jday
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In case you missed it:
Volume I
Volume II
Front Office
I was going to leave them alone; after all, you’re not really walking a tight rope when afterhours you call your boss dad. Granted, the front office is peopled by more than just the Jones family, but unless your surname is “McClay” you really don’t matter…and if your name is McClay this isn’t about you…you are safer than Jerry (relatively speaking, anyway).
The Cowboys have 3 offensive lineman who when the ink of their signature was still wet, they were at that time just made the highest paid player at their position ultimately being recognized as the best at their craft in the NFL. Aside from how uncommon it must be to have 3 guys nationally recognized to be (arguably) the best at what they do all on the same offensive line, I have begun to question how wise that is in terms of cap considerations and where money is best spent on a team.
The first important consideration before answering that question is the fact that there is not a set formula as it pertains to managing the cap. People will try to tell you where successful teams have spent their money in the past and then try to sell that to the masses as the secret formula to success. That, my friends, is a stinking lump of garbage and here’s why:
Quite simply, different schemes demand different spending. If you want to compare and contrast schemes, that’s a different conversation involving a different set of Cowboys employees; namely Garrett, Linehan and Marinelli.
The Cowboys are a run first team, so on the surface it makes sense to devote resources to the offensive line. But, do the Cowboys have to have the best of the best up front to win? That is the question. The Cowboys didn’t have to resign Zack. They could have asked him to play out his contract and said adios when he turned Free Agent, looking to draft his replacement in the next few years. Before you kill me for even thinking it, understand, I’m not necessarily advocating that move, just wondering if in hindsight a few years from now will the Cowboys organization regret the expense? For what it’s worth, I would have resigned him to and would have likely got fleeced in the process by comparison.
The amount of money the Cowboys have devoted to their offensive line, teamed with the amount of money they will have to hand Dak in a year, compounded by the money they may have to hand Demarcus Lawrence (to say nothing of the upcoming potential contract for Zeke) very much means they will eventually have to take shortcuts elsewhere on the roster. Clearly the Cowboys recognize this necessity now as evidenced by the departure from the have-to-have-a-clear-#1-receiver concept that the Cowboys have been handcuffed to for the last quarter century. But what position will the Cowboys be forced to pop some tags for next? And will it be worth it in the long run?
Kris Richard
I believe there has been quite a bit of misinformation pumped out in regards to the Cowboys new secondary coach; I’m not sure it is fair to call Richard the original architect of The Legion of Boom. He coached them, yes, but he had little to do with drafting them and I suspect most people, (particularly in Seattle) would credit the defensive coordinator at the time (Dan Quinn, now head coach for the Atlanta Falcons), when they earned that designation, as the guy responsible for what was likely the best Seattle defense in the history of that team.
Kris Richard was gifted that side of the ball when Dan Quinn took the Atlanta head coach job following the 2015 season when the Seahawks made an appearance in and lost the Super Bowl against the Patriots. Since taking over, the Seattle defense has gradually and noticeably declined in overall performance; 2015 finished the regular season ranked #2 in yards allowed per game, 2016 - #5, 2017 - #11. To be fair, that decline was paralleled by their personnel getting older and more prone to injury, as well…so I’m not suggesting Richard was the only common denominator to their deterioration from 2015 to present.
I quickly cover that basis because as a result of the hype currently surrounding Richard, some Cowboys fans may be in for an egregious disappointment. The Seahawks certainly got lucky on a few acquisitions on the defensive side of the ball (Kam Chancellor found in the fifth round of the 2010 draft) but they also devoted far more resources (draft capital and free agency dollars) towards their defense than the Cowboys have in quite some time. So to expect Richard to come in to Dallas and beget Legion of Boom level returns, would be like expecting a professional baker to make his best cake using an out-of-the-box cake mix.
After witnessing this year’s defensive draft class talk to Richard last when they received the call that allocated them to the Dallas Cowboys, most came to the logical conclusion that Richard is the defensive coordinator (DC) in-waiting. Furthermore, the personnel changes the Cowboys have made (such as converting Byron from Safety back to Corner) suggest Richard is getting what he ask for; why would the Cowboys make a change that the next DC may want to reverse? Better to give the DC of tomorrow what he wants now so by the time he takes the title he will be well on his way to converting the defense into his ideal image.
The upcoming season will be Richard’s final interview for the job. The predominant hurdle Kris faces is the potential of injury to Sean Lee. Sean Lee is the load-bearing piece that keeps the Jenga tower that is the Cowboys defense standing and respectable. Should they have to pull Lee due to injury, based on recent history, the tower may crumble along with Richard’s chances at securing that coveted coaching promotion. However, if he is able to weather injuries and maintain a semblance of good to great defense in Lee’s absence, Richard will be awarded the keys to the defense for the foreseeable future.
