Cowboys losing Ground? For the Record . reinforces how 2016 was a missed opportunity ***MERGED***

[Alexander]

Heath has been on the roster for 6 years at least and has never been good enough start with suspect safeties playing in front of him. If Heath becomes that starter that will be bad. We can only hope they get someone else.

That is the area where I think they "make due". Just too much else to address and too little to do it with.

 

[sean10mm]

Where people get mixed up with the Pats is that they ARE active in free agency every year. It's just usually a high volume of cheap moves. Even the Revis and Browner signings were really 1 year rentals with 2nd year options that were never going to be picked up. Bennett was a 1 year rental that didn't cost that much. Moss and Welker were cheap, Blount was cheap, all the free agent defensive front 7 guys they churn through are cheap, and so on. The big moves for Cooks and Gilmore *are* unusual for them.

We are using the same approach that got us nowhere with a HOF caliber QB.

People that are still trusting the same ole' process are being naive. Jerry wasted one franchise QB's career. Can we afford to waste another?

I'll disagree here: Jerry's approach for most of Romo's career was making terrible trades to deplete their stock of draft picks, and signing veterans to bad 2nd and 3rd contracts that ate too much cap space. Now they're doing the opposite, which might also be wrong but is not the same thing at all.

 

[Teague31]

Clearly the losses of church and Free will be too much for us to overcome. Looking at 0-16 for sure.

 

[ShiningStar]

Clearly the losses of church and Free will be too much for us to overcome. Looking at 0-16 for sure.

i think some people are considering all the loses at once. If one or two were replaced with high caliber, you wouldnt hear as much on the wrong side. Since our jags were replaced with jags, no one is excited or confident that the new jags will learn our system in 1 year. So yes, since we dont have coaches to coach up players in a hurry or change the system to play to our strengths, than it is in the realm of reality to give it a quick face palm at face value. Yes, still lots to go. lets see what happens.

 

[cej757]

I've never seen a significant connection between an active free agency and a successful season. If anything, I've noticed a correlation the otheR direction.

Atlanta made some good moves last offseason on both sides of the ball and they went to a Super Bowl and should've won it.

 

[Stash]

That is the area where I think they "make due". Just too much else to address and too little to do it with.

I saw a guy who finished strong last year and looks to be improving in Heath. Given what Church and Wilcox got paid, I'm glad it wasn't Dallas. I think Dallas might make a bargain type move, but I'm not sweating losing either if those guys. When they were here, people couldn't wait to find their replacements and upgrades, now that it's happened, people are saying "Oh no!, how will we ever replace Church and Wilcox?"

 

[Alexander]

I saw a guy who finished strong last year and looks to be improving in Heath. Given what Church and Wilcox got paid, I'm glad it wasn't Dallas. I think Dallas might make a bargain type move, but I'm not sweating losing either if those guys. When they were here, people couldn't wait to find their replacements and upgrades, now that it's happened, people are saying "Oh no!, how will we ever replace Church and Wilcox?"

It is not about them. It is about the priorities and the state of the rest of the roster.

 

[gimmesix]

I'm not panicking over the Cowboys tepid Free-agency maneuvers.
But, while other teams were trying to sure up their weak spots and improve their strong spots, we may have weakened our weak spot, Defense, and also weakened our strong spot, Offense.
At best, it seems that we are holding pat and hoping that we can replicate last years success.
The players we signed in FA on defense aren't great improvements over their predecessors, but are just replacements with the hope that they can basically provide the same production.
In addition, there hasn't been anything that has happened to think that the Defense Achilles heal, Pass Rush DE, has been addressed/improved.
On offense, losing Leary and Free is not anything to brush over and could effect the chances of the offense repeating last year's success. Collins is still not proven and Green hasn't shown he can be relied on as a replacement at RT.
Many of he top NFC teams last year, e.g. Packers, Seahawks, Giants, Arizona, had injury issues last year that hindered their chances but if they address them and have some luck on the injury front, they can be in good position to have greater success.
There's no reason to panic at this point but it's obvious that it will be a tough task for this team to replicate last years success. Not impossible, but it will be a tough task.

We're maintaining status quo while hoping to build through the draft. Paea for McClain. Moore for Jack Crawford. Carroll for ?. If we keep that up, it's not a bad plan for a 13-3 team.

However, I agree that while we're doing the teams we need to beat to defend our division title and get through the playoffs are taking steps to get better. This is the major issue with the free agency maintenance plan. We don't know, though, if the moves the other teams are making will improve their teams.

