My thoughts on everything

[jday]

Back when I first signed up for this website, I was a frequent poster and thread contributor. For the most part, now I sit back and read and will throw in an occassional comment. The big reason for my dialing back, is I don't have the time I used to. My job at that time only took 2 - 4 hours, though, they kept me for the full 8 hours, 5 days a week. So, when I finished my work for the day, I would read every article that any website had to offer that involved our Dallas Cowboys, including this one and then I would create a thread that either focused on one topic or many topics to get all the ideas bouncing around in my head out. This thread will be the latter.

In general, I'm happy with the direction of this team, but I honestly think they are still far from being Super Bowl contenders. I might be wrong, and I
really, really, really hope I am, but there are too many question marks:

1. Jason Garrett. I like him. I like the type of players he likes. But I also recognize that in football, it takes all kinds of players. I
mean, can you honestly say that in the history of the Super Bowl, all 22 starting players on those team fit the "right kinda guy" description? I also am
not crazy about the game management he displayed in games at times last year. He made mistakes NFL Head Coaches are simply not supposed to make. Here's hoping he learned something from his first full year as a Head Coach. I also am not very crazy about his play calling, but I think the addition of Coach Callahan very well may help in that area.

2. Tony Romo. I don't have questions about his ability. He has the ability of an elite QB, but I don't believe he is elite. Actually, a great
comparison here would be Dez Bryant. Dez Bryant has the ability of an elite WR...but he's not elite. What separate's them from being elite? Consistency.
Granted, Tony puts up great numbers on a consistent basis, but he does not consistently carry the team to greatness. Yes, he does carry the team in some games, I might even say most games, but he has also proven to be a liability in others. Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Aaron Rogers and Drew Brees are the only QB's in this league right now that I might say should be considered elite or, at the very least, have been elite at some point in their career. Just my opinion. Just for clarification, I did not say the above to suggest that the Cowboys cannot win the Super Bowl with him as the QB. Brad Johnson has won a Super Bowl.

3. The offensive line. We may have problems. Coach Callahan was a great get, but just as the defense experienced woes in Rob Ryan's new system
last year, I have the feeling our OL will struggle this year. And if they struggle, Romo may struggle to stay healthy. I heard on the radio recently that the Cowboys basically took a MoneyBall approach to the offensive line this last year. They hired an Economist and asked for him to put together a
sabermetrics formula to try and figure out what type of OL players play best with each other. Rather than focusing on what one player did against opposing players throughout last year, they decided to focus more on the whole of a successfull offensive line and what the members of said offensive lines did well as a unit. Their Free Agency acquisitions were a result of this research that was done. Personally, I think it's fascinating, but until I see it on the field, I'll remain skeptical.

4. Jerry said early in the offseason that they took a hard look at the Giants because they have won the Super Bowl twice in the last 5 years. When
he said this, many took that to mean that we would be focusing on our players up front, OL and DL, possibly even OLB. They did add a few players via Free Agency to the OL, but unless it was written on www.dallascowboys.com, most of the reviews of these acquisitions are critical. As for the DL, they did add a DE in the 3rd round, and a few undrafted Free Agents, however, the focus was clearly on the secondary. Many have sighted that with a new and improved secondary, we can expect an improvement up front because the QB will have to hold on to the pass longer. Stats do show quite a few near-misses last year, so they may be on to something, but with this, I'll simply say I am cautiously optimistic.

5. Given the performance of Demarco Murray last year, what we think we have in Felix Jones, and the addition of Lawrence Vickers, the Cowboys running game should be, at the very least, solid. Of course, the OL will have a significant impact on that, as well. For the moment, simply having both Felix and Demarco healthy makes this aspect of our offense improved from last year.

6. Wide Receiver. I'm not as concerned as most about who will be the 3rd Receiver. Taking a page out of the concept behind sabermetrics, you do not have to replace the player (e.g. Laurent Robinson), you merely have to figure out a way to replace (or improve upon) his production. I believe the Cowboys do have the players on this roster already to accomplish that. Between Witten, our lead receivers and youngsters, and, of course, Felix/Demarco's ability to catch the ball out of the back field, I think who is the 3rd receiver is really a non-issue. But that's just my opinion.

7. Tight End. Witten is hurt and uncertain for the season opener against the Giants. Considering the above statement, the same idea applies. We don't have to find a guy to replace Witten, a committee of players will suffice. Though we lost Bennett to the Giants, the Cowboys picked up what looks to be a servicable replacement in James Hannah. And before John Phillips was hurt last year, he looked to be very close to replacing Bennett as the second Tight End, if I recall correctly. In summation, I'm not really worried about this position for the Cowboys.

8. Linebackers. I'm actually pretty excited about what the Cowboys have in this group. Sure, there are questions marks, but if we can keep this group together for a few years, they could dominate. A lot remains to be seen, but I have fewer reservations about this group, than any other group currently on the team, including Corner.

