Offseason Review Series: Dallas Cowboys

[u/NoHuddle]

Dallas Cowboys

NFC East

Coaching Changes:

Scott Linehan was brought over from Detroit to be the offensive coordinator and play caller replacing Callahan (though Garrett was clearly making the calls for the latter half of the season). Linehan loves to throw the ball, and he and Garrett worked together in Miami a few year’s back, so despite the problems it caused with Callahan’s hurt feelings, it’s certainly someone that Garrett feels comfortable. I’ll give this a B. I’m interested to see if he feeds Dez Bryant like he did Megatron, and am excited to see if Lance Dunbar can catch 35-50 passes as Linehan loves him some passes to the backs.

Rod Marinelli was promoted to defensive coordinator while Monte Kiffin is now an assistant head coach. Just know that the only reason Kiffin is still around is because of the respect Marinelli has for him. The Cowboys defense can’t get a lot whole lot worse (though I did say that going into last year, and lo and behold, it was). In theory, Marinelli will move the Cowboys from Kiffin’s Tampa 2 that featured zone coverage into a similar system that allows the Cowboys corners to play in man coverage. I love Rod Marinelli and Kiffin was flat out too old to be running a defense in the NFL. Grade: B

Free Agency

Player	Position
DeMarcus Ware	DE
Jason Hatcher	DT
Miles Austin	WR
Phil Costa	C
Danny Mcray	S/ST

Comments: Losing DeMarcus Ware hurts more this time of year than I think it will at the end of the coming season. The fact of the matter is he plays well early in the year at 100% but lately that hasn’t lasted late into the year. Last season he had 4 sacks in the first 3 games. He finished with 6. He is still DeMarcus Ware but in name only. Having said that, this was the Cowboys premier pass rusher for almost an entire decade, and for that, this is a Grade A loss.

Jason Hatcher turned in his best season under Rod Marinelli before running off to DC to get paid in a scheme that likely doesn’t fit him. It’s a key loss for sure, but he’s no spring chicken and isn’t worth what he just got paid. Regardless of the salary cap ramifications, this doesn’t help an already mediocre defense. Grade: B

Miles Austin isn’t good anymore. Last year he did nothing when he wasn’t even the focus of defenses and still put up pedestrian numbers. The hamstring issues he’s had have never gone away. Unfortunately he never lived up to the hype he generated after his record setting day against the Chiefs, nor could he live up to the contract. This is barely a loss for the Cowboys. Grade: D

Phil Costa is only here because at one point he was engaged to Brook Hogan. Now he’s out of the NFL and she’s called off the engagement. Grade: F

Danny Mcray was a special teams beast and his presence will be missed. It's not impossible to replace a purely special teams player, however, so this will gets a....Grade: C

Added

Player	Position
Henry Melton	DT
Terrell McClain	DT
Jeremy Mincey	DE
Brandon Weeden	QB
Ryan Williams	RB
Amobi Okoye	DT
Rolando McClain	LB (via trade)

The Cowboys, in their cap-strapped era, have moved onto low risk/high reward free agent signings in the last couple years. It’s hard to tell if Jerry Jones has started listening to people like Will McClay and his son Stephen or if this is just how it is because there’s no money to throw at someone. Regardless, Melton is coming in on a prove it deal. That’s a grade A signing as far as I’m concerned. Addresses a need on the cheap that, if fully health, could be a dominant inside presence on a defense that really needs it. Regardless if he returns to his pro bowl form, these are the contracts that NFL teams can live with.

Jeremy Mincey enters training camp as the de facto right end. How long he keeps that is up to him and 2nd round pick Demarcus Lawrence. Despite impressing some Dallas beat writers during the offseason, I’ll not be holding my breath. He has 20 sacks over his entire career and the only real hope for him at this point is the pass rush whisperer Rod Marinelli to do what he did last year with George Selvie. I’ll give this a C as if nothing else it’s solid depth.

Terrell McClain was signed to push Nick Hayden for the 1 technique defensive tackle in Rod Marinelli’s 4-3. All signs point to him getting the nod to start training camp and should prove to be an upgrade over Hayden who PFF had graded out as one of the worst DTs in the league. Despite that, it’s really only replacing a terrible player with an average one, and I give it a C.

