My tank and rebuilding plan

[charron]

I am down for trading Micah and Bland. I also like the idea of trading back a few spots though I do not like trading up unless you are 10000% sure of who you are getting.

 

[cowboys5xsbs]

Tj bass is the replacement for Martin but it doesn't hurt to have more linemen. I would rather replace Steele.

 

[RustyBourneHorse]

I am down for trading Micah and Bland. I also like the idea of trading back a few spots though I do not like trading up unless you are 10000% sure of who you are getting.

Well, and I seldom advocate for trading up, but if we can get a top NT like Walker and not give up any future firsts, then great. And then to get Manning the following year? That'd be amazing.

 

[RustyBourneHorse]

Tj bass is the replacement for Martin but it doesn't hurt to have more linemen. I would rather replace Steele.

Fur sure, but my argument would be we can kick Guyton to RT, his natural position, and put Steele to LT. If we do that, then, in accordance with the plan I laid out, then we can get Banks from Texas to play LG. That's all of a sudden a very young oline. Guyton would be in his natural position, Steele would be LT, and we'd have a really improved oline.

 

[TheCritic]

I'm all about the blowup and rebuild. But the part about benching Dak. Benching Dak, after the Jones Klan just got through making him the highest paid player in NFL history. Of course!!! NFL teams bench their starting franchise QB all the time right after paying them the biggest contract in history. Brilliant !!

 

[iceberg]

the time to do a tank / rebuild plan is BEFORE you sign your QB and WR to ungodly contracts.

 

[RustyBourneHorse]

I'm all about the blowup and rebuild. But the part about benching Dak. Benching Dak, after the Jones Klan just got through making him the highest paid player in NFL history. Of course!!! NFL teams bench their starting franchise QB all the time right after paying them the biggest contract in history. Brilliant !!

I mean, if not immediately, it would be smart once we're eliminated.

 

[RustyBourneHorse]

the time to do a tank / rebuild plan is BEFORE you sign your QB and WR to ungodly contracts.

Right, but we have a chance to build a team that a new QB can succeed with. Rather than being a team like the Panthers or the Colts, we can actually get our team ready to where it's the perfect spot come that time for a QB to succeed. In other words, if the FO is smart (I know, I know), Dak can be a bridge QB while we prepare the team for his replacement.

 

[CowboysLakerBamaFan]

I appreciate the detail Rusty, and you are perhaps the 1st person I've seen with one of these that actually proposes draft pick PLAYERS , not just "take an OLine in Rd1, a great safety in rd2", etc. Seems like you actually know the potential draftees

My 2 critiques:

1) as widely stated on the other thread, we ain't getting anything for Martin. He's cooked, with a high contract. He's backup level now. Much less a Day 2 pick. That's a Cowboys-biased trade proposal

2) we gotta learn from history (at least Jerruh does), that if we end up with a top 10 or 15 pick, we HAVE to use it on a money position, that has longevity. No more RBs. It just rarely rarely works, and even when it does, RBs just burn out too quick.. It's one thing if it's a late 20s pick, but with a Top15 we GOTTA take a Lineman, either OTackle or Pass Rushing DLineman (no fatsos like Mazi), or a CB, or a WR. No LBs, safeties (unless it's like a top5 type player) guards or RBs. I do think Jeanty is insane... but after 4 years, he just won't be the same.

Love the idea of benching Dak, and ur spot on with the comp picks, though there is a limit on how many u get (three maybe?)

Like the coach proposals. LOVE the DTackle from Kentucky. We need some big (not fat), angry dudes on the DLine...the kind of guys that would likely be in prison if not for football...the kind of guys that think PodCasting is how you fix a broken leg when a bank robbery goes wrong and u can't risk going to the hospital....the kind of guys that would take one look at fingernail painting Micah, and tell him to go make them a sandwhich, and make it snappy, or else.

 

[charron]

Well, and I seldom advocate for trading up, but if we can get a top NT like Walker and not give up any future firsts, then great. And then to get Manning the following year? That'd be amazing.

