Is It a better strategy to finish the Offense or build the defense

[LocimusPrime]

I'd work on that defense starting with the linemen. You "win and lose in trenches" as the old adage goes.
Let's get some war daddies.

In regards to Field stretching TEs - we have Hannah who is currently faster and more mobile than Witten while still having decent blocking abilities, and we have Swaim. If we need a pass catching TE, there are decent options out there including Cook from Greenbay. WR #2 - there are plenty of FAs that can fill this need.

On a Cowboys note....good lord those 90s Cowboys were stout.

 

[xwalker]

Being that it's hard to do both long term with the salary cap and with few premium draft picks. In my humble opinion we are 3 players away from a Elite offense. 1. Field stretching TE. Witten is the best at what he does but he doesn't stretch the field. 2. #2 receiver with speed to compliment Dez. 3. Solid RT. All I gotta say is Doug Free.

The Defense needs a complete overhaul.We need speed and talent. Lee, Brown and Jones and a bunch of question marks, Drug suspensions, bad backs, nerves not firing and bad luck.

If you were the GM what would you do.

BPA.

If you try to narrow the scope to one or the other, it just makes it more difficult to acquire the max amount of overall talent.

The draft should always be basically a BPA approach (See Elliot, Zeke).

Free agency is generally thought as a need based approach, but there are limited options each year. You can look back most year and there were some good value free agent signed the previous year. A teams best chance to sign a value free agent is to avoid only looking at one or two positions.

 

[FuzzyLumpkins]

I believe it's 9 times a number 1 offense faced a number 1 defense in the Superbowl, and it's 8-1 or 7-2 in favor for the defense, Dallas lost to Green Bay, why because they didn't score enough or they couldn't stop Green Bay on defense.......I've said it all year this defense was a mirage....and now all I hear is this utter FANTASY LEAGUE PLAYERS nonsense that we should invest more in the offense to make it so called elite,,,,,,this team was 13-3 and elite enough last year on offense....Money and assets need to be put into the defense because other than Sean Lee, there isn't much on this defense that would replace another player on a another team

Anything from 50 years ago is more or less irrelevant to today's game.

That is also a weird way to bias. Ranking is relative to the other team's in the league but is not based on any objective benchmark. The first ranked defense are not of the same quality year after year for example. Further, what about the #2 defense/offense or similar matchups.

With thousands of games being played 10 is an awfully small sample. I get it is easier to look up but that does not mean it really tells you anything.

 

[xwalker]

If Williams walks I think WR is a necessity with Dezs injury history. If he was to go down and Butler was suddenly No. 1 things would be bad.

People seem to way underrate the need to have good WRs. They don't have to be superstars, but teams need above average and reliable WRs. WRs were a big part of this past Super Bowl.

 

[jobberone]

Being that it's hard to do both long term with the salary cap and with few premium draft picks. In my humble opinion we are 3 players away from a Elite offense. 1. Field stretching TE. Witten is the best at what he does but he doesn't stretch the field. 2. #2 receiver with speed to compliment Dez. 3. Solid RT. All I gotta say is Doug Free.

The Defense needs a complete overhaul.We need speed and talent. Lee, Brown and Jones and a bunch of question marks, Drug suspensions, bad backs, nerves not firing and bad luck.

If you were the GM what would you do.

Free gave up 9 sacks last year. Smith gave up 6. 9/16=0.5625 per game for Free and 6/16=0.375 per game . That's a difference of 0.1875 sack per game people. Free gives up 4-9 sacks per year over 9 years. So Free isn't far off the performance of Smith. And his run stats are better than Smith. I'm still all for competition at RT and we should have that with Green.for Smith

Witten averages about 10 yards per reception. He doesn't score a lot of TDs. He's almost always on the field. R Gronkowski averaged 21.6 per reception which is all universe. Interestingly he has only played two full years since in the league. He only scored a few TDs last year but started only 6 games. But I agree we could use a good hybrid TE.

Butler has speed but I'd love another smurf who has speed and gets separation. Should be able to get one in the draft. I'd love another 6-2+ WR with speed who can get the ball. A J Jones clone would be great.

 

[jobberone]

People seem to way underrate the need to have good WRs. They don't have to be superstars, but teams need above average and reliable WRs. WRs were a big part of this past Super Bowl.

We need either another smurf or a speedy WR preferably one guy who does both.

 

[The Quest for Six]

Anything from 50 years ago is more or less irrelevant to today's game.

