The Holdout, Blessing in Disguise?

[CouchCoach]

OK, since I am the only one without an Elliott thread, I am giving in and posting more words about a player not on the team since Romo retired.

Like most things, if you look for the silver lining, you can find it and I believe this has several to it.

What's the prevalent thinking? Prescott is on one knee singing "You are the wind beneath my wings" to Elliott or "I am nothing without you". Don't you want to find out? If he has to have Elliott, do the Cowboys have to have him?

There's a new OC in town, Kellen the Young, and it's his job to get this offense off it's butt and scoring at least 7 more points a game. Is he going to do that with the same ole same ole? Don't you want to find out? This offense needs change, not just window dressing, they're lost in the 90's.

The holdout not only caught the FO off guard but it seems to have put them on pause in signing the QB and WR after giving the DE the largest contract in team history and largest 4/3 DE one ever. I am hoping this is giving them time to really think this through. Is it so bad if they don't sign any of the three? Is paying a little more in 2020 not better than making a mistake in 2019? They need to show they're a FO that doesn't blink first or they'll continue blinking down the road.

The DC has been dependent on using the RB to garner time and keep his unit on the sideline and to keep the score close and low. That thinking is counter productive to today's NFL, no business can save it's way into a profit. They have to run today's offense, which is why the OC change happened, and they have to run today's defense, bring pressure and get turnovers. Aggressive on both sides of the ball is the order of the day. Don't you want to find out if this coaching staff and team can do that?

If Elliott comes in, what changes? What do we find out? Do they rely on that too much as Linehan did? They have been too Elliott dependent on both sides of the ball.

I am glad he's holding out and no, I do not hold anything against him as he's not doing anything to the fans or team. I want to find out about this team. Is it a true contender? They need to find out if they're a team or riding a RB.

The fact that all of the media focus and most of ours here is on a player not on the team tells me we are overlooking the guys that showed up to play. I'd like to see these guys get a chance to show they're more than one player. That 93 team failed to do that and I want to find out if this one can do just that.

 

[erod]

I think we woke up with the exact same thoughts this morning and created a thread at exactly the same time.

LOL

 

[TheSkaven]

Agree 1000%. I really hope that the holdout lasts into the regular season, because no one is going to believe it until they see it in a real game. But when you pay 46.3M in salary for your offensive line, 23.5% of your salary cap, then you shouldn't have to pay a running back $15M per year. That $15M per year is going to be needed to lock up Jaylon Smith, Byron Jones and Maliek Collins.

 

[cern]

it is the wind above the wings that give lift to both planes and birds. and I find your premise most interesting. without the "b" word. your point is well taken. without zeke, the coaches will be challenged more than ever. hope they can rise to the occasion.

 

[Blackthorn]

Dallas should start signing all of the players that really need a contract. Start with Jaylon and Anthony Brown and keep writing until the cap is gone. As faras Zeke and the play-calling, Tavon, Pollard and Cobb can really throw a monkey-wrench into opposing defenses. There burst is ridiculous. The team is more important than the individual.

 

[Whirlwin]

I believe we can win without Elliott I've seen it already. Is it important for everyone else to believe it and see it. Not to me. I believe in the franchise go Cowboys. I don't hold anything against Elliott that he's doing personally . I just don't like him personally

 

[PA Cowboy Fan]

It's where I'm at. People say this is the most talented team since the 90's. Then go and prove it.

 

[Bob-Lillys-War]

Now i'm hoping zeke comes back week 11 .

 

[Cowboy4ever]

I have said it before, if Dak is worth 30+ mil a year, then you shouldn't NEED a RB like Zeke to make it work. IF the O can't work with Zeke, then you shouldn't pay Dak 30+ a year, he would not be worth it. I am not a huge fan of Prescott's, he has to many flaws in his game at this point, so I wouldn't pay him 30 mill a year anyway but if I had to choose between the 2, I take Dak all day, every day. An average QB in the NFL is more valuable than the best RB and when you throw in the headache caused by the RB, it really becomes an easy decision.

 

[CouchCoach]

it is the wind above the wings that give lift to both planes and birds. and I find your premise most interesting. without the "b" word. your point is well taken. without zeke, the coaches will be challenged more than ever. hope they can rise to the occasion.

