jday
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Yesterday I looked at the Cowboy current situation through realist colored lenses. I focused a spotlight on the ugly truths. Gone is Free to retirement. Not mentioned, but bears pointing out, that gone also is Ron Leary, taking the money and running…as well he should. In their place, we slide La’el Collins back into the rotation under the impression that he brings better value to the Guard position vacated by Leary; while we believe that to be the truth, we’d by lying if we said we knew one way or the other if La’el truly does bring improved play to that position. He still has much to prove. In Free’s stead, we have Chaz Green, a man who has struggled to stay healthy but according to some is a clear improvement over Free’s severely declining play. I do not profess to be an expert, so I will have to take those who believe that at their word.
I also pointed out that it would be madness to expect that the Cowboys repeated 2016 draft success (despite the significant difference in draft position) and found four more starters to add to the ranks in this year’s draft. The most we can hope for, all things considered, is two starters….and believe it or not, once again considering draft position that would be a success.
Lastly, I pointed out an alarming stat: since 2007, every year the Cowboys have been to the playoffs, the following year marked a step back in success, often times finishing at the bottom of the East. Beyond that stat, however, is another stat that was pointed out to me in the course of the conversation: The last time an NFCE team repeated as the NFCE leader was the Eagles in 2005. That stat is quite possibly even more alarming because it doesn’t just apply to one team; it applies to all four teams in this division and has for more than 10 years.
But I’d be lying if I told you I don’t have high hopes for the upcoming season. The truth is, I believe, despite their youth, this defense could be really good. I think the Cowboys nailed the draft with just about every pick up to Xavier Woods. After that player, I couldn’t tell you anything about the other players picked up other than they are more than likely destined for the Practice Squad; better luck next year.
But as for those first five picks, I believe it is their collective intangible quality that will overcome any physical limitations they may have. Each (even Switzer) brings a certain swagger to their play. It’s not a look-at-me swagger; it’s that winning-is-everything-to-me swagger. It’s a swagger that bears the weight of expectations and punches through it with abandon and proclaims for anyone listening and watching that they struggle to set a goal too high for them to achieve.
But swagger for a team is like a garden. It must be nurtured, watered and cared for. It must be encouraged, because that attitude unattended and uninspired can wilt over time…especially in the face of losing. What I’m talking about right now is an intangible. But as intangible’s go, this is likely the most crucial tangible to the success of any given team. The belief that no matter what the prognosticators say, no matter their limitations as a whole, and no matter their lack of experience, they can win the day; all they have to do is win their own personal battle on every single play.
That said, I do believe the destiny of this season pivots on two players. They are the hinges to a door, that otherwise would not stand, open and shut without them. They are the linch pins: Sean Lee and Jaylon Smith. Before I dive into why I believe everything rest on these two’s shoulders, a brief history lesson is in order.
The year is 2014. Sean Lee has just recently been placed on IR following a freak accident that involved getting plowed into the ground by then rookie Zack Martin. The Cowboys FO felt really good about their upcoming season, and knew they had to find a viable replacement for Lee if they were going to have any chance. Enters Rolando McClain. Now, years from now, when sport historians look back, they will likely look on this move with disdain. Rolando had lost his love of the game and all those God-given talents were wasted on fishing. But the truth is much more complex. Because in 2014, he was a God-send. He breathed new life in a defense that had no business competing at the NFL level. He became a rally call; a call to arms; he was the life-blood in this defense. Obviously, the 2015 iteration of Rolando clouded his memory about his contribution in 2014, but in him the defense found a leader and a reason to believe they as a unit deserved to be considered a good defense…not great, but good enough when paired with that ground pounding offense, spearheaded by none other than Demarco Murray.
Flash forward now to today. The Cowboys need Jaylon to be their new and improved RoMac. To take the Cowboys to the next level and not just be considered good enough, they need Lee to provide leadership, direction and a veteran presence that demonstrates how to be a pro. For many, that is all but a given at this point. Lee stayed healthy for the entire season last year and recent reports indicate Jaylon’s nerve is on the mend. But Lee has to continue to stay healthy and the taller order is that Jaylon, after such a devastating injury and subsequent year layoff from football, has to be everything his supposed top-10 selection (draft value before the injury) in the 2016 draft suggest him to be. He has to be able to cover. He has to be able to blitz. And he has to be able to hit with the same bad intentions we saw early on from Rolando McClain in 2014. Because if Lee can ball like we can expect and Jaylon is everything we hope him to be, you can bet their play will inspire the youngsters on the back end and on the front end to play above whatever their talent is.
If these rookies and the bevy of second and third year players see them succeed and see how they work to get to that success, you can bet many, if not all, will follow suit. They will bring whatever Lee and Smith bring and they will bring it with an intensity these parts haven’t seen in almost 30 years. The realist in me says we are a year a two away from seeing that actually happening. But, much like an act of nature, with the right conditions, the right distribution of hard coaching-up, and the right attitude taking hold in 11 players on every given play, and the NFL could be in for a tornado of hard-hitting and opportunistic play from this young defense. If that happens, and the Cowboys offense is able to reproduce what they accomplished in 2016, this team could be Super Bowl bound. It’s a lot to hope for; a part of me thinks that getting to the play offs alone would be considered a success, given how young this team is overall.
