I'm optimistic again

[Sportsbabe]

I agree with you. I too am optimistic. Not extremely but I am excited for this season. But I felt that way before the draft. The draft was just the icing on the cake.

"Excited for the season." That's what being a fan is all about for me. There is no way anyone can predict what the outcome will be. It's the anticipation of it all. It's not knowing and watching it all play out right in front of our eyes.

When the season finally starts there's nothing like it. As another poster said, every team and every fan has the same hope. Every week something new can and will happen. Some may choose to live on the negative/woe is we side of it ... but I'm going to choose to live on the "lets get this thing on and popping" side of it.

 

[Sportsbabe]

From the depths of hell of where we came from, hope is all we got.

This thread started off very well.
I think some people look for threads with hope and forward thinking and say "oh no, we can't have any of that!"

 

[OhSnap]

oh lords, dear lords, let the stats bail us out. Come on, who do you think more defensive coordinators are worried about, containing Dez or letting Williams go free, or wondering how to stop both Cruz and NIcks?

Put the stats aside, put all four on the field with the same qb, and let teh defenisve coordinators tell you which is which, but im going to go with Cruz and Nicks right now.

LOL You go ahead and go with those 2.

 

[unionjack8]

Just within the last 12-18 months.

ok, and what are these changes per se

 

[ShiningStar]

and some people dont want to try, take away the stats and its idk a debate? a conversation, learning anothers opinion? nope, stats or nothing.

 

[Doomsday101]

Right now I see this team as 8-8 it is their jobs to go out and improve on that. I don't know how any of the rookies will fair anyone claiming to know good or bad really must not keep up with the NFL that closely. My hope is some of the rookies will catch on quickly and be able to produce this coming season. if so then we have a chance to be a better ball club, if not we will likely continue to fight at 8-8

 

[wileedog]

You have to give credit where credit is due. Jerry's made some extremely difficult and smart decisions recently. From the releasing of Ware and Hatcher to bypassing on Manziel just to name a couple.

I don't buy this for a second.

- Ware was let go because even Jerry knew his production was no where near his $16M cap hit. And even if it was, it would have taken a maze of contract restructurings to even take that cap hit. There was no real choice but to let Ware go if he wouldn't take a pay cut. It was not a hard decision at all given our cap reality.

- Hatcher made it clear even before the season started he was heading off to the highest bidder. Again given our cap space, it was not a hard decision to let a guy who had one outstanding season in his career (cooincedently his contract year). I would be far more interested to see what would have happened in the Hatcher situation if this year we had been comfortably under the cap.

- We draft Zach Martin. All of a sudden there are dozens of posts - "Jerry's changed! He's learned! We're saved, hooray!" Then what does Jerry with the very two next picks? He overpays to trade up for a guy he just has to have, and then deliberately and admittedly drafts a backup. Those are the two signature moves of the GM Jerry Jones era.

- As for Manziel, there was never any way that was going to happen. No one seems to understand how heavily Jerry has invested in, and bet on, Tony Romo. Huge amounts of cap space are dedicated to him no matter what in the coming years. He's not ever going to get paid $20M to hold a clipboard, no matter what. And even Jerry is not dumb enough to create a huge QB controversy by drafting an insanely high profile QB who has zero shot of seeing the field for years unless Romo gets hurt. I rip on Jerry as much as anyone, but I certainly give him enough credit, whether he has "changed" or otherwise, to see how absolutely nuts drafting Manziel would have been after backing up the truck for Romo.

- BTW, we currently have more OCs and DCs then we have competent DLinemen. Seems like the usual management circus to me.

 

[TheMarathonContinues]

"Excited for the season." That's what being a fan is all about for me. There is no way anyone can predict what the outcome will be. It's the anticipation of it all. It's not knowing and watching it all play out right in front of our eyes.

