Replacing Sean Lee And Why It's Not All Bad

[IrishAnto]

Lee has missed games every year with injuries but we've had him for at least part of the season every year and he's contributed to some wins. What makes his season ending injury such a crippling blow is the defense just lost Ware and Hatcher this offseason. The defense hasn't taken the field in any single game the past 4 seasons without all 3 of those players. The Cowboys lost their pass rush from last season and their best pass defender who led the team with 4 int's in 2013. There isn't an LB in the league who's been better in coverage than Lee who's led all NFL LB's the past 4 seasons with 11 int's two of which were returned for scores. Several have been trying to put a positive spin on the loss of Lee but like Ware he was one of the teams leaders.

The loss of the Cowboys top 3 defensive players from last season 2 of which provided 17 of the teams 34 sacks in 2013 and the other who provided a team leading 4 int's has already put the Cowboys hopes for the 2014 season more than halfway down the toilet. The Cowboys are going to be scrambling all season moving players around on defense trying to find something that will keep the team in contention by Dec. We all know more injuries will occur it happens every season with this team. FANS keep trying to put a positive spin on Lee's loss but not even a great defense can survive the loss of their top 3 defensive players.

So what do want fans to do?

Slash their wrists?

At one point we lost the services of Bob Lilly and Randy White but the Cowboys eventually won again.

We all know the impact of Lee’s loss but football life still goes on and people are trying to make the best of a bad situation.

And let’s not pretend Ware was his usual self last season.

In reality we lost the services of two good players from last season, Hatcher and Lee (and Lee didn’t play in all games as usual).

 

[rwalters31]

Nobody is going to feel bad for you in the NFL. Injuries happen, even to superstars. The injury to Sean Lee hurts in so many different ways. With DeMarcus Ware and Jason Hatcher leaving in free agency, he was far and away the most important player on the defense and needed to stay healthy to continue to lead this defense. But now that we know that he is out for the year with a torn ACL, it’s time to figure out how to replace him, as hard as that may be.

In the last few days, there have been dozens of articles written about the loss ofSean Lee and the potential impact that it will have on the Dallas Cowboys defense. But at some point, you have to move on and figure out how to replace Lee. Jason Garrett continually hammers home the cliché that he has a “next man up” approach to injuries. And we often roll our eyes because it’s going to impossible to replace Sean Lee’s play, let alone his leadership on the field. But I believe the Cowboys have prepared for a season without Sean Lee. Given his injury concerns, they knew they may have to play games without their stud linebacker. They spent a fourth round pick on Anthony Hitchens (who many criticized for drafting a backup for Lee so early in the draft) and have three other players on the roster who have experience playing in the middle including Bruce Carter, Justin Durant and DeVonte Holloman. I have continually sang the praises of DeVonte Holloman on this site and still believe he will become a really good player in the NFL and I also believe his best spot in the NFL is at middle linebacker in a 4-3.

And as bad as this sounds, sometimes injuries help launch another players’ career. Look no further than here in Dallas. When Felix Jones missed time in 2011, DeMarco Murray made the most of the opportunity and stabilized the running back position for the team for years to come. When the Cowboys lost Pro-Bowler Anthony Spencer last year, Out of nowhere came George Selvie to replace him and then proceeded to have the best year of his career. I can give numerous examples of this over the years. Don’t under-estimate the young players on this team, especially DeVonte Holloman. I think there is a decent chance that he becomes a stud linebacker for the team this year. I think he has enough potential to be great. Am I over-reacting to a college tape, a few preseason games and the final game of the season? Maybe. But there is so much talent there and I can’t wait to see his development over his career.

Read the rest here, including a scouting report on DeVonte Holloman: http://cover32.com/cowboys/2014/05/29/replacing-sean-lee-and-why-its-not-all-bad/

Pray for a great DL as the LBers are hopeless!

 

[Risen Star]

They were going to be a bad defense with or without Lee. In a season where I don't believe they can win anything. So the ramifications of this injury on the 2014 season are irrelevant to me, but its a serious blow to the future as clearly their best defensive player will never be able to be counted on to get through a single season.

