Surrounding Romo with Targets

[perrykemp]

I wonder if the Cowboys are going to look back at this point of Romo's career and lament the fact that they didn't do enough to surround him with enough targets. Elite QBs (and Romo is very much a Elite QB) is the league are surrounded by a plethora of targets. Examples:

NE - Gronk, Hernandez, Welker Branch, Ocho Cincho, Brandon Lloyd
NO - Sproles, Colston, Jimmy Graham, Lance More, Devery Henderson
GB - Jennings, Jordy Nelson, James Jones, Randall Cobb, Donald Driver, Jermichael Finley

The Cowboys have Austin, Dez, and Witten and basically very little proven depth behind them -- especially with Robinson gone.

Assuming some amount of time for injury to Austin or Dez, who's next up?

Is it another year of Romo spending half of his pre-snap time telling WRs where to line up?

With where the NFL is today with passing should the Cowboys be drafting a WR/ TE in rounds 1,2,3 just about every year even if we don't have an immediate need just to make sure the cupboards are always stocked?

 

[birdwells1]

I wonder if the Cowboys are going to look back at this point of Romo's career and lament the fact that they didn't do enough to surround him with enough targets. Elite QBs (and Romo is very much a Elite QB) is the league are surrounded by a plethora of targets. Examples:

NE - Gronk, Hernandez, Welker Branch, Ocho Cincho, Brandon Lloyd
NO - Sproles, Colston, Jimmy Graham, Lance More, Devery Henderson
GB - Jennings, Jordy Nelson, James Jones, Randall Cobb, Donald Driver, Jermichael Finley

The Cowboys have Austin, Dez, and Witten and basically very little proven depth behind them -- especially with Robinson gone.

Assuming some amount of time for injury to Austin or Dez, who's next up?

Is it another year of Romo spending half of his pre-snap time telling WRs where to line up?

With where the NFL is today with passing should the Cowboys be drafting a WR/ TE in rounds 1,2,3 just about every year even if we don't have an immediate need just to make sure the cupboards are always stocked?

I don't think anyone can seriously make this argument.

 

[ZeroClub]

I wonder if the Cowboys are going to look back at this point of Romo's career and lament the fact that they didn't do enough to surround him with enough targets.

The bigger lament will be the OL.

 

[Deep_Freeze]

With where the NFL is today with passing should the Cowboys be drafting a WR/ TE in rounds 1,2,3 just about every year even if we don't have an immediate need just to make sure the cupboards are always stocked?

I understand what your saying, but we can also say this for alot of positions. I think right now we are just making up for all of our past bad drafts and finally stringing together some good drafts so that we can build up talent everywhere.

Once we increase the overall talent, then we can start worrying about concentrating on certain positions. On offense, receivers and TEs are nice to have, but a QB with Romo's age is much more important.

With the prices and scarce nature of secondary players, a case can be made that a CB should be taken with a 1st, 2nd, or 3rd rounder almost every year along with pass rushers. Depends on the type of team your building, but usually it should be one of balance.

I will agree that every single year, a premium position (QB, LT, CB, pass rusher) should be taken in the first 3 picks even if you don't need it at that particular time, but I don't really think a receiver is a premium position. Alot of those guys you mention for the Saints, NE, and GB weren't even high picks, they just developed well.

While receiver is a need, I would go the route of a premium position everytime and twice on Sunday cause when free agency comes around, they will be by far the hardest and most expensive position to replace.

 

[casmith07]

I wonder if the Cowboys are going to look back at this point of Romo's career and lament the fact that they didn't do enough to surround him with enough targets.

Nope.

 

[BIGDen]

The issue has been blocking, not weapons. The pass protection and run blocking has not been very good for most of his career. He has taken a beating over the past few years (hand, clavicle, ribs) and last year's 5 rushing TDs tells you all you need to know about the run blocking - especially in short yardage and goal line situations.