9. Corner. Most believe this is the most improved position for the Cowboys. I'm not as confident. First of all, most rookie CB's don't come in their first year and make the Pro Bowl, unless, of course, they also returned Kicks/Punts. I'm not saying he has to make the Pro Bowl to be considered worth our 1st and 2nd. I'm just saying there will likely be an adjustment period for Claiborne. Mike Jenkins is clearly not happy with his role, but given the aforementioned, were he healthy, he probably would have the inside track to start, at least, in the beginning. According to reports, Brandon Carr is everything we thought he was and more. We really won't know until the season opener. I think we overpaid for Scandrick, personally, especially if he ends up being the 4th corner. Once again, the season opener will answer quite a few questions for us about this group, since Eli showed considerable improvemnt in his passing game, and the Giants seem to use the 3 receiver set quite a bit last year.

10. Defensive Line. Meh. From a fans perspective, it's difficult to evaluate talent of the DL, unless, of course, you have access to game tape that allows you to focus on the specific player throughout the game. Unless you have that, (and this is true of all positions, really) you know nothing. If you looked at youtube or are basing your opinion off what you think you saw in a game, chances are you are wrong. You can't measure a Defensive Lineman by his stats, because a big part of being good at this position, is soaking up blockers. If you demand a double, your good. If you can consistently move one guy far enough out of his gap to open up holes for the LB to get to the ball carrier, your good. Tackles for loss and sacks, do not tell the whole story. Having said all that, I can't say I'm terribly confident about this group.

11. Safeties. Sensabaugh is solid. He's consistent. But he is too old at this point in his career to be considered a long term solution. Church is interesting. He doesn't have good measurables and I don't think he'll ever be considered a Ball Hawk, but he makes text book tackles, he drives hard to the point of attack and always seems to be at the right place at the right time. Not sure I trust him against speedy receivers, but his overall lack in speed could possibly be hidden, if our corners don't mind being left on an island on deep routes.

Overall, as I said in the beginning, I like the direction of this team. Hopefully, at this point in his career as GM, Jerry Jones understands that building a team that is consistently competitive takes time and given the fact that we did not have much of an offseason last year, this is really the beginning stage of rebuilding. I'm not saying the Cowboys won't be competitive this year, I just don't think they have a team built to go deep in the playoffs yet. But I ceratinly could be wrong, and really hope I am. Thoughts?

 

[jazzcat22]

I like the direction this team is going also. I feel this is year 2 of a 3 year process. We can not fix everything all at once, as many seem to beleive. Nor can it be done in the order the way many people want.

Yes OL needs addressed, as so did the defense and secondary specifically.

So that was what was available to get the players they felt were needed in this process. The OL was addressed with what they had, and what was available, compared to the better talent at CB at the time.

Next year can be focused on the OL, if the opportunity is there.

I'll complain from time to time, be sarcastic if need be, crack some jokes, or try to. Even be critical, and proabably call for a few heads in the heat of the monet from time to time.

But overall, I will remain upbeat and positive, that we are going to make some noise and push for a playoff spot...as well as win some playoff games.

 

[Frosty]

Back when I first signed up for this website, I was a frequent poster and thread contributor. For the most part, now I sit back and read and will throw in an occassional comment. The big reason for my dialing back, is I don't have the time I used to. My job at that time only took 2 - 4 hours, though, they kept me for the full 8 hours, 5 days a week. So, when I finished my work for the day, I would read every article that any website had to offer that involved our Dallas Cowboys, including this one and then I would create a thread that either focused on one topic or many topics to get all the ideas bouncing around in my head out. This thread will be the latter.

In general, I'm happy with the direction of this team, but I honestly think they are still far from being Super Bowl contenders. I might be wrong, and I
really, really, really hope I am, but there are too many question marks:

1. Jason Garrett. I like him. I like the type of players he likes. But I also recognize that in football, it takes all kinds of players. I
mean, can you honestly say that in the history of the Super Bowl, all 22 starting players on those team fit the "right kinda guy" description? I also am
not crazy about the game management he displayed in games at times last year. He made mistakes NFL Head Coaches are simply not supposed to make. Here's hoping he learned something from his first full year as a Head Coach. I also am not very crazy about his play calling, but I think the addition of Coach Callahan very well may help in that area.

2. Tony Romo. I don't have questions about his ability. He has the ability of an elite QB, but I don't believe he is elite. Actually, a great
comparison here would be Dez Bryant. Dez Bryant has the ability of an elite WR...but he's not elite. What separate's them from being elite? Consistency.
Granted, Tony puts up great numbers on a consistent basis, but he does not consistently carry the team to greatness. Yes, he does carry the team in some games, I might even say most games, but he has also proven to be a liability in others. Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Aaron Rogers and Drew Brees are the only QB's in this league right now that I might say should be considered elite or, at the very least, have been elite at some point in their career. Just my opinion. Just for clarification, I did not say the above to suggest that the Cowboys cannot win the Super Bowl with him as the QB. Brad Johnson has won a Super Bowl.

3. The offensive line. We may have problems. Coach Callahan was a great get, but just as the defense experienced woes in Rob Ryan's new system
last year, I have the feeling our OL will struggle this year. And if they struggle, Romo may struggle to stay healthy. I heard on the radio recently that the Cowboys basically took a MoneyBall approach to the offensive line this last year. They hired an Economist and asked for him to put together a
sabermetrics formula to try and figure out what type of OL players play best with each other. Rather than focusing on what one player did against opposing players throughout last year, they decided to focus more on the whole of a successfull offensive line and what the members of said offensive lines did well as a unit. Their Free Agency acquisitions were a result of this research that was done. Personally, I think it's fascinating, but until I see it on the field, I'll remain skeptical.

