Look at our roster without the fan glasses

[Stash]

They took BPA last time and I think that was a mistake. Those WR's don't matter if they don't have a good LT and Big Smitty has worn down.

He has, but even without him, they were putting up 36 points a game with those receivers. It wasn't until they lost their quarterback that the wheels fell off.

 

[ghst187]

If anyone thinks this is a talented enough roster to be better than 2-5, let us take the fan glasses off and take a hard look at each position on both offense and defense.

For the purposes of this evaluation let’s look at each position on the filed and use this terminology to evaluate it: Position of Strength (S), or Position of Weakness (W). I’ve always believed whatever player is not a strength is automatically a weakness. You are either Strong or Weak, no in-between.

OFFENSE
LT- Tyron Smith- (W) What was once a top 3 LT in the league is probably headed for retirement.
LG- Connor Williams (W) In his third season, haven’t seen enough to say it’s a strength
C- Tyler Biadaz (W) I would actually label TB as an unknown. He may develop, but he’s no T-Fred.
RG- Zack Martin (S) Still an All Pro
RT- La’el Collins (S) Injured now but if he’s back in form next year, he’s legit.
TE- Blake Jarwin/Dalton Schultz- (S) This may be generous but Dalton’s development and the return of Jarwin may make this a strength.
WR- Amari Cooper, Michael Gallup, Cedee Lamb- (S) Frankly, wasted riches
RB- Zeke Elliott- (W) Can’t believe I just typed W but Zeke’s bad contract coupled with his lost burst makes him above average but based on his cap space, he’s a weakness.
QB- Dak Prescott (S)- I know there are fans here who don’t like Dak, but assuming his leg is good next year, he’s proven to be a top 5-8 QB.
Offense Total- 5 positions of strength, 6 positions of weakness. The LT position is one of the hardest to find quality, so that may become a draft priority.

DEFENSE
LDE- DeMarcus Lawrence (W) He’s playing hurt and not playing up to his contract, but unlike Jaylon, he still plays hard.
DT- Neville Gallimore- (W) too early to tell if he’s got anything but we’re still thin here
DT- Antuan Woods- (W) perhaps a decent backup, but not starter quality
RDE- Ty Crawford, Aldon Smith, Randy Gregory (W) Smith has shown flashes but he’s too old, RG is completely unreliable and Crawford should have been cut already.
MLB- LVE (W) Talented but a China doll. The clock is ticking for his retirement announcement.
WLB- Jaylon Smith (W)- Out position a lot and can’t cover anyone. Bad contract now,
S- X. Woods, D. Thompson, etc. (W) Pathetic frankly.
CBs- C. Awuzie, A. Brown, J Lewis, T. Diggs- (W) Diggs is probably decent, Brown has been a disappointment, Awuzie has been injured and inconsistent as is Lewis. Depleted.
Defense Total- All 11 positions are Weak. Obviously lots of draft capital will be needed. 2021 would be a great year to stockpile extra picks.

Obviously, this is subjective on my part, and I realize some young guys like Biadaz, Diggs and Gallimore may develop into decent starters, But right now, we don’t know that.

Seems pretty obvious that even at full strength- with no injuries- this team’s weaknesses are glaring. This won’t be fixed easily, and probably not immediately. This is not a very talented team overall.

One other concern- I’m certain Mike McCarthy wasn’t hired for a rebuild. Has Jerry accepted the truth of how big the holes are on this roster? If so, he may need to find a guy who can build from scratch.

Now do any other middle tier teams roster....
Point being no roster is just stacked top to bottom. Parcells came to Dallas and got the team to the playoffs with one of the worst rosters in history and worst starting QB/RB tandem in cowboy history. It can be done and the parity across the league makes it even easier.
But the scheme has to be sound and the players have to be disciplined and execute. We look like a total joke in all depts. scheme on D is terrible, execution is terrible, attitude is terrible.
I really don’t know how much of this epic disaster is players vs coaches and who needs fired first.
I would have to see the lockerroom firsthand and see how mike deals with the players and what goes on in meetings. But from the armchair it looks bad all around. Nolan def has to go.

 

[CouchCoach]

He has, but even without him, they were putting up 36 points a game with those receivers. It wasn't until they lost their quarterback that the wheels fell off.

