Time to make some hard decisions on a few long-term starters

[baltcowboy]

Tyron Smith-has 1 yr left on his contract and counts over 17 million against the cap. With his long, injury history and the emergence of Tyler Smith, it's time to make the move. Unless, he takes a pay cut or they can find a trading partner, he is a release candidate. I've heard they can save close to 10 million as a June 1st cut.

Zeke Elliot-he was the Cowboy offense for the first few years of his career, but Garrett ran him into the ground and appears he end is here. Shell of his former self and has zero burst any longer. He wants to stay, but he is now a progress stopper that is holding the team back.

Dalton Shultz-I have gone back and fourth about him, as he was a huge part of the team's passing attack, but having Shultz as the team's #2 option means your offense just isn't good enough. He is a good player, but isn't worth an elite contract. We have a few good young options, draft upcoming has a deep class, maybe add a low level veteran to the group.

1. I would move on from Tyron if Steele did not suffer a torn ACL and MCL. After watching Gallup this season we maybe need to let Steele get closer to a year before we run him back out there. Tyron is worth being the ultimate swing tackle. To bad Wackso hurt his shoulder or I might think differently.

2. Zeke should be cut. He is so beloved by the team in the front office that he would only get in the way if he stayed.

3. Shultz played well when Dak was playing. Would of had 80-100 catches and 10 touchdowns if Dak played the whole season. This could be the tight end version of moving on from Cooper. Ferguson needs to develop like CeeDee. Give the kid the starting tight end position.

 

[buybuydandavis]

The cap hit in 2023 does not matter.

It adds 13.6M to the combined 2023 & 2024 caps to keep Tyron vs cut.

Before the Steele injury, he was likely a cap cut, but now he is likely the starting RT for game 1 of 2023.

Steele won't be back in time for the opener?

I hadn't heard.

 

[buybuydandavis]

How much would Schultz cost compared to giving Ferguson a shot at starting, and drafting another TE?
That needs to be considered.

We've got cheap guys to backfill Schultz, and Ferguson is in the ballpark of Schultz already.

I was disgruntled at paying franchise money for Schultz, but it was arguable because we had no depth behind him. Now we do. It would just be dumb now.

Let's wave goodbye and take the comp pick.

 

[xwalker]

Steele won't be back in time for the opener?

I hadn't heard.

Do you want to roll the dice and go with Josh Ball as the fall back option?

Steele injured in December.

Even if medically cleared, he will not have been able to lift heavy in the off-season.

 

[buybuydandavis]

Do you want to roll the dice and go with Josh Ball as the fall back option?

Steele injured in December.

Even if medically cleared, he will not have been able to lift heavy in the off-season.

I wished we had played Ball more this year. We gave up on him way too quickly for games that didn't really matter.

I would have played him in rotation with Peters at LT so we would know better. Ball had his problems in pass protection, but it was his first game, and coming in in the middle of it, without starter reps. He often looked good in run blocking. Give the guy some chance, and some experience. And give us a good look at him.

It doesn't make sense to pay 17mil for a backup olineman when we've got a whole offseason to find something cheaper.

 

[xwalker]

I wished we had played Ball more this year. We gave up on him way too quickly for games that didn't really matter.

I would have played him in rotation with Peters at LT so we would know better. Ball had his problems in pass protection, but it was his first game, and coming in in the middle of it, without starter reps. He often looked good in run blocking. Give the guy some chance, and some experience. And give us a good look at him.

It doesn't make sense to pay 17mil for a backup olineman when we've got a whole offseason to find something cheaper.

Is cost 13.6M to keep Tyron.

If Steele returns then they can play Tyron at LT with Tyler at LG. The LG is probably going to be somebody like Farniok.

 

[buybuydandavis]

Is cost 13.6M to keep Tyron.

Good point, but still too much for a backup T when you have all offseason to find someone cheaper.

At 13.6mil, Tyron is even more viable to come back *as a starter*. I often want to keep the quality injured guys too long, but a healthy Tyron is worth more than 13.6, and we need more oline.

 

[75boyz]

Count me in the release all 3 crowd.
Not sold on Ball, and while Waletzko and Steele are unknowns healthwise, I still believe Steele should be offered a reasonable 2nd contract.
But imo that leaves drafting another OT in rounds 1-3 as better security rather than going with the current roster uncertainty mentioned above.
Running backs can be had in any rounds, 4th thru 6th included.
Ferguson and Hendershot are fine as TE replacements.

 

[xwalker]

Good point, but still too much for a backup T when you have all offseason to find someone cheaper.

At 13.6mil, Tyron is even more viable to come back *as a starter*. I often want to keep the quality injured guys too long, but a healthy Tyron is worth more than 13.6, and we need more oline.

He would be a backup.

 

[buybuydandavis]

He would be a backup.

buybuydandavis wrote:
too much for a backup

 

[xwalker]

buybuydandavis wrote:
too much for a backup

I meant would NOT be a backup.

 

[MAZEREZAM]

Steele is RFA next year, so he'll be back. We've got a RT, and a good one.
If we want Tyler at LT, we should just move on from Tyron. Thinking about it now, that seems to be the intention. All the gyrations on the oline were odd and only make sense to me if they were already planning on moving on from Tyron at LT and keeping Tyler at LT permanently.
I don't like it, but I see an argument for it. I think Tyron is gone because they've already decided that he is gone.

