Sturm - How the 2023 Dallas Cowboys were built, The "First 53" edition

[Kwyn]

https://open.substack.com/pub/bobst...cowboys-were?utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web

His substack, as recently as a week ago, was free but I encourage you everyone to actually kick in a few bucks.

This is the type of awesome Cowboy analysis that The Athletic decided was worthless compared to hype pieces.

Bob continues to be a passionate and informed football analyst.

Love me some Bob Sturm.

A snip of the intro before he does his usual deep dive

I am not saying that the Cowboys run this extremely tight ship in a way that will remind you of the most detail-oriented titans of this sport. There are few rumors that they assemble a group of men like Vince Lombardi or Bill Walsh, but if you want your guys dressed a certain way on road-trips, understanding expectations about off-season work, or even knowing what sort of things are ok and what sort of things are not, well, it serves you well to have guys who have only done things one way.

You start importing players who used to do things with the Raiders or the Seahawks or Jets in one fashion, and if you don’t care for that sort of thing, well, it just opens you to being undermined when the players visit with each other.

Why can’t we wear headphones in the lockerroom? Why can’t I bring my kids in here? What do you mean we have to go to California for training camp and I can’t bring my wife?

That sort of thing may not seem like a big deal, but millionaires are going to push back if you try to tell them things they are not expecting.

But, if you taught these guys since they were pups that this is what matters most around here and the other stuff doesn’t matter too much, well then there are no surprises at all and that ethos gets handed down from older players to the younger ones in the lunch lines or plane trips.

Let’s look at an example of how this works:

In 2021, Connor Williams played left guard. His contract expired and he went to Miami for good money, so Connor McGovern moved in on his small rookie deal for 2022. But, his contract also expired and he went to Buffalo for good money. So up steps Tyler Smith in his place. Behind him, young TJ Bass made the team to play guard and perhaps, will have a chance to succeed either Tyler Smith or Zack Martin if events necessitate.

The point is, however, that none of these players made much money. In fact, you were able to pay for 2021-2023 at left guard – 50 regular season games – for about $9 million combined. Zack Martin will make $18 million to play right guard for the Cowboys this year alone. You can only afford that if you can cost-average things down at other positions

 

[Kwyn]

Come on guys. If this was “Dak is the best/worst” it would be 15 pages.

Not bitter but this is solid content by someone who knows what’s up

 

[Jumbo075]

https://open.substack.com/pub/bobst...cowboys-were?utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web

His substack, as recently as a week ago, was free but I encourage you everyone to actually kick in a few bucks.

This is the type of awesome Cowboy analysis that The Athletic decided was worthless compared to hype pieces.

Bob continues to be a passionate and informed football analyst.

Love me some Bob Sturm.

A snip of the intro before he does his usual deep dive

Really, really good read. I encourage everyone to click on the link and read the article.

Thanks, Kwyn

 

[john van brocklin]

https://open.substack.com/pub/bobst...cowboys-were?utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web

His substack, as recently as a week ago, was free but I encourage you everyone to actually kick in a few bucks.

This is the type of awesome Cowboy analysis that The Athletic decided was worthless compared to hype pieces.

Bob continues to be a passionate and informed football analyst.

Love me some Bob Sturm.

A snip of the intro before he does his usual deep dive

Excellent read!
Sure beats the click bait that passes for journalism these days.

 

[VaqueroTD]

Come on guys. If this was “Dak is the best/worst” it would be 15 pages.

Not bitter but this is solid content by someone who knows what’s up

I would very much like to read that article he hints at - 20 Things Jerry Has Done to Undermine His Franchise.

Good article, but his last paragraph sums it up. They show they can keep homegrown players, but have to go further in the Playoffs. All roster retention in the world is nothing if you don't go further than Division Round.

FYI, something probably keeping people from reading, when I first clicked, it wanted me to give it my email to read it, but second click it went away.

 

[CCBoy]

https://open.substack.com/pub/bobst...cowboys-were?utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web

His substack, as recently as a week ago, was free but I encourage you everyone to actually kick in a few bucks.

This is the type of awesome Cowboy analysis that The Athletic decided was worthless compared to hype pieces.

Bob continues to be a passionate and informed football analyst.

Love me some Bob Sturm.

A snip of the intro before he does his usual deep dive

No one that can be listened to now, is better than Sturm. Agreed.

 

[CCBoy]

I would very much like to read that article he hints at - 20 Things Jerry Has Done to Undermine His Franchise.

Good article, but his last paragraph sums it up. They show they can keep homegrown players, but have to go further in the Playoffs. All roster retention in the world is nothing if you don't go further than Division Round.

FYI, something probably keeping people from reading, when I first clicked, it wanted me to give it my email to read it, but second click it went away.

Gil Brandt carried the load in the first half of existence. Finally, the quality of roster build up and development are showing leadership again.

A final and straight through picture loses the progressions of after-action-analysis effectiveness at work now as well. The strength of cap status had to be rebuilt in practice to arrive at current fertility for growth levels.

 

[MtlCowboy]

I loved this article and the one previously he wrote on the Athletic where he spells out the high turnover/good drafting every year is necessary to keep the highest paid. he has covered this cowboy strategy best that i have seen.

 

[CCBoy]

I liked this the most:

But, the truth is that the Cowboys are now the industry leaders at drafting and developing. They decided to make it a priority about a decade ago – three straight 8-8 seasons led them to that frustrating conclusion – and now it is very much their calling card.

If they are going to pay players, they are going to pay their own guys. They are going to pick their own guys in a roster crunch. They are going to target and prioritize their kinds of guys. And it has led them to this roster that is 80% pure-bred Dallas Cowboys.

https://bobsturm.substack.com/p/how-the-2023-dallas-cowboys-were?utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web