CFZ Key Questions to be answered this off-season

[glimmerman]

The 2024 off-season has already started for our Cowboys and there are a ton of questions that must be answered before we get any kind of feel for this team’s real prospects in 2024.

I’m sure I’m missing some, but here are the biggest questions facing the Cowboys this off-season :

1. What to do about Dak Prescott? I have supported Dak for the 8 years he’s been our starter. I still think he’s good enough to win playoff games with. BUT…I feel it’s time to move on from him. The team won’t. They are handcuffed (at least in their own thinking) by his contract and their options to cut/trade aren’t great. I would definitely seek a trade partner, roll with Trey Lance, and draft a QB early. But the team won’t do that.
2. Which of the team’s 16 FAs will keep next year? Heres the list:
   • Tyron Smith, Tony Pollard, Tyler Biadaz, Jourdan Lewis, Stephon Gilmore, Dorance Armstrong, Jayron Kearse, Dante Fowler, Jonathan Hankins, Trent Sieg, Neville Gallimore, Chuma Edoga, Rico Dowdle, Sean McKeon, CJ Goodwin and Noah Igbinoghene.
   • I would let everyone go except Jourdan Lewis, Trent Sieg (deep snapper) maybe Hankins (if the money works), and perhaps Dorance Armstrong (although I seriously doubt we can afford him) Biadaz will cost too much, Gilmore will be 34 and we will have Diggs back. Fowler is a spot down pass rusher which we don’t need compared to run stuffers. Pollard will cost too much, Kearse is overrated, Tyron is good but he’s a ticking time bomb each week. I say we need to say goodbye and move Tyler Smith to LT and Bass to LG, and draft a nasty C/G.
3. Who will be the Defensive coordinator? As of today it looks like Dan Quinn which won’t be a tragedy. But whoever it is, we need to stop believing we can play small LBs and expect to stop the run. It won’t happen. Changes/upgrades are desperately needed on defense starting with major help stopping the run. (For the umpteenth year!) We especially need LBs and DL.
4. What should be our draft priorities? Watching the two championship games this past weekend made it obvious how much we need to (once again) upgrade our physicality on both sides of the ball. We desperately need some help at LB, DL, OL and RB. If it were me as GM, I would try to move Dak and draft a QB early, roll with Lance this year and try to rebuild. This FO won’t do that, but I would.
5. What will the starting backfield look like next year? I would move on from Dak, see what Lance has, draft a QB early, draft a RB on Day 2 that can start for us and sign a cheaper FA RB. This team will extend Dak I’m sure of it. And Dak isn’t as bad as too many here think. But sometime’s it’s just time to move on. I would.
6. Will this team go farther in the playoffs next year? I hope so but I do not believe so. This team will not get better until this FO can admit that we aren’t that close.

I wish this owner would allow us to rebuild instead of pretending to be “close”. To repeat a phrase I wrote in question #5, This team will not get better until it can admit that we aren’t that close. You can’t get better if you don’t start with the truth.

What about you? How would you answer these questions? Do you have more questions I didn’t have?

Bob. You know Daks getting an extension. And this time his agent will want a career ending contract. Last time he wanted 3-4 years so he could dip back in. JJ wanted a 5-7 year.

Now it will be reversed. His agent will want that 5 year deal and JJ will want 2 or 3. I personally have a grudge against his agent because it was known that JJ had a hand shake deal to sign Dak. And after a win against fins his agent backed out and it took a longer time signing him. I thought it to be rude and dishonest. IMO Dak should have fired his agent after that. If nothing else but to show loyalty to the team. But there is no real loyalty anymore. JJ will extend him for 4 more years or longer and spread this thing out to sign more players.

It’s another Romo era. I dont know if Romo would have ever got it done but in his later years he was smooth with the passes and understood the game and defenses much better. If Dak can work with his game maybe he gets there. But I feel we are gonna be with Dak for a while unless Lance could come in and take this. I do think JJ is open for someone to do it. But on the same hand we never saw him one time as if he wanted to use him as a trade chip. I do think he could do what purdy is doing now plus maybe a better runner. I do know we will see him alot in preseason. I think Rush is gone.

Either way. Get ready for Dak to be back. You are a lifetime Cowboys fan so you ain’t going anywhere. Lmao. Me either. We deal with it. Until JJ steps out we are stuck. SJ is cheap but will not do what his dad is doing.

 

[Chasing6]

My point was no one is going to stay in Dallas if they want to win something more than a handful of games in the regular season every year against crappy teams. Anyone who stays in Dallas is only doing it for the money.

