The OL was obviously the biggest issue today, what needs to be fixed?

[noletime95]

There are some real tough decisions to make along the OL. I believe all five starters would be gobbled up in a second and start for another team. So what's the problem? What decisions are made based on today's meltdown, if any?

Flozell-Is he getting too old? He was healthy all year, so it's hard to fault him for getting hurt today.....just bad luck.

Kosier: I've liked him since he got here....but he couldn't physically match up with the Vikes. Again, just one game though.

Gurode: Keeps making pro bowls. For some reason I feel he's over rated, but I'm not an expert on C play.

Davis: Not his best year in Dallas IMO, but he's still solid.

Columbo: Hard to judge him for sucking today coming off an injury. I wonder if Free would have replaced him if Flozell was healthy?

Does Free get a full time gig next year? Does Dallas pick a LT in round one? Does Dallas try and upgrade Kosier? Can Brewster make an impact?

Some really tough decisions. I don't want to over react based on one game in a Dome against a dominant DL with a week off. But what happened today was unacceptable. I don't know the anwers, but I'm curious to get the boards thoughts.

 

[noletime95]

anyone out there?

 

[Everson24]

If we hadn't wasted draft picks on Roy Williams we could have drafted Micheal Oher. He's going to be a great one.

 

[bbgun]

All five are probably coming back and starting, so get used to disappointment.

 

[Woods]

I think we'll draft 2 OL, but the question is whether we can "hit" on them.

The wildcard is Brewster. He's got the size, and the staff really liked him before he got injured.

 

[LarryCanadian]

You are getting no responses, because you ask a $50 Million Dollar Question. Most difficult part is that it was a surprise today and you wonder if it is a one game thing or a major issue, so hard to answer. Film must be studied to see which guys were really lacking today.

Oline was the glaring weakness today. Minni, not known to blitz much, whipped us upfront, after our oline looked very solid for a number of weeks.

Flo was playing well until hurt I thought. J Allen only became a factor starting the play after he went out. Witten didn't block well today either.

Columbo had a brutal game. He was biggest weak link, but the others let their confidence crumble not that far into the game.

Romo had zero time. But not sure FB/RB's/TE's blocked at all today either.

Not sure the play calling was working other than pulling Davis to the left the first few times. Seems our game plan didn't work to well after Minni adjusted (kudos to Minni on that, as they gameplanned better than we did).

Somehow we seemed to go away from what worked last few weeks, and no new wrinkles in our attack really (well Mary B got involved a bit). We shot ourselves in the foot a couple times again (pitch to Barber, 7 yards back, he would have been the 3rd back on our team I'd call that play for, based on skill sets).

But to answer your question, I don't think you can rely on Free/Brewster alone to be longer term answer. I think you HAVE to keep Flo one more year, and quite frankly, if he wants to play, I ask him to restructure his contract and maybe get a couple more years out of him as a backup. He is unfairly maligned in one of the toughest positions in game, and every time he's out, watch how we struggle.

Columbo was hurt recently and didn't play well against speed today.

We do need to draft one or two young guys NOW again, and see what happens. Not sure how much better available free agents (by the time we get to pick them up especially) will be an upgrade over what we have, so it becomes a matter of replacing aging guys with youth I guess.

Free/Brewster have upside I guess, but other than that, we'd probably have seen if any of the others are starter material. Build QUALITY depth for now and then replace the current starters as they break down or skills tail off seems to be the only viable way.

I'd like to draft another OT, depending on where they fall in draft, and if not an OT early, then grab the best Guard/Centre you can for the future early. The best player there often fall to end of first round or early second. We need to get QUALITY not numbers on oline now.

LarryCanadian

 

[jobberone]

Adams still can do the job esp against good competition. He needs to be challenged to be more consistent and not play down to the level of competition.

I'm a big fan of Kosier but he is still just a journeyman. Brewster will get a shot at his job in TC.

Gurode is a big time center. Not perfect but very good. We need a backup center if we want insurance. Proctor is at his best a marginal backup.

Davis is Pro Bowl quality as well. He needs to be challenged as well. He should be the best RG in the league and he's not. He needs a backup, too.

Colombo should not have played today but it wouldn't have mattered. He was outgunned all day long. This team needs another backup RT and will get a chance to compete against Colombo who is better than his play today.

