Countdown to Elliot: Dallas Cowboys 2016 Offseason Thread

[Skilltastrophy]

Our defensive stats this year are basically meaningless. Teams knew we couldn't score, so they didn't take any risks on offense. They played very vanilla and still moved the ball on us. Guarantee you if we had a potent offense our D would've been getting lit up this season for 30 points a game. That secondary is one of the worst in the league. Our corners can't cover and our safeties are always confused. The pass rush is hit or miss but definitely not consistent. Our linebacker level isn't bad, but you know Sean Lee is one awkward hit from being done.

We HAVE to go defense. Our offense with a competent QB and a little depth at WR and RB is perfectly fine as long as we go back to the 2014 pound the rock formula. PLUS...you can always find skill on offense after the first round...ALWAYS. Antonio Brown - 6th round, Brandon Marshall - 4th round, Allen Robinson - 2nd round, Jarvis Landry - 2nd round, Emmanuel Sanders - 3rd round, T.Y. Hilton - 3rd round, Doug Baldwin - undrafted, Allen Hurns - undrafted, Eric Decker - 3rd round, John Brown - 3rd round...all those guys had over 1,000 yards receiving this year...That's 10 guys...the other 12 1,000-yard guys are first rounders. So, yes 1st rounders are good. But the math looks like it's just about as likely that you'll find someone late than near the top.

Now go look at that sacks list...damn near the whole top 15 is first rounders...you want bang for your buck then if you keep that top 5 pick...you need to go with a lineman.

 

[Ashyneezz]

Our defensive stats this year are basically meaningless. Teams knew we couldn't score, so they didn't take any risks on offense.

So you're saying teams took it easy on our defense

 

[Skilltastrophy]

So you're saying teams took it easy on our defense

Not exactly...this conversation requires nuance. I said that teams didn't take RISKS. It's not like they weren't attempting to score or trying to move the ball. They just didn't try and stretch the field as often or play as aggressive because it wasn't worth the added risk that could come with the reward. If the other team is not moving the football at all. Then it makes more sense after you get the lead to play conservative. It's not "taking it easy". It's playing smart and not trying to risk it.

But just about every time this season that a team needed to move the ball in a hurried, more aggressive way against our defense they were able to do it. That makes me believe that if we had scored more often teams would've been in that situation more often therefore scoring more points.

 

[BlueHeffner]

Our defensive stats this year are basically meaningless. Teams knew we couldn't score, so they didn't take any risks on offense. They played very vanilla and still moved the ball on us. Guarantee you if we had a potent offense our D would've been getting lit up this season for 30 points a game. That secondary is one of the worst in the league. Our corners can't cover and our safeties are always confused. The pass rush is hit or miss but definitely not consistent. Our linebacker level isn't bad, but you know Sean Lee is one awkward hit from being done.

We HAVE to go defense. Our offense with a competent QB and a little depth at WR and RB is perfectly fine as long as we go back to the 2014 pound the rock formula. PLUS...you can always find skill on offense after the first round...ALWAYS. Antonio Brown - 6th round, Brandon Marshall - 4th round, Allen Robinson - 2nd round, Jarvis Landry - 2nd round, Emmanuel Sanders - 3rd round, T.Y. Hilton - 3rd round, Doug Baldwin - undrafted, Allen Hurns - undrafted, Eric Decker - 3rd round, John Brown - 3rd round...all those guys had over 1,000 yards receiving this year...That's 10 guys...the other 12 1,000-yard guys are first rounders. So, yes 1st rounders are good. But the math looks like it's just about as likely that you'll find someone late than near the top.

Now go look at that sacks list...damn near the whole top 15 is first rounders...you want bang for your buck then if you keep that top 5 pick...you need to go with a lineman.

 

[Skilltastrophy]

So you believe after teams took the lead against us they were still taking the maximum amount of risk instead of throttling down and playing more conservatively as to avoid making mistakes and giving our poor offense a short field?

 

[BlueHeffner]

So you believe after teams took the lead against us they were still taking the maximum amount of risk instead of throttling down and playing more conservatively as to avoid making mistakes and giving our poor offense a short field?

There is some truth to this, but lets not act like we werent winning a lot of these games in the 4th and or within 1 score.

NYG
ATL
NO
NYG
SEA
PHI
TB
MIA
WAS
NYJ
BUF

All these games came down to the 4th quarter where we couldnt close the game out on offense or defense. Its not like other teams were blowing us out and none of these games were close. On top of that , 2 of these games were with Romo.