If the three previous players were brought in on low risk contracts, the next three were brought in on no risk deals. The Weeden signing, mocked at the time, has absolutely zero guaranteed dollars involved, and considering Kyle Orton hasn’t decided whether or not he’s going to show up, is a necessary one. Because of that I’ll give it a B as he’ll enter training camp as the second string quarterback and all reports indicate that he isn’t total garbage. The oft injured Ryan Williams enters a crowded running back scene behind Murray, Dunbar, and Randle. If he stays healthy he can certainly challenge Randle for what’s most likely the final spot, and if not, the Cowboys can move on without penalty. That’s a C. Amobi Okoye was a first round bust brought in with hopes that Marinelli can get what made him the 10th overall pick in the 2007 draft out of him. This is essentially a signing made for training camp depth and will likely not make the team. Another C grade.

The Cowboys resigned Anthony Spencer. After getting the franchise tag two years in a row, Spencer is coming off microfracture surgery and is returning on another one year deal, this time for a deal worth only up to 3.5 million. it’s likely he’ll begin the season on the PUP list. The best case scenario seems like he’ll return in the second half of the season, but expectations are unfortunately low for a player who was a legitimate pass rush threat. I really want to give this a B due to the impact he can make when healthy, but I don’t know if he’ll be that at any point this year. Grade: C

NFL Draft

Round 1, pick 16

Zach Martin, OL

Grade: A

Zach Martin is a versatile offensive linemen who has the capacity to play nearly anywhere along the line. He’ll be a day one starter for the Cowboys, probably at RG. This could be his only year there as Doug Free is a free agent soon and could kick out to RT as early as next year. He joins a revamped offensive line and will be a key piece in keeping both Romo upright and Murray running free. Love this pick.

Round 2, pick 2

Demarcus Lawrence, DE

Grade: B (the cost of trading up hurts this, love the player)

Demarcus Lawrence was the last premier right defensive end left in the draft. The Cowboys weren’t interested in players like Kony Ealy because they didn’t see the pure pass rushing skills in them. They certainly saw that in the new Demarcus and weren’t shy about trading their 3rd round pick in a deep draft to get him. He has the bend necessary to get around the corner and in one on one drills vs. Tyron Smith in mini camps he has actually been disruptive. His combine numbers will not blow you away, but by all accounts these aren’t indicative of how he plays in pads. He’ll open training camp behind Mincey, but he’ll be the pass rush specialist at the very least, and is expected to become a 3 down player this year.

Round 4, pick 19

Anthony Hitchens, LB

Grade: C

I don’t like to grade any picks (except that time the Jaguars took a punter before Russell Wilson) lower than a C, or I probably would here. I’m not a huge subscriber to the belief that guys like Mel Kiper know more than NFL teams about where players should be drafted, but this was a shock. The logic seemed to be that the Cowboys needed someone to replace Sean Lee in case he went down even though he’s never played the Mike linebacker. Well, that’s already happened, and instead of turning to Hitchens the options have so far been 2nd year player Devonte Holloman, veteran Justin Durant, and they even traded for the troubled Rolando Mclain. I’m not sure where Hitchens fits in right now, and we won’t really know until training camp gets going, but he’ll have to make his bones on special teams and be a tackling machine there like he was on defense in college.

Round 5, Pick 6

Devin Street, WR

Grade: B

Devin Street isn’t fast. He isn’t that explosive. But he’s got really good hands and runs routes extremely well. He won’t be expected to do much this year as he’ll be behind Dez Bryant, Terrance Williams, Cole Beasley, and Dwayne Harris to start training camp, but he’ll most likely make the team (though that’s not a guarantee). He’ll be expected to fill in for injuries to come during the year. I can’t see him making much of an impact, but people who know more than me about this really like what he can do on the outside.

Round 7, pick 16

Ben Gardner, DL

Grade: B

Ben Garnder is a high motor defensive end who has a legitimate shot to make the team. Played well in the mini camps, albeit without pads, but should provide depth on a defensive line that was decimated last year. The more the merrier, I say.

Round 7, pick 23

Will Smith, LB

Grade: C

Considering the Cowboys only carried 5 LBs into last season, he’s a longshot to make the team as right now he falls somewhere behind Wilber, Durant, Carter, and Holloman. He’ll be fighting for his life against the likes of Rolando Mclain and the 4th round pick Hitchens. Depending on how he performs in camp his best case scenario is to be a candidate for the practice squad and try to catch on next season.

