Offseason Needs vs Reasons we Lost

[cnuball21]

These two are why I refuse to believe anything the organization has to say. The Cowboys have the worlds best PR and they are in the job of selling hope. I don't expect next season to be any different. They will draft and then do nothing to improve the overall team and just keep going. It's like they are waiting for that one season where every other team in the NFL is injured and they get to waltz away with the prize.

Sad but true. I think we’re close, and the moves to get us over the hump are easy and blatanatly obvious I just have zero faith Jerry will get it done.

 

[cnuball21]

At OL, who was there in this FA period that Stephen would have to dish out a monster contract to ?
Only one in thought was Terron Armstead who signed on with Miami (from Saints) and the team was not gonna replace Tyron altogether. much less
give Armstead a big contract.

- I'd give Cowboys big credit for carefully evaluating Tyler onto their draft board value to select him and scheme planning him into the OL mix.
Start him out at LG, beside Tyron,.. and eventually move him out to permanent LT once Tyron's career is done.

- And i admit that I myself was not initially on board with selecting Tyler Smith (who ?) with our first round pick. as i was more in favor of
drafting either Florida State DE Jermaine Johnson (Jets) or Utah LB Devin Lloyd (Jax Jaguars)

" Looong " way ? ..Meh,.. that would indicate more so a project ...and i don't think Tyler falls into that area and i don't think he is that distant far away.

It didn’t need to be a monster contract. We needed a swing OT or an upgrade at LG. Cam Fleming signed for about a million a year with Denver. Someone like him.

Long way indicates Tyler wasn’t a good NFL OT this year. He led the NFL in penalties and was outside the top 30 in pass pro win rate. Yes - I like him, and applaud him for filling in for Tyron and being tough but he needs a lot of work. He has good upside, and the splash plays in the run game are fun, but that doesn’t capture his body of work all year. A move back to LG will better suit his skill set IMO so I hope he moves next year.

 

[Creeper]

I have a slightly different take.

They lost because the 49ers made some adjustments at halftime and the Cowboys did not. First, it was clear the 49ers began run to their left side behind Trent Williams. The began running at the DE on that side instead of inside or way outside like tried earlier in the game. That had success for 3 reasons. The Cowboys Left side DE is not as good against the run as Lawrence. Diggs was on that side. And Barr is on that side. And though I think Barr has played better he is not stout enough anymore. It's not like they were killing us with the run, but they were getting in 3rd and shot situations then killing us with those short inside passes. Which brings me to point 2. It was obvious to me that they were using the middle of the field. The Cowboys needed to adjust to that. They didn't. It seemed like whenever the 49ers needed a 3rd down conversion they would hit a guy in the middle and Dallas could not stop it.

Finally, the 49ers were using 2 and 3 guys to keep Parsons from harassing Purdy. Quinn should have started blitzing up the middle to prevent those double and triple teams. When we sent an extra guy it worked. The let Purdy stay comfy in the pocket.

On offense, I think it was obvious that Dak's INTs hurt. But also the loss of Pollard hurt. There was one play where Zeke ran right and there was a gap there and room to run. Zeke got tripped up in the hold and got two yards. Pollard would have burst through that whole nd made a big play out of it. One play like that would have changed the 49ers defense.

We only have 2 real playmakers on offense, Pollard and CeeDee. With Pollard out that left it all on CeeDee.

 

[quickccc]

It didn’t need to be a monster contract. We needed a swing OT or an upgrade at LG. Cam Fleming signed for about a million a year with Denver. Someone like him.

Long way indicates Tyler wasn’t a good NFL OT this year. He led the NFL in penalties and was outside the top 30 in pass pro win rate. Yes - I like him, and applaud him for filling in for Tyron and being tough but he needs a lot of work. He has good upside, and the splash plays in the run game are fun, but that doesn’t capture his body of work all year. A move back to LG will better suit his skill set IMO so I hope he moves next year.

Cam Fleming ??!! .. is this an error ?
He played here with the Cowboys as a swing backup - and he was awful here.

Keep in mind that Tyler was still a rookie, and he didn't come into the NFL draft with a first round overall grades like Rashawn Slater Tristan Wirfs, etc
Fans seem to demand and expect players in 1st round need to be instant All pro and Pro bowl in their rookie first year ....

i also think Tyler will move inside to starting next year at LG, .but it will not be because it's the position that suits him best.
It will be more because the Cowboys want their best five starting lineup on the playing field
..and yes i do feel the Cowboys still think Tyron can still start and play at a high level, so to squeeze the remaining year(s) outta that existing investment contract.

- Tyron Smith LT
- Tyler Smith LG
- Biadasz C
- Martin RG
- Steele RT

 

[cnuball21]

I have a slightly different take.

They lost because the 49ers made some adjustments at halftime and the Cowboys did not. First, it was clear the 49ers began run to their left side behind Trent Williams. The began running at the DE on that side instead of inside or way outside like tried earlier in the game. That had success for 3 reasons. The Cowboys Left side DE is not as good against the run as Lawrence. Diggs was on that side. And Barr is on that side. And though I think Barr has played better he is not stout enough anymore. It's not like they were killing us with the run, but they were getting in 3rd and shot situations then killing us with those short inside passes. Which brings me to point 2. It was obvious to me that they were using the middle of the field. The Cowboys needed to adjust to that. They didn't. It seemed like whenever the 49ers needed a 3rd down conversion they would hit a guy in the middle and Dallas could not stop it.