When the season finally starts there's nothing like it. As another poster said, every team and every fan has the same hope. Every week something new can and will happen. Some may choose to live on the negative/woe is we side of it ... but I'm going to choose to live on the "lets get this thing on and popping" side of it.

I agree with you. They lure me in every year lol......no matter if they make any moves or if they make a lot of them. I'm always excited and no negativity from fans can change that. A prime example is how the Chiefs went from the worst team in the league to one of the better teams. That's the NFL and why its one of the best sports in the world.

 

[The Quest for Six]

somebody is still drinking that Jerry Jones kool-aid.....

 

[ShiningStar]

I don't buy this for a second.

- Ware was let go because even Jerry knew his production was no where near his $16M cap hit. And even if it was, it would have taken a maze of contract restructurings to even take that cap hit. There was no real choice but to let Ware go if he wouldn't take a pay cut. It was not a hard decision at all given our cap reality.

- Hatcher made it clear even before the season started he was heading off to the highest bidder. Again given our cap space, it was not a hard decision to let a guy who had one outstanding season in his career (cooincedently his contract year). I would be far more interested to see what would have happened in the Hatcher situation if this year we had been comfortably under the cap.

- We draft Zach Martin. All of a sudden there are dozens of posts - "Jerry's changed! He's learned! We're saved, hooray!" Then what does Jerry with the very two next picks? He overpays to trade up for a guy he just has to have, and then deliberately and admittedly drafts a backup. Those are the two signature moves of the GM Jerry Jones era.

- As for Manziel, there was never any way that was going to happen. No one seems to understand how heavily Jerry has invested in, and bet on, Tony Romo. Huge amounts of cap space are dedicated to him no matter what in the coming years. He's not ever going to get paid $20M to hold a clipboard, no matter what. And even Jerry is not dumb enough to create a huge QB controversy by drafting an insanely high profile QB who has zero shot of seeing the field for years unless Romo gets hurt. I rip on Jerry as much as anyone, but I certainly give him enough credit, whether he has "changed" or otherwise, to see how absolutely nuts drafting Manziel would have been after backing up the truck for Romo.

- BTW, we currently have more OCs and DCs then we have competent DLinemen. Seems like the usual management circus to me.

fabulous post, but all that aside, so far i am basing my happiness off the fact i feel teh FO made some good sound adjustments, im glad they let Ware walk, im glad they let hatcher walk and im glad they did some decent contracts with the new guys.

my biggest problem so far, does garrett change? thats what i need to see.

 

[Zimmy Lives]

I liked the Lawrence pick because he was one of the only DE’s in the draft that has the talent to be an effective starting “rushmen”. Unlike most, I had no problem trading a 3rd for the player. The Cowboys admittedly overpaid value wise, but if he’s what the scouts say he is, then it will be a worthwhile trade given the circumstances of the team as it now stands.

This is the key to grading this draft as a success. If Lawrence has an immediate impact (pressures/sacks) on the d-line at the beginning of the season, then the 3rd pick would have been worth it. If he rides the pine most of the year, the pick should be considered a waste given the cost to move up.

Of course, having the 3rd pick would be no guarantee that the Cowboys would be able to find a quality player who could contribute right away anyway but it would have been nice to have options.

I am neither encouraged nor discouraged by this draft. To me, it just seems like Jerry has a new dance partner (McClay) but it's the same old song. I hope I'm wrong.

 

[wileedog]

fabulous post, but all that aside, so far i am basing my happiness off the fact i feel teh FO made some good sound adjustments, im glad they let Ware walk, im glad they let hatcher walk and im glad they did some decent contracts with the new guys.

my biggest problem so far, does garrett change? thats what i need to see.

I'm not saying I dislike every move this offseason either by a long shot. Even Jerry at his worst gets things right from time to time. We're 8-8 every year not 0-16.

But this idea going around that there is some huge change in Valley Ranch all because Jerry didn't draft a celebrity QB after giving a gazillion bucks to his current one doesn't hold up to everything else that is going on.

