Cowboys' issues: Take action, or not?

[Verdict]

Good coaching can find a way to minimize deficiencies. And so what did losing Romo tell you about Garretts ability to do that?

Every team has holes and some more than others and bigger than others.

And why do we still have to deal with Garrett growing after 8 years? Can he please grow somewhere else? I would much prefer a fully grown head coach.

As far as desperately going out and getting people I completely agree. And its also too late anyway.

It is easier to scheme around holes at some positions rather than others. For example you could scheme to shade a tight end for a somewhat ineffective offensive tackle. You could blitz a bit to help out an anemic pass rush. You could run the ball more or use screen passes to the backs to help out a depleted receivers' corps.

Losing QB is a bit more problematic, because if you have a below average QB it is pretty hard to scheme it out since the ball goes through his hands on every offensive snap. On just about every other position, another player on the team can make a play for the sub-par player. If you have a bad QB it makes every player's job on the team harder, on every play.

Garrett did OK scheming around Weeden's play by having him check the ball down early on in the season. The problem was that in the pro game once they figured out he couldn't/wouldn't beat them with the deep ball, they all but eliminated the short game too.

Having Dez go down compounded the Loss of Romo. It wasn't a perfect storm, but it was a pretty bad storm.

 

[Verdict]

Good coaching can find a way to minimize deficiencies. And so what did losing Romo tell you about Garretts ability to do that?

Every team has holes and some more than others and bigger than others.

And why do we still have to deal with Garrett growing after 8 years? Can he please grow somewhere else? I would much prefer a fully grown head coach.

As far as desperately going out and getting people I completely agree. And its also too late anyway.

Ironically, it might be a bit early. Roster cuts will put an influx of talent on the streets, and might be our best/cheapest option available at this point in the year unless we stand pat with who we have.

 

[Gameover]

Weeden DID NOT suck last year. He was better than Romo last year.

 

[Verdict]

If that was the case then an UDFA like Romo would never have become a franchise QB. Right now there is no telling what Dak may or may not do and frankly where you got drafted does not mean a damn thing. It is not where you get drafted it is what you do once you get your chance. Montana was not a 1st rd pick or Tom Brady but when their opportunity came they capitalized on it.

I totally agree. Fans place way too much emphasis on draft position. Once the draft is over, where a player got drafted is irrelevant. Scandrick is our best corner and he was a 5th round pick. Romo was an UDFA. The list of late drafted/undrafted players becoming dominant is long, including in Dallas.

I don't know why someone would believe a late round pick cannot develop into a great player. It happen all the time. Kurt Warner also says "Hello". He want from off the street free agent to winning the Super Bowl. What exactly needs to happen for you guys to grasp that concept.

 

[Zekeats]

Dak wasn't drafted to replace Romo......he was plan E or F........if he becomes a solid backup that is a huge win......just don't replace Romo with a late 4th round pick

And romo wasn't supposed to replace Bledsoe either but that happened

 

[Nightman]

I totally agree. Fans place way too much emphasis on draft position. Once the draft is over, where a player got drafted is irrelevant. Scandrick is our best corner and he was a 5th round pick. Romo was an UDFA. The list of late drafted/undrafted players becoming dominant is long, including in Dallas.

I don't know why someone would believe a late round pick cannot develop into a great player. It happen all the time. Kurt Warner also says "Hello". He want from off the street free agent to winning the Super Bowl. What exactly needs to happen for you guys to grasp that concept.

'Happens all the time' is a joke......do it your way and I'll draft in the 1st round and we will see who does better in the next 20 years......you will be lucky to have one or two starters but hey, anything is possible.....hope is a plan

 

[Nightman]

And romo wasn't supposed to replace Bledsoe either but that happened

and Unicorns are pretty

 

[Nightman]

If that was the case then an UDFA like Romo would never have become a franchise QB. Right now there is no telling what Dak may or may not do and frankly where you got drafted does not mean a damn thing. It is not where you get drafted it is what you do once you get your chance. Montana was not a 1st rd pick or Tom Brady but when their opportunity came they capitalized on it.

