An Unpopular Decision

[cern]

You are naive or haven't been on this site for very long. All anyone has to do is just bring up the names of Garrett, Jerry and Prescott and the arguments start. Heck even threads that start out about completely different things often end up as arguments about Garrett, Jones or Prescott so to start one off with that will just speed up the process.
.

The sound of inevitability is inevitable. Grin and bear.

 

[Londonboy]

The sound of inevitability is inevitable. Grin and bear.

Has Science determined that inevitability has a sound?
Is it a resigned sigh?
Or is it more of an anguished shriek?
Has a method of quantifiability been established?

 

[RoboQB]

I'd name Jeff Heath as team captain, just to see the meltdown on this board.

Or, I'd give Garrett a 10-year contract, just to see the meltdown on this board.

Or, i'd give Dak Prescott a fully guaranteed 5 year $140mil contract,
just to see the meltdown on this board... lol.

Mod required disclaimer:

I do hereby acknowledge this message shall be classified as "humor" and therefore
shall not be taken seriously as I will never be in position to carry out all or any these
acts of power. (lol)

 

[beware_d-ware]

Unpopular decision: release Jaylon Smith.

Before you go off on me, let me say this. I think Jaylon is the real deal. I think he is a top 10 MLB. His knee doesn't concern me at all.

It all comes down to price. Before this offseason, top dollar for a young stud MLB was about $10 mil a season, maybe $11M with cap inflation. There had been 4 or 5 deals signed in this range, so the market was pretty well set. If Jaylon would take 5 years $50M, I would put that money on the table right now.

But CJ Mosley went out and broke the market, with a $17M annual deal at 5 year $85M. It's just a stratospheric increase over the previous going rate, and now who knows what Jaylon's value is at.

I'm not doing $17M. That's Cooper money and probably more than Zeke and Byron will get, and I'd rather have any of the three than Jaylon. But even if he asks for $14M or $15M, basically equal to what Byron or Zeke would get, I'm still not making that deal. My ceiling for him would probably be $12M.

We can hit him with a first round tender in RFA. If anyone offers him a contract, we can either match it or let him go and accept a pick. If a team hits him with a fair contract offer, we can match it and lock him up. If someone offers a first and Mosley money for him, I'm just taking the pick and drafting his replacement. If no one matches, we keep him for a third cheap season in 2020 and then let him walk.

Bottom line is, we let him go if he wants too much money. This is an LB centric defense, but we have LVE under control for the next four years so we aren't over a barrel at LB like we are with Coop at WR. On top of that, off ball LBs are one of the easier positions to draft.

 

[Nightman]

Unpopular decision: release Jaylon Smith.

Before you go off on me, let me say this. I think Jaylon is the real deal. I think he is a top 10 MLB. His knee doesn't concern me at all.

It all comes down to price. Before this offseason, top dollar for a young stud MLB was about $10 mil a season, maybe $11M with cap inflation. There had been 4 or 5 deals signed in this range, so the market was pretty well set. If Jaylon would take 5 years $50M, I would put that money on the table right now.

But CJ Mosley went out and broke the market, with a $17M annual deal at 5 year $85M. It's just a stratospheric increase over the previous going rate, and now who knows what Jaylon's value is at.

I'm not doing $17M. That's Cooper money and probably more than Zeke and Byron will get, and I'd rather have any of the three than Jaylon. But even if he asks for $14M or $15M, basically equal to what Byron or Zeke would get, I'm still not making that deal. My ceiling for him would probably be $12M.

We can hit him with a first round tender in RFA. If anyone offers him a contract, we can either match it or let him go and accept a pick. If a team hits him with a fair contract offer, we can match it and lock him up. If someone offers a first and Mosley money for him, I'm just taking the pick and drafting his replacement. If no one matches, we keep him for a third cheap season in 2020 and then let him walk.

Bottom line is, we let him go if he wants too much money. This is an LB centric defense, but we have LVE under control for the next four years so we aren't over a barrel at LB like we are with Coop at WR. On top of that, off ball LBs are one of the easier positions to draft.

Epic Fail

 

[buybuydandavis]

I'd like to keep Austin if I could, certainly over Hurns. Austin has home run speed that few can bring, and as you said, he was putting up very good numbers with the few touches Linehan was giving him. But if he gets hurt again this year prior to the season, he probably doesn't make the roster. It's going to be a very competitive position.

Looking over Austin's career, his injury troubles last year were the clear exception, and not the rule.

It will be competitive, but guys getting injured literally become the injured reserve. That's not all bad when you have more guys you want to keep than can fit on the 53. Same thing with early season suspensions.

 

[ShortRound]

Think anyone would take Zeke for two firsts? Or more?

 

[Jake]

Think anyone would take Zeke for two firsts? Or more?

If someone offered two firsts, or more, I'd trade him. Jerry is the only GM who would make such an offer for him, though.

 

[buybuydandavis]

Unpopular decision: release Jaylon Smith.

Before you go off on me, let me say this. I think Jaylon is the real deal. I think he is a top 10 MLB. His knee doesn't concern me at all.

