Biggest mistake of off season? Name one only

[morasp]

QB

 

[DandyDon52]

I pointed out many times during the offseason that with Murray leaving so might our running game and our SB chances. I argued that if the running game isn't as good Romo could end up injured and that his efficiency would go down and his int's would go up. In the season opener Romo attempted 45 passes which was more than in any game last season. He carried the Cowboys to their opening day win over the Giants. I said immediately after that game that the Giants didn't look like a very good team and neither did the Cowboys and some took exception to that comment. Romo had only one 40+ passing attempt game all of last season and was on pace for another 40+ passing attempt game when he was injured vs Philly. He had 10 games in 2014 where he didn't even attempt 30 passes because he had a great running game to lean on but this season he was back having to carry the team which led to 7 int's in less than 4 games and 2 injuries to the same shoulder that cost him and the Cowboys their season.

The Cowboys were able to wear defenses down last season controlling the ball with the running game. Romo wasn't having to press in games like we saw against Carolina. I understand it would have been difficult signing both Murray and Dez but the Cowboys biggest mistake was depending more on the talent of their OL than the talent they had at RB. They could have gone after a better back like DeAngelo Williams who signed with the Steelers the same day the Cowboys signed McFadden. Williams has averaged 4.9 a carry with 6 TD's this season while McFadden has averaged 3.8 a carry and only 2 TD's. Jerry decided to go cheap at RB because he felt any back could be productive behind his young OL and he was wrong! The lack of a consistent running game put more pressure on our backup QBs to have to win games because our defense sure as hell can't. Had Jerry made the decision not to sign Emmitt during his holdout in 93 the Cowboys wouldn't have accomplished back to back SB wins or 3 championships in 4 years.

He found out in the first 2 games of the 93 season in which the Cowboys lost that his Great Wall of Dallas couldn't make an average back productive but apparently Jerry forgot about that when he made the decision to let Murray walk and depend on his OL. The team was totally unprepared at RB entering the season having to cut Randle who they knew had off the field issues but were foolish enough to trust. They ended up having to trade for a back who they eventually cut after only a few carries. They had to bring in Turbin to play musical chairs with. The Cowboys got caught with their pants down at RB because they put too much stock in their OL that hasn't been as good as advertised. Even Collins fell for the hype of the OL claiming immediately after he was signed that this OL will be the greatest OL ever. LOL The OL has a long way to go to ever be near that good. Every time this team gets full of itself it leads to a disastrous season.

I agree, and dallas has had 12 different RBs signed during the season, and they found 2 they liked, McF and Turbin.
the jones boys signed and kept some of the wrong players, and let others go who really helped them go 12-4 .
To have success this year, they needed to keep the same team intact , instead the jones boys got cute to use jerry's words,
and it has blown up in their faces.

The biggest mistake was signing JG to long term contract, the 2nd was if your keeping JG, keep murray and try to run same offense
as 2014.
Also I will say again letting murray and others go had a affect on the other players mentally.
Same for signing dez to big contract and then he does not give his best efforts, starting game one.
What if most players wanted to keep murray, and not sign dez, how would they feel after game 01 ?

Just speculation, but i think the other players dont care for dez, or that he makes 13 mil a year.

 

[links18]

I agree with AZ......letting Callahan go....

He has this OL looking ready for the HOF.....Romo almost never got touched. Murray could pick the hole he wanted to run through.

Now, this year, the holes are smaller and less common to run through. Our pass protection has fallen off.

So, what, the OL forgot everything Callahan taught them over the off season or is it a different scheme?

 

[aikemirv]

I agree with letting Callahan go.

The OL drank the Koolaid that they were one of the best and forgot they had to actually prove it on Sundays IMO.

 

[unsportsmanlikeconduct]

Not hiring a real GM

 

[JoeBoBBY]

I never said it was what it was last year. Last year was lightning in a bottle. If can't be duplicated, not even with the same ingredients. And it's not a necessity to having a winning team. You can like with and average to slightly above average running game.

it can be duplicated. The patriots, steelers, broncos, ravens, Seahawks, Packers, do it all the time................with off years here and there...

we duplicate "losing" with off years here and there.

And its going to continue. Good thing though, easy schedule next year, and with a little luck with the injury bug, scheduling and playing teams at the exact right time, along with some luck of some bounces of the ball. We probably win the East.

 

[the_h0wey]

letting Bill Callahan go.

I don't think we had any choice in the matter. Everything I've heard and read said Callahan was basically done with the organization, and his relationship with Garrett had soured.

 

[Cmac]

Welp....

I'll go ahead and give the most obvious answer since this thread is only 5 pages long and no one has gotten it yet.....

There was no way I would have given Dez Bryant 70 million.

Franchise tag.....and then another tag...then cut bait.

We are just beginning to see what I suspect is gonna be a full blown T.O. type meltdown before all this is over. And yes....there are already signs....Skipping all of training camp.... The dropped passes vs Tampa..completely disappearing vs Carolina.....Monkey pictures......sideline fights...tantrums. And it's just gonna get worse. A lot worse. It's a lot of distractions this team doesn't need.

