Still Not Convinced

[Jumbo075]

Over the past two months, I have studiously avoided getting into any conversations about Dez Bryant. Simply put, he's no longer a Cowboy, and pining over his loss doesn't accomplish anything. But unexpectedly losing Jason Witten a couple of weeks later is a double blow to the Cowboys receiving group.

Full Disclosure: I have two Dallas Cowboys jerseys: Witten 82 and Bryant 88. So, count me among those who are skeptical of all the hype around the Cowboys' new receiving corps. At wide receiver, Beasley, Austin, Williams and Hurns all have careers PROVING that they are not top level receivers in the NFL. The hope is that Michael Gallup will grow into the WR1 role more quickly than usual for rookies.

At TE, I have a lot of faith that Geoff Swaim will be a more than competent replacement for......James Hanna at TE2. But a viable replacement for Jason Witten at TE1 has not yet presented himself. Perhaps Blake Jarwin or Rico Gathers can pull a Tony Romo or Miles Austin like surprise, and blossom into a front line player. But until they show it on the field, we just don't know.

Having said all that, I have resolved to keep an open mind, and a semi-optimistic attitude. This is a running team with a top flight offensive line, and a young QB that played like one of the best in the NFL for the first 3/4 of his fledgling career. Prescott's first 24 games as a starter are the best start for any QB in NFL history. With what looks like a much better defense, these Cowboys may well be able to get by, and even excel without a true WR1 or TE1 in 2018. But whatever the Cowboys and others may say, it is simply BETTER to have both a true WR1 and TE1 on your team.

Dez may have had to go because he doesn't fit Dak. I tend to agree with Romo that with the right QB, Dez still has it. That's not a knock on Dak. And no one can begrudge Witten his retirement after giving 15 HOF years to the Cowboys. The Cowboys can still have a productive offense this year. But make no mistake. They will be looking for a young WR and TE to emerge as go-to options in the passing offense.

I may not yet be convinced. But I'm willing to be. Go Cowboys!

 

[xwalker]

Over the past two months, I have studiously avoided getting into any conversations about Dez Bryant. Simply put, he's no longer a Cowboy, and pining over his loss doesn't accomplish anything. But unexpectedly losing Jason Witten a couple of weeks later is a double blow to the Cowboys receiving group.

Full Disclosure: I have two Dallas Cowboys jerseys: Witten 82 and Bryant 88. So, count me among those who are skeptical of all the hype around the Cowboys' new receiving corps. At wide receiver, Beasley, Austin, Williams and Hurns all have careers PROVING that they are not top level receivers in the NFL. The hope is that Michael Gallup will grow into the WR1 role more quickly than usual for rookies.

At TE, I have a lot of faith that Geoff Swaim will be a more than competent replacement for......James Hanna at TE2. But a viable replacement for Jason Witten at TE1 has not yet presented himself. Perhaps Blake Jarwin or Rico Gathers can pull a Tony Romo or Miles Austin like surprise, and blossom into a front line player. But until they show it on the field, we just don't know.

Having said all that, I have resolved to keep an open mind, and a semi-optimistic attitude. This is a running team with a top flight offensive line, and a young QB that played like one of the best in the NFL for the first 3/4 of his fledgling career. Prescott's first 24 games as a starter are the best start for any QB in NFL history. With what looks like a much better defense, these Cowboys may well be able to get by, and even excel without a true WR1 or TE1 in 2018. But whatever the Cowboys and others may say, it is simply BETTER to have both a true WR1 and TE1 on your team.

Dez may have had to go because he doesn't fit Dak. I tend to agree with Romo that with the right QB, Dez still has it. That's not a knock on Dak. And no one can begrudge Witten his retirement after giving 15 HOF years to the Cowboys. The Cowboys can still have a productive offense this year. But make no mistake. They will be looking for a young WR and TE to emerge as go-to options in the passing offense.

I may not yet be convinced. But I'm willing to be. Go Cowboys!

You remember Dez and Witten from 2014 and before.

The 2017 version of Dez was terrible.

The 2017 version of Witten was very limited.

