This current core leaves me so hopeful

[Zman5]

If we had a 4-12 season due to injuries in the next couple of seasons, it would actually go a long way to making us better with a higher draft pick and returning talent.

Only if we keep drafting well. We have drafted well on the offensive side but our defensive draft has been pretty bad overall during the JG era.

 

[CyberB0b]

Come on man. Yes, people thought we were close (and rightfully so, IMO) after 2014, but what was a closing window has been busted wide open.

Romo was in his 11th year, Murray was out the door, Ware was out the door and Witten was getting older.

We have a younger QB and a younger RB, for hopefully the next 5-10 years. We certainly need to find a Ware-type, catalytic player at DE and an upgrade for Witten.

The OL is just now entering their prime.

Fix the D, find another stud WR and RT and we're ready for a run.

OK, well, let me be the barer of bad news. We have no defensive line. Like none, at all. We have no secondary. At all. Sean Lee is getting old, and we have no other players at Sam and Will. Doug Free is a turnstyle, we don't know what we have with Collins/Leary, and ultimately, we don't know if Dak is capable of doing what he did in 2016. If Dak goes down, do you feel confident in Kellen Moore? I would say there are more question marks going into 2017 than 2015.

 

[Bizwah]

We had a better team in 2007. Nothing came from that.

I'm excited about the future, but a little skeptical. 4 players in our secondary are FAs, McClain (DT) is a FA, Butler and TW are FAs. We will want to extend Martin.

Unless we draft well and spend in FA (with little cap room), we'll be back in the same spot next season.

I hope Jerry goes the NYG route and opens the pocketbook.

 

[Zman5]

If we lose in the same round next year or don't make the playoffs, bye Garrett.

As much as I would love to see that, it won't happen. Jerry is not going to fire JG unless he has consecutive losing seasons.

 

[MrPeanutbutter]

If we lose in the same round next year or don't make the playoffs, bye Garrett.

If we fail to make the playoffs, Garrett is likely done. I'm weary of teams firing coaches after making the playoffs. The Bears still haven't recovered from firing Lovie Smith after a 10-6 season.

 

[Chuck 54]

Painful yes, but you're a young fan if this is most painful loss. Cowboys lost two NFL Championships before SBs in painful endings. Cowboys have lost more NFC championships than you can count on one hand. Yes, we've won five SB's, but we've also lost 3 Super Bowls, two to Pittsburg with Roger Staubach, Dorsett, Pearson &Hill, and that Doomsday Defense....now those were painful losses with teams you believed would be champions.

All playoff losses hurt, but this loss was a play or two from being a Staubach type come from behind victory upon which legends are born....Heath's second INT stands or that Dak pass on third down to Dez doesn't get batted down to force the FG. SIGH....it didn't happen, but so freaking close to everyone talking about the rookies and the team that came back rather than all the Rodgers love.

 

[beacamdim]

Optimism about the Cowboys' future is definitely warranted. But a cautionary tale -- three of the four teams that made the conference championship games last season didn't even MAKE the playoffs in 2016 -- and that includes a 15-1 Panthers team with a seemingly-golden future and the reigning league MVP at QB.

This is a year-to-year league. The Cowboys were unreasonably (as compared to statistical expectations) healthy this year -- just like in 2014. Another 2015 nightmare is just an injury or two away. A slight regression to the mean, combined with a much harder schedule (AFC West and NFC West instead of AFC North and NFC North, plus swing games against Atlanta and Green Bay) and things can look mighty different even if Dak and Zeke improve.

I will call it right here, no way the NFC East gets two teams in the playoffs again next season. A tougher schedule across the board, plus bounce back years from at least a couple of Minnesota (with Bridgewater), Arizona, Carolina, etc. and up and comers like TB, means a much harder path. The Eagles (among DVOA leaders even this year) are going to add some weapons at WR. NY -- an 11 win team despite not scoring 30 a single time all season -- is going to buttress their O-Line, which is the principal reason their offense sucked. Who knows about DC.

Bottom line is that great futures are nice, but no team can afford to waste the opportunities right in front of them. Just ask Dan Marino, who waltzed to the SB his rookie year, but despite perennial playoff appearances and a Hall of Fame career never sniffed the big game again.

