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

[Rockport]

When you have two injuries to any general area of the team you have trouble.

WR - Austin and Bryant injured means that your starters are now Harris and Williams.
TE - Witten and Escobar means that you are now starting Hannah and have Rosario as your primary backup
CB - Mo and Carr get injured and you're looking at Oscar the Grouch and BW Webb or Moore as your primary CBs
OT - Free and Smith go down and that means Parnell and Weems are starters

LB might be the one place that we can somewhat survive 2 LB, but our talent level would still significantly drop. In this NFL you don't have 7 starting caliber players on the OLine. No team does, unless they get lucky in the late rounds of the draft.

Except for OL, I'm happy with the rest of the depth on the team.

 

[Derinyar]

Except for OL, I'm happy with the rest of the depth on the team.

Prior to camp I'd argue that the depth at OL was actually pretty good. The idea was that Parnell, Bernadeu, and Livings were all likely to be ready for the start of camp. Leary took a starting job and ran with it. So now you're looking at Livings as a backup. He's a little over paid for that, but I'd bet he's pretty average to maybe even above average as a back up in this league. Parnell was someone the team had enough hope in last year to give him 1st team game snaps during the end of the season run. Now we've not gotten Livings back health and have lost Leary. So we're down two guards. Go across this league and see what the quality of the fourth guard is. I'll bet its either unready rookie or career no body. Parnell still looks like he's playing on one leg, and the other guy that we were hoping might be something (Bell) has yet to really get his rotund behind into shape. But once again we're talking about the 4th player at OT.

If you want to argue that we should have upgraded over Livings and Bernadeu as a starting guard this year, that's an argument I can buy. If you're wanting the 4th player on the depth chart to be a capable starting level talent then we have zero chance of agreeing, because that just isn't the nature of this NFL.

 

[Rockport]

Prior to camp I'd argue that the depth at OL was actually pretty good. The idea was that Parnell, Bernadeu, and Livings were all likely to be ready for the start of camp. Leary took a starting job and ran with it. So now you're looking at Livings as a backup. He's a little over paid for that, but I'd bet he's pretty average to maybe even above average as a back up in this league. Parnell was someone the team had enough hope in last year to give him 1st team game snaps during the end of the season run. Now we've not gotten Livings back health and have lost Leary. So we're down two guards. Go across this league and see what the quality of the fourth guard is. I'll bet its either unready rookie or career no body. Parnell still looks like he's playing on one leg, and the other guy that we were hoping might be something (Bell) has yet to really get his rotund behind into shape. But once again we're talking about the 4th player at OT.

If you want to argue that we should have upgraded over Livings and Bernadeu as a starting guard this year, that's an argument I can buy. If you're wanting the 4th player on the depth chart to be a capable starting level talent then we have zero chance of agreeing, because that just isn't the nature of this NFL.

I guess I just feel that Jerry/whomever could've done a bit better job of acquiring offensive line depth.

 

[5Stars]

I guess I just feel that Jerry/whomever could've done a bit better job of acquiring offensive line depth.

Well, back when in the 90's when there was no salary cap they could go out and get the best of the best, but you cannot do that in today's NFL. You have to spread your resources throughout the whole team to have a GOOD TEAM, not just a good oline or good dline.

Believe me...if the NFL said that this the last year the salary cap will be in place and never again will there be one...Jerry would get the best of the best, but he cannot now, he can only allocate his money on so many positions of the team.

 

[Rockport]

Well, back when in the 90's when there was no salary cap they could go out and get the best of the best, but you cannot do that in today's NFL. You have to spread your resources throughout the whole team to have a GOOD TEAM, not just a good oline or good dline.

Believe me...if the NFL said that this the last year the salary cap will be in place and never again will there be one...Jerry would get the best of the best, but he cannot now, he can only allocate his money on so many positions of the team.

See, that's where my point lies. I think we spread a little more of those resources on both the offensive and defensive lines and not spread it out evenly like you susggest.

 

[5Stars]

See, that's where my point lies. I think we spread a little more of those resources on both the offensive and defensive lines and not spread it out evenly like you susggest.

Then you, like Risen Star want a Rugby team, not a football team.

Question? Do you think Dez is a good player? How about Witten, How about Mo Claiborne?

What if they were never drafted and they just drafted oline men and dline men? You would have nothing at the skill positions, just a bunch of strong fat guys that can keep the QB safe, but nobody to throw to, and you would have a bunch of strong guys trying to rush a opposing QB that throws a slant that the other team takes to the house.