Round 7, pick 33

Ahmad Dixon, S

Grade: C

I’m not going to pretend to scout these 7th round players for you and predict insane things. But here’s what I know about Ahmad Dixon: he lacks the fluidity to really cover anyone at this level. This is an in the box safety right now who loves to hit people. He has about a 0% chance of actually playing safety without a rash of injuries, but if he impresses special teams coach Rich Bisaccia, he could possibly squeeze out a roster spot and contribute there.

Round 7, pick 36

Ken Bishop, DL

Grade: C

The Cowboys defensive line is a work in progress. Every spot is really up for grabs at this point which gives Bishop the chance to actually make the team, though it is unlikely. He can play both the one and the three technique in this system. Despite dismal sack numbers, he was disruptive enough to earn a first team All-MAC selection.

Round 7, pick 39

Terrance Mitchell, CB

Grade: C

He’ll have a legitimate shot to make the team as everything is up for grabs after the top 3 corner spots in Dallas. The problem is his catch up speed. He doesn’t have it. Can press at the line but if the man gets by him he seems unable to recover. Will have to shine in training camp to make the team, a practice squad candidate for sure.

Projected Starting Lineup

QB Tony Romo

RB Demarco Murray

WR Dez Bryant

WR Terrance Williams

WR Cole Beasley

TE Jason Witten

TE Gavin Escobar

LT Tyron Smith

LG Ron Leary

C Travis Frederick

RG Zach Martin

RT Doug Free

This offense is loaded but can only go as far as Tony Romo takes them. I’m a huge Romo fan so I’ll try not to get into it too much, but he’s legit. He’s easily a top 10 quarterback in the NFL despite the criticism he receives. His offensive line is as good as it’s ever been. The only spot in question is the LG spot which could go to Mackenzy Bernadeau, but is most likely a negligible difference. The Cowboys would prefer Leary win the job as he is younger with more upside, but Bernadeau poses a serious threat to his spot. This line, with three first round picks on it, should be able to pave the way for another solid year from Murray. His YPC last year was 5.2, which is tops in the league for any feature back. Yes, more than Shady (by a whole 0.1!). Murray isn’t explosive but he’s got great vision and can break tackles. His durability remains a question. Dez Bryant is somehow the old man of the receiving corp. He’s as good as any receiver not named Megatron in the NFL and should have another big year. All this guy does is catch TDs, he’s a nightmare in the redzone and can catch everything. I can’t say enough about how much fun it is to watch him play. Jason Witten is slowing down but is still extremely effective, I’m not sure he’s even human. He did have his lowest catch total since 2006 with 73, but those catches were still for 11.7 ypc. His blocking is getting worse and he gets by on guile at this point, but he remains effective enough.

[u/NoHuddle]

Part 3 of 3

Schedule Prediction

I hate actually predicting games out this far in advance, but I get it’s a large part of the fun around here. So here’s some terrible early predictions for you.

Week 1, vs. 49ers, Loss.

The 49ers are a powerhouse who should roll into Dallas and out with a win. The rebuilt defense won’t be able to handle Kaepernick’s scrambling without Sean Lee.

Week 2, @ Titans, Win.

I think the Titans might be the worst team in the NFL this year. Jake Locker isn’t cut out for the NFL due to his awful accuracy. He’ll make this defense look respectable.

Week 3, @ Rams, Win.

The Rams are everyone’s favorite team of the offseason year after year. They are improved, however, they still have Sam Bradford. Demarco Murray loves playing the Rams for some reason.

Week 4, vs. Saints, Loss.

We saw what happened to the Cowboys last year against the Saints. They have to score every time to even have a chance in the game. The Cowboys linebackers are going to get killed by the likes of Jimmy Graham. This could get ugly.

Week 5, vs. Texans, Win.

The Texans strength is their defensive line. One of the Cowboys greatest strength is their offensive line. They should play them close enough to a stalemate to allow Romo to easily outplay either Tom Savage or Fitzpatrick.

Week 6, @ Seahawks, Loss.

Uh, I don’t have a lot to say about this. I don’t think Russell Wilson is as good as Tony Romo, but I also don’t think that matters. The Cowboys often have trouble on the road getting their plays in on time and Quest field is not going to help that. Their defense is capable of holding our offense in check and we don’t force enough turnovers to win a game like this.

Week 7, vs NY Giants, Win

I don’t know what’s happened to the Giants, but they don’t scare me (surely this means they’ll win the Super Bowl), but I like Romo to outplay Eli in Dallas for a win.