It all comes down to price. Before this offseason, top dollar for a young stud MLB was about $10 mil a season, maybe $11M with cap inflation. There had been 4 or 5 deals signed in this range, so the market was pretty well set. If Jaylon would take 5 years $50M, I would put that money on the table right now.

But CJ Mosley went out and broke the market, with a $17M annual deal at 5 year $85M. It's just a stratospheric increase over the previous going rate, and now who knows what Jaylon's value is at.

I'm not doing $17M. That's Cooper money and probably more than Zeke and Byron will get, and I'd rather have any of the three than Jaylon. But even if he asks for $14M or $15M, basically equal to what Byron or Zeke would get, I'm still not making that deal. My ceiling for him would probably be $12M.

We can hit him with a first round tender in RFA. If anyone offers him a contract, we can either match it or let him go and accept a pick. If a team hits him with a fair contract offer, we can match it and lock him up. If someone offers a first and Mosley money for him, I'm just taking the pick and drafting his replacement. If no one matches, we keep him for a third cheap season in 2020 and then let him walk.

Bottom line is, we let him go if he wants too much money. This is an LB centric defense, but we have LVE under control for the next four years so we aren't over a barrel at LB like we are with Coop at WR. On top of that, off ball LBs are one of the easier positions to draft.

I like the noise that they're looking to extend Jaylon now. The farther we get from his injury, the more appreciation for the Cowboys taking a chance on him will fade.

Jaylon is supposed to still be improving with the foot. He's already great as a blitzing LB. He's one of the guys I'd pay. A special talent. RKG.

Could be that these big salaries are coming from ownership because they expect a big increase in the salary cap with the upcoming new NFL contract.

Mosley is much more accomplished that Jaylon at this point. Hard for Jaylon to argue for the same level of contract. The Mosley contract is an explosion relative to the current top salaries, and Jaylon doesn't have the skins on the wall relative to those guys either. I expect his contract to be a decent deal for us. If they do it now.

 

[buybuydandavis]

They are only decoys if they're a threat.

They don't have to be tremendous threats, just credible ones that have to be accounted for, instead of keying the run defense entirely on Zeke.

 

[buybuydandavis]

While I like Ola, he's simply not a threat. More of a solid player. Pollard looks as if he can be that Sproles type, that guy who threatens the whole field.

Plus, don't forget that we suck at KR's.

Olawale is 240 and runs a 4.5. He's not a problem if he's starting at tailback. He is a problem at FB. Much like Dak at QB, if you just ignore him, you'll be giving up 8 yards a pop, or more, to him. He's a threat if you've keyed the run defense on Zeke. The multiple run threat strategy is predicated on making teams face some cost to keying their run defense on Zeke.

Dak, Olawale, Austin, Cobb, Pollard. They won't ignore these guys. They can't. But defenses will still shade toward Zeke, bumping up the effectiveness of those guys.

 

[buybuydandavis]

Austin got hurt.

Austin got hurt, but we weren't using him even when he was available.

For the regular season games he played, he averaged less that 3 offensive touch/targets a game but Yds/target 10.77
and Yds/carry 9.17.

Should have used him more.

 

[buybuydandavis]

You're right, I'm the "naive" guy and "haven't been on this site for very long".

You got me!

Maybe you'll get the hang of it after another 50k posts.

 

[cern]

Has Science determined that inevitability has a sound?
Is it a resigned sigh?
Or is it more of an anguished shriek?
Has a method of quantifiability been established?

All of the above.

 

[buybuydandavis]

Not sure we have. Last one I remember was Dunbar, and we tried desperately to use him a lot, but he couldn't stay on the field. I don't remember anyone after him.

I completely forgot Switzer. There was also Lucky. And Austin. A guy or two who *didn't* make the team too.

They've been working that "web back" for years. Pollard is the most legitimate back of them all. I'd like to see his receiving tape. Reported to have good hands for all the short stuff on the move, and then it's YAC. I hope we're throwing to all our guys on the move more often.

 

[northerncowboynation]

As this is a slow time of year for legitimate news, I thought it might be fun to engage in a hypothetical scenario to encourage conversation and debate. Before we get started, I'd like to preface by telling everyone that it's simply an expertise, with no real impact or weight. Don't get worked up about it! This is simply an exercise for fun, and based on individual opinions. There is no right or wrong answer.

Here the scenario, "You have the Comm", you steer the Cowboys ship and can do whatever you'd like.

What one decision would you make that you can safely assume would be unpopular with many of your fellow Cowboys fans, but one that you feel would be in the team's best interests long term?

For example, would you trade Prescott rather than paying him?

Would you trade or cut another player on the team?

Would you give Garrett an extension before or during the season?

Something along those lines.

Here's mine:

I would try to showcase Byron Jones for a trade rather than attempting to re-sign him. My thinking is this. I believe that it is more about Kri Richard's techniques, player attributes, and system than it is about first round athletic talent. And it is more about aggressiveness and physicality than it is about pure speed. I think that Richard is capable of developing cornerbacks who are good enough that the team won't have to pay what would likely be another huge contract to keep Jones.

