This is what happens when you don't build your team from the trenches out

[Vanilla2]

The season can't get here soon enough.

It sounds like OP is a tad late to the we don't do enough on the lines complaint party.

How much more would you have liked to see

2011 Tyron, Arkin
2012 Crawford, leary, livings and bernadeau
2013 Frederick

That's an addition of 7 players 5 of which currently are or have been projected starters going into this season.

This thread is complaining for complaining sake.

 

[coult44]

I will be the first to admit I have changed a lot of my feelings about this team during the past couple of months. I have went from doing nothing but destroying this OL and DL to someone who has bragged about some changes and is now giving them a chance. With ALL THAT BEING SAID, Why can't any guys on the other side ever do the same thing. Why can't guys who are nothing but the best "HOMER, happy fans" in the world ever stop completely defending our GM and the Cowboys way of football during the past two decades. I love JJ as an owner. He's a brilliant businessmen. He makes me drink the JJ KOOLAID every off season. BUT HOW ON GOD'S EARTH do you not see his complete FAILURE as a GM. You can't even give him a D and be telling the truth. No GM in any sport has ever failed as much as him and still had a job. Like I said, I understand the love, He's the BOSS. I understand the support, THIS IS THE COWBOYS, I GET IT ALL...BUT Please don't defend his general management of the team any more. It makes it look worse and even more desperate.

 

[Vintage]

If anyone really thought Rat was going to start we should all question your sanity. I told my friend last year we would never see him again. Perfect example of a guy who QUIT after the payday..Regardless of the reason, he got paid and then NEVER again was the same. He's hurt the BOYZ more than he's ever helped...

That last sentence is the second most ridiculous statement you've made that I have seen.

 

[Yakuza Rich]

I've always stood in awe of the Steelers O-Line, the Pats D-Line, the Colts D-Line, the Colts O-Line once Peyton left, the Saints D-Line, the Packers D-Line and that Super Bowl that the Browns won last year.




YR

 

[Vintage]

I've always stood in awe of the Steelers O-Line, the Pats D-Line, the Colts D-Line, the Colts O-Line once Peyton left, the Saints D-Line, the Packers D-Line and that Super Bowl that the Browns won last year.




YR

You forgot the pending Titans Super Bowl victory this year.

 

[Ratmatt]

They've drafted 2 OL in the first round over the last three years. Can we stop acting like they're not trying to improve the offensive line?

As for the defense. Spencer is out. Ratliff is out. Crawford is out. Brent is out. That's four quality players on the defensive line out on a year in which we're changing schemes, and the defensive line still looks pretty good. Not much depth because the guys that are playing right now are the depth.

Of course, we could've accounted for Brent via the draft, but if we had've done that then you'd probably be complaining about the OL not getting any much needed attention.

We're in a crappy situation because of the previous regime's drafting failures in '08 and '09 and just plain bad luck. Not because we're not trying now. You're complaining about things in the past.

The previous regime's drafting failures in 08 and 09.What are you talking about,it's the same regime.You keep on believing that if it makes you feel better about things.

 

[Oh_Canada]

That's just a cop out and is not close to being true. A teams philosophy, most teams, is to build from the trenches out. If you do that, you'll have depth at the offensive and defensive lines. Real depth.

Yes real depth like the two time NFC champion 49ers dline-I mean would anyone notice Justin Smith going down when they have Will Tukaufu to replace him?

 

[Idgit]

I will be the first to admit I have changed a lot of my feelings about this team during the past couple of months. I have went from doing nothing but destroying this OL and DL to someone who has bragged about some changes and is now giving them a chance. With ALL THAT BEING SAID, Why can't any guys on the other side ever do the same thing. Why can't guys who are nothing but the best "HOMER, happy fans" in the world ever stop completely defending our GM and the Cowboys way of football during the past two decades. I love JJ as an owner. He's a brilliant businessmen. He makes me drink the JJ KOOLAID every off season. BUT HOW ON GOD'S EARTH do you not see his complete FAILURE as a GM. You can't even give him a D and be telling the truth. No GM in any sport has ever failed as much as him and still had a job. Like I said, I understand the love, He's the BOSS. I understand the support, THIS IS THE COWBOYS, I GET IT ALL...BUT Please don't defend his general management of the team any more. It makes it look worse and even more desperate.

I'm going to go out on a limb and suggest that most fans, homers or no, aren't going to consider changing opinions all over the place over the course of a single offseason before a single game that counts has been played to be a good thing.