Steele won’t be recovered in time to start next season. His injury was at the beginning of December and it could take a full year for him to get back into playing condition.

 

[T-RO]

Timeframe to return from ACL is now generally 9 months. Since Terence's injury occured mid December, Steele should likely be ready for some of training camp.

Steele is superior run blocker; decent (not great) in pass protect.

 

[buybuydandavis]

Is cost 13.6M to keep Tyron.

If Steele returns then they can play Tyron at LT with Tyler at LG. The LG is probably going to be somebody like Farniok.

If Tyron can be approximately Tyron, that's our best bet.

 

[Cowboyny]

1. I would move on from Tyron if Steele did not suffer a torn ACL and MCL. After watching Gallup this season we maybe need to let Steele get closer to a year before we run him back out there. Tyron is worth being the ultimate swing tackle. To bad Wackso hurt his shoulder or I might think differently.

2. Zeke should be cut. He is so beloved by the team in the front office that he would only get in the way if he stayed.

3. Shultz played well when Dak was playing. Would of had 80-100 catches and 10 touchdowns if Dak played the whole season. This could be the tight end version of moving on from Cooper. Ferguson needs to develop like CeeDee. Give the kid the starting tight end position.

Tyron is the most tricky one as Steele won't be ready to start right away. When he returns, could always move Tyron back to LT and shift Tyler inside again. Still need a left guard to start the year, unless they go with Farnoik or resign McGovern.

Think the other two have definitely played their last games as Cowboys, but Tyron still has a chance to return.

 

[Cowboyny]

No more guaranteed money on Tyron or Zeke, so there's technically no rush on either.
But I'd just dump Zeke today. Just move on. There is no way he is worth his contract.

Tyron might be worth his contract, or less, or more.

I can understand thinking he is just too broken down, but that hamstring tear was not a long time issue for him. Just by eyeball, it seems like he has largely recovered from his batch issues. I can see Tyron having more good years ahead of him. I can see him continue to be on and off.
The oline is losing the LG this year, and LG and RT next year. That's a lot of bodies to replace. And that's just the starters. We already had nothing at backup spots. We gave up on Ball very quickly, and have Farniok as our backup interior oline.

Keep Tyron, and we can go into next year without needing a new LG, and we could be starting our planned oline from last year. Because Tyron might be worth his contract, or more, I wouldn't be in a hurry to dump him. I'd rather see him in camp. And if someone gets injured, the rights to Tyron, even if he isn't quite worth his contract on play alone, may become worth it because of the situation we are in. Tyron may have some trade value as well.

Tyron we should keep around and decide later on.
... but, I think they already tipped their hand on Tyron this year by *not* putting him back at LT. He's gone.

Schulz is a free agent who is good but not great. Those are the guys we don't sign unless we get a way under market value contract. And we have 2 TEs I like in Ferguson and Hendershot, so it's not like we'd be in a bind at the position without him. Just wave goodbye and take the comp pick in 2024.

So, yeah, I think they're all gone.

Agree, Tyron has the best chance of returning out of the three. However, still going to need to come up with a plan at Left Guard at the start of the season if Tyron has to start for Steele on the right side. Steele's injury, probably is the biggest reason why Tyron could be back.

 

[Cowboyny]

Elliott is done. He is a RB3 and when you are a RB3, you play special teams. Look at M Davis. And even playing Elliott the veteran minimum is too much.

This team has so many hole that it can't be filled in one season. It depends where this team can fill holes in free agency that will determine the route the go with the draft.

I think they don't have as many holds as you are suggesting, adding a WR is the biggest offensive need, where I see DT and CB on the other side. Yes, we need to add depth, but we aren't that far off.

 

[Cowboyny]

Agreed, however. We need draft capital for the next few years. It's time to trade a player or two while they are still in their prime and have high value. Then we can add free agents at key positions. Diggs deserves a max contract? Micha? It's currently time to pay Steele. We have albatross contracts that we don't need to rework.

Some of our bad contracts will be off the books to take care of the likes of Lamb, Diggs and Parsons, they aren't going anywhere.

 

[buybuydandavis]

Timeframe to return from ACL is now generally 9 months. Since Terence's injury occured mid December, Steele should likely be ready for some of training camp.

Steele is superior run blocker; decent (not great) in pass protect.

A strong running game is the best pass protection.
Play action all day long.

 

[buybuydandavis]

Agree, Tyron has the best chance of returning out of the three. However, still going to need to come up with a plan at Left Guard at the start of the season if Tyron has to start for Steele on the right side. Steele's injury, probably is the biggest reason why Tyron could be back.

If we keep Tyron, play him and practice him at LT, and play Tyler and practice Tyler at LG. If Steele isn't ready, put in our backup RT, not our starting LT. I'm all for cross training, but not for shifting 3 positions to fix one.

The solution to Steele not being ready is to have a backup RT. If we think Ball and Waletzko are ever inadequate, we should find a backup swing T who is not.

The guys who are really inadequate are our backup guards. Currently no one. One of the reasons why I'm against cutting Tyron. We've got so little to backup the starters. Choosing to open a hole on the offensive line makes it worse.