4. Jerry said early in the offseason that they took a hard look at the Giants because they have won the Super Bowl twice in the last 5 years. When
he said this, many took that to mean that we would be focusing on our players up front, OL and DL, possibly even OLB. They did add a few players via Free Agency to the OL, but unless it was written on www.dallascowboys.com, most of the reviews of these acquisitions are critical. As for the DL, they did add a DE in the 3rd round, and a few undrafted Free Agents, however, the focus was clearly on the secondary. Many have sighted that with a new and improved secondary, we can expect an improvement up front because the QB will have to hold on to the pass longer. Stats do show quite a few near-misses last year, so they may be on to something, but with this, I'll simply say I am cautiously optimistic.

5. Given the performance of Demarco Murray last year, what we think we have in Felix Jones, and the addition of Lawrence Vickers, the Cowboys running game should be, at the very least, solid. Of course, the OL will have a significant impact on that, as well. For the moment, simply having both Felix and Demarco healthy makes this aspect of our offense improved from last year.

6. Wide Receiver. I'm not as concerned as most about who will be the 3rd Receiver. Taking a page out of the concept behind sabermetrics, you do not have to replace the player (e.g. Laurent Robinson), you merely have to figure out a way to replace (or improve upon) his production. I believe the Cowboys do have the players on this roster already to accomplish that. Between Witten, our lead receivers and youngsters, and, of course, Felix/Demarco's ability to catch the ball out of the back field, I think who is the 3rd receiver is really a non-issue. But that's just my opinion.

7. Tight End. Witten is hurt and uncertain for the season opener against the Giants. Considering the above statement, the same idea applies. We don't have to find a guy to replace Witten, a committee of players will suffice. Though we lost Bennett to the Giants, the Cowboys picked up what looks to be a servicable replacement in James Hannah. And before John Phillips was hurt last year, he looked to be very close to replacing Bennett as the second Tight End, if I recall correctly. In summation, I'm not really worried about this position for the Cowboys.

8. Linebackers. I'm actually pretty excited about what the Cowboys have in this group. Sure, there are questions marks, but if we can keep this group together for a few years, they could dominate. A lot remains to be seen, but I have fewer reservations about this group, than any other group currently on the team, including Corner.

9. Corner. Most believe this is the most improved position for the Cowboys. I'm not as confident. First of all, most rookie CB's don't come in their first year and make the Pro Bowl, unless, of course, they also returned Kicks/Punts. I'm not saying he has to make the Pro Bowl to be considered worth our 1st and 2nd. I'm just saying there will likely be an adjustment period for Claiborne. Mike Jenkins is clearly not happy with his role, but given the aforementioned, were he healthy, he probably would have the inside track to start, at least, in the beginning. According to reports, Brandon Carr is everything we thought he was and more. We really won't know until the season opener. I think we overpaid for Scandrick, personally, especially if he ends up being the 4th corner. Once again, the season opener will answer quite a few questions for us about this group, since Eli showed considerable improvemnt in his passing game, and the Giants seem to use the 3 receiver set quite a bit last year.

10. Defensive Line. Meh. From a fans perspective, it's difficult to evaluate talent of the DL, unless, of course, you have access to game tape that allows you to focus on the specific player throughout the game. Unless you have that, (and this is true of all positions, really) you know nothing. If you looked at youtube or are basing your opinion off what you think you saw in a game, chances are you are wrong. You can't measure a Defensive Lineman by his stats, because a big part of being good at this position, is soaking up blockers. If you demand a double, your good. If you can consistently move one guy far enough out of his gap to open up holes for the LB to get to the ball carrier, your good. Tackles for loss and sacks, do not tell the whole story. Having said all that, I can't say I'm terribly confident about this group.

11. Safeties. Sensabaugh is solid. He's consistent. But he is too old at this point in his career to be considered a long term solution. Church is interesting. He doesn't have good measurables and I don't think he'll ever be considered a Ball Hawk, but he makes text book tackles, he drives hard to the point of attack and always seems to be at the right place at the right time. Not sure I trust him against speedy receivers, but his overall lack in speed could possibly be hidden, if our corners don't mind being left on an island on deep routes.

Overall, as I said in the beginning, I like the direction of this team. Hopefully, at this point in his career as GM, Jerry Jones understands that building a team that is consistently competitive takes time and given the fact that we did not have much of an offseason last year, this is really the beginning stage of rebuilding. I'm not saying the Cowboys won't be competitive this year, I just don't think they have a team built to go deep in the playoffs yet. But I ceratinly could be wrong, and really hope I am. Thoughts?

Well said, and probably more accurate than the most of the Cowboy HOMERS drinking Superbowl Koolaid or the Chicken Littles predicting gloom and doom.

Good post,

 

[Zordon]

Can you tell me where you heard that we brought in an economist to help decide which oline to choose in FA?

I agree with a lot of your points. Claiborne will struggle the first half of the season, I just hope people are patient with him and he keeps his confidence despite what the DFW media will do to him. I've been saying for awhile now, I think Jenkins plays a bigger role in this secondary this year than most people believe.

Oline is my biggest concern. I think our entire season is on their shoulders b/c I believe the defense will be good and the 3rd receiver situation will be solved adequately. We have a very good young running back and a very good qb. It's up to the oline to let them shine.

