Am I alone? I believe this team will go to the SB if we stay healthy

[BAT]

Cowboys wont win a championship without a top 10 defense in DFR or in pressures. If the Jones' are serious about contending in 2016 and maximizing the Romo window, they need to acquire elite defenders now.

Trading for Mo Wilkerson would be a good start.

 

[TrailBlazer]

Who knows what Romo will be at 36. Most likely the window is already closed and they don't even know it. It's pessimistic and I hope I'm wrong, but we're 1 Romo injury away from being back at square 1, looking for a QB.

 

[KJJ]

I believe it was posted the Cowboys ranked last in pressures last season. That shows just how poor a pass rush we have and one big reason our corners didn't have a single INT last year. If you can't move the QB around and affect their timing forcing them to rush throws you're going to get shredded by even average QBs. We made Sam Bradford look like an elite QB in week 9 just go look at his numbers. With our 2 starting DEs out the first 4 games and not having a formidable pass rusher for the opposition to contend with the entire season it's scary to think how low our sack total might end up being if we don't have some players don't step up.

 

[StarBoyz83]

I believe it was posted the Cowboys ranked last in pressures last season. That shows just how poor a pass rush we have and one big reason our corners didn't have a single INT last year. If you can't move the QB around and affect their timing forcing them to rush throws you're going to get shredded by even average QBs. We made Sam Bradford look like an elite QB in week 9 just go look at his numbers. With our 2 starting DEs out the first 4 games and not having a formidable pass rusher for the opposition to contend with the entire season it's scary to think how low our sack total might end up being if we don't have some players don't step up.

Not feeling the dine at all. That's why I don't think Dallas can contend if they make the playoffs.

We downgraded at DE by not resigning hardy. Dlaw is injured and suspended, this is basically Gregorys rookie season again. Thornton should be an upgrade over hayden, Crawford is ok but was Injured.

All other guys are just below average players that Dallas has hope for. Going to have to be a huge group effort. I don't see even one guy with 8 sacks.

 

[KJJ]

Not feeling the dine at all. That's why I don't think Dallas can contend if they make the playoffs.

We downgraded at DE by not resigning hardy. Dlaw is injured and suspended, this is basically Gregorys rookie season again. Thornton should be an upgrade over hayden, Crawford is ok but was Injured.

All other guys are just below average players that Dallas has hope for. Going to have to be a huge group effort. I don't see even one guy with 8 sacks.

Not having Hardy will take a big punch out of what little pass rush we had last season. DLaw did nothing until after Hardy got on the field in week 5. DLaw was such a no show many here wanted him benched. With his coming off surgery and missing the first 4 games he'll be lucky to put up 4 sacks in 2016. With no formidable pass rusher to take up some double teams most of the attention will be focused on DLaw.

He's not likely to be as effective without an elite pass rusher opposite him. Looking at what we have on paper I don't know how we're going to mount much of a pass rush this season. We're only in June and it's already obvious that an edge rusher is going to be our #1 need next year.

 

[big dog cowboy]

Cowboys wont win a championship without a top 10 defense in DFR or in pressures. If the Jones' are serious about contending in 2016 and maximizing the Romo window, they need to acquire elite defenders now.

Trading for Mo Wilkerson would be a good start.

We aren't trading for Wilkerson. No way we take on that salary.

 

[percyhoward]

One of the main problems for the Saints in 2010 is Drew Brees tossed twice as many picks (22) than he had during their SB year the previous season. He wasn't nearly as efficient his passer rating took a big dip that season from 109.6 in 2009 to 90.9 in 2010. In 2009, the Saints #1 offense got opponents behind early forcing them to press to try and keep up which led to turnovers.

One last time.

The Saints had more plays with the lead in 2010 then they did in 2009, and even so, they got a lot fewer takeaways.

Saints plays while leading
2009 488 (27 takeaways)
2010 517 (16 takeaways)

The Saints also had more than twice as many first quarter plays with the lead in 2010 than they did in 2009, and Brees' first quarter passer rating was higher in 2010 than in 2009.