I honestly don't think we understand the priority of what most players want.

Money - NFL for most is a very short career.

Playoffs - don't really pay players very well. Typically only helps the super stars with endorsements. Most players get very little out of it financially. Risk more injury and takes time away from family. Less time to recover from the season. All for the glory of saying you won a SB.

 

[TequilaCowboy]

If all those questions need to be answered in the off season, get prepared for the no.1 overall pick in the 2025 off season.

That's the sad truth no one, especially Jerry, wants to accept. This team is not close.. then so be it. Or keep floundering like in the JG years around .500.

 

[Bobhaze]

I honestly don't think we understand the priority of what most players want.

Money - NFL for most is a very short career.

Playoffs - don't really pay players very well. Typically only helps the super stars with endorsements. Most players get very little out of it financially. Risk more injury and takes time away from family. Less time to recover from the season. All for the glory of saying you won a SB.

For most of the best players playing in this league, winning a SB is worth everything. For the players who don’t feel that way I wish they would leave the Cowboys.

 

[Bobhaze]

A team that gets the 2 spot is close.

Seeding from a year ago means little. Philly was the #1 seed last year and they weren’t as close this year. Buffalo was a #2 this year and they weren’t close. KC was a #3 and it’s clear they were better than the two teams above them.

Seeding is important but can also be misleading.

 

[Bobhaze]

Lance is not even close to the answer, unless the plan is a complete rebuild and if so, no reason to resign CD and Micah.

Lance probably isn’t the answer, I agree. But can we also agree if we don’t try something new, why would we expect different results?

I fully realize Jerry is going to extend Dak. And I think Dak is a good QB. I have fullly supported him for the last 8 years. Most of the team’s failures are not all on him. But I also believe Jerry hangs on to guys too long. He did with Romo and he’s doing it now. It’s time to move on IMO. I think a team like Pitts that has a good team and needs a QB might be a good trade. Or even a team like Sea who has a new coach and has been searching for a QB.

The Cowboys have had only 2 starting QBs in the last 18 seasons. The 49ers have had 8 starting QBs in that same period and two of those QBs who aren’t there anymore each won an NFC championship and took them to two different SBs. Good organizations recognize when it’s time to go another direction.

 

[Captain-Crash]

 

[Pantone282C]

The Cowboys need to find a eject button on Dak. It will come with pain. Other teams do it with high price players. Other teams have done is recently and were just in the playoffs. Keeping Dak's contract will hurt the team's salary cap and ability to bring in any quality FA's.

I get that some still believe Dak can deliver but I'm not one of them. It's simply time to move on. His support has eroded so much this year from the fans, teammates and now teammates family members are popping off.

He just can't win 3 games in a row to get to the super bowl. And his contract will make it even harder to field a team that can help him.

Truth

 

[Coogiguy03]

Bob. You know Daks getting an extension. And this time his agent will want a career ending contract. Last time he wanted 3-4 years so he could dip back in. JJ wanted a 5-7 year.

Now it will be reversed. His agent will want that 5 year deal and JJ will want 2 or 3. I personally have a grudge against his agent because it was known that JJ had a hand shake deal to sign Dak. And after a win against fins his agent backed out and it took a longer time signing him. I thought it to be rude and dishonest. IMO Dak should have fired his agent after that. If nothing else but to show loyalty to the team. But there is no real loyalty anymore. JJ will extend him for 4 more years or longer and spread this thing out to sign more players.

It’s another Romo era. I dont know if Romo would have ever got it done but in his later years he was smooth with the passes and understood the game and defenses much better. If Dak can work with his game maybe he gets there. But I feel we are gonna be with Dak for a while unless Lance could come in and take this. I do think JJ is open for someone to do it. But on the same hand we never saw him one time as if he wanted to use him as a trade chip. I do think he could do what purdy is doing now plus maybe a better runner. I do know we will see him alot in preseason. I think Rush is gone.

Either way. Get ready for Dak to be back. You are a lifetime Cowboys fan so you ain’t going anywhere. Lmao. Me either. We deal with it. Until JJ steps out we are stuck. SJ is cheap but will not do what his dad is doing.

The part where NOW starts off is spot on

 

[rambo2]

Seeding from a year ago means little. Philly was the #1 seed last year and they weren’t as close this year. Buffalo was a #2 this year and they weren’t close. KC was a #3 and it’s clear they were better than the two teams above them.

Seeding is important but can also be misleading.

Buffalo was certainly close. Detroit was close and the Cowboys beat them because they were close too. So, you are saying the Chiefs were clearly better and Philly wasn't close when the Eagles beat the Chiefs.

