CFZ Roster Building: Draft and Develop vs the modern cap era method

[Diehardblues]

The only thing that makes sense for our organization to continue this philosophy is because it’s safer continuing to have a playoff contender.

This is a much better scenario for our ownership to remain consistently above average instead than of risking going backwards in an attempt to move forward or take a bigger leap.

 

[rambo2]

Bob, you’ve really become one of the best posters in this forum.

Well done and presented . You must spend quite a bit of time researching your subject and laying out your OP. Impressive !!

I can't wait for more reviews as this plays out.

 

[Verdict]

I think a huge part of the losing in the playoffs is ON DAK. Romo was blamed for everything had had very little defense and often a very suspect OL. Lol. When does Dak get the blame he deserves?

 

[Bobhaze]

Bob, you’ve really become one of the best posters in this forum.

Well done and presented . You must spend quite a bit of time researching your subject and laying out your OP. Impressive !!

Thank you Greggo.

 

[Bobhaze]

I think a huge part of the losing in the playoffs is ON DAK. Romo was blamed for everything had had very little defense and often a very suspect OL. Lol. When does Dak get the blame he deserves?

Dak has earned his criticism for sure. But we haven’t lost every one of the 5 playoff games the team has lost with Dak at QB all because of Dak. This team has not had a good enough defense to go deep in the playoffs in a long time. That 2022 team might have won that SF playoff game with Dak playing better. Maybe. But Dak hasn’t personally blown every playoff game we’ve lost.

Honestly, Mahomes couldn’t have beaten the packers last January with that Cowboys defense we ran out there. In fact, without that great defense KC had last year, the chiefs don’t win that SB last year. How about Tom Brady throwing 3 INTs in the NFC championship game in 2020 with Tampa? The Bucs won anyway because the defense carried them. (I’m not comparing Dak to those guys, just saying sometimes even the greats need help)

Dak has earned his share of criticism. Absolutely. But pinning all the Cowboys playoff woes on Dak Prescott is way over-simplified.

 

[Diehardblues]

Dak has earned his criticism for sure. But we haven’t lost every one of the 5 playoff games the team has lost with Dak at QB all because of Dak. This team has not had a good enough defense to go deep in the playoffs in a long time. That 2022 team might have won that SF playoff game with Dak playing better. Maybe. But Dak hasn’t personally blown every playoff game we’ve lost.

Honestly, Mahomes couldn’t have beaten the packers last January with that Cowboys defense we ran out there. In fact, without that great defense KC had last year, the chiefs don’t win that SB last year. How about Tom Brady throwing 3 INTs in the NFC championship game in 2020 with Tampa? The Bucs won anyway because the defense carried them. (I’m not comparing Dak to those guys, just saying sometimes even the greats need help)

Dak has earned his share of criticism. Absolutely. But pinning all the Cowboys playoff woes on Dak Prescott is way over-simplified.

Yea, unfortunately it’s a lazy analysis to place all of the credit or blame on the QB.

Dak obviously deserves his share of blame in some of the losses but there’s much to go around on all aspects of the team.

I think too often some fans expect our QB to overcome all of our weaknesses.

This playoff loss was horrible. And Daks early interceptions no doubt cost us. But so did defense giving up 7 TD’s on 8 possessions. Total team blunder!!

 

[john van brocklin]

Most Cowboys fans could probably agree on one thing these days: This has not been a great off-season so far. Yes, we still have the draft and some minor FA moves ahead, but the early report card grade on the Cowboys would have to be an F if we’re being honest. If we’re generous we could possibly say it’s an “I” for incomplete.

Although none of us know for sure, it appears the front office is once again using the roster building philosophy known as “Draft and Develop”. This is a model we started using in the Garrett era. It centers on teams being stingy in FA and put almost all of their emphasis on the draft, expecting the players drafted in the first 3 rounds to have immediate impact and later to develop the other players for depth and STs. It’s not a completely crazy model.

But the best NFL GMs would consider the “Draft and Develop” model only partially effective and a bit outdated. The more modern cap era approach is to build a better roster through 3 ways:

1. Acquire a few impactful starters in FA and/or in a trade. Target guys that will have immediate impact and not guys that are over the hill. A one or two year deal is ideal because this is about winning now- this year.
2. A strong draft with at least 1-2 starters and at least 2 decent depth and STs players.
3. Quality cap management. Making sure the long term guys you have committed to have good amount of flexibility in the terms of the contract. (Unlike what the team did with Dak’s deal in 2021, where all the advantages were given to Dak) And also not being afraid to admit a mistake and moving on from a guy you made a mistake with.

