The Window, How Open Is It?

[Diehardblues]

Yup, Pro Football 101 pretty much. Exceptions to every rule of course but for the most part, this is the accurate blueprint to success in the NFL.

Yep

Unfortunately it’s difficult finding an Elite QB. We continue to see teams take huge risk trading many picks and or players to land one because it makes it so much easier.

The rest of the league either needs to build an Elite defense and or build a star studded team around their lesser QB.

I think I’d roll the dice until I had my QB because you can build around one pretty quick with a couple good drafts and FA moves. Or have pretty solid teams just needing a more Elite QB like the Chiefs and Rams.

I think we have a solid enough team that if we inserted a more Elite and prolific passer we’d be a serious contender.

 

[beware_d-ware]

We've basically got a 1 year window. One way or another, we are going to lose some seriously talented players by this time next year.

I personally am a fan of the "hang around and contend, hope to catch lightning in a bottle" approach that the Cowboys have been taking, because in a sport filled with injuries and single-elimination playoff games, it really is down to luck more than anything (unless you're the Patriots). There are times when it's appropriate to go all-in, like what the Saints and Rams are doing now, but the Saints showed exactly what is wrong with that strategy; their contender got eliminated from the playoffs with a single bogus PI call.

Basically, if you keep drafting well and sign good contracts, I think the rest sorts itself out. Our problem though is that we almost drafted too well and now have too many mouths to feed, and a couple of our star defenders like Jaylon, D-Law and Byron were late bloomers who didn't give us maximum value on their rookie deals. If they had all become stars in say 2016, we would have had 4 straight seasons with a championship caliber defense and good enough offense to make runs in the NFC. As it is, they didn't break out until 2018 and really only gave us a 2 year window. That's not to say they were bad picks, I'll take Pro Bowl defenders however I can get them, but the key to winning in the NFL is to exploit the value difference between rookie deals and second contract / free agent deals and we didn't get that value for long enough to really be a contender.

So what's going to happen is we're going to have a talent exodus in 2020, fire Garrett, hang around in the 7 to 9 win range for a bit, and then go on another run once we either hit on more underpriced talent or we find a better coach than JG. If our drafting slips, then I think we could see this roster built on draft-and-develop start decaying pretty quickly, and we could end up spending some more Campo years lost in the woods.

 

[75boyz]

Yep

Unfortunately it’s difficult finding an Elite QB. We continue to see teams take huge risk trading many picks and or players to land one because it makes it so much easier.

The rest of the league either needs to build an Elite defense and or build a star studded team around their lesser QB.

I think I’d roll the dice until I had my QB because you can build around one pretty quick with a couple good drafts and FA moves. Or have pretty solid teams just needing a more Elite QB like the Chiefs and Rams.

I think we have a solid enough team that if we inserted a more Elite and prolific passer we’d be a serious contender.

I, and a few others probably, tend to agree with your assessment.

 

[Wolfpack]

I think the window has been open for some time. Roster talent has been there for the most part.

I also think you aren’t going to get there with the current coaching staff and front office set up.

With the current set up, you’d have to tag Dak next year, draft the best QB you can get and a new head coach.

 

[HungryLion]

The window doesn’t close if you keep drafting well consistently. For instance, back in 2014. People
Thought the window was closing with romo and Witten getting old and with Demarco Murray becoming a free agent.

Romo gone, Witten gone, Demarco gone, Dez gone. And yet the team is just as good as it ever was with them.

And why? Because they have been consistently drafting well.

 

[408Cowboy]

We haven't made an NFCCG and you guys think there's a window?

 

[Jake]

The window doesn’t close if you keep drafting well consistently.

It doesn't open if you never get further than winning a wild card game. It's just a fantasy until they actually win something.

 

[Xeven]

The window doesn’t close if you keep drafting well consistently. For instance, back in 2014. People
Thought the window was closing with romo and Witten getting old and with Demarco Murray becoming a free agent.

