Will McClay comments on possible draft strategy shift with Zimmer as DC

[DuncanIso]

Extend Prescott and sign Lamb. 40m

Restructure Martin, Lawrence, Diggs, Steele, or Wilson. 50m

Place Gallup and LVE on June 1st cut. 12m

Resign, T. Smith, Pollard, Hankins, and Lewis. 25m

Sign DJ Reader, Lavonte David, and CJ Henderson. 25m

Draft JPJ or OT in 1st. Draft Sweat, Cooper, or Benson in 2nd. McKinney, LB, or Allen in 3rd

Some combination of those players and positions.

That would work…if we had more cap.

 

[NDGAEDE]

We're now looking for Zimmer's type of guys and next year will be looking for a different type of guys.

Funny how this keeps happening

 

[CTcowboy203]

it happens almost every year, some team trades right in front of us. our draft needs become so obvious.

I agree, it would definitely be a secret to the rest of the league that we need line backers and DT’s and are emphasizing stopping the run if will didn’t speak

 

[Jarv]

Meanwhile Stephen is preparing his annual “We have to worry about the cap” speech. While 31 other FOs are set to sign FAs.

I wonder if Stephen's friends dog him about his incompetence? I know if it were my friends they would be merciless against me...lol

 

[jwitten82]

I wonder if Stephen's friends dog him about his incompetence? I know if it were my friends they would be merciless against me...lol

@Rockport and @America's Cowboy are my only friends

 

[xwalker]

Meanwhile Stephen is preparing his annual “We have to worry about the cap” speech. While 31 other FOs are set to sign FAs.

The Cowboys are 9.8M over the cap. They have until March 13th to get under the cap.

That is with the new increased NFL cap number. They were much more over the cap before the increase.

 

[jterrell]

When they first signed Rod M he sat in the draft room heavily and had final say over the DT _ Shariff Floyd.
He passed and thankfully so given Floyd's career did not warrant RT1 consideration.

But I would really like them to cobble together this offense around Dak, CeeDee and Jake and build a very good defense.

 

[Big_D]

This guy is also part of the problem. Nothing reassuring here!

 

[MountaineerCowboy]

Will McClay is a figure head.

Zero power. Makes no decisions.

He’s scared to death to interview for a real GM job in fear that he will be asked GM specific questions.

He, like everyone else in the Cowboys organization, are just there to get paid for the least amount of effort possible.

 

[LonnieElam]

I normally go to the draft party at Dysfunction Junction, but I probably won't even watch the draft this year. I'll just look here on which busts we draft. I'm sure the 2nd round dude will have to serve a 6-month county jail term before he can play, or will be missing a leg. All in, baby!

 

[xwalker]

Meanwhile Stephen is preparing his annual “We have to worry about the cap” speech. While 31 other FOs are set to sign FAs.

KC: They've lost more players than they've signed but they have the best QB on the planet.

SF: Cheap QB allows them to be stacked at other positions.

DAL: Stuck in the middle. Dak can win if defense and run game are above average but his contract prevents them from acquiring the players to make that happen.

 

[McMicah]

For the first time in a while I’m going into the draft very pessimistic. There are just too many holes, and Dak will suck up the cap to where we can’t fill them.

1. We don’t have a LT, even if we resign Tyron
2. We don’t have a Center. I swear if someone else parrots that Hoffman is good I’m gonna lose my mind. Watch his tape
3. Our RG is losing steam and no one is taking about it, and Steele may not return to form. Maybe Bass or Ball can help inside, but we have no viable backup RT
4. We have no RB worth their salt
5. We have no true WR2 unless Tolbert takes a big step.
6. We need a LB (or 3)
7. We need a CB (or 2). I have very little faith Lewis’ foot won’t be a problem going forward
8. FS is a need no one is talking about. Hooker just doesn’t do the job

How does the FO fill all these? They can maybe sign 4 mid-tier FA JAGs or 1-2 high tier FAs

 

[PAPPYDOG]

Will "Yes" man Jerry McClay and his idiotic recommendations come draft time.
Another fat man making a living in Jerry's Circus.

 

[lkelly]

If we could somehow find a hybrid of Mazi Smith and Taco Charlton, that would be a guy worth trading up in the top 10 for. Top 5 if the player knows how to sing the Michigan fight song and has an injury concern.

 

[Bullflop]

This is exactly what I've been hoping for what seems like ages. Here's hoping it gets done whenever the time comes. This has been needed desperately for some time, now. Thanks to Will McClay and the FO if this actually comes to fruition! It's about time! The front seven is what has finally been targeted for bigger and better players in the future. Gotta love it.

 

[Captain-Crash]

jerry loves you guys, keep pretending it matters if you watch the draft, and look through FA, hoping he will pick somebody.

LMAO, you can't make this crap up. "I hate Jerry he ruined the Cowboys, but I'm going to keep looking at the draft and FA's"

get that gear, and autographs. lmao...

 

[Bobhaze]

KC: They've lost more players than they've signed but they have the best QB on the planet.

SF: Cheap QB allows them to be stacked at other positions.

DAL: Stuck in the middle. Dak can win if defense and run game are above average but his contract prevents them from acquiring the players to make that happen.

Agree with you about SF. They have taken full advantage of having a good QB on a rookie deal. They have built an outstanding team with that cap savings. Kind of like what we didn’t do between 2016-20 when Dak was on his rookie deal.

And KC this year did have an outstanding defense to support Mahomes when he didn’t have a great game in the playoffs. Like in the AFC championship game when the chiefs only scored 17. Or the first half of the SB when chiefs scored 3 points. Without that great D, KC doesn’t win the SB this year. Their GM Brett Veach somehow put a great D together even with Mahomes big contract. Mahomes is a great talent of course. But Veach worked hard to aggressively move up to draft him. Veach isn’t lucky. He’s aggressive and hard working. And accountable.

The most recent successful GMs in this league- Brett Veach of KC, Les Snead of the Rams and Jason Licht of TB have all been aggressive in free agency and trades and somehow put together rosters that have won 4 of the last 5 SBs. When SJ says, “We have to worry about the cap this year”, those guys say “hold my beer” and get aggressive.

It’s pretty clear you can’t win championships these days without taking some chances. You can’t just follow the same script every year and just hope you get lucky.

 

[StarLord]

The draft isn't going to fix the run defense unless they get a generational player at DT. it generally takes a few seasons for DTs to develop into reliable run stoppers.

The Cowboys would have better odds of Mazi having a breakout season.

It would take a couple of quality free agent moves to improve the run defense for 2024.

They aren't drafting DT in the 1st or 2nd in back to back year.. simply not going to happen.

 

[Bullflop]

Thanks to Mike Zimmer if this improvement actually comes to pass in the draft. Maybe that'll help whenever when the playoffs come around, assuming the Cowboys get there, once again! I'll believe it when I see it, though . . . a better front 7 would be nice!

It's high time for the Cowboys to return to the days of championships, at long last!!!!

 

[deerhunter11]

T'Vondre Sweat come on down.

That player is what this defense needs, trade down to 30 take T'Vondre Sweat. Pick up a 4th and then get build this team.Lb C OT ETC.