Tanking would have been the right strategy

[aria]

Yeah, that’s what we need more of on this team...a losing mentality, that will help us go places. We already have the highest paid RB in the league quitting on plays and asking to be taken out after a rare 10+ yard gain, if we can just get the rest of the team on board we’ll be set up to pick in the top 5 for years to come.

 

[Mr_437]

People talk about it never being helpful to lose on purpose, but we've been struggling to get to 8-8 every year for 15 years. If overcoming adversity to get to middling were actually such a character builder, we would have won many Super Bowls by now.

We're picking 10th. Which is OK. But we could have been picking 3rd or 4th or something in every round. So that's 40-50 spots of surrendered draft capital. And we didn't make the playoffs, so that flurry of wins at the end of the year did nothing but set us back long-term.

Also, signing a veteran backup quarterback - unless you're a serious contender, not a Jerry Jones magical-thinking contender - is a waste of resources. We got Andy Dalton. At the end of the year, our backup quarterback was better than the backup quarterbacks for other teams with injured starters. So we won a few games. It didn't help us. It hurt us. See paragraph 2.

I agree with your point on Andy Dalton. The $ used to secure the best backup QB in the division may have been better used on a defensive player, and the backup QB would've supported the tank organically.

I don't have a problem with the team trying to win, I take more of an issue with the franchise when they blow early draft picks "Taco Charlton" or when they allow themselves to be taken hostage by a player "Ezekiel Elliott" or when they can't tell the difference between pyrite and gold "Jaylon Smith" there are many worse things that a franchise can do to derail their future chances, trying to win ball games isn't one of them.

A like for the pyrite reference. I agree tho, better drafting and cap management are discouraging.

 

[cern]

Yeah, that’s what we need more of on this team...a losing mentality, that will help us go places. We already have the highest paid RB in the league quitting on plays and asking to be taken out after a rare 10+ yard gain, if we can just get the rest of the team on board we’ll be set up to pick in the top 5 for years to come.

Your constant vitriolic attacks on zeke and his character destroyed his psyche. You should be ashamed. I must admit my opinion as to his ability lessened every week.

 

[cern]

Yeah, that’s what we need more of on this team...a losing mentality, that will help us go places. We already have the highest paid RB in the league quitting on plays and asking to be taken out after a rare 10+ yard gain, if we can just get the rest of the team on board we’ll be set up to pick in the top 5 for years to come.

I began the season thinking him the best rb in the league. What happened?

 

[jaythecowboy]

I really want to see how to "tank".

Do you ask the players not to try? Do you ask the coaches put in a terrible game plan? Do you play your backups?

What happens when both teams in a game try to tank? That would make for a fun game. Two teams fumbling on purpose, two coaches putting in their ball boys as quarterback.

Philadelphia did this. Their coach played along and got fired. There was tremendous backlash. Players on the Eagles were angry. Philly may have done itself more harm.

But I go back to my original question. How do you tank?

From a front office perspective, trading away talent for future draft capital making your team worse in the short term. From a coaching perspective, ill-advised playcalling or personnel decisions. The players on the field don't intentionally play poorly because it would hurt their earning potential.

 

[aria]

I began the season thinking him the best rb in the league. What happened?

O line didn’t help but for being the highest paid RB in the league, and demanding that he be paid as such, I would expect much more. As much as I dislike him, I really do want him to succeed on game day, I’d rather eat crow and see the Cowboys win.

I think it was a combination of things. Partly O line, the typical and predictable wear on most RB’s taking its toll and I really don’t think he does everything he can to better himself during the off season, especially after being paid.

 

[CATCH17]

We’re stuck in mediocrity and will be here for awhile unless we don’t pay Dak.

 

[DogFace]

Wouldn't it be great to have the first pick in the coming draft? Instead, we have 6 wins that don't amount to anything. Here is a tip, the Cowboys are going to suck in 2021 also so stop trying to be something you're not. Lose and build a better team through the draft. The 5 or 6 wins you get trying to win aren't worth it.

 

[Rockport]

People talk about it never being helpful to lose on purpose, but we've been struggling to get to 8-8 every year for 15 years. If overcoming adversity to get to middling were actually such a character builder, we would have won many Super Bowls by now.

We're picking 10th. Which is OK. But we could have been picking 3rd or 4th or something in every round. So that's 40-50 spots of surrendered draft capital. And we didn't make the playoffs, so that flurry of wins at the end of the year did nothing but set us back long-term.

Also, signing a veteran backup quarterback - unless you're a serious contender, not a Jerry Jones magical-thinking contender - is a waste of resources. We got Andy Dalton. At the end of the year, our backup quarterback was better than the backup quarterbacks for other teams with injured starters. So we won a few games. It didn't help us. It hurt us. See paragraph 2.

No tanking is only for loser fans.

 

[Rockport]

We’re stuck in mediocrity and will be here for awhile unless we pay Dak.

Amen.

 

[Vinnie2u]

People talk about it never being helpful to lose on purpose, but we've been struggling to get to 8-8 every year for 15 years. If overcoming adversity to get to middling were actually such a character builder, we would have won many Super Bowls by now.