Since we got lucky and used that 1st overall pick on Troy Aikman we have drafted, signed or traded for exactly 1 above average QB, Tony Romo but you guys know better, it happens all the time

 

[Sydla]

The Cowboys have perceived "holes" at DE, LB and backup QB. It amazes me at all the hand wringing over us "needing to make a move". I'm not opposed to improving the team by adding an influx of talent, but let's be real here ..... street free agents may not be an improvement over what we already have on the roster. There is no need to churn the roster by giving up draft picks or sacrificing future cap space just for the sake of appearing to do something proactive.

Think about it this way .....Weeden sucked last year which wasn't a good thing obviously, but then we turned around and traded for Cassell and he sucked just as bad. Granted, we made the trade in an effort to improve the team by making the trade, it just didn't work out. In retrospect, doing nothing would have accomplished just as much, and saved us a draft pick.

Dak and Showers might win us just as many games as another QB off the street. If we are trading for substantial upgrade as a backup, I guess that's fine, but we drafted Dak to be the potential heir apparent to Romo, so why not just go with what we have and let the guys currently on the roster get the snaps and see if they progress.

We have likewise invested substantial assets at DE, so there is a pretty good argument for going with what we have and making due. Every team has holes. Let me repeat that .... every team has holes.... good coaching just finds a way to minimize the deficiencies in a team. Maybe it will also help Garrett grow as a coach to roll with what we have.

Personally, as a person who feels they are all holes, I am not hand wringing over them "needing to make a move".

I think the time to fix those holes has long passed. At this point, it's keep your fingers crossed and hope your cheaper options pan out and work. But I won't delude myself into thinking that the cheap options will definitely work out.

 

[Sydla]

Well the fact that Romo was an UDFA sort of shoots holes in your argument that Dak can't possibly be Romo's successor because he was "only" a 4th round pick. Tom Brady from the 6th round also says to tell you "Hello".

The odds Prescott is Romo's replacement are fairly long, though. Is it possible? Sure. Is it likely? Not really and history will indicate that.

 

[Sydla]

I don't get this.

You don't replace a walk on QB with one that was drafted?

If anything, doesn't Romo's career prove you don't have to be drafted in any particular round to be a good to great QB?

How many first thru 4th round QB picks come in and make it? More don't than do.

Can't hang your hat on who was drafted in what round, IMO.

Again, there is analysis out there that shows that your odds of hitting on a successful QB are greater the higher you take the QB in a draft. Sure, there are examples of a QB taken in later rounds panning out. But the number of misses are even greater. Also doesn't mean your first round QB is going to be a hit. He definitely could bust but the odds of finding that next franchise QB are higher taking a first round QB than taking a 5th round QB.

So yeah, if history is any indicator, when it comes to QB you can kind of hang your hat on what round they were picked.

 

[Fla Cowpoke]

The thing is, by building a "Romo Friendly" offense you are also building a young QB friendly offense. By building a great OL and adding a weapon like Zeke to guys like Dez, Williams, Beasley and Witten, you make it easier for Dak or Showers to be able to operate. We should be able to take the air out of the ball and run with Zeke and set up play action and bootleg options for the young QB's.

While it is unlikely that we can expect either young QB to be a franchise QB, it isn't so unlikely that they can be a Trent Dilfer in Baltimore, at times a Russell Wilson his first couple years, a Joe Flacco, etc.

 

[starfrombirth]

I haven't been clamoring to make a move so much as I've been irritated that we had all the ammo of the #4 pick and two big holes at QB and DE that we filled by drafting a QB3 and Benson Mayowa. And I like both Prescott and Mayowa for what they are, but if we'd addressed the needs more directly in VFA and the draft, nobody'd be wringing hands about street veteran free agents or bottom-roster player trades right now.

Instead we got a new RB and a MIKE who may or may not play next season. I don't care how you look at it, that's not good value for the 4 and the 34 when it comes to impacting your 2016 season.

I agree with you but which qb was out there of any quality that was willing to come in and be qb2? I didn't see any DE's that I wanted either, at least not over an improving DLaw and a hopeful Gregory. Remember, we didn't know about their suspensions until just a month or so ago. I wanted defense early and often in the draft but not at number 4. Maybe one of the Clemson DE's but they were the only ones I thought were worth it. And you have to remember, you have to have a trading partner willing to let you trade back. Just my thoughts.

