What made the team get worse in the off season?

[ufcrules1]

Most of the time a rookie QB is going to complete about 55% of his passes and will be lucky if he has more TD's and picks.

The sucky rookie starters FAR OUTNUMBER the RG3/Andew Luck's of the world. I'm not even going to bother researching it because all of us know it's true.

Yeah, so that means it is impossible for a rookie to succeed. We are doomed when a rookie takes over! We will have no chance to ever go 8-8 again.

 

[jrumann59]

I hear what you are saying, and I agree. But beyond what we could expect from Ware this year, I think this was more of a business decision...and a good one at that. The only contract that Ware would sign would eventually have cap implications that the Cowboys did not want to have to continue to contend with. Second, Lawrence would not get the development that he needs. So, while it very well may mean that the Cowboys suffer as a result of losing Ware early on, for the future of this team, it was a necessary evil.

I had zero issues logically with the move, I may have had nostalgic reasons to be against it. But in the long run it is what was best for the team.

 

[peplaw06]

IMO our offseason at best can be seen as treading water on defense and drafting a new starting G. If you're not progressing in this league, you're getting passed up.

 

[jrumann59]

IMO our offseason at best can be seen as treading water on defense and drafting a new starting G. If you're not progressing in this league, you're getting passed up.

I can see that but if our line is full of number 2s and stay healthy it will be better than the 3s and 4s we marched out there last season.

 

[peplaw06]

I can see that but if our line is full of number 2s and stay healthy it will be better than the 3s and 4s we marched out there last season.

We're gonna have injuries... it happens every year. If it's not DL, it will be somewhere else. We didn't have good depth last year, and I don't see good depth right now.

 

[jday]

I had zero issues logically with the move, I may have had nostalgic reasons to be against it. But in the long run it is what was best for the team.

The only jersey I own his Ware's; so I have my own set of issues to deal with...

 

[MichaelWinicki]

Yeah, so that means it is impossible for a rookie to succeed. We are doomed when a rookie takes over! We will have no chance to ever go 8-8 again.

Obviously you're the type that goes to the casino because you view it as a money-making opportunity.

 

[jrumann59]

We're gonna have injuries... it happens every year. If it's not DL, it will be somewhere else. We didn't have good depth last year, and I don't see good depth right now.

I agree injuries happen but to lose pretty much your whole front four to injury at some point is down right unlucky and borders on highly unlikely so I do not see it happening again. Then throw in the issue with injuries with 2 of the 3 linebacker spots you have very little to cover deficiencies.

 

[MichaelWinicki]

We're gonna have injuries... it happens every year. If it's not DL, it will be somewhere else. We didn't have good depth last year, and I don't see good depth right now.

Not to that extent on the defensive line... that was unprecedented in its scope and veracity.

 

[jrumann59]

The only jersey I own his Ware's; so I have my own set of issues to deal with...

Think that is bad, bought a TO jersey Gone, bought a miles one gone, bought a romo one, a d-ware one, witten and bryant bought my wife MB3 jersey. I was going to by a Lee one but I have stopped buying Cowboys jerseys. I started buying St. Louis Cardinals Jerseys instead and that has paid off better.

 

[DFWJC]

Seahawks managed without having a Ware or Hatcher caliber player.

Treading water maybe if the most injury riddled team in NFL had been injury free last year and we did participate in the draft this year.

Otherwise....

 

[peplaw06]

I agree injuries happen but to lose pretty much your whole front four to injury at some point is down right unlucky and borders on highly unlikely so I do not see it happening again. Then throw in the issue with injuries with 2 of the 3 linebacker spots you have very little to cover deficiencies.

Not to that extent on the defensive line... that was unprecedented in its scope and veracity.

We had three major injuries on the DL... two to starters. The rest was a combination of not having sufficient depth and dumpster diving. Of course those guys working at Home Depot in the offseason aren't going to be in playing shape. Using those injuries as excuses is lame.

EDIT: Actually, using any injuries as excuses is lame. You can't just assume we're going to be healthier this year.