Finally, the 49ers were using 2 and 3 guys to keep Parsons from harassing Purdy. Quinn should have started blitzing up the middle to prevent those double and triple teams. When we sent an extra guy it worked. The let Purdy stay comfy in the pocket.

On offense, I think it was obvious that Dak's INTs hurt. But also the loss of Pollard hurt. There was one play where Zeke ran right and there was a gap there and room to run. Zeke got tripped up in the hold and got two yards. Pollard would have burst through that whole nd made a big play out of it. One play like that would have changed the 49ers defense.

We only have 2 real playmakers on offense, Pollard and CeeDee. With Pollard out that left it all on CeeDee.

Yea, again Dak was bad. We needed him to play better but their are a handful of reasons over the course of a game that led to the loss.

- OL struggling in pass pro on a few key 3rd downs
- Injury to Pollard
- Diggs whiffing a tackle that could’ve caused a fumble AND dropping an INT
- Defense wearing down on the 90 yard TD drive
- Blocked PAT
- Turpin has a TD if he doesn’t run into the locker (my opinion)

 

[cnuball21]

Cam Fleming ??!! .. is this an error ?
He played here with the Cowboys as a swing backup - and he was awful here.

Keep in mind that Tyler was still a rookie, and he didn't come into the NFL draft with a first round overall grades like Rashawn Slater Tristan Wirfs, etc
Fans seem to demand and expect players in 1st round need to be instant All pro and Pro bowl in their rookie first year ....

i also think Tyler will move inside to starting next year at LG, .but it will not be because it's the position that suits him best.
It will be more because the Cowboys want their best five starting lineup on the playing field
..and yes i do feel the Cowboys still think Tyron can still start and play at a high level, so to squeeze the remaining year(s) outta that existing investment contract.

- Tyron Smith LT
- Tyler Smith LG
- Biadasz C
- Martin RG
- Steele RT

Yes, and he graded out as league average this year. Essentially all we needed in a swing OT.

And yes - Tyler did not come into the league with a unanimous 1st round grade…that’s my whole point. We forced a need pick bc, again, we didn’t cover our butt in FA.

 

[quickccc]

Yes, and he graded out as league average this year. Essentially all we needed in a swing OT.

And yes - Tyler did not come into the league with a unanimous 1st round grade…that’s my whole point. We forced a need pick bc, again, we didn’t cover our butt in FA.

i felt just the opposite.

The biggest need cry was still on defense - but we went with most valued player according to McClay's board.

 

[CowboyRoy]

Most agreed our major offseason needs were WR, OL and DT. We did almost nothing to fill these holes and I’m not surprised they were major reasons we lost.

Dak didn’t play well but Lamb had zero help, the OL created zero push in the run game and our run D got soft down the stretch towards the end of the game when we needed it most.

The worst part is the Jones will likely do nothin in FA / trades and we’ll likely count on “our guys” and draft picks to be difference makers.

Sigh.

Sorry, you dont judge a season off playing the #1 defense and the Niners one game.

This had plenty of weapons until Pollard went down.

 

[Swagger]

Yea, again Dak was bad. We needed him to play better but their are a handful of reasons over the course of a game that led to the loss.

- OL struggling in pass pro on a few key 3rd downs
- Injury to Pollard
- Diggs whiffing a tackle that could’ve caused a fumble AND dropping an INT
- Defense wearing down on the 90 yard TD drive
- Blocked PAT
- Turpin has a TD if he doesn’t run into the locker (my opinion)

But then the 49ers could make a list with several moments/plays that could have gone their way.

Ultimately, Prescott threw two interceptions (should have had another pick 6), under threw Lamb wide open for a TD and for some reason didn't recognise Hilton was open for a regulation TD and instead threw to Lamb being covered by yes a linebacker but an All Pro. Special teams also gave him the ball on 49ers' 20 yard line yet only scored 3 points. A QB just cannot make that many mistakes when playing a top team yet it shows how well the D played that the Cowboys still had a good chance of winning in the 4th quarter!

Prescott was given opportunity after opportunity to win this game but as in the past, he simply wasn't good enough to execute.

I respect the effort you put in to finding ways to improve the team but what's the point with Prescott at QB?

The team won 4 out of 5 games with a practice squad QB this season including against the Superbowl bound Bengals and the game they lost was against the Superbowl bound Eagles with their starting QB. This team is generally loaded - not at every position, but relatively speaking when a QB is earning circa $40 million a year it doesn't get much better than this overall. If he needs even more players to help him win then put simply, he should not have been given a big contract as Cowboy fans with some foresight were banging the drum about beforehand.

My advice would be to save your time as it's a hopeless situation until Prescott is no longer the starting QB. He's a JAG.