 

[OmerV]

"Excited for the season." That's what being a fan is all about for me. There is no way anyone can predict what the outcome will be. It's the anticipation of it all. It's not knowing and watching it all play out right in front of our eyes.

When the season finally starts there's nothing like it. As another poster said, every team and every fan has the same hope. Every week something new can and will happen. Some may choose to live on the negative/woe is we side of it ... but I'm going to choose to live on the "lets get this thing on and popping" side of it.

Great post. So many whining fans prefer just to give up and continually talk about eminent doom and predict 6 win seasons - they prefer to be miserable. Of course the team may not do well, and they may disappoint. It's been pretty common for that to be the case for a number of years. But spare me the whining - competitors don't do that, and I don't see how anyone can be a fan if they aren't a competitive person. Ultimately if you can't stand the risk of losing you have no business attempting to compete to begin with.

I love your post. What many of the whining fans don't get is that it's possible to be realistic about the team facing an uphill battle and having some holes and question marks, yet still relish the chance to see your team compete and hope for some surprises and look forward to the possibilities if some things were to go right.

 

[Fletch]

I went on the record before the draft stating that the Cowboys were 1 good draft away from competing deep into the playoffs. I felt that the offense was good enough as it stands, only needing some depth at both the offensive line and WR positions.

Check on those needs. Martin was a dream pick for me because I put heavy value on being able to run the football effectively. This pick helps out that ability tremendously in my opinion. If it pans out as believed, the coaches are going to feel more confident running the ball in those situations that call for it. It will help out the defense as well by limiting the time the opposing offense has the ball.

As for the defense, I felt like we needed to have a great draft defensively. I liked the Lawrence pick because he was one of the only DE’s in the draft that has the talent to be an effective starting “rushmen”. Unlike most, I had no problem trading a 3rd for the player. The Cowboys admittedly overpaid value wise, but if he’s what the scouts say he is, then it will be a worthwhile trade given the circumstances of the team as it now stands.

If you’ve been paying even semi-close attention the last couple of years, you’ve noticed that the Cowboys have found some nice talent amongst its UDFA’s, and off the street pickups. I hope this continues with the Hitchens pick. Don’t know a lot about him but obviously the scouts and coaches like him enough to draft him in the 4th.

Loved the Gardner pick. I think he’s a mid-round talent that we got for a 7th. I think he’ll stick. If we can hit on some of those 7th rounder’s and UDFA’s, and I have to believe that 2-3 will stick, then the defensive side of the ball should play better this year. Need some injury luck as well.

Overall, I think the Cowboys did what they needed to do to have a chance this year. I’ve been very discouraged with Jones and how he performs his GM duties. But I have to admit, the last year he’s shown me that maybe he’s starting to listen to the folks that know football talent and it’s the scouts and coaches and not him.

Welcome back!

 

[Fletch]

I went on the record before the draft stating that the Cowboys were 1 good draft away from competing deep into the playoffs. I felt that the offense was good enough as it stands, only needing some depth at both the offensive line and WR positions.

Check on those needs. Martin was a dream pick for me because I put heavy value on being able to run the football effectively. This pick helps out that ability tremendously in my opinion. If it pans out as believed, the coaches are going to feel more confident running the ball in those situations that call for it. It will help out the defense as well by limiting the time the opposing offense has the ball.

As for the defense, I felt like we needed to have a great draft defensively. I liked the Lawrence pick because he was one of the only DE’s in the draft that has the talent to be an effective starting “rushmen”. Unlike most, I had no problem trading a 3rd for the player. The Cowboys admittedly overpaid value wise, but if he’s what the scouts say he is, then it will be a worthwhile trade given the circumstances of the team as it now stands.

If you’ve been paying even semi-close attention the last couple of years, you’ve noticed that the Cowboys have found some nice talent amongst its UDFA’s, and off the street pickups. I hope this continues with the Hitchens pick. Don’t know a lot about him but obviously the scouts and coaches like him enough to draft him in the 4th.