Sanjay Lal
Amid reports indicating the Cowboys had a collection of poor route-running receiver, in their typical reactionary approach to building and maintaining a football team, the Cowboys front office acquired the services of route-running guru Sanjay Lal, and then proceeded to replace the players accused of route-running deficiencies with players who have good to great route-running on their resume. For some, that may seem like an over-correction; for those “some” I have no counter-argument.
Be that as it may, early reports indicate that the receivers appreciate Sanjay’s unique approach to teaching. Cole Beasley was recently quoted as saying, “It feels like the first time we’re actually being taught how to run routes instead of just naturally doing (it).” Apparently, Derek Dooley’s (former receivers coach) approach to route-running was to allow his receivers to run routes in whatever way felt “natural,” whereas Sanjay is diving deeper into the science behind manufacturing separation, placing special focus on feet position and balance particularly where the route breaks.
In response to reports that Beasley was “throwing shade” at his former coach, Beasley further explained that when a player gets to the professional level, coaches tend to expect you to already know the fundamentals of route running. Given how young the Cowboys receiver group is now, Lal is simply starting everyone on the basics and slowly graduating them from there to ensure everyone fully understands the standard and what he expects from each receiver on every route.
Sanjay’s resume seems a bit limited to be described as a “guru” (wide receivers coach for the Raiders from 2009-2011, following a stint as the quality control coach from 2007-2008 / 2012 wide receivers coach for New York Jets / 2017 wide receiver coach for the Indianapolis Colts) but I’ll allow the net proceeds of 2018 to tell that tale. In the meantime, I’m optimistic that by merit of a different voice and a collection of new young (if not spectacular) talent, propped up by what should be the best run game in the league, the Cowboys aerial attack will be at the very least serviceable.
That said, for coach Lal, accepting this challenge was a high risk/high reward gamble.
The situation: No clear #1 wide receiver in a room besieged by inexperience, off-the-field-issues, soon to be has-beens, and a history of season-ending injuries. A largely inexperienced group of tight ends that after cuts to the 53 man roster might collectively be better at blocking than receiving. And a quarterback that was reduced to a Check-Down-Charlie to close out 2017. If the Cowboys are able to dispel the notion of needing a #1 receiver this season with the ingredients he has in hand (in action not words), Lal will certainly be garnering a fair share of the credit, which should lead to bigger and better things in his future coaching career.
The tight rope Sanjay walks is similar to that of Kris; much of Sanjay’s performance in his new role hinges on Dak’s ability to showcase his successes by putting the ball where the receiver is supposed to be when they are supposed to be. If Dak or the receivers fail in their objective, everyone walks away from the play a failure…including coach Lal.
Rod Marinelli
I suspect Rod Marinelli is considering retirement at the close of 2018; call it a hunch. For that reason, I had initially planned to skip Marinelli in this series. After all, the whole concept here is to describe the tightrope much of the organization is walking in 2018. But if he plans on hanging up the whistle regardless, the only motivation left to him is likely to leave the defense in a better state of repair then what he found it in….which on paper he should be able to do with little to no effort.
In 2013, the year before he took over as defensive coordinator, the Cowboys ranked dead last (32nd) in average yards allowed per game. Last year, believe it or not, they ranked 8th, which was preceded by 14th in 2016, 17th in 2015, and in his first year (2014) he finished 19th. This gradual and measurable improvement the Cowboys defense has experienced under Marinelli’s direction has been despite the fact that the Cowboys as an organization has done very little in terms of adding talent to that side of the ball.
Nevertheless, being the entitled frontrunner fans that Cowboys nation tends to be, Marinelli has not been beyond our means to criticize. Calls for his immediate termination and accusations suggesting the game has past him by have been levied in his direction. Even I recently (somewhat jokingly, mind you) referred to him as an “antique roadshow coordinator.” But when you stop to look at the job he has done from an annual perspective, if anything Marinelli deserves our communal adoration and respect.
Be that as it may, Marinelli’s pseudo-tight rope could be a matter of being guilty by association. If he decides to keep on coaching, dependent on 2018 conclusion for the Cowboys, he may still be out of a job here in Dallas because the new head coach will likely want to bring in his own staff.
