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

[Doomsday101]

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.

Ok but then how do you plan for that many injuries? Given the injury of Ratliff there was no reason to think he would not be back. Heading into camp Ware was getting after it big time, Spencer injury did not happen until week 1 so right there that is 3 guys off the starting DL. Crawford then is hurt. I think more could have been done but no team is prepaird for 3 out of 4 starters to go down then backups getting hurt as well. Heck Raven had Lewis go down the year before last and it hurt them. Pitt had Palamalo go down hurt them badly. We have 3 out of 4 starters go down it is going to hurt badly and to expect backups to play to the same level as the starters? asking a lot.

 

[JoeyBoy718]

People are judging last year's line as if it was 2008. Ware had been on a steady decline for two years. Either it was due to declining skills or consistent injuries, but neither made him a reliable starter. Ratliff hadn't played in over a year and it was uncertain he'd even come back. Spencer was dealing with an injury, was coming off the first elite season of his career, and had no contract guaranteed for the future. Hatcher was a career backup who nobody saw having the season he had last year. Not to mention, he was on the wrong side of 30. And guys like Bass and Crawford had done absolutely nothing in the NFL. I don't know how anyone could say DL wasn't a huge need.

 

[tantrix1969]

It's amazing how many people here wanted the dl addressed in the draft and then Jerry says "dline is a strength" and some of you take it for gospel.

 

[Doomsday101]

It's amazing how many people here wanted the dl addressed in the draft and then Jerry says "dline is a strength" and some of you take it for gospel.

many wanted OL addressed that has been the cry over the last 3 or 4 years. Dallas drafted in 2012 Dallas draft in 3rd and 4th rd Crawford and Wilber so it is not as if they totally neglected but just as you can't pick 7 OL player in a draft you’re not going to draft a ton of DL either. I agree more could be done but given how many injuries took place I'm not sure we would have been that much better off. I will say Cowboys could have done more.

 

[NJ22]

Ware was always playing hurt, Ratliff has been washed up for 2 years, Spencer was going be here for only a year on the Tag and hatcher was playing his contract out, Crawford and Bass had accomplished ZERO in the league...uh yes 1000% he can be blamed. Floyd or not he ignored the position in free agency and the entire draft. There are other rounds that follow the first round.

 

[Common Sense]

Let's see. You move to a new scheme that requires players rotate in and out in waves... not only do you NOT add those rotational players, the starting four are all getting up there in age, and with the exception of Hatcher, all come with injury questions. You really expect them to play twice as many snaps as the scheme intends and not miss games? Ridiculous. That's not even considering the hubris of thinking your guys can all make a seamless transition into a completely different scheme that none of them have even played before in the NFL.

 

[thunderpimp91]

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.

I agree and that is what makes this question so tough. You had a solid starting group and some respectable role players/ young guys who you hoped step up. Still given the age and recent history of your starters I would have liked to see more than just role players behind these guys. Of course that is always easier said than done. I just pray this team doesn't think Melton and an early pick this year solidifies the D line this year. Always need depth in the trenches.

 

[Doomsday101]

People are judging last year's line as if it was 2008. Ware had been on a steady decline for two years. Either it was due to declining skills or consistent injuries, but neither made him a reliable starter. Ratliff hadn't played in over a year and it was uncertain he'd even come back. Spencer was dealing with an injury, was coming off the first elite season of his career, and had no contract guaranteed for the future. Hatcher was a career backup who nobody saw having the season he had last year. Not to mention, he was on the wrong side of 30. And guys like Bass and Crawford had done absolutely nothing in the NFL. I don't know how anyone could say DL wasn't a huge need.

I guess Denver is judging Ware differently, they just paid him a boat load of money. I doubt they did that because they feel he is washed up.

 

[Doomsday101]

I agree and that is what makes this question so tough. You had a solid starting group and some respectable role players/ young guys who you hoped step up. Still given the age and recent history of your starters I would have liked to see more than just role players behind these guys. Of course that is always easier said than done. I just pray this team doesn't think Melton and an early pick this year solidifies the D line this year. Always need depth in the trenches.