 

[CowboysRule]

Dez was no longer a #1 WR. His play had dropped way below what we were paying him to do. He wanted the ball all the time but couldn't create any separation and had developed an issue with actually catching the ball. If he was as great as he thought he was he would be on a team right now developing chemistry with a new QB, not sitting at home.

Witten was a great player and should be in the hall of fame in about 5 years. His play had also declined. Yes, he could still get open but there was little to no chance for yards after the catch and he just wasn't a dynamic player anymore. Time catches up to everyone. The only thing I'm not too thrilled about with him is the way he left. He could've given some kind of advanced notice but it seemed to catch everyone by surprise.

I don't know if we will see better numbers from the passing offense this year but I think overall the offense will flow better. It also sounds like the defense will be much improved which will allow us to stick to the run which obviously looks to be the strength again this year.

 

[G2]

If Prescott had a HOFer like TO, or Bryant & Witten in their prime I think things would look a little different.

 

[MeAgain]

Be still my heart. Jumbo is back in the building, preaching as always . I like your thoughts and the way you present them. Thank you ever so much. I am 60 years old, been watching the Cowboys since forever, and the ONE and ONLY jersey I have is #82. Much love for that warrior. I won season tickets to the games for 2 in the Texas lottery second chance. I was stoked as heck, thinking this would be Mr Wittens last real year. Much to my dismay he will not be around for me to get his sig on my jersey. Oh well " the Legend " could sign the tail area in the back .... maybe...

 

[MeAgain]

Jumbo for President!!!!!!!!!!

 

[CowboyRoy]

Over the past two months, I have studiously avoided getting into any conversations about Dez Bryant. Simply put, he's no longer a Cowboy, and pining over his loss doesn't accomplish anything. But unexpectedly losing Jason Witten a couple of weeks later is a double blow to the Cowboys receiving group.

Full Disclosure: I have two Dallas Cowboys jerseys: Witten 82 and Bryant 88. So, count me among those who are skeptical of all the hype around the Cowboys' new receiving corps. At wide receiver, Beasley, Austin, Williams and Hurns all have careers PROVING that they are not top level receivers in the NFL. The hope is that Michael Gallup will grow into the WR1 role more quickly than usual for rookies.

At TE, I have a lot of faith that Geoff Swaim will be a more than competent replacement for......James Hanna at TE2. But a viable replacement for Jason Witten at TE1 has not yet presented himself. Perhaps Blake Jarwin or Rico Gathers can pull a Tony Romo or Miles Austin like surprise, and blossom into a front line player. But until they show it on the field, we just don't know.

Having said all that, I have resolved to keep an open mind, and a semi-optimistic attitude. This is a running team with a top flight offensive line, and a young QB that played like one of the best in the NFL for the first 3/4 of his fledgling career. Prescott's first 24 games as a starter are the best start for any QB in NFL history. With what looks like a much better defense, these Cowboys may well be able to get by, and even excel without a true WR1 or TE1 in 2018. But whatever the Cowboys and others may say, it is simply BETTER to have both a true WR1 and TE1 on your team.

Dez may have had to go because he doesn't fit Dak. I tend to agree with Romo that with the right QB, Dez still has it. That's not a knock on Dak. And no one can begrudge Witten his retirement after giving 15 HOF years to the Cowboys. The Cowboys can still have a productive offense this year. But make no mistake. They will be looking for a young WR and TE to emerge as go-to options in the passing offense.

I may not yet be convinced. But I'm willing to be. Go Cowboys!

Im still baffled how people think we will have a much better defense. EVERY year I hear this same nonsense and nothing changes. I can see a case for mild improvement, but thats it. IN FACT........if you were to compare the teams on paper from last year at the end of the season and THIS year to start the depth has gotten better, but the starters are a downgrade at 3 positions.

Both DT spots and one linebacker spot are a downgrade. The secondary is EXACTLY the same. They just moved Jones to CB and Woods to safety. Now I fully see the advantage of having REAL coaching in the secondary and the additional years for Woods, Awuzie, and Smith. Other then that, the defense is worse on paper.

FYI.............I havent heard anyone pump this receiving corps as anything great. They comment that the system and committee approach may produce better than expect results.