It was all right there in front of the Cowboys this year -- home field advantage, a bye, a completely healthy roster, and the Super Bowl in Texas. No team's path is ever easy, but theirs was on of the most favorable possible. And they go no farther than the Houston Texans of all teams, and were one and done like the Dolphins, Giants, Lions, Raiders, and Chiefs.

You might get really cool hats and T-shirts for winning 13 games and your division. But you sure don't get rings. And rings are what it's all about.

 

[Cowboyz88]

OK, well, let me be the barer of bad news. We have no defensive line. Like none, at all. We have no secondary. At all. Sean Lee is getting old, and we have no other players at Sam and Will. Doug Free is a turnstyle, we don't know what we have with Collins/Leary, and ultimately, we don't know if Dak is capable of doing what he did in 2016. If Dak goes down, do you feel confident in Kellen Moore? I would say there are more question marks going into 2017 than 2015.

Agree, as I stated, on DL and RT. Improve the DL and the secondary gets better (the Giants model).

If, and it's a big if, Smith comes back, you just improved LB.

I'm hoping that Dak is what he appears to be and will bust his hump to improve on his deficiencies.

Dak looks much more solid than Romo ever has, so I'm hoping he'll stay healthy. Time will tell.

None of these are a given, of course, but I don't think it's as dire as you originally stated.

 

[Bleu Star]

What is worrisome is there's no core on the defense.

There surely is. His name is Jaylon Smith. He, together with Sean Lee, will probably ide us with a nice core to build around. Get ready for a heckuva defensive draft.

 

[Bleu Star]

Come on man. Yes, people thought we were close (and rightfully so, IMO) after 2014, but what was a closing window has been busted wide open.

Romo was in his 11th year, Murray was out the door, Ware was out the door and Witten was getting older.

We have a younger QB and a younger RB, for hopefully the next 5-10 years. We certainly need to find a Ware-type, catalytic player at DE and an upgrade for Witten.

The OL is just now entering their prime.

Fix the D, find another stud WR and RT and we're ready for a run.

Yep. We are VERY close. I would let Carr walk, let Mo walk, and draft another young corner or two to supplement Anthony Brown, Byron Jones, & my boy OScan. There's going to be a lot of turnover on D and justifiably so.

 

[Bleu Star]

Going to have to beat better opponents compared to the GB team they just lost to. I think that's doable if Dak isn't a one hit wonder, but you never know what will happen in the NFL. Hard to be consistently good in the league of parity that exists.

Dak is just getting started. If you didn't notice that poise yesterday, well... I don't know what else to tell you. Dak is going to only get better.

 

[Bleu Star]

Optimism about the Cowboys' future is definitely warranted. But a cautionary tale -- three of the four teams that made the conference championship games last season didn't even MAKE the playoffs in 2016 -- and that includes a 15-1 Panthers team with a seemingly-golden future and the reigning league MVP at QB.

This is a year-to-year league. The Cowboys were unreasonably (as compared to statistical expectations) healthy this year -- just like in 2014. Another 2015 nightmare is just an injury or two away. A slight regression to the mean, combined with a much harder schedule (AFC West and NFC West instead of AFC North and NFC North, plus swing games against Atlanta and Green Bay) and things can look mighty different even if Dak and Zeke improve.

I will call it right here, no way the NFC East gets two teams in the playoffs again next season. A tougher schedule across the board, plus bounce back years from at least a couple of Minnesota (with Bridgewater), Arizona, Carolina, etc. and up and comers like TB, means a much harder path. The Eagles (among DVOA leaders even this year) are going to add some weapons at WR. NY -- an 11 win team despite not scoring 30 a single time all season -- is going to buttress their O-Line, which is the principal reason their offense sucked. Who knows about DC.

Bottom line is that great futures are nice, but no team can afford to waste the opportunities right in front of them. Just ask Dan Marino, who waltzed to the SB his rookie year, but despite perennial playoff appearances and a Hall of Fame career never sniffed the big game again.

It was all right there in front of the Cowboys this year -- home field advantage, a bye, a completely healthy roster, and the Super Bowl in Texas. No team's path is ever easy, but theirs was on of the most favorable possible. And they go no farther than the Houston Texans of all teams, and were one and done like the Dolphins, Giants, Lions, Raiders, and Chiefs.

