Are you prepared for the long slog?

[DallasDomination]

We drafted Escobar but this staff refuses to integrate him into the offense. I like Witten and what he has done but he's so slow, has no moves and can't stretch the field. Escobar has shown he can but we don't utilize him at all. This will be his 4th season and it's been a complete waste. Then agaib, how many other TEs do we keep drafting and wasting? Bennett immediately got better when he left here.

We have no one to stretch the defense on this offense. Dez is a poor route runner and little to no speed.

Pretty much echos my sentiments. Escobar on another team would do well. I don't get this team sometimes. Witten is awesome but it's getting close to that time.

 

[PA Cowboy Fan]

This team is always rebuilding.

 

[Blackspider214]

Pretty much echos my sentiments. Escobar on another team would do well. I don't get this team sometimes. Witten is awesome but it's getting close to that time.

Exactly. I just don't get drafting all these TEs and we rarely see them. The 3 yard Witten out routes get old. Having a TE who can stretch the field can be big for your offense. Gronk, Gates, Shockey, Tony Gonzalez, Graham, etc. It opens up a lot on the outside for your receivers. Escobar has that potential but we are so married and devoted to Witten. Witten and his role needs to be decreased. Unless there is stuff going on in practice, I just don't get why we are in Escobar's 4th year coming up and most the time, you forget he even exists.

 

[Junglist]

I'm baffled at how anyone can think we can contend next year.

 

[DandyDon52]

Why not?

Of course we have to get some luck from the injury fairy just like every other team.

QB and oline are among the best.

Even though it is fashionable to hate on McFadden he had an above solid year with no help. Dunbar provides big play potential out of the backfield. Add some beef for short yardage (might already have it in Turbin)

Exceptional talent at WR1 Very good player in the slot. Upgrade at WR2 or maybe Romo turns Williams back into a very good #2. #82 is going to get his first downs again this season.

D-line is young and talented. Should expect improvement from the youngsters. Upgrade the DT spot.

LB's.... Could use a little help here but Lee is Lee. Hitchens should improve in his third year. I hope they keep McClain. Not rock solid but reason for optimism.


Secondary... Clairborne is the new whipping boy but he is not as bad as many would like to think. Maybe not worth his draft slot but that ship has sailed and now it is just a matter of can he hold down his position. I though he did a pretty good job of that once I quit having Revis like expectations for him. Scandrick is back. Jones looks like the real deal. Improve the SS spot and hopefully ditch Carr and replace him with someone that isn't afraid to tackle and this unit is not that bad.

Even with minimal tweaking the defense should be better than the 2014 defense. Stay healthy on offense and add someone who is better suited to the third and 1 carry and this team is arguably better on paper than the 2014 team. (Which VERY few people here had going 12-4)

What is so much different about this team that it can't achieve the same level of success as the 2014 team did?

From the head please.

The 2014 team is gone, no murray is the big one, and 2 LB and a good DB also gone.
Dez is a ? mark, and the offensive plan of 2014 is gone unless they get a top big RB in the draft, then maybe they
could go back to that. Run 30 times a game.

 

[DandyDon52]

Exactly. I just don't get drafting all these TEs and we rarely see them. The 3 yard Witten out routes get old. Having a TE who can stretch the field can be big for your offense. Gronk, Gates, Shockey, Tony Gonzalez, Graham, etc. It opens up a lot on the outside for your receivers. Escobar has that potential but we are so married and devoted to Witten. Witten and his role needs to be decreased. Unless there is stuff going on in practice, I just don't get why we are in Escobar's 4th year coming up and most the time, you forget he even exists.

I could be wrong, but I think romo has a big say on who is out there on offense with him.
I think he will always want witten.
If players make mistakes or dont run routes right they get pulled and romo may not want them out there .
In 2013 romo blamed a int on escobar, and after that weeks went by before I saw him again, and romo would not throw to him.

 

[Beast_from_East]

Rebuilds in the NFL (if done right), shouldn't take 5-7 years. It should take no longer than 3.

Agreed........with the salary cap and free agency, it should take no more than 3 years max to rebuild.

 

[big dog cowboy]

I'm baffled at how anyone can think we can contend next year.

Some would say I'm baffled at how anyone can think we can't contend next year because we would have won the east with a healthy Romo and Dez.

 

[Beast_from_East]

Some would say I'm baffled at how anyone can think we can't contend next year because we would have won the east with a healthy Romo and Dez.

I think the issue is that a lot of fans don't think Romo can make it through the season without getting hurt and without Romo, we lose every game.

So I can understand the apprehension..........if Romo goes down in week 5 next year, then I put our chances of making the playoffs under 5%

 

[Junglist]

Some would say I'm baffled at how anyone can think we can't contend next year because we would have won the east with a healthy Romo and Dez.