Scott Linehan
Football has been Scott Linehan’s life. His first coaching gig started at Beaverton Sunset High School in Oregon as the offensive coordinator from 1987 to 1988. In 1989 he moved to wide receivers coach for The University of Idaho, his Alma Mater where he was a quarterback from 1982 to 1985 (starting 1984 – 1985). In his illustrious career he has alternated between wide receiver/quarterback coach, offensive coordinator and was the Head Coach for the St. Louis Rams from 2006 to 2008. Say what you will of the oft-denigrated coach, his 30 years of coaching clearly places him beyond reproach from the likes of me, which if you are reading this, includes you too. I’m not saying you can’t criticize him; I just wouldn’t blame Linehan for turning a deaf-ear to it.
The problem we fans tend to have is the lack of access to team-dynamic context. To be fair to both Garrett and Linehan, we really don’t know who is responsible for what as it pertains to the offense. From the outside looking in, the Cowboys offensive playbook over the past two years with Dak behind center looks like a combination of what Garrett likes, Linehan likes and Dak likes. From one play to the next, it is hard to differentiate between the styles. Granted, the RPO and Read Option plays are Dak-specific innovations. The rest of the playbook however looks to be a conglomeration of Garrett and Linehan’s playbook.
If you stop to think about it, that is a difficult situation for a coordinator to navigate. Consider: If you were a coordinator calling plays from a playbook derived from your experience, the head coaches preferences and the starting QB’s predilection, how would you maintain balance when calling those plays? When it’s all on the line whose favorite play do you call? And if you believe in your own play more so than the inclinations of your Head Coach and quarterback, do you give their play choice credence despite it being your job on the line?
I hope you came hungry, because that’s a lot of food for thought.
If I have aptly taken the temperature of the front office, the Jones family’s collective supply of patience is close to an end with the Garrett administration. After watching the Eagles win a Super Bowl despite being granted every possible excuse to fold and fall short (they lost their starting QB to close the season for criminy sake and still won the Super Bowl), Garrett and his cohorts are fresh out of justifications. Like the aforementioned coordinators (Richard & Lal), Linehan’s job beyond 2018 hinges on player performance. Even if he manages to appear more creative, without execution from his players, he will likely be joining the rest of the current Cowboys coaching staff in the unemployment line.
Wrap It Up
In Volume 4, I will move back to breaking down players, but the recent resigning of Zack Martin hijacked my focus from player specific concerns to that of the organizational structure, what you see above being the result.
Volume I
Volume II
Front Office
I was going to leave them alone; after all, you’re not really walking a tight rope when afterhours you call your boss dad. Granted, the front office is peopled by more than just the Jones family, but unless your surname is “McClay” you really don’t matter…and if your name is McClay this isn’t about you…you are safer than Jerry (relatively speaking, anyway).
The Cowboys have 3 offensive lineman who when the ink of their signature was still wet, they were at that time just made the highest paid player at their position ultimately being recognized as the best at their craft in the NFL. Aside from how uncommon it must be to have 3 guys nationally recognized to be (arguably) the best at what they do all on the same offensive line, I have begun to question how wise that is in terms of cap considerations and where money is best spent on a team.
The first important consideration before answering that question is the fact that there is not a set formula as it pertains to managing the cap. People will try to tell you where successful teams have spent their money in the past and then try to sell that to the masses as the secret formula to success. That, my friends, is a stinking lump of garbage and here’s why:
Quite simply, different schemes demand different spending. If you want to compare and contrast schemes, that’s a different conversation involving a different set of Cowboys employees; namely Garrett, Linehan and Marinelli.
The Cowboys are a run first team, so on the surface it makes sense to devote resources to the offensive line. But, do the Cowboys have to have the best of the best up front to win? That is the question. The Cowboys didn’t have to resign Zack. They could have asked him to play out his contract and said adios when he turned Free Agent, looking to draft his replacement in the next few years. Before you kill me for even thinking it, understand, I’m not necessarily advocating that move, just wondering if in hindsight a few years from now will the Cowboys organization regret the expense? For what it’s worth, I would have resigned him to and would have likely got fleeced in the process by comparison.
The amount of money the Cowboys have devoted to their offensive line, teamed with the amount of money they will have to hand Dak in a year, compounded by the money they may have to hand Demarcus Lawrence (to say nothing of the upcoming potential contract for Zeke) very much means they will eventually have to take shortcuts elsewhere on the roster. Clearly the Cowboys recognize this necessity now as evidenced by the departure from the have-to-have-a-clear-#1-receiver concept that the Cowboys have been handcuffed to for the last quarter century. But what position will the Cowboys be forced to pop some tags for next? And will it be worth it in the long run?