But if the aforementioned linch pins are in place and operate according to expectation, there is no limit to what this defense can accomplish.
Thoughts?
I also pointed out that it would be madness to expect that the Cowboys repeated 2016 draft success (despite the significant difference in draft position) and found four more starters to add to the ranks in this year’s draft. The most we can hope for, all things considered, is two starters….and believe it or not, once again considering draft position that would be a success.
Lastly, I pointed out an alarming stat: since 2007, every year the Cowboys have been to the playoffs, the following year marked a step back in success, often times finishing at the bottom of the East. Beyond that stat, however, is another stat that was pointed out to me in the course of the conversation: The last time an NFCE team repeated as the NFCE leader was the Eagles in 2005. That stat is quite possibly even more alarming because it doesn’t just apply to one team; it applies to all four teams in this division and has for more than 10 years.
But I’d be lying if I told you I don’t have high hopes for the upcoming season. The truth is, I believe, despite their youth, this defense could be really good. I think the Cowboys nailed the draft with just about every pick up to Xavier Woods. After that player, I couldn’t tell you anything about the other players picked up other than they are more than likely destined for the Practice Squad; better luck next year.
But as for those first five picks, I believe it is their collective intangible quality that will overcome any physical limitations they may have. Each (even Switzer) brings a certain swagger to their play. It’s not a look-at-me swagger; it’s that winning-is-everything-to-me swagger. It’s a swagger that bears the weight of expectations and punches through it with abandon and proclaims for anyone listening and watching that they struggle to set a goal too high for them to achieve.
But swagger for a team is like a garden. It must be nurtured, watered and cared for. It must be encouraged, because that attitude unattended and uninspired can wilt over time…especially in the face of losing. What I’m talking about right now is an intangible. But as intangible’s go, this is likely the most crucial tangible to the success of any given team. The belief that no matter what the prognosticators say, no matter their limitations as a whole, and no matter their lack of experience, they can win the day; all they have to do is win their own personal battle on every single play.
That said, I do believe the destiny of this season pivots on two players. They are the hinges to a door, that otherwise would not stand, open and shut without them. They are the linch pins: Sean Lee and Jaylon Smith. Before I dive into why I believe everything rest on these two’s shoulders, a brief history lesson is in order.
The year is 2014. Sean Lee has just recently been placed on IR following a freak accident that involved getting plowed into the ground by then rookie Zack Martin. The Cowboys FO felt really good about their upcoming season, and knew they had to find a viable replacement for Lee if they were going to have any chance. Enters Rolando McClain. Now, years from now, when sport historians look back, they will likely look on this move with disdain. Rolando had lost his love of the game and all those God-given talents were wasted on fishing. But the truth is much more complex. Because in 2014, he was a God-send. He breathed new life in a defense that had no business competing at the NFL level. He became a rally call; a call to arms; he was the life-blood in this defense. Obviously, the 2015 iteration of Rolando clouded his memory about his contribution in 2014, but in him the defense found a leader and a reason to believe they as a unit deserved to be considered a good defense…not great, but good enough when paired with that ground pounding offense, spearheaded by none other than Demarco Murray.
Flash forward now to today. The Cowboys need Jaylon to be their new and improved RoMac. To take the Cowboys to the next level and not just be considered good enough, they need Lee to provide leadership, direction and a veteran presence that demonstrates how to be a pro. For many, that is all but a given at this point. Lee stayed healthy for the entire season last year and recent reports indicate Jaylon’s nerve is on the mend. But Lee has to continue to stay healthy and the taller order is that Jaylon, after such a devastating injury and subsequent year layoff from football, has to be everything his supposed top-10 selection (draft value before the injury) in the 2016 draft suggest him to be. He has to be able to cover. He has to be able to blitz. And he has to be able to hit with the same bad intentions we saw early on from Rolando McClain in 2014. Because if Lee can ball like we can expect and Jaylon is everything we hope him to be, you can bet their play will inspire the youngsters on the back end and on the front end to play above whatever their talent is.
If these rookies and the bevy of second and third year players see them succeed and see how they work to get to that success, you can bet many, if not all, will follow suit. They will bring whatever Lee and Smith bring and they will bring it with an intensity these parts haven’t seen in almost 30 years. The realist in me says we are a year a two away from seeing that actually happening. But, much like an act of nature, with the right conditions, the right distribution of hard coaching-up, and the right attitude taking hold in 11 players on every given play, and the NFL could be in for a tornado of hard-hitting and opportunistic play from this young defense. If that happens, and the Cowboys offense is able to reproduce what they accomplished in 2016, this team could be Super Bowl bound. It’s a lot to hope for; a part of me thinks that getting to the play offs alone would be considered a success, given how young this team is overall.
But if the aforementioned linch pins are in place and operate according to expectation, there is no limit to what this defense can accomplish.
Thoughts?
