Ranking the Roster

[Sydla]

Based on?

He has done exactly what the coaching staff wants him to do. Any elevated evpectations on your part doesn't equate to him being a disappointment.

Based on the fact he's a 2nd round pick that has only 26 catches in 3 seasons, has shown little ability to be a real threat in the passing game, and shown little flashes that he's going to develop into Witten's successor.

 

[StarBoyz83]

Roster needs a lot of upgrades for sure. I don't think a lot of our players would start on other teams. Lots of average and below average guys.

 

[Fla Cowpoke]

DT is not a huge need as far as I am concerned. Could we get better there, yes, but it isn't the train wreck that we have at DE, OLB and S.

Right now we have Crawford and Thornton to start, with McClain, Irving, Crawford can play inside and we have Chris Whaley and Casey Walker as developmental guys. DT is nowhere near a huge need....it is below WR, RB, TE and backup Qb as well as the defensive postions listed above and about the same as CB.

 

[CowboyRoy]

Based on the fact that he plays small because he doesn't high point, he body catches because when he has small stone hands, he has disappeared for over a half dozen games for two seasons in a row, and he is dominated by double/bracket coverage. His best attribute is his run blocking. He's a mediocre starter.

He's not terrible but he is at best inconsistent in his first 3 years. The guys behind him are not much better or are pigeonholed inside.

Witten is getting old. He likely won't be here in 4 years even if he stays healthy.

I'm not saying in the 1st but after that if a WR is BPA then it will help the team a lot to select him.

I agree with everything but taking a WR high if BPA. This offense needs to be more run oriented and we need defense. Taking a WR in round 1 would just be overkill.
If Witten lasts another 4 years I would be shocked.

 

[morasp]

Unless there is a day one impact starter at four I'm for trading back and possibly getting four picks in the top 50. Our talent level could really use an upgrade.

 

[Typhus]

Unless there is a day one impact starter at four I'm for trading back and possibly getting four picks in the top 50. Our talent level could really use an upgrade.

Bingo,
and Im for trading completely back out of the first round if I can acquire additional draft picks in the meat of this draft,, give me picks round 2 through late 3,, thats the true heart of this draft.

 

[Typhus]

Did that cause you to disregard the facts surrounding two of the four names you mentioned or did you just not know their situations?

No, the premise of my post wasnt to live in some fantasy land at the TE position which is where Belichick lives.

Take a moment to look around the league, and tell me another roster that has the depth that we have at TE, besides Belichicks TE fanstasy island with Gronk and Bennett.
.
When you look at the minimal positional value most teams in the league have at the position, you can start to respect the value and talent the Cowboys actually do have at TE.

The purpose of my OP was to rationalize the depth of the roster vs the upcoming options in the 2016 NFL draft, and where this war room is focusing slot value and finalizing a 53.

You can dislike all the players you want, and put your personal assessment however you want,, Im just asking you to step outside the box, and review a roster, and place a draft value considering those perimeters.

 

[Stash]

No, the premise of my post wasnt to live in some fantasy land at the TE position which is where Belichick lives.

Take a moment to look around the league, and tell me another roster that has the depth that we have at TE, besides Belichicks TE fanstasy island with Gronk and Bennett.
.
When you look at the minimal positional value most teams in the league have at the position, you can start to respect the value and talent the Cowboys actually do have at TE.

If your making a case against further investment in backup TE's, you're preaching to the choir. But if you're trying to make the case that this group is among the league's best? Yeah, not so much.

The purpose of my OP was to rationalize the depth of the roster vs the upcoming options in the 2016 NFL draft, and where this war room is focusing slot value and finalizing a 53.

You can dislike all the players you want, and put your personal assessment however you want,, Im just asking you to step outside the box, and review a roster, and place a draft value considering those perimeters.

I sure can't see any validity to using the #4 on an outside linebacker, no matter where I step. Given other needs, Myles Jack makes zero sense to me on any level as an option for this team.