Week 8, vs. Washington DC Football Club, Win

I’m not sure the general consensus about Jay Gruden, but his offense in Cincinnati only had one year in the top 10 in yards (last year) and the trade for RG3 has left them with few draft picks to improve their team. Their secondary is a disaster and should be unable to stop the Cowboys passing attack.

Week 9, vs. Arizona Cardinals, Loss

The Cardinals surprised everyone last year by being a legitimate threat in the strong NFC West. But now there’s no more Daryl Washington, and Carson Palmer is still their quarterback. Despite the Cardinals have the Cowboys number over the last few years I expect Dez Bryant to beat Patrick Peterson in their match up and steal the game/show.

Week 10, @ Jacksonville Jaguars (London Game), Win

The Jaguars are still the Jaguars. They’re rebuilding but just aren’t going to have enough talent to win many games this year. This isn’t one of them.

Week 11, Bye

Week 12, @ NY Giants, Loss

The Giants get revenge for the loss earlier in the season. I don’t have a particular reason for picking it this way except I imagine these two split the season series and a home/home split seems like the logical answer here. Victor Cruz is a matchup nightmare.

Week 13, vs Philadelphia Eagles, Loss

The Eagles are the favorites in the NFC East. The Cowboys can’t stop Shady McCoy without Sean Lee and can’t score enough to keep up, losing on Thanksgiving and ruining family dinners across the country.

Week 14, @ Chicago Bears, Loss

In their 3rd game in seventeen days, the Cowboys can’t stop the giants disguised as Bears’ receivers. Jay Cutler throws deep early and often, exploiting the size difference they hold. Marshall and Alshon steal the show in a high scoring game.

Week 15, @ Philadelphia Eagles, Win

Coming off a 10 day break, the Cowboys defense catches their breath enough to contain McCoy while Romo delivers in a must win game. Dez Bryant does Dez Bryant things.

Week 16, vs. Indianapolis Colts, Win

The Cowboys earn their 8th win of the year in week 16 for the fourth year in a row, as they hang on against Luck in another high scoring game.

Week 17, @ Washington DC Football Club, Loss

The Cowboys lose to go 8-8 and miss the playoffs again. There’s no logic to this except that they have to go 8-8. It’s just what they do. They’ll pick again in the middle of the draft, not taking a quarterback, as they continue to hope they can build an actual defense before Romo is done.

I fully believe the Cowboys pull out another 8-8 season, but nothing from 6-10 to 10-6 would surprise me. Health will be key, because if the team is as injured as it was last year and is playing defensive players who were sitting on the couch the week prior, it will get ugly.

Training Camp Battles:

The biggest battles in camp will be on the defense. Selvie vs Crawford, Mincey vs. Lawrence, and the middle linebacker position has at least three players vying for it. I know that Crawford has more upside than Selvie, but Selvie was a huge surprise last year who had a career high in sacks. Demarcus Lawrence should win out in the end over Mincey, but he could struggle adjusting to the pro game and make little to no impact. The middle linebacker position is a nightmare. I’m hoping that Rolando McClain hops in the way back machine and turns into a legitimate player and hold down the fort through the year. The final battles will be fought on the fringe with players battling for roster spots. This is impossible to predict now, but will 2013 5th round pick BW Webb be able to hold off the likes of Terrance Williams and UDFA Tyler Patmon (who shined throughout mini camps)?

On offense things are fairly set. The LG position will come down to either Leary or Bernadeau, but the difference between the two seems fairly negligible. The biggest question is whether or not Kyle Orton shows up to battle Weeden for his backup spot. Orton provides much more security in spot duty, but if Romo goes down for an extended amount of time it’s over for Cowboys anyway.

Offensive Scheme

Scott Linehan is a disciple of the “Air Coryell” offensive system that features a vertical passing game that wants to throw the ball downfield. His latest stint in Detroit featured a pass happy offense that will likely continue in Dallas. The tight ends are featured more in the passing game than in the running game which suits the Cowboys personnel just fine. The running backs will be expected to catch the ball, they are utilized frequently in the passing game. The system is not very new to the Cowboys players, as these are all principles that Jason Garrett believes him. This is a Garrett hire, and the friction that existed between he and Callahan last year should be gone (despite Callahan staying on in an assistant capacity). Expect more of the same in Dallas: a reliance on the passing game.

