Most important offseason acquisition
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fivetwos
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Close call….
Mazi wins by a small margin because they may finally have a piece that’s been missing forever.
Gillmore was an underrated add. Should give the pass rush another quarter second, and he can school Diggs and the young corners. Nice.
Cooks was pretty much a necessity.
Hopefully they can avoid the injury bug because they have clearly gotten better. Is it enough? We are probably just short, but Jerry and son seem to like it that way.
I think they needed another playmaker type on offense, but it’s very possible Deuce fills that role. I remain surprised they haven’t replaced Beasley, a weapon Dak seemed to like to have, but now it seems he will have two woobies (dump off TE) playing many snaps.
Tons of variables….I’d put our starting OL up against any other, but if it’s depth is tested? Not so much.
That’s why they play the games…..
Mazi wins by a small margin because they may finally have a piece that’s been missing forever.
Gillmore was an underrated add. Should give the pass rush another quarter second, and he can school Diggs and the young corners. Nice.
Cooks was pretty much a necessity.
Hopefully they can avoid the injury bug because they have clearly gotten better. Is it enough? We are probably just short, but Jerry and son seem to like it that way.
I think they needed another playmaker type on offense, but it’s very possible Deuce fills that role. I remain surprised they haven’t replaced Beasley, a weapon Dak seemed to like to have, but now it seems he will have two woobies (dump off TE) playing many snaps.
Tons of variables….I’d put our starting OL up against any other, but if it’s depth is tested? Not so much.
That’s why they play the games…..
Momanpr100
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Tough one, I picked Gilmore because Qbs gonna think twice about attacking the other side. Should make pash rush better.
Miller
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Well said. He was my answer for the sane reasons. With he and Diggs, QBs are holding the ball longer and it allows rush and guys like Mazi to get in the QBs face
CowboyFrog
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The way i see it... you put Mazi in games like GB and Chicago and even SF playoff game.. it changes those games more than with the other 2, but no doubt all three will have impacts on this season. I think most see the defense run game being better which it will.. you also will not see the QB slip up the middle getting away from our edge rushers as much.. he will change this defense more than the other players will change thier units.
TequilaCowboy
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All are important....obviously.. But the #1 would have to be Mazi...what is it that we always complain about come playoff time, or even just against the good teams? The defense getting run over up the gut. Or lack of pressure from the inside. Nothing gives you a more helpless feeling than that. This is a major step in trying to eliminate that darn problem.
I would say Gilmore is 2nd, but only if we get the All Pro Gilmore, and not to be a Debbie Downer, but I hope the FO did not wait too long to make this move. (with a DD smirk...lol)
I would say Gilmore is 2nd, but only if we get the All Pro Gilmore, and not to be a Debbie Downer, but I hope the FO did not wait too long to make this move. (with a DD smirk...lol)
darthseinfeld
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Im a small way maybe. Id say adding Gilmore pushes any draftee beyind the 2nd to the 5th CB spot. Making it not likely you have to count in them, because Lewis is gonna be 4th and next man up. So you would be able to take someone that has a high upside but low floor, and likely not be forced to throw them to the wolves
Not a huge effect, but a small one
xwalker
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The new OL coach...
ChronicCowboy
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I said Gilmore because the secondary was a shambles last season after the injuries.
Floatyworm
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Last because we don't have a QB that can get him the ball....
morasp
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Actually Lamb was the leading receiver for either team in the divisional game against the 49ers 10/117. I'm hoping that Cooks will be more of the Lamb variety than the Gallup/Brown variety. Either way we've got a long wait to find out.
xwalker
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Any QB problems were Kellen Moore's fault.
Also LVE's fault. He parked in Dak's spot and it screwed up Dak's pre-game routine.
Whiskey Cowboy
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I think all 3 are equally important. If I had to pick, I'd go Mazi, but only because we have him for 5 years on his rookie contract.
Cooks fills the void that I believe eliminated us from the playoffs. bringing in an offensive playmaker to line up opposite of CeeDee is going to open up the passing game, as well as back opposing safeties off, allowing for more open running lanes for Pollard to explode through.
Gilmore replacing Brown is a steal for a 5th. We're bringing in a very good corner, and former defensive player of the year to replace the only real hole in that secondary. Locking down both outside receivers and having a more experienced Bland in the slot will allow more time for our already magnificent pass rush to get home. It also allows for the safeties to creep forward and make plays in the run game without having to worry as much about a guy like Brown getting beat deep.
Mazi plugs the hole in the middle of the defensive front, effectively shutting down those 4 and 5 yard 1st and 2nd down runs...which allows more time for the pass rushers to find their target on 3rd down, which will create chaos and lead to more turnovers, giving our offense more opportunities to burn the clock and score more points.
It's not necessarily a matter of who will have more of an impact on the stat sheet. It's a cumulative affect of how all three affect the team as a whole. I see three players that, had they been in the lineup against the Niners, we wouldn't be talking about another early exit.
