ESPN Watkins: Mailbag: Determining all the right moves

[WoodysGirl]

Six Pro Bowlers? If that's the case, there's plenty for the Dallas Cowboys to improve on

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[URL="http://a.espncdn.com/i/columnists/Watkins_Calvin_35.jpg"][URL="http://a.espncdn.com/i/columnists/Watkins_Calvin_35.jpg"][/URL][/URL] By Calvin Watkins
ESPNDallas.com


Q: Why doesn't Jerry Jones go out and get good cornerbacks in free agency like the Oakland Raiders. [They got] cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha when Charles Woodson was a free agent. -- Johnnie Jones (Jarratt, Va.)

[URL="http://a.espncdn.com/photo/2011/0110/dal_g_nasomugha1_288.jpg"][/URL] Jed Jacobsohn/Getty ImagesDespite their struggles in the secondary during the 2010 season, don't look for the Cowboys to make a play for Oakland Raiders cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha.



A: Jerry Jones said this week at the Senior Bowl that he believes in the cornerbacks. Now, he didn't think they played well. But he's confident Mike Jenkins and Terence Newman can return to their 2009 Pro Bowl form.

I doubt if the Cowboys will go after Asomugha. It appears he'll command an average salary of $9 million, and that's almost what the team is paying Newman. If the team releases Newman, it will save about $4 million against the salary cap, assuming there is one when the next collective bargaining agreement is set.

If anything, the Cowboys might draft a corner. The two best ones could be gone by the time they pick at No. 9. The biggest problem with the cornerbacks was the pass rush, and they played too much man-to-man defense. I suspect fewer man-to-man coverages from the Cowboys in 2011. If the pass rush improves, you might see the cornerback play get better.

Q: Will the Cowboys keep wide receiver Roy Williams? I think that they need to let him go because he has way too many drops and Dez Bryant is the future of the team. So I think he should be put in for Williams. -- John (Castlewood, South Dakota)
A: Austin led the team with 10 drops this season. Williams started the season well but wasn't productive in the last two months. A variety of reasons led to a lack of production: the game plan, opposing defenses, and a lack of production when he got the ball.

Bryant is a wonderful talent, and I thought he would have surpassed Williams on the depth chart in 2010. He didn't because of his inability to master the playbook. He will be a starter in 2011 and Williams will be gone. But it'll be a $12.9 million cap hit.

Q: While I think the Cowboys did the right thing with Doug Free, how would you assess the coaching our offensive line gets? -- Mike (White Rock, B.C.)
A: I would say Hudson Houck gets the credit for Free emerging as a solid left tackle in 2010. Injuries and ineffective play hurt the offensive line this season. Marc Colombo played with a series of ailments, including a turf toe toward the end of the season. Andre Gurode is headed to the Pro Bowl, though he could have played better. Kyle Kosier was solid, and I thought Leonard Davis had a positive season after some struggles. It would have been nice to see Sam Young out there at right tackle, so it's hard to say just how good he can be.

Read the rest: http://sports.espn.go.com/dallas/nfl/columns/story?columnist=watkins_calvin&id=6067646

 

[casmith07]

How awesome would it be if the next CBA included no salary cap?

 

[johnnyd]

How awesome would it be if the next CBA included no salary cap?

i know but at the risk of sounding like a broken record i hope it has a "bird rights" type of clause.

another thing that would be awesome is if they sort of borrow a strategy that they used when they impleted a cap in the NHL where they allowed teams to buy out or cut guy's without it counting against the salary cap. Yeah i know it's wishful thinking but seeing a 12.5 cap hit for roy williams pisses me off.

 

[cowboyjoe]

you cant add cornerbacks with ton of money due to salary cap, if you spend too much money on one position, you cant spend in other needed areas

dont forget
we have Newman, Jenkins who are being paid alot of money to play CB

You almost have to let one go, and the raiders cb wants a ton of money, way more than newman was getting, you just cant afford that

 

[Romo2Dez4six]

so this is what the offseason looks like this so far
signing: Mankins, Aso and Huff..oh yeah and champ and claybo

trading for: Fitz
lol we should be beast...lol :laugh2:

 

[Anjinsan]

How awesome would it be if the next CBA included no salary cap?

Jerry has a chance to be successful as a GM with no salary cap. But the best way to build a consistently successful team is to keep it young through the draft and free agents. You can't rely on free agents as major portion of how you acquire players. Because of this, the team will need to get real, real lucky to win a Super Bowl. Stephen is the hope.

 

[RS12]

How awesome would it be if the next CBA included no salary cap?

It has to because Bidwell's and the Brown's of the NFL will just pocket the money.

