Devils advocate

[Zaxor]

Seeing how I choke on the kool-aid being passed around... and that it is so very slow at the moment...I thought I would try and look at how things MIGHT be..

let us start by looking back at last years schedule

http://www.dallascowboys.com/schedule.cfm

we beat 2 playoff teams...that is it (the NYG and the Carolina Panthers)
we got smoked by powerhouses such as Oakland and St. Louis and almost got our lunch handed to us by San Fran. (lets not use the tired of excuse we weren't playing for anything the last game of the year..cause that is just crap)...

I have heard my cowboy breathren talking about how we were smoking good before Flo went down...again that is just crap...we won a squeeker against a SD team that had no regular season tape on us playing a 3-4, they were without there probowl TE and just weren't that good last year... we got whipped by the Commanders @ HOME...almost got whipped by a very sorry SF team and we lost to a pitiful oakland team...we played a Philly team that was totally dysfuctional and Flo gets injured during the Giants game and we squeek out a win... I wouldn't call that smoking good...would you?

and you all pretty much said we were sucking after Flo went down so no sense going there...

I hear how all these 1st year players are going to be so much better... (Brady James anyone) It sometimes takes awhile folks...

plus all the questions

Can JuJo stay healthy?
Is the o-line really better?
Bledsoe's second season in Buff wasn't so good...what about in Dallas?
Will Terry Glenn finish the season..he has only done it 3 times in 11 years?
what will the new pieces do mesh together or pull apart?
How will the new coaches do?
Will the circus that follows TO be too big of a distraction?
Flo (when he was healthy) was barely adequete...coming off injury he is a ?

Divisional foes much better...If a team doesn't win this divison it is a good chance that it will not get a Wildcard....

Minn, Chi, Seat, Caro, Atl, TB, NYG, PE, Wash maybe a team out of the west with there lightweight opp. have a winning record such as the Cards... you can make a case for each of these teams winning there div. or getting a wildcard

I won't go into the what ifs...i.e what if Tnew goes down for the year


like I said, just playing Devils advocate...so don't choke on that Kool-aid

 

[Rack]

Can JuJo stay healthy?

"Can" he? Yes. Will he? Who knows.

Is the o-line really better?

We got downgraded at LG, but eventhough Fabini is not "Great", he's a HUGE upgrade. So yes, the OL is "Better", but I still don't think it's "Good."

Bledsoe's second season in Buff wasn't so good...what about in Dallas?

In Buffalo Bledsoe had weapons taken from him (Peerless Price and that TE that I can't remember the name of). Plus his OL got worse. In Dallas his weapons got BETTER, and his OL also got better. So he should be better too.

Will Terry Glenn finish the season..he has only done it 3 times in 11 years?

2 of those 3 times have been while he was a cowboy. History tells us he might not do it, but recent history says there's a solid chance he will do it.

what will the new pieces do mesh together or pull apart?

Iunno. Play hopscotch? Arm wrestle? Play bingo?

How will the new coaches do?

Didn't really add many new coaches. They'll be fine.

Will the circus that follows TO be too big of a distraction?

Not if TO listens to Parcells.

Flo (when he was healthy) was barely adequete...coming off injury he is a ?

Barely adequate? Please. He was/is one of the best LTs in the game. Period. Just cuz he doesn't do as well as Parcells thinks he can do doesn't mean he doesn't do good. He IS good. Parcells thinks he can be dominant.

I'd like him to be dominant too, but I'm happy with "just" good.

 

[MONT17]

If Jerry wants to sell jerseys... even if he has to share it... BOBBY CARPENTER jerseys will out sell URLACHER jerseys!!!


this guy is a COWBOY LEGEND already!!!

I like players who fathers played in the league but if the BOYS dont draft him some of u guys will be on suicide watch!!

 

[CrazyCowboy]

Is the o-line really better?

IMO--no, but I am hoping for the draft and one more FA signing.....then it should be better then average.

 

[Zaxor]

"Can" he? Yes. Will he? Who knows.





We got downgraded at LG, but eventhough Fabini is not "Great", he's a HUGE upgrade. So yes, the OL is "Better", but I still don't think it's "Good."




In Buffalo Bledsoe had weapons taken from him (Peerless Price and that TE that I can't remember the name of). Plus his OL got worse. In Dallas his weapons got BETTER, and his OL also got better. So he should be better too.



2 of those 3 times have been while he was a cowboy. History tells us he might not do it, but recent history says there's a solid chance he will do it.




Iunno. Play hopscotch? Arm wrestle? Play bingo?