 

[jday]

105.3. The general and his cohorts were talking about it a little after 7 PM earlier this week.

 

[jday]

Well said, and probably more accurate than the most of the Cowboy HOMERS drinking Superbowl Koolaid or the Chicken Littles predicting gloom and doom.

Good post,

Thanks for the feedback!

 

[jday]

I like the direction this team is going also. I feel this is year 2 of a 3 year process. We can not fix everything all at once, as many seem to beleive. Nor can it be done in the order the way many people want.

Yes OL needs addressed, as so did the defense and secondary specifically.

So that was what was available to get the players they felt were needed in this process. The OL was addressed with what they had, and what was available, compared to the better talent at CB at the time.

Next year can be focused on the OL, if the opportunity is there.

I'll complain from time to time, be sarcastic if need be, crack some jokes, or try to. Even be critical, and proabably call for a few heads in the heat of the monet from time to time.

But overall, I will remain upbeat and positive, that we are going to make some noise and push for a playoff spot...as well as win some playoff games.

I've adopted a similiar approach to the game. I'll reserve my tantrems for game day!

 

[jday]

Can you tell me where you heard that we brought in an economist to help decide which oline to choose in FA?

I agree with a lot of your points. Claiborne will struggle the first half of the season, I just hope people are patient with him and he keeps his confidence despite what the DFW media will do to him. I've been saying for awhile now, I think Jenkins plays a bigger role in this secondary this year than most people believe.

Oline is my biggest concern. I think our entire season is on their shoulders b/c I believe the defense will be good and the 3rd receiver situation will be solved adequately. We have a very good young running back and a very good qb. It's up to the oline to let them shine.

As much as I hate to say the success hinges on one particular group, I have to say you might be right.

For me, the most important function our OL has to serve this year is opening holes for the run. If they can do that much, Pass Blocking will become a whole lot easier.

 

[Arkyvarminter]

This is one of the best posts I have read on here. Someone who see's this team for what they really are. The homer who defends Garrett and Romo won't be happy with parts of your post.
As for Garrett, I don't know if he's going to be a good coach or not. People talk about how smart he is and all but he failed this team last year and made boneheaded mistakes. Lets just hope he bounces back.
As for Romo, yes he's very good but doesn't know how to throw the ball away. He gambles with the ball an awful lot and he alone cost us two big games last year with his reckless INT's.
The offensive line is terrible and nothing more needs to be said. Can they fix it before Sept. 5. NO.
The defensive line is not much better. Darren Mcfadden showed us that in his limited time the other night.
We have excellent Linbackers but they can't do it all.
The Corners will be good but Claiborne will be burned alot while learning he isn't in college anymore.
The safeties will do Ok although I think Church is just a guy.
I think we have alot of weapons on offense but without a line it will be hard to score alot.
If my post sounds negative its because I feel like we are in for a long season.

 

[Verdict]

Back when I first signed up for this website, I was a frequent poster and thread contributor. For the most part, now I sit back and read and will throw in an occassional comment. The big reason for my dialing back, is I don't have the time I used to. My job at that time only took 2 - 4 hours, though, they kept me for the full 8 hours, 5 days a week. So, when I finished my work for the day, I would read every article that any website had to offer that involved our Dallas Cowboys, including this one and then I would create a thread that either focused on one topic or many topics to get all the ideas bouncing around in my head out. This thread will be the latter.

In general, I'm happy with the direction of this team, but I honestly think they are still far from being Super Bowl contenders. I might be wrong, and I
really, really, really hope I am, but there are too many question marks:

1. Jason Garrett. I like him. I like the type of players he likes. But I also recognize that in football, it takes all kinds of players. I
mean, can you honestly say that in the history of the Super Bowl, all 22 starting players on those team fit the "right kinda guy" description? I also am
not crazy about the game management he displayed in games at times last year. He made mistakes NFL Head Coaches are simply not supposed to make. Here's hoping he learned something from his first full year as a Head Coach. I also am not very crazy about his play calling, but I think the addition of Coach Callahan very well may help in that area.

Verdicts comments: Well said. It also sounds very accurate.

2. Tony Romo. I don't have questions about his ability. He has the ability of an elite QB, but I don't believe he is elite. Actually, a great
comparison here would be Dez Bryant. Dez Bryant has the ability of an elite WR...but he's not elite. What separate's them from being elite? Consistency.
Granted, Tony puts up great numbers on a consistent basis, but he does not consistently carry the team to greatness. Yes, he does carry the team in some games, I might even say most games, but he has also proven to be a liability in others. Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Aaron Rogers and Drew Brees are the only QB's in this league right now that I might say should be considered elite or, at the very least, have been elite at some point in their career. Just my opinion. Just for clarification, I did not say the above to suggest that the Cowboys cannot win the Super Bowl with him as the QB. Brad Johnson has won a Super Bowl.

Verdicts Comments: I understand your rationale, but am more "bullish" on Romo than you. I think he is an elite QB that has made a few bad decisions, on occasion, but his production is elite. Moreover, his TD to interception ratio is phenomenal, as is his QB rating. If you keep in mind that he accumulated those numbers playing behind a ****ty line, then he looks even more elite.

