Why Dallas will be better next season

[sonnyboy]

I'm 100% convinced we will be a better team in 2010. Perhaps the best in Football provided a few things break our way.

Injuries are a given, but I don't think we need to have as few as we had in 2009. We just need to avoid the killer ones to critical guys.

We were just soooo much better in Dec than Sept, you'd have to think it will carry over to 2010.

What I'm most excited about:

Felix Jones. Plenty of examples out there of young players who battled injuries for a year or two and finally broke through. I believe Jones' injury prone days are over.
And that's huge because he'll be a real game changer for us.

Ware/Ratliff/Spencer and Jenkins/Newman/Scandrick.
Truth be told. Ware wasn't 100% for most of the season and Spencer didn't break through til the 2nd half.
The thought of those three pressure players combined with our outstanding three cover corners is scary good.
We've yet to see the best of our defense. It was real good in 2009, I hoping for #1 in 2010.

Ogletree. I've been drinking the O-tree kool-aid since preseason. I always trust what I see in preseason when I'm not looking for it.
Kind of like Romo in 2006. I had no expectations of any kind. So when he blew my doors off, I trusted what I was seeing.
That's what I got from Ogletree. All be it on a more limited scale.
But I see what I see. And that's a starting caliber WR that can reallly make a difference.
Not an All-Pro or HOF guy. But a real good player. Maybe as good as Austin. The only question is is willing to put in the work. But that's a question any young player must answer.
I predict he's our day one starter opposite Austin.

 

[MichaelWinicki]

Real good OP. I don't think we need to upgrade even one staring spot. What we do need to do is upgrade the 4 reserve spots. That's the key for me.

It's a lot to ask, but I really want at least three players who are practically no downgrade if called on to replace an injured starter.

We will get more OL injuries in 2010. Take it to the bank. We must have quality players to step in.

It will also go along way toward turning over the starting 5 through the next few years.

The starting five aren't good.

There are weak links. Denver, GB, Minnesota.

They overwhelmed this offensive line.

For this to be a SB winner, it needs a better offensive line.

 

[sonnyboy]

The starting five aren't good.

There are weak links. Denver, GB, Minnesota.

They overwhelmed this offensive line.

For this to be a SB winner, it needs a better offensive line.

Sure they are. They're just not very good and as a unit pale in comparison to the rest of the team.

We did play 15 other games this year. This OL looked great at times. Times when Romo had all day and times when we were gashing defenses with the run.

Problem is how do we get better. You look at each guy objectively and you find more good than bad. I think coaching was/is a negative factor here.

But I'm all in favor of improving.
You think we draft someone at 25, who steps right in and starts........great I hope so.
You think some teams lets a high quality starter walk via FA in an uncapped year. Maybe, hope so and I know we should be all over that.

I just don't see any single one of our five starters as a must be replaced guy this off season. Or at least a must be released.
All five are under contract and all five should come back to compete. I just hope they face good competition and we end up with quality depth.

 

[T-RO]

Nice post but there are 25 or 28 fanbases that can make equally legitimate (or better) cases for their team's improvement.

We were fortunate to have good health...esp. in December. You won't always have that.

 

[Cover 2]

If the offensive line is upgraded by two positions I think there is a great chance for improvement.

It it is upgraded by one position, then a little improvement could be expected.

No changes on the starting 5 of the oline and I would not expect to see any improvement.

Which two did you have in mind?

I would think Free at RT and (hopefully) Mike Iupati at LG, but I would settle for another draft pick at guard, assuming he's not a reach.

 

[Doomsay]

Yeah, I find it interesting that Jerry will start Roy Williams, one of the most unproductive starting receivers in the league (receptions/snap) while simultaneously cutting Flo.

 

[gimmesix]

Ogletree. I've been drinking the O-tree kool-aid since preseason.

I'm sorry, but that is known as "Eating from the Ogletree."

 

[gimmesix]

Nice post but there are 25 or 28 fanbases that can make equally legitimate (or better) cases for their team's improvement.

We were fortunate to have good health...esp. in December. You won't always have that.

There are some, but I don't know if it's close to that many. How many teams found a stud (Pro Bowl) receiver during the season? How many teams didn't decide on a starting corner until after the season began?

The Jets are one of the few that can say they had a back come on to make as much of a late impact as Felix.

There were not many teams that closed as strong as Dallas did, and that was a result of all those things coming together at that time.

 

[gimmesix]

Sure they are. They're just not very good and as a unit pale in comparison to the rest of the team.

We did play 15 other games this year. This OL looked great at times. Times when Romo had all day and times when we were gashing defenses with the run.

There is no doubt this offensive line will shine for much of the season like it did this year, and then have trouble with the best defenses as usual if no changes are made.

I believe we can succeed despite that, but it certainly makes it more difficult.

 

[zrinkill]

I'm sorry, but that is known as "Eating from the Ogletree."

:laugh2:

I will have to remember that one.

 

[gimmesix]

:laugh2:

I will have to remember that one.

That belongs to Ray Sherman and our receivers from when Sherman was miked up during one of the preseason games. Ogletree made a big catch, and the receivers and Sherman celebrated by saying, "Don't eat from the Ogletree."

 

[Jimz31]

Great post.

Agree on virtually everything....

Man, I just wish that FJ and Austin were in from the beginning and the defense was clicking in the beginning as well. Who knows how things would have stacked up had that been the case. At least it SEEMS that JG got a clue about FJ towards the end of the season.

Agreed about D-Ware. The guy just wasn't right from the beginning. He was getting stopped in one-on-one blocking too many times this year. I watch him on virtually every play and was surprised how much teams were NOT doubling or even chipping on him. I think that once his leg is 100% and he trusts it, we can expect another 15+ sacks from him with quite possibly 12-15 for Spencer as well. If Spencer keeps progressing and D-Ware enters the season @ 100%, we'll have a great pass rush.

 

[gimmesix]

If Spencer keeps progressing and D-Ware enters the season @ 100%, we'll have a great pass rush.

Victor Butler showed some promise as well, and I hold out hope for Brandon Williams because Phillips is pretty good at finding linebackers (and he didn't look bad for the short time we saw him in the preseason). Another player who could add to that is Curtis Johnson. Johnson has shown some pass rush ability in the league, but needs development as a 3-4 linebacker.

It would be nice to have some players who could step in for Spencer and Ware at times and add to the pass rush. (Plus, if one of them really steps up, we can dust off the Cowboy package we used with Ellis, Ware and Spencer.)