Cooks fills the void that I believe eliminated us from the playoffs. bringing in an offensive playmaker to line up opposite of CeeDee is going to open up the passing game, as well as back opposing safeties off, allowing for more open running lanes for Pollard to explode through.
Gilmore replacing Brown is a steal for a 5th. We're bringing in a very good corner, and former defensive player of the year to replace the only real hole in that secondary. Locking down both outside receivers and having a more experienced Bland in the slot will allow more time for our already magnificent pass rush to get home. It also allows for the safeties to creep forward and make plays in the run game without having to worry as much about a guy like Brown getting beat deep.
Mazi plugs the hole in the middle of the defensive front, effectively shutting down those 4 and 5 yard 1st and 2nd down runs...which allows more time for the pass rushers to find their target on 3rd down, which will create chaos and lead to more turnovers, giving our offense more opportunities to burn the clock and score more points.
It's not necessarily a matter of who will have more of an impact on the stat sheet. It's a cumulative affect of how all three affect the team as a whole. I see three players that, had they been in the lineup against the Niners, we wouldn't be talking about another early exit.
Aerolithe_Lion
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Really surprised by how this poll is going. Some things to keep in mind:
Mazi Smith
Virtually every great Nose tackle over the last 25 years was limited their rookie year. It is notoriously one of the hardest positions to succeed at right out of college. Why? Their mobility and athleticism is least translatable to their position(initially) as they move around less than any other position on the field. A NT could be doing an excellent job and not move out of a 3 foot box for entire stretches of the game. What this means is a huge deciding factor between average and good NT’s is purely technique. Something that takes years to get good at once you enter the NFL, and history backs this up in a big way. Who are the best NT’s in the NFL since 2000?
Vince Wilfork: Healthy and active all 16 games his rookie year, 1 single tackle for loss and the fewest tackles of any year in NE where he played 10+ games
Vita Vea: 28 total tackles his rookie year despite playing 500 snaps. 4 QB hits his entire rookie year, jumped to 12 the next year
Haloti Ngata: Unlike the previous 2, Started every single game his rookie year. 2 total tackles for loss, 31 tackles would be less than half he gets the very next year, 3 QB hits jumps to 10 in year 2.
Ted Washington: First round pick, active all 16 games, barely played
Pat Williams: Was undrafted, didn’t play much rookie year. Second year active 13 games, just 12 tackles and no tackles for loss.
Among NFL positions, CB and NT are two of the hardest to make an impact early on (Ahmad Gardner and Tariq Woolen huge outliers) due to the technique advancement from amateur to pro level. There may be a guy who was impressive right out of the gate that someone could dig up, but it would be a Sauce sized outlier as well, based on everyone else. Guys coming out of college aren’t ready to win hand fights with Zach Martin and Jason Kelce right out of the gate, whereas DE’s have a lot more room to manipulate their situation through stunts and bending corners, blitzes, etc. Doesn’t mean he can’t be a good player as a rookie, but having a superior impact to the other two vets is a much different prospect…
Brandon Cooks
In every single one of Brandin’s 1000 yard seasons, he was overwhelmingly the top receiver threat on each of those teams’ offenses. Willie Snead, Danny Amendola, Robert Woods (who did finish with comparable stats to Cooks), Nico Collins, Will Fuller were his number 2’s. Only once since his rookie year did he go into the season thinking he wasn’t going to get force fed the ball on every possession: 2019, his last year on the Rams when Cooper Kupp was just emerging. Cooks had 500 receiving yards that year in that offense as the outside deep threat to Cupp’s slot centerpiece, despite playing over 700 snaps.
He will give Dallas an element to their passing game they were missing previously, but with Gallup having a full season back now, to expect Brandin in his 30’s to have a 1-man show season like he did in Houston is a bit unrealistic. With the hints you may be featuring the TE more and balancing the running game, 600-800 yards and 6ish TDs is a very positive expectation of what he can give Dallas… especially if most of those TDs are on deep passes. Couple that with Gallup getting roughly those numbers and CeeDee attempting to repeat last year, it should be an improved passing attack. But is that the best offseason acquisition?
Stephon Gilmore
Lets ask this objectively:
Of the 3 players you picked up, which one is the best football player right now? It’s Gilmore by a mile.
Of the 3 players you picked up, which one should play the most snaps this year? Gilmore again, could even be a landslide depending on how you use Cooks.
Which player had the biggest impact on their previous team? Mazi kinda of ommitted here, but Gilmore wins in landslide fashion again.