With that OL, I think it was a matter of time before the QB started missing games.

 

[Stash]

i was wrong about griffen and poe.
im glad this team acknowledged their mistakes and moved on.

Same here. I was every bit as wrong about both as the team was. I thought they were both quality signings and guys who still cared about playing football and making a living. Clearly not.

i hope Anae gets more snaps moving forward and i hope we get to see Reggie Robinson.
i am still excited about Randy Gregory being back....i like our DE group despite the low sack numbers.

Like everything else in this lost season, I consider it an extended training camp and evaluation period. Lets' see who's worth keeping.

Dorance Armstrong looks improved to me.

I haven't seen that.

i like our 2 young DTs Neville Gallimore and Hamilton.
i hope we add 2 more in the draft.

At least two more. Play the young guys, the vet defensive tackles are clearly garbage.

i like Donovan Wilson...the more experience he gets the better.
im very disappointed with Xavier Woods...i thought by now he'd be better.
this is a spot i hope we address in the draft.
love Trevon Diggs.
be glad when Awuzie comes back.
i like the Awuzie,Diggs,Brown trio at CB.
im still a Lewis fan but he's been disappointing.
i would move Robinson back to CB and give him some game reps...lets see what we got.

Open tryouts in the secondary, for the coaches too. And if anyone wants to give me anything at all for any of the contract year defensive backs, they can have 'em.

 

[Stash]

With that OL, I think it was a matter of time before the QB started missing games.

Maybe, but that's not how he got hurt. It just goes to show just how much Dak was carrying this whole thing. With him out, the wheels have fallen off this thing.

And that's why anyone still talking about not paying him continues to look like an idiot.

 

[kskboys]

If anyone thinks this is a talented enough roster to be better than 2-5, let us take the fan glasses off and take a hard look at each position on both offense and defense.

For the purposes of this evaluation let’s look at each position on the filed and use this terminology to evaluate it: Position of Strength (S), or Position of Weakness (W). I’ve always believed whatever player is not a strength is automatically a weakness. You are either Strong or Weak, no in-between.

OFFENSE
LT- Tyron Smith- (W) What was once a top 3 LT in the league is probably headed for retirement.
LG- Connor Williams (W) In his third season, haven’t seen enough to say it’s a strength
C- Tyler Biadaz (W) I would actually label TB as an unknown. He may develop, but he’s no T-Fred.
RG- Zack Martin (S) Still an All Pro
RT- La’el Collins (S) Injured now but if he’s back in form next year, he’s legit.
TE- Blake Jarwin/Dalton Schultz- (S) This may be generous but Dalton’s development and the return of Jarwin may make this a strength.
WR- Amari Cooper, Michael Gallup, Cedee Lamb- (S) Frankly, wasted riches
RB- Zeke Elliott- (W) Can’t believe I just typed W but Zeke’s bad contract coupled with his lost burst makes him above average but based on his cap space, he’s a weakness.
QB- Dak Prescott (S)- I know there are fans here who don’t like Dak, but assuming his leg is good next year, he’s proven to be a top 5-8 QB.
Offense Total- 5 positions of strength, 6 positions of weakness. The LT position is one of the hardest to find quality, so that may become a draft priority.

DEFENSE
LDE- DeMarcus Lawrence (W) He’s playing hurt and not playing up to his contract, but unlike Jaylon, he still plays hard.
DT- Neville Gallimore- (W) too early to tell if he’s got anything but we’re still thin here
DT- Antuan Woods- (W) perhaps a decent backup, but not starter quality
RDE- Ty Crawford, Aldon Smith, Randy Gregory (W) Smith has shown flashes but he’s too old, RG is completely unreliable and Crawford should have been cut already.
MLB- LVE (W) Talented but a China doll. The clock is ticking for his retirement announcement.
WLB- Jaylon Smith (W)- Out position a lot and can’t cover anyone. Bad contract now,
S- X. Woods, D. Thompson, etc. (W) Pathetic frankly.
CBs- C. Awuzie, A. Brown, J Lewis, T. Diggs- (W) Diggs is probably decent, Brown has been a disappointment, Awuzie has been injured and inconsistent as is Lewis. Depleted.
Defense Total- All 11 positions are Weak. Obviously lots of draft capital will be needed. 2021 would be a great year to stockpile extra picks.