I'll have to lean on all you college player experts as I rarely watch college ball. I just know we need as many picks as we can get and we all know their track record at drafting tackles.

 

[Tabascocat]

Rusty, this is partly stealing my plan that I have been proposing for months now

Mine is similar but a bit more realistic. In no way, shape or form does Dak get benched, ever. Secondly, Arch and his dad has said he will play his full four years even though he is eligible in 2026….this is a good thing because it lines up perfectly with Dak’s exit. I would start by beefing up both trenches over the next few drafts and get that ideal RB a draft or two in front of Manning. I would try to have a top 5 defense already built and a strong running game ready to roll.

Now, trades can help shore up draft picks and what not but a stockpile isn’t necessarily to get Manning….just do what it takes to move up and not worry about losing future draft picks because the team should be set for a few seasons if built properly beforehand.

Now, my disclaimer: It all hinges on Arch developing into a true #1, best prospect since Andrew Luck type. It also includes having a competent front office with thought, foresight and a clear plan in place but that doesn’t exist in Dallas. They run the team by the seat of their pants and will make another mistake by signing Parsons to another huge contract.

So, the best bet to get Manning is if he falls into their laps by sheer luck because I can almost guarantee you that there won’t be any plan in place for life after Dak if Jerry is still around.

 

[raven55]

get the cancer elements off the squad (JERRY is the only one that won't go away hire a coach and let him coach instead shooting your big mouth off) hire who he wants and deep six players with there little pod casts. Tell he moron,s in charge stay in the owners booth and don't come out. jerry will be like a little kid that has to go to the bathroom

 

[RustyBourneHorse]

I'll have to lean on all you college player experts as I rarely watch college ball. I just know we need as many picks as we can get and we all know their track record at drafting tackles.

I'm not an expert, but I do like to watch college ball. And, I think Manning has great potential. Ironically, so does the A&M QB ATM.

 

[charron]

I'm not an expert, but I do like to watch college ball. And, I think Manning has great potential. Ironically, so does the A&M QB ATM.

From the very little i've seen Manning looks legit.

 

[RustyBourneHorse]

Rusty, this is partly stealing my plan that I have been proposing for months now

Mine is similar but a bit more realistic. In no way, shape or form does Dak get benched, ever. Secondly, Arch and his dad has said he will play his full four years even though he is eligible in 2026….this is a good thing because it lines up perfectly with Dak’s exit. I would start by beefing up both trenches over the next few drafts and get that ideal RB a draft or two in front of Manning. I would try to have a top 5 defense already built and a strong running game ready to roll.

Now, trades can help shore up draft picks and what not but a stockpile isn’t necessarily to get Manning….just do what it takes to move up and not worry about losing future draft picks because the team should be set for a few seasons if built properly beforehand.

Now, my disclaimer: It all hinges on Arch developing into a true #1, best prospect since Andrew Luck type. It also includes having a competent front office with thought, foresight and a clear plan in place but that doesn’t exist in Dallas. They run the team by the seat of their pants and will make another mistake by signing Parsons to another huge contract.

So, the best bet to get Manning is if he falls into their laps by sheer luck because I can almost guarantee you that there won’t be any plan in place for life after Dak if Jerry is still around.

That would work too in 2027, but I don't necessarily want to just throw Archie out too quickly if he's not ready. Either plan would work, but we will probably want a cheap veteran if we are going to bring in Archie after Dak. Just to make sure we have someone that can ease him in.

 

[RustyBourneHorse]

From the very little i've seen Manning looks legit.

