Yet another, Are We Being Too Optimistic?

[jday]

Its honestly a futile proposition to say anything concrete before camp is over. Injuries or lack there of will play the biggest role in the success of this season. And we have no idea how the rookies are going to look. THAT being said I would think we could expect to make the playoffs and be the favorite over the Giants for the NFC East title. The Giants will be hard to handle this season.

Considering the Giants were hard to handle last year (winning both meetings) I think it is reasonable to expect the same intense match-up this year.

 

[jday]

My thoughts I expect Dallas to compete for a championship. They were in a position last year to do so with a rookie QB and RB now both have a year under the belt and will have the full off season and up coming training camp to improve as players. I think the moves made on defense and my believe that Jaylon Smith and Charles Tapper will be difference makers on defense along with some of the draft picks I expect the defense to be improved from the bend but don't break defense we have seen for a while now.

As for the NFC East foes, I don't know what they will do but seems to me each year they are active in spending in FA and the end results have been avg at best.

As far as our NFC East foes success in Free Agency is concerned, I'd say the Giants moves last year paid dividends; they beat us in both meetings...granted, by a narrow margin. But given their moves both in Free Agency and the draft, I don't see that changing any time soon.

 

[Doomsday101]

As far as our NFC East foes success in Free Agency is concerned, I'd say the Giants moves last year paid dividends; they beat us in both meetings...granted, by a narrow margin. But given their moves both in Free Agency and the draft, I don't see that changing any time soon.

NY is always a battle since 2010 Cowboys vs NY is 7-7 in games they have played against each other.

 

[CaptainCreed]

They said they had 18 1st round grades and Taco was at the top (assume top 2-3) of the next group.
So, he was the rated somewhere in the 19-21 range when we where picking 28th.

Thanks for the info!

 

[Melonfeud]

I've tried to remain objective in my expectations, yet feel I've been pulled into the vortex of overwhelming positive outcome with this draft due to the elation/ exuberance of my fellow fans (I'm pumped) having watched a little of #99 tappers highlights I can definitely see a dude who If not downright vindictive in his quest to crush the Q.B. runs a high reved motor in finishing the tackle, Jalon Smith?,, STAND THE **** BY and just Watch it happen with your own eyes.
These fresh drafts? As the obvious has been repeatedly pointed out we were #28 in line yet I'm liking it more and more every day due to the cumulative amounts of positive data I'm receiving from my fellow members,,,
Damn right I'm Cowboy fan.

 

[CowboyRoy]

Considering the Giants were hard to handle last year (winning both meetings) I think it is reasonable to expect the same intense match-up this year.

Not just the matchup, but how they will fare against other teams will be a step up in my opinion.

 

[jday]

Not just the matchup, but how they will fare against other teams will be a step up in my opinion.

If we are basing our other-team expectations on last years results, the Cowboys are in for a juggernaut of a season. But as is normally the case, of the teams that did well last season, we can reasonably expect close to half falling off a cliff. It happens just about every year. So there is a chance that the Cowboys could repeat...it is just not as pronounced as I believed it to be last year.

Now I know what you are probably thinking: how could I possibly have high expectations last year at this time when Romo was still the starting Quarterback and still an injury waiting to happen (literally)? Zeke was a big part of it; I won't deny it. Of all the possible rookies you would want back there protecting Romo in blitz pick up, Zeke was the best possible option. He was that good at it in college. So, I felt there was a good chance we could keep Romo healthy. What I didn't count on was two fold: I didn't count on Romo trying to make something happen in a meaningless preseason game, exposing himself to an unnecessary risk. If Romo regrets anything in regards to his career, he should regret that stupid, stupid decision. Secondly, I did not count on Dak being anything more than a project. So, while wild and crazy circumstances made me right last year, I was right nonetheless to expect great things.

This year, based on what I "feel' now, it could go either way. But I don't think there is an in-between place for this defense. They will either exceed expectations or fall well short of them. Oddly, I don't expect, exactly what I should expect. In my head, it is playing out really good or really bad, dependent on my mood.

