News: ESPN: Scouts Inc.: Dallas has to be heavy on D

[Risen Star]

A draft board isn't a plan that assembles the team. It's a ranking of the available college prospects. The grunts do that. Spare parts like Will McClay and Tom "secret GM" Ciskowski. They don't have a plan. They certainly don't have the power to implement one even if they did. They are merely handing over the scouting department's opinion on these players to the people who do have the authority to make decisions. In Dallas, that's Jerry Jones. With his chief assistant being Stephen Jones. Neither had any background in personnel before they took their positions in Dallas and have only overseen failure since they've been acting in those gigs.

Let me risk my beloved fan card here when I say they suck, they are 100% of the reason why the Dallas Cowboys are a dead franchise and why this team stands no chance until there is change there. We are merely spinning our wheels reliving the same movie over and over again on a yearly basis. I will enter the start of the 2014 season knowing my team is a steaming pile of cow dung. A mere shell of it's former self. All because the owner is insane and uses his personal play toy as a means to feed his own ego.

Now having said that, Go Cowboys!

 

[Bullflop]

The promotion of McClay may, indeed, be a smart decision but there's also something pertinent to bear in mind here. A team, any team, can have the finest collection of scouts and directors ever assembled but it does little of any consequence if the man up front making the personnel decisions refuses to pay heed to them. This is and has been the predicament the Cowboys' organization has been faced with in the past. May the present offer up an entirely different scenario . . . but don't hold your breath -- it could prove fatal!

 

[FuzzyLumpkins]

Looks like this thread has turned into story time. I liked theebs story best but all of you are just guessing at things where you have no way of knowing.

 

[Bullflop]

It's common knowledge that Ciskowski and Garrett walked out in a huff on Jerry and Stephen in the war room last year. Can't help but wonder if that had a bearing on the decision to promote McClay. I'm not questioning his qualifications but if our GM and his son had been following Ciskowski's advice, he and JG wouldn't have seen fit to walk out. I'm saying this in the hope they follow the scouts' advice somewhat more conscienciously in the future. It's been widely noted that Jerry and Stephen have followed that pattern repeatedly in the past. It's always great to have the best qualified people being placed in positions of influence. It's even better if and when their advice is being listened to and acted upon.

 

[DFWJC]

I'm starting to think that we should start staying away from LSU defensive players.

Sure would love to have Patrick Peterson though.

 

[junk]

A draft board isn't a plan that assembles the team. It's a ranking of the available college prospects. The grunts do that. Spare parts like Will McClay and Tom "secret GM" Ciskowski. They don't have a plan. They certainly don't have the power to implement one even if they did. They are merely handing over the scouting department's opinion on these players to the people who do have the authority to make decisions. In Dallas, that's Jerry Jones. With his chief assistant being Stephen Jones. Neither had any background in personnel before they took their positions in Dallas and have only overseen failure since they've been acting in those gigs.

Let me risk my beloved fan card here when I say they suck, they are 100% of the reason why the Dallas Cowboys are a dead franchise and why this team stands no chance until there is change there. We are merely spinning our wheels reliving the same movie over and over again on a yearly basis. I will enter the start of the 2014 season knowing my team is a steaming pile of cow dung. A mere shell of it's former self. All because the owner is insane and uses his personal play toy as a means to feed his own ego.

Now having said that, Go Cowboys!

Unfortunately, this is probably true. It is easy to look around the league and see the things that the good teams do that Dallas simply doesn't.

Yes, owners have a say in their franchise, but most sane owners aren't in the war room deciding when to trade and who to pick. They delegate to the people with the knowledge. I really doubt Kraft is in there telling Belichick and company who they are picking and if they should move up or down.

The results speak for themselves. Other than the periods when Jimmy had control and BP came in and had Jerry "walking on eggshells", the team has struggled to build a successful team. Largely due to their scattershot approach. Sturm captured it best when he compared it to a person running around sticking their fingers in the dam every time a hole popped up.

Jerry doesn't care though. He's making money hand over fist. He's having fun. He loves shoving his wrinkled old mug into any microphone in his general direction. Winning? Eh, I'm surrounded by yes men and having fun. Gosh darn it, I'll look in the mirror this offseason......and then go proceed in a manner that has continued to fail year after year.

