Can Jerry Really Be Blamed For The DL Fiasco Last Year?

[WPBCowboysFan]

A whole lotta crying went on when we passed over Floyd in the draft and traded down last year. Oh my what a huge mistake it was even tho other teams passed as well and Floyd looks to be like a bust so far.

Jerry said our DL was a position of strength. Well it certainly didnt turn out that way and it ended up being a liability and the main reason our defense was so horrible.

But, can you really blame Jerry?

D. Ware had been reliable his entire career and it wasnt likely he would be banged up so much he couldnt play well. SO, as far as anyone can look into the future D. Ware was a strength going forward.

Rat should have been healthy enough to play and contribute. It seems the team, medical staff, and all thot he would be healthy enough to play and contribute. There was no good reason to see him not playing. What should have been a strength turned out to be a rat. Who could have seen coming what the Rat pulled? Funny he was healthy enough to play in Chicago, but just not in Dallas. What the team missed was the head case part. What shoulda been a strength didnt pan out because Rat acted like a rat.

Hatcher worked out fine. A strength.

Spencer helped about as much as Rat. Once again, just like Rat, the team was counting on him to play and nobody had reason to believe he would end up like he did. Spencer should have been a strength, but wasnt because of the unforeseen.

As far as the DL depth, the unforeseeable happened. Crawford got injured, etc.

Now, sure we can say Jerry should have added MORE depth, but honestly, with all the other needs we had, how much good depth could he have really added? As things turned out, no team in the league could have planned for and added enough quality depth to rectify our situation last year.

Oh, Im sure plenty will talk about the salary cap hell, and poor drafting over the years, the lack of a plan,and so on. But the reality is, had we not had the unforeseen happen, which nobody could have seen but the Lord HImself, this team would have likely been in the playoffs and taken that next step.

Blame Jerry for what you will, but in getting this team ready for the next season it would be hard from any rational viewpoint to blame Jerry for what happened last year with the DL.

 

[big dog cowboy]

As far as the DL depth, the unforeseeable happened. Crawford got injured.

Don't forget Bass.

 

[WPBCowboysFan]

Don't forget Bass.

True, good add!

 

[boysfanindc]

I agree with most of that, the only one I question is Rat, it was obvious that relationship had been badly damaged much earlier. Now maybe they thought they could smooth it over, but Rat does not seem to have the temperament that would make that a certainty.

 

[MichaelWinicki]

I think the organization can be blamed to the point they didn't draft a dlineman last April and given the age of the group and the possibility of Spencer leaving after '13, the dline should have had more consideration.

HOWEVER, given the circumstances and how they did play out, with as many injuries as what did occur on top of the Ratliff situation, which was odd to say the least, having another body in the way of a 2013 draft pick would have been like adding a couple more loads of dirt to the dam above Johnstown. It may have helped, but it wouldn't have stopped the flood.

You simply couldn't prepare for the cluster-***** that occurred along the defensive front.

Absolutely no one would have guesses that NONE of these guys would have led the Cowboy defensive linemen in snaps last season...

Ware
Spencer
Hatcher
Ratliff

It would have been stunning if Crawford had led them in snaps... But Hayden?

Give me a break.

No team could prepare for that.

 

[Idgit]

I agree with most of that, the only one I question is Rat, it was obvious that relationship had been badly damaged much earlier. Now maybe they thought they could smooth it over, but Rat does not seem to have the temperament that would make that a certainty.

I agree with both you and the OP here. Rat was a miscalculation. Otherwise, we rolled snake eyes on the DL last season.

 

[MichaelWinicki]

I agree with most of that, the only one I question is Rat, it was obvious that relationship had been badly damaged much earlier. Now maybe they thought they could smooth it over, but Rat does not seem to have the temperament that would make that a certainty.

But how many guys around the NFL are like Rat?

I mean we pay attention to Cowboy stuff only for the most part, but you can bet there are malcontents everywhere. It just so happened that the Cowboy malcontent was such a dick that he was going to hose not just the organization but his teammates also.

 

[boysfanindc]

But how many guys around the NFL are like Rat?

I mean we pay attention to Cowboy stuff only for the most part, but you can bet there are malcontents everywhere. It just so happened that the Cowboy malcontent was such a dick that he was going to hose not just the organization but his teammates also.

Don't disagree, but I think Rat was not only a malcontent, I think there are some serious physiological issues going on there. Those two things are a bad combination and certainly should have given you considerable pause.

 

[Doomsday101]

I think the organization can be blamed to the point they didn't draft a dlineman last April and given the age of the group and the possibility of Spencer leaving after '13, the dline should have had more consideration.

HOWEVER, given the circumstances and how they did play out, with as many injuries as what did occur on top of the Ratliff situation, which was odd to say the least, having another body in the way of a 2013 draft pick would have been like adding a couple more loads of dirt to the dam above Johnstown. It may have helped, but it wouldn't have stopped the flood.

You simply couldn't prepare for the cluster-***** that occurred along the defensive front.

Absolutely no one would have guesses that NONE of these guys would have led the Cowboy defensive linemen in snaps last season...

Ware
Spencer
Hatcher
Ratliff

It would have been stunning if Crawford had led them in snaps... But Hayden?

Give me a break.

No team could prepare for that.

I think that is a fair assesment that more could have been done on the DL over the last 2 years. Dallas did draft 2 DE in 2012 but the last DT drafted was in Sean Lissemore in rd 7 draft of 2010

 

[MichaelWinicki]

Don't disagree, but I think Rat was not only a malcontent, I think there are some serious physiological issues going on there. Those two things are a bad combination and certainly should have given you considerable pause.

Oh I agree there are issues there.

And no the Cowboys shouldn't have relied upon him for 900 snaps... especially given his injury issues of the past couple years.