Loved the Gardner pick. I think he’s a mid-round talent that we got for a 7th. I think he’ll stick. If we can hit on some of those 7th rounder’s and UDFA’s, and I have to believe that 2-3 will stick, then the defensive side of the ball should play better this year. Need some injury luck as well.

Overall, I think the Cowboys did what they needed to do to have a chance this year. I’ve been very discouraged with Jones and how he performs his GM duties. But I have to admit, the last year he’s shown me that maybe he’s starting to listen to the folks that know football talent and it’s the scouts and coaches and not him.

Can I throw out a name? Will McClay. I truly believe he is an asset to this organization. The Cowboys need to stay healthy first and foremost. But they also must prove their worth. I'm gonna say the Cowboys will be a sleeper pick this year; I mean out of nowhere!

 

[Fletch]

Please do tell?

You may enlighten us as length as well.

 

[Fletch]

Ya'll do this every year

They got me for the last time last pre-season, I'll wait and see if this is a different team.

I hear ya on that front. For me, it is a wait see approach. But I'm going to STILL BE fairly optimistic. It's my nature.

 

[ConstantReboot]

I don't buy this for a second.

- Ware was let go because even Jerry knew his production was no where near his $16M cap hit. And even if it was, it would have taken a maze of contract restructurings to even take that cap hit. There was no real choice but to let Ware go if he wouldn't take a pay cut. It was not a hard decision at all given our cap reality.

- Hatcher made it clear even before the season started he was heading off to the highest bidder. Again given our cap space, it was not a hard decision to let a guy who had one outstanding season in his career (cooincedently his contract year). I would be far more interested to see what would have happened in the Hatcher situation if this year we had been comfortably under the cap.

- We draft Zach Martin. All of a sudden there are dozens of posts - "Jerry's changed! He's learned! We're saved, hooray!" Then what does Jerry with the very two next picks? He overpays to trade up for a guy he just has to have, and then deliberately and admittedly drafts a backup. Those are the two signature moves of the GM Jerry Jones era.

- As for Manziel, there was never any way that was going to happen. No one seems to understand how heavily Jerry has invested in, and bet on, Tony Romo. Huge amounts of cap space are dedicated to him no matter what in the coming years. He's not ever going to get paid $20M to hold a clipboard, no matter what. And even Jerry is not dumb enough to create a huge QB controversy by drafting an insanely high profile QB who has zero shot of seeing the field for years unless Romo gets hurt. I rip on Jerry as much as anyone, but I certainly give him enough credit, whether he has "changed" or otherwise, to see how absolutely nuts drafting Manziel would have been after backing up the truck for Romo.

- BTW, we currently have more OCs and DCs then we have competent DLinemen. Seems like the usual management circus to me.

The selection of Lawrence was not a Jerry move ONLY. It had the blessings of our Marinelli who wanted someone who can rush the passer. If Lawrence can garner some sacks this season than I would consider sacrificing a 3rd a success. Dallas needed a passrushing DE badly to replace Ware. Do you have any other ideas who else can fill the void if Atlanta took Lawrence?

 

[Dwight]

Ya'll do this every year

They got me for the last time last pre-season, I'll wait and see if this is a different team.

Lol. Get ready for the 12-4 prediction thread in a couple of months. That's going to be really funny.

 

[Rockport]

I'm not saying I dislike every move this offseason either by a long shot. Even Jerry at his worst gets things right from time to time. We're 8-8 every year not 0-16.

But this idea going around that there is some huge change in Valley Ranch all because Jerry didn't draft a celebrity QB after giving a gazillion bucks to his current one doesn't hold up to everything else that is going on.

You obviously haven't been visiting here much. This topic has been talked about long before they passed on Johnny Manziel in the draft. Months in fact.