The big issue for me with this offense is the TE. It has been a HUGE part of Garretts offense. They depend on a good TE in nearly EVERY play. So unless they are going to scheme around the TE position, that will be a problem for us.

 

[davidariust24]

Over the past two months, I have studiously avoided getting into any conversations about Dez Bryant. Simply put, he's no longer a Cowboy, and pining over his loss doesn't accomplish anything. But unexpectedly losing Jason Witten a couple of weeks later is a double blow to the Cowboys receiving group.

Full Disclosure: I have two Dallas Cowboys jerseys: Witten 82 and Bryant 88. So, count me among those who are skeptical of all the hype around the Cowboys' new receiving corps. At wide receiver, Beasley, Austin, Williams and Hurns all have careers PROVING that they are not top level receivers in the NFL. The hope is that Michael Gallup will grow into the WR1 role more quickly than usual for rookies.

At TE, I have a lot of faith that Geoff Swaim will be a more than competent replacement for......James Hanna at TE2. But a viable replacement for Jason Witten at TE1 has not yet presented himself. Perhaps Blake Jarwin or Rico Gathers can pull a Tony Romo or Miles Austin like surprise, and blossom into a front line player. But until they show it on the field, we just don't know.

Having said all that, I have resolved to keep an open mind, and a semi-optimistic attitude. This is a running team with a top flight offensive line, and a young QB that played like one of the best in the NFL for the first 3/4 of his fledgling career. Prescott's first 24 games as a starter are the best start for any QB in NFL history. With what looks like a much better defense, these Cowboys may well be able to get by, and even excel without a true WR1 or TE1 in 2018. But whatever the Cowboys and others may say, it is simply BETTER to have both a true WR1 and TE1 on your team.

Dez may have had to go because he doesn't fit Dak. I tend to agree with Romo that with the right QB, Dez still has it. That's not a knock on Dak. And no one can begrudge Witten his retirement after giving 15 HOF years to the Cowboys. The Cowboys can still have a productive offense this year. But make no mistake. They will be looking for a young WR and TE to emerge as go-to options in the passing offense.

I may not yet be convinced. But I'm willing to be. Go Cowboys!

Hopefully dak plays Thurs. We will get s glimpse of the speed and quickness we have now. Defenses are vanilla but that doesn't discredit the speed and quickness that will show

 

[Stash]

Over the past two months, I have studiously avoided getting into any conversations about Dez Bryant. Simply put, he's no longer a Cowboy, and pining over his loss doesn't accomplish anything. But unexpectedly losing Jason Witten a couple of weeks later is a double blow to the Cowboys receiving group.

Full Disclosure: I have two Dallas Cowboys jerseys: Witten 82 and Bryant 88. So, count me among those who are skeptical of all the hype around the Cowboys' new receiving corps. At wide receiver, Beasley, Austin, Williams and Hurns all have careers PROVING that they are not top level receivers in the NFL. The hope is that Michael Gallup will grow into the WR1 role more quickly than usual for rookies.

At TE, I have a lot of faith that Geoff Swaim will be a more than competent replacement for......James Hanna at TE2. But a viable replacement for Jason Witten at TE1 has not yet presented himself. Perhaps Blake Jarwin or Rico Gathers can pull a Tony Romo or Miles Austin like surprise, and blossom into a front line player. But until they show it on the field, we just don't know.

Having said all that, I have resolved to keep an open mind, and a semi-optimistic attitude. This is a running team with a top flight offensive line, and a young QB that played like one of the best in the NFL for the first 3/4 of his fledgling career. Prescott's first 24 games as a starter are the best start for any QB in NFL history. With what looks like a much better defense, these Cowboys may well be able to get by, and even excel without a true WR1 or TE1 in 2018. But whatever the Cowboys and others may say, it is simply BETTER to have both a true WR1 and TE1 on your team.

Dez may have had to go because he doesn't fit Dak. I tend to agree with Romo that with the right QB, Dez still has it. That's not a knock on Dak. And no one can begrudge Witten his retirement after giving 15 HOF years to the Cowboys. The Cowboys can still have a productive offense this year. But make no mistake. They will be looking for a young WR and TE to emerge as go-to options in the passing offense.