Didn't really add many new coaches. They'll be fine.




Not if TO listens to Parcells.






Barely adequate? Please. He was/is one of the best LTs in the game. Period. Just cuz he doesn't do as well as Parcells thinks he can do doesn't mean he doesn't do good. He IS good. Parcells thinks he can be dominant.

I'd like him to be dominant too, but I'm happy with "just" good.

I tend to agree Rack but where's the fun in that but I also hoped to point out that and awful lot has to go right to be the SB locks some are thinking

 

[Zaxor]

Is the o-line really better?

IMO--no, but I am hoping for the draft and one more FA signing.....then it should be better then average.

You may be right Crazy my friend.. but I think it is.... if not as much as I had hoped

 

[Rack]

Is the o-line really better?

IMO--no, but I am hoping for the draft and one more FA signing.....then it should be better then average.

THere is not doubt the OL will be improved next season.

1. We get Adams back.

2. Fabini is better then Petitti.

3. We lose some with Kosier, but we probably gain some in other aspects (like blocking in space).


Again, the OL isn't good, but it sure as hell is better then last year.

 

[AMERICAS_FAN]

The reality is that last year's team was an average (i.e. .500) team that somewhat overachieved. Parcells-coached teams tend to overachieve and I like that. But we obviosly needed upgrades. Also, what brought us down to average was a beklow-average offense; our defense was above average. We've done very well so far in FA but we still need to upgrade that OL (this is primary) and perhaps add a player to the LB corps and at S/CB (rhis is secondary).

The TO signng was huge because our offense locked up last season with the injuries. Suspect OL play combined with injury forced the TE's to have to stay in to block. The WR corps were then exoposed as our #3 WR (Crayton) went down with injury and the "proof" that we did not have a real #1 WR became very evident. I remeber Michael Irvin saying this last offseason, which is what sparked his feud with Key. But in hindsight, Irvin was right. Now, by bringing in TO we finally have a true #1 WR, which will finally free up Terry Glenn by comanding sdouble teams (something Key could not do and beat on a consistent basis) and as a resuklt this will open up the entitre passing game.

But we also need to free up the TEs for the passing game by upgrading the OL. TE's should be primarily beating LBs in the passing game and occasionally blocking for the run in outside-directional sweeps. Subbing as fill-in OLinemen should not be their main responsibility and I believe with our current OL - even with the free agent signings - that's what our TE's will still need to be. This hinders the passing game (not so much the running game) and to have the best chance of winning in the NFL you must have a full-throttle passing game. An upgraded OL will give us that.

**

 

[burmafrd]

It is all about the O line no doubt of that- BUT look at the two teams in the SB: they both had balanced attacks, but relied a lot on the running game. No pure passing team has won the Championship since the Rams 6 years ago- and that was only once. To me this season we need to be able to run the ball first then pass- if you rely on the pass too much you will regret it.

 

[justbob]

THere is not doubt the OL will be improved next season.

1. We get Adams back.

2. Fabini is better then Petitti.

3. We lose some with Kosier, but we probably gain some in other aspects (like blocking in space).


Again, the OL isn't good, but it sure as hell is better then last year.

Not sure we lose that much with Kosier. LA was old, slow and wiffed
as many blocks as he made --He was way passed his prime and Flozell has never
played up to his ability. He is lazy and overpaid. Does he have the tools and ability--yes. Does he rarely use them --again yes. Fabini is better then Petitti,but an experienced healthy Petitti will be nice to have around. c:
My 2cents worth

 

[big dog cowboy]

THere is not doubt the OL will be improved next season.

1. We get Adams back.

2. Fabini is better then Petitti.

3. We lose some with Kosier, but we probably gain some in other aspects (like blocking in space).


Again, the OL isn't good, but it sure as hell is better then last year.

Don't forget the return of a healthy Rivera and hopefully a better blocking TE in Hannam.

 

[iceberg]

THere is not doubt the OL will be improved next season.