So how have the Cowboys done using the “Draft and Develop“ model since 2011 when Garrett took over? (2011 was when the D&D model was started here- a total of 13 seasons)

• The Cowboys regular season record since 2011 is 123-88. That’s pretty good over 13 seasons. (that’s 58% winning%)
• BUT…The Cowboys have made the playoffs 6 times in the last 13 seasons. That’s 46% of the time we have made the playoffs.
• The Cowboys have only won 3 wild card playoff games in the six times they have made the playoffs since 2011.

That last bullet is the one that is the most frustrating. In essence, the “Draft and Develop” model we are seemingly following again this off-season has given 3 wild card wins in 13 years. The regular season wins are only as good as the playoff wins that follow.

The most frustrating thing to me in all this is watching this FO do the same roster building philosophy again that has yielded us 3 wild card wins in 13 years. Why would anyone expect the 14th time we do this strategy this year to somehow be the magic bullet?

Bob, we have amateur front office personnel and nepotism.
It's really amazing we have done as well as we have.

 

[ArtClink]

Jerry has hired 6 head coaches since our last divisional playoff win in 1995. Either he isn’t good at hiring HCs or Jerry just can’t get it done without a lot of help from a strong HC like Jimmy. The FO has put talent on the field. But it has been incapable of stringing multiple playoff wins together in 28 seasons.

Is it just the head coach?

This!

 

[ArtClink]

Bob, we have amateur front office personnel and nepotism.
It's really amazing we have done as well as we have.

Bob, we have amateur front office personnel and nepotism.
It's really amazing we have done as well as we have.

Amateur front office is being kind. After Washington wins a divisional playoff game we will be the lone playoff inept nfc team.

 

[ArtClink]

The only thing that makes sense for our organization to continue this philosophy is because it’s safer continuing to have a playoff contender.

This is a much better scenario for our ownership to remain consistently above average instead than of risking going backwards in an attempt to move forward or take a bigger leap.

It’s fools gold to call us a playoff contender. Never again will I believe we have any chance to win a div playoff game. I don’t care if we 17-0.

God I wish the Chiefs would move here.

 

[rambo2]

Bob, we have amateur front office personnel and nepotism.
It's really amazing we have done as well as we have.

Watch what they do in the draft. Watch what the 2nd and 3rd year men do and get back to us

 

[rambo2]

It’s fools gold to call us a playoff contender. Never again will I believe we have any chance to win a div playoff game. I don’t care if we 17-0.

God I wish the Chiefs would move here.

They should make the playoffs. 10 wins gets you in.

 

[Bullflop]

Mismanagement is at the very top of the Cowboys' problems that simply won't go away. It's the one thing that isn't likely to go away anytime soon. Until then, this organization is going to continue to be the blight that surfaces every year to cures the talent that otherwise might stand a fighting chance to win in the postseason games. Insisting upon being tight fisted with the money will always curtail any chances for postseason glory.

A team can only get so far without spending what it takes to win vs. the real winners. Jerry has no justification to fake his belonging as a GM and Stephen isn't helping with his tight-fisted spending habits, either. The C'boys' management is the curse that just won't go away. Sad, but all too true.

 

[Bagman]

They need to look into coaches that can game plan in the playoffs.

The FO has put talent on the field. They need a coach that knows how to scheme and scheme on the fly.

Good point. Unfortunately, Jerry would NEVER hire the kind of coach you're talking about. A no nonsense, driven, dominant personality who would be the face of the franchise. Jerry and Stephen won't have that.

 

[75boyz]

Jerry has hired 6 head coaches since our last divisional playoff win in 1995. Either he isn’t good at hiring HCs or Jerry just can’t get it done without a lot of help from a strong HC like Jimmy. The FO has put talent on the field. But it has been incapable of stringing multiple playoff wins together in 28 seasons.

Is it just the head coach?

If the head coach takes THIS job there is a clear understanding of what is included in his job description. So, he either does not take the job as no one holds a gun to his head, or he accepts the job knowing full well how Jerry runs things. It is a choice of free will on the coach himself.