Maybe this season, but next season won't be that easy, I'm sure. The wildcard is Garrett. I just don't think he can out-coach anyone. We need a good draft, and NOT a QB in the first round. We need people to help us NOW.

 

[Irvin88_4life]

On offense: Romo and Witten as elder statesmen and increasingly slower and more fragile.
Years before we can (if we get them in the draft) develop another QB, WRs. And by the time we do develop some blue-chippers, our sterling O line might be then getting up in years.

On defense: Even with an overhauled defense, it will take several years for it to get in sync. Let's see, no run stuffers, a horrible secondary and a linebacking core that has yet to assert itself. The DE's? I see promise in our youngsters at that position.

All in all, blokes, I do not share that rose-colored view of Romo returning and all of the sudden the team marching to the playoffs.

So many positions to shore up. So many aging veterans.

I am interested to get your views as to when this team will again be ready to make a serious run.
I think, with wise drafting and shedding some players to make room capwise and impact FA's we could be fit and ready to really contend in maybe 3 years.But possibly longer.

But no sooner than that. Before we contend will come some hard years of more 8-8 (or worse) seasons.

What is your timetable for success, blokes? And, please, respond with your intellect, blokes, and not your hearts.

This is one of the youngest teams in the nfl.........

 

[Bullflop]

On offense: Romo and Witten as elder statesmen and increasingly slower and more fragile.
Years before we can (if we get them in the draft) develop another QB, WRs. And by the time we do develop some blue-chippers, our sterling O line might be then getting up in years.

On defense: Even with an overhauled defense, it will take several years for it to get in sync. Let's see, no run stuffers, a horrible secondary and a linebacking core that has yet to assert itself. The DE's? I see promise in our youngsters at that position.

All in all, blokes, I do not share that rose-colored view of Romo returning and all of the sudden the team marching to the playoffs.

So many positions to shore up. So many aging veterans.

I am interested to get your views as to when this team will again be ready to make a serious run.
I think, with wise drafting and shedding some players to make room capwise and impact FAs we could be fit and ready to really contend in maybe 3 years. But possibly longer.

But no sooner than that. Before we contend will come some hard years of more 8-8 (or worse) seasons.

What is your timetable for success, blokes? And, please, respond with your intellect, blokes, and not your hearts.

Gotta say, I believe what you've said here has an undeniable ring of truth to it. For quite some time now, Cowboys' management has displayed a tendency to stand in denial of many of its most serious shortcomings. Jerry and Stephen both prefer to take the stance that Romo and Witten are destined to rebound from their physical limitations or deny their existence entirely. It's hard to say how long this organization might be hampered by such delusions but I'm sorry to say it seems doubtful that this condition is destined to change in expedient fashion.

Too many serious blunders have been made for this franchise to make a timely recovery from its FO incompetence. Here's hoping some sweeping changes take place sooner than later, although I'm sorry to say I can't envision such changes descending from the clouds anytime soon. Hopefully, in a few years, reality will take a solid foothold upon our FO and deluded thinking will somehow surrender to exercising good common sense.

 

[GimmeTheBall!]

Gotta say, I believe what you've said here has an undeniable ring of truth to it. For quite some time now, Cowboys' management has displayed a tendency to stand in denial of many of its most serious shortcomings. Jerry and Stephen both prefer to take the stance that Romo and Witten are destined to rebound from their physical limitations or deny their existence entirely. It's hard to say how long this organization might be hampered by such delusions but I'm sorry to say it seems doubtful that this condition is destined to change in expedient fashion.

Too many serious blunders have been made for this franchise to make a timely recovery from its FO incompetence. Here's hoping some sweeping changes take place sooner than later, although I'm sorry to say I can't envision such changes descending from the clouds anytime soon. Hopefully, in a few years, reality will take a solid foothold upon our FO and deluded thinking will somehow surrender to exercising good common sense.

Thanks, old fellow!
Most important is Sir Jerry's reluctance to cut the cord with many players who have started to decline, are fragile or have failed to come alone as envision in FA or the draft.
Most teams would have parted ways with players such as Sean Lee (fragile, unreliable but still with market value) and Witten (slow, aging but also with trade value) and T Will (close but no cigar and no way a true No. 2). Witten, for his past worth, has made Romo too cautious and in turn has compiled good receiving yardage)
And I always marvel at how other teams are quick to jettison many, even star players, to get better, younger and quicker and cheaper)
Instead, Jerry keeps them around . . . for old time's sake. Yes, Sir Jones's heart is bigger than his brain.

 

[ElGatoGrande]

On offense: Romo and Witten as elder statesmen and increasingly slower and more fragile.
Years before we can (if we get them in the draft) develop another QB, WRs. And by the time we do develop some blue-chippers, our sterling O line might be then getting up in years.

On defense: Even with an overhauled defense, it will take several years for it to get in sync. Let's see, no run stuffers, a horrible secondary and a linebacking core that has yet to assert itself. The DE's? I see promise in our youngsters at that position.