 

[Bobhaze]

Buffalo was certainly close. Detroit was close and the Cowboys beat them because they were close too. So, you are saying the Chiefs were clearly better and Philly wasn't close when the Eagles beat the Chiefs.

You’re talking about regular season wins. Philly beat KC in October. We judge the best teams in this league in January. Seeding only matters WHERE the games are played. What matters is who WINS the games in the playoffs.
The packers were the 7th seed and easily beat the 2nd seed. Seeding is about the regular season.

 

[rambo2]

You’re talking about regular season wins. Philly beat KC in October. We judge the best teams in this league in January. Seeding only matters WHERE the games are played. What matters is who WINS the games in the playoffs.
The packers were the 7th seed and easily beat the 2nd seed. Seeding is about the regular season.

So, it matters because the 49ers were lucky enough to get some bonehead decisions by the Lions coach.

 

[Chasing6]

For most of the best players playing in this league, winning a SB is worth everything. For the players who don’t feel that way I wish they would leave the Cowboys.

There are only a few best players in the league. Winning SB's is to help get them into the HOF. Average player has no chance. Best players get endorsements. Average player does not.

I asked this question before. Why is ok for a college player to sit out of a Bowl game to not risk injury before the draft?


If I make let's say $5M a year or roughly roughly $300K a game and I will be a free agent looking for a new contract, why would I want to risk injury playing in the playoffs for $50K a game?

The owners make a killing off of the playoffs. Players no so much.

 

[CTcowboy203]

I heard Bob Sturm the other day make an amazing point. Since 2006, the Cowboys have only had 2 starting QBs. That’s 2 QBs in 18 years. Once Jerry locks in that he has a QB he can win with, he won’t move on from them until it’s just beyond obvious, like it was with Romo, who had become so fragile he couldn’t take any kind of hit.

Look at this year’s NFC champions and how many QBs they have gone through since 2006:

• SF- they have had 8 starting QBs since 2006: Alex Smith, Shaun Hill, Colin K, Brian Hoyer, CJ Beathard, Jimmy Garropolo, TreyLance and Brock Purdy.

My point here is even after Colin K and Jimmy G took the niners to SBs they STILL moved on from them because they thought they could do better and we’re willing to take chances to do that. Not here.

But none of those qb’s are as good as dak or Romo. In fact most of them suck- until purdy and arguably Alex smith. Are you positive San Fran moves on if shanahan or harbaugh has a Romo or dak? I’m not at all.

 

[NDGAEDE]

The Cowboys need to find a eject button on Dak. It will come with pain. Other teams do it with high price players. Other teams have done is recently and were just in the playoffs. Keeping Dak's contract will hurt the team's salary cap and ability to bring in any quality FA's.

I get that some still believe Dak can deliver but I'm not one of them. It's simply time to move on. His support has eroded so much this year from the fans, teammates and now teammates family members are popping off.

He just can't win 3 games in a row to get to the super bowl. And his contract will make it even harder to field a team that can help him.

This a really good way to think about what we need to do. An eject button. Other teams do this all the time. Look at the Broncos. They overinvested in the wrong guy and are moving on after two years, despite the considerable costs.

We've reached our limit with Dak and now his contract really will prohibit us from building a better team to compensate for his weaknesses. But the Joneses are not at all comfortable with the hard decisions. Garrett, of all people, got a frigging decade and even then, they didn't 'eject' but waited for the plane to land and gently encouraged him to leave.

The Joneses need to grow a pair and cut Dak loose.

 

[Chasing6]

I heard Bob Sturm the other day make an amazing point. Since 2006, the Cowboys have only had 2 starting QBs. That’s 2 QBs in 18 years. Once Jerry locks in that he has a QB he can win with, he won’t move on from them until it’s just beyond obvious, like it was with Romo, who had become so fragile he couldn’t take any kind of hit.

Look at this year’s NFC champions and how many QBs they have gone through since 2006:

• SF- they have had 8 starting QBs since 2006: Alex Smith, Shaun Hill, Colin K, Brian Hoyer, CJ Beathard, Jimmy Garropolo, TreyLance and Brock Purdy.

My point here is even after Colin K and Jimmy G took the niners to SBs they STILL moved on from them because they thought they could do better and we’re willing to take chances to do that. Not here.

Jimmy G was good, just injury prone. Alex had similar problem with the Niners. Kaepernick was an athlete trying to be a QB.( it works for a little while see Hurts) They tried to run it back with Kaepernick 2.0 with Trey Lance. Funny thing running QB's get injured just like Jimmy G and Alex Smith who are less mobile.

