CFZ Toughness is needed. Let’s draft for it

Bobhaze

Bobhaze

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By now, it’s safe to say that the Dallas Cowboys have for far too long been one of the softest teams in the league. Opponents talk about it, commentators notice it. This team has lacked physical and mental toughness for far too long. We need to address it more directly.

With that in mind, we should be using a lot of premium draft capital on offensive and defensive linemen. Why is that so critical for toughness? Let us count the ways:
  • You can’t be physically tough if you’re getting pushed around. When a team can control the line of scrimmage- on either side of the ball- it can impose its will on the opponent.
  • Finding talent at WR is waaaaaaaay easier than finding talent at most other positions.
  • Unless there’s a WR available with Jerry Rice-like generational talent, avoid another first round WR.
  • By making our trenches more dominant, it builds confidence and mental toughness.
  • You can’t be mentally tough if you know your opponent is beating you on the LOS.
Football is a game of fundamentals at its core. If you can block and tackle your opponents better than they can, you have a great shot at being a tough team. Finesse is good to have too. But it is more of an add in than a fundamental. And it cannot replace brute strength. We need to get some more trench talent in our quest to be tougher.
 
Bobhaze said:
By now, it’s safe to say that the Dallas Cowboys have for far too long been one of the softest teams in the league. Opponents talk about it, commentators notice it. This team has lacked physical and mental toughness for far too long. We need to address it more directly.

With that in mind, we should be using a lot of premium draft capital on offensive and defensive linemen. Why is that so critical for toughness? Let us count the ways:
  • You can’t be physically tough if you’re getting pushed around. When a team can control the line of scrimmage- on either side of the ball- it can impose its will on the opponent.
  • Finding talent at WR is waaaaaaaay easier than finding talent at most other positions.
  • Unless there’s a WR available with Jerry Rice-like generational talent, avoid another first round WR.
  • By making our trenches more dominant, it builds confidence and mental toughness.
  • You can’t be mentally tough if you know your opponent is beating you on the LOS.
Football is a game of fundamentals at its core. If you can block and tackle your opponents better than they can, you have a great shot at being a tough team. Finesse is good to have too. But it is more of an add in than a fundamental. And it cannot replace brute strength. We need to get some more trench talent in our quest to be tougher.
Click to expand...

Look where they train. Look at who coaches them. This team is coddled, treated like stars simply for being Cowboys.

I'm not sure the Cowboys can draft toughness, at least not toughness that won't become coddled in that environment.
 
I like tough football players. Guys who are not going to get pushed around. Guys who do a lot more of the pushing themselves. But this is pretty much a 'best available player, period' draft for the Cowboys. Other than QB and perhaps RB the Cowboys have needs at every position group. They need HELP!!! They must take the BAP in most every case. A lot of folks posting here would say they really need a QB but with his contract and the hope he will be elite someday the team is hung with him for now. Probably hung with EE also for another year with his fat contract and with Pollard as a good backup. But in most cases it is BAP time....I just hope they are tough guys. This team really need that.
 
Jake said:
Look where they train. Look at who coaches them. This team is coddled, treated like stars simply for being Cowboys.

I'm not sure the Cowboys can draft toughness, at least not toughness that won't become coddled in that environment.
Click to expand...

Cowboys trained in Thousand Oaks for years and Valley Ranch was state of the art when it was built. and they managed to do just fine during those years.
 
Doomsday101 said:
Cowboys trained in Thousand Oaks for years and Valley Ranch was state of the art when it was built. and they managed to do just fine during those years.
Click to expand...


Now we practice in AC and out in beautiful Oxnard like we've been good or something
 
Problem is the culture here is soft. A player like Parsons comes in and plays like his hair is on fire. He apparently played alot of the year with a knee injury. Imagine if he was 100% healthy. But he will be tough for a year or so and then the culture gets to them. Especially when he sees the vet players here mailing it in sometimes. They have to be mentally tough to resist this culture. Most play well and tough until they get that big contract.
 
Bobhaze said:
By now, it’s safe to say that the Dallas Cowboys have for far too long been one of the softest teams in the league. Opponents talk about it, commentators notice it. This team has lacked physical and mental toughness for far too long. We need to address it more directly.