Obviously, this is subjective on my part, and I realize some young guys like Biadaz, Diggs and Gallimore may develop into decent starters, But right now, we don’t know that.

Seems pretty obvious that even at full strength- with no injuries- this team’s weaknesses are glaring. This won’t be fixed easily, and probably not immediately. This is not a very talented team overall.

One other concern- I’m certain Mike McCarthy wasn’t hired for a rebuild. Has Jerry accepted the truth of how big the holes are on this roster? If so, he may need to find a guy who can build from scratch.

DDDAAAAAAAAMMMMMMMMMM UUUUUUUUUUUU

I knew it was bad, but I honestly hadn't gone over it to see just how bad.

This really really really points toward needing to rebuild. Any chance anyone can get this to Jerry?

 

[kskboys]

I disagree with you brother. Ty Smith was my favorite Cowboys player for years. He was an absolute beast. But he hasn’t played a full season since 2015. By the end of this season he will have missed 27 games. One of the most underrated abilities with all players is availability, and Smith has lost that lately. I’m sad to say, he has become a weakness.

Regarding Zeke. He’s no longer an explosive player. I realize he doesn’t have the line he once had, but since his rookie year, he has had one run over 40 yards. He’s still a good rb but he’s not what this team is paying him to be- elite. That in my book makes him a weakness for this team.

Yeah, if Zeke's salary was a more manageable, say, 9-10 mil/season, I'd be fine w/ him.

 

[CouchCoach]

Maybe, but that's not how he got hurt. It just goes to show just how much Dak was carrying this whole thing. With him out, the wheels have fallen off this thing.

And that's why anyone still talking about not paying him continues to look like an idiot.

The difference between the Cowboys, especially on offense, pre Prescott getting hurt and post is one of the most dramatic differences I have ever seen. Romo going down was pronounced but this is worse than that.

Prescott is not one the MVP, he's the OVP, Only Valuable Player.

 

[jrumann59]

I am not ready to write off T. Smith. I expect a renaissance from him. The thing that has been his biggest problem is his neck. He should have had surgery years ago. Now the stinger issue is probably related to the herniated disk they have been managing for the last 3-4 seasons. He is getting that fixed, I would say yes draft a replacement but I would give him another year.

 

[Stash]

The difference between the Cowboys, especially on offense, pre Prescott getting hurt and post is one of the most dramatic differences I have ever seen. Romo going down was pronounced but this is worse than that.

Prescott is not one the MVP, he's the OVP, Only Valuable Player.

 

[dckid]

No injuries to any players this squad would be 8-8 or 9-7.
Offense- Has enough pieces to put points up. They need to protect the ball! Fundamentals....
Defense- DL, LB, CB, S. are all complete weakness. There are a few glimpses of hope within the ranks, but mostly mediocre or worse players.
Draft and FA must be about DL and secondary. We will need to put less emphasis on LBers, due to desperate needs elsewhere.

That is the problem.. Even a full strength this team is not a winning a SB.
To me the biggest get out jail card we have is this season going the way it has.
DO NOT pay DAK 40 million a year. With the current makeup of the roster from Defense all the way to special teams.. save that 40 million per year anchor.
Realize that this is not a SB roster and our goal should be to compete for a SB. No more just saying we can win 8 wins.

 

[kskboys]

Now do any other middle tier teams roster....
Point being no roster is just stacked top to bottom. Parcells came to Dallas and got the team to the playoffs with one of the worst rosters in history and worst starting QB/RB tandem in cowboy history. It can be done and the parity across the league makes it even easier.
But the scheme has to be sound and the players have to be disciplined and execute. We look like a total joke in all depts. scheme on D is terrible, execution is terrible, attitude is terrible.
I really don’t know how much of this epic disaster is players vs coaches and who needs fired first.
I would have to see the lockerroom firsthand and see how mike deals with the players and what goes on in meetings. But from the armchair it looks bad all around. Nolan def has to go.

Parcells got to the playoffs w/ the best D in the NFL. He had a pile of talent on D: Laroi Glover, Greg Ellis, Dat Nguyen, Coakley, Terrance Newman, Darren Woodson, Roy Williams before the fall. That D was ultra stacked.