If he's NOT a spineless yes man HC we are probably looking at a 95 to 99 percent chance that he does NOT take the job in the first place.

If he IS a yes man, he will take the job and fail as long as Jerry is still alive and doing the HC hiring.

The current SB winning fluke fraud of a HC is a yes man looking to pad his retirement portfolio.

He absolutely sucks as a Dallas Cowboys playoff coach and Jerry's influence had absolutely ZERO influence on how unprepared the Cowboys were to play in the last GB playoff game and McFraud should have been fired upon that game's completion.

An elite QB and no nonsense disciplined HC are the 2 most vital ingredients to NFL team success. Along with GM.

We sorely lack in all 3 positions.

I will continue to stick with my opinion on how drastic the impact of this type of HC and QB could change this team.

How Jerry would ultimately figure out how to acquire both or either position, is it's own conversation entirely.

 

[Sydla]

There is zero doubt in my mind that even if had drafted the same exact playerswe have for 10 years but actually had a competent GM who was better at FA and figuring out coaching hires, we’d have at least been in a few conference champ games and maybe SBs.

For all the mistakes we made in the draft, our failures are tied to dumb coaching hires and total cheapness in FA.

 

[rambo2]

Mismanagement is at the very top of the Cowboys' problems that simply won't go away. It's the one thing that isn't likely to go away anytime soon. Until then, this organization is going to continue to be the blight that surfaces every year to cures the talent that otherwise might stand a fighting chance to win in the postseason games. Insisting upon being tight fisted with the money will always curtail any chances for postseason glory.

A team can only get so far without spending what it takes to win vs. the real winners. Jerry has no justification to fake his belonging as a GM and Stephen isn't helping with his tight-fisted spending habits, either. The C'boys' management is the curse that just won't go away. Sad, but all too true.

What if they win the division again and win in the playoffs this year?

 

[rambo2]

There is zero doubt in my mind that even if had drafted the same exact playerswe have for 10 years but actually had a competent GM who was better at FA and figuring out coaching hires, we’d have at least been in a few conference champ games and maybe SBs.

For all the mistakes we made in the draft, our failures are tied to dumb coaching hires and total cheapness in FA.

The mind can be a great thing.

 

[rambo2]

If the head coach takes THIS job there is a clear understanding of what is included in his job description. So, he either does not take the job as no one holds a gun to his head, or he accepts the job knowing full well how Jerry runs things. It is a choice of free will on the coach himself.

If he's NOT a spineless yes man HC we are probably looking at a 95 to 99 percent chance that he does NOT take the job in the first place.

If he IS a yes man, he will take the job and fail as long as Jerry is still alive and doing the HC hiring.

The current SB winning fluke fraud of a HC is a yes man looking to pad his retirement portfolio.

He absolutely sucks as a Dallas Cowboys playoff coach and Jerry's influence had absolutely ZERO influence on how unprepared the Cowboys were to play in the last GB playoff game and McFraud should have been fired upon that game's completion.

An elite QB and no nonsense disciplined HC are the 2 most vital ingredients to NFL team success. Along with GM.

We sorely lack in all 3 positions.

I will continue to stick with my opinion on how drastic the impact of this type of HC and QB could change this team.

How Jerry would ultimately figure out how to acquire both or either position, is it's own conversation entirely.

McCarthy is much better than you think.

 

[PA Cowboy Fan]

Yea, unfortunately it’s a lazy analysis to place all of the credit or blame on the QB.

Dak obviously deserves his share of blame in some of the losses but there’s much to go around on all aspects of the team.

I think too often some fans expect our QB to overcome all of our weaknesses.

This playoff loss was horrible. And Daks early interceptions no doubt cost us. But so did defense giving up 7 TD’s on 8 possessions. Total team blunder!!

People that think all we have to do is replace Dak and we'll end all our woes are going to be in for a big surprise. I'm done with Dak. I think his problem is mental now. But the real problem is this organization. They do not put together a team that is capable of winning a title. And the culture here is toxic. It's been going on before Dak and it will continue after Dak. I made the same mistake with Romo. I was ready to move on with Dak. I hoped he was strong enough to overcome this organization but he wasn't. I don't know if there is one that can overcome it. I doubt there is. The real problem is Jerry and Stephen.