Same here, I also like what I've been seeing from Conner Weigman at Texas A&M. He's only a sophomore now, much like Archie. We might get a couple good choices between the two.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conner_Weigman

 

[RustyBourneHorse]

I appreciate the detail Rusty, and you are perhaps the 1st person I've seen with one of these that actually proposes draft pick PLAYERS , not just "take an OLine in Rd1, a great safety in rd2", etc. Seems like you actually know the potential draftees

My 2 critiques:

1) as widely stated on the other thread, we ain't getting anything for Martin. He's cooked, with a high contract. He's backup level now. Much less a Day 2 pick. That's a Cowboys-biased trade proposal

2) we gotta learn from history (at least Jerruh does), that if we end up with a top 10 or 15 pick, we HAVE to use it on a money position, that has longevity. No more RBs. It just rarely rarely works, and even when it does, RBs just burn out too quick.. It's one thing if it's a late 20s pick, but with a Top15 we GOTTA take a Lineman, either OTackle or Pass Rushing DLineman (no fatsos like Mazi), or a CB, or a WR. No LBs, safeties (unless it's like a top5 type player) guards or RBs. I do think Jeanty is insane... but after 4 years, he just won't be the same.

Love the idea of benching Dak, and ur spot on with the comp picks, though there is a limit on how many u get (three maybe?)

Like the coach proposals. LOVE the DTackle from Kentucky. We need some big (not fat), angry dudes on the DLine...the kind of guys that would likely be in prison if not for football...the kind of guys that think PodCasting is how you fix a broken leg when a bank robbery goes wrong and u can't risk going to the hospital....the kind of guys that would take one look at fingernail painting Micah, and tell him to go make them a sandwhich, and make it snappy, or else.

For Martin, I was saying it's probably a conditional pick, but I think I could see it being a 5 that can be a 4. That's still workable.

I think the comp pick limit is 4 unless you also qualify for the Rooney Rule, which I think gives you a draft pick (from what I've read and am still trying to understand it) if you have a minority coach that gets poached to a higher position. Like, if Al Harris gets taken by say, Washington to be their DC, we would get a pick as long as we didn't fire him.

As for point two, I get that about RBs, but Jeanty looks like someone that can have longevity like Henry does. I think he's one of those backs that we should make an exception for. I think he's what Jerry had in mind when he got Zeke. Plus, that's where getting extra first comes in. We can then use extra picks to try to move up to get a NT like a Walker if needed.

And exactly about Walker. If Jeanty gets picked before we can get him, he should be the pick, but I think he will still be there later in the first round. That's where I think the second of the two firsts would be crucial in terms of how we play it. But, we have to trade Parsons, I think, to get that pick.

As for Dak, exactly. Especially when we are eliminated, why not get our backups some game experience (even though Rush has had some a few years ago) to try to see if we can get some comp picks for them. Especially in Lance's case, we probably can't keep him after this year, so, why not throw him out there after the Bengals game (likely will be just about eliminated by then) and let him play? If he sucks, then we have a cheap backup next year or he goes to the UFL. If he's good, then we will get a good comp picks for him, especially with how many teams need a QB.

 

[Tabascocat]

That would work too in 2027, but I don't necessarily want to just throw Archie out too quickly if he's not ready. Either plan would work, but we will probably want a cheap veteran if we are going to bring in Archie after Dak. Just to make sure we have someone that can ease him in.

If he develops like I think he will, he will be ready to hit the ground running. I don’t want to see him sit a year behind a vet just to waste a year under his rookie contract. He will be fine as long as the run game is ready. If he does play his next three seasons, it will be in the 2028 draft. Again, this lines up perfectly with the end of Dak.

 

[RustyBourneHorse]

If he develops like I think he will, he will be ready to hit the ground running. I don’t want to see him sit a year behind a vet just to waste a year under his rookie contract. He will be fine as long as the run game is ready. If he does play his next three seasons, it will be in the 2028 draft. Again, this lines up perfectly with the end of Dak.

That's fair, and that'd work for me too. Either way, we need to be setting up this team for him to have success.

 

[Hadenough]

This was a thread that I was planning on posting yesterday, but I was sidetracked because my apartment was doing trick or treating. So, I had to scramble to get candy and suit up.

So, here is my tanking and rebuilding plan. I've said part of this in previous threads, so if you want to see the breakdown in Dak's contract, please refer to those threads as there is a way out of it that is beneficial. What I will say is we should in no way be restructuring his deal after this season. We are not going to be very successful next year either way, so just take the cap hit this offseason. Given the situation we are in, we are not going anywhere this season. So, we may as well begin tanking. Here's my best plan for this.