 

[CanadianCowboysFan]

How high is too high when it comes to our expectations for this year?

It has been pointed out; it merits pointing out again. This place is hardly recognizable from previous years following the draft. The degree of optimism in this place is almost unsettling. And I’m not sure the Cowboys draft was as good as we are making it. I do wonder a little bit if last year’s draft has infused in us fans an unfair and unrealistic confidence. Surely we don’t expect a repeat of last year’s drafting success…especially considering where we were picking then (fourth overall throughout) versus where we were picking this year (28th overall throughout, along with a missing 5th round pick; thanks Matt Cassell). Four starters were found; 2 on offense (Dak & Zeke), 2 on defense (Collins & Brown). Add to that the 2 who redshirted, and there is potential to find 2 more starters from the same draft in Jaylon Smith and Charles Tapper (obviously, the likely scenario is 1 starter in Jaylon Smith, and a situational pass rusher in Charles Tapper, most likely in obvious passing situations).

So, the responsibility falls to me to be the wet blanket. So be it; it is usually I who feels the need to inspire confidence and hope into our Cowboys when the going gets tough, but I am no stranger to being a Debbie Downer. In 2015, I had a similar feeling; that maybe our success in 2014 was not as sustainable as many seemed to believe (especially with the departure of Demarco Murray). And sure enough, disaster struck in the form of a Romo injury and 2015 went down in flames. Of course, there was a silver-lining to that epic fail of a season. We were awarded the fourth overall pick and were afforded the ability to rejuvenate the ranks in the form of those aforementioned starters. That luxury did not extend to this year.

This year we were 28th in line and as such, we were not able to get the best options at every positions. It was leftovers across the board. One man’s trash is another man’s treasure and that proves true even in the NFL as schematic fit can often times trump a player’s individual talent. Take for instance a guy best suited for the 3-4 at defensive end. He might be the most dominant DE in college, but if you run the 4-3, unless you are planning on converting him to DT, chances are you field trade offers for someone to trade up and use those additional picks to find guys that actually fit your scheme.

Some will tell you, despite the Cowboys picking position, they were able to accomplish just that and get a large majority of their favorite targeted players. On that point, I’m not so sure. Don’t get me wrong…I really liked this draft where the Cowboys actually picked up a few of my very own pet cats in Awuzie and Woods. Nevertheless, we would be setting ourselves up for a significant letdown if we simply chose to ignore the positions they were unable to address.

Free, in his tenure, was likely the least favorite of the 5 offensive lineman, otherwise known as the Great Wall of Dallas. He was, in many ways, the weak link, particularly against speed rushers. But being the weak link on a great offensive line likely means you are still above average, as what I believe Free was. Unfortunately for the Cowboys, this was not the draft to find a viable replacement. The Cowboys did pick up some UDFA’s, but none are of the caliber UDFA the Cowboys lucked into with La’el Collins. As of right now, the Cowboys have Chaz Green penciled into the vacancy left by Free. I do not believe that would qualify as addition by subtraction.

Worst case scenario, the Cowboys have to routinely slide help to the RT side to help in blitz pick up and/or send the RB in that direction for the occasional chip whilst moving into a route. So, it’s not necessarily season-damning to not have All Pro’s across the board. But it is noteworthy to point out that the Cowboys identity as a whole, starts up front on offense. So even the slightest chink in that armor could cascade into bigger problems as the season progresses, especially if one of the stronger links in that chain miss any amount of time due to injury.

Youth is wasted on the young. This old cliché is pontificating on how much more an old mind could accomplish without the physical limitations of an old body. Imagine if science afforded us the ability to take an old consciousness and place it in the physical trappings of a youngster. Trust me when I say I have given this idea much thought. To do it all over again knowing what I know today…it’s kind of scary.