You might get really cool hats and T-shirts for winning 13 games and your division. But you sure don't get rings. And rings are what it's all about.

You're comparing a well built core to a one hit wonder type of team. The way this team has been constructed... Slowly & steadily... Yeah. They're going to have a good chance to do big things for the next several years.

 

[Bleu Star]

Painful yes, but you're a young fan if this is most painful loss. Cowboys lost two NFL Championships before SBs in painful endings. Cowboys have lost more NFC championships than you can count on one hand. Yes, we've won five SB's, but we've also lost 3 Super Bowls, two to Pittsburg with Roger Staubach, Dorsett, Pearson &Hill, and that Doomsday Defense....now those were painful losses with teams you believed would be champions.

All playoff losses hurt, but this loss was a play or two from being a Staubach type come from behind victory upon which legends are born....Heath's second INT stands or that Dak pass on third down to Dez doesn't get batted down to force the FG. SIGH....it didn't happen, but so freaking close to everyone talking about the rookies and the team that came back rather than all the Rodgers love.

Amen bro. It was so close and we are so close. We all know where we need to apply attention in the draft and FA. The offense is virtually set.

 

[Bleu Star]

As much as I would love to see that, it won't happen. Jerry is not going to fire JG unless he has consecutive losing seasons.

If we fail to make the playoffs, Garrett is likely done. I'm weary of teams firing coaches after making the playoffs. The Bears still haven't recovered from firing Lovie Smith after a 10-6 season.

Guys?

How did we go from Garret should receive strong consideration for COTY just a few days ago to they need to fire Garrett?

 

[CATCH17]

Today's game just really diminishes next years regular season so much for me.

It's so hard to get to where we got today and regardless of how well we play next year during the regular season it means nothing until we get right back to where we were today.

This is one of toughest Cowboys losses I've experienced.

 

[IrishAnto]

Go draft it. Do we have any major holes on offense to fill this draft? Probably not.

Apart from left guard/right tackle, WR and TE if Witten calls it a day.

Did I miss anything?

 

[JoeKing]

The way our 2014 season ended, I felt we got cheated. 2015 was just one of those "Murphy's Law" years where if something could go wrong it did go wrong. I knew we were better than a 4-12 team. The 2016 draft was amazing and it will be remembered in Cowboys history as the realization that the future is here. Romo out, Dak in. The 2016 season saw Zeke lead the league in rushing and we once again won the NFC East and #1 playoff seed. We lost our divisional playoff game but I can live with the outcome because we fought to comeback and tie the game. We didn't get cheated by the refs this time, we got beat by a hall of fame QB. Respect! I will hold my head up this off season and proudly proclaim I am a Cowboys fan! Our future is bright.!

 

[Sarge]

You probably could have made this exact same thread after the 2014 season. Literally, word for word, and we all saw how that went.

Simply not true. You have a rookie QB with his whole career ahead of him. A rookie that the team as a whole loves to play for and it shows. Rookie RB as well. Situation is similar maybe, but I like where we are right now A LOT MORE than where we were in 2014. ...... 02

 

[Bleu Star]

Today's game just really diminishes next years regular season so much for me.

It's so hard to get to where we got today and regardless of how well we play next year during the regular season it means nothing until we get right back to where we were today.

This is one of toughest Cowboys losses I've experienced.

Which will serve to make it feel even sweeter when we get over that hump.

 

[Bleu Star]

The way our 2014 season ended, I felt we got cheated. 2015 was just one of those "Murphy's Law" years where if something could go wrong it did go wrong. I knew we were better than a 4-12 team. The 2016 draft was amazing and it will be remembered in Cowboys history as the realization that the future is here. Romo out, Dak in. The 2016 season saw Zeke lead the league in rushing and we once again won the NFC East and #1 playoff seed. We lost our divisional playoff game but I can live with the outcome because we fought to comeback and tie the game. We didn't get cheated by the refs this time, we got beat by a hall of fame QB. Respect! I will hold my head up this off season and proudly proclaim I am a Cowboys fan! Our future is bright.!

Cheers bro! Can you imagine if we have a 2017 draft that resembles the 2016 draft in any level of proximity?