Barring a superbowl run, expect a lot of housecleaning on the defensive side

[TwoCentPlain]

Brady James
Bobby Carpenter
Pat Watkins
Courtney Brown
S Roy Williams
Anthony Henry
Kevin Burnett
Zach Thomas
Alan Ball
LB Polk
LB Rogers
Greg Ellis

Did I miss anyone? That's 12 defensive players who will have a hard time staying with the team next year, imo.

1) Brady James and Carp may compete for one position. The loser is definetly out. Perhaps both are gone. Both suck, imo.
2) Pat Watkins is out! 15 yd facemask and pancaked by a QB and injury-prone. Sayonara!
3) Courtney Brown is out. A safety who can't tackle. Forget it.
4) Roy Williams can't cover or tackle. Show something at LB or cut him.
5) Anthony Henry likely gone unless he shows something at safety.
6) Burnett is just a mediocre LB. Should get better LB in draft.
7) Zach is too old and injury prone to rely on. Possibly one more year.
8) 6th and 7th rd LBs are better than Polk and Rogers (Walden should have stayed). Is Rogers still on the team?
9) Good riddance to Ellis and get a true 3-4 LB. Ellis would look nice in a Bengal uniform.

It is a good thing the Cowboys have a lot of draft picks because we are going to need them. Look for the Cowboys to draft athletic, true 3-4 potential LBs this year. James/Carp/Ellis/Burnett/Thomas/Rogers/Polk.

Except for Ware and Spencer, the whole LB corps may be gone.
Except for Davis and Hamlin, all new safeties.

Change is coming regardless of the coach.

 

[WoodysGirl]

I think there are going to be some disappointed people.

 

[YosemiteSam]

Expect some fans being swept away in the fan house cleaning after this season.

 

[GimmeTheBall!]

It is a good thing the Cowboys have a lot of draft picks because we are going to need them. Look for the Cowboys to draft athletic, true 3-4 potential LBs this year. James/Carp/Ellis/Burnett/Thomas/Rogers/Polk.

Good post, mein ninja amigo.

However . . . and excuse my ignorance . . . who says we have a lot of draft picks. I thought we had sold our draft because of Williams. I know we have a second rounder coming from the Titans because of our problem child PacMan, but besides that I need to ax: what "lot of draft picks"?

 

[jazzcat22]

I don't see that big of a change. Some of those players, maybe 6 or 7 at the most.

 

[AKATheRake]

I don't think Ninja is out to lunch on the players he mentioned. Most of them are depth players and are very replaceable. In regards to Bradie James I'm pretty sure he'll be here next year, the next I don't know. Roy Williams is going to need to re-structure his contract if he wants to be around, I don't think they'll just waive him unless he resists.

Zach Thomas has a pretty price friendly agreement for his production and although he is on the small side there are enough packages like dime and nickel where Zach can be utilized as the pass protecting ILB for the 1 more year in his contract. I agree on bringing in a larger "true" 3-4 ILB that will man the middle.

I'm more than certain that Ratliff will be at DE next season and that's not a knock on his performance at NT this season, it's embracing how dominating he would be at DE in the 3-4. What that means is guys like Hatcher/Bowen are most likely gonzo and the Canty/Spears duo is going to be analyzed greatly. We're going to need a large disruptive force at NT. Vince Wilfork doesn't just grow on trees and you're probably not going to find that caliber of player in the 2nd unless the kid is a maniac that scares teams off.

I think keeping Canty at a reasonable contract is a good thing and he's be more effective/disruptive playing beside a monster of a man. My understanding is that Spears has 1 more year on his contract after this season and is going to find himself more and more in a rotation with Ratliff and Canty next season.

In regards to safety I'd like to see Hamlin go over to SS if we can find ourselves a legitimate FS who can cover via 2nd round of the draft or in FA. That 2nd rounder is going to go to either the best NT, FS or 3-4 ILB available. Possibly another O-lineman. This offseason is going to be interesting because of the uncertainty of the cap and we might see some very intriguing players available.