As Cowboys fan’s, we have to hope youth is not wasted on our new-fangled defense. Because aside from Sean Lee and Orlando Scandrick, this is a very young defense. As a result, they are going to make mistakes young players make. Truth be told, this defense very well could be epically bad. I honestly don’t think so. I believe what will in retrospect make this year’s draft special is the overall attitude this bunch brings; that intangible quality that forces everyone to play above their ability due to the standard that is set and kept. Having said that, I’d be foolish to dismiss the potential for it to go in a completely different direction with a bunch of look-at-me’s and pointing fingers on the field playing the blame game when someone misses a coverage. I suspect regardless of what the overall impression is of this draft class, we have to expect to see a little bit of both good and bad. And we have to hope in the end, it doesn’t really matter.

But beyond what has already been discussed, the one thing that fills me with the most trepidation for the upcoming season is the following statistic: Since 2007, seasons that ended in the playoffs for the Cowboys were followed by terrible letdown seasons. In 2007, the Cowboys went 13 & 3 followed by 9 & 7 in 2008 and 3rd place in the East. In 2009, the Cowboys won the East with an 11 and 5 record followed by 2010, where they ended with 6 and 10 and 3rd place in the East. This was followed by 3 straight season of 8 and 8. Then, in 2014, the Cowboys went 12 and 4 earning another NFCE title, only to follow that up with the poor returns of 4 and 12 and last place in the East in 2015.

Now for those who recall those years in detail, there were certainly always extenuating circumstances that surrounded those terrible seasons, most notably injuries to several key positions on both sides of the ball and a Head Coaching change in 2010. Nevertheless, it is worth pointing out that this has been happening like clockwork for just under 10 years. What makes this year any different?

I’ll answer for you. Youth. It is no secret that the older a player gets, the more susceptible they become to injury. Fortunately for the Cowboys, there very few over-thirties left and (outside of Sean Lee maybe) none would be considered mission critical. But injuries are not the only thing that can derail a season. How about that 2017 schedule? The NFCE, I suspect, is going to be a monster this season. Each of our divisional foes not only had the luxury of picking before our Cowboys in the draft, they also took much more active approaches to improving through Free Agency. The Cowboys will be facing largely revamped units that many were overhauled simply to compete with the Cowboys. Add to that the Packers, Raiders, Seahawks, Falcons, Broncos, Cardinals and a Chiefs team that is slowly but surely making strides towards becoming dominant, and you should certainly be able to understand the misgivings I have about the upcoming season.

As for as the next several years, not so concerned. I still believe the Cowboys are on the cusp of greatness….I’m just not so sure that greatness begins this season.

Thoughts?

Ah yes, the required post so you can say "see told you" should we not be successful

 

[Melonfeud]

As far as our NFC East foes success in Free Agency is concerned, I'd say the Giants moves last year paid dividends; they beat us in both meetings...granted, by a narrow margin. But given their moves both in Free Agency and the draft, I don't see that changing any time soon.

Not to beat a dead horse and by stating the obvious it will more than likely garner me much hate and evil looks from my fellow members but: TONY "the Giant Killer" ROMO GOT THOSE CLODS NUMBER! and the confusing stunts the defense pulled on Dak would've been sniffed out and he would've burned their house DOWN.
(just saying,,,)

 

[jday]

Ah yes, the required post so you can say "see told you" should we not be successful

You should probably do homework on a poster before jumping to that type of conclusion. Even when I was an idiot on here, I wasn't that guy. Thank you for doing the homework for me on the type of poster you are.

 

[jday]

Not to beat a dead horse and by stating the obvious it will more than likely garner me much hate and evil looks from my fellow members but: TONY "the Giant Killer" ROMO GOT THOSE CLODS NUMBER! and the confusing stunts the defense pulled on Dak would've been sniffed out and he would've burned their house DOWN.
(just saying,,,)

It is certainly possible...no evil looks from me...it is just simply a ridiculous debate to engage in because there is no way either side can prove it one way or the other. Having said that, and given how slim those victories were for the Giants, it is very likely that you are right.

 

[StarBoyz83]

Considering the Giants were hard to handle last year (winning both meetings) I think it is reasonable to expect the same intense match-up this year.

And their offense was trash last year.

