We all know the best way to improve your football team is through the draft. It’s the cornerstone of every NFL team. But we should also realize that good drafts alone can’t make your team a title contender. It takes being able to construct a complete complimentary roster, constructed where the whole is better than the sum of its parts.
The Cowboys have been decent at drafting. Especially with players on offense. Not the best but certainly better than many teams. But IMO where we have fallen short has been our ability to build a complimentary roster. Meaning the players all collectively supporting the team’s strengths. Not only draft picks but also FAs. That all requires total roster building skills. And it’s hard work. It takes time, planning, and great skill to build a roster. It’s been missing here for too long.
This front office has seemed to focus too much on its stars and not enough on its complimentary role players, who aren’t on big contracts but play key roles. I’m hoping that is changing. There are a few positive signs. We will see soon.
All the great Cowboys teams of the 70s and 90s had rosters full of role players. Sure that was pre-salary cap but many of the best teams today are good at finding a supporting cast. The last several years this team has fallen apart when a few starters have missed games due to injury. And I’m not just talking about QB injuries.
Here are some key parts of having a complete complimentary roster and where we may stand:
- Having a decent, experienced swing T on offense. Ty Smith is a great LT…when healthy. Which he hasn’t been for a long time. We must have a quality swing T to support this line.(Remember the Atlanta game in 2017?) Do we have that guy? Not sure we do.
- Having several DBs who can cover different styles of receivers. In today’s NFL, coverage matchups are critical. You have to be able to cover speedy WRs, quick RBs and slot WRs, and big TEs. With some of our new bigger corners and with guys like Jourdan Lewis who can cover the slot, we may have some good options.
- Having multiple pass rushing options-being able to pressure a QB is a must to have defensive success. With the addition of Parsons, and with hopes that DLaw and Gregory will be available all year, and perhaps a youngster like Anae who could develop, maybe we can have a reliable pass rush. It hasn’t been there for a long time. Here’s hoping.
- Having some run stuffers on the DL- having at least a couple of big butted hogs that can clog up running lanes has been missing for too long. Do we have any? Don’t have to be stars. Just guys that can play a role. Remains to be seen.
- Having a competent backup QB- everyone knows if you lose your starting QB for the season, the season is probably lost. But what if your starter is just going to miss two games? Do we have a backup that can be counted on to win one or two games? I don’t see that guy on this roster now.
Those are just a few of the key roster building places where we have not been very good. Hoping that is changing this year with the new faces we’ve added.
Bottom Line: Stars alone aren’t enough to carry a team. You can’t be a contender with only 22 quality players. It takes having a roster that can absorb some injuries and still perform well. It takes having a roster that is constructed beyond its starters. Let’s hope we’ve made some progress this year!