 

[philmonroe]

Our defensive stats this year are basically meaningless. Teams knew we couldn't score, so they didn't take any risks on offense. They played very vanilla and still moved the ball on us. Guarantee you if we had a potent offense our D would've been getting lit up this season for 30 points a game. That secondary is one of the worst in the league. Our corners can't cover and our safeties are always confused. The pass rush is hit or miss but definitely not consistent. Our linebacker level isn't bad, but you know Sean Lee is one awkward hit from being done.

We HAVE to go defense. Our offense with a competent QB and a little depth at WR and RB is perfectly fine as long as we go back to the 2014 pound the rock formula. PLUS...you can always find skill on offense after the first round...ALWAYS. Antonio Brown - 6th round, Brandon Marshall - 4th round, Allen Robinson - 2nd round, Jarvis Landry - 2nd round, Emmanuel Sanders - 3rd round, T.Y. Hilton - 3rd round, Doug Baldwin - undrafted, Allen Hurns - undrafted, Eric Decker - 3rd round, John Brown - 3rd round...all those guys had over 1,000 yards receiving this year...That's 10 guys...the other 12 1,000-yard guys are first rounders. So, yes 1st rounders are good. But the math looks like it's just about as likely that you'll find someone late than near the top.

Now go look at that sacks list...damn near the whole top 15 is first rounders...you want bang for your buck then if you keep that top 5 pick...you need to go with a lineman.

With bold its a lot of parroting what I hear on other Cowboys radio shows and websites in dudes views. Y'all gotta quote your sources cause some of the things I hear on here too similar and not things the avg fan came up with on their own.

 

[LurkMoar]

Yea I don't think teams slowed down vs us, how many games we lose by 1 score or a field goal?

 

[Skilltastrophy]

There is some truth to this, but lets not act like we werent winning a lot of these games in the 4th and or within 1 score.

NYG
ATL
NO
NYG
SEA
PHI
TB
MIA
WAS
NYJ
BUF

All these games came down to the 4th quarter where we couldnt close the game out on offense or defense. Its not like other teams were blowing us out and none of these games were close. On top of that , 2 of these games were with Romo.

But many of those losses ended with the other teams offense waltzing down the field at will when they really needed a score. And I was much more harsh in my initial wording than I essentially believe. It was more overstatement to make a point. It comes down to this...I believe on nearly every level of our defense that we are lacking. And I don't believe as currently constructed that we can make stops in critical situations. And that's what really separates the successful teams. With talent levels so even across the board due to many things from the wider proliferation of talent due to an expanded league and a salary cap in place to generate equality it's the teams that can get those stops at the end of games that win games at the highest of levels.

An effective offense is extremely important. But I think a defense that makes stops and forces offenses out of their comfort zone is even more important. You need both sides to win, but as a philosophy I think elite defensive talent is more rare than elite offense. So, if given the opportunity I'd rather grab defense early and scour for diamonds in the rough late (unless looking QB or OL...I go with them early).

 

[philmonroe]

For those that care that Wentz dude at QB is playing tomorrow at 12 on espn2

 

[Primetime21]

For those that care that Wentz dude at QB is playing tomorrow at 12 on espn2

He's about to get talked into the top 10, maybe top 5

 

[Primetime21]

Wentz might fukk around and go #1 after today

 

[philmonroe]

He's about to get talked into the top 10, maybe top 5

He's played good today for the most part and I know how dudes pay more attention to stuff like this.

Wentz might fukk around and go #1 after today

Is that a good thing or nah for you though. He looks cool to me being this the first time I saw dude play but I know its more than this you have to look at

 

[Primetime21]

He's played good today for the most part and I know how dudes pay more attention to stuff like this.

Is that a good thing or nah for you though. He looks cool to me being this the first time I saw dude play but I know its more than this you have to look at

For me it's a bad thing. One, I'm not an advocate of spending a top 5 pick on a player that isn't going to play right away. And two, Wentz was my favorite QB in the draft..not that it means too much with this class. I was hoping to get BPA in the first and take Wentz with the 2nd but no way that is going to happen now.

 

[jay211]

Wentz may go first round but he won't go in the top 10. Maybe end of first round. Cowboys might want to think about moving up into the back of first round to draft Wentz.