 

[dooomsday]

I wonder if the Cowboys are going to look back at this point of Romo's career and lament the fact that they didn't do enough to surround him with enough targets. Elite QBs (and Romo is very much a Elite QB) is the league are surrounded by a plethora of targets. Examples:

NE - Gronk, Hernandez, Welker Branch, Ocho Cincho, Brandon Lloyd
NO - Sproles, Colston, Jimmy Graham, Lance More, Devery Henderson
GB - Jennings, Jordy Nelson, James Jones, Randall Cobb, Donald Driver, Jermichael Finley

The Cowboys have Austin, Dez, and Witten and basically very little proven depth behind them -- especially with Robinson gone.

Assuming some amount of time for injury to Austin or Dez, who's next up?

Is it another year of Romo spending half of his pre-snap time telling WRs where to line up?

With where the NFL is today with passing should the Cowboys be drafting a WR/ TE in rounds 1,2,3 just about every year even if we don't have an immediate need just to make sure the cupboards are always stocked?

Chicken and the egg. The qbs make the recievers not visa versa as far as I'm concerned.

It doesn't get much better than Austin, Dez, Wit as far as starters go. NE WRs stink other the the possession skills of Welker. I'll take our WRs over NOs. GBs are nice. But I am sure Rodgers has something to do with their production and helping Jennings and Jordy reach their potential.

Few qbs (but some)have had so many talented receivers as Romo.

 

[morasp]

Chicken and the egg. The qbs make the recievers not visa versa as far as I'm concerned.

It doesn't get much better than Austin, Dez, Wit as far as starters go. NE WRs stink other the the possession skills of Welker. I'll take our WRs over NOs. GBs are nice. But I am sure Rodgers has something to do with their production and helping Jennings and Jordy reach their potential.

Few qbs (but some)have had so many talented receivers as Romo.

That's what I was going to say. Exemplified by the Mannings. Pierre Garcon, Victor Cruz? Stories I heard were lots of extra hours put in by Payton and Eli and their receivers.

 

[InmanRoshi]

Anyone who thinks the Packers or Giants have a phenomenal OL are kidding themselves. The reason the Packers are great is they have a 4th WR in Randall Cobb who lines up against another team's version of Frank Walker or Nate Jones and can take a 3 step drop slant 60 yards to the endzone at any moment. The Cowboys just take for granted that Romo will take a street free agent and can turn him into a 900 yard WR.

 

[Apollo Creed]

Romo has always put up numbers regardless of who was playing WR or RB, the only consistent is Witten.

An old Terry Glenn, T.O, Crayton, Williams, Hurd, Austin, Bryant, Holley, Ogletree, etc.

That's one premier draft pick, the rest were either old or bottom of the depth chart guys that worked out well.

This year he has the best WRs he's had since the Glenn/Owens combo in 06.

 

[sago1]

My big concern is our OL. Doesn't matter how many weapons we give Romo, if Cowboy management can't get their act together & make it a priority to ensure Romo's has a good OL in front of him. Remain concerned about our interior OL. It appears Cowboy's banking on 2 FA OG--neither distinguished themselves with their former teams. Obviously we hoping both are another Kosier. Understand some of us/maybe Cowboys management hope Leary (UDFA with questionable knee can win starting OG position). And there's center with Costa or somebody else we don't know. Sure hope Callahan really good at coaching up his OL players.

 

[birdwells1]

Romo has always put up numbers regardless of who was playing WR or RB, the only consistent is Witten.

An old Terry Glenn, T.O, Crayton, Williams, Hurd, Austin, Bryant, Holley, Ogletree, etc.

That's one premier draft pick, the rest were either old or bottom of the depth chart guys that worked out well.

This year he has the best WRs he's had since the Glenn/Owens combo in 06.

:bang2:

 

[Apollo Creed]

:bang2:

Valid point, guess I'm wrong.

Emoticons are the crutch of the witless.

 

[Fredd]

Is this thread serious? Did anyone actually take a look at the names of the teams listed?

