CFZ The missing elements in Cowboys attempts at championship roster building

[cowboybish]

First point before anything else- yes, you must have talent to win in the NFL. But talent alone is never enough to win a championship.

Putting together a championship level roster is so much more than just collecting talent. Teams that win SBs or even conference championships are not just talented. They are a real TEAM, meaning their collective talent is greater than each individual talent on the team. It is why a championship team is not always the most talented roster, but the most effective roster as a complete unit. Another term for this is “complementary football”.

The Dallas Cowboys had enough talent to win 12 regular season games 3 straight seasons. But the missing element is their inability as a complete roster to overcome their collective weaknesses. Here is a short list of the Cowboys‘ team weaknesses that cannot just be fixed with individual talent.

TEAM WEAKNESSES THAT REQUIRE MORE THAN INDIVIDUAL TALENT TO FIX

• Culture (aka Unnecessary distractions) in a recent interview, Troy Aikman mentioned how the Cowboys as a team have to overcome some inherent cultural problems other teams don’t. Like watching tours of team facilities happening while they are trying to prepare each week. Like film crews from Netflix filming the owner for a “special” while the team was preparing for the GB playoff game. Aikman called this “unnecessary distractions“. Troy has mentioned after Jimmy left, you never knew what celebrity was going to show up with Jerry at practice. It creates a circus of distractions. And if the owner is the one doing it, who can correct this?

• Lack of understanding on collective roster building- one of the fun parts of being a fan is pretending we could select the right talent for our favorite team. “I like this player. He’s really good.” It’s like fantasy football. Just draft the most talented guys you can. But the problem with that is championship rosters require the talent to make a collective whole that is better than its individual parts. Otherwise all you have is an All Star team without a team concept. Sometimes it feels like this front office drafts like a fantasy football draft.
  
  
• Understanding collective complementary football- the Cowboys have had some similar problems for decades.
  • One easy example is the team’s long standing inability to stop the run. Really improving this requires multiple players that collectively as a unit make our run stopping ability much better. What does our FO do? They draft a guy in round one thinking “we’ve addressed our inability to stop the run”. Or they trade for a decent run stuffer like Jonathan Hankins. They don’t seem to ever think about needing a collective unit that can stop the run.
  • Dak Prescott is MOST EFFECTIVE with a good running game. Yet somehow this FO doesn’t draft a RB last year or recognize their aging OL is no longer great for running the ball. That oversight killed this team against the better teams last year.

So again, the missing elements for building a championship roster can be boiled down to this:

1. Eliminate unnecessary distractions.
2. Recognize talent alone isn’t enough. It takes a collective whole, not just individual parts.
3. Build a roster that complements and supports key player strengths and covers also for their weaknesses.

I said before the last few games we aren't going anywhere if we can't run or stop the run in the playoffs regardless of the seedings. Guess what... neither!

 

[Big_D]

One of the problems is the front office always thinks the team is better shape than it actually is and they way overvalue their own players. Then there's the 2nd round strategy in the draft? The gambles there are a complete mystery! They've done some good things but this team could and should be in much better shape right now.

 

[Bobhaze]

Great post per usual Bob

One thing on distractions and culture around here and it is something that has always stood out to me....watch how our top rookies change over the years. So you have a college kid who is hungry and wants to prove himself in the NFL. The Cowboys call and you are their pick. When we have hit this pick you get a kid that is working hard, keeping their head down, trying to make that instant impact. Year 2 happens and they mature as players but there is a little more talking. Year 3 and they have their brand. I think what this organization does is shows them they can say and do whatever and it doesn't matter. Some of the players don't have that mentality they had year 1. They are about the million other things buzzing around the Cowboys and it's a distraction or they make their own distractions. It just feels this way....from hard working kid from college to the brand who has their hand in as many pies as possible.

Good points here Miller. I immediately thought of Parsons and Cedee. Both great players but they also seem to have fallen into the Cowboys culture. And their talent alone cannot raise the team above the culture.

 

[bewp7]

simple fact is there is 2 thing that mean more then any thing else for a nfl team

qb and head coach

cowboys have two stupid bum at both (yea they are both stupid and both are a bum…idc what they do in the regular season)

 

[ChuckA1]

Boy BH, every time I read one of your well laid-out explanations of what's missing from the Cowboys organization, I realize how far away they are from correcting the problems. These problems are most definitely keeping them out of the playoffs win column and seem to be insurmountable, I'm afraid.

 

[KJJ]

Our team lacks the element of toughness.

The lack of mental toughness is a glaring issue. It causes the team to give up and fold once they get behind.