1. We get Adams back.

2. Fabini is better then Petitti.

3. We lose some with Kosier, but we probably gain some in other aspects (like blocking in space).


Again, the OL isn't good, but it sure as hell is better then last year.

i never heard so much "flo-worship" at any other time during his entire tenture as a cowboy. flo was always ok to above average, but he's also a few penaties a game. he's more or less "unmotivated" and when parcells resigned him, many were nuts we paid THAT MUCH to flo.

then he goes down, our season follows, and for some reason it's a comfort to pin it on flo as if he was *anywhere* near as good as allen, prime or otherwise. fact of the matter is flo was servicable but never stellar.

until we needed a scapegoat and all of a sudden the player that never really got "props" was allworld and the single pointed reason for our fall.

i ain't buyin that crock.

the line is still patch work, allen is gone even though he was for a few years now anyway. he's replaced by a BACKUP OL from detroit, and we've brought in another 2-3 year patch job in fabini vs. even making a single attempt at bentley or hutchinson.

so, flo is now suddenly the anchor when just a few years ago he was the problem. too convenient to be true.

allen is gone and replaced by a no-name backup on a team where qb's never get time anyway.

petitti, who i hope will step it up, is still a huge ? till he does.

fabini - average.

gurode and johnson - that should scare someone, but that "someone" is probably cowboys fans.

we've *not* fixed this line AT ALL yet, we've merely changed out parts and overall dropped a notch. even if we draft a 1st round OL we now have a rookie savior on the OL?

we have *NOT* fixed the OL, drew's 2nd year usually isn't pretty, and we have the shortest patience in recorded history in TO who will go NUTS when drew bounces a few passes at his feet.

we can play make belief and what if all day long, but the simple fact of the matter is our line is no better than last year at this point and arguments could be made (valid ones) that we're a step or two worse.

but i really get amazed that whippingpostflo is now all-world and we can't live without him. he get that much better or did the line come down to him?

i think the latter myself.

 

[Apollo Creed]

Lets not forget our young players Barber, Spears, Canty, Ware, Pettiti, etc. got another year under their belts. Our defense last year was amazing without a legit FS, and with Henry hampered by injuries all year. Imagine what we'll be like after the draft. We have the potential to have a historic defense on our hands, a lot of people seem to forget that.

 

[big dog cowboy]

we've *not* fixed this line AT ALL yet, we've merely changed out parts and overall dropped a notch.

That is going to be a minoritiy opinion around here and Valley Ranch. Overall dropped a notch? No way.

 

[iceberg]

That is going to be a minoritiy opinion around here and Valley Ranch. Overall dropped a notch? No way.

NO! REALLY???? i'd better change my mind then so i can agree and yell SUPERBOWL BABY! w/all those who just know!!!

i know it's not "fun" or "sexy" to see glaring holes people will wanna say are in fact filled, but the fact is flo was *never* our savior on the line and now suddenly his loss alone brought the entire line down.

is it NOT a fact we've bagged on flo for most of his career for his sometimes better than average play?

is it NOT a fact kozier was depth for detroit who is NOT known for their OL?

is it NOT a fact we rail on gurode and johnson all the time and hoped they'd be replaced?

larry allen gone - even diminished and time for him to go, who's his replacement? kozier? please.

i'm well aware i could be in the minority for my opinion, but then we're talking about a group of fans who last year hated TO with the white hot passion of a thousand dying suns and actually cheered the eagles for sitting his pompous arse down.

now the eagles are the cheapskate bad guys and these self-same *fans* (for the most part) are rushing to defend TO and his every move to date.

fans are fickle so it won't surprise me if they fail to see the line isn't improved by simply shuffling some average players around.

 

[big dog cowboy]

Flo 06 > Flo 05
Kosier > Allen
Rivera 06 > Rivera 05
Petitti 06/Fabini > Petitti 05
Hamman > Campbell

Just because WE want something to happen doesn't mean that the Cowboy brass feels that way.

 

[iceberg]

Flo 06 > Flo 05
Kosier > Allen
Rivera 06 > Rivera 05
Petitti 06/Fabini > Petitti 05
Hamman > Campbell

Just because WE want something to happen doesn't mean that the Cowboy brass feels that way.

and just because the cowboys brass wants it to happen doesn't mean it will.

are you saying all those players are better than what we had last year? there's some hope on a limb.

 

[big dog cowboy]

That is my April 2nd, 2006 OL analysis for you free of charge. We will be better this year not worse.

 

[iceberg]

That is my April 2nd, 2006 OL analysis for you free of charge. We will be better this year not worse.

opinion, fine. i disagree.

 

[burmafrd]

Kosier had a lot of teams interested- and they are all more qualified to judge him then ANYONE on this board. The HOtel is a good LT. He will certainly be better then Tucker was. Johnson has put on 12 lbs supposedly this offseason- so we can deduce that he should be a lot harder to push back now. Rivera from several accounts is working real hard- and the man has a lot of pride; so he SHOULD be better this year. Fabini is better then Pettiti by a good margin; and Pettiti should be a lot better this year. So YES the O line SHOULD Be a significant amount BETTER this year.