Kris Richard
I believe there has been quite a bit of misinformation pumped out in regards to the Cowboys new secondary coach; I’m not sure it is fair to call Richard the original architect of The Legion of Boom. He coached them, yes, but he had little to do with drafting them and I suspect most people, (particularly in Seattle) would credit the defensive coordinator at the time (Dan Quinn, now head coach for the Atlanta Falcons), when they earned that designation, as the guy responsible for what was likely the best Seattle defense in the history of that team.
Kris Richard was gifted that side of the ball when Dan Quinn took the Atlanta head coach job following the 2015 season when the Seahawks made an appearance in and lost the Super Bowl against the Patriots. Since taking over, the Seattle defense has gradually and noticeably declined in overall performance; 2015 finished the regular season ranked #2 in yards allowed per game, 2016 - #5, 2017 - #11. To be fair, that decline was paralleled by their personnel getting older and more prone to injury, as well…so I’m not suggesting Richard was the only common denominator to their deterioration from 2015 to present.
I quickly cover that basis because as a result of the hype currently surrounding Richard, some Cowboys fans may be in for an egregious disappointment. The Seahawks certainly got lucky on a few acquisitions on the defensive side of the ball (Kam Chancellor found in the fifth round of the 2010 draft) but they also devoted far more resources (draft capital and free agency dollars) towards their defense than the Cowboys have in quite some time. So to expect Richard to come in to Dallas and beget Legion of Boom level returns, would be like expecting a professional baker to make his best cake using an out-of-the-box cake mix.
After witnessing this year’s defensive draft class talk to Richard last when they received the call that allocated them to the Dallas Cowboys, most came to the logical conclusion that Richard is the defensive coordinator (DC) in-waiting. Furthermore, the personnel changes the Cowboys have made (such as converting Byron from Safety back to Corner) suggest Richard is getting what he ask for; why would the Cowboys make a change that the next DC may want to reverse? Better to give the DC of tomorrow what he wants now so by the time he takes the title he will be well on his way to converting the defense into his ideal image.
The upcoming season will be Richard’s final interview for the job. The predominant hurdle Kris faces is the potential of injury to Sean Lee. Sean Lee is the load-bearing piece that keeps the Jenga tower that is the Cowboys defense standing and respectable. Should they have to pull Lee due to injury, based on recent history, the tower may crumble along with Richard’s chances at securing that coveted coaching promotion. However, if he is able to weather injuries and maintain a semblance of good to great defense in Lee’s absence, Richard will be awarded the keys to the defense for the foreseeable future.
Sanjay Lal
Amid reports indicating the Cowboys had a collection of poor route-running receiver, in their typical reactionary approach to building and maintaining a football team, the Cowboys front office acquired the services of route-running guru Sanjay Lal, and then proceeded to replace the players accused of route-running deficiencies with players who have good to great route-running on their resume. For some, that may seem like an over-correction; for those “some” I have no counter-argument.
Be that as it may, early reports indicate that the receivers appreciate Sanjay’s unique approach to teaching. Cole Beasley was recently quoted as saying, “It feels like the first time we’re actually being taught how to run routes instead of just naturally doing (it).” Apparently, Derek Dooley’s (former receivers coach) approach to route-running was to allow his receivers to run routes in whatever way felt “natural,” whereas Sanjay is diving deeper into the science behind manufacturing separation, placing special focus on feet position and balance particularly where the route breaks.
In response to reports that Beasley was “throwing shade” at his former coach, Beasley further explained that when a player gets to the professional level, coaches tend to expect you to already know the fundamentals of route running. Given how young the Cowboys receiver group is now, Lal is simply starting everyone on the basics and slowly graduating them from there to ensure everyone fully understands the standard and what he expects from each receiver on every route.
Sanjay’s resume seems a bit limited to be described as a “guru” (wide receivers coach for the Raiders from 2009-2011, following a stint as the quality control coach from 2007-2008 / 2012 wide receivers coach for New York Jets / 2017 wide receiver coach for the Indianapolis Colts) but I’ll allow the net proceeds of 2018 to tell that tale. In the meantime, I’m optimistic that by merit of a different voice and a collection of new young (if not spectacular) talent, propped up by what should be the best run game in the league, the Cowboys aerial attack will be at the very least serviceable.
That said, for coach Lal, accepting this challenge was a high risk/high reward gamble.