Tennessee will not let Haynesworth go. The guy is 27 and downright dominant. Other than Ware I don't see any other front 7 player in the prime of their career's up for contract and still young like this. He's going nowhere and they'll get him signed.

Basically, players like Watkins and Barbie have to go. They reak of non progress and below status quo play. There will be people who defend Watkins but please don't waste your breathe folks. This guy is never going to become starter material. Burnett, not a bad player at all when he's on the field and was decent depth when healthy but they aren't going to offer him anything substantial, nor should they. He's gone unless he wants to play for near the minimum.

Greg Ellis is very cap friendly and will have to take the back seat to Spencer, provide leadership or decide to go to the Bengals. He'll be around another year, he's going nowhere and that's fine by me as long as he's the guy mentioned above. We'll need his depth regardless and he isn't dominant but still serviceable.

All the other JAGS mentioned in the OP can absolutely scram and I hope they get shown the door. We need some real special teams player's and Polk, Watkins and Burnett are the best of the bunch mentioned. That's 3 roster spots for 2 guys (Polks/Watkins) that are liabilities as back up's at their respective positions and 1 guy who is a decent player who can't stay healthy.

All in all all of the players mentioned are at least very speculative to be gonzo. Most, not all will be toast though.

 

[Stash]

I see change on the horizon, but not to that extent.

Financial considerations, team continuity, and available players will also have an impact on who stays and who goes.

 

[AKATheRake]

I see change on the horizon, but not to that extent.

Financial considerations, team continuity, and available players will also have an impact on who stays and who goes.

Absolutely right on all 3 accords. Financially, only Bradie hurts us. Something has to be done with Roy Williams because that contract is gonna blow up next year and he just doesn't offer enough play wise to absorb that type of payout. The finances are forcing us to restructure or ship him.

Anthony Henry is another guy who gets paid pretty well considering the play we get and that's a situation where he's in huge decline and his finances can't be absorbed as well at this production. He is a guy with alot of "continuity" on this team however. I wanted him at FS earlier but he looks so broken down I don't know if he'd even be effective there. Doubt there is any solution to kep him.

So other than Bradie, Ellis, Zach and the other 2 above mentioned players I don't see any keepers. Roy at best is 65% keeper and helps his chances to 85% keeper if he restructures. Henry at best 50% and that hinges huge on what we do with RW because one of the solutions to keep Henry is at FS. If RW stays you know he's playing SS and that means Hamlin stays at FS. Henry's contract is too expensive to be the backup FS and be Roys cover guy in passing situations.

So knowing this, where won't we see most of these players get the shaft? Only Bradie, Ellis and Zach are 80% + to stay from the OP's list. Most are 90% gonzo.

By the way, I'd love to see Brad Johnson, Brooks Bollinger and most of the O-line backups on an offense shafting waiting to happen list.

 

[TellerMorrow34]

I think there are going to be some disappointed people.

I agree. Not even half the names on that list will be gone and Brady James absolutely is one that won't be going anywhere.

 

[Crown Royal]

marcus spears

 

[WoodysGirl]

marcus spears

Spears has one more year on his contract and is relatively cheap. I think he sticks.

Of the original list...

Brady James - he sticks
Bobby Carpenter - he's cheap and may stick for ST duties, but if there's an upgrade he's ghost
Pat Watkins - cheap backup, he sticks
Courtney Brown - see Watkins
S Roy Williams - 50/50, if he takes a paycut, he sticks
Anthony Henry - trade bait, kinda agree with Hos
Kevin Burnett - UFA, he's gone
Zach Thomas - UFA, he's gone
Alan Ball - cheap backup, he sticks
LB Polk - UFA, he's gone
LB Rogers - training camp cut
Greg Ellis - cheap backup, he sticks

 

[GimmeTheBall!]

