The Case For OL

[Hostile]

That was also the prevailing sentiment last year.

Stephen Jones was even asked about the lack of adding defensive help in the post-draft presser. Jones said it was simply how the board dictated they draft.

The team has needs on both sides of the ball, some will go unanswered, there's no way around that.

I hope they follow the board as closely as possible and just focus on adding good players.

This is fair, but I am going to tell you what I think. There is not a Defensive player in this draft that will end up being a better pro football player than the guy I have pimped like a fool, David DeCastro. 20 years down the road when all these kids in this class are done people are going to look back at this draft and say he was the best player taken. The only way that is not said is if Luck or Griffin win multiple Super Bowls or Trent Richardson breaks Emmitt's record.

For all the talk about you don't take OGs that high, tell me one player in the 1994 Draft you'd take over Larry Allen in hindsight. Marshall Faulk...maybe.

 

[Chuck 54]

This is fair, but I am going to tell you what I think. There is not a Defensive player in this draft that will end up being a better pro football player than the guy I have pimped like a fool, David DeCastro. 20 years down the road when all these kids in this class are done people are going to look back at this draft and say he was the best player taken. The only way that is not said is if Luck or Griffin win multiple Super Bowls or Trent Richardson breaks Emmitt's record.

For all the talk about you don't take OGs that high, tell me one player in the 1994 Draft you'd take over Larry Allen in hindsight. Marshall Faulk...maybe.

My problem with DeCastro at 14 is solely about his position and long term value. If he turns out to be the best guard in the league, I believe he'd be a rental for 4 years tops, and then, like the Saints with Nicks, we'd have to let him walk for the same reason we didn't bid on the best guard this year. We just cannot pay a guard that type of money and keep your OT's.

For our team, I am hoping for at least 3 defenders who will be better for our team.

 

[Hostile]

My problem with DeCastro at 14 is solely about his position and long term value. If he turns out to be the best guard in the league, I believe he'd be a rental for 4 years tops, and then, like the Saints with Nicks, we'd have to let him walk for the same reason we didn't bid on the best guard this year. We just cannot pay a guard that type of money and keep your OT's.

For our team, I am hoping for at least 3 defenders who will be better for our team.

Say hello to Leonard Davis.

 

[rash]

Hos and RS let's have peace

 

[Bluefin]

My problem with DeCastro at 14 is solely about his position and long term value. If he turns out to be the best guard in the league, I believe he'd be a rental for 4 years tops, and then, like the Saints with Nicks, we'd have to let him walk for the same reason we didn't bid on the best guard this year. We just cannot pay a guard that type of money and keep your OT's.

Would you really be worried about Jerry Jones paying David DeCastro what it would take to keep him?

How often does the team let deserving players hit unrestricted free agency?

Re-signing is a non-issue, IMO.

 

[fortdick]

I believe my posts would reflect ....

I can confirm what Hos says. I have read almost all his posts and agree with him 95%. He has been consistent in his advocacy of OL first.

The 5% I don't agree with is FA. I am not pleased with it. I don't think we did much of anything to improve the OL, making it more important in the draft.

People like to say we can take a guard in the middle rounds and he will be serviceable/starter material. Arkin was a 4th round pick, and Nagy in the 7th. As a result, we started anyone but these two. That tells me that we have not paid enough attention to the spot.

Our centers at this point, Killer and Costa are both UDFA's. I really think we need to address this spot, but they didn't in FA.

So, we need to address another in the draft, or face the same results out of the OL next season.

Other than his being pleased with FA, Hos is right on.

 

[CF74]

One thing is for certain, fixing the O-line will make our offense our best defense...

 

[fortdick]

This is fair, but I am going to tell you what I think. There is not a Defensive player in this draft that will end up being a better pro football player than the guy I have pimped like a fool, David DeCastro. 20 years down the road when all these kids in this class are done people are going to look back at this draft and say he was the best player taken. The only way that is not said is if Luck or Griffin win multiple Super Bowls or Trent Richardson breaks Emmitt's record.

For all the talk about you don't take OGs that high, tell me one player in the 1994 Draft you'd take over Larry Allen in hindsight. Marshall Faulk...maybe.

I will go one step better and say that there isn't a defensive player in this draft that would start for us on opening day. DeCastro would do that. Konz may very well start as well.

 

[Woods]

I will go one step better and say that there isn't a defensive player in this draft that would start for us on opening day. DeCastro would do that. Konz may very well start as well.

Purely speculation on my part, but I think Barron would likely start Day 1 for us.

