CFZ Key Post-draft Question: Are we better as a team in 2024 than 2023?

[NumOneQB]

Not better but not by much. Rookie OL can be very unpredictable. The real questions should be did Philly get better? Did SF get better? Did Dallas do anything to place themselves above them? I think the obvious answer is no. So is Jerry really “All In”? PT Barnum strikes again….

 

[rambo2]

I wouldn’t say OT’s are a mess, but I would say I don’t think they are better.

I think the oline is better and they are better at linebacker. They might be a little bit better at receiver and the corner pick is going to help. The edge is going to help. The defense should be improved against the run. Zimmer has the opportunity to use Parsons at linebacker and move him around.

 

[Chasing6]

Not better but not by much. Rookie OL can be very unpredictable. The real questions should be did Philly get better? Did SF get better? Did Dallas do anything to place themselves above them? I think the obvious answer is no. So is Jerry really “All In”? PT Barnum strikes again….

Tyron Smith at LT is very unpredictable. Same reason why the Jets drafted an OT early. They will have some growing pains early and start to jell by mid season baring injury.

We can only worry about getting ourselves better. Did we get better cleaning up our cap space problems? Yes, we definitely did.

 

[NumOneQB]

Tyron Smith at LT is very unpredictable. Same reason why the Jets drafted an OT early. They will have some growing pains early and start to jell by mid season baring injury.

We can only worry about getting ourselves better. Did we get better cleaning up our cap space problems? Yes, we definitely did.

So are you playing to win next season or are you looking down the road? Because this team is “built” to win now. The moves need to be made to sacrifice some of the future to make that push to win next season.

 

[ArtClink]

Every nfl team takes a few weeks or longer for the offense to gel. Let’s be patient and see what happens.

 

[morasp]

We got better at LB and on paper at OL. Players are fine, but needing two rookies to start on the OL may not be better initially.

Worse at RB and DL.

Push at QB, WR, TE, S, CB and coaching. Switching out DQ with Zim will have its pluses and minuses.

We got better at LB and on paper at OL. Players are fine, but needing two rookies to start on the OL may not be better initially.

Worse at RB and DL.

Push at QB, WR, TE, S, CB and coaching. Switching out DQ with Zim will have its pluses and minuses.

Cooper will be a tone setter on the OL something they haven't had
Second year Mazi Smith will make you forget Hankins
Williams > Armstrong
Osa push
Lawrence push
Tolbert > Gallup
Cooks push
Lamb push
Dowdle and Freeman better than Pollard coming off an injury both rushing and receiving
Second year Luepke better than rookie Luepke
Diggs > Gilmore
If they do make the playoffs Zimmer will not field a defense that gives up that many points.
Second year Schoonmaker better than rookie Schoonmaker who didn't even have a training camp

 

[Chasing6]

So are you playing to win next season or are you looking down the road? Because this team is “built” to win now. The moves need to be made to sacrifice some of the future to make that push to win next season.

I don't believe we are anywhere close to winning anything significant now or last year. We are a top 10 team at best.

 

[morat1959]

This is the year the wheels start to come off the tracks. 9 wins tops.

 

[Brooksey]

Here’s a look at the players we lost vs the players we’ve added:

DEPARTURES:

• Tyron Smith, LT (Jets)
• Tony Pollard, RB (Titans)
• Johnathan Hankins, DT (Seahawks)
• Dorance Armstrong, DE (Commanders)
• Tyler Biadasz, C (Commanders)
• Dante Fowler, DE (Commanders)
• Noah Igbinoghene, CB (Commanders)
• Neville Gallimore, DT (Dolphins)
• Michael Gallup, WR (released)
• Leighton Vander Esch, LB (released)

ADDITIONS:
Free agents:

• Eric Kendricks, LB
• Ezekiel Elliott, RB
• Royce Freeman, RB
• Jourdan Lewis, CB
• Rico Dowdle, RB
• Chuma Edoga, OL
• C.J. Goodwin, ST
• Trent Sieg, LS

Draft picks:

• Round 1: OT Tyler Guyton
• Round 2: DE Marshawn Kneeland
• Round 3: G/C Cooper Beebe
• Round 3: LB Marist Liufau
• Round 5: CB Caelen Carson
• Round 6: WR Ryan Flournoy
• Round 7: OL Nathan Thomas
• Round 7: DT Justin Rogers

The players that matter most on that list are Tony Pollard and Vander esch. We should be better at LB with Kendrick’s, Overshown and Laifu. Our offensive line will not be as good as last season to start the year by they could be better by year end.

We still have to replace Tony Pollard and a washed Zeke doesn’t do that.

 

[Wildcat711]

I don't believe we are anywhere close to winning anything significant now or last year. We are a top 10 team at best.

Well that is better than 24th.. so there is that.

 

[Hennessy_King]

Starters get majority of the reps. Only started 1 year.

I hear u but being in between 2 all pros will help him a ton

 

[Hennessy_King]

I know, everybody and his dog have Beebe's name chiseled in stone as the center this year. But despite his self-proclaimed willingness to play center, it's not a guarantee that first of all that is Dallas' plan (at least for this year) or second that he actually can play center at an NFL level. Center is not some position that you put somebody in just because he's big and strong. There is skill involved.

Personally, I do think he'd be a good center, does have the size and build for it, but only time will tell...