 

[kskboys]

Doesn’t even have to be that limited of a player…we can get a good, starting caliber RB in rounds 3/4. Teams all over the league are doing it.

And missing more than hitting.

 

[Cowboyny]

Another thought is could Jones be revisiting the OJ Beckham pursuit again ? .. since the offseason would give him that much more time to recuperate that ACL

The dilenma is that's two WRs (Gallup) that you dunno if it's a guaranteed that they will return to form.

That is the risk, at least Odell fights for the football. I am confident this front office will address this and corner as they always do at these positions.

 

[cnuball21]

i felt just the opposite.

The biggest need cry was still on defense - but we went with most valued player according to McClay's board.

I highly, highly doubt the pick wasn’t influenced heavily by need. If it wasn’t we likely would’ve taken a defender.

Most analysts had Tyler as a 2nd rounder.

 

[cnuball21]

But then the 49ers could make a list with several moments/plays that could have gone their way.

Ultimately, Prescott threw two interceptions (should have had another pick 6), under threw Lamb wide open for a TD and for some reason didn't recognise Hilton was open for a regulation TD and instead threw to Lamb being covered by yes a linebacker but an All Pro. Special teams also gave him the ball on 49ers' 20 yard line yet only scored 3 points. A QB just cannot make that many mistakes when playing a top team yet it shows how well the D played that the Cowboys still had a good chance of winning in the 4th quarter!

Prescott was given opportunity after opportunity to win this game but as in the past, he simply wasn't good enough to execute.

I respect the effort you put in to finding ways to improve the team but what's the point with Prescott at QB?

The team won 4 out of 5 games with a practice squad QB this season including against the Superbowl bound Bengals and the game they lost was against the Superbowl bound Eagles with their starting QB. This team is generally loaded - not at every position, but relatively speaking when a QB is earning circa $40 million a year it doesn't get much better than this overall. If he needs even more players to help him win then put simply, he should not have been given a big contract as Cowboy fans with some foresight were banging the drum about beforehand.

My advice would be to save your time as it's a hopeless situation until Prescott is no longer the starting QB. He's a JAG.

If you only evaluate the QB on his performance against the 49ers then you don’t try to improve the team with him. If you evaluate him based off his career and body of work you do try to improve the team with him.

 

[cnuball21]

And missing more than hitting.

I don’t think so. Here’s your RBs taken after rounds 2-4 just last year:

- Breece Hall: stud
- Kenneth Walker: stud
- James Cook: TBD
- Rachaad White: took bulk of snaps as a rookie
- Brian Robinson: took over as starter as a rookie
- Dameon Pierce: stud
- White, Spiller and Strong: TBD

Taking a RB in the first is just an incredible waster of draft capital and bad roster management IMO. Position is too heavily dependent on OL play and scheme.

 

[quickccc]

I highly, highly doubt the pick wasn’t influenced heavily by need. If it wasn’t we likely would’ve taken a defender.

Most analysts had Tyler as a 2nd rounder.

That's the analysts viewpoint ... McClay for better or worse (ala Nashon Wright ?) may have had his own.

 

[cnuball21]

That's the analysts viewpoint ... McClay for better or worse (ala Nashon Wright ?) may have had his own.

Correct, but there is a trickle down effect of us not being active in FA to fill our needs.

When we don’t, it impacts how McClay has to build his board.

 

[DanA]

Yes, agree Dak played poorly. Would he have played as poorly if he had a good number 2 or another weapon where he didn’t feel the need to try and force some throws? Does a quality NT help limit the 90 drive where the 49ers ran it down our throat?

I think so.

That 90-yard drive they got 36 yards on the ground at 5.1 YPC for the drive. Good but not exactly the difference considering it was the only time they were able to move the ball on the ground for the game, also on that drive:

• Kittle caught a 30-yard pass
• We had 3 penalties
• A sack on 3rd and 8 was wiped by Wilson holding Kittle
• Diggs dropped an interception

I would say a bit more was going on than us not being able to stop the run. And I think we had a good no.2 in Ty Hilton, Dak just never went his way. That was inexplicable to me given what Ty had shown in the lead-up and he certainly looked open on some key plays.

 

[cnuball21]

That 90-yard drive they got 36 yards on the ground at 5.1 YPC for the drive. Good but not exactly the difference considering it was the only time they were able to move the ball on the ground for the game, also on that drive:

• Kittle caught a 30-yard pass
• We had 3 penalties
• A sack on 3rd and 8 was wiped by Wilson holding Kittle
• Diggs dropped an interception

I would say a bit more was going on than us not being able to stop the run. And I think we had a good no.2 in Ty Hilton, Dak just never went his way. That was inexplicable to me given what Ty had shown in the lead-up and he certainly looked open on some key plays.

Agree to an extent, but they were still able
to grind out tough yards when they needed and got over 100. Also agree everything else you mentioned attributed to the loss.

I’d disagree on Hilton. He was open for a big play when Dak threw to Lamb and Warner carried him but he had pressure in his face almost immediately so not sure he had a chance to get to him. I mean we signed him off the streets and he was a good signing, but at this point in his career I wouldn’t classify him as a high end #2.