RainMan;2548178 said:
Yep. That's the million dollar question right there. Will the players buy into what he's doing? Early signs point to no, but we'll see.
Since it does look like we're stuck with Wade, I think one of the first changes that must be made is establishing a different tone in practice. Wade has always seemed like a softy in this regard, going light in hitting, not focusing on the little things in practice, not devoting enough time to special teams, etc.
Eliminate the mental mistakes in practice. Stop giving players so much time off. Stop viewing practice in such a ho-hum manner and treat it for what it is -- the preparation for game day that sets the tone in every department. I can go on.
Bottom line is this: Come mini-camps, I hope the media is forced to write circles around how different practices are -- from what's being focused on, to the tempo, to the accountability, to the attention to detail, to the teaching, etc.
As trivial as it sounds, no more Camp Cupcake. And I know we fans got tired of hearing the media call it that, but a spade's a spade. Time to change it up.
One of the fundamental problems this team had this season -- in addition to the lack of chemistry -- was sloppiness. Wade would constantly brush it all under the rug, saying penalties are his fault, he's not going to apologize for a win, etc. There's no need to apologize for beating Cincy the way we did. But you better damn tell the players they were lucky to win a game like that and while you might have appreciated their grit to still win in a sloppy outing, it's a habit that has to stop. It's hard to envision such a speech ever taking place. Better practices, I think, will help in the sloppiness department.
As for the chemistry? Your guess is as good as mine. This is one of the biggest reasons I'm pessimistic about next season. It seems like our team is coming apart at the seams, and we'll just be returning the majority of the whole thing next season. Should be interesting.
The only way this "change" without real change will work is if the roster turns over. Perhaps even more than the 30% quoted.
That was one thing that was a bit unnerving this past season is that everything remained the same. It was so placid and peaceful. There was little to no competition. Virtually none that mattered. That is bad on any team. Everyone was too comfortable and virtually no one feared for their jobs. The same cliques that developed last year continued. Despite what we think, I believe the issues around now have been here since before this season and only the losing made it boil up to the surface.
Those who started last year, returned. The only competition we had was for reserve spots, and even those were among returning backups. We even brought the practice squad back nearly intact.
Everyone knew everyone and there was virtually no challenge whatsoever. We spent more time with projects and novelties like Danny Amendola and Todd Lowber than we did on true football players that might have had a shot.
Even our draft, as great as it appears, was tailored to avoid competition. We all knew we needed a couple of running backs with Julius Jones and Tyson Thompson leaving. Come draft day, we had them both. Everyone knew we would lose two CBs in Nate Jones and Jacques Reeves. Come April, there they were in Jenkins and Scandrick. We traded Fasano, and drafted his replacement immediately.
This staff also resisted creating competition even for the veterans as the young players, rookies and newly acquired did not play unless it was absolutely necessary. It was like there was a concerted effort not to make anyone uncomfortable. Like we did not want to get a rise out of what we knew were a bunch of spoiled brats.
What competition did Romo have? Brad Johnson? Richard Bartel?
Ellis was the closest thing, and when Phillips made the mistake of mentioning Spencer, he was the first to run to the media for a hug and a pat on the head.
People like him need to go. So does the sense of entitlement that the veterans have. Virtually every job needs to be an open competition and there has to be a concerted effort to create an environment that makes it seem real even if we know it isn't feasible.
Those players who did not buy in or showed a propensity for laziness last year need to be identified and shipped out. A few well-placed shocking cuts would be exactly what this team needs to motivate the previously unmotivated.
That is one element of real change that can make a difference.