But to not play a single snap in 2013 for the Cowboys? Who would have thought that?

 

[thunderpimp91]

Its tough to say. On paper I was a fan of the starting front four just as jerry was. When you really look at it though you had all four projected starters in the second halves of their careers, playing new positions, and three of the were coming off injuries the season before. Depth was needed, especially when you were expected to lose at least two of those players the following year. The biggest problems were simply that we had too many positions of need a year ago. I think Jerry was a genius for the 1st round trade down last year, and an idiot for the 2nd round TE pick. A second round DE a year ago could have us in a much better spot right now, pending who was taken of course. But that's hindsight for you.

 

[boysfanindc]

Oh I agree there are issues there.

And no the Cowboys shouldn't have relied upon him for 900 snaps... especially given his injury issues of the past couple years.

But to not play a single snap in 2013 for the Cowboys? Who would have thought that?

Yes not playing a single snap certainly would have been a outlier by a long shot since he was still (sorta) part of the team, but was there a small part of you back even when he and Jerry almost came to blows that said this guy will never play another down for us?

That reason, may have been because we thought he might be released, but ever since then, there seemed to be this vibe (rehabbing elsewhere, not really being part of the team, off the field troubles etc.) that could have been construed as this guy will never step on the field again for us.

Hind sight is 20/20 and I must admit, I thought he would get back on the field (mostly because I listened to Jones), but there was still a part of me that thought he would not, for the very reasons that seemed to have played out.

With the team being much closer to the day to day communication and attitude, I have to believe that thought/perception must have been magnified 10 fold.

 

[Carolina Cowboy]

In a word, yes. Fairly, or unfairly it ends at the top and by his own hand, he is at the top. Stuff happens in every business, in every venture, in all aspects of life that is unexpected. The contingencies and structure that exists to deal with it are what make, or break people, organizations, businesses, etc.

 

[Risen Star]

Yes. I can blame them. Completely. It was an old group with no quality depth whatsoever to take over when they decline.

Anyone who didn't know Ratliff couldn't play anymore is a victim of their own ignorance. Ware was breaking down. Spencer had a serious injury. To look at that group and think everything will be fine, it's even a real strength of the team, was completely idiotic. At best it was an aging starting lineup with zero depth.

 

[DFWJC]

They should have drafted a dlineman last year, just not necessarily in the 1st round.

But you can't dream up how unlucky they were regarding the injuries. The odds seem almost impossible that:

Crawford goes down before the season even starts
Spencer and injury give us nothing for an entire year
Ratliff and "injury" give us nothing for an entire year
Ware is a shadow of himself due to injuries and maybe scheme
Bass is injured

I mean, it really was way out there.

Still, given the age of the core, no excuse for not drafting at least one dlineman.
I still can't over that 2nd round pick from last year. I'm not at all ruling out Gavin's potential, but good grief.

Who knows, maybe they thought Kwan Short (taken 3 slots ahead of us) was going to fall to us and that Carolina would not be smart enough to take him, even though they had taken a DT in Rd 1.

 

[JoeyBoy718]

I know this will be taken as blasphemy, but I blame Marineli more than anyone. He was in charge of the line and he had a whole draft and free agency to rebuild the line. He said he was happy despite a line full of 30+ year olds all dealing with injuries. Anyone on CowboysZone could have told you the line needed fixing last year.

 

[BigStar]

Yes. I can blame them. Completely. It was an old group with no quality depth whatsoever to take over when they decline.

Anyone who didn't know Ratliff couldn't play anymore is a victim of their own ignorance. Ware was breaking down. Spencer had a serious injury. To look at that group and think everything will be fine, it's even a real strength of the team, was completely idiotic. At best it was an aging starting lineup with zero depth.

On top of franchising Spencer for the second year running for a lack of planning...that still bugs me. Honestly, I thought Ware/Spencer would go off crazy but was very aware that a replacement should've been drafted (Spencer) unless we wanted our 2 starting DEs taking over the cap. Why Rat was considered for 2013 is a real head scratcher. A DE and a DT should've been drafted for depth/starting by 2014.

 

[TellerMorrow34]

Yes. I can blame them. Completely. It was an old group with no quality depth whatsoever to take over when they decline.

Anyone who didn't know Ratliff couldn't play anymore is a victim of their own ignorance. Ware was breaking down. Spencer had a serious injury. To look at that group and think everything will be fine, it's even a real strength of the team, was completely idiotic. At best it was an aging starting lineup with zero depth.

Agreed. You can blame him and you have to blame him. Piss poor planning on the management of the Cowboys part and it resulted in piss poor results.

 

[Doomsday101]

Its tough to say. On paper I was a fan of the starting front four just as jerry was. When you really look at it though you had all four projected starters in the second halves of their careers, playing new positions, and three of the were coming off injuries the season before. Depth was needed, especially when you were expected to lose at least two of those players the following year. The biggest problems were simply that we had too many positions of need a year ago. I think Jerry was a genius for the 1st round trade down last year, and an idiot for the 2nd round TE pick. A second round DE a year ago could have us in a much better spot right now, pending who was taken of course. But that's hindsight for you.

I think had Ware, Hatcher, Ratliff and Spencer all started as expected then the rotation was good with guys like Hyden. Problem is when Hyden is having to start and play as many snaps as he was asked to do. He is guy who can help but not a guy I want playing the vast majority of the snaps.

 

[TheSport78]

Jerry's first mistake was giving Ratliff an extension based on what he HAD done, not based on what he was going to do in the future. Smart organizations would've never handed Ratliff that money.

His second mistake was depending on Ratliff to be a key piece to the defense last year as the 3 tech, after he had shown obvious signs of decline in production and durability, not to mention his off the field problems and mental instability.