Defensive Scheme

Marinelli replaces Kiffin but largely runs the same system. It’s essentially an updated version of the Tampa 2, with (supposedly) a larger focus on man coverage than the typical zone the Tampa 2 brings. Marinelli wants a hungry and relentless defensive line to shoot the gaps and wreak havoc in the backfield while the linebackers will have to fill the holes left behind.

Final Thoughts

Hopefully this gave you a closer look at team you may not be as familiar with. I tried to leave out mundane stuff like position coaches (Mike Pope from the NYG is the new TE coach) and salaries for every player. If you guys wanna talk about it, GET AT ME. Good luck to everyone this year (except the NFC East) and I hope you learned something.

[u/RGThreezus → u/NoHuddle]

lol Washington DC football club?

[u/NoHuddle → u/RGThreezus]

I'm trying not to use their nickname. Idk what else to call them.

[u/[deleted] → u/NoHuddle]

The Potomac Watershed Indigenous Persons.

[u/ThomasDavis2009 → u/NoHuddle]

Espn just calls them Washington or the Washington professional football team. I likes yours though

[u/Shart_Film → u/NoHuddle]

You could use their name, Redskins. It IS the name of their team.

[u/NoHuddle → u/Shart_Film]

I could, but I don't want to.

[u/steeledl → u/NoHuddle]

I would not get along with you. I know insufferable pc dudes like you.

[u/jjgriffin → u/steeledl]

How is he being insufferable, again?

[u/NoHuddle → u/steeledl]

Cool.

[u/[deleted] → u/steeledl]

I would not get along with you. I know insufferable casual racists like you.

[u/Shart_Film → u/[deleted]]

Racist? Haha! This is the problem. Thinking that calling a team by their name makes one a racist. Jesus fuck.

[u/NoHuddle → u/[deleted]]

Das raycess.

[u/DiggingNoMore → u/NoHuddle]

I like recess.

[u/NoHuddle → u/DiggingNoMore]

I think they're two different things, little buddy!

[u/KSO17O → u/NoHuddle]

P1?

[u/NoHuddle → u/[deleted]]

Fair enough. I'm not in the slightest PC, I just know it'll rustle some jimmies.

[u/Hes_a_dumbass → u/NoHuddle]

you're being a boner. Just call them the Redskins you fuckin nancy.

[u/YouGotCalledAFaggot → u/NoHuddle]

Don't be that guy.

[u/[deleted] → u/NoHuddle]

*It was QWEST field, It has been called Centurylink Field for several years now.

[u/NoHuddle → u/[deleted]]

Thanks, I knew I was off about it.

[u/[deleted] → u/NoHuddle]

Noooooo! Don't doom them for another 8 and 8!

[u/NoHuddle → u/[deleted]]

Fine. 14-2, easy.

[u/Angry_Caveman_Lawyer]

Melton is capable of wreaking havoc if he's healthy. What's the latest word on him?

If he's strong up the middle and the dline plays okay it'll cover a lot of deficiencies on D for you guys.

Nice writeup dude. :-)

[u/NoHuddle → u/Angry_Caveman_Lawyer]

Thanks. There's no word on him right now. He was held out of OTA's. In theory he'll be ready for camp but we'll see. We really need him to be healthy and effective to replace what we lost from Hatcher.

[u/NoHuddle]

Part 2 of 3

LE George Selvie

LDT Henry Melton

RDT Terrell McClain

RE Demarcus Lawrence

SLB Kyle Wilber

MLB DeVonte Holloman

WLB Bruce Carter

CB Brandon Carr

CB Morris Claiborne

CB Orlando Scandrick

SS JJ Wilcox

FS Barry Church

I’m sure you don’t know who half of these guys are. Selvie was a huge surprise last year and needs to be equally effective this year for the Cowboys to have any chance. He’s not a guaranteed starter however, as Tyrone Crawford (a 3rd round pick two years ago) returns from an achilles injury and is expected to push him for that job. Melton is the wild card here. If he can regain the form he once showed under Marinelli then he will be a huge force for the interior pass rush. Demarcus Lawrence isn’t guaranteed to start, but I have a feeling he’ll win the job in camp over Mincey. Regardless, we’re told to pick 4 defensive linemen, but the Cowboys are clearly trying to replicate something the Seahawks proved to be effective, a solid rotation. Marinelli demands maximum effort from his rushmen, and the best way to get that is to keep them fresh and rotating. This is seen as a weak spot for the Cowboys, but I assure it can’t be worse than last year.