3. The offensive line. We may have problems. Coach Callahan was a great get, but just as the defense experienced woes in Rob Ryan's new system
last year, I have the feeling our OL will struggle this year. And if they struggle, Romo may struggle to stay healthy. I heard on the radio recently that the Cowboys basically took a MoneyBall approach to the offensive line this last year. They hired an Economist and asked for him to put together a
sabermetrics formula to try and figure out what type of OL players play best with each other. Rather than focusing on what one player did against opposing players throughout last year, they decided to focus more on the whole of a successfull offensive line and what the members of said offensive lines did well as a unit. Their Free Agency acquisitions were a result of this research that was done. Personally, I think it's fascinating, but until I see it on the field, I'll remain skeptical.

Verdict's comments: It doesn't look great early, but it is too early to tell if this line will be "good enough" to get the job done.

4. Jerry said early in the offseason that they took a hard look at the Giants because they have won the Super Bowl twice in the last 5 years. When
he said this, many took that to mean that we would be focusing on our players up front, OL and DL, possibly even OLB. They did add a few players via Free Agency to the OL, but unless it was written on www.dallascowboys.com, most of the reviews of these acquisitions are critical. As for the DL, they did add a DE in the 3rd round, and a few undrafted Free Agents, however, the focus was clearly on the secondary. Many have sighted that with a new and improved secondary, we can expect an improvement up front because the QB will have to hold on to the pass longer. Stats do show quite a few near-misses last year, so they may be on to something, but with this, I'll simply say I am cautiously optimistic.

Verdict's Comments: I don't see us doing anything the same way the Giants do. We haven't put our resources in the same place so far or valued the same things in players. Coughlin is much more like Bill Parcells than Red Ball ever thought about being

5. Given the performance of Demarco Murray last year, what we think we have in Felix Jones, and the addition of Lawrence Vickers, the Cowboys running game should be, at the very least, solid. Of course, the OL will have a significant impact on that, as well. For the moment, simply having both Felix and Demarco healthy makes this aspect of our offense improved from last year.

Verdict's comments: If Murray returns to his prior form and is healthy, then we will be ok. I'm not sure we can count on Felix for anything. If the line doesn't do a better job of blocking, then our running game will again be an afterthought except running draws. Hopefully the line will bock well enough to utilize Murray in a "power running game" and if so it will be good for at least 2 wins that we wouldn't have without it.

6. Wide Receiver. I'm not as concerned as most about who will be the 3rd Receiver. Taking a page out of the concept behind sabermetrics, you do not have to replace the player (e.g. Laurent Robinson), you merely have to figure out a way to replace (or improve upon) his production. I believe the Cowboys do have the players on this roster already to accomplish that. Between Witten, our lead receivers and youngsters, and, of course, Felix/Demarco's ability to catch the ball out of the back field, I think who is the 3rd receiver is really a non-issue. But that's just my opinion.

Verdict's Comments: I'm not that worried about the 3rd receiver either, with one caveat. In Both Dez AND Austin are both out at the same time for an extended period, then it might leave a mark. But that is 50/50 and you can't bat a thousand in every area.

7. Tight End. Witten is hurt and uncertain for the season opener against the Giants. Considering the above statement, the same idea applies. We don't have to find a guy to replace Witten, a committee of players will suffice. Though we lost Bennett to the Giants, the Cowboys picked up what looks to be a servicable replacement in James Hannah. And before John Phillips was hurt last year, he looked to be very close to replacing Bennett as the second Tight End, if I recall correctly. In summation, I'm not really worried about this position for the Cowboys.

Verdict's CommentsI think Hanna and Phillips will be good enough to get it done, even without Witten. I think Cowboys fans will be pleasantly surprised by Hanna the same way they were with DeMarco Murray. If witten stays healthy he just might not get the opportunities to show it. Hanna will supplant Phillips as the #2 by midseason provided he understands the playbook. He is a lot more explosive than Phillips, and I actually like Phillips.

8. Linebackers. I'm actually pretty excited about what the Cowboys have in this group. Sure, there are questions marks, but if we can keep this group together for a few years, they could dominate. A lot remains to be seen, but I have fewer reservations about this group, than any other group currently on the team, including Corner.

Well said. This can be an elite group. Very very talented overall. I hope we go long at linebacker.

9. Corner. Most believe this is the most improved position for the Cowboys. I'm not as confident. First of all, most rookie CB's don't come in their first year and make the Pro Bowl, unless, of course, they also returned Kicks/Punts. I'm not saying he has to make the Pro Bowl to be considered worth our 1st and 2nd. I'm just saying there will likely be an adjustment period for Claiborne. Mike Jenkins is clearly not happy with his role, but given the aforementioned, were he healthy, he probably would have the inside track to start, at least, in the beginning. According to reports, Brandon Carr is everything we thought he was and more. We really won't know until the season opener. I think we overpaid for Scandrick, personally, especially if he ends up being the 4th corner. Once again, the season opener will answer quite a few questions for us about this group, since Eli showed considerable improvemnt in his passing game, and the Giants seem to use the 3 receiver set quite a bit last year.

Verdict's comments: Pretty sound thought process. I am hoping that Ryan gets Mo up to speed quickly. If he really is the second best player in the draft, and the best defensive player in this draft, then he won't struggle much early on. I also think Scandrick is under-rated.