That is also a weird way to bias. Ranking is relative to the other team's in the league but is not based on any objective benchmark. The first ranked defense are not of the same quality year after year for example. Further, what about the #2 defense/offense or similar matchups.

With thousands of games being played 10 is an awfully small sample. I get it is easier to look up but that does not mean it really tells you anything.

Last three Cowboy Superbowl victories, number 5 ranked, defense, number 2 ranked defense, number 3 ranked defense, since that last Superbowl, Dallas had two so called elite offenses via their record, 07 and this year, both of those teams were bounced in the first round with very questionable defenses...until this organization adds premium talent along the defensive line, they're not going anywhere in the playoffs,. 22 years should tell you something!

 

[Idgit]

Let's see. Is it a better strategy to address my hangnail, or my gaping head wound?

 

[Gameover]

Elite offenses don't win championships, Defense does!

not exactly true. and the cowboys are a hell of a lot closer to being elite on O than they are D.

 

[FuzzyLumpkins]

Last three Cowboy Superbowl victories, number 1 ranked, defense, number 2 ranked defense, number 3 ranked defense, since that last Superbowl, Dallas had two so called elite offenses via their record, 07 and this year, both of those teams were bounced in the first round with very questionable defenses...until this organization adds premium talent along the defensive line, they're not going anywhere in the playoffs,. 22 years should tell you something!

The Cowboys are not the only team in the league. The Super Bowl is not the only NFL game played.

I am more inclined to balance and point differential but if it's a push then I will go offense with how they rules have changed over the past 25 years. I am not saying defense is not important.

 

[FuzzyLumpkins]

Free gave up 9 sacks last year. Smith gave up 6. 9/16=0.5625 per game for Free and 6/16=0.375 per game. That's a difference of 0.1875 sack per game people. Free gives up 4-9 sacks per year over 9 years. So Free is at far off the performance of Smith. And his run stats are better than Smith. I'm still all for competition at RT and we should have that with Green.

Witten averages about 10 yards per reception. He doesn't score a lot of TDs. He's almost always on the field. R Gronkowski averaged 21.6 per reception which is all universe. Interestingly he has only played two full years since in the league. He only scored a few TDs last year but started only 6 games. But I agree we could use a good hybrid TE.

Butler has speed but I'd love another smurf who has speed and gets separation. Should be able to get one in the draft. I'd love another 6-2+ WR with speed who can get the ball. A J Jones clone would be great.

In fairness to Smith, the back injury he warriored through robbed him of snap in the run game.

I think a dynamic TE would be a huge boon for how Dak distributes the ball.

 

[Gameover]

Kurt Warner says hi.

Brady says hi.

Troy Aikman steve young joe montana and terry bradshaw john elway say hi.

how many dominant defenses have carried their teams to SB. Modern era(1985)
Bears
86 Giants
'00 Ravens
'02 Bucs
'15 Broncos

And they don't repeat. Not to sound Mickey Spags but the idea that its all about defense is ridiculous.

 

[big dog cowboy]

The offense is good enough to win a Super Bowl.

The defense is not good enough to win a Super Bowl.

Not sure why there is even a question about this.

 

[Toruk_Makto]

By DVOA we had the 3rd best offense. By DVOA we were 17th on defense.

Is this a real question?

 

[Toruk_Makto]

People seem to way underrate the need to have good WRs. They don't have to be superstars, but teams need above average and reliable WRs. WRs were a big part of this past Super Bowl.

Where were the Pats WRs drafted and/or how much did they cost in free agency?

 

[GhostOfPelluer]

You improve wherever you can. You don't limit yourself but instead look for any way to make the team better.

I hate the argument that our offense is good enough to win the super bowl when we didn't win the super bowl. The offense made plenty of mistakes in the loss to GB.

 

[drawandstrike]

uh not really when you review the winning sb teams. iirc it was split fairly even.

Well the truth is we've been sunk in the playoffs TWICE in a row by not having the defense to stop Aaron Rodgers. Eventually we'll get the defense to take the next step. Or we'll never take the next step.

 

[JoeKing]

Defense needs the most attention but if the prefect guy falls in our laps to fix TE, 2WR or RT then you take'em.

 

[jobberone]

In fairness to Smith, the back injury he warriored through robbed him of snap in the run game.

I think a dynamic TE would be a huge boon for how Dak distributes the ball.

I agree about Smith and having a hybrid TE. I wonder how Free's wheels are doing health wise?

 

[Cowboysfan917]

Romo's career was squandered trying to build 'Romo friendly' offenses. Play good defense and run the ball.