Are the Cowboys really that far away

[northerncowboynation]

I haven't been a strong advocate of signing ET either, but it would be a way to address the safety situation while leaving the draft available for other areas. Of course, maybe there is a DT available in free agency and we could address safety in the draft. I haven't looked at that.

Wait for the next 2-3 of weeks when teams start to cut players for cap reasons. There could be some very good DT's available in FA. I'm no draft guru but it's suppoded to be a deep draft for DT's too. Agree, ET could be a 2 year fix at S. Man, we haven't had a good safety since Woodson and Roy 1

 

[CouchCoach]

I haven't been a strong advocate of signing ET either, but it would be a way to address the safety situation while leaving the draft available for other areas. Of course, maybe there is a DT available in free agency and we could address safety in the draft. I haven't looked at that.

Waste of time looking until this is actually FA. Many want Collins but do they think NYG are letting him walk?

Until this shakes out and we know what is available, it's all just wasting time. However, it is a foregone conclusion Thomas will be a FA, he's taken care of that himself.

The interesting part of this is the fact we have his ex secondary coach and DC. If they go for him immediately, that tells us what he feels about it. If they play the waiting game? They do not see him as critical, there are two playoff teams with more cap space available and one is in Texas.

 

[OmerV]

Waste of time looking until this is actually FA. Many want Collins but do they think NYG are letting him walk?

Until this shakes out and we know what is available, it's all just wasting time. However, it is a foregone conclusion Thomas will be a FA, he's taken care of that himself.

The interesting part of this is the fact we have his ex secondary coach and DC. If they go for him immediately, that tells us what he feels about it. If they play the waiting game? They do not see him as critical, there are two playoff teams with more cap space available and one is in Texas.

That's another reason ET is the only FA that we can really make part of the discussion at this point. With him we at least can be confident he isn't going back to Seattle, and he likes the idea of playing in Dallas.

 

[aria]

Yes.

I think they're a good team, but not in the mix for a championship.

Too limited on offense, and not as good on defense as we'd like to think.

Still a good team, especially with the right 2-3 free agent acquisitions, but not built to beat elite teams in crunch time.

Next year's schedule is tough, and could very well expose that.

I disagree, I know teams are different from year to year so schedules are hard to predict but as of now next years schedule may be even easier than last year. One constant, 3 out of 4 AFCE teams suck and we will beat them.

Even if we split our division, that’s 3 wins but the Skins are still a mess and the Giants will be better but not that much better. It could even be argued that the Eagles may regress. So lets add 4 wins from our division, may very well be 5.

Green Bay is a mess. Detroit sucks. Minny may be a slight challenge but we’re the better team. Chicago, NO and Rams are all toss ups.

I could easily see us getting somewhere between 10-13 wins at worse, probably closer to 13 though.

 

[northerncowboynation]

That's another reason ET is the only FA that we can really make part of the discussion at this point. With him we at least can be confident he isn't going back to Seattle, and he likes the idea of playing in Dallas.

This will be ET's last big contract. He'll go for the biggest dollars. I would. Knowing the Cowboys post Brandon Carr, I don't see him in Dallas. I may need new spectacles

 

[Cowboys22]

And, again, how can it be that the team was so close to advancing in 2014 and 2016, yet it is still impossible to get past that hurdle with better talent? And how is it that Belichick, despite being considered far and away the best coach in the NFL by most, doesn't win it all every year? The reality is that although head coach is important, there is more that influences wins and losses that just who the head coach is, and again, that is what this thread is about. If you want a thread to be about something else, I would suggest starting your own.

The team was never very close and to downplay coaching is absurd. Coaching is single handily the most important aspect of winning. Of course you need talent as well but coaching can overcome having less talent than an opponent. Talent very rarely overcomes poor coaching, at least not in football where scheme, play design, and play calling is so important. So because the best coach doesn’t win every single year, that means coaching isn’t that important? NE has been there what, 9 times and won 6 in a very short span of time. That is beyond incredible and only proves the point to 100% certainty how important coaching is. They have done that with a constant turnover of players except for Brady.

 

[OmerV]

This will be ET's last big contract. He'll go for the biggest dollars. I would. Knowing the Cowboys post Brandon Carr, I don't see him in Dallas. I may need new spectacles

That's exactly the reason I haven't advocated for him. If it were a matter of having him on a fairly friendly contract I would be happy with him, but I don't want to have to hold garage sales to raise the money.

 

[Runwildboys]

I will. I believe in competition, which, at it's core, is all about overcoming obstacles. Without obstacles there is no sport, if a person is unwilling to give anything a chance because of obstacles, then they really don't believe in the sport.

I have to ask a rhetorical question to those who can't resist the urge to bring the HC and/or JJ into the thread: Has every winning SB team had a great coach?

As I said, it's rhetorical,so just think to yourself,no need to detail the thread.

 

[mrmojo]

No NFL team is too far away, just look at the last 2 NFC rep's............we have the talent, the coaching just needs to be better IMO.

 

[OmerV]

I have to ask a rhetorical question to those who can't resist the urge to bring the HC and/or JJ into the thread: Has every winning SB team had a great coach?

