JoaquinFenix
Well-Known Member
- Messages
- 236
- Reaction score
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ROSTER BUILDING STRATEGY
Rule #1: Don’t get emotional
Rule #2: Don’t pay for age
Rule #3: The optimal draft strategy is to accumulate lottery tickets, for that’s what the draft is
Rule #4: Remember it’s a passing league - passing effectiveness is very strongly correlated with winning
Rule #5: Free agency is for plugging holes with short-term bargains and should generally not commence until at least a week after it officially opens.
INTERNAL SCOUTING
1. Cut Tyrone Crawford
Average player who is making star player money.
2. Play La’el Collins at RT
He is arguably a better RT than LG, and RT is a more valuable position.
3. Play Maliek Collins at the 3-tech
He’s undersized for the 1-tech and performed much better as a rookie 3-tech.
4. Play Byron Jones at boundary CB
He’s just not physical enough to play safety, and his elite athleticism is better utilized as a corner.
5. Play Jourdan Lewis at nickel CB
Not as athletic as Jones or Awuzie but physical and fearless over the middle.
6. Play Xavier Woods at FS
Physical tackler with enough athleticism to play high.
7. Play hardball with Zach Martin
An extension should’ve been done ages ago before the market exploded. At this point, he may want too much money for what a RG is reasonably worth. See Rule #1.
8. Take a wait-and-see approach with Tank Lawrence
Can he put up two monster seasons in a row? I’m skeptical and want to be proved wrong. If he can stay out of trouble and put up another 12+ sack season, I’m backing up the Brinks truck for a young, elite player at a premier position.
9. Take a wait-and-see approach with David Irving
He’s a force of nature, but can he be trusted? I’ve got major reservations about his reliability. Willing to franchise tag him next year if he balls out.
PRO SCOUTING
This is where we talk about Earl Thomas. Great player, but he’ll be 29 next month, has a recent injury history, has contemplated retirement, and wants a new, presumably very lucrative, deal. This violates rule #2. That being said, what about a one-year rental? Somebody will sign him to a big contract in 2019, and if you’re abiding by Rule #5, then his loss would return a 3rd or 4th round comp pick in 2020. I’d be willing to give up a 3rd this year for one year of Thomas and a 3rd or 4th round comp pick in 2020.
FREE AGENCY
See Rule #5. The loss of Anthony Hitchens should net a 4th round comp pick next year. Do nothing to endanger that at this point. Wait until after May 12 to sign any additional UFAs, as that won’t affect the comp pick formulation. This is where someone like Navarro Bowman might be a consideration if the price is right.
DRAFT STRATEGY
1. Don’t panic over the loss of Dez Bryant. See Rule #1. The concept of needing a #1 WR is outdated - look at the teams who played in the Super Bowl last year. It’s much more important to have quality depth throughout the receiving corps.
2. Don’t trade up. Contrary to popular belief, no team is any better at picking players than any other team. It’s been statistically proven not to be a repeatable skill. Hence, Rule #3. If you want to win the lottery, you should buy lots of tickets.
3. Draft the best player at a position of need. Pure BPA is a myth. The Cowboys most pressing needs lie at LG, WR, DT, DE, and LB.
4. Use premium picks with Rule #4 in mind. I love Zeke. He’s a baller. But the pick should’ve always been Jalen Ramsey.
5. Know the draft’s strengths and weaknesses. For example, this WR crop lacks high-end talent but is very deep. You can afford to wait until the 3rd round to get your guy.
6. Do not draft a LB in round 1. Yes, I know it’s an area if need. Is it a foregone conclusion, however, that Jaylon Smith is a bust? I don’t think so. If not, then there’s a good chance your LB draft pick would either play SAM (arguably the least important position on either side of the ball other than maybe FB) or be relegated to a backup/special teamer role. Neither is an acceptable outcome for a 1st rounder. Full disclosure: I’ve got a sneaking suspicion the Cowboys will draft LVE at #19.
7. Follow the money. As set forth above, decisions need to be made soon on Martin, Lawrence, and Irving. It’s unlikely the Cowboys keep all three, and they might even let two of the three go. For whoever leaves, it would be ideal to have their replacements already in-house, compliments of the draft.