 

[big dog cowboy]

...Williams will be gone. But it'll be a $12.9 million cap hit.

The exact reason I think Roy11 returns.

 

[speedkilz88]

How awesome would it be if the next CBA included no salary cap?

i know but at the risk of sounding like a broken record i hope it has a "bird rights" type of clause.

another thing that would be awesome is if they sort of borrow a strategy that they used when they impleted a cap in the NHL where they allowed teams to buy out or cut guy's without it counting against the salary cap. Yeah i know it's wishful thinking but seeing a 12.5 cap hit for roy williams pisses me off.

The league opted out of the previous CBA to lower their costs, not increase them.

 

[Future]

The biggest problem with the cornerbacks was the pass rush, and they played too much man-to-man defense.

I agree with this sentiment 100%. I really think Newman and Jenkins are better than they played last year, but they had no help. And it wasn't just from the pass rush, if they got beat deep, the safeties werent there. Short middle, the LBs couldn't make a play. In the flats, there wasn't pursuit to make a tackle.

It just seemed like they were constantly on an island, and put in situations to fail.

 

[burmafrd]

Love how this dummy thinks Mankins wants to stay in NE. Shows what he knows.

 

[skinsscalper]

Love how this dummy thinks Mankins wants to stay in NE. Shows what he knows.

Ditto.

 

[baj1dallas]

How awesome would it be if the next CBA included no salary cap?

Not awesome at all?

 

[baj1dallas]

The exact reason I think Roy11 returns.

Yes it would be a cap hit, but otoh, it's $5M less that Jerry actually has to give away. I think he'd rather have a cap hit than have to spend the actual money on somebody who underproduces.

Honestly what I'd like to see is Roy renegotiate, take this season's salary as a bonus and then play for a lower salary the next 3 years with incentives.

 

[jterrell]

a few notes.

1) These guys will not cost us any cap figures if they are released before a new CBA. You don't eat cap hits in an uncapped year. I expect we see a wave of releases once the owners know a deal is about to get done. Owners want to stay cost effective but also want get out of jail free cards. I am fairly certain they'll retain a one time mechanism for getting rid of high contracts like RW11 without killing their cap. That move will save the owners more cash than any other.

2) PFF was asked to evaluate the Cowboys and didn't speak at all about pass rush because the team's rush metrics were quite average. They stated Coverage, RT and more coverage is where we needed to improve and that we were far better than out record indicated because so many games were close losses.

3) NA and TNew are not comparable players. NA is far, far better. If you can get him at the same cap hit that is a no brainer. It is time to stop overrating our own guys. Outside of Ware/Witten we can improve at literally every position on the field.

 

[jterrell]

Yes it would be a cap hit, but otoh, it's $5M less that Jerry actually has to give away. I think he'd rather have a cap hit than have to spend the actual money on somebody who underproduces.

Honestly what I'd like to see is Roy renegotiate, take this season's salary as a bonus and then play for a lower salary the next 3 years with incentives.

February 7th the team can start releasing players.
If there is no CBA by March there are no cap hits to eat.

Any new CBA likely provides an easy way out for owners of these bad deals similar to the last NBA CBA where you saw each team having the chance to be rid of a high priced contract and not eat cap space.

 

[casmith07]

It has to because Bidwell's and the Brown's of the NFL will just pocket the money.

That's a great point, and probably has more bearing on their decision to institute a cap moreso than any other reasons named.

 

[CCBoy]

How awesome would it be if the next CBA included no salary cap?

Kids at school were laughing at me for still believing in the Tooth Fairy, but I got five bucks last week, so I'm sticking with it.

Sorry, Cas, on this one, the owners are their own demise...as the owners who are benefiting now: New England, Pittsburgh, and yea, even a Green Bay are having a free lance time in today's market conditions. They are the respected group and not going to kick the donkey kart for change.

The 'gig' with the Dallas Super Bowl and the activities is going to be a legitimate and grand success..and that success is tranferred to cash flow and strong accountant figures. That takes the wind of changes back to a good of the NFL approach. This does not favor the present Cowboys, until they strike Gold again...and look for some 'Cowboy' rules only in management then.

 

[CCBoy]

February 7th the team can start releasing players.
If there is no CBA by March there are no cap hits to eat.

Any new CBA likely provides an easy way out for owners of these bad deals similar to the last NBA CBA where you saw each team having the chance to be rid of a high priced contract and not eat cap space.

...and maybe Philadelphia will someday almost win a Lombardi also.:trophy:

 

[CCBoy]

That's a great point, and probably has more bearing on their decision to institute a cap moreso than any other reasons named.

With a projected hit of $1.5B by the start of September, I wonder what even those elements are thinking with an unstable and pending restructure of taxes as well...