 

[rkell87]

Well... OP isn't wrong.

Teams put together their roster to win the division, we are the best team in the division, every team in the division added big WRs, we lost basically our entire starting secondary.

 

[Stash]

It is not about them. It is about the priorities and the state of the rest of the roster.

Meaning what exactly? What are they not doing that you wish that they would?

I keep hearing these same lamentations over players lost, but nobody saying how any of them are irreplaceable when asked.

 

[Gameover]

and also weakened our strong spot

How?

And no we haven't lost any ground. We're still the beast of the East!

1. The Giants improvement if you think its that, is necessary for them. Cause see they were no where near an 11 win team last year. If they don't make serious upgrades, they won't win more than 7 games in 2017. Cause see they have to play a tougher schedule as well... Along with the other teams in this division..

2. How has our offense gotten weaker? We lost one starter and the team probably retired him. Leary would not have started had he remained on the roster.

 

[ufcrules1]

Just weird to practically have a 14-2 team and then essentially not do anything in FA to help shore up some issues on defense.

 

[Alexander]

Meaning what exactly? What are they not doing that you wish that they would?

I keep hearing these same lamentations over players lost, but nobody saying how any of them are irreplaceable when asked.

The team should have had one priority this offseason, maintain the defense and upgrade the pass rush.

Replacing should mean upgrading, don't see it with what has been done thus far in free agency.

Now, thanks to no cap space, they are going to have to hit it in the draft, all while getting weaker on the defense. And they now need a RT.

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

Oh noes another Nelson Ag or Marcus Smith will be the final piece.

I wouldn't mind bringing in Agholor if Philly decides to move on from him. Makes no sense to me, why he isn't producing in Philly. I watched him play in college and that kid had talent. He's still young, I'd give it a shot if the opportunity presented itself.

 

[Stash]

The team should have had one priority this offseason, maintain the defense and upgrade the pass rush.

So you feel these guys were worth the money they received elsewhere and Dallas should have paid them?

Replacing should mean upgrading, don't see it with what has been done thus far in free agency.

The only one I think might be is Paea for McClain, but of the others, Williams was a keep, and Moore is a throw-in I'm not sure will even make the team.

Now, thanks to no cap space, they are going to have to hit it in the draft, all while getting weaker on the defense. And they now need a RT.

Do they?

 

[Wizard_Hawk]

Another dreamer.

We have lost starters and depth on the defense that was woefully undermanned as it was. Free is going. Romo will not be back to at least at depth at the most important position. Bo

What part of any of that is getting better?

Romo was gone regardless. Free was in major decline. Carr and Mo are still a possibility, though it appears Mo will go to Baltimore. Paea = McClain. Carroll is going to be fine. Heath will take S spot and is better play maker than either Wilcox/Church. And, like I said, a lot things to play out before getting worked up about losing the players Dallas has.

 

[Idgit]

We lose ground every year at this time of year. Then we shore up holes in the roster, then we draft. Then we try to develop the players we've drafted. That's our model, and it's one fans of teams like the Steelers and the Packers have learned to live with. We'll have to get used to it too.

 

[jazzcat22]

Actually Dallas seems to be more active than most other teams.
The plan is to build through the draft. So if we did not lose one player, say they all stayed, or were not FA's. What is the difference. We sign equal caliber players or they are the same players.
We will still draft someone at those positions to get better.

But yet all we hear, again id how the FO sucks, how we don't get good players. And if we did, we would hear complaints about how dumb JJ is and he got screwed, as he could have had player X for less. And that player X is the guy we just signed anyway, that people are whining about.

Look at all the players that are, or were out there that GB could signed, that could have helped them. But didn't sign them.
We are following their plan in a way, build through the draft, don't overpay in FA. So it's good enough for them, and we should be like them, but when we are, people complain.

We will be fine, if we get a good draft, which we have been lately.

 

[SlammedZero]

Personally I'm kind of excited to rotate some new blood into this defense. Yeah, sucks we lost some guys, but it's not like we lost pieces that aren't replaceable. Maybe some guys can step in and create a new energy on this defense. We watched it happen on the offense with just Zeke and Dak.

 

[jazzcat22]

We lose ground every year at this time of year. Then we shore up holes in the roster, then we draft. The. We try to develop the players we've drafted. That's our model, and it's one fans of teams like the Steelers and the Packers have learned to live with. We'll have to get used to it too.

Do you think people will?
Every year a few come around to this idea that McClay and Stephen has started. But also it seems more show up not accepting this idea...I think they are manufacturing them in the wood work.