Cowboys Sacred Cows

[noshame]

Well dallas could have aquired cook, but had no interest, we could use a te like him. Keep witten for 3rd downs,
but thing is witten wants to play full time.
So until they resolve that issue it is pointless to get another good TE.
And Dez is paid as a # 1 so they will continue to see him as a # 1.
And if they did get a good # 2 it would help dez and the team, but I think they resign TW lol.

That's what I'm afraid of Williams is a below-average number 2 at Best
not to mention a lot of dead air space between the ears

 

[DandyDon52]

That's what I'm afraid of Williams is a below-average number 2 at Best
not to mention a lot of dead air space between the ears

Well the ball that bounced off his chest, in GB game is a good example, that he is not what you need in a player.
And certainly not worth a new bigger contract.
I would like either a guy with blazing speed and good hands, or a big guy with good hands, who is smart.

 

[noshame]

Well the ball that bounced off his chest, in GB game is a good example, that he is not what you need in a player.
And certainly not worth a new bigger contract.
I would like either a guy with blazing speed and good hands, or a big guy with good hands, who is smart.

Now we just need a guy that defenses can't afford to let behind them and that will open everything up. Right now they look at Williams and Butler and go. oh hell just let him go

 

[John813]

Well the ball that bounced off his chest, in GB game is a good example, that he is not what you need in a player.
And certainly not worth a new bigger contract.
I would like either a guy with blazing speed and good hands, or a big guy with good hands, who is smart.

Eh, could take a chance on Stills. Rebounded well after that terrible drop vs Seattle week 1.
But to find either for cheap you need to hit on one in the draft.
Cause either or that fits both wants will cost a pretty penny.

 

[DogFace]

Dez is not underperforming. The mere threat when he is on the field is a weapon in itself. The fact that he was unstoppable when it mattered most in the playoff game is hard to dispute as well.

Maybe he did need a full year to recover from his foot injury.
I'll go out on a limb and say he'll be widely considered top 3-5 next year.

 

[Dhragon]

Oh, not THESE sacred cows? My bad!

 

[Yakuza Rich]

Dez isn't a sacred cow by any means and he's been unfairly and ruthlessly criticized by many Cowboys fans for the most innocuous reasons. And the media loves to add fuel to the fire. Remember, it wasn't too long ago that the media swore up and down that there was a tape of Dez that was '10x worse than the Ray Rice tape!!!!' right in the middle of his contract negotiations and the tape never existed. I could write a thesis of the crap that Dez has gotten flak for.

As far as living up to his contract goes, he's been injured. And it was a freak injury that took his 2015 season away. My main gripe about Dez is that he needs to show up to practice with intensity on working on his technique. When he doesn't play well, you can usually bet it is his technique with his hands that isn't very good and that comes thru practice habits.

It's hard to criticize Witten because he's been rock solid and he is still a complete Tight End in a system that needs a complete TE instead of some pass receiving/can't block TE. He never misses games either and what also gets overlooked is his leadership. He goes about his business and as Demarco Murray and many others mentioned, if you just follow Witten's lead on how to act in practice, on the field and off the field...you'll have a successful career. I think every team could really use about 4-5 of those guys at different positions on offense and defense because it sets the tone for young players to follow. Then those young players follow suit and then they teach others when they get older.






YR

 

[JoeKing]

He was called for a whopping 5 penalties in 2016, cut him immediately!

Exactly my point. If all our active player were flagged at that rate we would have 15 per game just on our team... that's double the current NFL rate.

 

[Ranching]

I find it interesting that certain players seem immune to criticism by Cowboys fans and members of this board in particular.

Dez Bryant and Jason Witten immediately come to mind. Both are arguably underperforming their contracts and their best days may be behind them, especially in the case of Witten.

I find it very interesting that any realistic criticism of them (and others) can lead to melt downs of epic proportions, calling detractors not real fans or worse.

These guys seem to be beyond criticism among many. I personally think both of these guys are good players and have value to the team, but my chief complaint is that both are underperforming their contracts and Dez' mental lapses and/or the perception that he is a bit weak minded.

Many seem to believe that based on what they have done previously that they essentially walk on water and cannot be criticized.

Some would say that Romo also fits into this category, and he may for some. Romo has arguably done more to keep this organization relevant than Dez and Wiiten have done combined. Yet many of those same people vilify Romo.

I would argue that Romo still has more value than Dez and Witten have combined. I understand that whether Romo or Dak is better, etc. is the subject of legitimate debate. The value of trading Romo, etc. is also a legitimate exercise. I just think that it is funny how much different the standard is for Romo than Witten and Dez.

Criticize management for giving those contracts, I believe both of these players play their hearts out and deserve praise for that. The money is Jerry's problem.

 

[DFWJC]

Dez and Romo get slaughtered with criticism.
Witten not so much.
I won't enter the fray--in this thread--on who deserves what, but that's how I see it.