Firstly, we have a lot of injuries, so that will hamper the trade value for players like Parsons midseason, but he probably will be a good offseason trade. So, I'm probably going to move my trade ideas to the offseason part of this thread. However, if we do make a trade, I think we could trade Martin. He's been a legend for us, and I'd trade him to a team who is a contender like the Ravens or the Bills. Firstly, he'd have a chance at a Lombardi, and, secondly, I think we could get a conditional 3 that's a 4 but can be moved to a 3 if certain conditions are met. So, hypothetically, let's suppose he meets those conditions. We would have an extra 3rd in the 2025 draft.

Secondly, I'd bench Dak. He is not entirely the reason for this season being a bust, but he's played poorly. Additionally, since this season is a bust, we may as well preserve him for next year. I'd put in Trey Lance to start and rotate him with Rush. They are in the last year of their deals, and we could try to increase their compensatory pick values. If they play reasonably well, then there's a chance that a team after the season might give them a better contract than they would now. This means we could get a better comp pick for him. We dealt a 4th for Lance, so, hypothetically, let's say we get a 5th round comp pick for him in 2026. I think we would likely finish with a 5-12 pick regardless of which QB starts. Additionally, Cooper Rush's contract is up after this season, so we could probably get a 5th for him too depending on the contract he signs. I think we probably extend Rush though so that we have a backup QB next year. So, for this part of the plan, we probably have an extra 5th in 2026. Additionally, DLaw is a FA after this season. I think he will get a solid contract. So, let's say we get a 4th round comp pick for him for the purpose of this plan. Then, we probably get a 6 and a 7 for two other departures.

So, now we come to the end of the season. The new coach should be Ben Johnson or Mike Vrabel. I know a lot want Bill, but I'd like to try something newer. Maybe we even get both Ben Johnson as HC and Vrabel as DC. Then, I'd start trading away pieces. I'd start with Parsons. As much as I like him, I'm not sure we can keep him. I think after this season, we should trade him. Let's say we get 2 first round picks (one in 2025 and one in 2026) from a team like the Ravens who will probably want to shore up their pass rush. I would then try to shop Bland. Let's say we get a 3rd for him in 2025 and a 6 in 2026 from the Chargers. Now, we would have 2, firsts in 2025, a second, and at least 2 3s a long with whatever comp picks we get in 2025. For 2026, we'd have two 1s, a 2, at least 2 3s, and lots of comp picks. That's now a lot of ammunition to work with.

I think, with a 5-12 record, we probably finish with the 8th pick. If first trade back to about the 12th pick, which would probably give us another 3 and a 6th. Then, I take Jeanty. I'd then use our other first and package a few of our spare 3s to move up earlier from the pick we get from the Ravens to get Walker (NT Kentucky) both in the first. Then, I'd use the second round pick on an olineman (probably a guard to replace Martin) and the 3rd we still have on a linebacker.

This improves our ability to run the ball and stop it. I think next year, since we'd be playing the AFC West, NFC North, and a 3rd place schedule, we finish with a record of about 8-9. But, we have 2 firsts. It's the 2026 draft, and we have the extra picks from earlier. I'd use those two firsts and some of our spare picks to move up and get Manning. I'd then use the other pieces to fix our other issues that we can.

For 2026, I'd have Manning sit behind Dak for a portion of the year like the Chiefs did with Mahomes behind Alex Smith. After the season, I would make Dak a 1 June cut, which gives us $45 mil in cap space just from that move with only $16 mil in dead money. Plus, we'd have a QB on a rookie deal. So, we could use that new found cap space on FAs that can fix any remaining issues prior to Manning making his first full season start in 2027. I think we would become a contender if this plan is followed by 2027. I think, if we can do this, then come 2028, we could be hoisting our 6th Lombardi.

I think this is the best way to both mitigate Dak's current deal and position ourselves to become legitimate contenders by 2027.

Everything looks good except trading Parsons to the Ravens and getting two first-round picks at the end of each round would be like basically getting two second round picks. I'm trading Parsons to a crappy team and getting too early first rounds.