DRAFT
Obviously, it is impossible to know exactly who will be available when the Cowboys pick. Of the usual suspects, my draft would look something like this:
Round 1, Pick 19: Harold Landry, Vita Vea, or Isaiah Wynn/James Daniels/Will Hernandez
If Landry is available, he’s probably my pick. Vea is a consideration only because I think he will be able to collapse the pocket. I’m not drafting a non-pass-rushing space-eater in round 1. LG is a fall-back option, and all three might still be available. Depending on how many of these guards are still available, if Landry and Vea are off the board, I’d give serious consideration to trading down 5-10 spots and taking one of the guards there. Of course, this pick has a ripple effect on the following picks.
Assuming Landry is the first pick, the rest of my draft shakes out like this:
Round 2, Pick 50: Nathan Shepherd, DT
Round 3, Pick 81: Braden Smith, OG
Round 4, Pick 116: Michael Gallup, WR
Round 4, Pick 137: Fred Warner, LB
Round 5, Pick 171: Darius Leonard, LB
Round 6, Pick 192: Tarvarius Moore, S
Round 6, Pick 193: Ian Thomas, TE
Round 6, Pick 208: Ito Smith, RB
Round 7, Pick 236: Desmond Harrison, OT
53-MAN ROSTER
Offense (26):
QB (2): Dak Prescott, Cooper Rush
RB (4): Zeke Elliott, Rod Smith, Ito Smith, Jamize Olawale
WR (6): Allen Hurns, Terrance Williams, Michael Gallup, Cole Beasley, Ryan Switzer, Deonte Thompson
OL (9): Tyron Smith, Braden Smith, Travis Frederick, Zach Martin, La’el Collins, Cam Fleming, Marcus Martin, Green/Harrison, Joe Looney
TE (5): Jason Witten, Blake Jarwin, Rico Gathers, Ian Thomas, Geoff Swaim
Defense (24):
DT (5): David Irving, Maliek Collins, Nathan Shepherd, Brian Price, Datone Jones/Lewis Neal
DE (5): DeMarcus Lawrence, Taco Charlton, Harold Landry, Charles Tapper, Kony Ealy
LB (5): Sean Lee, Jaylon Smith, Damien Wilson, Fred Warner, Darius Leonard, Joe Thomas
CB (5): Bryon Jones, Chidobe Awuzie, Jourdan Lewis, Anthony Brown, Marquez White
S (4): Xavier Woods, Kavon Frazier, Tarvarius Moore, Jeff Heath
Special Teams (3):
PK: Dan Bailey
P: Chris Jones
LS: L.P. Ladouceur
Rule #1: Don’t get emotional
Rule #2: Don’t pay for age
Rule #3: The optimal draft strategy is to accumulate lottery tickets, for that’s what the draft is
Rule #4: Remember it’s a passing league - passing effectiveness is very strongly correlated with winning
Rule #5: Free agency is for plugging holes with short-term bargains and should generally not commence until at least a week after it officially opens.
INTERNAL SCOUTING
1. Cut Tyrone Crawford
Average player who is making star player money.
2. Play La’el Collins at RT
He is arguably a better RT than LG, and RT is a more valuable position.
3. Play Maliek Collins at the 3-tech
He’s undersized for the 1-tech and performed much better as a rookie 3-tech.
4. Play Byron Jones at boundary CB
He’s just not physical enough to play safety, and his elite athleticism is better utilized as a corner.
5. Play Jourdan Lewis at nickel CB
Not as athletic as Jones or Awuzie but physical and fearless over the middle.
6. Play Xavier Woods at FS
Physical tackler with enough athleticism to play high.
7. Play hardball with Zach Martin
An extension should’ve been done ages ago before the market exploded. At this point, he may want too much money for what a RG is reasonably worth. See Rule #1.
8. Take a wait-and-see approach with Tank Lawrence
Can he put up two monster seasons in a row? I’m skeptical and want to be proved wrong. If he can stay out of trouble and put up another 12+ sack season, I’m backing up the Brinks truck for a young, elite player at a premier position.
9. Take a wait-and-see approach with David Irving
He’s a force of nature, but can he be trusted? I’ve got major reservations about his reliability. Willing to franchise tag him next year if he balls out.
PRO SCOUTING
This is where we talk about Earl Thomas. Great player, but he’ll be 29 next month, has a recent injury history, has contemplated retirement, and wants a new, presumably very lucrative, deal. This violates rule #2. That being said, what about a one-year rental? Somebody will sign him to a big contract in 2019, and if you’re abiding by Rule #5, then his loss would return a 3rd or 4th round comp pick in 2020. I’d be willing to give up a 3rd this year for one year of Thomas and a 3rd or 4th round comp pick in 2020.
