"Next Year Is The Year"

[Smashin222]

The one thing I love about the NFL is that any team can win any year, that once you get into the playoffs its anyone's game (see the 9-7 Giants)

This has basically been the thing I've harped on while on this board (throughout our up and down season, basically all I would post is: look at the Giants, look at the Packers, look at the Cardinals)

That said, teams go through cycles with their talent, and their goal is to maximize their talent to make a concerted run over a 2-3 year period before the cap constrains them, or a key player retires.

I think in 2007, we had that going, and in 2008 the trade for Roy Williams was an attempt to extend that situation. We had Romo in his prime, we had just finished a great season with a great disappointment and figured our talent, if we could just get into the playoffs, would carry us.

Much like the Celtics did in 06 and 07 prior to the 2008 championship, instead of trying to patch together pieces and get to the dance, they basically decided to start over. They kicked to the curb virtually everyone on the team, tanked a season and made preparations to be big spenders in FA and the Draft. It resulted in KG and Ray Allen coming to the team and they won a championship (should have won more, but that's a different thread)

I see something similar developing with our team. We had a tanked season, albeit unintentional and I think the brass (Jason and Jerry) saw it as an opportunity to clean some house, take the short term hit and re-tool for another run at it. We cleared a ton of cap-space at the short-term cost of dead money, to make one more run while Romo still has it. I think that's what next year is about.

By all accounts we have a TON of money available next year and its because we got rid of some awful contracts and took a tough hit on the O-line last year. I think it all aligns for us in spending this off-season and the next getting ready to make a big push in 2013-2014. I don't think its a stretch to say this team is a couple off-seasons away from being at that point and I think that's the "master-plan" upstairs.

This offseason shouldn't be focused on necessarily putting the best team on the field for 2012-2013, although I think given who is available in FA -- those players would be huge helps, I think we're going to focus on making sure that 2013-2014 is a flexible offseason to add the final pieces on say the 4-5 holes that we'll have (SOLB, ILB, DE, S, OG). That's why I think we weren't afraid to franchise Spencer at all. Paying him more now, to give us flexibility later makes sense when you're planning for 2 years ahead.

I think we make a run while Romo is 32-35 and I think that's the front offices plan.

With that, I think going after the premier free agents makes a ton of sense, because they're all young and will be geared up for those runs, but i wouldn't surprise me if we choose not to plug holes with 3-4 year contracts for players over 30 (the candidates at center or DT for example) and if we do plug holes with older players it'll more likely be one year deals with guys like Brooking who we can show the door when we become big spenders?

I know that a lot of this is probably hope>reality, but I think as a process it makes sense.

 

[Beast_from_East]

The one thing I love about the NFL is that any team can win any year, that once you get into the playoffs its anyone's game (see the 9-7 Giants)

This has basically been the thing I've harped on while on this board (throughout our up and down season, basically all I would post is: look at the Giants, look at the Packers, look at the Cardinals)

That said, teams go through cycles with their talent, and their goal is to maximize their talent to make a concerted run over a 2-3 year period before the cap constrains them, or a key player retires.

I think in 2007, we had that going, and in 2008 the trade for Roy Williams was an attempt to extend that situation. We had Romo in his prime, we had just finished a great season with a great disappointment and figured our talent, if we could just get into the playoffs, would carry us.

Much like the Celtics did in 06 and 07 prior to the 2008 championship, instead of trying to patch together pieces and get to the dance, they basically decided to start over. They kicked to the curb virtually everyone on the team, tanked a season and made preparations to be big spenders in FA and the Draft. It resulted in KG and Ray Allen coming to the team and they won a championship (should have won more, but that's a different thread)

I see something similar developing with our team. We had a tanked season, albeit unintentional and I think the brass (Jason and Jerry) saw it as an opportunity to clean some house, take the short term hit and re-tool for another run at it. We cleared a ton of cap-space at the short-term cost of dead money, to make one more run while Romo still has it. I think that's what next year is about.

By all accounts we have a TON of money available next year and its because we got rid of some awful contracts and took a tough hit on the O-line last year. I think it all aligns for us in spending this off-season and the next getting ready to make a big push in 2013-2014. I don't think its a stretch to say this team is a couple off-seasons away from being at that point and I think that's the "master-plan" upstairs.

This offseason shouldn't be focused on necessarily putting the best team on the field for 2012-2013, although I think given who is available in FA -- those players would be huge helps, I think we're going to focus on making sure that 2013-2014 is a flexible offseason to add the final pieces on say the 4-5 holes that we'll have (SOLB, ILB, DE, S, OG). That's why I think we weren't afraid to franchise Spencer at all. Paying him more now, to give us flexibility later makes sense when you're planning for 2 years ahead.

I think we make a run while Romo is 32-35 and I think that's the front offices plan.

With that, I think going after the premier free agents makes a ton of sense, because they're all young and will be geared up for those runs, but i wouldn't surprise me if we choose not to plug holes with 3-4 year contracts for players over 30 (the candidates at center or DT for example) and if we do plug holes with older players it'll more likely be one year deals with guys like Brooking who we can show the door when we become big spenders?

I know that a lot of this is probably hope>reality, but I think as a process it makes sense.

I agree that this is all about trying to make one last run while Romo is still playing at a high level. At 31 yrs old, Romo has maybe 5 years left.

So yes, I think the entire plan is to make a major SB run over the next 5 years because once Romo is gone, we are going to suck for a long time.

 

[Galian Beast]

Put this team in position to win now. Period point blank.

Most important position is QB. Thus you want great passer, protection for him, and someone who can get to the passer.