...art-1-what-is-dallas-team-building-philosophy

1. 
   

 

[Sydla]

I am hoping a lot of that stuff is just GM speak from Stephen.

- There is absolutely no reason to bring back Carr, Claiborne, Church AND Wilcox. That would be insane unless your goal is just field a mediocre secondary.

- You likely aren't going to fix the pass rush immediately in the draft. Few rookies have an impact at DE. The Cowboys need to spend a bit in FA on a guy like Addison or Sheard. To think what they have supplemented with a rookie from the draft will work is just foolish thinking IMO.

- The over 30 rule is dumb and I hope they don't stick to it. There is value in adding an older player who can still play. For one, you likely get them cheaper and on shorter deals. Take a guy like Addison. He's going to be 30 at the start of the 2017 NFL season. He's shown to be productive as a pass rusher. He's shown to be fairly healthy. He's also likely going to cost not a ton and you can probably dump him in a couple of years with limited pain. That's EXACTLY the type of guy you should be signing to plug holes if you aren't going to wade into the world of big time contracts for younger, star caliber players in FA.

 

[RamziD]

Someone brought up the idea of signing Ted Ginn. I know that's probably not a popular option...wrong side of 30, hands can be iffy. He did have 10 TDs the year the Panthers went to the SB, though, and has good speed. He also should be quite a bit cheaper than TW. Signing him and Butler would leave us more money to spend on other players in FA, and we wouldn't have to draft a WR in the first 3 rounds, focusing on defense instead.

 

[Sydla]

Someone brought up the idea of signing Ted Ginn. I know that's probably not a popular option...wrong side of 30, hands can be iffy. He did have 10 TDs the year the Panthers went to the SB, though, and has good speed. He also should be quite a bit cheaper than TW. Signing him and Butler would leave us more money to spend on other players in FA, and we wouldn't have to draft a WR in the first 3 rounds, focusing on defense instead.

Totally would be on board with bringing in Ginn.

I am also on board with taking a flier on Michael Floyd. Not a speed guy but he's talented. He has a thousand yard season and two 850 yard seasons to his name. Yeah, you have to get a handle on his drinking issues but Floyd on one side, Dez on the other and Beasley working the slot? That's not a bad trio. Butler is the 4th and maybe you draft a guy like KD Cannon in the middle rounds.

 

[Alexander]

I am hoping a lot of that stuff is just GM speak from Stephen.

- There is absolutely no reason to bring back Carr, Claiborne, Church AND Wilcox. That would be insane unless your goal is just field a mediocre secondary.

Especially when two of them were having outlier performances that just happened to be in their contract years. Carr and Church will probably be rationalized because of their special "leadership" qualities.

 

[Sydla]

Especially when two of them were having outlier performances that just happened to be in their contract years. Carr and Church will probably be rationalized because of their special "leadership" qualities.

Yep. That's my fear. Experience will end up trumping actually skill.

I get that people are focused on the pass rush.......... it needs help.

But the idea that this secondary as constituted is good enough is baloney.

 

[Alexander]

But the idea that this secondary as constituted is good enough is baloney.

Au contraire mon frère

https://www.profootballfocus.com/pro-ranking-all-32-nfl-secondaries-this-season/

 

[Sydla]

LOL.

 

[Yakuza Rich]

Especially when two of them were having outlier performances that just happened to be in their contract years. Carr and Church will probably be rationalized because of their special "leadership" qualities.

Letting go Carr and Claiborne is risky because you're really lacking bodies at corner. Your corners would be Brown who had a sound rookie season, but is still a late round pick that had some consistency issues and Scandrick...who did not run well all season. The better play may be to bring back 1 of them at a reasonable price and then find a veteran like a Brandon Flowers type that will probably have a bit of an undeserving price tag, but is far less expensive than Carr.

Church is really all about the price tag he will get. I'm not nutty about him as a safety, but letting him go means that a replacement needs to stay healthy. I really wouldn't mind seeing what Byron and Heath could do in the same backfield, but I do have my doubts about Heath and his ability to help against the run. The big factor is if Frazier can step up his game. Without that, Church is still serviceable in the pinch and a willing special teams player.

Being hyperactive in free agency rarely works out. The teams with successful free agency signings tend to find guys that really fit what they do and get them at a price tag that doesn't kill them. Like the Steelers signing Ryan Clark who could put Polamalu in the right direction and was a good tackler and capable coverage guy. Or like the Pats who got Talib and Revis on short term deals.

I liked the idea of signing Thornton last year because he was so good at defending perimeter runs and he was pretty affordable. Unfortunately, he didn't perform quite up to my expectations. Still, if we need to cut him we could and not cut ourselves off at the knees in the process. Meanwhile if he steps up his game, he could end up being a bargain.





YR

 

[Stash]

Someone brought up the idea of signing Ted Ginn. I know that's probably not a popular option...wrong side of 30, hands can be iffy. He did have 10 TDs the year the Panthers went to the SB, though, and has good speed. He also should be quite a bit cheaper than TW. Signing him and Butler would leave us more money to spend on other players in FA, and we wouldn't have to draft a WR in the first 3 rounds, focusing on defense instead.

I did. And I still think he'd provide a multi-faceted option for this team. A player who could fill several roles. Anything is an improvement over Whitehead on returns and Ginn can handle the jet sweeps and actually provide a deep threat this offense lacks. All for a likely cost of about $2 million (his salary for the last two years).

 

[Stash]

Especially when two of them were having outlier performances that just happened to be in their contract years. Carr and Church will probably be rationalized because of their special "leadership" qualities.

I'd keep Carr to buy me another year of transition time. I think he makes sense for both sides for a reasonable cost, say about $5 million.