HC in his contract year and OC and QBC in their first contracts and unknown about the DC situation, this is going to be a most interesting season.

If I was not a Cowboys fan, I would be interested in this because it really provides an extra element to it. If he doesn't show up, it really provides additional opportunities for others to show their stuff. And while it is not popular, this could be where Garrett breaks or makes his career because he has the rep, at least with me, of not being that "next man up" coach.

If Bette Midler had sang "you are the wind above my wings", only pilots and scientists would have gotten it. The rest of us would have been "Love Stinks".

 

[catiii]

OK, since I am the only one without an Elliott thread, I am giving in and posting more words about a player not on the team since Romo retired.

Like most things, if you look for the silver lining, you can find it and I believe this has several to it.

What's the prevalent thinking? Prescott is on one knee singing "You are the wind beneath my wings" to Elliott or "I am nothing without you". Don't you want to find out? If he has to have Elliott, do the Cowboys have to have him?

There's a new OC in town, Kellen the Young, and it's his job to get this offense off it's butt and scoring at least 7 more points a game. Is he going to do that with the same ole same ole? Don't you want to find out? This offense needs change, not just window dressing, they're lost in the 90's.

The holdout not only caught the FO off guard but it seems to have put them on pause in signing the QB and WR after giving the DE the largest contract in team history and largest 4/3 DE one ever. I am hoping this is giving them time to really think this through. Is it so bad if they don't sign any of the three? Is paying a little more in 2020 not better than making a mistake in 2019? They need to show they're a FO that doesn't blink first or they'll continue blinking down the road.

The DC has been dependent on using the RB to garner time and keep his unit on the sideline and to keep the score close and low. That thinking is counter productive to today's NFL, no business can save it's way into a profit. They have to run today's offense, which is why the OC change happened, and they have to run today's defense, bring pressure and get turnovers. Aggressive on both sides of the ball is the order of the day. Don't you want to find out if this coaching staff and team can do that?

If Elliott comes in, what changes? What do we find out? Do they rely on that too much as Linehan did? They have been too Elliott dependent on both sides of the ball.

I am glad he's holding out and no, I do not hold anything against him as he's not doing anything to the fans or team. I want to find out about this team. Is it a true contender? They need to find out if they're a team or riding a RB.

The fact that all of the media focus and most of ours here is on a player not on the team tells me we are overlooking the guys that showed up to play. I'd like to see these guys get a chance to show they're more than one player. That 93 team failed to do that and I want to find out if this one can do just that.

Absolutely brilliant take.

However, as the history of JG/JJ shows, we could be smashing RECORDS without Zeke using Pollard, and when Zeke comes back, Pollard will mysteriously be relegated to the BENCH - that means NO 2 RB formations to confuse defenses, all because they don't want to upset the primadonna player or because JJ wants to get his money's worth - screw winning.
I know this team TOO well as we all do who have been around awhile and we know what they do.

 

[Future]

There's a new OC in town, Kellen the Young, and it's his job to get this offense off it's butt and scoring at least 7 more points a game. Is he going to do that with the same ole same ole? Don't you want to find out? This offense needs change, not just window dressing, they're lost in the 90's.

The DC has been dependent on using the RB to garner time and keep his unit on the sideline and to keep the score close and low. That thinking is counter productive to today's NFL, no business can save it's way into a profit. They have to run today's offense, which is why the OC change happened, and they have to run today's defense, bring pressure and get turnovers. Aggressive on both sides of the ball is the order of the day. Don't you want to find out if this coaching staff and team can do that?

If Elliott comes in, what changes? What do we find out? Do they rely on that too much as Linehan did? They have been too Elliott dependent on both sides of the ball.

You are attributing too many things to Linehan that should be attributed to JG. The conservative approach is a product of Garrett, not Linehan.

I can get on board with the idea that not having your player allows you to spread things out and get more creative, in theory. But JG has never shown the acumen to be able to do that. Instead, what they'll do, is try to run the exact same offense with Pollard/Morris/Weber and whoever. They drafted Zeke to run this offense, they didn't build it around him after the fact, and that's all on JG, who is still here and calling the shots.

