If you had to make tough call and only keep 3 of 4, who walk, Coop, Dak, Zeke, DLaw?

[Verdict]

To win right now, DLAw
For the future, Zeke



Good point there but remember the games that we did win without him. We had Alfred Morris and he was somewhat serviceable. It isn't fair to say Zeke would have made a difference in those games because the line had a weakness at LT the same time Zeke began his suspension.
In the first 3 games of the suspension, they didn't really commit to the run as much as they should have. My theory is that they didn't commit to the run because of Tyron's injury. Once he came back, the Cowboys committed to the run, and the run game was pretty good up until Zeke came back ironically.

Morris wasn't serviceable. He totally sucked. That's why we didn't keep him around. Nice guy. But he was done.

 

[SoupcanSam]

I'd let Dak walk and it isnt even close.

 

[Verdict]

I was only using the scenario of having to give up one of the three players.

It's a good exercise, because that's what it eventually comes down to. At some point you have to let someone go that you want to keep. Better to decide who is more important now and later than say Oh Gee, I didn't see that one coming.

If we pay Tank $23M per year it's more likely than not that we will regret that contract.

 

[aria]

I’d have to let Zeke go because I think I can replace him easier than those other guys.

 

[CouchCoach]

Even with this brain trust, I cannot envision any scenario that they get caught in deciding between 4 of the 6 cornerstones of team building and we can add LT and CB to that list.

The easy answer is RB because that is supposedly the easiest position to replace but is it? This OL was far from great and barely respectable yet Elliott led the league in rushing and is the best player, by far, on offense. He seldom loses yards and gets those additional "mystery 2 yards" more than any other RB.

I would replace Lawrence because he is more part of a unit than the other 3 are and therefore, easier to replace. However, if the team were picking in the top 3 in the draft next season, I would replace Dak.

 

[Aerolithe_Lion]

Zeke also would be by far the cheapest of those 4. And rbs are replaceable, but elite rbs aren’t. Rams paid Gurley and made the super bowl. Steelers replaced Bell and missed the playoffs. Remember when McFadden ran for 1k in between Zeke and Demarco? You had a run game but it wasn’t nearly the same. Saquon is clearly going to be the driving force for the Giants for years to come. Jaguars were night and day from 2017 when they were riding Fournette to when he was injured this year.

All this talk about elite rbs not winning is BS. Pats won in 2004 with Corey Dillon getting 1400 yards. Seahawks won by feeding Marshawn Lynch every other play. Ray Rice carried the Ravens offense. Jamal Lewis carries the Ravens offense before him. Rams don’t get close without Marshall Faulk. Willie Parker in 2005, Ben wasn’t exactly lighting it up.

Zeke will bring you further than his replacement would, for 2/3 the size of the contract anyone else on this list would be getting.

 

[LittleD]

The best release would be to franchise DLaw and then trade him at the beginning of draft day for a #1 and #3. There are some great
DE's in this draft.

 

[eromeopolk]

I’d have to let Zeke go because I think I can replace him easier than those other guys.

How did that work out after they let go Murray?....they went 4-12. Nuff said.

 

[dfense]

I’d have to let Zeke go because I think I can replace him easier than those other guys.

yup. Zeke is a beast, but I agree, of the players listed, he's the easiest to replace.

But Dak would be the wisest. He's a one and done QB talent.

 

[TwentyOne]

You like draft picks don’t you

I dont like:

overpaying for an injury prone player who had essentially 8 good games for us in 2017.
or at positions you can find players in the draft (RB)
or binding my fate at a medicore college QB

And no, i dont have an answer for how to find replacement for those 3 in that short time. But that wasnt the topic of this thread either.

 

[BoysForLife]

Lol at “tough call”

Bye-bye Prescott, and I wouldn’t even waste an extra second thinking about it

 

[charron]

RB is easiest to replace. You can find productive starting quality RB's deeper than most positions in the draft and way cheaper in FA.

 

[Killerinstinct]

Let whichever one thinks he should be paid as if he is the best in the league go.

 

[foofighters]

DLaw vanished this year. I think we will know about Dak after next year. Zeke is a super special talent that can't be replaced easy even though his position is easily replaced. Coop is the only person I'd want to really keep. If I am making a choice for this year, it's DLaw. That way that dumb name for the defense will go away.

 

[kskboys]

I tell ya, people just won't let this media driven crapp go, that RB's are a dime a dozen and it doesn't matter which one you have. It's one of the strangest things I've ever seen.

Oh, and BTW, NE disagrees w/ you. Michell was their 1st round pick, and he was instrumental in their super bowl run. And he appears to be a top 10 RB.

When NE lost Blount, they knew they had to replace him w/ a highly talented tough yards RB, so they went there in the first round.

 

[CPanther95]

WR and RB are the two positions on this list that you shouldn't need to waste a first round pick on to find a good replacement. Based on longevity, I'd keep Cooper

 

[Montanalo]

I am sure we could do running back-by-committee much like we did WR earlier this year... Yeah, that worked out well.

As easy as it is to say RB, this team, the way it is constructed, relies heavily on a workhorse back.

 

[CowboysFaninHouston]

I let Coop Walk. my first choice would have been Dak, and sign an interim QB but there aren't many in the market this year that would be a 2 year stop gap. Zeke is a HOFer in the making. Yes runners are easier to replace, but not Zeke type runners. he is special and as Zeke goes, so goes the team. he does well we win most of the time, he doesn't we lose most of the time. pass rushing DEs are hard to find. and he would cost as much as anybody else and there is no plan behind him. yes, coop was helpful to us in the second half, but we can sign a veteran for reasonable price short term and we do have Michael gallup although not in cooper's level but will be a second year player....

 

[CouchCoach]

I tell ya, people just won't let this media driven crapp go, that RB's are a dime a dozen and it doesn't matter which one you have. It's one of the strangest things I've ever seen.

Oh, and BTW, NE disagrees w/ you. Michell was their 1st round pick, and he was instrumental in their super bowl run. And he appears to be a top 10 RB.

When NE lost Blount, they knew they had to replace him w/ a highly talented tough yards RB, so they went there in the first round.

This plug and play RB notion got started when Shanahan had those RB's in DEN but he had the best and deadliest OL in the NFL back then. DL were more concerned about losing their knees than making tackles. I saw many of them extend their arms and look down instead of up and trying to locate the ball carrier.

I don't know how this "dime a dozen" thing gets any legs if posters just watch the different backs. Guys like Elliott, Gurley and Barkley are in a class of their own.

And for those that would pick Elliott, did you like what you saw when he wasn't playing? And we've seen, at least for part of a season, the team without Cooper. That leaves 2 of the 4.

 

[xwalker]

Now or long term?

I'm apprehensive about giving DLaw a big contract. He has had 2 back surgeries and he's not a freak athlete like many top pass rushers. He is a better run defender than most top pass rushers but his pass rush can be limited if team's make a point to focus on him.

I would pay RBs past about age 28. Give Zeke the 5th year option and then Franchise Tag him.

Amari Cooper is the perfect WR for Dak.