I may not yet be convinced. But I'm willing to be. Go Cowboys!

While I can understand your sentiments and your trepidation about entering the season without two of the team's biggest names, I can try to give you some reason for optimism.

Neither guy has been the player they once were for the past several years.

And despite that, the team was able to go 13-3 in 2016 and 9-7 in 2017.

In 2016, Dez Bryant contributed just 800 yards receiving, and Witten less than 700 yards. And the team still won 13 games.

That's a low bar for the current receiver group to hit. And rather than having a "receiver #1" or "tight end #1", the quarterback and the team will instead use a share the wealth system where he simply throws to the open man. This is a system that New England has used to great success for years.

Statistics also show that Prescott's numbers are much better overall when he's distributing the ball among several targets rather than focusing on just one or two. Something I have to feel that this staff has noticed.

So again, despite losing some big names, this team did not lose big numbers.

 

[superonyx]

I saw a troubling offensive year coming when we did these things.

1. Kept Linehan and JG.
2. Watched Witten retire and decided Swaim needs more play time.
3. Spent a valuable pick on Conor Williams, who I like...but OL was already a strength and honestly wouldn’t moving La’el back to guard and letting the FA we signed play tackle be just as good as watching Collins struggle at T while having a natural tackle play guard?
4. Chased after 39 catch Sammy Watkins for 16M. (***)
5. Ignored holes at WR and TE so they could draft LVE, who I like also..but he may not play unless Jaylon Smith is a bust. Wouldn’t signing Bowman have filled this part time vacancy.

6....and biggest....Linehans comments this week about only letting people do what they specialize in. Zero unpredictability with this guy. When Swaim is in everyone knows we run. When Jarwin is in everyone knows we pass, when Austin comes in everyone will know it’s 1 of 3 plays poorly disguised.

And yet I’m still excited...because this sport is a drug and I’m itching for my fix...

 

[PhillyCowboysFan]

So, count me among those who are skeptical of all the hype around the Cowboys' new receiving corps.

All of what hype? Please show my a post where someone was hyped. All I have heard was consternation and some reassurance that we will be ok. But hype, come on man!

 

[Melonfeud]

Over the past two months, I have studiously avoided getting into any conversations about Dez Bryant. Simply put, he's no longer a Cowboy, and pining over his loss doesn't accomplish anything. But unexpectedly losing Jason Witten a couple of weeks later is a double blow to the Cowboys receiving group.

Full Disclosure: I have two Dallas Cowboys jerseys: Witten 82 and Bryant 88. So, count me among those who are skeptical of all the hype around the Cowboys' new receiving corps. At wide receiver, Beasley, Austin, Williams and Hurns all have careers PROVING that they are not top level receivers in the NFL. The hope is that Michael Gallup will grow into the WR1 role more quickly than usual for rookies.

At TE, I have a lot of faith that Geoff Swaim will be a more than competent replacement for......James Hanna at TE2. But a viable replacement for Jason Witten at TE1 has not yet presented himself. Perhaps Blake Jarwin or Rico Gathers can pull a Tony Romo or Miles Austin like surprise, and blossom into a front line player. But until they show it on the field, we just don't know.

Having said all that, I have resolved to keep an open mind, and a semi-optimistic attitude. This is a running team with a top flight offensive line, and a young QB that played like one of the best in the NFL for the first 3/4 of his fledgling career. Prescott's first 24 games as a starter are the best start for any QB in NFL history. With what looks like a much better defense, these Cowboys may well be able to get by, and even excel without a true WR1 or TE1 in 2018. But whatever the Cowboys and others may say, it is simply BETTER to have both a true WR1 and TE1 on your team.

Dez may have had to go because he doesn't fit Dak. I tend to agree with Romo that with the right QB, Dez still has it. That's not a knock on Dak. And no one can begrudge Witten his retirement after giving 15 HOF years to the Cowboys. The Cowboys can still have a productive offense this year. But make no mistake. They will be looking for a young WR and TE to emerge as go-to options in the passing offense.

I may not yet be convinced. But I'm willing to be. Go Cowboys!

Good post,BRO!