As I said, it's rhetorical,so just think to yourself,no need to detail the thread.

An interesting coach to discuss is Jon Gruden. Many consider him a great coach, but how many people know that his overall record outside of that SB winning season is 87-89? Seems he sure got a lot of mileage out of that one SB win.

Kubiak has one Super Bowl win, but in 2 more years as a head coach went to the playoffs the same number of times as Garrett, and has a worse overall record than Garrett.

Ken Whisenhunt got to the Super Bowl (and lost a close game) and his overall record as a head coach is 48-71.

And what about our own Barry Switzer? I know, it was Jimmy's team, but that's the point. He could win with the right talent.

This isn't a prop for Garrett. I still would prefer another head coach. But it is proof that average head coaches can get to, and win Super Bowls with the right talent.

 

[Runwildboys]

An interesting coach to discuss is Jon Gruden. Many consider him a great coach, but how many people know that his overall record outside of that SB winning season is 87-89? Seems he sure got a lot of mileage out of that one SB win.

Kubiak has one Super Bowl win, but in 2 more years as a head coach went to the playoffs the same number of times as Garrett, and has a worse overall record than Garrett.

Ken Whisenhunt got to the Super Bowl (and lost a close game) and his overall record as a head coach is 48-71.

And what about our own Barry Switzer? I know, it was Jimmy's team, but that's the point. He could win with the right talent.

This isn't a prop for Garrett. I still would prefer another head coach. But it is proof that average head coaches can get to, and win Super Bowls with the right talent.

Exactly, and to say there's no chance of winning with Garrett is just wrong, especially when he's not calling plays.

 

[OmerV]

Exactly, and to say there's no chance of winning with Garrett is just wrong, especially when he's not calling plays.

I suspect it comes to that age old internet forum issue that some people seem to only view things in extremes, in this case either a coach has to be a great coach with a very high chance of winning, or be a bottom of the barrel coach that is incapable of winning. As almost always, there is middle ground, and with Garrett that middle ground is that he has shortcomings that can make winning difficult, but he has had enough success to believe that with the right players and variables winning is possible.

Of course, some may respond to that by saying that is only true if the perfect, stars line up in a once in a million years situation occurred, but that's not what I'm saying or what is real. If a team can get as close to advancing in the playoffs as they did in 2014 and 2016, that kind of pie in the sky perfect scenario is not a requirement to improving enough to get over the hump.

 

[Verdict]

I was thinking about the Cowboys player personnel needs, and what has been posted on this site about those needs, and given that almost everyone has the same list, although not always in the same order, and given that it really boils down to about 3-4 important needs, I have to wonder if the Cowboys are really that far away from being the team we hope to see.

Let's not talk about Dak, because we won't draft a QB with a top pick, or Jerry and Jason who also won't be replaced for 2019. I know ... these are key roles, but for this thread let's talk about what is possible to address. If the mantra is only that the Cowboys have to suck with those guys, there are plenty of other threads to post that in.

It seems to me that the focus for most posters is solidly on 4 positions - S, DT, WR & TE, so, with so few major needs, I can't help but think the Cowboys have a realistic chance to address all of them.

SAFETY: If, as many think, ET is a target, signing him would address safety and take out one of the major needs.

DEFENSIVE TACKLE: Obviously not having a 1st rounder hurts the chances to find a strong one, so that could be the biggest impediment. Still, we could go heavy at DT in the draft to improve the odds, or maybe trade up. And who knows, there is at least an outside chance Irving could get his stuff together - don't jump on that though because I do not advocate treating the offseason as if that will happen, and in fact, I believe we should treat it as if it won't, and it will be bonus if we are wrong.

WIDE RECEIVER: The chances are improved by the fact we don't need a #1 because of the Cooper trade, and many, including myself, think Gallup will be a quality #2 with a year of experience under his belt. We are also helped by the fact Cooper can move into the slot whenever needed, so that gives us versatility and allows us to look for the best receiver rather than a specific type of receiver. We also may already have a strong candidate in house to step up in Cedrick Wilson, who the Cowboys liked as a rookie last year before he got hurt in training camp. Of course, Adam Humphries is a free agent, and many think he would be ideal to replace Beasley, but the general feeling is the Cowboys won't be willing to pay what it will take to get him. Golden Tate would also fall in that category. But there should be a lot of #3 receiver options in the draft, plus there are several proven free agents that might cost a little but not break the bank. On the small side, Jon Brown, Jamison Crowder and Kendall Wright, but with the flexibility we have with Cooper we could go for a bigger, stronger receiver like Donte Moncrief.

TIGHT END: My personal belief that I know some will disagree with is TE is not a position we need to stretch for because once the Cowboys started targeting Jarwin and Schultz late in the season we saw notable results. They won't make the position elite, but I don't think elite is necessary to make the team strong. If someone we like falls to the middle rounds, or we want to take a shot on a reasonably priced veteran like Eifert, who has talent but is often injured, that would be reasonable, but there are other areas I believe are much more important to address. Plus, if we can fill the #3 WR spot capably that minimizes the need for a top receiver at TE.