10. Defensive Line. Meh. From a fans perspective, it's difficult to evaluate talent of the DL, unless, of course, you have access to game tape that allows you to focus on the specific player throughout the game. Unless you have that, (and this is true of all positions, really) you know nothing. If you looked at youtube or are basing your opinion off what you think you saw in a game, chances are you are wrong. You can't measure a Defensive Lineman by his stats, because a big part of being good at this position, is soaking up blockers. If you demand a double, your good. If you can consistently move one guy far enough out of his gap to open up holes for the LB to get to the ball carrier, your good. Tackles for loss and sacks, do not tell the whole story. Having said all that, I can't say I'm terribly confident about this group.

Verdict's comments: I'm not sure if they will be "great" this year, but it is my personal opinion that they will be much improved over last year's group. The improvement at corner and LB and the addition of Crawford will make this unit more effective overall.

11. Safeties. Sensabaugh is solid. He's consistent. But he is too old at this point in his career to be considered a long term solution. Church is interesting. He doesn't have good measurables and I don't think he'll ever be considered a Ball Hawk, but he makes text book tackles, he drives hard to the point of attack and always seems to be at the right place at the right time. Not sure I trust him against speedy receivers, but his overall lack in speed could possibly be hidden, if our corners don't mind being left on an island on deep routes.

Verdict's Comments: If early reports are any indication, we will have the best safety play that we have had in years. i hope it continues.

Overall, as I said in the beginning, I like the direction of this team. Hopefully, at this point in his career as GM, Jerry Jones understands that building a team that is consistently competitive takes time and given the fact that we did not have much of an offseason last year, this is really the beginning stage of rebuilding. I'm not saying the Cowboys won't be competitive this year, I just don't think they have a team built to go deep in the playoffs yet. But I ceratinly could be wrong, and really hope I am. Thoughts?

My comments are in BOLD.

 

[Dodger]

2. Tony Romo...

Granted, Tony puts up great numbers on a consistent basis, but he does not consistently carry the team to greatness.

He shouldn't have to.

This all goes back to unrealistic expectations that people have. Very few QBs in this league can carry a team; 2 or 3 of them at most can do that, and Romo isn't one of them, yet tons of fans expect him to. Romo is good enough to win it, but not by himself.

 

[jday]

This is one of the best posts I have read on here. Someone who see's this team for what they really are. The homer who defends Garrett and Romo won't be happy with parts of your post.
As for Garrett, I don't know if he's going to be a good coach or not. People talk about how smart he is and all but he failed this team last year and made boneheaded mistakes. Lets just hope he bounces back.
As for Romo, yes he's very good but doesn't know how to throw the ball away. He gambles with the ball an awful lot and he alone cost us two big games last year with his reckless INT's.
The offensive line is terrible and nothing more needs to be said. Can they fix it before Sept. 5. NO.
The defensive line is not much better. Darren Mcfadden showed us that in his limited time the other night.
We have excellent Linbackers but they can't do it all.
The Corners will be good but Claiborne will be burned alot while learning he isn't in college anymore.
The safeties will do Ok although I think Church is just a guy.
I think we have alot of weapons on offense but without a line it will be hard to score alot.
If my post sounds negative its because I feel like we are in for a long season.

This is one of the best posts I have read on here.

Wow! I appreciate the endorsement.

 

[jday]

My comments are in BOLD.

I understand your rationale, but am more "bullish" on Romo than you. I think he is an elite QB that has made a few bad decisions, on occasion, but his production is elite. Moreover, his TD to interception ratio is phenomenal, as is his QB rating. If you keep in mind that he accumulated those numbers playing behind a ****ty line, then he looks even more elite.

You make a very good point here. One distinction that separates Romo from the other QB's I mentioned, is their OL's, so you very well could be right on this. At the end of the day, though, I don't think you need an elite QB to win the Super Bowl.

It doesn't look great early, but it is too early to tell if this line will be "good enough" to get the job done.

Agreed.

I don't see us doing anything the same way the Giants do. We haven't put our resources in the same place so far or valued the same things in players. Coughlin is much more like Bill Parcells than Red Ball ever thought about being

Which makes Jerry's comment all the more puzzling. But you really can't take anything Jerry says very seriously, anyway.

If Murray returns to his prior form and is healthy, then we will be ok. I'm not sure we can count on Felix for anything. If the line doesn't do a better job of blocking, then our running game will again be an afterthought except running draws. Hopefully the line will bock well enough to utilize Murray in a "power running game" and if so it will be good for at least 2 wins that we wouldn't have without it.

I think having a running game will contibute to more than just 2 wins, only because for this patchwork OL to be successful at Pass Blocking, it will be critcal that they run the ball well.

I'm not that worried about the 3rd receiver either, with one caveat. In Both Dez AND Austin are both out at the same time for an extended period, then it might leave a mark. But that is 50/50 and you can't bat a thousand in every area.

Exactly.

I think Hanna and Phillips will be good enough to get it done, even without Witten. I think Cowboys fans will be pleasantly surprised by Hanna the same way they were with DeMarco Murray. If witten stays healthy he just might not get the opportunities to show it. Hanna will supplant Phillips as the #2 by midseason provided he understands the playbook. He is a lot more explosive than Phillips, and I actually like Phillips.