I don't understand someone who'd be a Cowboys fan and isn't outraged by the way Jerry holds this team hostage.

 

[Risen Star]

Unfortunately, this is probably true. It is easy to look around the league and see the things that the good teams do that Dallas simply doesn't.

Yes, owners have a say in their franchise, but most sane owners aren't in the war room deciding when to trade and who to pick. They delegate to the people with the knowledge. I really doubt Kraft is in there telling Belichick and company who they are picking and if they should move up or down.

You don't see Robert Kraft telling Bill Belichick he wants to see all the film you have on this player, show him, before they make a personnel move?

Somebody should ask Kraft that during his weekly radio show.

Wait.

 

[KingintheNorth]

You don't see Robert Kraft telling Bill Belichick he wants to see all the film you have on this player, show him, before they make a personnel move?

Somebody should ask Kraft that during his weekly radio show.

Wait.

You are so wrong for this.

Jerry's show is biweekly.

 

[In2Deep]

Unfortunately, this is probably true. It is easy to look around the league and see the things that the good teams do that Dallas simply doesn't.

Yes, owners have a say in their franchise, but most sane owners aren't in the war room deciding when to trade and who to pick. They delegate to the people with the knowledge. I really doubt Kraft is in there telling Belichick and company who they are picking and if they should move up or down.

The results speak for themselves. Other than the periods when Jimmy had control and BP came in and had Jerry "walking on eggshells", the team has struggled to build a successful team. Largely due to their scattershot approach. Sturm captured it best when he compared it to a person running around sticking their fingers in the dam every time a hole popped up.

Jerry doesn't care though. He's making money hand over fist. He's having fun. He loves shoving his wrinkled old mug into any microphone in his general direction. Winning? Eh, I'm surrounded by yes men and having fun. Gosh darn it, I'll look in the mirror this offseason......and then go proceed in a manner that has continued to fail year after year.

I don't understand someone who'd be a Cowboys fan and isn't outraged by the way Jerry holds this team hostage.

Perfectly stated.

 

[Corso]

Say we drafted Sharif Floyd last year. Does anyone really think the defense overall would have fared any better?

From my early observations of the 2014 draft, I think there is better talent in the top half (first three rounds) of the draft on offense rather than defense. So, if you are truly going BPA, then I would lean toward offensive players early and defensive later. I think there are some nice LBs available in the 4th to 7th rounds. And LB is a definite need after what I saw last year. Sure, the DL needs help, but no point in reaching for some DL just because we need a DL.

The defense took a couple of steps back this season. I think they may rebound this year. I worry about the offense a little more. A better offense can do wonders for the defense by keeping them off the field and placing less pressure on them. So, even though it isn't defense, I would surely welcome Auburn OT Greg Robinson in the 1st, Auburn RB Tre Mason in the 2nd, and LSU WR Jarvis Landry in the 3rd followed with some good athletic LBs.

Interesting points...

 

[jobberone]

Broaddus and Fisher have been promoting him a lot recently.

Apparently, the Cowboys feel that Ciscowski is good a talent evaluator, but he is on the road a lot and does not have as good of feel for the big picture of putting the team together. Also, they feel that Ciscowski is good at ranking WRs vs other WRs and that type of positional ranking, but that McClay is better at ranking an OLineman vs a WR and making decisions on drafting vs free agents.

Actually kidding aside that is very interesting.

 

[jobberone]

Say we drafted Sharif Floyd last year. Does anyone really think the defense overall would have fared any better?

From my early observations of the 2014 draft, I think there is better talent in the top half (first three rounds) of the draft on offense rather than defense. So, if you are truly going BPA, then I would lean toward offensive players early and defensive later. I think there are some nice LBs available in the 4th to 7th rounds. And LB is a definite need after what I saw last year. Sure, the DL needs help, but no point in reaching for some DL just because we need a DL.

The defense took a couple of steps back this season. I think they may rebound this year. I worry about the offense a little more. A better offense can do wonders for the defense by keeping them off the field and placing less pressure on them. So, even though it isn't defense, I would surely welcome Auburn OT Greg Robinson in the 1st, Auburn RB Tre Mason in the 2nd, and LSU WR Jarvis Landry in the 3rd followed with some good athletic LBs.