I'm probably one of the bigger 'homers' on the board, and I can tell you, from my experience here, the issue isn't so much posters being unwilling to say anything critical of the team. I've been very critical this offseason, for example, of the play of the defensive secondary (Safeties) last season. Of our turnovers in general. Of our lack of takeaways. Of our old defensive coordinator (Ryan, not Kiffin ). Critical of the team's handling of certain situations--most notably the announcement of the play calling duty changes. I'm was concerned about the Kiffin hire, and I'm still concerned about our ability to stop the run and the read-option in the new defense. None of that means much, though, when you say it to a group of posters who are so frustrated with a lack of postseason success they want to believe literally everything is wrong with the organization. They hear the criticism and shake their heads in agreement, then try to extend it to Tony Romo. Or Jason Garrett, or complain about how often we run the ball, or some other issue of little-import, and that's where the rub comes in. It's not that homers don't see problems. It's that they don't tend to agree that every single thing is a problem. Spread out over enough people, this means you're going to have a homer argue against almost every single type of criticism.

But there are plenty of discussions I just don't engage in much because I say my critical piece early and move on to another topic. To me, there's little point in making the same criticism hundreds of times. It's enough to get it on the record and then move on until and unless that specific criticism becomes news or is addressed by the team.

And I don't have a particular problem with how the current management of the team has stocked this roster, for whatever that's worth. The business end of the organization is in great shape. If I have a problem with Jerry Jones its in that he's an embarrassing figurehead when he gives interviews drunk. He (reportedly) allows players to go to him directly and around the HC, and he has a tendency to tip his hand when he's trying to be cryptic and everybody in the world knows exactly what he's trying not to say. These are all criticisms I've had about the guy for years, though, and not something that just occurred to me in camp one day. All in all, I'm pretty consistent and stubborn in my outlook towards the team.

 

[Blackspider214]

Yeah, I can't believe Jerry keeps ignoring the OL! He should've drafted a couple of 'em in the 1st round over the last 3 years!

And that lousy cheapskate has invested NOTHING on the DL! Ware, Spencer, Ratliff... nothing but inexpensive bums!

Actually Ratliff is an expensive bum with no work ethic. His last good year was 2009 but Jerry decides to yet again lay money into someone on the decline with no value ala Sensabaugh.

And hate to break it to you but Ware was what, 8 years ago? And Spencer was 6 years ago. Never surrounded them with anything worthy. Ware has never had anyone opposite of him that can take pressure off him.

 

[Nav22]

Actually Ratliff is an expensive bum with no work ethic. His last good year was 2009 but Jerry decides to yet again lay money into someone on the decline with no value ala Sensabaugh.

And hate to break it to you but Ware was what, 8 years ago? And Spencer was 6 years ago. Never surrounded them with anything worthy. Ware has never had anyone opposite of him that can take pressure off him.

They cost a boatload every year you keep them, so the date we acquired them is irrelevant.

There's this thing called a "salary cap", see...

 

[Idgit]

Actually Ratliff is an expensive bum with no work ethic...

Where do some of you guys get this stuff? Ratliff's extension was a mistake, but the guy's never been described as a bum, and I've never heard his work ethic questioned by anybody who knows him or knows what they're talking about when it comes to his play.

 

[rwalters31]

They've drafted 2 OL in the first round over the last three years. Can we stop acting like they're not trying to improve the offensive line?

As for the defense. Spencer is out. Ratliff is out. Crawford is out. Brent is out. That's four quality players on the defensive line out on a year in which we're changing schemes, and the defensive line still looks pretty good. Not much depth because the guys that are playing right now are the depth.

Of course, we could've accounted for Brent via the draft, but if we had've done that then you'd probably be complaining about the OL not getting any much needed attention.

We're in a crappy situation because of the previous regime's drafting failures in '08 and '09 and just plain bad luck. Not because we're not trying now. You're complaining about things in the past.

Does history repeat itself. The answer is YES, have the Cowboys learned from the past, NO. OK, now if you have looked over the past 5 years have we improved or been competitive at the end of the season, I will let the record speck for itself. Now to the positives, has the owner sold sits in (AT&T) stadium, YES, has he sold jerseys, YES, has he pulled the wool over the fans eyes, YES. Are there still fans who think that whiffing on the trenches but getting coaches and specialty players will win championships. What do you think?

 

[TheMarathonContinues]

The Packers are what happens when you don't build from the outside in. You win a championship lol. There is no blueprint on how to win a championship. The best teams win. Its tha tsimple.