With that in mind, we should be using a lot of premium draft capital on offensive and defensive linemen. Why is that so critical for toughness? Let us count the ways:
  • You can’t be physically tough if you’re getting pushed around. When a team can control the line of scrimmage- on either side of the ball- it can impose its will on the opponent.
  • Finding talent at WR is waaaaaaaay easier than finding talent at most other positions.
  • Unless there’s a WR available with Jerry Rice-like generational talent, avoid another first round WR.
  • By making our trenches more dominant, it builds confidence and mental toughness.
  • You can’t be mentally tough if you know your opponent is beating you on the LOS.
Football is a game of fundamentals at its core. If you can block and tackle your opponents better than they can, you have a great shot at being a tough team. Finesse is good to have too. But it is more of an add in than a fundamental. And it cannot replace brute strength. We need to get some more trench talent in our quest to be tougher.
Click to expand...
That’s why we need to emphasize the OL big time. Unless we sign or trade for a starting caliber OG, I do not want to see another WR in round one.
 
You want toughness, draft Nakobe Dean, the toughest part of that UGA defense and the catalyst that drove them. A true MLB, in the mold of Bobby Wagner who was the leader of that great D in SEA.

Toughness starts on the defense and while Parsons is a good hybrid, he is not that tough guy that doesn't need recognition except on the field.

The Cowboys have not had "that guy" since Woodson retired. They need the equivalent of Cliff Harris, Woody, Ken Norton Jr., Roy OU Williams and going back to Lee Roy Jordan.

Every great DAL D has had at least one of those guys on it. I do like Parsons but he's already got stars in his eyes. He's not a lunch pail guy.
 
Doomsday101 said:
Cowboys trained in Thousand Oaks for years and Valley Ranch was state of the art when it was built. and they managed to do just fine during those years.
Click to expand...

You're right. Nothing has changed, other than the results on the field of course. The Star isn't a training facility. It's a resort.

You also left out the part of look at the coaches. The head coach isn't in charge, anymore. The players know it.

Get in good with Jerry and life is golden. You don't even have to win anything to get rewarded for it. That's not a recipe for toughness.
 
Jake said:
You're right. Nothing has changed, other than the results on the field of course. The Star isn't a training facility. It's a resort.

You also left out the part of look at the coaches. The head coach isn't in charge, anymore. The players know it.

Get in good with Jerry and life is golden. You don't even have to win anything to get rewarded for it. That's not a recipe for toughness.
Click to expand...
And don't bite the hand that fed you. Irvin and Smith learned that.
 
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It's Not the facilities, its who is in charge...Tom Landry Known as a cold calculating no nonsense coach by players (wins), Jimmy Johnson also known as a cold calculating no nonesense coach by players (Wins)..since then the figure head to the players is Jerry who is considered a fan by many players...its really not hard to figure out why the players are not focused alot and honestly seem to be ok with a loss at times. To Landry you were a piece to a team that either did your job or he would replace you, same with Johnson....with Jerry in charge this has been lost...Because lets face it, accountability and Dallas Cowboys have not seen each other in years.
 
CouchCoach said:
You want toughness, draft Nakobe Dean, the toughest part of that UGA defense and the catalyst that drove them. A true MLB, in the mold of Bobby Wagner who was the leader of that great D in SEA.

Toughness starts on the defense and while Parsons is a good hybrid, he is not that tough guy that doesn't need recognition except on the field.

The Cowboys have not had "that guy" since Woodson retired. They need the equivalent of Cliff Harris, Woody, Ken Norton Jr., Roy OU Williams and going back to Lee Roy Jordan.

Every great DAL D has had at least one of those guys on it. I do like Parsons but he's already got stars in his eyes. He's not a lunch pail guy.
Click to expand...
Love it! It reminded me that the Old Doomsday Defense was full of tough guys like the greatly underrated Larry Cole- the original “ZeroClub” member. (Guys who wanted and got zero publicity)

Guys like Jethro Pugh, Lee Roy Jordan, Cornell Green, were razor strap tough and never missed games. The Cowboys were known in the 70s as a “finesse” team. But that roster was full of some of the toughest guys to ever wear the Star.
 
