Do They Finally Understand?

[plasticman]

No team can win a Super Bowl with a half dozen great players and a bunch of undrafted free agents and 3rd day draft picks.

With the exception of one or two players, typically including the quarterback, most great teams have their talent evenly distributed.

Generally, their salary cap is also "more' evenly distributed. That is there may be one huge salary at the top but the rest are not far apart from a group.

As such, they are built to withstand a greater degree of adversity when it comes to injuries. The talent level of their starters and backups are not so widely separated.

Often for these teams, it's not a 1st round pick backed up by an undrafted player or 6/7th round draft pick. It is a 2nd or 3rd round pick backed up by a younger 2nd to 4th round pick.

In 2024 the Cowboys highest salary went to Dak Prescott at almost 46 million. The highest paid players after Dak in order was Demarcus Lawrence, Zack Martin, Trevon Diggs and CeeDee Lamb. They accounted for 40% of the entire cap.

What did they all have in common? They all ended the season on the injury list. Almost all their replacements were either undrafted or 3rd day picks.

There were a total of 16 players that made 2 million or more that season. That number was 24 for the Three-time Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs. That is important because it demonstrates a more even distribution of the pie.

What led to this disparity in contracts comparing the Cowboys to the Chiefs? The issue had always been the lack of competition to those players making the most money.

They are very seldom threatened with having to play up to the standard of their contract demands because the Cowboys have no viable alternative. These players are just too safe.

Have we not seen, time and again, how Cowboys players get a large contract and immediately begin declining in productivity? Even subconsciously, these players have to realize that they don't really have to give their greatest effort to keep their jobs and that salary. Their backups were barely capable of even making the team.

My list of criticisms of the Cowboys management, as you can probably guess, is substantial.

My greatest criticism is the way in which they have ignored legitimate investment in developing quarterbacks capable of starting and succeeding in the NFL. Over the past 30 years they are ranked 31st in the number of quarterbacks they have drafted.

This ultimately led to their demise in terms of the salary cap. When Dak's contract came up, they had no other alternative, There was no plan B and they were at the mercy of Dak's agent.

What makes this truly egregious is the fact that they did this, not once, but twice.

From 1994 to 2025, NFL teams have drafted 149 quarterbacks from rounds 1-3. The Cowboys have drafted one, Quincy Carter. This is precisely what has led the team down this path, a path in which they have lost their best player and his true trade value.

The Cowboys now have a chance to create the depth, and a true team concept if they were to take a few of these 1st round picks over the next two drafts and convert them into multiple 2nd and 3rd round picks in order to better distribute the talent.

I'm skeptical, but if the Cowboys have learned that "star" power isn't the path to a championship then the Parsons trade will have far more value to this franchise than a couple of draft picks.

 

[Reality]

This is exactly what I have been saying for many years now.

First, every year every position (and I mean EVERY position) should be up for grabs.

There is no reason to even have a depth chart until the first preseason game.

Mix and match the team every OTA, every training camp practice, etc. That way it makes it easier to notice players performing well than favoring the so-called first-team groups.

Put that rookie late round pick in with the starting line and see what they can do surrounded by solid players.

Stop focusing on star players. You only need one star player .. and that's quarterback and you don't even need a top 10 guy for that if you build a solid offense and defense. Top 15 would be more than enough for a well built and structured team.

You can easily build solid offensive and interior defensive lines from B-level-yet-consistent players and that helps reduce the need for star players.

 

[HonoluluCowboy]

This is exactly what I have been saying for many years now.

First, every year every position (and I mean EVERY position) should be up for grabs.

There is no reason to even have a depth chart until the first preseason game.

Mix and match the team every OTA, every training camp practice, etc. That way it makes it easier to notice players performing well than favoring the so-called first-team groups.

Put that rookie late round pick in with the starting line and see what they can do surrounded by solid players.

Stop focusing on star players. You only need one star player .. and that's quarterback and you don't even need a top 10 guy for that if you build a solid offense and defense. Top 15 would be more than enough for a well built and structured team.

You can easily build solid offensive and interior defensive lines from B-level-yet-consistent players and that helps reduce the need for star players.

 

[Hawkeye0202]

Good post!!!
THIS is why I've been saying........unless Jerry is changing the way he operates the team four 1st round picks and $40M+ cap space won't mean much.

He mentioned the Walker trade and some believe he is comparing the capital received. I don't....I think he's suggesting a similar roster-building process that will add few new ALL-Pros and/or Pro Bowlers to the talents already here.

But his challenge is finding a way to pull the trigger on more high-level free agents or outside players.

 

[zrinkill]

People still think Jerry can learn?

 

[Verdict]

This is exactly what I have been saying for many years now.

First, every year every position (and I mean EVERY position) should be up for grabs.

There is no reason to even have a depth chart until the first preseason game.

Mix and match the team every OTA, every training camp practice, etc. That way it makes it easier to notice players performing well than favoring the so-called first-team groups.

Put that rookie late round pick in with the starting line and see what they can do surrounded by solid players.

Stop focusing on star players. You only need one star player .. and that's quarterback and you don't even need a top 10 guy for that if you build a solid offense and defense. Top 15 would be more than enough for a well built and structured team.

You can easily build solid offensive and interior defensive lines from B-level-yet-consistent players and that helps reduce the need for star players.

I agree with this position.

 

[big dog cowboy]

The Cowboys now have a chance to create the depth, and a true team concept if they were to take a few of these 1st round picks over the next two drafts and convert them into multiple 2nd and 3rd round picks in order to better distribute the talent.

Overall a great OP. There is no doubt the Cowboys are primed to use the draft to add multiple players and stock pile some talent, create depth and build a contending roster.

 

[nalam]

No team can win a Super Bowl with a half dozen great players and a bunch of undrafted free agents and 3rd day draft picks.

With the exception of one or two players, typically including the quarterback, most great teams have their talent evenly distributed.
.

This is exactly what I have been saying for many years now.

First, every year every position (and I mean EVERY position) should be up for grabs.

There is no reason to even have a depth chart until the first preseason game.
.

Well said, for this to happen Jerry needsto stop meddling in the gameday roster and playing time, his insistence for highest player playing time means they wil be starters and play even when not giving full efforts , quality backups will never be created and obviously dropped .

The problem starts when Jerry appoints puppet coaches and not real ones.

 

[Mikexike]

One can only dream that shotty is this eras jimmy…