 

[dcstands4]

..when you don't build your team from the trenches out. One or two injuries to starters and you end up with positions of weakness instead of strength. Both the offensive and defensive lines will have rookies, free agents and cast offs playing on opening day. I still think we can win with this lineup, but one or two more injuries and it'll be over. Just watch the pass plays when Romo goes back and has to do some magic becaue the play broke down because of pressure. Just watch the DL not get pressure on the opposing QB who sits back there with seemingly all day to make a play. There's only 1 person to blame for this predicament but unfortunately he'll never take the blame for it.

how is drafting OLine 1st round not building from the trenches out? I get on this post you "mean" Dline however at the draft we looked good Spencer and Crawdford were ok, Ware and Jay R. were supposed to have had plentlty of rest in the off season to make them right for the start of the season.

You couldn't foreseen the Dline injuries in August in April.

 

[noshame]

Simply one of Romo's cheerleaders prepping everyone in case Romo has a bad game.

But that's not the biggest threat to the offense, the biggest threat is Tony holding the ball too long and getting flattened, that; we don't need. However, the OP can relax, we'll have a game plan like last year that will have receivers running wide open all night.

 

[john]

So who was it that invented the salary cap, anyway?

Al Gore

 

[onlyonenow]

I'm going to go out on a limb and suggest that most fans, homers or no, aren't going to consider changing opinions all over the place over the course of a single offseason before a single game that counts has been played to be a good thing.

I'm probably one of the bigger 'homers' on the board, and I can tell you, from my experience here, the issue isn't so much posters being unwilling to say anything critical of the team. I've been very critical this offseason, for example, of the play of the defensive secondary (Safeties) last season. Of our turnovers in general. Of our lack of takeaways. Of our old defensive coordinator (Ryan, not Kiffin ). Critical of the team's handling of certain situations--most notably the announcement of the play calling duty changes. I'm was concerned about the Kiffin hire, and I'm still concerned about our ability to stop the run and the read-option in the new defense. None of that means much, though, when you say it to a group of posters who are so frustrated with a lack of postseason success they want to believe literally everything is wrong with the organization. They hear the criticism and shake their heads in agreement, then try to extend it to Tony Romo. Or Jason Garrett, or complain about how often we run the ball, or some other issue of little-import, and that's where the rub comes in. It's not that homers don't see problems. It's that they don't tend to agree that every single thing is a problem. Spread out over enough people, this means you're going to have a homer argue against almost every single type of criticism.

But there are plenty of discussions I just don't engage in much because I say my critical piece early and move on to another topic. To me, there's little point in making the same criticism hundreds of times. It's enough to get it on the record and then move on until and unless that specific criticism becomes news or is addressed by the team.

And I don't have a particular problem with how the current management of the team has stocked this roster, for whatever that's worth. The business end of the organization is in great shape. If I have a problem with Jerry Jones its in that he's an embarrassing figurehead when he gives interviews drunk. He (reportedly) allows players to go to him directly and around the HC, and he has a tendency to tip his hand when he's trying to be cryptic and everybody in the world knows exactly what he's trying not to say. These are all criticisms I've had about the guy for years, though, and not something that just occurred to me in camp one day. All in all, I'm pretty consistent and stubborn in my outlook towards the team.

can you imagine how much things would improve if we could get Jerry on the Wagon?

 

[tantrix1969]

can you imagine how much things would improve if we could get Jerry on the Wagon?

not sure if I want to chance what Jerry may do while he is going through dts though

 

[perrykemp]

The Packers are what happens when you don't build from the outside in. You win a championship lol. There is no blueprint on how to win a championship. The best teams win. Its tha tsimple.

They are an example of the #1 rule in the NFL -- an elite (Top 3) QB, despite how good or bad their remaining team is, is worth 9 to 10 wins all by themselves. That's usually enough to get a team into the playoffs where anything can happen.

IMHO, Brady, Peyton Manning, and Rodgers go to any team in any state and instantly make them at least a 9 win team.

 

[Oh_Canada]

They are an example of the #1 rule in the NFL -- an elite (Top 3) QB, despite how good or bad their remaining team is, is worth 9 to 10 wins all by themselves. That's usually enough to get a team into the playoffs where anything can happen.

IMHO, Brady, Peyton Manning, and Rodgers go to any team in any state and instantly make them at least a 9 win team.

Bingo. Brady has a bunch of castoffs and dwarfs playing wr, his defense can't stop the pass and they'll win 11-12 games AGAIN.