Obviously there are other areas that could stand to be upgraded (O-Line depth), but the above seem to be the biggies.

We are close. We contended this year, although we could lose a piece or two. I think we can contend even if we lose Tank to free agency, provided that we get the kinks worked out of the offense.

I sure would like to see them shore up DT and get someone more complete to pair with Cooper and Gallup. If we can do that we will make the playoffs and anything can happen once you get in the dance.

If Dak takes a step forward we will be hard to beat.

 

[Verdict]

By no measure were they top 5. 6th in scoring defense, 7th in total yards, 8th in Football Outsiders DVOA.

Further, if you really drill down.............. they were 5th in rushing yards allowed but 13th in passing yards allowed. They were 22nd in passer rating allowed, but 4th in rushing yards per attempt.

In other words, they weren't all that good at defending against the pass and part of that is they simply weren't all that great at getting to the QB. We can ignore the stats all we want but they are what they are. If this defense wants to be truly "elite", they have to be better at getting after the QB IMO. And that can come from better DE play, or getting more interior pressure out of some new DTs, or a scheme change were we blitz Jaylon Smith more, etc.

We have to have some pass rush from the interior DL. If not we will continue to get throttled by good teams.

 

[Verdict]

I hope we get there, but do you see Garrett out-coaching Belechik? McVey?

McVay looked like a simpleton in the SB. He laid an egg. It happens. Sometimes it happens to us.

 

[rags747]

Yes.

I think they're a good team, but not in the mix for a championship.

Too limited on offense, and not as good on defense as we'd like to think.

Still a good team, especially with the right 2-3 free agent acquisitions, but not built to beat elite teams in crunch time.

Next year's schedule is tough, and could very well expose that.

Agreed, We are not close to being able to compete with the A+ teams and I’m ok with that. We are what we are and everyone seems to be fine with that. Whatever...

 

[ondaedg]

I was thinking about the Cowboys player personnel needs, and what has been posted on this site about those needs, and given that almost everyone has the same list, although not always in the same order, and given that it really boils down to about 3-4 important needs, I have to wonder if the Cowboys are really that far away from being the team we hope to see.

Let's not talk about Dak, because we won't draft a QB with a top pick, or Jerry and Jason who also won't be replaced for 2019. I know ... these are key roles, but for this thread let's talk about what is possible to address. If the mantra is only that the Cowboys have to suck with those guys, there are plenty of other threads to post that in.

It seems to me that the focus for most posters is solidly on 4 positions - S, DT, WR & TE, so, with so few major needs, I can't help but think the Cowboys have a realistic chance to address all of them.

SAFETY: If, as many think, ET is a target, signing him would address safety and take out one of the major needs.

DEFENSIVE TACKLE: Obviously not having a 1st rounder hurts the chances to find a strong one, so that could be the biggest impediment. Still, we could go heavy at DT in the draft to improve the odds, or maybe trade up. And who knows, there is at least an outside chance Irving could get his stuff together - don't jump on that though because I do not advocate treating the offseason as if that will happen, and in fact, I believe we should treat it as if it won't, and it will be bonus if we are wrong.

WIDE RECEIVER: The chances are improved by the fact we don't need a #1 because of the Cooper trade, and many, including myself, think Gallup will be a quality #2 with a year of experience under his belt. We are also helped by the fact Cooper can move into the slot whenever needed, so that gives us versatility and allows us to look for the best receiver rather than a specific type of receiver. We also may already have a strong candidate in house to step up in Cedrick Wilson, who the Cowboys liked as a rookie last year before he got hurt in training camp. Of course, Adam Humphries is a free agent, and many think he would be ideal to replace Beasley, but the general feeling is the Cowboys won't be willing to pay what it will take to get him. Golden Tate would also fall in that category. But there should be a lot of #3 receiver options in the draft, plus there are several proven free agents that might cost a little but not break the bank. On the small side, Jon Brown, Jamison Crowder and Kendall Wright, but with the flexibility we have with Cooper we could go for a bigger, stronger receiver like Donte Moncrief.

TIGHT END: My personal belief that I know some will disagree with is TE is not a position we need to stretch for because once the Cowboys started targeting Jarwin and Schultz late in the season we saw notable results. They won't make the position elite, but I don't think elite is necessary to make the team strong. If someone we like falls to the middle rounds, or we want to take a shot on a reasonably priced veteran like Eifert, who has talent but is often injured, that would be reasonable, but there are other areas I believe are much more important to address. Plus, if we can fill the #3 WR spot capably that minimizes the need for a top receiver at TE.

Obviously there are other areas that could stand to be upgraded (O-Line depth), but the above seem to be the biggies.

From a player perspective they're pretty good when you compare them to the roster of say the Pats. The problem is they have to be dominant to overcome the weekly coaching disadvantage they will face.

Gotta become studly in the middle of the D. DT and S have to be addressed.

 

[kskboys]

This will be ET's last big contract. He'll go for the biggest dollars. I would. Knowing the Cowboys post Brandon Carr, I don't see him in Dallas. I may need new spectacles

You think a team is going to give Earl a big contract? I don't see how, w/ his injuries and age both creeping up.