Maybe it's time to let our young players step up?

[endersdragon]

First off on offense, we are pretty much set outside of RB, and backup QB, and maybe #2 WR so I am going to talk more about defense. It seems to me we love to sign progress stopping players, especially recently now that Romo seems to have so little time left. Yet at a lot of the positions we are looking so desperately for players, we have taken players with early picks in recent years, players that have shown flashes of talent. For example:

At DE we took D-Law 2 years ago who came on really strong at the end of last year finishing with 8 sacks, 2 more than Hardy, and more than most of the guys we are looking at, this coming from the wrong side to sack a QB most of the time, and we took Gregory last year, didn't get a lot of playing time and didn't seem all that good... but he was thought to have first round talent and DEs are generally not that good their first year.

At LB we have Hitchens who 2 years ago had one of the most surprising rookie years playing well at all 3 LB spots, and Wilson and Gachkar, 2 fairly young guys (one of them just going into his second year) who showed some flashes in the past but haven't gotten into the game much.

Secondary the obvious guy is Jones (just get out of his way wherever you put him... he can obviously play and probably at a lot of spots)... and we are getting our best secondary member back in Scandy (not young I know, but we are still getting him back).


I honestly am not seeing many more holes on this team than I was last year, and far fewer than I was seeing 2 years ago. Maybe it's time to just get out of these guys way and let them step up and prove themselves. I think most of them have the talent, we just need some good guys to put around them... not in front of them. Well that's just my $0.02 feel free to flame below

 

[Idgit]

We need more impact defenders. Maybe that comes from Lawrence, or Jones, or Gregory. But I think we need to add a few more. And we obviously need a QB to develop. Beyond that, when healthy, the roster is pretty competitive.

And we do have a lot of picks coming up here.

We'll end up with a couple valuable FAs before it's said and done. But the team will be built in the draft, regardless.

 

[endersdragon]

We need more impact defenders. Maybe that comes from Lawrence, or Jones, or Gregory. But I think we need to add a few more. And we obviously need a QB to develop. Beyond that, when healthy, the roster is pretty competitive.

And we do have a lot of picks coming up here.

We'll end up with a couple valuable FAs before it's said and done. But the team will be built in the draft, regardless.

Give me Fairley and any of a number of CBs (Hall, Hayward, Smith, and Boykin would all be good, heck if we keep Carr I wouldn't mind getting Sterling Moore back for our NB position) to put around what we have and I think we will be pretty good. A lot of people forget that outside of takeaways this defense was a middle of the pack defense... that didn't have an offense... last year. Heck give me Weddle and I will be more than excited about this year, him next to Jones would be sweet.

 

[TheMarathonContinues]

That's what it has always been. This team got better two years ago because Dez got better. The offensive line was dominant. Demarco got better.

You can talk about spending all of this money in free agency and people will bring up the Bronco's but the Bronco's are not the same team if Von Miller doesn't develop into what he became last year.

No matter who we sign or draft this season will be dependent on if Romo stays healthy and our younger guys developing into their own. Its around the time for it to happen. You like to give players 2 or 3 years to start showing what they have. Next year is the year for a lot of them.

 

[Typhus]

That's what it has always been. This team got better two years ago because Dez got better. The offensive line was dominant. Demarco got Healthy.

You can talk about spending all of this money in free agency and people will bring up the Bronco's but the Bronco's are not the same team if Von Miller doesn't develop into what he became last year.

No matter who we sign or draft this season will be dependent on if Romo stays healthy and our younger guys developing into their own. Its around the time for it to happen. You like to give players 2 or 3 years to start showing what they have. Next year is the year for a lot of them.

Fixed it for you.

 

[Galian Beast]

Cowboys depth chart

LDE - Lawrence (23)
DT - Vacant
DT - Crawford (26)
RDE - Randy Gregory* (23)

SLB - Hitchens (23)
MLB - McClain (26)
WLB - Lee (29)

LCB - Carr**/Scandrick (29)
RCB - Vacant
FS - Jones*** (23)
SS - Church^ (28)

With the exceptions of Scandrick and Lee, the defense IS pretty young, and unless we get older with free agents here, we will probably get even younger with the draft.