Didn't they already come out and say he was gonna play center? They already said they are keeping tyler smith at guard

 

[IceStar-D7]

For me. To early to tell. I'll have a better read by early August. I don't think the team we have now. Will be the team we have by then. I expect a few trades with Washington as each coach tries to get their type guys. Running backs will be released or teams will be trying to release them. Plus, God forbid-injuries.... So, it's a long way to go before we can start talking about how good or how bad this team will be- IMHO. But it's a good discussion that will go on for months. Training camp will be fun at every position though... I'd bring back Carlos Watkins in a second to add competition at DT.....

 

[morat1959]

Well that is better than 24th.. so there is that.

2nd is the last loser.

 

[TheSport78]

They'll be better but won't have a record as good. Dallas is playing 9 teams with winning records from 2024 but I think they'll be able to run the ball and stop the run more effectively. It's amazing they won 12 games being average in both of those areas.

 

[ShortRound]

 

[Frosty]

Here’s a look at the players we lost vs the players we’ve added:

DEPARTURES:

• Tyron Smith, LT (Jets)
• Tony Pollard, RB (Titans)
• Johnathan Hankins, DT (Seahawks)
• Dorance Armstrong, DE (Commanders)
• Tyler Biadasz, C (Commanders)
• Dante Fowler, DE (Commanders)
• Noah Igbinoghene, CB (Commanders)
• Neville Gallimore, DT (Dolphins)
• Michael Gallup, WR (released)
• Leighton Vander Esch, LB (released)

ADDITIONS:
Free agents:

• Eric Kendricks, LB
• Ezekiel Elliott, RB
• Royce Freeman, RB
• Jourdan Lewis, CB
• Rico Dowdle, RB
• Chuma Edoga, OL
• C.J. Goodwin, ST
• Trent Sieg, LS

Draft picks:

• Round 1: OT Tyler Guyton
• Round 2: DE Marshawn Kneeland
• Round 3: G/C Cooper Beebe
• Round 3: LB Marist Liufau
• Round 5: CB Caelen Carson
• Round 6: WR Ryan Flournoy
• Round 7: OL Nathan Thomas
• Round 7: DT Justin Rogers

I still dont see any departure that is not replacable. TP didn’t have a good year, TSmith is an HOFer but an older vet that is easily replaceabe, (he had a decent year) and the rest are JAGs. Good players but nothing special. Only real issue for me is RB and I think that will be fixed by opening day. Are they better IDK. But they got younger and nastier in the trenches and I am all for the youth movement. The old country club players needs to be put on notice

 

[MikeT22]

Cooper will be a tone setter on the OL something they haven't had
Second year Mazi Smith will make you forget Hankins
Williams > Armstrong
Osa push
Lawrence push
Tolbert > Gallup
Cooks push
Lamb push
Dowdle and Freeman better than Pollard coming off an injury both rushing and receiving
Second year Luepke better than rookie Luepke
Diggs > Gilmore
If they do make the playoffs Zimmer will not field a defense that gives up that many points.
Second year Schoonmaker better than rookie Schoonmaker who didn't even have a training camp

Lots of unsubstantiated assumptions. Mostly just hoping that backups and first year duds step up this year.

Only real additions are draftees on the OL, LB, and a rotational DE.

RB, WR, QB, TE are all relatively the same or slightly worse. CB added a 5th rounder and lost Gilmore.

Overall we are weaker than last year.

 

[GMO415]

Most post-draft analyses being offered by the football “experts“ tend to focus on each individual draft pick - their specific individual skills, their “value” in terms of when they were drafted, etc. What they rarely mention is what does this draft do collectively to make us a better football team? On top of that, you can never judge a draft before the new players have even played a meaningful down of football.

Overall I thought this year’s draft was generally good. We addressed two of the weakest areas this team had last year: The ability to run the ball and the ability to stop the run.

The acquisition of Tyler Guyton and Cooper Bebee should bring a long term improvement on the O- line.The acquisition of Marshawn Kneeland should have an impact on improving stopping the run, assuming he develops quickly. Not drafting a RB is the dangling need still hanging.

So back to question, Are we better in 2024 AS A TEAM after this draft? Here are my answers to that:

• In the short run, meaning the 2024 season, on paper this team does NOT appear to be as good as last year’s team that won the NFC East and earned the #2 seed. They were pitiful in the playoffs last year but had a 12-5 regular season.
• You can’t lose a HOF LT like Tyron Smith (although often injured last few years) and expect a rookie LT to walk in the door and immediately be better.
• We may not immediately see Cooper Bebee be better than Tyler Biadaz was at Center. I certainly think Bebee has more upside than Biadaz so after a year or two Bebee may exceed Biadaz. And Bebee may end up being the long term replacement for Zack Martin.
• In the next couple of seasons, if this year’s draft as well as the 2022 and 2023 classes show improvement, the 2025 team may be better than the 2024 version.

In conclusion, obviously it’s way too early to know how good this year’s draft will be. But it’s not too early to see that at least on paper this team is not clearly better NOW. But for 2025, that maybe different.

Do you think this draft has made the 2024 team better than the 2023 team?

Bullet, yeah we didn't get better.

 

[ShortRound]

I’m trying not to stress myself out with football this year worrying about it. I’m just gonna watch and hope we win. That’s about as much energy Jerry is getting from me.