We're picking 10th. Which is OK. But we could have been picking 3rd or 4th or something in every round. So that's 40-50 spots of surrendered draft capital. And we didn't make the playoffs, so that flurry of wins at the end of the year did nothing but set us back long-term.

Also, signing a veteran backup quarterback - unless you're a serious contender, not a Jerry Jones magical-thinking contender - is a waste of resources. We got Andy Dalton. At the end of the year, our backup quarterback was better than the backup quarterbacks for other teams with injured starters. So we won a few games. It didn't help us. It hurt us. See paragraph 2.

the day Dallas took Zeke at 4 and Jaylon at 34 made we realize that tanking is not the best option. I can’t trust the FO to do the right thing.

 

[Typhus]

I think all of those fans will forget about the integrity of the game talk and be jumping with glee when they can nab the guys they want. Peterson got fired moreso for the benching of Wentz than the tanking. The tanking just made it easier to get rid of him. You can't put your 34 million dollar qb on the bench.

True, but they have two good QBs to deal with now, thats not a bad thing.
The only issue they have is maybe opening the Christmas present a bit early with Hurts.

 

[CouchCoach]

I began the season thinking him the best rb in the league. What happened?

I had my suspicions when he held out with 2 years remaining and was tapping out quite a bit.

I think he knew he had hit the pinnacle and was headed back down the other side and if he waited, he would lose millions.

There was a play that season before the hold out that reminded me of that play Emmitt made diving into the end zone and injuring his neck only this was a hurdle that Elliott came down unbalanced and the look on his face was like he was shocked, he was human after all. Emmitt had that same look on his face.

Elliott did not run the same the rest of that game and hasn't gone airborne near as much as he used to do when he ran with abandon. He realized that if he was going for the big bucks, it had to be then or never. He also had that last season of Demarco Murray's to consider, Murray didn't run the same after that season. He had been a runaway truck his last season as a Cowboy.

 

[Bullflop]

I will remember andy for his finale against the giants. A very poor performance. Prefer to see him not return to dallas. Tanker rhymes with chancre and wanker. Play to win.

He'd likely want a healthy raise to be our backup again. I'm fairly confident he'll be with another team next season, if he's able to.

 

[CouchCoach]

He'd likely want a healthy raise to be our backup again. I'm fairly confident he'll be with another team next season, if he's able to.

I don't think he got on any team's QB1 list but he did as a backup coming back from that injury and COVID to play pretty well. Dalton might very well be the most desirable FA on the team.

 

[Bullflop]

I don't think he got on any team's QB1 list but he did as a backup coming back from that injury and COVID to play pretty well. Dalton might very well be the most desirable FA on the team.

I won't be a bit surprised if we draft a reasonably promising QB at some point in the upcoming draft -- maybe a mid round to later one.

It was said a while back that Red might want an $8-mil contract. I doubt if we'd be willing to spend that for him but anything's possible.

 

[erod]

Not on purpose, but yeah, losing would have been good for the future.

This garbage roster is going nowhere.

 

[acr731]

x 100

We should never, ever, say Cowboys have the smartest fans in the NFL....

We don't have the smartest front office either, so even if they did tank, they probably would have screwed it up.

 

[AbeBeta]

People talk about it never being helpful to lose on purpose, but we've been struggling to get to 8-8 every year for 15 years. If overcoming adversity to get to middling were actually such a character builder, we would have won many Super Bowls by now.

We're picking 10th. Which is OK. But we could have been picking 3rd or 4th or something in every round. So that's 40-50 spots of surrendered draft capital. And we didn't make the playoffs, so that flurry of wins at the end of the year did nothing but set us back long-term.

Also, signing a veteran backup quarterback - unless you're a serious contender, not a Jerry Jones magical-thinking contender - is a waste of resources. We got Andy Dalton. At the end of the year, our backup quarterback was better than the backup quarterbacks for other teams with injured starters. So we won a few games. It didn't help us. It hurt us. See paragraph 2.

Gee. Pederson lost his team over it. But yeah, tanking is great

 

[jujoboys]

People talk about it never being helpful to lose on purpose, but we've been struggling to get to 8-8 every year for 15 years. If overcoming adversity to get to middling were actually such a character builder, we would have won many Super Bowls by now.

We're picking 10th. Which is OK. But we could have been picking 3rd or 4th or something in every round. So that's 40-50 spots of surrendered draft capital. And we didn't make the playoffs, so that flurry of wins at the end of the year did nothing but set us back long-term.

Also, signing a veteran backup quarterback - unless you're a serious contender, not a Jerry Jones magical-thinking contender - is a waste of resources. We got Andy Dalton. At the end of the year, our backup quarterback was better than the backup quarterbacks for other teams with injured starters. So we won a few games. It didn't help us. It hurt us. See paragraph 2.

That’s a horrible message for a head coach to send to his team. Definitely not a way to build a winning culture. If we ever have a coach that tanks a game on purpose I hope gets fired immediately after the game. I don’t want any part of a coach that has that loser mentality.