I enjoyed the 'matter of fact' fan presented in it,,,

 

[Irvin88_4life]

Im still baffled how people think we will have a much better defense. EVERY year I hear this same nonsense and nothing changes. I can see a case for mild improvement, but thats it. IN FACT........if you were to compare the teams on paper from last year at the end of the season and THIS year to start the depth has gotten better, but the starters are a downgrade at 3 positions.

Both DT spots and one linebacker spot are a downgrade. The secondary is EXACTLY the same. They just moved Jones to CB and Woods to safety. Now I fully see the advantage of having REAL coaching in the secondary and the additional years for Woods, Awuzie, and Smith. Other then that, the defense is worse on paper.

FYI.............I havent heard anyone pump this receiving corps as anything great. They comment that the system and committee approach may produce better than expect results.

The big issue for me with this offense is the TE. It has been a HUGE part of Garretts offense. They depend on a good TE in nearly EVERY play. So unless they are going to scheme around the TE position, that will be a problem for us.

I disagree. On paper this defense is better than it was last year. Jaylon is much improved now he plays without the brace. Not only that but bringing in Richards is a huge upgrade, perhaps the biggest yet. Woods is an upgrade over Jones at safety while Jones is an upgrade over Scandrick and Carroll. Depth is much more improved as well

 

[NorthwestDallas40]

I find it very telling that we are two weeks into camp and Dez still has no job. He had one offer from Baltimore. Other than that, the silence of GMs around the league is deafening. Dez’s skills have eroded to a point that hia “me-first, throw me the ball early and often or else I’ll pout and chirp” is not worth it for anyone.

As far as Witten, no one can replace his leadership and savvy running routes underneath, But as long as he was going to be here, he was never coming off the field, which limited us in making 10 personnel a staple of the offense. That is the biggest benefit of him retiring.

Not saying our offense necessarily will be better without these two, but it will be different. And that is what this team needed after a stale bunch of years.

 

[kskboys]

All of what hype? Please show my a post where someone was hyped. All I have heard was consternation and some reassurance that we will be ok. But hype, come on man!

You beat me to it!!!


Seriously, I've seen almost no hype concerning them.

 

[Melonfeud]

Dez was no longer a #1 WR. His play had dropped way below what we were paying him to do. He wanted the ball all the time but couldn't create any separation and had developed an issue with actually catching the ball. If he was as great as he thought he was he would be on a team right now developing chemistry with a new QB, not sitting at home.

Witten was a great player and should be in the hall of fame in about 5 years. His play had also declined. Yes, he could still get open but there was little to no chance for yards after the catch and he just wasn't a dynamic player anymore. Time catches up to everyone. The only thing I'm not too thrilled about with him is the way he left. He could've given some kind of advanced notice but it seemed to catch everyone by surprise.

I don't know if we will see better numbers from the passing offense this year but I think overall the offense will flow better. It also sounds like the defense will be much improved which will allow us to stick to the run which obviously looks to be the strength again this year.

Now,Friend! If you will recall ,,,the legendary #82 afforded the whole wide world of sports,ample enough time in coming to grips with his absence from the game due to retirement ,He was presented with a pretty sweet 'non-contact' 2nd football career up in the announcers booth that was more than likely of a pressing time sensitive nature in agreeing upon,,,besides, if he was interested enough in what his teams fan base were overwhelmingly posting on this very forum in regards to their obvious displeasure with his very existence of still being active on the teams roster?,,,Hell, I'm surprised #82 didn't cut& shuck his ties with the franchise with a chainsaw in making his JUMP

 

[McKDaddy]

Im still baffled how people think we will have a much better defense. EVERY year I hear this same nonsense and nothing changes. I can see a case for mild improvement, but thats it. IN FACT........if you were to compare the teams on paper from last year at the end of the season and THIS year to start the depth has gotten better, but the starters are a downgrade at 3 positions.

Both DT spots and one linebacker spot are a downgrade. The secondary is EXACTLY the same. They just moved Jones to CB and Woods to safety. Now I fully see the advantage of having REAL coaching in the secondary and the additional years for Woods, Awuzie, and Smith. Other then that, the defense is worse on paper.

FYI.............I havent heard anyone pump this receiving corps as anything great. They comment that the system and committee approach may produce better than expect results.

