It’s a tired title, I know. Ever since the George Clooney Perfect Storm, writers have coined the title to describe a great many events of both the sordid and uplifting variety. But how else could/would you describe this past offseason? If it was the Cowboys brass making smart move after smart moves alone, I guess I would have to title it differently…something to the effect of Invasion of the Body Snatchers (get it?). But let’s face it Cowboys fans…that refreshing cold air of smartness/patience during this past hot summer, was met by a warm front of luck, which accumulated into a maelstrom of ridiculous awesomeness.
For all the love that people want to throw Will McClay’s and Stephen Jones way, we as fans have to admit there was a high degree of luck involved in this offseason. Sure, patience and a commitment to leave no stone unturned on their part played a significant part in the substantial improvements (on paper, anyway) made throughout the offseason. But still, luck was a huge contributor, as well.
Consider:
The old Cowboys wouldn’t have let the first week of Free Agency fly by without making a splash. Despite the obvious need, the Cowboys let Greg Hardy feel the deafening silence of his phone and watch as the market was established. By the time the Cowboys called, they were doing him a favor…and not the other way around.
No question…that was incredible to watch unfold as a Cowboys fan who has seen this team blunder its way through negotiation after negotiation and overpay for what a player had done and not what they were going to do for the last 20 plus years. But then good ole’ luck steps in and reduces his initial suspension from 10 games to 4. It was the perfect storm.
The old Cowboys would have paid Dez a year ago and would have overpaid. Not the new sheriff in town. The new sheriff let Dez sweat it out until the deadline and then at the 11th hour Dez signed what I would deem a fairly team-friendly deal. Given what top tier receivers are getting paid in this league, you have to be happy he’s not the highest paid receiver in the league right now…at his age, on his first negotiable contract. The Cowboys took a slight calculated gamble in this process. The gamble was that Dez’s passion for playing football would force his signature rather than sit out the season and wait for the pay day he thinks he deserves. Granted, it was not a huge gamble, all things considered, but they are lucky this strategy paid off. Dez makes every receiver on this team better than what they actually are by merit of the attention he demands on the field. It was the perfect storm.
What is beginning to look like the steal of the draft with a sack to his credit in every game he has played, waiting for Randall Gregory to fall to 60 in the second round of the draft required a great deal of patience. Considered a top of the first round talent by many; he fell because he failed a drug test at the combine of all places. Granted, you have to be pretty stupid to piss away that many millions of dollars…literally. So, I can certainly understand why teams pegged him as a high risk for the 1st round. But for this kid to fall that deep into the second round is truly unbelievable. Given that the Cowboys at the time were operating under the premise that Hardy would be out for 10 games, they did display once again a considerable amount of patience not trading up into the second round to make sure they secured him. Luckily, that was not necessary. It was the perfect storm.
La’el Collins fell completely out of the draft due to him being mentioned as a person of interest in a double-murder case. I hate to describe that situation as “lucky,” given the tragedy involved and because by no fault of his own, that label cost him millions on top of his dream to walk across the draft day stage and hold up a jersey next to Roger Goodell. But for the Cowboys there clearly was a whole bunch of luck involved in that entire situation. Granted, a big helping of the sweet talking credit has to go to Jerry. But without luck, I would not be able to pen this next sentence. It was the perfect storm.
No topic has received more attention, not even the Dez contract situation, than the lack of attention to address the loss of Demarco Murray. Now admittedly, for this next topic I am predicting greatness, despite the lack of a whole lot of credible proof. That’s my disclaimer. My prediction is Christine Michael turns out to be a great addition to our Cowboys. I am well-versed in Seattle’s thoughts of this so-called knucklehead. In addition, I am well aware it may be difficult in the early part of this season for him to prove he is an upgrade over the committee the Cowboys currently have in place. Truth be told, it is going to be next to impossible for him to take carries away from the current group who was here for all of training camp and preseason without the help of injuries.
However, the one thing that no one denies is that this kid can run…and run very fast for a 220 lb. 5’9” human. He also breaks a great deal of tackles, per his college scouting report, something we cannot say of any other running back presently on the Cowboys roster. If he can learn how to properly secure the ball and improve (not learn) his technique in blitz pick-up/blocking, the Cowboys may have found not just a mere gem, but a mother (expletive) diamond!!!
So, kudos obviously go to the Cowboys for once again displaying an absurd amount of patience to wait around until Christine Michael fell in their lap for a conditional pick in the 7th round of the 2016 draft following the final cut to 53. But the Cowboys were also lucky that Christine Michaels potential was never realized in Seattle largely because of how lucky Seattle was for having not just 1 but 2 running backs they thought were better last season in Marshawn Lynch and Robert Turbin and who also felt for some crazy reason that Fred Jackson at 35 would be a better fit than a kid 10 years younger than him this season. Again, there has been talk of a poor attitude, poor blocking technique when asked to pick up the blitz, and issues with securing the football, but ultimately, I think the predominant issue was the fact that Christine Michaels dream was to be a Cowboy…not a Seahawk…with an actual opportunity to be the man, which was never going to happen behind Lynch. Now that he is here in Dallas, (here’s hoping, anyway) it will be the perfect storm.
Yet another disclaimer – despite my down-right giddiness about how this offseason played out, I’m not predicting a Super Bowl appearance…or even the playoffs for that matter. I think it was a great offseason, but what the coaches and players do with this new infusion of talent is another story all together. Furthermore, lady luck will have to stick around for the next 3 months for that type of deep run; the way the ball bounces still remains a significant part of success in today’s NFL.
But the one excuse the Cowboys will not have is to question rather or not they were given the legs to run that trophy down. The talent is there…the question is do they want it more than 31 other teams. The Cowboys begin answering that question against the Giants Sunday night.
Thoughts?
......now that I said it, I feel like I jinxed us 