They have to look for his replacement. Preferably outside of undrafted free agent talent from Iowa.

 

[packpitts]

Fair enough but it still doesn't excuse not taking a quick look to see what's around you.

Looking around at the wrong time will get you smashed! or beat.. there's not much time at all, running backs are usually fast in the NFL, like blink of a eye fast! Wilber's lucky he collided with a team mate and not a "free blocker" zeroing in to lay him out!

 

[KJJ]

So what do want fans to do?

Slash their wrists?

At one point we lost the services of Bob Lilly and Randy White but the Cowboys eventually won again.

We all know the impact of Lee’s loss but football life still goes on and people are trying to make the best of a bad situation.

And let’s not pretend Ware was his usual self last season.

In reality we lost the services of two good players from last season, Hatcher and Lee (and Lee didn’t play in all games as usual).

FANS shouldn't be slashing their wrists over Lee's season ending injury we all expected him to go down at some point but they shouldn't be trying to put a positive spin on it either. You have one FAN claiming losing Lee is a blessing in disguise and that he's stopping the progress of a player he refuses to name. Do you not find those comments ridiculous? I guess he thinks Lee would hinder the progress of the teams 4th round pick Hitchens who hasn't even participated in his first NFL training camp yet. The last thing the Cowboys wanted entering the 2014 season was having to replace their best defensive player with a rookie 4th round pick. You have other FANS claiming there's a silver lining to losing Lee in a desperate attempt to put a positive on what is a huge negative. There isn't any positives to losing your best defensive player after just losing your top 2 defensive players earlier this offseason.

Sure the Cowboys lost the services of Bob Lilly and Randy White but not during the same offseason. Lilly and White never played together Lilly retired a year prior to White's arrival. Just imagine the 77 Cowboys losing their 3 best defensive players Randy White, Harvey Martin and Thomas Henderson prior to that season. Do you still think the Cowboys would have ranked #1 in defense and gone on to win the SB that year? The Cowboys defense is what buried Denver in the SB with White and Martin being named co SB MVP's. Remove Seattle's 3 best defensive players and that unit would be middle of the pack at best.

Half the the Cowboys 34 sacks last season were registered by Hatcher and Ware. Lee led the defense with 4 int's which was only one fewer than our 2 starting corners combined. As for Ware naturally he wasn't his usual self he was playing injured most of the season but he was on the field in 15 of our 16 games having to be accounted for. The guy impacted games just being on the field. When he was his usual self the first 3 games of the season he registered 4 sacks and an int. If he was done like some here are trying to spin as they continue looking for positives Denver wouldn't have guaranteed him $20 million over the next 3 seasons. They know that a "healthy" Demarcus Ware is still an impact player.

The Cowboys lost 2 very good defensive players and one future HOF player who still has a double digit sack season left in him if he can stay healthy. You can mark my words on that one! Lee's season ender has magnified the loss of Ware and Hatcher. It's a triple whammy that will be virtually impossible to overcome in 2014. It's going to take at least a couple of "solid" drafts to replace what the team just lost this offseason. I know FANS hate all the negativity but looking at this defense with all the holes it has I don't know how the Cowboys avoid having a losing season in 2014. The teams top free agent signing Melton is coming off an ACL and is having to miss on the field work until training camp. He won't make a huge impact and neither will Demarcus Lawrence who will take at least 2-3 seasons to develop if he even does develop. The only hope the Cowboys have to compete in 2014 is if 8 wins continues to keep the team in contention entering week 17.

The Cowboys will have to win their division to make the playoffs so if Philly continues to improve in 2014 the Cowboys are going to done before they ever reach week 17. Philly could be on the verge of winning 11-12 games while the Cowboys could be on the verge of their first losing season since 2010. SF or Seattle will secure one of the wild card spots and Carolina or NO will likely secure the other with several teams not named the Cowboys in the running. Hopefully the 2014 season won't be as bad as it looks for the Cowboys but right now it looks pretty bad. I know FANS hate honesty and candidness if it doesn't shed a positive light on the team but I'm not into posting phony optimism to keep everyones hopes up and searching for silver linings out of losing some of the teams best players. Being frustrated and honest over the state of your team doesn't mean you hate it means you care.