Giving him the keys to the kingdom was a mistake. Jerry might as well hire 2 full time details to follow him this summer. 1 to clean up the messes he leaves behind...then another to steer him out of trouble. The guy has been practically broke since getting into the league...now he's got some money to throw around. Lord knows what gonna happen this summer.

I'll go ahead and call it what it is...It's the big C. And it's gonna grow.... And unfortunately....I have high doubts he has the maturity to see the situation for what it is.

Hopefully I'm wrong.....

.....you gonna blame Dez for all that mess we see every Sunday?

 

[JoeKing]

it can be duplicated. The patriots, steelers, broncos, ravens, Seahawks, Packers, do it all the time................with off years here and there...

we duplicate "losing" with off years here and there.

And its going to continue. Good thing though, easy schedule next year, and with a little luck with the injury bug, scheduling and playing teams at the exact right time, along with some luck of some bounces of the ball. We probably win the East.

None of those teams except the Seahawks had 1800 yards in rushing last year and even they are not as good this year so stop lying about duplicating it every year.

 

[JoeBoBBY]

None of those teams except the Seahawks had 1800 yards in rushing last year and even they are not as good this year so stop lying about duplicating it every year.

U want to debate the success of these franchises over the last 10-15 years? ..................................really?

 

[JoeKing]

U want to debate the success of these franchises over the last 10-15 years? ..................................really?

Who said anything about the last 10-15 years? Why do you continue to make stuff up? Are my arguments so solid that that is your only chance at rebuttal? No, I know better.

 

[Chevyman08]

It'a tie between letting Callahan go to the Commanders and letting Murray walk.

 

[CowboyRoy]

The disaster that was and continues to be this season is injuries. I don't know of anything that could have been done to prevent it. We were highly favored coming into this season. We had a good draft and talent acquisition. The most controversial thing was not bringing back Murray but the running game has not been a major contributor to the losses this season so you can't say it was a big mistake. I don't know that there is a big mistake that if corrected in the off season would have made a big difference in the outcome of this season.

Its much more than injuries. Counting on injury prone players like Dunbar and McChicken are issues. Counting on some loser like Joseph Randle is an issue. Thinking that Weeden was any good was a major problem. Counting on Romo with his recent injury history was a problem. Having suspended guys signed for big roles was a problem. Resigning a pathetic coach in Garrett has been an issue. Much, much more than just injuries.

 

[PoundTheRock]

Weeden

 

[JoeKing]

Its much more than injuries. Counting on injury prone players like Dunbar and McChicken are issues. Counting on some loser like Joseph Randle is an issue. Thinking that Weeden was any good was a major problem. Counting on Romo with his recent injury history was a problem. Having suspended guys signed for big roles was a problem. Resigning a pathetic coach in Garrett has been an issue. Much, much more than just injuries.

I'm sorry, I missed your post complaining about all these issues before the season started. Maybe they weren't so glaring at the time so you didn't bother. Surely your complaint isn't hindsight driven because anybody can do that.

 

[waving monkey]

I agree with AZ......letting Callahan go....

He has this OL looking ready for the HOF.....Romo almost never got touched. Murray could pick the hole he wanted to run through.

Now, this year, the holes are smaller and less common to run through. Our pass protection has fallen off.

Callahan was a sorry OC and when he lost that position he was gone at ht e end of contract.
There was nothing the FO could have done.

 

[waving monkey]

Letting Callahan go.

The play of the OL has been a joke.

It's collapsed the running game..

and the pass protection has allowed the QB to break his shoulder twice.

Something should have been done more there.

We are going to be seeing Callahan and Skins shortly and they are going to sweep us.

And Callahan is going to get some redemption..watch.

He is going to make his point he can out-coach Linehan.

Callahan is a worse OC then our present OC. When he was demoted back to
line coach he was gone there was nothing the front office could have done,bad blood

 

[waving monkey]

I can't stand Garrett either. But I wouldn't trade the hope we had at the end of last season for a bad season to get him fired instead. That's what football is all about. The excitement of believing you have that chance to win it all. It's not easy to win a title. We were a play or two away from potentially having that chance.

Remember how exciting the end of last year was? It sure beats how crappy this season is even if Garrett gets fired.

I get it. Nobody believes Garrett does a lot or make this team better. But players have to make plays too. If dez doesn't drop the ball against Tampa we win that game. If our defense doesn't completely fall apart at the end of every game we are leading the division right now, even with all the injuries.

Garrett sucks. But the players have to make plays too.

I still believe Red will take us to the promise land.

 

[waving monkey]

.....that excessive clapping, butt slapping, coaching aptitude, and field trips would motivate this team

this is the most bazaar of all the gripes about Red.
its like being trouble over minutia

 

[waving monkey]

I've said this over and over again, but letting Bill Callahan walk.

he was gone