I've always said draft the BPA at a position of need if possible otherwise just BPA. I think your post is on the nosey. I suspect they will look for a S, LB, and DE/DT in FA signing one guy maybe to give us more draft flexibility. I'm not cap savvy so maybe that's a pipe dream.

We definitely need LBers who are fast and can cover as well as play the run. Not easy. We need a S and I'm very uneasy about thinking Johnson or Wilcox can be that guy although I suspect one will be. They need CBs. They should be considering OL, WR, and maybe RB.

They need to follow the board although they HAVE to find a S. I don't know if they can resign Spencer or Hatcher and/or keep Ware. Every fan should be worried about this area. Just wary of drafting ONLY for need.

 

[jobberone]

GMs don't do the grunt work and put together draft boards. I actually feel sorry that this is what it's come to for some folks in their desperate attempt to excuse this floundering fatally flawed franchise every year.

The scouting department is responsible for that and reports to the GM. Then he, if he's actually a real GM and didn't buy the gig, will add his own input to it. Because a real GM has a personnel eye and a vision. Changes are made, a new board is the result. It can and does change several times in the weeks before the draft but the actual grunt work is done by the scouts.

Will McClay is now responsible to report to Jerry Jones. Will McClay is not, in any way, acting as the GM. He is not overseeing our draft. He is not making any decisions. He is not building the team for the future. He is the architect of nothing. He's evaluating the prospects and feeding that info to Harry and Lloyd. Nothing more.

And you know all this as fact because you have personal knowledge or what???

 

[Corso]

I've always said draft the BPA at a position of need if possible otherwise just BPA. I think your post is on the nosey. I suspect they will look for a S, LB, and DE/DT in FA signing one guy maybe to give us more draft flexibility. I'm not cap savvy so maybe that's a pipe dream.

We definitely need LBers who are fast and can cover as well as play the run. Not easy. We need a S and I'm very uneasy about thinking Johnson or Wilcox can be that guy although I suspect one will be. They need CBs. They should be considering OL, WR, and maybe RB.

They need to follow the board although they HAVE to find a S. I don't know if they can resign Spencer or Hatcher and/or keep Ware. Every fan should be worried about this area. Just wary of drafting ONLY for need.

Having said that, and I agree with your points- where do you think Church fits in all of this?

 

[xwalker]

Actually kidding aside that is very interesting.

I still remember that character from Laugh-In.

 

[Corso]

I still remember that character from Laugh-In.

I remember Goldie Hawn from Laugh-In...
Oh- and that guy too.

 

[jobberone]

Having said that, and I agree with your points- where do you think Church fits in all of this?

Church can tackle. He's not fast enough to play the deep safety or the FS as a playmaker IMO but he's adequate. His coverage skills are average. He's good in the box and can come up and fill his hole in the run. I can't speak of his recognition and play calling at all.

Fans can't normally make a big statement about safeties esp when the CBs and front seven are uhhh.....less than optimal.

 

[jobberone]

I still remember that character from Laugh-In.

That's because you are.....wait.....OLD!

 

[Corso]

Church can tackle. He's not fast enough to play the deep safety or the FS as a playmaker IMO but he's adequate. His coverage skills are average. He's good in the box and can come up and fill his hole in the run. I can't speak of his recognition and play calling at all.

Fans can't normally make a big statement about safeties esp when the CBs and front seven are uhhh.....less than optimal.

I wonder if he can be a smallish, yet workable LB in this defense or should he still start in the back end of the secondary.
Does he even have the skills to be a "Coverage" LB? I don't know.
I get the feeling that he's a player that would be nothing more than semi-rotational on defense and more of a special team's ace on a better team with more talent.
Not a starter, but I'm not sure about my impression of him.

I saw the same things you did, but I also thought I saw a player who doesn't really have a place in this league.
He's a player that should have been born twenty years earlier.

I'd like the team to gain better players at both safety spots, but I recognize that Church can be an asset.
Sorry for taking this thread in another direction-

my mind is wandering at the moment...

 

[xwalker]

That's because you are.....wait.....OLD!

Hey...I might have just bought the tape Blueray from one of those infomercials recently. It might be right beside my Carol Burnett collection.