Our OL needs to be addressed in the draft. Unless we can get a backup center in FA then it should be the draft only. FA will be tough for us anyway.

With Flozell down and Colombo coming off an injury they just weren't on a par with one of the best DLs in the league. So we were exposed but with extenuating circumstances.

 

[TheSport78]

Lets see, Flozell is still good but clearly a declining player.

Kosier is an average and servicable guard but is not very bright (watch the play where he thought K. Williams was dropping back and he just went right past Kosier for the sack).

Gurode is another talented player with no brains. Your center has to be pretty bright and Gurode isn't in that department.

Bigg is Bigg and I have no issues with him.

Colombo needs to go big time. He was good before his injury, but he's clearly not the same player and you cannot go into an offseason HOPING that he returns to form.

LT: Flozell (draft a LT in the first round)

LG: Kosier or Brewster (even though Brewster has the body of a contestant on The Biggest Loser)

C: Gurode (draft a C/G in the 2nd round who can eventually take over for him SOON)

RG: Bigg

RT: Free

 

[Woods]

You are getting no responses, because you ask a $50 Million Dollar Question. Most difficult part is that it was a surprise today and you wonder if it is a one game thing or a major issue, so hard to answer. Film must be studied to see which guys were really lacking today.

Oline was the glaring weakness today. Minni, not known to blitz much, whipped us upfront, after our oline looked very solid for a number of weeks.

Flo was playing well until hurt I thought. J Allen only became a factor starting the play after he went out. Witten didn't block well today either.

Columbo had a brutal game. He was biggest weak link, but the others let their confidence crumble not that far into the game.

Romo had zero time. But not sure FB/RB's/TE's blocked at all today either.

Not sure the play calling was working other than pulling Davis to the left the first few times. Seems our game plan didn't work to well after Minni adjusted (kudos to Minni on that, as they gameplanned better than we did).

Somehow we seemed to go away from what worked last few weeks, and no new wrinkles in our attack really (well Mary B got involved a bit). We shot ourselves in the foot a couple times again (pitch to Barber, 7 yards back, he would have been the 3rd back on our team I'd call that play for, based on skill sets).

But to answer your question, I don't think you can rely on Free/Brewster alone to be longer term answer. I think you HAVE to keep Flo one more year, and quite frankly, if he wants to play, I ask him to restructure his contract and maybe get a couple more years out of him as a backup. He is unfairly maligned in one of the toughest positions in game, and every time he's out, watch how we struggle.

Columbo was hurt recently and didn't play well against speed today.

We do need to draft one or two young guys NOW again, and see what happens. Not sure how much better available free agents (by the time we get to pick them up especially) will be an upgrade over what we have, so it becomes a matter of replacing aging guys with youth I guess.

Free/Brewster have upside I guess, but other than that, we'd probably have seen if any of the others are starter material. Build QUALITY depth for now and then replace the current starters as they break down or skills tail off seems to be the only viable way.

I'd like to draft another OT, depending on where they fall in draft, and if not an OT early, then grab the best Guard/Centre you can for the future early. The best player there often fall to end of first round or early second. We need to get QUALITY not numbers on oline now.

LarryCanadian

As for OG players falling to end of the 1st/early 2nd round, guys like Chris Snee of the Giants come to mind and Gurode, of course.

And I think L Mankins of the Pats was taken around the end of the 1st as well (going on memory).

So, we should be able to get a good OL player at 27, if that's the route we go.

 

[Everson24]

One of the problems is it's not always the same guy messing up. In any one series it can be all five at different times making mistakes. So who do you replace? Maybe Hudson Houck. We certainly seem to be going in a backward direction since he took over for Tony Sparano. Now the Dolphins line is better than ours.

 

[Eskimo]

Colombo needs to go.

Ideally, Kosier should be a backup. Just not holding up well against power players as he ages. Very good in space but just not holding the point of attack well enough to let us do our thing.

Flo should be let go before he falls apart. I would suggest trading him for a pick. Maybe we can use that pick plus our first to move up a bit and grab the future RT (unless the staff is convinced that player in Brewster).

Free is the future LT. The only situation I want him at RT is if we don't find another RT and ask Free to move there so Flo can play the year at LT where he is more comfortable.

Gurode is okay.

Bigg is okay but needs more of a mean streak and could stand to lose 15 pounds. He also needs to work on lateral quickness type footwork.