I, too, am a John Phillips fan and I'm not sure if Hannah will replace him or not, but I like that possibility considering his athleticism. He could be a matchup nightmare for defenses in the right offensive set (e.g. 3 or more receivers on the field with him).

Pretty sound thought process. I am hoping that Ryan gets Mo up to speed quickly. If he really is the second best player in the draft, and the best defensive player in this draft, then he won't struggle much early on. I also think Scandrick is under-rated.

As a slot corner, Scandrick very well may be underrated. But, if that is all he can do, he is also overpaid! We both very well could be right in our assessments at the same time.

I'm not sure if they will be "great" this year, but it is my personal opinion that they will be much improved over last year's group. The improvement at corner and LB and the addition of Crawford will make this unit more effective overall.

Yet another good point.

If early reports are any indication, we will have the best safety play that we have had in years. i hope it continues.

I could see that, but sadly, that's not saying alot.

 

[Sampson]

He shouldn't have to.

This all goes back to unrealistic expectations that people have. Very few QBs in this league can carry a team; 2 or 3 of them at most can do that, and Romo isn't one of them, yet tons of fans expect him to. Romo is good enough to win it, but not by himself.

You just said the same thing he did.

 

[Dodger]

You just said the same thing he did.

Not entirely. We have different definitions of 'consistency.'

 

[Pokes12]

Back when I first signed up for this website, I was a frequent poster and thread contributor. For the most part, now I sit back and read and will throw in an occassional comment. The big reason for my dialing back, is I don't have the time I used to. My job at that time only took 2 - 4 hours, though, they kept me for the full 8 hours, 5 days a week. So, when I finished my work for the day, I would read every article that any website had to offer that involved our Dallas Cowboys, including this one and then I would create a thread that either focused on one topic or many topics to get all the ideas bouncing around in my head out. This thread will be the latter.

In general, I'm happy with the direction of this team, but I honestly think they are still far from being Super Bowl contenders. I might be wrong, and I
really, really, really hope I am, but there are too many question marks:

1. Jason Garrett. I like him. I like the type of players he likes. But I also recognize that in football, it takes all kinds of players. I
mean, can you honestly say that in the history of the Super Bowl, all 22 starting players on those team fit the "right kinda guy" description? I also am
not crazy about the game management he displayed in games at times last year. He made mistakes NFL Head Coaches are simply not supposed to make. Here's hoping he learned something from his first full year as a Head Coach. I also am not very crazy about his play calling, but I think the addition of Coach Callahan very well may help in that area.

2. Tony Romo. I don't have questions about his ability. He has the ability of an elite QB, but I don't believe he is elite. Actually, a great
comparison here would be Dez Bryant. Dez Bryant has the ability of an elite WR...but he's not elite. What separate's them from being elite? Consistency.
Granted, Tony puts up great numbers on a consistent basis, but he does not consistently carry the team to greatness. Yes, he does carry the team in some games, I might even say most games, but he has also proven to be a liability in others. Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Aaron Rogers and Drew Brees are the only QB's in this league right now that I might say should be considered elite or, at the very least, have been elite at some point in their career. Just my opinion. Just for clarification, I did not say the above to suggest that the Cowboys cannot win the Super Bowl with him as the QB. Brad Johnson has won a Super Bowl.

3. The offensive line. We may have problems. Coach Callahan was a great get, but just as the defense experienced woes in Rob Ryan's new system
last year, I have the feeling our OL will struggle this year. And if they struggle, Romo may struggle to stay healthy. I heard on the radio recently that the Cowboys basically took a MoneyBall approach to the offensive line this last year. They hired an Economist and asked for him to put together a
sabermetrics formula to try and figure out what type of OL players play best with each other. Rather than focusing on what one player did against opposing players throughout last year, they decided to focus more on the whole of a successfull offensive line and what the members of said offensive lines did well as a unit. Their Free Agency acquisitions were a result of this research that was done. Personally, I think it's fascinating, but until I see it on the field, I'll remain skeptical.

4. Jerry said early in the offseason that they took a hard look at the Giants because they have won the Super Bowl twice in the last 5 years. When
he said this, many took that to mean that we would be focusing on our players up front, OL and DL, possibly even OLB. They did add a few players via Free Agency to the OL, but unless it was written on www.dallascowboys.com, most of the reviews of these acquisitions are critical. As for the DL, they did add a DE in the 3rd round, and a few undrafted Free Agents, however, the focus was clearly on the secondary. Many have sighted that with a new and improved secondary, we can expect an improvement up front because the QB will have to hold on to the pass longer. Stats do show quite a few near-misses last year, so they may be on to something, but with this, I'll simply say I am cautiously optimistic.

5. Given the performance of Demarco Murray last year, what we think we have in Felix Jones, and the addition of Lawrence Vickers, the Cowboys running game should be, at the very least, solid. Of course, the OL will have a significant impact on that, as well. For the moment, simply having both Felix and Demarco healthy makes this aspect of our offense improved from last year.

6. Wide Receiver. I'm not as concerned as most about who will be the 3rd Receiver. Taking a page out of the concept behind sabermetrics, you do not have to replace the player (e.g. Laurent Robinson), you merely have to figure out a way to replace (or improve upon) his production. I believe the Cowboys do have the players on this roster already to accomplish that. Between Witten, our lead receivers and youngsters, and, of course, Felix/Demarco's ability to catch the ball out of the back field, I think who is the 3rd receiver is really a non-issue. But that's just my opinion.

