Rick Gosselin's NFL off-season rankings

[landryscorner]

17? Yikes!

should be lower

 

[landryscorner]

Some people can't handle the truth, we are a pretty average team until proven otherwise.

agree here, cowboys haven't proven much in the last 2 years, blaming game is over, TO's gone now what? if we have another mediocre season will Wade finally be gone? hope so, but 17 is about right...I would go with 20

 

[DFWJC]

agree here, cowboys haven't proven much in the last 2 years, blaming game is over, TO's gone now what? if we have another mediocre season will Wade finally be gone? hope so, but 17 is about right...I would go with 20

You may be right, but i think we are slightly higher vs lower. And 2007's 13-3 was not mediocre--even though they did lose to the Super Bowl champ in the playoffs. And 9-7 would not even make the Cowboys as low as 17th. But if you think that they fall more this year, then you're 20 estimate would be right.

 

[Ren]

agree here, cowboys haven't proven much in the last 2 years, blaming game is over, TO's gone now what? if we have another mediocre season will Wade finally be gone? hope so, but 17 is about right...I would go with 20

If you're going to put us at 20 you'd have to name 19 teams who are better then us right now, good luck with that

 

[big dog cowboy]

Like I said last week, the only thing dumber than summer power rankings is getting mad about them.

For that matter, same goes for power rankings in week one, two, three, four, five.....

 

[jazzcat22]

Doesn't mean anything and doesn't bother me. Mybe a little low, but not from goose. I think most, and they should, will put Dallas in the middle. Because of the unknown at WR, which effects the entire offnsive scheme. As far as play calling. Running game, passing game, who knows. I think that will change as the season goes along.

 

[LucaBrasi]

Some people can't handle the truth, we are a pretty average team until proven otherwise.

Right. The fact is this team was not one of the top 12 teams in the league last year or at the very least did not play like one of them. Didn't do much in the draft other than draft for depth. Added a few low budget free agents and dumped one of the few explosive, but cancerous, playmakers on the offensive side of the ball. Gosselin ranked them middle of the pack, and they are, until they prove otherwise. Which means shutting up and playing, particulaly in December and hopefully January.

 

[sonnyboy]

I don't think I would the choose the Chargers as my example....not sure if they are 5th best, but they should be awfully good. I think injuries hurt them even more than us last season. LT was hobbled all year and even worse, Merriman was out all year. He is the heart of that D.

And by the way, many or most NFL fans outside of Dallas would take the Chargers QB (Rivers was the leagues top rated passer last year), certainly WR (w/ VJax, Chambers and Floyd), probably coaching, maybe both lines are a wash (but they have annual Pro Bowl guys on both lines), maybe LB is a wash, and DB maybe ahead of the Cowboys. RB would be close with them having a healthy LT and Sproles (though I may lean our way there). In any case it is sure not cut and dry.

Anyway, in general I agree that they are underrating the Boys, but I'd pick a few other teams to move us ahead of.

Good post.

I think QB and REC(includes TE) are a wash. Can't say I see a difference in the OL's. We to have some annual PB guys there. RB is tough. If LT is LT then it's no contest, but I don't see it happening. He's hit the wall.

I'll take our defensive front seven and give them the advantage in the secondary. I really like the potential of our secondary in 2009.

You'd really take Turner's staff over Wade's. That's got to be a wash.

 

[Idgit]

Since a lot of people think Gosselin walks on water, I wonder how "expert" his opinion is right now.

A lot of people think Gosselin has good draft contacts. Not sure that equates to walking on water or points to his ability to throw darts at a board in a power ranking.

He's objective; the fans ain't. The Zone is the last place I'd go for a dispassionate opinion about the Cowboys. Ditto the Ranch or DCC. Like I said last week, the only thing dumber than summer power rankings is getting mad about them.

'Objective' isn't really the word that comes to mind in describing Gosselin. I agree that power rankings are like masturbation without the payoff.

 

[Idgit]

Because fans were flooding his email box with nasty missives if he didn't pick a game a certain way, so he said "screw it."