 

[IrishAnto]

FANS shouldn't be slashing their wrists over Lee's season ending injury we all expected him to go down at some point but they shouldn't be trying to put a positive spin on it either. You have one FAN claiming losing Lee is a blessing in disguise and that he's stopping the progress of a player he refuses to name. Do you not find those comments ridiculous? I guess he thinks Lee would hinder the progress of the teams 4th round pick Hitchens who hasn't even participated in his first NFL training camp yet. The last thing the Cowboys wanted entering the 2014 season was having to replace their best defensive player with a rookie 4th round pick. You have other FANS claiming there's a silver lining to losing Lee in a desperate attempt to put a positive on what is a huge negative. There isn't any positives to losing your best defensive player after just losing your top 2 defensive players earlier this offseason.

Sure the Cowboys lost the services of Bob Lilly and Randy White but not during the same offseason. Lilly and White never played together Lilly retired a year prior to White's arrival. Just imagine the 77 Cowboys losing their 3 best defensive players Randy White, Harvey Martin and Thomas Henderson prior to that season. Do you still think the Cowboys would have ranked #1 in defense and gone on to win the SB that year? The Cowboys defense is what buried Denver in the SB with White and Martin being named co SB MVP's. Remove Seattle's 3 best defensive players and that unit would be middle of the pack at best.

Half the the Cowboys 34 sacks last season were registered by Hatcher and Ware. Lee led the defense with 4 int's which was only one fewer than our 2 starting corners combined. As for Ware naturally he wasn't his usual self he was playing injured most of the season but he was on the field in 15 of our 16 games having to be accounted for. The guy impacted games just being on the field. When he was his usual self the first 3 games of the season he registered 4 sacks and an int. If he was done like some here are trying to spin as they continue looking for positives Denver wouldn't have guaranteed him $20 million over the next 3 seasons. They know that a "healthy" Demarcus Ware is still an impact player.

The Cowboys lost 2 very good defensive players and one future HOF player who still has a double digit sack season left in him if he can stay healthy. You can mark my words on that one! Lee's season ender has magnified the loss of Ware and Hatcher. It's a triple whammy that will be virtually impossible to overcome in 2014. It's going to take at least a couple of "solid" drafts to replace what the team just lost this offseason. I know FANS hate all the negativity but looking at this defense with all the holes it has I don't know how the Cowboys avoid having a losing season in 2014. The teams top free agent signing Melton is coming off an ACL and is having to miss on the field work until training camp. He won't make a huge impact and neither will Demarcus Lawrence who will take at least 2-3 seasons to develop if he even does develop. The only hope the Cowboys have to compete in 2014 is if 8 wins continues to keep the team in contention entering week 17.

The Cowboys will have to win their division to make the playoffs so if Philly continues to improve in 2014 the Cowboys are going to done before they ever reach week 17. Philly could be on the verge of winning 11-12 games while the Cowboys could be on the verge of their first losing season since 2010. SF or Seattle will secure one of the wild card spots and Carolina or NO will likely secure the other with several teams not named the Cowboys in the running. Hopefully the 2014 season won't be as bad as it looks for the Cowboys but right now it looks pretty bad. I know FANS hate honesty and candidness if it doesn't shed a positive light on the team but I'm not into posting phony optimism to keep everyones hopes up and searching for silver linings out of losing some of the teams best players. Being frustrated and honest over the state of your team doesn't mean you hate it means you care.

I think you'll find the gist of the original post is that it's not all bad and it could be worse.

What happens if Lee goes down first series of the 49's game?

Then we'd be scrambling around for a replacement.

Now at least we have the OTAs and the offseason and unless you have a crystal ball that says otherwise, maybe somebody steps up and becomes an adequate replacement.

Why shouldn't he try to put a positive spin on it?

Coz you think he shouldn't?

If you want to be all doom and gloom then fill your boots but don't expect everybody to dance to your tune just because you think your right.

Ware last season was a non factor for the majority of the games and the critical point is can he stay healthy.

If not Denver has just signed an expensive bench warmer.