 

[LocimusPrime]

I've tried to remain objective in my expectations, yet feel I've been pulled into the vortex of overwhelming positive outcome with this draft due to the elation/ exuberance of my fellow fans (I'm pumped) having watched a little of #99 tappers highlights I can definitely see a dude who If not downright vindictive in his quest to crush the Q.B. runs a high reved motor in finishing the tackle, Jalon Smith?,, STAND THE **** BY and just Watch it happen with your own eyes.
These fresh drafts? As the obvious has been repeatedly pointed out we were #28 in line yet I'm liking it more and more every day due to the cumulative amounts of positive data I'm receiving from my fellow members,,,
Damn right I'm Cowboy fan.

I feel some great energy coming from you! Go cowboys

 

[jday]

And their offense was trash last year.

It could still be trash. They addressed the offense in as many ways as they could without actually touching on the actual problem. That offensive line. So, if we do see improved play upfront on defense and are able to get at the very least status quo from the secondary (that's a big question, all things considered) there is a chance that the games of last year don't even resemble the butt whooping they have coming this year. Trouble is, I do not recall in recent memory, the Giants offensive line woes presenting any type issue for them against the Cowboys. Rather there OL rose to the occasion or our DL has just been that God-awful, I don't know...my guess is, though, it's a little bit of both.

 

[Melonfeud]

I feel some great energy coming from you! Go cowboys

 

[StarBoyz83]

It could still be trash. They addressed the offense in as many ways as they could without actually touching on the actual problem. That offensive line. So, if we do see improved play upfront on defense and are able to get at the very least status quo from the secondary (that's a big question, all things considered) there is a chance that the games of last year don't even resemble the butt whooping they have coming this year. Trouble is, I do not recall in recent memory, the Giants offensive line woes presenting any type issue for them against the Cowboys. Rather there OL rose to the occasion or our DL has just been that God-awful, I don't know...my guess is, though, it's a little bit of both.

Our defense is the same. Just adding rookies some with Injuries. Think it's going to take a while to get it going. But with another good draft next off season Dallas could be setup for multiple runs in the future.

What's good for the win column is Dallas doesn't really play many teams with good offenses this season. It's mainly all good defenses. But it's not really going to help the defense get up to speed only playing weak offenses.

 

[Melonfeud]

It is certainly possible...no evil looks from me...it is just simply a ridiculous debate to engage in because there is no way either side can prove it one way or the other. Having said that, and given how slim those victories were for the Giants, it is very likely that you are right.

True .
Daks growth as quarterback could have no ceiling given His work ethic and intellect,barring injuries (great things,man! Great things!)
I can't prove this but I'm pretty sure I'm even on record during our last game with the Gnats that Dak was bound and determined to show himself as a pocket passer,now had he deviated from that display and went with what had always worked in the past( bolt and tote the ball with his ground attack) the outcome surly would've been different, he even came out after the game in post interview stating he is a pocket passer, kinda strange thinking about it,like the coaching staff had put the pressure on him ,,,

 

[T-RO]

Terrible post. Mostly hot air. Good for you. I give it an A effort

In a million years you couldn't have written a post so well-crafted, and full of sense. Props to jDay.

Your post rings of either jealousy or a lack of mental ability to track concepts.

 

[jday]

In a million years you couldn't have written a post so well-crafted, and full of sense. Props to jDay.

Your post rings of either jealousy or a lack of mental ability to track concepts.

Actually, I'd say his post suggest he didn't take the time to read the whole OP before responding. I'd say he got about a paragraph in...

That said, thanks for the kind words, sir!

 

[CanadianCowboysFan]

You should probably do homework on a poster before jumping to that type of conclusion. Even when I was an idiot on here, I wasn't that guy. Thank you for doing the homework for me on the type of poster you are.

Homework on a poster? Are you serious? Who the hell does that other than weirdo stalker type who waits for a gotcha moment.

There was no other reason to make the post you did other than the "I told you so" you can use later. Webboards are full of the "I think we will lose but I hope I am wrong types" which is pretty much what your thread is about. You don't think we will be as good next season as others do. There is no other reason to say that than the ability to be able to say I was right. Hell, we could go 11-5 next season and you still would be "right".

No lose situation for you.