And I think that process has already begun. I think he has systematically restocked the cornerback room with "his guys", and players who meet his athletic requirements. He has kept Donovan Olumba on the roster, and added Michael Jackson in the draft, along with UDFA Chris Westry' "his kind of guys".

I believe that the Cowboys made one mistake in this year's draft, they decided to take Tony Pollard ahead of Houston CB Isaiah Johnson. I think they had a decision to make on which player they needed to draft first, and they guessed wrong. I can only speculate, but I believe that Pollard would have been there with their second fourth round pick whereas Johnson was drafted by the Raiders immediately after the Pollard pick. I think they'd like to have that one back (though they'd never admit it!)

The cornerback position is entering a transition period, much like wide receivers did. Players were shipped out and replaced and I think Richard is doing the same with his corners. Jones and Anthony Brown are due for free agency next year and I think the team is actively pursuing replacements for either or both.

This is not a knock on Jones, a fine player and upstanding person, he's a great team guy. But I think the team is faced with having too many big contracts to pay out, and something has got to give. I'd make the decision to trade Byron Jones for what I could get in draft capital for next season and not have to worry about that big contract or losing him for a 2021 comp pick. I realize it would be short term pain for a team I think can contend, but I trust that as he did with Jones and Awuzie, Richard could quickly have a capable replacement ready to step in.

I know it won't be popular, hence the premise of this thread, but that's the way I'd play it.

Anyone else have any unpopular decisions they'd make?

I would trade Jordan Lewis. That would turn some stomachs and be unpopular with some. What would I ask for him? His worth which until know hasn't been much so I wouldn't expect much

 

[CCBoy]

As this is a slow time of year for legitimate news, I thought it might be fun to engage in a hypothetical scenario to encourage conversation and debate. Before we get started, I'd like to preface by telling everyone that it's simply an expertise, with no real impact or weight. Don't get worked up about it! This is simply an exercise for fun, and based on individual opinions. There is no right or wrong answer.

Here the scenario, "You have the Comm", you steer the Cowboys ship and can do whatever you'd like.

What one decision would you make that you can safely assume would be unpopular with many of your fellow Cowboys fans, but one that you feel would be in the team's best interests long term?

For example, would you trade Prescott rather than paying him?

Would you trade or cut another player on the team?

Would you give Garrett an extension before or during the season?

Something along those lines.

Here's mine:

I would try to showcase Byron Jones for a trade rather than attempting to re-sign him. My thinking is this. I believe that it is more about Kri Richard's techniques, player attributes, and system than it is about first round athletic talent. And it is more about aggressiveness and physicality than it is about pure speed. I think that Richard is capable of developing cornerbacks who are good enough that the team won't have to pay what would likely be another huge contract to keep Jones.

And I think that process has already begun. I think he has systematically restocked the cornerback room with "his guys", and players who meet his athletic requirements. He has kept Donovan Olumba on the roster, and added Michael Jackson in the draft, along with UDFA Chris Westry' "his kind of guys".

I believe that the Cowboys made one mistake in this year's draft, they decided to take Tony Pollard ahead of Houston CB Isaiah Johnson. I think they had a decision to make on which player they needed to draft first, and they guessed wrong. I can only speculate, but I believe that Pollard would have been there with their second fourth round pick whereas Johnson was drafted by the Raiders immediately after the Pollard pick. I think they'd like to have that one back (though they'd never admit it!)

The cornerback position is entering a transition period, much like wide receivers did. Players were shipped out and replaced and I think Richard is doing the same with his corners. Jones and Anthony Brown are due for free agency next year and I think the team is actively pursuing replacements for either or both.

This is not a knock on Jones, a fine player and upstanding person, he's a great team guy. But I think the team is faced with having too many big contracts to pay out, and something has got to give. I'd make the decision to trade Byron Jones for what I could get in draft capital for next season and not have to worry about that big contract or losing him for a 2021 comp pick. I realize it would be short term pain for a team I think can contend, but I trust that as he did with Jones and Awuzie, Richard could quickly have a capable replacement ready to step in.

I know it won't be popular, hence the premise of this thread, but that's the way I'd play it.

Anyone else have any unpopular decisions they'd make?

If coaching and scheme elevate play of it's players...that's what is supposed to be done. Success is what it is.

 

[tyke1doe]

Since we can go back in time, I'd start Romo as soon as he was healthy to play.
At the time, I said they shouldn't go back to Romo since Dak was playing so well.
But it would have been interesting to see what Romo could have done with Zeke.
I think we would have at least been playing in the NFC Championship Game. Sigh.

 

[Stash]

Maybe you'll get the hang of it after another 50k posts.

(Fingers crossed!)

 

[kskboys]

Has Science determined that inevitability has a sound?
Is it a resigned sigh?
Or is it more of an anguished shriek?
Has a method of quantifiability been established?

Oh, inevitability has a sound: "You WILL go w/ me to that _______________" (Think wifey voice, and fill in the blank!!!)