 

[KJJ]

I think you'll find the gist of the original post is that it's not all bad and it could be worse.

Things can't be much worse than losing your top 3 defensive players in the past 2 months on a defense that was the 3rd worst in NFL history last season. With everything that's already gone down this offseason the Cowboys can ill afford another significant injury. The last 2 seasons players have been dropping like flies so if the team suffers a rash of injuries in 2014 things could get really ugly.

What happens if Lee goes down first series of the 49's game?

Then we'd be scrambling around for a replacement.

The Cowboys prepared themselves the best they could for that very situation by drafting Hitchens in the 4th round. They knew Lee would likely be lost again at some point so Hitchens is part of their contingency plan. The team couldn't afford a top free agent to cover themselves so they had to use a draft pick and make do with what they have on the roster and what might be available later on.

Now at least we have the OTAs and the offseason and unless you have a crystal ball that says otherwise, maybe somebody steps up and becomes an adequate replacement.

You don't need a crystal ball to see where the arrow is pointing for the Cowboys heading into the 2014 season. Someone is going to have to step up because between now and the final cuts this summer the Cowboys aren't going to find near the caliber of a Sean Lee available on the street somewhere. The only player who really stepped up last season who no one was expecting much of was Selvie. The Cowboys can only hope whoever takes Lees spot steps up like Selvie.

Why shouldn't he try to put a positive spin on it?

Because it's pretty silly trying to put a positive spin on losing your best defensive player for the season. You lose any credibility you may have had by trying to spin that Lee's loss is a blessing in disguise and that he was stopping the progress of another player. That's laughable! Half the team could go down between now and the season opener and you'll have at least a couple of FANS claiming there's a silver lining to it. The way things are right now if the Cowboys whose strength is on offense lose either Romo, Dez or Murray the 2014 season will be in the toilet. The only realistic chance the Cowboys have to compete is if the NFC East remains weak and the offense can put up a lot of points to over come all the points the defense will surrender.

If you want to be all doom and gloom then fill your boots but don't expect everybody to dance to your tune just because you think your right.

I'm just telling it like it is and my archived history on this board will tell you I know this team. Do you honestly believe the 2014 Cowboys are going to be a better team than what we've seen the past 4 seasons? On paper this looks like the weakest Cowboys team since the 03 team that Parcells took over. Although that team went 10-6 and made the playoffs it was virtually the same team that Dave Campo led to 3 straight 5-11 seasons. Had Jerry dumped Garrett who's had far more talent to work with than Campo after last season and brought in a Parcells type coach who had a history of building solid teams and who would have gained the respect of the players as soon as they walked in the locker room then things might not look so gloomy right now. It's going to take a great coaching job for this team to have a chance to compete in 2014 and Garrett has already proven he can't even manage a game. This is the least talented team Garrett has had even he knows it's going to be a real challenge hanging onto his job past the 2014 season.

Ware last season was a non factor for the majority of the games and the critical point is can he stay healthy.

If not Denver has just signed an expensive bench warmer.

Ware was a big factor in the first 3 games last season. Even when he was injured he had to be accounted for with some teams having to dedicate multiple players to make sure he didn't plant their QB. He scared teams do you see anyone on the defense who scares anyone now? Do you think coaches are going to be laying awake at night trying to figure out how to contain Demarcus Lawrence? Denver is going for broke trying to win a SB while Manning is still at the top of his game. They know from watching the first 3 games of last season that Ware is still a force when healthy. Jerry's worst nightmare would be to see Ware register 12-plus sacks in 2014 while leading Denver to the SB and being named the games MVP with 3 sacks and 2 forced fumbles.

 

[Mr Cowboy]

The impact of Lee's injury can be somewhat minimized if Melton is healthy and plays like a pro bowler, Carter becomes a really good WLB and one of the Safeties becomes Woody re-incarnated. Those are the key positions of this defense, great play at these positions makes the defense go. If Lee is the best player on defense, he should have been playing WLB.

 

[IrishAnto]

Things can't be much worse than losing your top 3 defensive players in the past 2 months on a defense that was the 3rd worst in NFL history last season. With everything that's already gone down this offseason the Cowboys can ill afford another significant injury. The last 2 seasons players have been dropping like flies so if the team suffers a rash of injuries in 2014 things could get really ugly.