Brady James is out (average and too emotional over lame tackles)
Bobby Carpenter (the Parcells experiment will end. finally)
Roy Williams (broken down)
Anthony Henry (running on empty)
Zach Thomas (old, old, old and overrated)
Rogers (bye-bye)
Greg Ellis (Cowboys will retire the old, slow, insecure old goat)

 

[jazzcat22]

Spears has one more year on his contract and is relatively cheap. I think he sticks.

Of the original list...

Brady James - he sticks
Bobby Carpenter - he's cheap and may stick for ST duties, but if there's an upgrade he's ghost
Pat Watkins - cheap backup, he sticks
Courtney Brown - see Watkins
S Roy Williams - 50/50, if he takes a paycut, he sticks
Anthony Henry - trade bait, kinda agree with Hos
Kevin Burnett - UFA, he's gone
Zach Thomas - UFA, he's gone
Alan Ball - cheap backup, he sticks
LB Polk - UFA, he's gone
LB Rogers - training camp cut
Greg Ellis - cheap backup, he sticks

good analysis. Kind of my thinking also. Not so sure on Brown sticking. Only if we can't find an updrade. Same with Ball. But I can understand why they will be here also.

 

[WoodysGirl]

good analysis. Kind of my thinking also. Not so sure on Brown sticking. Only if we can't find an updrade. Same with Ball. But I can understand why they will be here also.

Yeah, if there are upgrades for Brown/Ball, then yeah, I can see them gone. But, you always need cheap depth for special teams, so that's why I can see them sticking around, too.

 

[theogt]

I think there are going to be some disappointed people.

Ditto.

 

[yimyammer]

Good post, mein ninja amigo.

However . . . and excuse my ignorance . . . who says we have a lot of draft picks. I thought we had sold our draft because of Williams. I know we have a second rounder coming from the Titans because of our problem child PacMan, but besides that I need to ax: what "lot of draft picks"?

According to this:
http://homersontherange.com/2008/10/14/roy-williams-trade-does-not-diminish-cowboys-2009-draft/ Quote:

Here is a rundown of the nine (yes, I just said NINE) picks that the Cowboys will still have in the 2009 draft:

• Second, fourth, fifth and seventh round, plus:
• Third round from Cleveland for a fourth-rounder in 2008
• Fourth round from Detroit for third-rounder in 2008
• Fifth round back from Tennessee for Pacman Jones getting suspended
• Sixth round from Miami for nose tackle Jason Ferguson
• Seventh round from Detroit in Roy Williams trade

We still have a pretty good number of picks (nine), just no #1 and we haven't even addressed compensatory picks. If Roy pans out, it seems we should be just fine ASSUMING we have a personel department that can continue to identify talent

 

[JohnnyHopkins]

Brady James
Bobby Carpenter
Pat Watkins
Courtney Brown
S Roy Williams
Anthony Henry
Kevin Burnett
Zach Thomas
Alan Ball
LB Polk
LB Rogers
Greg Ellis

Did I miss anyone? That's 12 defensive players who will have a hard time staying with the team next year, imo.

With the exception of Zach Thomas, they will all go to Miami and anchor the #1 Defense in 2009 on their way to a Superbowl.

Zach will win Dancing with the Stars and he and Jason Taylor will be slated to an off broadway production of "The Lord of the Dance".

 

[CoCo]

Canty might be an interesting decision. Can we pay everyone?

 

[zeromaster]

I think there are going to be some disappointed people.

Oh well, they can always keep padding their post counts, right?

 

[AKATheRake]

Canty might be an interesting decision. Can we pay everyone?

No we can't. That's why we need to restructure Roy and send Henry packing if he can't get his wheels fixed. There may not be a cap, but that doesn't mean we continue to work with underachievers.

I don't like our locker room reaking with the stench of underachievement. Tennessee's locker room don't smell like that. Barbie, Watkins, RW, Henry and the rest of the JAGS can all hit the bricks as far as I'm concerned. Canty is a player but at the right price. No way he should make more than Ratliff, no way!