When Anthony Brown went down with injury, there was a clear drop in overall defensive play. Dallas gave up 23+ points and 200+ passing yards once before december (reigning 2-Time league MVP in GB). They then proceeded to allow that statline for 3 consecutive games after Brown went down, including 300+ yard outings for Trevor Lawrence and Gardner Minshew. Lawrence only had 4 300 yard pass games all season, and he plays in the AFC South…
The number of teams Dallas players in 2023 that have 2 star receivers is not a short list. This isn’t to say Cooks and Mazi won’t be good players this year, but you open it up to criticism when you force them to be compared to Stephon Gilmore
Mazi Smith
Virtually every great Nose tackle over the last 25 years was limited their rookie year. It is notoriously one of the hardest positions to succeed at right out of college. Why? Their mobility and athleticism is least translatable to their position(initially) as they move around less than any other position on the field. A NT could be doing an excellent job and not move out of a 3 foot box for entire stretches of the game. What this means is a huge deciding factor between average and good NT’s is purely technique. Something that takes years to get good at once you enter the NFL, and history backs this up in a big way. Who are the best NT’s in the NFL since 2000?
Vince Wilfork: Healthy and active all 16 games his rookie year, 1 single tackle for loss and the fewest tackles of any year in NE where he played 10+ games
Vita Vea: 28 total tackles his rookie year despite playing 500 snaps. 4 QB hits his entire rookie year, jumped to 12 the next year
Haloti Ngata: Unlike the previous 2, Started every single game his rookie year. 2 total tackles for loss, 31 tackles would be less than half he gets the very next year, 3 QB hits jumps to 10 in year 2.
Ted Washington: First round pick, active all 16 games, barely played
Pat Williams: Was undrafted, didn’t play much rookie year. Second year active 13 games, just 12 tackles and no tackles for loss.
Among NFL positions, CB and NT are two of the hardest to make an impact early on (Ahmad Gardner and Tariq Woolen huge outliers) due to the technique advancement from amateur to pro level. There may be a guy who was impressive right out of the gate that someone could dig up, but it would be a Sauce sized outlier as well, based on everyone else. Guys coming out of college aren’t ready to win hand fights with Zach Martin and Jason Kelce right out of the gate, whereas DE’s have a lot more room to manipulate their situation through stunts and bending corners, blitzes, etc. Doesn’t mean he can’t be a good player as a rookie, but having a superior impact to the other two vets is a much different prospect…
Brandon Cooks
In every single one of Brandin’s 1000 yard seasons, he was overwhelmingly the top receiver threat on each of those teams’ offenses. Willie Snead, Danny Amendola, Robert Woods (who did finish with comparable stats to Cooks), Nico Collins, Will Fuller were his number 2’s. Only once since his rookie year did he go into the season thinking he wasn’t going to get force fed the ball on every possession: 2019, his last year on the Rams when Cooper Kupp was just emerging. Cooks had 500 receiving yards that year in that offense as the outside deep threat to Cupp’s slot centerpiece, despite playing over 700 snaps.
He will give Dallas an element to their passing game they were missing previously, but with Gallup having a full season back now, to expect Brandin in his 30’s to have a 1-man show season like he did in Houston is a bit unrealistic. With the hints you may be featuring the TE more and balancing the running game, 600-800 yards and 6ish TDs is a very positive expectation of what he can give Dallas… especially if most of those TDs are on deep passes. Couple that with Gallup getting roughly those numbers and CeeDee attempting to repeat last year, it should be an improved passing attack. But is that the best offseason acquisition?
Stephon Gilmore
Lets ask this objectively:
Of the 3 players you picked up, which one is the best football player right now? It’s Gilmore by a mile.
Of the 3 players you picked up, which one should play the most snaps this year? Gilmore again, could even be a landslide depending on how you use Cooks.
Which player had the biggest impact on their previous team? Mazi kinda of ommitted here, but Gilmore wins in landslide fashion again.
When Anthony Brown went down with injury, there was a clear drop in overall defensive play. Dallas gave up 23+ points and 200+ passing yards once before december (reigning 2-Time league MVP in GB). They then proceeded to allow that statline for 3 consecutive games after Brown went down, including 300+ yard outings for Trevor Lawrence and Gardner Minshew. Lawrence only had 4 300 yard pass games all season, and he plays in the AFC South…
The number of teams Dallas players in 2023 that have 2 star receivers is not a short list. This isn’t to say Cooks and Mazi won’t be good players this year, but you open it up to criticism when you force them to be compared to Stephon Gilmore
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Creeper
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It's never one move. Winning involves a plan and strategy for the entire team. Cook's filled the greatest immediate need. Mazi will fill a need but we will not see his full impact for a couple of years probably. Gilmore was more of an upgrade than filling a need. They could have sat with Jourdain Lewis, Diggs and Bland, but definitely improves the secondary if he has anything left.
The greatest move may be getting Steele back if he comes back full strength.
The greatest move may be getting Steele back if he comes back full strength.
gimmesix
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Plus, when you are forced to start Noah Brown, that means your receiving corps is weak.
Even without Gilmore, we would have Diggs and Bland to start and Lewis to play nickel. Without Mazi, we still have Hankins as our 3-tech. Without Cooks, we would have had to make a major move at WR because even if we count Lamb and Gallup as the starter, we have no proven third receiver ... and we saw how making a bargain-basement move there worked out last year.