The Cowboys prepared themselves the best they could for that very situation by drafting Hitchens in the 4th round. They knew Lee would likely be lost again at some point so Hitchens is part of their contingency plan. The team couldn't afford a top free agent to cover themselves so they had to use a draft pick and make do with what they have on the roster and what might be available later on.



You don't need a crystal ball to see where the arrow is pointing for the Cowboys heading into the 2014 season. Someone is going to have to step up because between now and the final cuts this summer the Cowboys aren't going to find near the caliber of a Sean Lee available on the street somewhere. The only player who really stepped up last season who no one was expecting much of was Selvie. The Cowboys can only hope whoever takes Lees spot steps up like Selvie.



Because it's pretty silly trying to put a positive spin on losing your best defensive player for the season. You lose any credibility you may have had by trying to spin that Lee's loss is a blessing in disguise and that he was stopping the progress of another player. That's laughable! Half the team could go down between now and the season opener and you'll have at least a couple of FANS claiming there's a silver lining to it. The way things are right now if the Cowboys whose strength is on offense lose either Romo, Dez or Murray the 2014 season will be in the toilet. The only realistic chance the Cowboys have to compete is if the NFC East remains weak and the offense can put up a lot of points to over come all the points the defense will surrender.




I'm just telling it like it is and my archived history on this board will tell you I know this team. Do you honestly believe the 2014 Cowboys are going to be a better team than what we've seen the past 4 seasons? On paper this looks like the weakest Cowboys team since the 03 team that Parcells took over. Although that team went 10-6 and made the playoffs it was virtually the same team that Dave Campo led to 3 straight 5-11 seasons. Had Jerry dumped Garrett who's had far more talent to work with than Campo after last season and brought in a Parcells type coach who had a history of building solid teams and who would have gained the respect of the players as soon as they walked in the locker room then things might not look so gloomy right now. It's going to take a great coaching job for this team to have a chance to compete in 2014 and Garrett has already proven he can't even manage a game. This is the least talented team Garrett has had even he knows it's going to be a real challenge hanging onto his job past the 2014 season.




Ware was a big factor in the first 3 games last season. Even when he was injured he had to be accounted for with some teams having to dedicate multiple players to make sure he didn't plant their QB. He scared teams do you see anyone on the defense who scares anyone now? Do you think coaches are going to be laying awake at night trying to figure out how to contain Demarcus Lawrence? Denver is going for broke trying to win a SB while Manning is still at the top of his game. They know from watching the first 3 games of last season that Ware is still a force when healthy. Jerry's worst nightmare would be to see Ware register 12-plus sacks in 2014 while leading Denver to the SB and being named the games MVP with 3 sacks and 2 forced fumbles.

Again the production we got from Ware last year is replaceable.

We signed Melton to replace Hatcher so it’s not inconceivable that we’ve largely covered ourselves at that position.

The main problem is replacing Lee but as the original poster was suggesting we have some options and plenty of time to get them ready.

So it’s not beyond the realms of possibility that The Dallas defense could be better that last year’s model.

However probable it’s quite possible this team will improve from last year; the difference between the us it that I’ll let the season develop before giving up on it.

Maybe you should support Denver this coming season.

 

[KJJ]

Again the production we got from Ware last year is replaceable.

We signed Melton to replace Hatcher so it’s not inconceivable that we’ve largely covered ourselves at that position.

The main problem is replacing Lee but as the original poster was suggesting we have some options and plenty of time to get them ready.

So it’s not beyond the realms of possibility that The Dallas defense could be better that last year’s model.

However probable it’s quite possible this team will improve from last year; the difference between the us it that I’ll let the season develop before giving up on it.

Maybe you should support Denver this coming season.

The production we got from Ware last season was due to him being injured most of the season. Even the production we got from him in 2013 won't be easily replaced by Demarcus Lawrence. I would take 6 sacks and an int from Lawrence right now and consider that an excellent rookie season. What won't be replaceable with Ware is the accountability that had to be placed on him by opponents every time he was on the field. Not having to worry about him has made the Cowboys much easier to defend.