I think Church may get released at this point, he IS expensive this year for what he offers, but Jerry often overpays players. I believe Carr probably gets cut at this point, but the Cowboys don't seem to be giving him a chance to get money in free agency. Looks like they will wait and ask him to take a pay cut again or just screw him over, like he did to them last year.

Had Randy Gregory not gotten suspended I would have felt much more strongly about what our defense can do this year. I still think it is imperative that we re-sign Greg Hardy at this point. At this rate I say you have to re-sign Hardy, replace Mincey, and get another veteran to replace Gregory (not that we release him, but since we can't count on him). We also need to get a free agent corner and a replacement for Hayden.

That's 5 free agents on defense alone. Also think we need to re-sign Dunbar and hopefully Hanna, and then get Matt Moore. That's another 3, making 8. Probably asking too much.

 

[TheFinisher]

Which young players?

This team has been horrible at finding talent outside of round 1.

 

[cowboyblue22]

this roster of great young players won one game last season without tony I don't see where for me there is all these great expectations.

 

[Silver N Blue]

is there a choice

 

[kazzd58]

First off on offense, we are pretty much set outside of RB, and backup QB, and maybe #2 WR so I am going to talk more about defense. It seems to me we love to sign progress stopping players, especially recently now that Romo seems to have so little time left. Yet at a lot of the positions we are looking so desperately for players, we have taken players with early picks in recent years, players that have shown flashes of talent. For example:

At DE we took D-Law 2 years ago who came on really strong at the end of last year finishing with 8 sacks, 2 more than Hardy, and more than most of the guys we are looking at, this coming from the wrong side to sack a QB most of the time, and we took Gregory last year, didn't get a lot of playing time and didn't seem all that good... but he was thought to have first round talent and DEs are generally not that good their first year.

At LB we have Hitchens who 2 years ago had one of the most surprising rookie years playing well at all 3 LB spots, and Wilson and Gachkar, 2 fairly young guys (one of them just going into his second year) who showed some flashes in the past but haven't gotten into the game much.

Secondary the obvious guy is Jones (just get out of his way wherever you put him... he can obviously play and probably at a lot of spots)... and we are getting our best secondary member back in Scandy (not young I know, but we are still getting him back).






we need PLAYMAKERS on defense like a dez somebody u know at any moment will make a play at the right time... instincts

I honestly am not seeing many more holes on this team than I was last year, and far fewer than I was seeing 2 years ago. Maybe it's time to just get out of these guys way and let them step up and prove themselves. I think most of them have the talent, we just need some good guys to put around them... not in front of them. Well that's just my $0.02 feel free to flame below

 

[lostar2009]

This team need better safety play and a stronger Dline. Butler show more in his limited play than any outside our top 3 WR. I'll still draft a guy mid round.

 

[Galian Beast]

Randy Gregory - May never be a player we can depend on.
Chaz Green - Wasn't healthy at all last year, so the jury is out here.
Damien Wilson - We'll see if he can contribute this year.

Demarcus Lawrence is probably the best argument for patience after a really lackluster rookie year, he has started to put things together.

Anthony Hitchens is another pretty good player for us.

Devin Street - Needs to hit the streets. Brice Butler is much better.

Gavin Escobar - Will go to another team when he is done here, and he will perform admirably.

Terrance Williams - Not bad for a 3rd round draft pick, but shouldn't be our #2 receiver.

JJ Wilcox - Should be the end of projects this high up in the draft.

Tyrone Crawford - Jury is out on him.

Since 2012 we've dedicated a lot of resources to defense in the draft. Between rounds 1-4 we've dedicated 13 picks. That's 4 years. We've spent 5 on offense, albeit half our first round draft picks have been on offense.