And on O he had a very good Oline and an excellent receiving FB in Anderson, good WR's in Glenn and Galloway. The talent on that team on D easily trumps anything we have on this team.

 

[cowboyec]

Same here. I was every bit as wrong about both as the team was. I thought they were both quality signings and guys who still cared about playing football and making a living. Clearly not.



Like everything else in this lost season, I consider it an extended training camp and evaluation period. Lets' see who's worth keeping.



I haven't seen that.



At least two more. Play the young guys, the vet defensive tackles are clearly garbage.




Open tryouts in the secondary, for the coaches too. And if anyone wants to give me anything at all for any of the contract year defensive backs, they can have 'em.

in the limited spots Armstrong has gotten so far...he looks more active to me.
last season...like griffen and poe...i hardly noticed him.

 

[Stash]

in the limited spots Armstrong has gotten so far...he looks more active to me.
last season...like griffen and poe...i hardly noticed him.

I'm still hardly noticing him. 3 years into his career and that's still the case. A lot of talk about him, but no production. and seven games into this season and not even one sack.

And based on these numbers, I would not call his opportunities "limited":

https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/A/ArmsDo00.htm

 

[Bobhaze]

I am not ready to write off T. Smith. I expect a renaissance from him. The thing that has been his biggest problem is his neck. He should have had surgery years ago. Now the stinger issue is probably related to the herniated disk they have been managing for the last 3-4 seasons. He is getting that fixed, I would say yes draft a replacement but I would give him another year.

I would like to believe that. But when you’re talking about NFL players with herniated discs with either back or neck surgeries, it’s extremely rare to see that player return to former greatness. Maybe I’m wrong. If there are some examples of players 30 and over who have come back from this I would love to consider that hope.

 

[Miller]

Good post. Too bad our owner will just keep
Rolling it out

 

[jrumann59]

I would like to believe that. But when you’re talking about NFL players with herniated discs with either back or neck surgeries, it’s extremely rare to see that player return to former greatness. Maybe I’m wrong. If there are some examples of players 30 and over who have come back from this I would love to consider that hope.

I dont expect him to be a top 5 LT but even with the surgery top 10 is attainable and buys time. If he can come back and play at a high level for 16 games for the next 2-3 seasons would be nice luxury as opposed to the guys we have or could draft.

 

[McKDaddy]

I tend to agree with your assessment.

two areas that look like Weakness but i have a little hope for next year.

If TS & LC give you good years next year, your Oline & Offense overall are in a much better place. Having said that, TS is just fingers crossed. He's clearly been fighting injuries for several years & isn't the player he once was. LC is in my doghouse. I need him to report in great shape and ball out to get out of it.

If we can retain Awuzie & Brown at reasonable price, the trio including Diggs is at least a respectable start to a secondary.

These players would allow you some flexibility in how you spend your resources in 2021.

 

[superonyx]

I disagree with you brother. Ty Smith was my favorite Cowboys player for years. He was an absolute beast. But he hasn’t played a full season since 2015. By the end of this season he will have missed 27 games. One of the most underrated abilities with all players is availability, and Smith has lost that lately. I’m sad to say, he has become a weakness.

Regarding Zeke. He’s no longer an explosive player. I realize he doesn’t have the line he once had, but since his rookie year, he has had one run over 40 yards. He’s still a good rb but he’s not what this team is paying him to be- elite. That in my book makes him a weakness for this team.

Before labelling Zeke a weakness you should look as his total productivity per game over the last several years. The line has not been even close to what it once was and our play calling became predictable and stale. Yet he still produced. This isnt a conversation about who is the best back in the league. Its a conversation about if the man is considered a weakness.

Before Daltons first game what did the Cards defense say they need to do to win? They said they needed to make Dalton beat us. That only eliminates Zeke as a weakness.

 

[kskboys]

Before labelling Zeke a weakness you should look as his total productivity per game over the last several years. The line has not been even close to what it once was and our play calling became predictable and stale. Yet he still produced. This isnt a conversation about who is the best back in the league. Its a conversation about if the man is considered a weakness.

Before Daltons first game what did the Cards defense say they need to do to win? They said they needed to make Dalton beat us. That only eliminates Zeke as a weakness.

I only agree w/ Zeke as a weakness at present due to his fumbling and bloated salary. He is indeed obviously hampered by a bad OL.