Stars and Second Guesses: Inside the Dallas Draft Room

[fivetwos]

Trading up for Lynch and losing our 2nd and 3rd, after taking a pass on UFA and saying we would use the draft to get better for this year, would not have coupled well with the win now Elliot pick.

Then, what actually happened was they take a LB that wont play this year and a DT that will be part of a rotation.

Forgive me when I say that I cant figure out the direction, plan or philosophy of this organization.

Are you giving it your all to win while Romo can still play??? I'm scratching my head if the answer is yes.

Nothing wrong with being financially responsible or having an eye toward the future, but trying to win now AND be overly cautious about the future will probably leave you short in one of those areas.

Just saying, I don't like overpaying for UFA any more than the guy who is actually writing the checks, but that's what it costs if you want them, and just maybe that's the way to go when you have a 36YO franchise QB with no replacement to be found, then couple it with drafting guys who cant play for a year.

 

[MichaelWinicki]

Trading up for Lynch and losing our 2nd and 3rd, after taking a pass on UFA and saying we would use the draft to get better for this year, would not have coupled well with the win now Elliot pick.

Then, what actually happened was they take a LB that wont play this year and a DT that will be part of a rotation.

Forgive me when I say that I cant figure out the direction, plan or philosophy of this organization.

Are you giving it your all to win while Romo can still play??? I'm scratching my head if the answer is yes.

Nothing wrong with being financially responsible or having an eye toward the future, but trying to win now AND be overly cautious about the future will probably leave you short in one of those areas.

Just saying, I don't like overpaying for UFA any more than the guy who is actually writing the checks, but that's what it costs if you want them, and just maybe that's the way to go when you have a 36YO franchise QB with no replacement to be found, then couple it with drafting guys who cant play for a year.

I don't know if there's a right answer... "Win now" or "Plan for the future".

If you're the only team in a one-team league then you can follow whichever plan you wish without threat from competitor, disappointment by current players or *****ing by the fans.

But when you have 31 competitors and you're all competing for the same resources and you all have the same "rules" (salary cap/roster limitations) you have to abide by, you have players that have a short-window of opportunity and fans that want to win now AND tomorrow– Boy things have gotten complicated.

Most people seek to predict and control throughout their lives and end up doing a poor job of it– mostly because everyone around us has their own agenda. Instead sensing and responding probably works better. And that appears what the Cowboys are doing. I think Jerry has made he worst decisions what in the "predict and control" mode instead of taking current circumstance and respond accordingly. And that's why you're seeing one decision that is "short-term" and the next "long-term".

 

[Risen Star]

Kiper says the Cowboys showed no consistency. Elliott is win now. Smith is win later.

Well, first....won't Elliott be around to win later? But the main response I'd have to that if I could ever track down his exact address is this. The Cowboys had an opportunity to acquire a top 5 talent at 4. A true top 5 of the draft type of talent. They had another opportunity to land a similar talent at 34 and made the same decision. They were acquiring talent with those picks. Seems pretty consistent to me.

 

[BigStar]

I'll admit. Garrett sitting there with that smirk on his face kind of annoys me.

He better win 11+ games this year and a few playoff games or it's time for Jerry to swallow his pride and kick him out the door.

"I get paid 6M a year to look like the HC, this sucker on the left here thinks I give a..."

 

[TwoCentPlain]

A picture of their draft board but I can't make out any names.

And that young dude with the long hair has been there several consecutive years.

 

[yimyammer]

So your scouts had a franchise grade on Lynch and you lost him because you didn't want to make that 4th a 3rd.

Quality GMing.

If he turns out to be legit, and with Jerry I now fully expect him to, that will become more and more ridiculous over the years.

we better hope he sucks cuz jerri will never lose another player again, cost be damned

 

[ThreeandOut]

Kiper says the Cowboys showed no consistency. Elliott is win now. Smith is win later.

Well, first....won't Elliott be around to win later? But the main response I'd have to that if I could ever track down his exact address is this. The Cowboys had an opportunity to acquire a top 5 talent at 4. A true top 5 of the draft type of talent. They had another opportunity to land a similar talent at 34 and made the same decision. They were acquiring talent with those picks. Seems pretty consistent to me.

I'm still trying to figure out what a "win later" draft is. But I can bet you one thing, the critics wouldn't be praising the Cowboys for being consistent if they actually tried that approach. They would be saying they got no one to help them this year.

 

[MichaelWinicki]

I'm still trying to figure out what a "win later" draft is. But I can bet you one thing, the critics wouldn't be praising the Cowboys for being consistent if they actually tried that approach. They would be saying they got no one to help them this year.

I don't think I've ever seen a true "win later" draft... Not from top to bottom.

The players and fans of an organization would go nuts.

 

[punchnjudy]

I don't think I've ever seen a true "win later" draft... Not from top to bottom.

The players and fans of an organization would go nuts.

I don't think I've ever seen a business of any kind that never thought about short term needs/benefits.

 

[Stash]

We're the Dallas Cowboys. We can draft a player based on 'greatest immediate impact' and be praised for it, and then we can draft another who won't play at all this year and still be praised for it. Going in the complete opposite direction given for drafting the first round player. For some people, we can have it both ways. Nothing we do can be wrong. We can never lose.

And that mindset is why billionaires are banging down the doors to spend billions to buy an NFL team and get in on the fun. In what other business can you not lose?

 

[mschmidt64]

Especially when they just did it for Lawrence.

A 2 and a 3 for a pass rusher? Sure.

A 1and a 2 for a cornerback? No brainer.

2nd and 3rd round picks for our future QB? My mother didn't raise any fools. Hang up on em, Stephen.

The fact is they are hung up on Romo just like they were on Aikman. The day Romo can't play anymore is always 4 years away, until it's today.

No foresight.

 

[Risen Star]

The fact is they are hung up on Romo just like they were on Aikman. The day Romo can't play anymore is always 4 years away, until it's today.

No foresight.

Yep. It's why I can't feel good about this draft class despite a general like of the group of players. If we're QB-less in a few years and any of these 3 QBs prove to be legit then we made a major mistake.

This was a rare opportunity. Sitting at 4 with the team at 1 and 2 looking to move out. We should have been all in on the QB.

 

[tyke1doe]

"I get paid 6M a year to look like the HC, this sucker on the left here thinks I give a..."

If Jerry is saying this, Garrett is to his right.

 

[Manwiththeplan]

Yep. It's why I can't feel good about this draft class despite a general like of the group of players. If we're QB-less in a few years and any of these 3 QBs prove to be legit then we made a major mistake.

This was a rare opportunity. Sitting at 4 with the team at 1 and 2 looking to move out. We should have been all in on the QB.

I don't think Tennessee or Cleveland make any deal without a future #1 and that was too rich for my taste. If I'm gonna give up a future #1, I'd rather we make a serious climb like the Rams did as opposed to moving up 2-3 spots.