7. Tight End. Witten is hurt and uncertain for the season opener against the Giants. Considering the above statement, the same idea applies. We don't have to find a guy to replace Witten, a committee of players will suffice. Though we lost Bennett to the Giants, the Cowboys picked up what looks to be a servicable replacement in James Hannah. And before John Phillips was hurt last year, he looked to be very close to replacing Bennett as the second Tight End, if I recall correctly. In summation, I'm not really worried about this position for the Cowboys.

8. Linebackers. I'm actually pretty excited about what the Cowboys have in this group. Sure, there are questions marks, but if we can keep this group together for a few years, they could dominate. A lot remains to be seen, but I have fewer reservations about this group, than any other group currently on the team, including Corner.

9. Corner. Most believe this is the most improved position for the Cowboys. I'm not as confident. First of all, most rookie CB's don't come in their first year and make the Pro Bowl, unless, of course, they also returned Kicks/Punts. I'm not saying he has to make the Pro Bowl to be considered worth our 1st and 2nd. I'm just saying there will likely be an adjustment period for Claiborne. Mike Jenkins is clearly not happy with his role, but given the aforementioned, were he healthy, he probably would have the inside track to start, at least, in the beginning. According to reports, Brandon Carr is everything we thought he was and more. We really won't know until the season opener. I think we overpaid for Scandrick, personally, especially if he ends up being the 4th corner. Once again, the season opener will answer quite a few questions for us about this group, since Eli showed considerable improvemnt in his passing game, and the Giants seem to use the 3 receiver set quite a bit last year.

10. Defensive Line. Meh. From a fans perspective, it's difficult to evaluate talent of the DL, unless, of course, you have access to game tape that allows you to focus on the specific player throughout the game. Unless you have that, (and this is true of all positions, really) you know nothing. If you looked at youtube or are basing your opinion off what you think you saw in a game, chances are you are wrong. You can't measure a Defensive Lineman by his stats, because a big part of being good at this position, is soaking up blockers. If you demand a double, your good. If you can consistently move one guy far enough out of his gap to open up holes for the LB to get to the ball carrier, your good. Tackles for loss and sacks, do not tell the whole story. Having said all that, I can't say I'm terribly confident about this group.

11. Safeties. Sensabaugh is solid. He's consistent. But he is too old at this point in his career to be considered a long term solution. Church is interesting. He doesn't have good measurables and I don't think he'll ever be considered a Ball Hawk, but he makes text book tackles, he drives hard to the point of attack and always seems to be at the right place at the right time. Not sure I trust him against speedy receivers, but his overall lack in speed could possibly be hidden, if our corners don't mind being left on an island on deep routes.

Overall, as I said in the beginning, I like the direction of this team. Hopefully, at this point in his career as GM, Jerry Jones understands that building a team that is consistently competitive takes time and given the fact that we did not have much of an offseason last year, this is really the beginning stage of rebuilding. I'm not saying the Cowboys won't be competitive this year, I just don't think they have a team built to go deep in the playoffs yet. But I ceratinly could be wrong, and really hope I am. Thoughts?

Excellent post.
I agree with almost everything you said. I too like Garret but his play calling and his bone headed moves at the end of games Detroit and New England stand out last year really leaves me scratching my head.

The O line and the D line are suspect. I see mediocrity on both and in the NFL you win or lose in the trenches. Linebackers, DBs, Safeties are all improved from last year. Wide receiver is a negative with the loss of Robinson. Running would be a positive with Vickers except our O line is worse than last year so I think it is less than a wash.

Tight end is going to be dicey if Witten is hurt for longer than one game.

Punting is worse than last year and kicking is probably a plus, Bailey may be a stud.

All and all, I don't see us better than 8-8. We could start the year 1-5, we really could.

OBTW, I hate Jerruh!!! He is a charlatan and a fool and has held this franchise hostage for 15 years. Damn him for letting Jimmy go.

 

[jday]

Excellent post.
I agree with almost everything you said. I too like Garret but his play calling and his bone headed moves at the end of games Detroit and New England stand out last year really leaves me scratching my head.

The O line and the D line are suspect. I see mediocrity on both and in the NFL you win or lose in the trenches. Linebackers, DBs, Safeties are all improved from last year. Wide receiver is a negative with the loss of Robinson. Running would be a positive with Vickers except our O line is worse than last year so I think it is less than a wash.

Tight end is going to be dicey if Witten is hurt for longer than one game.

Punting is worse than last year and kicking is probably a plus, Bailey may be a stud.

All and all, I don't see us better than 8-8. We could start the year 1-5, we really could.

OBTW, I hate Jerruh!!! He is a charlatan and a fool and has held this franchise hostage for 15 years. Damn him for letting Jimmy go.

You know, in the OP, I tried to be as honest as I possibly could, but when it comes to our record, I'm sticking with 10 and 6. I understand that means we have to steal a few games from teams that look better on paper, but I stand by my belief here.

Rather or not that is good enough to get to the play offs, I am realistic enough to accept that they likely won't get much further than that.