As for Melton he's only had 15.5 career sacks in his 4 seasons and didn't register a single sack in the 3 games he played last season. He did virtually nothing while healthy in the 3 games he started for the Bears. In his last 17 starts he only has 6 sacks and not one PDef. With him coming off an ACL and not being able to participate in any on the field activities until training camp I don't see him making much of an impact in 2014.The Cowboys are going to be very careful with him all summer because they can't afford him suffering any setbacks. He won't see much action until the season opener. While Melton did nothing during the first 3 weeks of last season Hatcher registered 3 sacks and a PDef. Melton is certainly no upgrade over Hatcher just a cheaper option.

The main problem isn't trying to replace Lee it's trying to replace our pass rush from last season. You have no chance to compete in a pass happy league without a pass rush. As for the defense possibly being better than last years sure it's possible the Cowboys had the 3rd worst defense in NFL history in 2013. Maybe they'll only be the 5th or 6th worst defense in NFL history in 2014 that would at least be an improvement. As for the "team" improving from last year they haven't improved the last 3 seasons. I judge improvement by the record and I certainly don't see anything better than another 8-8 season in 2014.

I see a Cowboys team right now that's going to have a difficult time winning 7 games. That's my opinion and if you don't agree that's fine. As for Denver I don't support them but I will be pulling for Ware. I'm not like some Cowboy FANS here who piss on our great players once they leave for another team. Emmitt got pissed on once he left it's what have you done for me lately with our live in the moment FAN base. Once a great player starts showing decline many seem to forget all the great games they gave us. Even Aikman got booed nearing the end of his career. If Ware can stay healthy in 2014 he'll have more sacks than any defender the Cowboys have.

 

[KJJ]

The impact of Lee's injury can be somewhat minimized if Melton is healthy and plays like a pro bowler, Carter becomes a really good WLB and one of the Safeties becomes Woody re-incarnated. Those are the key positions of this defense, great play at these positions makes the defense go. If Lee is the best player on defense, he should have been playing WLB.

You're asking for a lot to just somewhat minimize Lee's injury. To minimize Lee's injury it has to start up front. The Cowboys won 3 of the 5 games Lee missed last season so they can win without him but they have yet to prove they can win without both Ware and Hatcher on the field. Losing two players that provided 17 of the teams 34 sacks has magnified the loss of Lee.

 

[Mr Cowboy]

I think the point is that Melton could potentially be that 3 tech that is needed in this defense. Carter being able to become the play making WLB that this defense requires to be successful is far from being a sure thing, and really you can't expect much. And the play-making safety? this team has refused to address the safety position for far too long, yet they expect to make this Tampa 2 defense to be good.

So at the 3 essential positions of the Tampa 2, we have a maybe in Melton, a not likely in Carter and potential at safety. A healthy Lee wouldn't make those positions any better.

 

[IrishAnto]

The production we got from Ware last season was due to him being injured most of the season. Even the production we got from him in 2013 won't be easily replaced by Demarcus Lawrence. I would take 6 sacks and an int from Lawrence right now and consider that an excellent rookie season. What won't be replaceable with Ware is the accountability that had to be placed on him by opponents every time he was on the field. Not having to worry about him has made the Cowboys much easier to defend.

As for Melton he's only had 15.5 career sacks in his 4 seasons and didn't register a single sack in the 3 games he played last season. He did virtually nothing while healthy in the 3 games he started for the Bears. In his last 17 starts he only has 6 sacks and not one PDef. With him coming off an ACL and not being able to participate in any on the field activities until training camp I don't see him making much of an impact in 2014.The Cowboys are going to be very careful with him all summer because they can't afford him suffering any setbacks. He won't see much action until the season opener. While Melton did nothing during the first 3 weeks of last season Hatcher registered 3 sacks and a PDef. Melton is certainly no upgrade over Hatcher just a cheaper option.