I'd certainly much rather pay that to Carr for one year than for a mediocre receiver like Williams over 4 or 5 years.

 

[Stash]

Letting go Carr and Claiborne is risky because you're really lacking bodies at corner. Your corners would be Brown who had a sound rookie season, but is still a late round pick that had some consistency issues and Scandrick...who did not run well all season. The better play may be to bring back 1 of them at a reasonable price and then find a veteran like a Brandon Flowers type that will probably have a bit of an undeserving price tag, but is far less expensive than Carr.

Church is really all about the price tag he will get. I'm not nutty about him as a safety, but letting him go means that a replacement needs to stay healthy. I really wouldn't mind seeing what Byron and Heath could do in the same backfield, but I do have my doubts about Heath and his ability to help against the run. The big factor is if Frazier can step up his game. Without that, Church is still serviceable in the pinch and a willing special teams player.

Being hyperactive in free agency rarely works out. The teams with successful free agency signings tend to find guys that really fit what they do and get them at a price tag that doesn't kill them. Like the Steelers signing Ryan Clark who could put Polamalu in the right direction and was a good tackler and capable coverage guy. Or like the Pats who got Talib and Revis on short term deals.

I liked the idea of signing Thornton last year because he was so good at defending perimeter runs and he was pretty affordable. Unfortunately, he didn't perform quite up to my expectations. Still, if we need to cut him we could and not cut ourselves off at the knees in the process. Meanwhile if he steps up his game, he could end up being a bargain.





YR

Agreed. Does anyone really want Scandrick out there?

 

[Wolfpack]

1. Not sure they ever had or will have a grand plan. Seems like 20 years of random reactions to last seasons mistakes / holes. Not expecting much to change.

 

[waving monkey]

This team put in place a operational/financial plan when Garrett came on board. They are working it

 

[LocimusPrime]

Au contraire mon frère

https://www.profootballfocus.com/pro-ranking-all-32-nfl-secondaries-this-season/

Lol lol the French got me.

 

[Fletch]

Overview
This ten-part series is going to take a step-by-step approach to the offseason, looking at the following:

1. What is Dallas’s team building philosophy? What factors, other than trying to get better, are going to drive the Cowboy’s decisions this offseason?
2. Where are the Cowboys strong? To decide how to get better, you first have to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the team. This will be the first of three articles on that topic.
3. Where are the Cowboys just okay? Where can the Cowboys get by if they can’t improve?
4. Where are the Cowboys weakest? This includes an assessment of the holes that would be created if the team’s free agents leave.
5. Freeing up money. The Cowboys are above the salary cap for 2017. Before they do anything, they need to get under the cap. How can they do so?
6. In house free agents. Who are the best candidates for Dallas to try to bring back, and why?
7. Free agents - offense. Who might Dallas target on the offensive side of the ball? (This might be a very short article!)
8. Free agents - defense. Who might Dallas target on the defensive side?
9. Draft - offense. What positions are likely to be bolstered on offense?
10. Draft - defense. What positions are likely to be bolstered on defense

llllink/http://www.bloggingtheboys.com/2017...art-1-what-is-dallas-team-building-philosophy

Don't t have time to answer each question, but I can tell you what you already know, make one big splash on DEFENSE in FA, draft with a defensive mind (move up for Malik Collins), and let's get a good mix of vets and younger guys. Staying young is great, but you need a solid mix of both!

 

[visionary]

Letting go Carr and Claiborne is risky because you're really lacking bodies at corner. Your corners would be Brown who had a sound rookie season, but is still a late round pick that had some consistency issues and Scandrick...who did not run well all season. The better play may be to bring back 1 of them at a reasonable price and then find a veteran like a Brandon Flowers type that will probably have a bit of an undeserving price tag, but is far less expensive than Carr.

Church is really all about the price tag he will get. I'm not nutty about him as a safety, but letting him go means that a replacement needs to stay healthy. I really wouldn't mind seeing what Byron and Heath could do in the same backfield, but I do have my doubts about Heath and his ability to help against the run. The big factor is if Frazier can step up his game. Without that, Church is still serviceable in the pinch and a willing special teams player.

Being hyperactive in free agency rarely works out. The teams with successful free agency signings tend to find guys that really fit what they do and get them at a price tag that doesn't kill them. Like the Steelers signing Ryan Clark who could put Polamalu in the right direction and was a good tackler and capable coverage guy. Or like the Pats who got Talib and Revis on short term deals.

I liked the idea of signing Thornton last year because he was so good at defending perimeter runs and he was pretty affordable. Unfortunately, he didn't perform quite up to my expectations. Still, if we need to cut him we could and not cut ourselves off at the knees in the process. Meanwhile if he steps up his game, he could end up being a bargain.





YR

At CB it is not about signing elite physical talent or paying for a shut down corner

We need CBs that are

Intelligent (bye Mo)
Healthy(bye Mo)
Are physical and can tackle (bye Carr)
Understand zone concepts

A great safety like Berry is far more important to me than an elite CB

I would try to land Berry
Sign a really good 1T DT
Draft a couple of DEs
Pray that Smith gets healthy

 

[visionary]

Don't t have time to answer each question, but I can tell you what you already know, make one big splash on DEFENSE in FA, draft with a defensive mind (move up for Malik Collins), and let's get a good mix of vets and younger guys. Staying young is great, but you need a solid mix of both!

1 move, sign Eric Berry

 

[GhostOfPelluer]

I'm guessing there is about a 1% chance Berry hits the market.

 

[Fletch]

1 move, sign Eric Berry

This and then some! I would take that move in a heartbeat. Guess we'll see if it can happen.