Romo gone, Witten gone, Demarco gone, Dez gone. And yet the team is just as good as it ever was with them.

And why? Because they have been consistently drafting well.

Witten not gone.

 

[acr731]

The window be closed. And locked too.

 

[Section446]

It will all depend on if Dak can take the next step, that's really all that matters.

 

[Xeven]

Yep

Unfortunately it’s difficult finding an Elite QB. We continue to see teams take huge risk trading many picks and or players to land one because it makes it so much easier.

The rest of the league either needs to build an Elite defense and or build a star studded team around their lesser QB.

I think I’d roll the dice until I had my QB because you can build around one pretty quick with a couple good drafts and FA moves. Or have pretty solid teams just needing a more Elite QB like the Chiefs and Rams.

I think we have a solid enough team that if we inserted a more Elite and prolific passer we’d be a serious contender.

Ben Rothlisburger is Elite and only won 2 SB. That is achievement to be sure but Elite QB is not guarantee wins.

 

[CapnB]

I think the window has been open for some time. Roster talent has been there for the most part.

I also think you aren’t going to get there with the current coaching staff and front office set up.

With the current set up, you’d have to tag Dak next year, draft the best QB you can get and a new head coach.

Then one could argue the window hasnt been open because both have been here a while

 

[HungryLion]

It doesn't open if you never get further than winning a wild card game. It's just a fantasy until they actually win something.

It doesn’t open if you have mediocre coaching.

 

[HungryLion]

Witten not gone.

Witten was gone last year, and the team went to the divisional around. As successful as any other season with that group of players. Which is what I was referring to.

 

[Aven8]

With JG as HC the window is shady as always IMO. Coaching matters folks.

 

[Wolfpack]

Then one could argue the window hasnt been open because both have been here a while

I think my post is clear that I thought the roster talent was good enough for the window to be open. So yes, the window is actually closed with the poor coaching of the roster.

 

[JBond]

Don't need Byron. We have Cheeto and j. Lewis. You can't pay everyone and as good as Byron is, he's not a playmaker. L. Collins is as good as gone too. Gotta keep jaylon Smith though.

I think our window is at least a few years if Dak shows to be a true franchise QB.

That is the $120 million dollar question. Is he? I hope so, but have legitimate doubts.

 

[buybuydandavis]

Dance with the one that brung ya.

We're here because of good drafting and value contracts. Keep it going.

Paying bad contracts because WIN NOW is how we frittered away the team that Parcells built.

We'll lose some good players. We'll gain others.

I might feel differently if we had seriously contended last year. But we squeaked out a lot of close games and looked bad losing to the Rams. That isn't the team to push in all your chips on.

 

[Diehardblues]

Ben Rothlisburger is Elite and only won 2 SB. That is achievement to be sure but Elite QB is not guarantee wins.

Only 2 SB wins and 3 SB appearances sounds awesome to me. Only Brady has more this era.

The bigger point is when these Elite QB’s are surrounded with enough talent look what they do with it. That’s what separates them.

Aikman needed an Elite supporting cast but when when he had it won 3 Rings. That’s the difference.

How much more Elite supporting cast does Dak need to start winning Super Bowls?

 

[Diehardblues]

Dance with the one that brung ya.

We're here because of good drafting and value contracts. Keep it going.

Paying bad contracts because WIN NOW is how we frittered away the team that Parcells built.

We'll lose some good players. We'll gain others.

I might feel differently if we had seriously contended last year. But we squeaked out a lot of close games and looked bad losing to the Rams. That isn't the team to push in all your chips on.

This is about as close as we’ve been. One of the most talented rosters we’ve had this era. How much more Elite talent do we need to surround Dak with to take the next step? All Pro OL, league leading RB, WR1, HOF TE and #7 ranked defense.

Reducing that supporting cast doesn’t sound like the answer to me. Do you see the window opening up further down the road?

Most teams in Cap era win it early with their QB’s before they have to start paying everyone and reducing the supporting cast. I’d argue our greatest Window with Dak is now.