All in all, blokes, I do not share that rose-colored view of Romo returning and all of the sudden the team marching to the playoffs.

So many positions to shore up. So many aging veterans.

I am interested to get your views as to when this team will again be ready to make a serious run.
I think, with wise drafting and shedding some players to make room capwise and impact FA's we could be fit and ready to really contend in maybe 3 years.But possibly longer.

But no sooner than that. Before we contend will come some hard years of more 8-8 (or worse) seasons.

What is your timetable for success, blokes? And, please, respond with your intellect, blokes, and not your hearts.

your query is too soon,,, ask again after we see what the coaches have to work with next year. Will Jerry go all-in with free agency? will he pick up a QB for the long-term outlook? will he focus on defense? These all have direct bearing on the answer you seek.

 

[Satchel89]

They were definitely disappointing and there were some guys that didn't show up consistently like they should of but there's still some talent on this team. They have a shot of having a great draft class. I think they will improve the secondary and there's some good defensive tackles available in the draft. It does suck being a Cowboys fan and waiting so long to even get to the Super Bowl again. Maybe I'm being a big homer but I think there going to get the players they need in the draft and free agency. There's a few aging players but this a young team for the most part and I think they win the division next year because I don't see the other three teams being better then the Cowboys

 

[Bullflop]

This team is always rebuilding.

Heaven forbid that the FO would choose to use the "rebuilding" term, though. They much prefer to refer to it as "reloading," despite being low on ammunition at critical areas on a yearly basis.

 

[GimmeTheBall!]

your query is too soon,,, ask again after we see what the coaches have to work with next year. Will Jerry go all-in with free agency? will he pick up a QB for the long-term outlook? will he focus on defense? These all have direct bearing on the answer you seek.

Yes, your point is well taken. Yet. don't we hear these very questions every offseason?
I don't want maybe talk, I want real actions by the FO. Everybody in the NFL universe knows we need a franchise RB, QB for the future, a complementary WR to Dez plus a secondary and pass rushers on defense.
Yes, Sir Jones can't fill every need, but there is NO SENSE OF URGENCY IN THE FO. NONE. The FO is content to hope year after year that our core stars will come up with a magical season -- with the help of couldhavebeen, nevershouldhavebeens and journeymen.
If you are in Cleveland or Buffalo, fine. This is the status quo there, mates.
But it is time -- high time -- that the FO gets active in overhaukling the team for the future. Not for this new season in which we will be lucky to be 8-8 but in 3 or 4 years. Reload for the future, Sir Jerry! Or let a capable GM step in.
I am so upset I feel like missing high tea today. It would serve all of you here right if I stopped at the pub, ordered 3 brandys and got a bit tiddly!

 

[ElGatoGrande]

Yes, your point is well taken. Yet. don't we hear these very questions every offseason?
I don't want maybe talk, I want real actions by the FO. Everybody in the NFL universe knows we need a franchise RB, QB for the future, a complementary WR to Dez plus a secondary and pass rushers on defense.
Yes, Sir Jones can't fill every need, but there is NO SENSE OF URGENCY IN THE FO. NONE. The FO is content to hope year after year that our core stars will come up with a magical season -- with the help of couldhavebeen, nevershouldhavebeens and journeymen.
If you are in Cleveland or Buffalo, fine. This is the status quo there, mates.
But it is time -- high time -- that the FO gets active in overhaukling the team for the future. Not for this new season in which we will be lucky to be 8-8 but in 3 or 4 years. Reload for the future, Sir Jerry! Or let a capable GM step in.
I am so upset I feel like missing high tea today. It would serve all of you here right if I stopped at the pub, ordered 3 brandys and got a bit tiddly!

If it's emotional discourse you seek, perhaps you might announce to the other tavern inhabitants that their favorite soccer player plays like Mary Poppins and resembles Boy George.

 

[GimmeTheBall!]

If it's emotional discourse you seek, perhaps you might announce to the other tavern inhabitants that their favorite soccer player plays like Mary Poppins and resembles Boy George.

Don't want to start a riot here, mate, what with the Liverpudlians in town and the roguish Manchester bully boys milling around.

 

[Blackspider214]

I could be wrong, but I think romo has a big say on who is out there on offense with him.
I think he will always want witten.
If players make mistakes or dont run routes right they get pulled and romo may not want them out there .
In 2013 romo blamed a int on escobar, and after that weeks went by before I saw him again, and romo would not throw to him.

Well that's too bad then. Maybe TO had a good point. That Romo locks in way too much to Witten. Witten should he a check down option, not this big of a role anymore. Players make mistakes. Romo has made countless of mistakes. Yet he's still out there. But Romo has always been one to point fingers when he throws a pick. It can never be his fault.

I'm just tired of the slow, check down Witten focused offense. It's not going to win anything.