 

[CouchCoach]

You are attributing too many things to Linehan that should be attributed to JG. The conservative approach is a product of Garrett, not Linehan.

I can get on board with the idea that not having your player allows you to spread things out and get more creative, in theory. But JG has never shown the acumen to be able to do that. Instead, what they'll do, is try to run the exact same offense with Pollard/Morris/Weber and whoever. They drafted Zeke to run this offense, they didn't build it around him after the fact, and that's all on JG, who is still here and calling the shots.

That is one of the things I want to find out. Garrett wasn't always like that, he was QB dependent when he had to be.

And Kellen the Young, think he's going to call it the same without Elliott in that backfield to pick up pass crashers? Prescott gets antsy with Elliott back there, what's he going to be like with a rookie RB with the weakness in most of their games picking up pass crashers.

 

[Whirlwin]

That is one of the things I want to find out. Garrett wasn't always like that, he was QB dependent when he had to be.

And Kellen the Young, think he's going to call it the same without Elliott in that backfield to pick up pass crashers? Prescott gets antsy with Elliott back there, what's he going to be like with a rookie RB with the weakness in most of their games picking up pass crashers.

With Prescott releasing the ball sooner. It will be interesting.

 

[Whirlwin]

I think this team is going to have a great season with or without Elliott.

 

[Future]

That is one of the things I want to find out. Garrett wasn't always like that, he was QB dependent when he had to be.

And Kellen the Young, think he's going to call it the same without Elliott in that backfield to pick up pass crashers? Prescott gets antsy with Elliott back there, what's he going to be like with a rookie RB with the weakness in most of their games picking up pass crashers.

JG has been conservative since day 1, and has always been talent dependent. His entire approach is get guys in position to win matchups, not scheme to win. His offense fell apart, other than what Tony was able to do, after like week 9 of 2008.

People forget that Linehan threw the ball more than anybody when he was with Detroit, and all of a sudden he was calling the offense that put more of an emphasis on running the ball than any other. He didn't change overnight, he just adopted JG's approach. I don't see why Moore - who has never even been an OC - would have more freedom.

 

[erod]

I believe we can win without Elliott I've seen it already. Is it important for everyone else to believe it and see it. Not to me. I believe in the franchise go Cowboys. I don't hold anything against Elliott that he's doing personally . I just don't like him personally

Who have they beaten that's worth a crap without Zeke?

I did watch them go three straight games without scoring 10 points without him.

(And don't give me a meaningless exhibition game against the Giants, who were just trying to get to the airport to head to the beach.)

 

[erod]

I think this team is going to have a great season with or without Elliott.

With Zeke: 10-6 or 11-5
Without Zeke: 8-8 or worse

 

[Whirlwin]

I have been a fan of this franchise since the beginning this is the first time I've ever seen one player that's so many fans think we can't win without. Is it because we haven't had a championship in so long. Because one player does not make a team. We have the best fourth-quarter team in football. And it was because of Prescott throwing the ball. Smash Mouth football was a scheme of necessity they did not want to overexpose the youngest starting defense in the league. We got better when we got our wide receiver Cooper. And Elliot was already here. That doesn't mean I wouldn't want him here it just means he's not the reason we're winning.

 

[CouchCoach]

JG has been conservative since day 1, and has always been talent dependent. His entire approach is get guys in position to win matchups, not scheme to win. His offense fell apart, other than what Tony was able to do, after like week 9 of 2008.

People forget that Linehan threw the ball more than anybody when he was with Detroit, and all of a sudden he was calling the offense that put more of an emphasis on running the ball than any other. He didn't change overnight, he just adopted JG's approach. I don't see why Moore - who has never even been an OC - would have more freedom.

Is he supposed to replicate what Linehan did?

While he was just being over the top in endorsing Moore as the OC to save the day with that "come to me if anyone gets in your way", he was sending a message. Booger is a follow the ball owner as most of them are, if he doesn't see improvement, he will not just sit back. He's already endorsed Moore and the "next big thing" in NFL offense, he will be vested in how he performs and any comments from the commentators about this is just the same ole some ole offense with a different caller, Booger is going to take that personally. He really has set up Kellen Moore as the most watched coach in the NFL, even more than the HC's on the hot seat.