 

[Idgit]

I agree with you but which qb was out there of any quality that was willing to come in and be qb2? I didn't see any DE's that I wanted either, at least not over an improving DLaw and a hopeful Gregory. Remember, we didn't know about their suspensions until just a month or so ago. I wanted defense early and often in the draft but not at number 4. Maybe one of the Clemson DE's but they were the only ones I thought were worth it. And you have to remember, you have to have a trading partner willing to let you trade back. Just my thoughts.

Well, I wanted Chase Daniel or Colt McCoy before things started and they both got bigger money (Daniel's deal blew me away). After that, Matt Morre or Hoyer made the most sense to me. Or I'd have traded a pick if it meant getting somebody who could actually play. I don't know what that deal would have looked like though, it's true.

As for defensive end, that's tougher. Spence was the best option out there, probably. Or maybe trading down from #4 and back up from #34 to pick up a defender early and our pick of the 2nd round DEs on the board.

But hey, just because I think we rolled the dice doesn't mean things don't look pretty good for the DEs we've got. If two or three of Irving and Lawrence and Tapper or Mayowa hit, we're doing ok relative to how we've done here recently in Dallas. And it's early, but it's looking like some of those things are possible. Even Russel's showing some signs of life.

Hitting on a QB would be gravy. But we still shouldn't have been in this position in the first place, really.

 

[Sydla]

They should have signed Mario Williams. It's their own fault counting on Gregory coming off a year where he was injured and they knew he had some weed problems.

 

[darthseinfeld]

Regardless of what Dak shoes toys year, and hopefully we don't see it in the regular or post season.
They still need to draft a QB next year of in the 1st 2 rounds.
I hope they don't pass on one thinking they will give Dak another year to develop.

And this is nothing against Dak or their plan. It's just pure drafting the best QB if possible.
If not, go defense or what ever those nest players are as usual.

The strength of the Dak pick is that he will provide completion and possibly even beat out a highly selected QB, which I am 100% convinced we will see next year. That player is going to have to compete to be our future with Prescott

 

[Doomsday101]

Since we got lucky and used that 1st overall pick on Troy Aikman we have drafted, signed or traded for exactly 1 above average QB, Tony Romo but you guys know better, it happens all the time

Never said it happens all the time. Staubach was not a 1st nor was Danny White or Meredith only Cowboys 1st rd selection at QB was Morton and Aikman. Having said that again I don't give a damn where a guy is selected I care about what they do once they are signed. People claiming Dak can't develop into a top QB because he was drafted in the 4th is just stupid. Fact is #1 QB bomb all the time it is not some given that if you use a 1st on a QB he will be a franchise player. In Washington they gave up a lot on RGIII yet is it Kurt Cousins a 4th rd pick who is playing good ball while RGIII is trying to hang on in the NFL.

 

[Verdict]

Since we got lucky and used that 1st overall pick on Troy Aikman we have drafted, signed or traded for exactly 1 above average QB, Tony Romo but you guys know better, it happens all the time

Do you think the fact that we actually HAVE a franchise QB has impeded our search for one? I mean, by all means, lets draft a QB every year since we have 53 roster spots to fill!

 

[Nightman]

Do you think the fact that we actually HAVE a franchise QB has impeded our search for one? I mean, by all means, lets draft a QB every year since we have 53 roster spots to fill!

lame excuse..... good QBs always have value

who would want Aaron Rodgers when they had Brett Favre.....we have to have a 9th LB or 10th OL

 

[Sydla]

Never said it happens all the time. Staubach was not a 1st nor was Danny White or Meredith only Cowboys 1st rd selection at QB was Morton and Aikman. Having said that again I don't give a damn where a guy is selected I care about what they do once they are signed. People claiming Dak can't develop into a top QB because he was drafted in the 4th is just stupid. Fact is #1 QB bomb all the time it is not some given that if you use a 1st on a QB he will be a franchise player. In Washington they gave up a lot on RGIII yet is it Kurt Cousins a 4th rd pick who is playing good ball while RGIII is trying to hang on in the NFL.

Here's the problem with your rant.

Yes, first round QBs bomb, often, quite a bit. But there are numerous analyses that show the better QBs in the league come from being drafted in the first round. So people should care a little about where their team is shopping for their next franchise QB. Because the odds are better in finding that QB taking one in the 1st round as opposed to the 4th round.