The situation: No clear #1 wide receiver in a room besieged by inexperience, off-the-field-issues, soon to be has-beens, and a history of season-ending injuries. A largely inexperienced group of tight ends that after cuts to the 53 man roster might collectively be better at blocking than receiving. And a quarterback that was reduced to a Check-Down-Charlie to close out 2017. If the Cowboys are able to dispel the notion of needing a #1 receiver this season with the ingredients he has in hand (in action not words), Lal will certainly be garnering a fair share of the credit, which should lead to bigger and better things in his future coaching career.
The tight rope Sanjay walks is similar to that of Kris; much of Sanjay’s performance in his new role hinges on Dak’s ability to showcase his successes by putting the ball where the receiver is supposed to be when they are supposed to be. If Dak or the receivers fail in their objective, everyone walks away from the play a failure…including coach Lal.
Rod Marinelli
I suspect Rod Marinelli is considering retirement at the close of 2018; call it a hunch. For that reason, I had initially planned to skip Marinelli in this series. After all, the whole concept here is to describe the tightrope much of the organization is walking in 2018. But if he plans on hanging up the whistle regardless, the only motivation left to him is likely to leave the defense in a better state of repair then what he found it in….which on paper he should be able to do with little to no effort.
In 2013, the year before he took over as defensive coordinator, the Cowboys ranked dead last (32nd) in average yards allowed per game. Last year, believe it or not, they ranked 8th, which was preceded by 14th in 2016, 17th in 2015, and in his first year (2014) he finished 19th. This gradual and measurable improvement the Cowboys defense has experienced under Marinelli’s direction has been despite the fact that the Cowboys as an organization has done very little in terms of adding talent to that side of the ball.
Nevertheless, being the entitled frontrunner fans that Cowboys nation tends to be, Marinelli has not been beyond our means to criticize. Calls for his immediate termination and accusations suggesting the game has past him by have been levied in his direction. Even I recently (somewhat jokingly, mind you) referred to him as an “antique roadshow coordinator.” But when you stop to look at the job he has done from an annual perspective, if anything Marinelli deserves our communal adoration and respect.
Be that as it may, Marinelli’s pseudo-tight rope could be a matter of being guilty by association. If he decides to keep on coaching, dependent on 2018 conclusion for the Cowboys, he may still be out of a job here in Dallas because the new head coach will likely want to bring in his own staff.
Scott Linehan
Football has been Scott Linehan’s life. His first coaching gig started at Beaverton Sunset High School in Oregon as the offensive coordinator from 1987 to 1988. In 1989 he moved to wide receivers coach for The University of Idaho, his Alma Mater where he was a quarterback from 1982 to 1985 (starting 1984 – 1985). In his illustrious career he has alternated between wide receiver/quarterback coach, offensive coordinator and was the Head Coach for the St. Louis Rams from 2006 to 2008. Say what you will of the oft-denigrated coach, his 30 years of coaching clearly places him beyond reproach from the likes of me, which if you are reading this, includes you too. I’m not saying you can’t criticize him; I just wouldn’t blame Linehan for turning a deaf-ear to it.
The problem we fans tend to have is the lack of access to team-dynamic context. To be fair to both Garrett and Linehan, we really don’t know who is responsible for what as it pertains to the offense. From the outside looking in, the Cowboys offensive playbook over the past two years with Dak behind center looks like a combination of what Garrett likes, Linehan likes and Dak likes. From one play to the next, it is hard to differentiate between the styles. Granted, the RPO and Read Option plays are Dak-specific innovations. The rest of the playbook however looks to be a conglomeration of Garrett and Linehan’s playbook.
If you stop to think about it, that is a difficult situation for a coordinator to navigate. Consider: If you were a coordinator calling plays from a playbook derived from your experience, the head coaches preferences and the starting QB’s predilection, how would you maintain balance when calling those plays? When it’s all on the line whose favorite play do you call? And if you believe in your own play more so than the inclinations of your Head Coach and quarterback, do you give their play choice credence despite it being your job on the line?
I hope you came hungry, because that’s a lot of food for thought.
If I have aptly taken the temperature of the front office, the Jones family’s collective supply of patience is close to an end with the Garrett administration. After watching the Eagles win a Super Bowl despite being granted every possible excuse to fold and fall short (they lost their starting QB to close the season for criminy sake and still won the Super Bowl), Garrett and his cohorts are fresh out of justifications. Like the aforementioned coordinators (Richard & Lal), Linehan’s job beyond 2018 hinges on player performance. Even if he manages to appear more creative, without execution from his players, he will likely be joining the rest of the current Cowboys coaching staff in the unemployment line.
Wrap It Up
In Volume 4, I will move back to breaking down players, but the recent resigning of Zack Martin hijacked my focus from player specific concerns to that of the organizational structure, what you see above being the result.