I think there is blame however i think last years massive injuries along the DL was not expected. As far as how people view some of these guys well a SB team just dropped a ton of Money on Ware so I take it they do not see him as a washed up player. Granted more could have been done especially at DT where Dallas had not selected a player since Lissemore in the 7th rd of 2010 draft.

 

[Stash]

I don't think it's an either/or proposition, but both.

Poor planning + injuries = debacle.

 

[thunderpimp91]

I think there is blame however i think last years massive injuries along the DL was not expected. As far as how people view some of these guys well a SB team just dropped a ton of Money on Ware so I take it they do not see him as a washed up player. Granted more could have been done especially at DT where Dallas had not selected a player since Lissemore in the 7th rd of 2010 draft.

I think we are a lot closer to the same page than our posts make us out to be. Last years injuries are unheard of, and really cannot completely be planned for. I just think more could be done. As you have said, the position has been neglected in the draft.

 

[Kevinicus]

Ware was always playing hurt, Ratliff has been washed up for 2 years, Spencer was going be here for only a year on the Tag and hatcher was playing his contract out, Crawford and Bass had accomplished ZERO in the league...uh yes 1000% he can be blamed. Floyd or not he ignored the position in free agency and the entire draft. There are other rounds that follow the first round.

I didn't know players in the draft had accomplished anything in the league either...interesting.

People can complain about depth and say there was none, but one piece of depth started all year and had 7 sacks, two other pieces of depth that the club was high on were injured the entire year. How can you say much of anything about the quality of the depth if it's injured and you can't evaluate their play? Now, if you're talking about this year, then yes, they probably could have added people to replace the eventual loss of some of the guys on the line. Last year, however, the starters AND depth were injured, there is no plan for that.

 

[NJ22]

I didn't know players in the draft had accomplished anything in the league either...interesting.

People can complain about depth and say there was none, but one piece of depth started all year and had 7 sacks, two other pieces of depth that the club was high on were injured the entire year. How can you say much of anything about the quality of the depth if it's injured and you can't evaluate their play? Now, if you're talking about this year, then yes, they probably could have added people to replace the eventual loss of some of the guys on the line. Last year, however, the starters AND depth were injured, there is no plan for that.

So we shouldn't draft at all? Good call Jerry.

 

[TheCount]

I don't know about the lord himself, but quite a few people wanted to add DL depth, so obviously other people saw the potential for disaster.

It's hard to make the "we had so many other needs" argument work for not taking a DL when we you take a TE and WR in the first three rounds.

 

[ferrispata]

JJ can certainly be blamed for multiple things over the years but I don't think the 2013 DL should be one of them. He gets a pass in my eyes.

 

[Stash]

I don't know about the lord himself, but quite a few people wanted to add DL depth, so obviously other people saw the potential for disaster.

It's hard to make the "we had so many other needs" argument work for not taking a DL when we you take a TE and WR in the first three rounds.

Glad someone else is pointing that out.

People can say whatever they want, but given the needs this team had, there's no excuse for using a 2nd round pick on a TE yet AGAIN!

 

[WPBCowboysFan]

I don't know about the Lord himself,

Fixed that for ya.

 

[Stash]

JJ can certainly be blamed for multiple things over the years but I don't think the 2013 DL should be one of them. He gets a pass in my eyes.

Injuries were certainly a mitigating factor, but not enough for me to give a pass.

Plenty of the issues with various players were also there to see.

If they looked.

 

[burmafrd]

Aging player LIkely to break down and frankly not exactly stable (Rat)

Injured players that might not recover fully or keep getting injured. (Spencer and Ware)

There are 3 of your 4 proposed starters and this was ALL known prior to the draft.

Your other starter was Hatcher who was 31.


And what did we have behind them that had proven ANYTHING in the NFL?

So yes not taking a DL in the second round when there were a couple of good prospects available was STUPID. And not getting a late round developmental player as well? DUMB.

 

[Kevinicus]

So we shouldn't draft at all? Good call Jerry.

Not what I said. But you seemed to be discounting the guys they already HAD drafted. If they draft guys and they are apparently useless since they haven't proven anything, then why cry about not drafting more guys who haven't proven anything?