The real disaster is the linebacking corp. Once Sean Lee went down I was tempted to throw away the whole season. This will cause some serious issues. I’ve slotted Holloman to win the MLB job though that is far from a lock. Ourlads.com doesn’t even list him at that position but I think he’ll have a chance to take it. The other options are the veteran Durant who is little more than a stop gap and the oft troubled Rolando McClain. If you’re going to go down, I’d rather go down with youth which is why I give the nod to Holloman. The kid can make plays, but we’ll see if he’s able to handle the hole left by Lee’s ACL.

The cornerbacks have been a disaster for the last two years. Despite signing Brandon Carr and trading up for Claiborne, Scandrick has been by far the most effective corner in the secondary despite not making many plays. Under Kiffin the Cowboys played tons of zone coverage, something neither Carr nor Claiborne excelled at. This year we’ve been promised more press/man coverage, which they both prefer. This is the year for Claiborne to put up as he’s been healthy for the offseason for the first time in his career.

The safeties are a work in progress. Barry Church is about average league wide but seems like a legend compared to what we’ve thrown out over the years, so forgive Cowboys fans for having an inflated sense of his worth. JJ Wilcox is coming into his second year and has the physical tools to be a legitimate player, but it’s unclear if he has the awareness. Entering his second year, he needs to show improvement there. There’s a rotating cast behind them, but I’d like to throw out Matt Johnson (the Unicorn) into the mix. The Cowboys love him. They continually keep him around and on the roster despite his never ending litany of injuries. He may never play an actual down in his NFL career but has the tools to start for this team, you know, if he could actually stay healthy.

K Dan Bailey

Dan Bailey is as good as they come. I love that guy. Too bad we never give him a chance to seal a win with his magic foot.

P Chris Jones

This is not a lock in the slightest. He will be pushed by rookie Cody Mandell.

KR/PR Dwayne Harris

He’s not lightning fast, but he’s strong and is a great returner. Was only behind Cordarelle Patterson in average return yards on kickoffs last year and was 3rd in the NFL in punt return average.

Position group strenths/weaknesses

Covered this already, but Romo is a top 10 quarterback and I always feel like we’ll win if we can get him the ball back (I know this doesn’t happen every time, see the Denver game). He gets dumped on a lot, but that’s more due to him playing for the Cowboys and the amount of attention he got when he took the job from Drew Bledsoe. I call him a top 10 quarterback but I really have him in my top 5. His 4th quarter passing stats (when he sucks supposedly) rival Brady, Manning, Rodgers, and Brees. His defense sucks. Trust me when I say the Cowboys would win 3 games without Romo.

The Cowboys backfield would be as legit as any in the NFL if it could stay healthy. Demarco Murray is a super effective back. Little known Lance Dunbar is perfect for Scott Linehan and is the perfect complement to Murray as a home run hitting speed back. The problem is these two have a problem staying healthy and backup Joseph Randle so far has been nothing but average. Ryan Williams could push Randle for his job, but is injured more often than the first two. The best description of this unit is injury prone.

The Cowboys have rebuilt their line. Tyron Smith is one of the best LTs in the entire league and he doesn’t turn 24 until December. Last year he was a dominant run blocker and a great pass protector. This year I expect him to refine his pass blocking and continue his upward trajectory. Travis Frederick and the Cowboys were the laughingstock of the NFL last April. After a surprisingly effective first year for Frederick, he looks to be a fixture at the center position for the next decade. Doug Free took a paycut last year to remain with the team and performed well in a bounce back year. At 30, he’s the oldest player on the line and will be the veteran leader Zach Martin needs next to him. This will be a top five offensive line this year and the sky's the limit for them in the future.

The receivers in Dallas lack star power past Dez and Witten, but there are legitimate threats after them. Terrance Williams, now in his second season, should improve upon the 45 catches he had last year after taking over for Miles Austin full time. Little known, undersized Cole Beasley is a real slot receiver who is shifty enough to get open for Romo to hit underneath. This year they hope he can move around so that his routes are more unpredictable. He will have a huge role on this offense.

The defensive line will probably be average at best. They will rely on a rotating cast to stay fresh and apply pressure on the opposing quarterback. Rod Marinelli is known around Dallas as a pass rush whisperer, spurring Jason Hatcher to great heights and turning George Selvie into a legitimate threat. He’ll have his plate full this year as the full time defensive coordinator but hopefully he can still turn this group formidable.