Saints plays while leading (1st qtr only)
2009 33 (Brees 110.7)
2010 75 (Brees 111.6)

Having a great offense is not a panacea, and getting off to early leads is certainly not a formula for defensive success. In fact if you think about it, getting a lead depends every bit as much on your defense as it does your offense. Your offense may score early, but if your defense gives up an early score, your lead is gone anyway.

In the playoffs in Green Bay, Dallas scored touchdowns on 2 of its first 3 possessions, outrushed the Packers, and won the TOP battle.

The Cowboys are just going to have to play better defense, no matter what the offense does.

 

[KJJ]

One last time.

The Saints had more plays with the lead in 2010 then they did in 2009, and even so, they got a lot fewer takeaways.

Brees had 22 INT's in 2010 compared to 11 in 2009. Hard to hang onto leads when you're turning the ball over and not creating as many turnovers. His passer rating dropped from 109.6 in 2009 to 90.9 in 2010.

 

[percyhoward]

Brees had 22 INT's in 2010 compared to 11 in 2009. Some of those leads in 2010 were blown because he kept turning the ball over. His passer rating dropped from 109.6 in 2009 to 90.9 in 2010.

The point is that the Saints had more plays with the lead and fewer takeaways. I don't doubt that many of those leads were blown, or else the gap between the two seasons would have been even bigger.

 

[KJJ]

The point is that the Saints had more plays with the lead and fewer takeaways. I don't doubt that many of those leads were blown, or else the gap between the two seasons would have been even bigger.

They had fewer takeaways and more giveaways in 2010 which explains some of the gap between that season and the 09 season.

 

[percyhoward]

They had fewer takeaways and more giveaways in 2010.

And still had more leads, which is what this is about -- the effect of having a lead on takeaways.

 

[BAT]

We aren't trading for Wilkerson. No way we take on that salary.

I believe Stephen feels the same. But it's a shortsighted view for a player like Wilkerson who is still only 27 and has multiple pro bowl seasons and unlike Hardy a true professional and RKG.

The Jones' would rather go cheap and bargain bin shop on D instead. Adding an elite talent to the middle of that front 7 will elevate every defender's game and production including DLaw, Rockets, Lee, Gregory, Thornton, Irving and even TCraw.

The pressures and more importantly the confidence on the D would skyrocket.

 

[cowboyblue22]

they believe they have a team closer to 12 and 4 than four and twelve so they are going on the cheap we will see this season as it goes along who is right and who is wrong.

 

[AsthmaField]

Wilkerson is a really good player and I wouldn't mind him in Dallas. However, like most here, I don't think there is any way Dallas makes a move for him.

I agree with Stephen that free agents are overpaid for their talents and that building through the draft and lower priced free agents is the way to go. Wilkerson though, doesn't fall under that free agency blanket statement IMO. He isn't a middling talent at a top talent price. He is a top talent that will be at a top talent price.

What that means however, is that Wilkerson is going to cost a lot to sign... even if he does have talent.

The problem for Dallas in this case really isn't if he is talented enough to pay a whole lot for... the problem is that: 1) the Jets will require significant compensation for Wilkerson, likely in the form of draft capital, and 2) There is always a chance that a star player loses his mojo when he moves from one team to another.

These days, Dallas holds on to their draft picks for dear life, so this point alone probably makes it very unlikely that the Cowboys make a move for Wilkerson. For the record, I'm officially behind the team when it comes to giving up picks. For far too long Jerry would throw picks around willy-nilly and I'm thrilled that the team no longer does that. I have no doubt that stopping that practice has prevented far more bad moves than any good moves it might have stopped. The team is much better off this way.

I'm also glad that the team has realized that it isn't a great idea to pay a lot for a guy that has never set foot in your locker room. Again, it could prevent a good move here or there... but overall the team is much better off shying away from this practice.

So, while Wilkerson is a tempting target, I will side with the team and say it wouldn't be a good idea to trade for him.