Isn't it sort of his job to not say 'screw it' when he gets fan responses? Aren't getting fan responses sort of the reason why these guys are picking games?

 

[sonnyboy]

Right. The fact is this team was not one of the top 12 teams in the league last year or at the very least did not play like one of them. Didn't do much in the draft other than draft for depth. Added a few low budget free agents and dumped one of the few explosive, but cancerous, playmakers on the offensive side of the ball. Gosselin ranked them middle of the pack, and they are, until they prove otherwise. Which means shutting up and playing, particulaly in December and hopefully January.

Call me an idiot, call me a homer. But I just can't understand how this team ranks as a middle of the pack squad.

If you think so ask yourself these questions:

1) How did this team earn 13 wins and the number 1 seed in 2007?
2) Did they make significant improvements prior to the 2008 season?
3) Why did this team only win 9 games in 2008?
4) Can this team be as good in 2009 as 2007?
5) Do the 2008 improvements and Williams fully acclimated to the offense
make up for the loss of Owens.

 

[theebs]

seems like a good place for us, I would think we are in the lower 20's personally.

I love this team, but there are alot of questions and alot of young guys will be tabbed to answer them, I think that is a good thing but in the buisness of forecasting or ranking you really cant get us higher than 20 imo.

I do think atlanta, arizona and baltimore are too high.

 

[DFWJC]

Good post.

I think QB and REC(includes TE) are a wash. Can't say I see a difference in the OL's. We to have some annual PB guys there. RB is tough. If LT is LT then it's no contest, but I don't see it happening. He's hit the wall.

I'll take our defensive front seven and give them the advantage in the secondary. I really like the potential of our secondary in 2009.

You'd really take Turner's staff over Wade's. That's got to be a wash.

Fair enough.

Though at this stage, I think you are being very generous calling our WRs and theirs a wash. Vincent Jackson went over 1000 yards last year, is 6'5, 25 years old and runs a 4.4, Chris Chambers was hurt last year but had about 1000 yards in 2007, Malcom Floyd is very young too but is also 6'5 and runs a 4.44 with good hands (kind our Miles Austin upside guy), and they drafted Demetrius Byrd...and of course, they have Antonio Gates...who is sick. I'd give them the edge until (hopefully!) our guys prove otherwise this year.

 

[jobberone]

Who cares about the rankings. They're usually off a fair amount except for the elite teams and even they aren't foolproof.

 

[burmafrd]

Rivers really improved last year and I have to right now say he is better then Romo. LT has hit the wall and our running game is better. WR and TE is very close= have to give the edge to SD overall right now until Austin proves himself. O line= ours underperformed last year but then compared to the year before both lines did. Offensively pretty much a wash. Now on defense I have to give them the edge on the front 7 but we have the edge on the secondary now. So overall = pickem.

 

[bbgun]

'Objective' isn't really the word that comes to mind in describing Gosselin.

You either. That said, he's a lot less emotional/prejudiced than anyone in these parts.

Isn't it sort of his job to not say 'screw it' when he gets fan responses? Aren't getting fan responses sort of the reason why these guys are picking games?

Answering reader mail or taking gameday picks seriously is part of his job description? News to me, not to mention him.

 

[Idgit]

You either. That said, he's a lot less emotional/prejudiced than anyone in these parts.

I've got 5k posts at a place called CowboysZone because I'm here to be objective about my team. Sure.

I'm here to let my fandom hang out. Take it all in, baby, because I know you secretly love it. But then, I'm not getting paid to share these particular opinions.

I don't agree that Goselin is less prejudiced than anyone in these parts either, but we can just agree to disagree.

Answering reader mail or taking gameday picks seriously is part of his job description? News to me, not to mention him.

Let's not start a catalog of things that are news to you, bbgun. I'll go way out on a limb and say that if he's picking the games publicly, then he's probably being asked to do it. Unless he's just showing up at the office meetings like the kid in the tin-foil helmet who used to show up at my highschool football practice but wasn't on the team and used to grab the ball and run until we tackled him and gave him a wedgie. But maybe you're right.