Why did we draft Zeke so high if RB is not needed to win a SB?

[PA Cowboy Fan]

calm down guys. It wouldn't be Dallas if not for the Drama. lol.. All is well.

Yea. Chances are Zeke will show up and things will be back to normal. Season hasn't even started yet and it sounds like a playoff loss around here. lol

 

[Whirlwin]

Welcome to Jerry's world LOL

 

[PA Cowboy Fan]

Welcome to Jerry's world LOL

This is what Jerry likes. Aren't you entertained? lol

 

[OmerV]

The good fortune came in the fact that the Oakland Raiders went stupid and took Connor Cook before us in the 4th round.

That was good fortune, sure, although the Cowboys might have been able to move up had they been that convinced on Cook. And that didn’t guarantee Dak wouldn’t be a total dud. All a team can do is make the best choice it can at the time their pick is up, and hope it works out.

 

[Sydla]

That was good fortune, sure, although the Cowboys might have been able to move up had they been that convinced on Cook. And that didn’t guarantee Dak wouldn’t be a total dud. All a team can do is make the best choice it can at the time their pick is up, and hope it works out.

Sure but in the end, the Cowboy simply got lucky with Dak. It happens. The Pats essentially got lucky taking a late round QB who turned out to be arguably the greatest ever.

 

[Diehardblues]

It’s a good question. Drafting Zeke at #4 overall was a mistake.

Yep and many of us argued it at the time since we had a QB who didn’t need that much Elite supporting cast. And the loss of Murray and it’s impact early in 2015 presented a perception we needed Elite RB to couple with OL.

But we had greater needs on defense and probably could have found a solid RB in 2nd round. I think Henry was one I lobbied for. I also lobbied to take a QB higher that year as well.

But when you miss as often as we had in 1st round I think we went with safe pick. Plus we were building for Romo who probably knew didn’t have 5 years left anyway.

So we weren’t really worried about having to resign him at some point. And I’m still not sure now if we had intentions to extend him after his off field issues intending to maximize him for two serious runs these next couple years. And another factor in him wanting paid now.

 

[Rayman70]

I hear the circus music in the background lol

 

[OmerV]

Sure but in the end, the Cowboy simply got lucky with Dak. It happens. The Pats essentially got lucky taking a late round QB who turned out to be arguably the greatest ever.

Absolutely it took some things shaking out just right, but my point is simply that they still had a choice on who they took, and if they had made a different choice none of those things would have mattered.

 

[Avery]

We probably didn't see Zeke holding out not one, but two years before he was even due a second contract.

I'm actually okay with this to a degree as it will show what Pollard can do.

 

[kskboys]

It’s a good question. Drafting Zeke at #4 overall was a mistake.

Why do you feel as if you can state this unequivocally? Who are you suggesting, extreme knucklehead Ramsey?

 

[The Natural]

Zeke's holdout is problematic to Dallas because we have nearly 36 contracts ending at the end of this season. Including four star players. (Jones,Dak,Smith,and Cooper) That's a lot of signing bonuses to pay out in one year. So, in my opinion, it's not that they dont want to make him the highest paid. It's just the timing is all wrong.

Jones is far from a "star" and that joker Dak isn't worth the price tag. Zeke, Jaylon, and Cooper are the only guys you mentioned worth the dough.

 

[Idgit]

Why do you feel as if you can state this unequivocally? Who are you suggesting, extreme knucklehead Ramsey?

Because there’s a cap on how valuable a RB can be, and that cap is lower than the value that was on the board when we picked.

My preference going into that draft was: Bosa, Ramsey (we lost three ‘starting’ DBs that offseason), trade down, then Zeke.

Zeke’s been a fantastic player. But his position, his suspension history, and his tendency to get into trouble all work against him long-term.

 

[kskboys]

Because there’s a cap on how valuable a RB can be, and that cap is lower than the value that was on the board when we picked.

My preference going into that draft was: Bosa, Ramsey (we lost three ‘starting’ DBs that offseason), trade down, then Zeke.

Zeke’s been a fantastic player. But his position, his suspension history, and his tendency to get into trouble all work against him long-term.

That sounds like a self-imposed cap on RB's to me. I do not believe there's this low cap on RB's. NE certainly doesn't think so. They took another one this last draft in the 2nd round.

 

[Vinnie2u]

A whole lotta people here hated the pick. Including me. Trade down was the obvious choice.

 

[kskboys]

A whole lotta people here hated the pick. Including me. Trade down was the obvious choice.

I was also pro-trade down. However, Zeke is a generational talent. So, I'd say offhand that it was very very far from an obvious choice. The obvious choice was taking a generational RB who completely changes the way D's have to play you.

And exactly what were all these trade down offers? I wasn't aware that they were being thrown around.

 

[Proof]

IMO the Cowboys were thinking short term with that pick.
Romo was coming back in 2016 "healthy" and Dez was coming off that foot injury.

Zeke was that can't miss instant production. IMO I think they were gunshy on taking another CB that high.

Edit I think the thing holding up the contract is guarantees and what can void certain guarantees. I think SJ may be treating Zeke as another Dez and wants an out if he goofs up again.

yup. He was a perfect compliment to Romo (from a weapon AND blocking perspective ) and also was arguably the best prospect at the pick.


But then they backdoored it with Jaylon which confused me to no end.

 

[Proof]

Because the Jones' panicked and misread the 2015 season.

After the 2014 season when they essentially held firm on what they wanted to pay Murray, they argued that they didn't or wouldn't invest a lot of money or resources into the TB position because their analysis showed RBs tend to essentially deteriorate at a certain age and after certain use. So they wouldn't budge on Murray.

Then the 2015 season happened, they thought they needed that running game to pair with Romo and the rest is history. They mistakenly thought that what was missing from the team after 2015 was a running game but that really wasn't their problem.

It wasn’t a mistake to think that. The running game is huge.

 

[Vinnie2u]

I was also pro-trade down. However, Zeke is a generational talent. So, I'd say offhand that it was very very far from an obvious choice. The obvious choice was taking a generational RB who completely changes the way D's have to play you.

And exactly what were all these trade down offers? I wasn't aware that they were being thrown around.

Nobody knows if there were or not offers. Like another poster said we had Claiborne, Carr to replace. Ramsey is who I wanted.

 

[Little Jr]

We drafted Zeke with a top 5 pick because we felt he could be f'ing Superman behind this offensive line. Well, we were right, Zeke has been as good as advertised on the field. If not for the suspension, he would have lead the league in rushing every single year since being drafted. Now I am just talking about on the field here, he has been everything we though he would be and then some, he is a flat out beast and the best RB in the entire NFL.

Now Zeke aint stupid and he has realized that if he is the best RB in the NFL, then he needs to be the highest paid RB in the NFL. This should not have come as a surprise to anybody, its human nature. If you are the best in your profession, then naturally you want to be compensated accordingly. Now some will say he signed a contract and that is your word of honor, but we all know contracts in the NFL are ripped up and redone all the time. Teams renegotiate contracts, ask players to take pay cuts, have players restructure, ect….so nobody should get their panties in a bunch over Zeke wanting more money before his rookie contract is up. I mean, it goes both ways, Hurns was just cut even though he still had one year left on his original contract.

So this all boils down to one thing, we did we draft a RB using a top 5 pick thinking he would be the best RB in the league if we were not prepared to make him the highest paid RB in the league? Serious question.​

Serious answer, it was a dumb draft pick.

 

[kskboys]

Nobody knows if there were or not offers. Like another poster said we had Claiborne, Carr to replace. Ramsey is who I wanted.

And he's turned out to be possibly a bigger knucklehead than Zeke. Both r idiots.