Bobhaze said:
By now, it’s safe to say that the Dallas Cowboys have for far too long been one of the softest teams in the league. Opponents talk about it, commentators notice it. This team has lacked physical and mental toughness for far too long. We need to address it more directly.

With that in mind, we should be using a lot of premium draft capital on offensive and defensive linemen. Why is that so critical for toughness? Let us count the ways:
  • You can’t be physically tough if you’re getting pushed around. When a team can control the line of scrimmage- on either side of the ball- it can impose its will on the opponent.
  • Finding talent at WR is waaaaaaaay easier than finding talent at most other positions.
  • Unless there’s a WR available with Jerry Rice-like generational talent, avoid another first round WR.
  • By making our trenches more dominant, it builds confidence and mental toughness.
  • You can’t be mentally tough if you know your opponent is beating you on the LOS.
Football is a game of fundamentals at its core. If you can block and tackle your opponents better than they can, you have a great shot at being a tough team. Finesse is good to have too. But it is more of an add in than a fundamental. And it cannot replace brute strength. We need to get some more trench talent in our quest to be tougher.
Click to expand...
Is our lack of toughness from our talent or more from our leadership and how it undermines our coaching staff which creates the toxic culture?
 
Bobhaze said:
By now, it’s safe to say that the Dallas Cowboys have for far too long been one of the softest teams in the league. Opponents talk about it, commentators notice it. This team has lacked physical and mental toughness for far too long. We need to address it more directly.

With that in mind, we should be using a lot of premium draft capital on offensive and defensive linemen. Why is that so critical for toughness? Let us count the ways:
  • You can’t be physically tough if you’re getting pushed around. When a team can control the line of scrimmage- on either side of the ball- it can impose its will on the opponent.
  • Finding talent at WR is waaaaaaaay easier than finding talent at most other positions.
  • Unless there’s a WR available with Jerry Rice-like generational talent, avoid another first round WR.
  • By making our trenches more dominant, it builds confidence and mental toughness.
  • You can’t be mentally tough if you know your opponent is beating you on the LOS.
Football is a game of fundamentals at its core. If you can block and tackle your opponents better than they can, you have a great shot at being a tough team. Finesse is good to have too. But it is more of an add in than a fundamental. And it cannot replace brute strength. We need to get some more trench talent in our quest to be tougher.
Click to expand...

- I’m pretty sure the Cowboys “ thought’ they were drafting for tougher players - ala McGovern, Osa. Gallimore, Gholston, LVE, Hill, Diggs,.. even Parson.

- We wanted Packers like tactics and technicians with McCarthy and Philbin, ..thus taking away tough-nasty mentor OL coach in Marc Columbo… and the man- power scheme
that saw an OL unit finished 5th in rushing, and 2nd in NFL is fewest sacks allowed.
But McCarthy wanted his buddy and the passive zone block scheme that was used in the GB dayz, ..and we lost that physical oriented side, imo.

- Here’s yet another area, our TEs have to be among the passive, non impact in line blockers in the NFL. That’s been another area where we’ve been
Passive and out physical. Heck we cannot even block well in space with these WR bubble screens. (ala Schultz)
And you remember the whiff block vs Bucs at goal line by Jarwin ?

- Here comes the Defensive side, whereas as long been the story with the defense, it can be pushed and knocked around in the trenches, in accordance with the NFC
capable of out- physical us.

- I do not care if the DTs are 330 lbs .. or 305 pounds, so long as they are difference makers vs the run, so long as they can change how teams have to play us.
We’ve added more DL, but still nuthin has changed. We still get knocked around.

- Wanna another area and scene ? The LBs, … aside from Parson, whose the difference makers and tone setters that can help us not get pushed around ?
LVE ? ..Cox ? .. JAGs such as Gifford and Bernard ? and we have to resort to “ hybrid “ nickel defenses with using Kearse as a mini-LB.
Yet no surprise opposing teams can out-physical us.
 
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