 

[Typhus]

I can approach and argue both, but I thought for now, in this discussion we were talking the current state of the TE position, and how that ranks with the likelihood that this franchise addresses that need in the draft?
As I have tried to clarify in this thread, that was the original direction of my OP.
You have yet to provide any other roster that surpasses the Cowboys current TE depth,,, cant use NE, because I already stated and admitted that,,, Im ok being behind that depth,,, number 2 isnt all that bad...

And I would love to continue a conversation on your opinion on Myles Jack and on the value he would add to this team,,, but lets not side step... the subject at hand.

 

[FuzzyLumpkins]

I agree with everything but taking a WR high if BPA. This offense needs to be more run oriented and we need defense. Taking a WR in round 1 would just be overkill.
If Witten lasts another 4 years I would be shocked.

The running game was not the problem. This is not 1980.

 

[CowboyRoy]

The running game was not the problem. This is not 1980.

Not in my book. To me the running game was nowhere near as effective or dominant as 2014. And I dont agree that it was only because Romo and Dez were hurt. This team clearly needs a dominant run game and no reason they shouldnt have it with this Oline.

1. Romo is old, brittle and injury prone
2. Any new young QB coming in in a couple years can lean on it
3. With the state of our defense its important to keep them off the field and control the clock

 

[FuzzyLumpkins]

And then you look at the statistics and note that rush efficiency was not the problem but passing efficiency was.

Your list is more of a reason to draft QB not RB.

 

[Stash]

Unless there is a day one impact starter at four I'm for trading back and possibly getting four picks in the top 50. Our talent level could really use an upgrade.

Then free agency was the time you were supposed to get that done, not waiting for the draft.

 

[Stash]

I can approach and argue both, but I thought for now, in this discussion we were talking the current state of the TE position, and how that ranks with the likelihood that this franchise addresses that need in the draft?
As I have tried to clarify in this thread, that was the original direction of my OP.
You have yet to provide any other roster that surpasses the Cowboys current TE depth,,, cant use NE, because I already stated and admitted that,,, Im ok being behind that depth,,, number 2 isnt all that bad...

And I would love to continue a conversation on your opinion on Myles Jack and on the value he would add to this team,,, but lets not side step... the subject at hand.

You've got a Pro Bowl, Hall of Fame player in Witten who may very well be hitting the downside of his career.

You have Hanna, a solid, Jack-of-all-trades player who isn't used much at all outside of blocking.

You have Escobar, a virtual non-factor this far who is likely to not even be available for a considerable part of the season, if at all.

And then you have Swaim. A player the team had to have - at the expense of RB Thomas Rawls - who showed nothing for his rookie year and is still a complete unknown.

If that looks great to you, I don't know what to tell you.

I'm not interested in making any sort of a significant draft investment, but their current lineup offers more questions than answers.

If you're trying to shine it up, you're not making a strong case at all.

 

[GimmeTheBall!]

It looks as if we are (relatively) stacked at offense.
and we totally suck at defense


Is that fair to say?

 

[GimmeTheBall!]

I just don't get why people want dallas to draft a linebacker with a bad knee injury that you are not sure what he will be in the future.

Well, maybe he will come to us . . . cheap.

 

[morasp]

Then free agency was the time you were supposed to get that done, not waiting for the draft.

I believe you have to do it in free agency and the draft.

 

[Stash]

I believe you have to do it in free agency and the draft.

I would ask that you consider this:

This team added not one, not two, but three first round talents from last year's draft.

How do you personally feel that all of them contributed to this team winning last season?

And then ask yourself what you should expect from only one first rounder this year?

 

[Stash]

It looks as if we are (relatively) stacked at offense.
and we totally suck at defense


Is that fair to say?

Quarterback look "stacked" to you, especially after last year?

 

[GimmeTheBall!]

Quarterback look "stacked" to you, especially after last year?

Bloke, i put the word "relatively" there for the likes of you. But when you compare our O with our D the defense is, at best, a work in progress and, at worse, a continuing disaster. A fan the other day declared Lee our best LB and I almost cried.