The big issue for me with this offense is the TE. It has been a HUGE part of Garretts offense. They depend on a good TE in nearly EVERY play. So unless they are going to scheme around the TE position, that will be a problem for us.

It has to play itself out on the field but I think quite a bit has changed on defense. My top 3, in no particular order.
Defensive philosophy about how secondary covers. Make offenses earn it rather than just sit back & let them pick you apart. Also gives your front time to get home.
Youth, speed & length (yes, you could argue that most of the key contributors were acquired last year but they got good experience last year & look poised to build on it.) We added even more this year. As critical as I have been of the pick, Jaylon finally seems ready to contribute. Should make our LB group quite solid even if LVE is limited this year. Depth overall is much better than it has been in years.
Mindset. Young, hungry players know that positions are truly open. Seems like the team as a whole is more upbeat, energetic & competitive.

If you watch last years games, we played pretty good D on probably 85-90% of the downs. It was giving up the easy play to keep a drive alive (soft coverage and not being able to stop the run after Price went out) or the missed assignment\communication by one player kind of thing. Those things can be corrected if you have talent which I believe we do.

On offense, I hear you but very few teams in the league truly have great TE play and even fewer still have TE's that are both high level blockers & receivers. Even if JG doesn't think his job is on the line, I feel certain SL knows his is. If that motivation isn't enough to find the right balance, then the coach or players stink.

C'mon, won't you join me in Optimism Land?

 

[CowboyRoy]

I disagree. On paper this defense is better than it was last year. Jaylon is much improved now he plays without the brace. Not only that but bringing in Richards is a huge upgrade, perhaps the biggest yet. Woods is an upgrade over Jones at safety while Jones is an upgrade over Scandrick and Carroll. Depth is much more improved as well

You didnt bother reading my entire post did you?

 

[CowboyRoy]

It has to play itself out on the field but I think quite a bit has changed on defense. My top 3, in no particular order.
Defensive philosophy about how secondary covers. Make offenses earn it rather than just sit back & let them pick you apart. Also gives your front time to get home.
Youth, speed & length (yes, you could argue that most of the key contributors were acquired last year but they got good experience last year & look poised to build on it.) We added even more this year. As critical as I have been of the pick, Jaylon finally seems ready to contribute. Should make our LB group quite solid even if LVE is limited this year. Depth overall is much better than it has been in years.
Mindset. Young, hungry players know that positions are truly open. Seems like the team as a whole is more upbeat, energetic & competitive.

If you watch last years games, we played pretty good D on probably 85-90% of the downs. It was giving up the easy play to keep a drive alive (soft coverage and not being able to stop the run after Price went out) or the missed assignment\communication by one player kind of thing. Those things can be corrected if you have talent which I believe we do.

On offense, I hear you but very few teams in the league truly have great TE play and even fewer still have TE's that are both high level blockers & receivers. Even if JG doesn't think his job is on the line, I feel certain SL knows his is. If that motivation isn't enough to find the right balance, then the coach or players stink.

C'mon, won't you join me in Optimism Land?

Some of your points I agree with, but your way too optimistic every little thing is an upgrade. You still didnt address both DT's and one of LBERs being a downgrade as starters.

 

[beware_d-ware]

Possession receivers as reliable as Witten are never easy to replace, but at this point in his career, he was just catching outs and 5 yard hitches anyway. He was basically a big Cole Beasley without the YAC threat. Losing him isn't going to change the dynamic of our offense.

And Dez? Dez sucked last year. Consistently beat by single coverage. No vertical threat. No big-play threat. Drop machine. Sideline cancer. I think he still had some value as a big body underneath on slants and digs, kind of like an Anquon Boldin, but he didn't have Quon's hands either. I don't think he was doing anything last year that Allen Hurns can't do for almost 1/3rd of the price.

I've been hearing all offseason about how we're screwed at WR, but minus Dez, plus Hurns and Gallup, I actually think we're better than we are last year. Is the WR corps good? Heck no. But I wasn't hearing this doom and gloom last year, everyone was talking about how our skill positions were fine and how we needed to build the defense. I'm still in that position.