 

[big dog cowboy]

I can certainly see how Witten's contract vs. performance could be viewed as him not playing up to his contract. Looking at it from a simple black and white perspective (Pay vs. Production), it looks out of whack. However, football teams deal in many shades of gray and things aren't always clear cut. What Witten means to this franchise goes well beyond his on-field production... and I'm not talking about sentimental aspects either. I mean the leadership and work ethic that he brings to the team. The stability and the precision. The pressure he puts on defenses to just keep an eye on him helps those around him and his run blocking is still near the top of the league for TE's.

There are a ton of things that he does that helps Dallas win games and none of them have anything to do with legacy.

Can he stretch a defense down the seam much? No. Can he get yards after the catch? Hell no. But there are so many things that he does that helps the W/L column... in the locker room. At practice. And still on the field.

Now, would I like to see what an O.J. Howard could do with Dak and Elliott? Oh, hell yeah. The passing game would be harder to stop with that kind of athleticism at TE. However, his run blocking wouldn't be as good as Witten's. His leadership would be a tiny fraction of what Jason brings to the huddle, and his reliability would be much less for Dak at least for a couple of seasons.

Bottom line is, I would love an athletic TE too but fans don't see everything that Witten brings to the table and his significant contributions that can't be quantified are all too often overlooked or forgotten about entirely.

And I consider you to be a pretty well informed fan verdict, so I'm not putting down anything you said... just giving my perspective on this subject.

As for Dez... I'm too sleepy to get into that one. Maybe another day, lol.

 

[JoeKing]

This team has drafted and developed a ton of Tight End talent and let it get away to other teams. It's time to secure a suitable successor to Witten because his days are coming to an end soon. He is the sacred cow.

 

[SDCowboy]

Dez is FAR from immune to criticism. Witten certainly seems to be, though. Often the slightest thing said against him, as he enters the end of his career, gets one dog-piled.

 

[gimmesix]

I find it interesting that certain players seem immune to criticism by Cowboys fans and members of this board in particular.

Dez Bryant and Jason Witten immediately come to mind. Both are arguably underperforming their contracts and their best days may be behind them, especially in the case of Witten.

I find it very interesting that any realistic criticism of them (and others) can lead to melt downs of epic proportions, calling detractors not real fans or worse.

These guys seem to be beyond criticism among many. I personally think both of these guys are good players and have value to the team, but my chief complaint is that both are underperforming their contracts and Dez' mental lapses and/or the perception that he is a bit weak minded.

Many seem to believe that based on what they have done previously that they essentially walk on water and cannot be criticized.

Some would say that Romo also fits into this category, and he may for some. Romo has arguably done more to keep this organization relevant than Dez and Wiiten have done combined. Yet many of those same people vilify Romo.

I would argue that Romo still has more value than Dez and Witten have combined. I understand that whether Romo or Dak is better, etc. is the subject of legitimate debate. The value of trading Romo, etc. is also a legitimate exercise. I just think that it is funny how much different the standard is for Romo than Witten and Dez.

I don't think that anyone is above criticism if the criticism is fair. Often, the criticism is very skewed, and if it is, then there are members here who are going to point that out, like in the recent Witten vs. Gronk thread.

It's easy to fall back on the "sacred cows" argument to dismiss the fact that fans are merely reacting to a poor argument.

 

[Aven8]

I'm not sure if it was the injuries the past 2 seasons, or the contract, but Dez is not the same player. Something has to be figured out on that one.

 

[robjay04]

You are trying to make up for your thread when you compared Jason Witten's last year of his restructures contract to Gronk(who is coming off another injury riddled season, I might add)

I made a thread a month ago saying Witten should start taking less snaps to a younger player. The thread was generally received well. Your analysis comparing Witten's contract value to an injured played who makes much more was not popular. You don't need to make a thread now complaining about the people who disagree with you.

 

[noletime95]

Dez was fantastic against GB. Maybe that carries over into the 2017 season. He had his moments last year and overpaid or not, Dallas needs him.

 

[robjay04]

I'm not sure if it was the injuries the past 2 seasons, or the contract, but Dez is not the same player. Something has to be figured out on that one.

Dez IS THE SAME PLAYER!

2015 can be chalked up to the injuries. This season? The guy started to come on once him and Dak got on the same page. He was the best player on the football field in the playoffs.

Due to injuries and Dak being a backup, it took Dez and Dak awhile to get on the same page. It took Romo/Dez 2.5 years to get on the same page.

 

[visionary]

Dez was #1 on a 13-3 team and played big in the finale. Seems to be worthy of his hire to me but what do I know?

Go Cowboys!

Yep, because 1 good season and several below average seasons are what the team needs from its #1 WR

 

[Aven8]

Dez IS THE SAME PLAYER!

2015 can be chalked up to the injuries. This season? The guy started to come on once him and Dak got on the same page. He was the best player on the football field in the playoffs.

Due to injuries and Dak being a backup, it took Dez and Dak awhile to get on the same page. It took Romo/Dez 2.5 years to get on the same page.

He did have a nice playoff game I agree. His speed and passion have seemed to been lost however. Remember this dude returned punts?? Not sure if it's maturity on his part, but he doesn't even seem like the same guy on the sidelines anymore.