 

[1942willys]

Jerry makes it clear he is in this for money and entertainment

thus the club is here for money and entertainment

that is not how you win championships

 

[eromeopolk]

First point before anything else- yes, you must have talent to win in the NFL. But talent alone is never enough to win a championship.

Putting together a championship level roster is so much more than just collecting talent. Teams that win SBs or even conference championships are not just talented. They are a real TEAM, meaning their collective talent is greater than each individual talent on the team. It is why a championship team is not always the most talented roster, but the most effective roster as a complete unit. Another term for this is “complementary football”.

The Dallas Cowboys had enough talent to win 12 regular season games 3 straight seasons. But the missing element is their inability as a complete roster to overcome their collective weaknesses. Here is a short list of the Cowboys‘ team weaknesses that cannot just be fixed with individual talent.

TEAM WEAKNESSES THAT REQUIRE MORE THAN INDIVIDUAL TALENT TO FIX

• Culture (aka Unnecessary distractions) in a recent interview, Troy Aikman mentioned how the Cowboys as a team have to overcome some inherent cultural problems other teams don’t. Like watching tours of team facilities happening while they are trying to prepare each week. Like film crews from Netflix filming the owner for a “special” while the team was preparing for the GB playoff game. Aikman called this “unnecessary distractions“. Troy has mentioned after Jimmy left, you never knew what celebrity was going to show up with Jerry at practice. It creates a circus of distractions. And if the owner is the one doing it, who can correct this?

• Lack of understanding on collective roster building- one of the fun parts of being a fan is pretending we could select the right talent for our favorite team. “I like this player. He’s really good.” It’s like fantasy football. Just draft the most talented guys you can. But the problem with that is championship rosters require the talent to make a collective whole that is better than its individual parts. Otherwise all you have is an All Star team without a team concept. Sometimes it feels like this front office drafts like a fantasy football draft.
  
  
• Understanding collective complementary football- the Cowboys have had some similar problems for decades.
  • One easy example is the team’s long standing inability to stop the run. Really improving this requires multiple players that collectively as a unit make our run stopping ability much better. What does our FO do? They draft a guy in round one thinking “we’ve addressed our inability to stop the run”. Or they trade for a decent run stuffer like Jonathan Hankins. They don’t seem to ever think about needing a collective unit that can stop the run.
  • Dak Prescott is MOST EFFECTIVE with a good running game. Yet somehow this FO doesn’t draft a RB last year or recognize their aging OL is no longer great for running the ball. That oversight killed this team against the better teams last year.

So again, the missing elements for building a championship roster can be boiled down to this:

1. Eliminate unnecessary distractions.
2. Recognize talent alone isn’t enough. It takes a collective whole, not just individual parts.
3. Build a roster that complements and supports key player strengths and covers also for their weaknesses.

A GM, Head Coach, and Director of Player personnel without the last name Jones, Anderson, or any other name that is blood relation to Jerry Jones.

 

[Diehardblues]

Excellent post.

So true. It’s as if Jerry seems to think when he gets a good QB, he can carry the team. It’s crazy. There are maybe one or two QBs out there who can do that and one is Mahomes. Almost all even decent NFL QBs need help.

Purdy is overrated by many around here because he has a great running game, taking lots of pressure off him. Hurts last year needed a great running game to support him and we saw what happens to him this year when he doesn’t have as much help.

Dak and Romo have been good enough to carry their teams to a playoff contender but not great enough for more.

Relevance and interesting is our owners initial objective. Its why he’s All In on these QB’s. He then tries to build upon that best he can. And where he’s failed or came up short.

All of the distractions merely compound all of the other weaknesses and shortcomings. But there’s no sense of urgency as long as he has a relevant product that’s easy to hype and market. The rest is mere damage control. All of which he’s been able to control.

 

[Wildcat711]

Totally agree with the message of your OP Bob but my broken record self seems to never be able to get past the 2 most influential positions of the roster.

The HC and QB.
Our current titleholders both suck at playoff football.

Will Jerry ever hire another Jimmy/Parcells type HC while nailing a highly pedigreed QB selection at the same time?

That's where I'm at.

It's kind of the catch all answer for me.
Everything else would fall into place with at least one more ring if we nailed both choices imo.
And yes, that is to include the ability to overcome Jerry's meddling/culture.

I believe the right HC and QB duo could overcome Jerry.
I think you and Jake think no coach and QB could.
Opinions vary.

That's mine.

What I don't get about the HC..

Is how the hell do you be in the league so long, win a SB, but be crap at using timeouts?

 

[IceStar-D7]

Hey, Bobhaze...you could of said all that in one word "Jerry"

 

[cald0d30s0]

Point #1 culture is the most important I agree 200%

 

[DandyDon52]

Jerry can say he would be comfortable with BB but I can’t see Bill B being comfortable with Jerry and the 3 ring circus he leads here.