Is that a good way to build a team for the long run?

 

[Derinyar]

I guess I just feel that Jerry/whomever could've done a bit better job of acquiring offensive line depth.

Depth in this NFL is an illusion created by the ability of the starters to stay healthy. So what position do you want to remove the resources from, and how many resources do you want to put toward the OLine backups. Many call Escobar a luxury pick, and to some extent he is, but we are running 12 this year and that pretty much means that we need 3 good TE. You could argue that we should have taken someone other then Williams with the first third round pick, and I could agree, other then we had Williams as a higher rated talent then that and honestly could use a 3rd WR. Basically you have to choose where you go light on the depth. The 4th OG and the 4th OT are probably two good places to usually do it, of course it becomes an issue when you have 2 OG injuries in training camp.

 

[Rockport]

Then you, like Risen Star want a Rugby team, not a football team.

Question? Do you think Dez is a good player? How about Witten, How about Mo Claiborne?

What if they were never drafted and they just drafted oline men and dline men? You would have nothing at the skill positions, just a bunch of strong fat guys that can keep the QB safe, but nobody to throw to, and you would have a bunch of strong guys trying to rush a opposing QB that throws a slant that the other team takes to the house.

Is that a good way to build a team for the long run?

You can have your cake and eat it too if you are savy with personnel.

 

[5Stars]

You can have your cake and eat it too if you are savy with personnel.

I guess that depends on what kind of cake you want. I want a well frosted cake, not some old stale cake that only taste good on the outside, but on the inside it tastes like crap.

 

[iceman117]

..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.

which cast offs will be starting on opening day? i kind of like the oline right now with Leary and Free at G, big upgrades there and at center.

 

[GimmeTheBall!]

I still think they can win despite the uncertainties on the offensive line.

It's a given they can win even with a bad line. The question is can they win more than 8 or 9?

But the O is not the problem, at least in my thinking. I half real problems with our D, new players as safeties and our largely journeyman D when you get past Ware and Lee. Spenser says he's optimistic he'll be ready for the opening game. So I guess the way it works is that he is ailing and then shows up for the first game in a new system and new coach and ever thing will be fine.
Wait . . . .

 

[5Stars]

It's a given they can win even with a bad line. The question is can they win more than 8 or 9?

But the O is not the problem, at least in my thinking. I half real problems with our D, new players as safeties and our largely journeyman D when you get past Ware and Lee. Spenser says he's optimistic he'll be ready for the opening game. So I guess the way it works is that he is ailing and then shows up for the first game in a new system and new coach and ever thing will be fine.
Wait . . . .

Wait what? Are you drinking again?


Wait! Did you smoke one of them Cuban Cigars I sent you!

 

[OhSnap]

I still think they can win despite the uncertainties on the offensive line.

I think they're finding a balance between giving Romo protection and tools to work with in the amount of time he has left. If it weren't for that you might would have seen a team rebuilding from the trenches after Wade left.

 

[Rockport]

Well, the Cowboy depth at both the offensive and defensive lines were dominiated by the Texans tonight. A really bad performance by the Cowboys trenches.

 

[Deep_South]

Like someone said in the game thread, we need to be scanning the final cuts for linemen, starting with those Houston lets go.

 

[SportsGuru80]

I happen to agree with the original post... Darren Woodson said the same thing before the luncheon.

 

[Rockport]

This game was a classic example of what happens when you're offensive and defensive lines get dominated. You may say it's only a preseason game, but some of those players are going to be playing a lot of plays this year. Very disappointing although not in anyway unexpected. At least by some of us.

 

[CF74]

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.

You are absolutely correct however a guard or a defensive tackle from the 2nd round would have been just what the doctor ordered and we'd be sitting pretty instead we have another stupid tight end that may or may not contribute this year....

 

[TheMarathonContinues]

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.

Fair enough but I was replying to "This is why you build from the trenches....." and that simply isn't the case. No team goes into the season and says let's grab offensive linemen and then worry about the skilled positions later. Some teams hit on linemen and some don't. The teams that have hit on linemen didn't just aim for them and focus strictly on linemen. They did a great job of developing them and scouting them.

 

[iceberg]

Yes, but it bares repeating in light of what's transpired over the course of the off season.

no it doesn't.