Obviously the offensive line is incredibly important. That's a given.
But anyone else remember what our running game looked like with that amazing 90's offensive line when Emmitt was out? Not very good. When our biggest strength, the running game, got hampered by our stud RB being out, we lost. Period.
I absolutely could not agree more with this point! Being a life long Cowboys Fan I can say I never had a better time as a Fan than the 90's dynasty we put on the field! That Offensive Line was incredible & I can honestly say as good of a line as we had last year I don't think it was as good as the 90's Cowboys! However, I do think we have the chance to field not only "as good as" but potentially the best O-Line ever! Weather they are almost as good as the 90's O-Line, "As Good As" or "Better Than" it was clear, back in the 90's, that the one time Emmitt Smith held out over contract issues, those first two games we went 0-2, when he was out due to injury, (Which didn't happen very much at all, remember his Superman status playing basically one armed-LOL, Loved That) we won the game he stayed in while he was hurt, but when he was out due to injury we lost. When he was out it was like teams were like sharks in the water, they smelled blood, we became predictable, or at least predictable enough, to get beat! I'm sorry but forgive me for being more than uneasy about our current RB roster! IMO, I don't think we have a running back we can legitimately put half-ish of the snaps on, commanding an extra man or two in the box.
Also, If we are actually considering a "RBBC" then essentially we are betting teams will respect our run game with a patchwork set of backs that have both significant downsides & upsides, that is upsides, if they stay healthy, which each have a history of not staying healthy. As a Cowboy's Fan I recognize that we are about to field a special team this year, potentially the next 3-5 seasons, I don't want to see games being decided with a lucky escape by Romo, who completes a pass to Williams, that was intended for Witten, with a tippy toe grab, on the sidelines! Keep in mind, that was with Murray, our workhorse back! I'm not cynical to believe that we will never have a game that calks for some heroics, I'm just saying it would be nice to not need as many as we had last season. So put me down on the side of the fence where I believe we are truly just a "Potentially Special Running Back" away from the best chance at winning a Super Bowl, both next season & potentially the next 3 to 5 (Depending on Romo's health & longevity) something I think AP would bring in. He or (Another Proven Workhorse Back) could extend both Romo's & his careers. I also think that a number 1 pick next season, in the grand scheme, would not stop us from getting a brand new shiny RB to be drafted as well as Romo's replacement! Let's face it, the toughest position to draft is the next QB, it can happen anywhere in the draft & more often than not they don't pan out! I think bringing AP in here extends the time we need to both replace & to groom. The possible upside is far greater than whatever contract rework AP would cost us going forward. Lastly, I wouldn't be against trading or signing a different player after cuts (Proven Workhorse Type RB) but again I'd feel a whole lot better if we had a RB, ready to be the primary option, that the whole NFL knows is your primary running back, that's a proven one who is used to getting 85%-90% of the teams carries over the course of a season & is also productive at it! When I look at our current roster, I'm sorry but I just don't see that.