Actually bill said he wanted the job and was preparing for a interview which never happened. Jane slater said this as he asked her to help him prep
for it.
He has to know what jerry is like and felt he could handle jerry.

 

[Bobhaze]

Actually bill said he wanted the job and was preparing for a interview which never happened. Jane slater said this as he asked her to help him prep
for it.
He has to know what jerry is like and felt he could handle jerry.

I heard that report too. But it doesn’t change my belief that Bill B would have never worked here.

And as much respect as I have for Bill Belichick as a coach, I also believe his days as an effective NFL HC are over. All the great ones have an expiration date and I believe he has reached his. Belichick’s a slam dunk HOFer whose time has come to hang up the whistle and go hang out with his newly retired friend Nick Saban.

 

[Blast From The Past]

First point before anything else- yes, you must have talent to win in the NFL. But talent alone is never enough to win a championship.

Putting together a championship level roster is so much more than just collecting talent. Teams that win SBs or even conference championships are not just talented. They are a real TEAM, meaning their collective talent is greater than each individual talent on the team. It is why a championship team is not always the most talented roster, but the most effective roster as a complete unit. Another term for this is “complementary football”.

The Dallas Cowboys had enough talent to win 12 regular season games 3 straight seasons. But the missing element is their inability as a complete roster to overcome their collective weaknesses. Here is a short list of the Cowboys‘ team weaknesses that cannot just be fixed with individual talent.

TEAM WEAKNESSES THAT REQUIRE MORE THAN INDIVIDUAL TALENT TO FIX

• Culture (aka Unnecessary distractions) in a recent interview, Troy Aikman mentioned how the Cowboys as a team have to overcome some inherent cultural problems other teams don’t. Like watching tours of team facilities happening while they are trying to prepare each week. Like film crews from Netflix filming the owner for a “special” while the team was preparing for the GB playoff game. Aikman called this “unnecessary distractions“. Troy has mentioned after Jimmy left, you never knew what celebrity was going to show up with Jerry at practice. It creates a circus of distractions. And if the owner is the one doing it, who can correct this?

• Lack of understanding on collective roster building- one of the fun parts of being a fan is pretending we could select the right talent for our favorite team. “I like this player. He’s really good.” It’s like fantasy football. Just draft the most talented guys you can. But the problem with that is championship rosters require the talent to make a collective whole that is better than its individual parts. Otherwise all you have is an All Star team without a team concept. Sometimes it feels like this front office drafts like a fantasy football draft.
  
  
• Understanding collective complementary football- the Cowboys have had some similar problems for decades.
  • One easy example is the team’s long standing inability to stop the run. Really improving this requires multiple players that collectively as a unit make our run stopping ability much better. What does our FO do? They draft a guy in round one thinking “we’ve addressed our inability to stop the run”. Or they trade for a decent run stuffer like Jonathan Hankins. They don’t seem to ever think about needing a collective unit that can stop the run.
  • Dak Prescott is MOST EFFECTIVE with a good running game. Yet somehow this FO doesn’t draft a RB last year or recognize their aging OL is no longer great for running the ball. That oversight killed this team against the better teams last year.

So again, the missing elements for building a championship roster can be boiled down to this:

1. Eliminate unnecessary distractions.
2. Recognize talent alone isn’t enough. It takes a collective whole, not just individual parts.
3. Build a roster that complements and supports key player strengths and covers also for their weaknesses.

How about they identify their weaknesses and try and draft and or go the free agency route to fill said weaknesses. It's not like we need 10 players to cover our weaknesses. It could be done if they were mindful.

 

[MWH1967]

Spot on as usual Bob! what's been gnawing at my craw is in "That game" our stars go missing. Dak, micah ,lamb have below average games. I get it, it happens but, does it always have to be 'That game"? no way is the Packers better than this team at full potential.

 

[Miller]

Good points here Miller. I immediately thought of Parsons and Cedee. Both great players but they also seem to have fallen into the Cowboys culture. And their talent alone cannot raise the team above the culture.

Honestly I did too and they were part of my post but I also think this has happened to others over the years where being a Cowboy was more important than the work so I took them out. Jaylon Smith and some others come to mind.

 

[Captain-Crash]

no tough leader, just soft as crap guys on the team.

 

[Captain-Crash]

who could forget the hot boyzz. Hot steaming pile of crap.

 

[Chocolate Lab]

They lack a great QB. That's pretty much the end of it.

Of course Jerry's climate is less than ideal, everyone knows that. But Jerry isn't causing Dak to brain-lock in playoff games.