Purdy is having a lot of success, but he is primarily a bus driver. The team mostly Carrie's him

 

[john van brocklin]

The 2024 off-season has already started for our Cowboys and there are a ton of questions that must be answered before we get any kind of feel for this team’s real prospects in 2024.

I’m sure I’m missing some, but here are the biggest questions facing the Cowboys this off-season :

1. What to do about Dak Prescott? I have supported Dak for the 8 years he’s been our starter. I still think he’s good enough to win playoff games with. BUT…I feel it’s time to move on from him. The team won’t. They are handcuffed (at least in their own thinking) by his contract and their options to cut/trade aren’t great. I would definitely seek a trade partner, roll with Trey Lance, and draft a QB early. But the team won’t do that.
2. Which of the team’s 16 FAs will keep next year? Heres the list:
   • Tyron Smith, Tony Pollard, Tyler Biadaz, Jourdan Lewis, Stephon Gilmore, Dorance Armstrong, Jayron Kearse, Dante Fowler, Jonathan Hankins, Trent Sieg, Neville Gallimore, Chuma Edoga, Rico Dowdle, Sean McKeon, CJ Goodwin and Noah Igbinoghene.
   • I would let everyone go except Jourdan Lewis, Trent Sieg (deep snapper) maybe Hankins (if the money works), and perhaps Dorance Armstrong (although I seriously doubt we can afford him) Biadaz will cost too much, Gilmore will be 34 and we will have Diggs back. Fowler is a spot down pass rusher which we don’t need compared to run stuffers. Pollard will cost too much, Kearse is overrated, Tyron is good but he’s a ticking time bomb each week. I say we need to say goodbye and move Tyler Smith to LT and Bass to LG, and draft a nasty C/G.
3. Who will be the Defensive coordinator? As of today it looks like Dan Quinn which won’t be a tragedy. But whoever it is, we need to stop believing we can play small LBs and expect to stop the run. It won’t happen. Changes/upgrades are desperately needed on defense starting with major help stopping the run. (For the umpteenth year!) We especially need LBs and DL.
4. What should be our draft priorities? Watching the two championship games this past weekend made it obvious how much we need to (once again) upgrade our physicality on both sides of the ball. We desperately need some help at LB, DL, OL and RB. If it were me as GM, I would try to move Dak and draft a QB early, roll with Lance this year and try to rebuild. This FO won’t do that, but I would.
5. What will the starting backfield look like next year? I would move on from Dak, see what Lance has, draft a QB early, draft a RB on Day 2 that can start for us and sign a cheaper FA RB. This team will extend Dak I’m sure of it. And Dak isn’t as bad as too many here think. But sometime’s it’s just time to move on. I would.
6. Will this team go farther in the playoffs next year? I hope so but I do not believe so. This team will not get better until this FO can admit that we aren’t that close.

I wish this owner would allow us to rebuild instead of pretending to be “close”. To repeat a phrase I wrote in question #5, This team will not get better until it can admit that we aren’t that close. You can’t get better if you don’t start with the truth.

What about you? How would you answer these questions? Do you have more questions I didn’t have?

Spot on about dak.
Good player, but it would be good for both parties to get a fresh start

 

[Diehardblues]

You’re talking about regular season wins. Philly beat KC in October. We judge the best teams in this league in January. Seeding only matters WHERE the games are played. What matters is who WINS the games in the playoffs.
The packers were the 7th seed and easily beat the 2nd seed. Seeding is about the regular season.

And if more fans were paying attention they wouldn’t have been so shocked or embarrassed cause GB was playing well down the stretch and we weren’t.

We lucked out winning division and fell into 2 seed and then blew out a horrible Wash team who had lost 7 straight . And then everyone seemed to all of a sudden expected us to reach Champ game forgetting how we had played last 3 games against playoff teams.

If Egirls hadn’t collapsed and Dumb Dan doesn’t give their game away we are headed to Tampa losing last 3 of 4. I bet fans wouldn’t have been as shocked losing there.

 

[Diehardblues]

You’re talking about regular season wins. Philly beat KC in October. We judge the best teams in this league in January. Seeding only matters WHERE the games are played. What matters is who WINS the games in the playoffs.
The packers were the 7th seed and easily beat the 2nd seed. Seeding is about the regular season.

And almost beat the 1 seed and prohibitive fav in NFC. Packers were playing solid football down the stretch and few saw it coming. Love is prob going to be one of the next great QB’s.

 

[RoboQB]

A team that gets the 2 spot is close.

All it took was a 6-week meltdown by Philthy.