The main problem isn't trying to replace Lee it's trying to replace our pass rush from last season. You have no chance to compete in a pass happy league without a pass rush. As for the defense possibly being better than last years sure it's possible the Cowboys had the 3rd worst defense in NFL history in 2013. Maybe they'll only be the 5th or 6th worst defense in NFL history in 2014 that would at least be an improvement. As for the "team" improving from last year they haven't improved the last 3 seasons. I judge improvement by the record and I certainly don't see anything better than another 8-8 season in 2014.

I see a Cowboys team right now that's going to have a difficult time winning 7 games. That's my opinion and if you don't agree that's fine. As for Denver I don't support them but I will be pulling for Ware. I'm not like some Cowboy FANS here who piss on our great players once they leave for another team. Emmitt got pissed on once he left it's what have you done for me lately with our live in the moment FAN base. Once a great player starts showing decline many seem to forget all the great games they gave us. Even Aikman got booed nearing the end of his career. If Ware can stay healthy in 2014 he'll have more sacks than any defender the Cowboys have.

Let the season play out and we'll see if you right or not, but it doesn't mean fans can't look for a silver lining (however dim) out of a bad situation this early in the season, which was the original posters point.

 

[KJJ]

Let the season play out and we'll see if you right or not, but it doesn't mean fans can't look for a silver lining (however dim) out of a bad situation this early in the season, which was the original posters point.

I've let 3 seasons play out and have yet to be wrong. I have no issue with FANS trying to find a silver lining somewhere but it's ridiculous to claim there's one in the loss of the teams best defensive player who just signed a big contract extension last season. Only on Cowboy FAN boards will you see a crazy spin like that. You know things aren't looking good when FANS are finding positives, silver linings and blessings in disguise with the loss of the teams most productive defensive players. These are all desperate attempts by FANS to keep their hopes alive for the 2014 season.

I don't expect much from the Cowboys in 2014 and haven't expected much from them the past several years but like every season I'm hoping for at least some progress. Going 8-8 every season and missing the playoffs isn't progress. If any season is going to depend on great coaching the 2014 season is it. The Cowboys are going to be involved in dog fights practically every week with games coming down to the 4th quarter and it's going to be imperative that Garrett can manage the situation. He better finally have it together or 2014 will be his last season.

 

[xwalker]

I've let 3 seasons play out and have yet to be wrong. I have no issue with FANS trying to find a silver lining somewhere but it's ridiculous to claim there's one in the loss of the teams best defensive player who just signed a big contract extension last season. Only on Cowboy FAN boards will you see a crazy spin like that. You know things aren't looking good when FANS are finding positives, silver linings and blessings in disguise with the loss of the teams most productive defensive players. These are all desperate attempts by FANS to keep their hopes alive for the 2014 season.

I don't expect much from the Cowboys in 2014 and haven't expected much from them the past several years but like every season I'm hoping for at least some progress. Going 8-8 every season and missing the playoffs isn't progress. If any season is going to depend on great coaching the 2014 season is it. The Cowboys are going to be involved in dog fights practically every week with games coming down to the 4th quarter and it's going to be imperative that Garrett can manage the situation. He better finally have it together or 2014 will be his last season.

Cool story bro.

 

[KJJ]

Cool story bro.

Hopefully that earns you at least 10 likes to add to your self perceived credibility total.

 

[xwalker]

Hopefully that earns you at least 10 likes to add to your self perceived credibility total.

You seem to be obsessed with how many "likes" people have or in your case don't have.

 

[KJJ]

You seem to be obsessed with how many "likes" people have or in your case don't have.

I'm the one obsessed? You're the one who said a couple of weeks ago that you didn't want to talk to me that you would rather talk to posters who have some built up credibility here. If you weren't referring to the like totals on the board then what were you referring to as built up credibility? Have fun coming up with a good explanation for that. LOL

 

[xwalker]

I'm the one obsessed? You're the one who said a couple of weeks ago that you didn't want to talk to me that you would rather talk to posters who have some built up credibility here. If you weren't referring to the like totals on the board then what were you referring to as built up credibility? Have fun coming up with a good explanation for that. LOL

I never mentioned likes.

 

[KJJ]

I never mentioned likes.

You're not answering the question. LOL You mentioned built up credibility so if it wasn't the like totals you were referring to then what was it?