FREE AGENCY
See Rule #5. The loss of Anthony Hitchens should net a 4th round comp pick next year. Do nothing to endanger that at this point. Wait until after May 12 to sign any additional UFAs, as that won’t affect the comp pick formulation. This is where someone like Navarro Bowman might be a consideration if the price is right.
DRAFT STRATEGY
1. Don’t panic over the loss of Dez Bryant. See Rule #1. The concept of needing a #1 WR is outdated - look at the teams who played in the Super Bowl last year. It’s much more important to have quality depth throughout the receiving corps.
2. Don’t trade up. Contrary to popular belief, no team is any better at picking players than any other team. It’s been statistically proven not to be a repeatable skill. Hence, Rule #3. If you want to win the lottery, you should buy lots of tickets.
3. Draft the best player at a position of need. Pure BPA is a myth. The Cowboys most pressing needs lie at LG, WR, DT, DE, and LB.
4. Use premium picks with Rule #4 in mind. I love Zeke. He’s a baller. But the pick should’ve always been Jalen Ramsey.
5. Know the draft’s strengths and weaknesses. For example, this WR crop lacks high-end talent but is very deep. You can afford to wait until the 3rd round to get your guy.
6. Do not draft a LB in round 1. Yes, I know it’s an area if need. Is it a foregone conclusion, however, that Jaylon Smith is a bust? I don’t think so. If not, then there’s a good chance your LB draft pick would either play SAM (arguably the least important position on either side of the ball other than maybe FB) or be relegated to a backup/special teamer role. Neither is an acceptable outcome for a 1st rounder. Full disclosure: I’ve got a sneaking suspicion the Cowboys will draft LVE at #19.
7. Follow the money. As set forth above, decisions need to be made soon on Martin, Lawrence, and Irving. It’s unlikely the Cowboys keep all three, and they might even let two of the three go. For whoever leaves, it would be ideal to have their replacements already in-house, compliments of the draft.
DRAFT
Obviously, it is impossible to know exactly who will be available when the Cowboys pick. Of the usual suspects, my draft would look something like this:
Round 1, Pick 19: Harold Landry, Vita Vea, or Isaiah Wynn/James Daniels/Will Hernandez
If Landry is available, he’s probably my pick. Vea is a consideration only because I think he will be able to collapse the pocket. I’m not drafting a non-pass-rushing space-eater in round 1. LG is a fall-back option, and all three might still be available. Depending on how many of these guards are still available, if Landry and Vea are off the board, I’d give serious consideration to trading down 5-10 spots and taking one of the guards there. Of course, this pick has a ripple effect on the following picks.
Assuming Landry is the first pick, the rest of my draft shakes out like this:
Round 2, Pick 50: Nathan Shepherd, DT
Round 3, Pick 81: Braden Smith, OG
Round 4, Pick 116: Michael Gallup, WR
Round 4, Pick 137: Fred Warner, LB
Round 5, Pick 171: Darius Leonard, LB
Round 6, Pick 192: Tarvarius Moore, S
Round 6, Pick 193: Ian Thomas, TE
Round 6, Pick 208: Ito Smith, RB
Round 7, Pick 236: Desmond Harrison, OT
53-MAN ROSTER
Offense (26):
QB (2): Dak Prescott, Cooper Rush
RB (4): Zeke Elliott, Rod Smith, Ito Smith, Jamize Olawale
WR (6): Allen Hurns, Terrance Williams, Michael Gallup, Cole Beasley, Ryan Switzer, Deonte Thompson
OL (9): Tyron Smith, Braden Smith, Travis Frederick, Zach Martin, La’el Collins, Cam Fleming, Marcus Martin, Green/Harrison, Joe Looney
TE (5): Jason Witten, Blake Jarwin, Rico Gathers, Ian Thomas, Geoff Swaim
Defense (24):
DT (5): David Irving, Maliek Collins, Nathan Shepherd, Brian Price, Datone Jones/Lewis Neal
DE (5): DeMarcus Lawrence, Taco Charlton, Harold Landry, Charles Tapper, Kony Ealy
LB (5): Sean Lee, Jaylon Smith, Damien Wilson, Fred Warner, Darius Leonard, Joe Thomas
CB (5): Bryon Jones, Chidobe Awuzie, Jourdan Lewis, Anthony Brown, Marquez White
S (4): Xavier Woods, Kavon Frazier, Tarvarius Moore, Jeff Heath
Special Teams (3):
PK: Dan Bailey
P: Chris Jones
LS: L.P. Ladouceur