 

[fortdick]

Purely speculation on my part, but I think Barron would likely start Day 1 for us.

He is the only one with a chance.

 

[Sarge]

Purely speculation on my part, but I think Barron would likely start Day 1 for us.

He would definitely start. Like I've said before, he is gonna be the pick and he is gonna start from Day 1.

 

[Fla Cowpoke]

I gotta side with Hostile.

He has consistently pimped nothing but OL this entire offseason.

The thing is, there are manydifferent ways to complete the offseason from a free agency and draft standpoint that workout great. There are hundreds of combinations that will be decent. And there are thousands of combinations that will suck.

Just because we don't do exactly what he likes doesn't mean he can't see the value on what we have done. We have added 3-4 starters in free agency. If we can get another starter and 2-3 solid contributors in the draft it will be a success.

Also remember that there has been talk about DeCastro possibly playing some Center as well. Bernadeau has been talked about as being a possibility as well. It's not like we need Pro Bowl play at the spot to be much better than we were a year ago.

 

[VThokie7]

Ladies and gentlemen of the jury. When was this once proud franchise a dynasty? When we had an OL that was opening holes for our running game and protecting our QB.

2011...5 rushing TDs
2010...10 rushing TDs
2009...14 rushing TDs
2008...12 rushing TDs

41 TDs over a 4 year span.

Contrast that to Emmitt Smith alone over the 4 year span of our Dynasty years.

1992...18 rushing TDs
1993...9 rushing TDs
1994...21 rushing TDs
1995...25 rushing TDs

73 rushing TDs over a 4 year span and this doesn't even allow for the rest of the team.

Fix the OL, open holes for Murray and protect Tony Romo. This team cannot be beat.

If we fix the OL, then I think we need to use a 3rd or 4th to grab another RB. Murray was often injured at OU and got hurt last year. And Felix isn't a workhorse.

With that said, I think getting a truly intimidating OL would be great. By stretching drives and keeping the DEF off the field you've already made them better.

 

[fortdick]

If we fix the OL, then I think we need to use a 3rd or 4th to grab another RB. Murray was often injured at OU and got hurt last year. And Felix isn't a workhorse.

With that said, I think getting a truly intimidating OL would be great. By stretching drives and keeping the DEF off the field you've already made them better.

Tanner is a very good number three RB. I don't really think we need to fill that spot. So, that leaves OL.

 

[MichaelWinicki]

People keep pointing to the draft. The problem with that is you don't know what will be there and you don't want to pick a lesser player when you're on the board. And considering we had 3 OL spots that needed to be upgraded it's highly unlikely to think this team is gonna get that kind of impact from this draft class. We have a hard enough time finding one much less three.

I'm not sure that's an accurate statement, i.e. the 3 position thing. I would be secure in saying the Cowboys believe the number is less than 3.

 

[reddyuta]

We can make the playoffs if we REALLY fix the o-line(even with our average defense).

 

[Sitting Bull]

I'm still on the DeCastro train at #14. I remember Romo getting chased and battered; I remember the deep concern our own team had over protecting Romo with an inexperienced line, starting in week 1 against the Jets and recurring every time we faced a "scary" pass rush. I think we deserve a line that dominates and dictates- keeping our offense multi-dimensional and our quarterback upright.

So we squeezed a little productivity from late round picks and UDFAs. It's not enough. The FAs we brought in are challenging those players for depth roles on the 2012 team. DeCastro would start. Upgrade.

Yes, our defense was bad in several games last year. But we kicked way too many field goals ALL year. People were actually wishing for a lineman-sized RB on this team to convert goal-lines and 3rd-and-1, instead of addressing the line. How many times were we able to run out the clock with a lead and earn a kneel-down victory? Once?

DeCastro is versitile, safe and a day-one upgrade. Can we go another direction and be ok? Sure, but it won't change the need for stud Oline players and I really think he is going to be BPA at #14.

 

[MichaelWinicki]

Our centers at this point, Killer and Costa are both UDFA's. I really think we need to address this spot, but they didn't in FA.

I think center is more of a problem than what guard is.

Put a decent center out there along with Livings on one side and one of the rest on the other side and you would see better interior offensive line play... No question.

 

[MichaelWinicki]

We can make the playoffs if we REALLY fix the o-line(even with our average defense).

Others would say that if the team fixes the secondary, the team can make the playoffs even with an average interior portion of the offensive line.

 

[fortdick]

I think center is more of a problem than what guard is.

Put a decent center out there along with Livings on one side and one of the rest on the other side and you would see better interior offensive line play... No question.

Better than last year could still be poor.