Where are the Cowboys old?

[Baileyneverfailey]

It peeves me to no end when people act like the Cowboys are so old at every position. Let's look at the guys who are going to get a lot of play time, in theory, since the roster is not set yet. These are the guys I think will be the starters by season's end.

Flozell Adams
Larry Allen
Al Johnson
Marco Rivera
Rob Petitti
Drew Bledsoe
Jason Witten
Keyshawn Johnson
Terry Glenn
Lousaka Polite
Julius Jones

So on offense, we have both our wide receivers over 30. Newsflash, Marvin Harrison is 33. Keenan Mcardell is like 36. We can draft a guy high next year, and in 2 years he'll be starting and it's all good, Key and Glenn will still be capable of playing then too. The QB is 33, OMFG. That's in a QBs prime. Remind me about Elway winning 2 in a row at 36/37. And show me and offensive line that is all 25 year olds and i'll show you an offensive line that doesn't have 3 pro bowlers.

On to defense:

Marcus Spears
Jason Ferguson/Laroi Glover
Chris Canty
Demarcus Ware
Bradie James
Dat Nguyen
Kevin Burnett
Terence Newman
Anthony Henry
Roy Williams
Keith Davis

This is the part that's insane. The DTs and Nguyen are the ony guys above 28. Tell me that's not young. And try to tell me Fergy and Glover are not in their primes. And there are maybe 5 teams in the NFL that wouldn't love to have Nguyen starting for them.

It just drives me insane that everyone acts like we're an old team. Basically, both starting Wideouts are 31 and 33 so everyone thinks we have no fast young skill position players. Oh well, we'll see if Julius and Witten aren't tanning in Hawaii in February.

 

[parchy]

For the most part, you're preaching to the converted... BUT, 33 is not a quarterbacks' prime. I can't agree there. If a QB has his best years in the 33-36 range, they are the exception, not the rule. Bledsoe is certainly not in his prime because... well... he sucks.

And you mentioned a couple of old wide receivers... Harrison is clearly an exception (not to mention he wouldn't be nearly as effective without the best QB in the NFL throwing to him) and McCardell is a bad example since injury problems seem to be catching up with his age. There are no bones about it: Glenn and Keyshawn are old... period. However you want to take that, it's fine... but you need to accept that our #1 and #2 wide outs are old.

It seems to me that you're rather insecure about having an old team. There's nothing wrong with having a large contingent of 'older' players on your team... while the Cowboys aren't really that old, there's nothing wrong with having an offense like, say, the Chiefs. Their starting running back and quarterback are both well 'over the hill' and yet they still manage Top 5 in the NFL in points scored every year. How good your offense is really doesn't have much to do with how old your players are, but rather what you do with that age.

 

[Cbz40]

The age of the OL (Starters) LA, Flo, Rivera....The replacements need to be in place within the next couple of years if not already.

As you mentioned , the WR is the next area of concern.

 

[zagnut]

I agree with Cbz40 except to say OL guys seem to be one of the few positions where the term "grizzled vet" is not damning with faint praise. I like 2 or 3 older guys on a line. They've seen everything there is to see, know how to take care of themselves, and are always prepared. We do need to pick up some guys behind them though.

Larry will retire sooner than later and right now everyone behind him is a major drop off in talent. Maybe Torrin Tucker will eventually move inside. He doesn't seem to operate well on the edge but has the tools for guard. I feel we could pick up one of the stud left tackles in the draft next year, break 'em in at guard and Flo will eventually move to the right side where he'd be dominant. Though Petitti might make that moot.

WR is old but the position is underutilized in a Parcells team. We will not spend a high pick on replacing Key or Terry. When he need one, he'll go out and get one via FA or get solid guys in the middle to late rounds (i.e., Patrick Crayton, Troy Brown, Wayne Chrebet, etc.).

NT might need someone in 2 or 3 years. It's harder than it should be to find a real good one.

 

[Sarge]

I don't think it's unreasonable to say we have an older team.

Bledsoe is on the downside, KJ is on the downside, Allen is on the downside, Rivera is on the downside, Flo is on the downside, Glenn is on the downside to name a few.

 

[Baileyneverfailey]

I understand our wideouts are older than maybe we'd like them to be, but we had too many holes to fill in one offseason to do anything about that just yet. Really all i'm saying is it seems some people want to act like all we're putting on the field is old former Parcells players, et al, and on defense it couldn't be further from the truth.

 

[MichaelWinicki]

I don't think it's unreasonable to say we have an older team.

Bledsoe is on the downside, KJ is on the downside, Allen is on the downside, Rivera is on the downside, Flo is on the downside, Glenn is on the downside to name a few.

Well said. In my mind that's what keeps this team from being a legit SB contender... Too much downhill.

 

[LaTunaNostra]

Well said. In my mind that's what keeps this team from being a legit SB contender... Too much downhill.

And when Bill came in it was almost all uphill ...as well as some considerable down.

Mike, the roster today as opposed to two years ago?

I see BIG improvement. HUGE improvement.

 

[devman90]

It was mostly said last year, when we had Testaverde and George in the back feild, not to mention Anderson as well. Plus Keyshawn is rather old for a WR. But youth has been shot into the team this offseason

 

[MichaelWinicki]

And when Bill came in it was almost all uphill ...as well as some considerable down.

Mike, the roster today as opposed to two years ago?

I see BIG improvement. HUGE improvement.

I agree with everything you've said B. And it shows how much more we have to go and actually how far we were when Bill got here. I know I never expected this to be a SB contender in Bill's third season here.

 

[dbair1967]

I don't think it's unreasonable to say we have an older team.

Bledsoe is on the downside, KJ is on the downside, Allen is on the downside, Rivera is on the downside, Flo is on the downside, Glenn is on the downside to name a few.

Rivera's been to the last 3 or 4 probowls hasnt he? Adams to the last two...Glenn was having a great yr last yr before injury...how are any of these guy on downsides?

david

 

[EveryoneElse]

I don't think we're too old as a whole. We're too old at important positions. Our QB for one has already BEEN on the downside of his career. KJ and Glenn are both still producing when healthy but for how much longer? Larry Allen, Flozell Adams, and Marco Rivera have all seen their better days, yet all are still fine players. Then I think all those are magnified by the age of our Head Coach. Nobody really knows when BP is gunna just up and retire. Could be after this season or it could be in 2 or 3 years. The offense is old, imo. I'm not so worried about the age of the defense. How much longer can these older players be productive? They will all hit a wall. Lets just hope it's not at the same time.

 

[Smith22]

Rivera's been to the last 3 or 4 probowls hasnt he? Adams to the last two...Glenn was having a great yr last yr before injury...how are any of these guy on downsides?

david

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/players/3515/career Numbers and injuries speaks for themselves.

Rivera is in his 10th year, 33 years old, I wouldn't say he is going to improve much from this point. Hopefully he gets healthy and plays 3 years or so of solid football before dropping off too much. Look at Larry Allen for example, sure, he still gets it done, but he isn't close to what he used to be, and he is turning 34 this year.