 

[daveferr33]

The predictions by fans of this team everywhere bottomed out during the off season. For several years fans and writers have criticized the team for over paying 30+yr old players and for not rebuilding the trenches and gambling on other teams has beens to build the O-line. The team has systematically been reversing those things but for some reason the consensus is that it will bottom out this year not during the last 6-10 season that started the process that got the team to this point.

I believe in the old cliche "If your not getting better your getting worse".


What ways has this team gotten worse than the 8-8 team from last year?

You seem to suggest that 2010 marked a low point for the franchise--it had bottomed out to a 6-10 club, fired its HC, and has since been "systematically" reversing trends that led to that lowpoint--investing in the trenches and jettisoning over priced and over aged vets.

Although not popular, I see things a bit differently. I see the team as having been built into a burgeoning contender during the Parcells era, a missed opportunity to capitalize on that in 2007, and then the inevitable decline of a franchise that lacks an overall vision of how to build a successful contender (i.e., Jerry 2.0).

From that viewpoint, the question isn't what has the team done to get worse, its what have they done to stop the downward trajectory. The answer is at best mixed; that they have not done enough to change the trajectory in 2014, but may have laid the foundation to get better in the future.

 

[jrumann59]

We had three major injuries on the DL... two to starters. The rest was a combination of not having sufficient depth and dumpster diving. Of course those guys working at Home Depot in the offseason aren't going to be in playing shape. Using those injuries as excuses is lame.

No having Spencer, hurt, having ware fade in and out of the lineup hurt, losing a starter/rotation guy in crawford hurt. Having deficient LB play because of injury hurt at SLB and later at MLB. This fornt seven would have been much better if we did not lose Lee and crawford or Spencer last year

 

[Mr Cowboy]

Depth on the interior DL will certainly help develop a rotation, pending good health. But for about the 10th year in a row, the safety position was ignored. We haven't had an NFL starting caliber safety in that period of time, and once again it will haunt this team again.

 

[MichaelWinicki]

We had three major injuries on the DL... two to starters. The rest was a combination of not having sufficient depth and dumpster diving. Of course those guys working at Home Depot in the offseason aren't going to be in playing shape. Using those injuries as excuses is lame.

EDIT: Actually, using any injuries as excuses is lame. You can't just assume we're going to be healthier this year.

If you want to place a bet on if the Cowboys are going to use 20 defensive lineman again... I'll take the under.

There's a difference between having a "normal" amount of injuries and having an unprecedented number of injuries.

 

[TwoDeep3]

No defensive front pressure.

Leads to corners covering too long and the passing game rips Dallas like last year.

Romo's back, which I believe is perhaps more of a concern than many others do. Babe Laufenberg said about a month ago Romo will not play all sixteen and this is the beginning of the end for him.

Witten - has he lost a little something?

Escobar - can he take up the slack?

Line should be better, but are they smart enough to run the ball more and protect the passing game?

TWill - this is a lynchpin spot for me. Can he step up and make a leap from last year? If less, then the offense improved a great deal. If he has games where he disappears, then more of the same. That same was good, but not good enough to offset the defense.

Still no free safety. Still. None. Playing a SS out of position. Still.

Coaching - I don't buy Marinelli can take a can of tomato soup and make it a defensive pro bowler. Can he motivate? Yep. Does that mean guy plays above his head? Not to me.

I think the team got worse on defense and it's a toss up about offense.

But I also think the schedule plays a part in this and that may be one of the most brutal ones I can remember of late. Even with last years offense I dn't see anything better than 8-8. But frankly I think this will be a 5-11 team.

 

[jday]

Think that is bad, bought a TO jersey Gone, bought a miles one gone, bought a romo one, a d-ware one, witten and bryant bought my wife MB3 jersey. I was going to by a Lee one but I have stopped buying Cowboys jerseys. I started buying St. Louis Cardinals Jerseys instead and that has paid off better.

Yep. You win.

 

[HoosierCowboy]

If we stay healthy we are better, period. We have better D and O coordinators and depth on both lines. And I won't be looking so you whiny complainers save you "buts."

 

[big dog cowboy]

I think the team got worse on defense

For the life of me I just don't get this. I've tried looking at this several ways and each time I see a better defense. Our day 1 defense will be better than anything we put on the field the last few games by a lot not a little.