Is there anyone that thought "OMG, look at the talent that NE brought in! Ocho Cinco? really? Welker was a little white kid until Brady "made" him. Gronk & Hernandez are a product of that system - good players, yes, but pro bowl players before they were brought in? Not so much...and, NE has no RB on that list

NO - Did anyone see that group doing anything? Sproles was a nice looking player coming out of college but other than Graham, these guys are nobody's that became somebody's because of Drew Brees and the scheme in new orleans

GB? There is not one name on that list that would have had someone "ooohing" and "ahhhing" when they were brought in.

If anything, Dallas has tried repeatedly to bring in skill players for Tony. I submit that their current skill players are better than the list for these teams.

 

[The30YardSlant]

I hardly think Randall Cobb and Chad Johnson (stop ****ing calling him Ochocinco) qualify as quality receiving threats. They combined for 38 catches and 3 TDs last year.

 

[burmafrd]

only the truly dense do not understand it was failures in the O line that are much more important.

 

[Mash]

I wonder if the Cowboys are going to look back at this point of Romo's career and lament the fact that they didn't do enough to surround him with enough targets. Elite QBs (and Romo is very much a Elite QB) is the league are surrounded by a plethora of targets. Examples:

NE - Gronk, Hernandez, Welker Branch, Ocho Cincho, Brandon Lloyd
NO - Sproles, Colston, Jimmy Graham, Lance More, Devery Henderson
GB - Jennings, Jordy Nelson, James Jones, Randall Cobb, Donald Driver, Jermichael Finley

The Cowboys have Austin, Dez, and Witten and basically very little proven depth behind them -- especially with Robinson gone.

Assuming some amount of time for injury to Austin or Dez, who's next up?

Is it another year of Romo spending half of his pre-snap time telling WRs where to line up?

With where the NFL is today with passing should the Cowboys be drafting a WR/ TE in rounds 1,2,3 just about every year even if we don't have an immediate need just to make sure the cupboards are always stocked?

I dont think we can ever say that the Cowboys never gave Romo enough targets. The OL has been a bigger issue. We spent draft picks and money on WR's....RB's.....and Romo has had a all-pro TE with him his whole career

I would even complain more about play calling or how the game plan was put out then wondering if we put enough targets for Romo.

 

[perrykemp]

Anyone who thinks the Packers or Giants have a phenomenal OL are kidding themselves. The reason the Packers are great is they have a 4th WR in Randall Cobb who lines up against another team's version of Frank Walker or Nate Jones and can take a 3 step drop slant 60 yards to the endzone at any moment. The Cowboys just take for granted that Romo will take a street free agent and can turn him into a 900 yard WR.

I think your post gets the crux of what I think...

NFL is about matchups. Is your #3 WR better than the defenses #3 CB? Is your #4 WR better than the defenses #4 CB, etc?

If so, it opens up the playbook quite a bit and you can have greater diversity in the passing game.

The days of trotting our just your #1 and #2 WR and #1TE and count onf them winning their one-on-one matchups is a thing of the past IMHO.

Does Dallas have any personnel advantages when brining out their #3, #4, or #5 WRs or their #2 TEs? Based on what we know <right now> I don't think so.

In terms of the OL, yes a good OL helps but the Giants and Packers both have average-at-best OLs and it doesn't slow down their passing games. Green Bay in particular relies heavily on 3-step drops and flooding the field with 3, 4, or 5 WRs/TEs complements the 3-step drop philosophy nicely.

 

[perrykemp]

GB? There is not one name on that list that would have had someone "ooohing" and "ahhhing" when they were brought in.
.

So you wouldn't prefer James Jones, Randall Cobb, and Donald Driver as the Cowboys #3, #4, and #5 WRs vs Ogletree, Holley, and Coale?

Your kidding yourself if you don't think the #3, #4, and #5 WR positions don't mean a lot for modern successful passing attacks.

 

[mooseq]

Name 1 elite wr Tom Bardy had when he won 3 super bowls.