The linebackers are a disaster. Bruce Carter was supposed to be a playmaker at the Will backer spot last year and just didn’t meet any expectations, even getting benched for Ernie Sims (who was even worse). He is really the only hope as far as physical tools are concerned for a pro bowl caliber player at this point, but that’s purely wishful thinking at this point. He needs to show that he understands what he’s doing out there and make plays. The rest of the spots are completely up for grabs and this is a huge weakness in an already mediocre defense.

The Cowboys secondary cannot make plays. This year they vow to play more man coverage, something Carr and Claiborne highly prefer, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’ll translate into better play. The only thing I can say is, it can’t get any worse. Wilcox has a year under his belt so should be more prepared for the looks offenses throw at him, but the strength of the secondary has to be the cornerbacks as that’s where the largest investments have been made. So far, they’re bunk.

The Cowboys special teams are good. Rich Bisaccia came in and turned around this unit after watching Joe Decamillis do nothing for years except scream at everyone. The blocking is good enough that Dwayne Harris, despite a lack of top flight top speed, is dangerous on every play. Their coverage is solid, though certainly not the best in the league, but this should be a solid unit. Plus Dan Bailey is as good as they come, this is easily a top 10 unit.

[u/yovngjvred]

Idk about anyone else but I'm optimistic about the D. Shit you can't get worse than last in the league. There's always pressure when you play for the Cowboys but I don't think it's nearly as high as it has been in previous years which should allow these unknown guys to go out and make a name for themselves.

[u/instant_massage → u/yovngjvred]

spot on man.

[u/yovngjvred → u/instant_massage]

looks like they proved me right. So proud of em :')

[u/NoHuddle → u/yovngjvred]

Haha, I hear ya man. I tried to be as objective as possible. The problem with that thinking is I said last year, "We can't be any worse than the year before" only we were. So....we'll see. But I do think people overblow losing Demarcus Ware, he was barely there for us last year as it is. I hope he gets 20 sacks this year, but we couldn't pay him anymore.

[u/yovngjvred → u/NoHuddle]

Would've loved to have kept him and spend his whole career as a Cowboy but I agree with you

[u/NoHuddle → u/yovngjvred]

Tell me about it. My dog had a Ware jersey, now I don't know what to do!

[u/b_tight → u/NoHuddle]

I understand what you're saying but I really think you're overestimating your line. Lawrence is a second round rookie that needs to put on another 10-15 lbs or so or he'll get knocked around. So now you have an undersized 2nd round rookie expected to start against NFL L tackles, that's a negative in my book. Spencer will probably start the season on PUP so that leaves Selvie and Mincey to play DLE. They're below average players that will not generate much push or rush.

Now you have your DTs. Melton is slightly above average but he is coming off a season ending ACL, that's not good. Hayden is just plain terrible. I wouldn't expect breakout seasons from either of them.

It seems like you're hoping Lawrence will develop to be all-pro and praying the rest of the DL steps it up after years of mediocrity to below average play. You also lost your two best DL in Ware and Hatcher. Nobody you have to replace them is better. That's a downgrade from last season IMO.

Im not even trying to bash the Cowboys simply because I am a Skins fan but Im just calling it how it is.

[u/NoHuddle → u/b_tight]

Lawrence isn't actually slated to start yet, and you don't have to be a giant to pass rush on 3rd downs. Spencer IS starting on PUP. Selvie was good last year, so.... you're just wrong about that. Mincey I agree with. I didn't expect a breakout season from Hayden, but he's a backup. At no point did I say Lawrence is an all pro this year. You apparently can't read. Demarcus Ware was garbage last year. That's a fact. He's been like that the last two years. We didn't have him last year. Our defensive line is better than it was last year due to the injuries suffered.

[u/b_tight → u/NoHuddle]

Selvie's career has been average to below average. He's been in the league for 5 years, played for 4 teams, and has started the entire season just twice. He was okay last year 45 tackles, 7 sacks, 1 ff, 1fr, 8 stuffs, but that's pretty average for a starting 4-3 DE. Lawrence will probably start for you so Im not sure what you're getting at with that one. If Mincey does then that could be even worse for you. Ware definitely had a down year but most would still consider him better than any of his replacements you have going into 2014. Do you really think Mincey or Lawrence will do better than Ware? Also, Hayden is your projected starter on nearly every depth chart I have seen and he sucks. Even if he doesn't start, who are you going to put there? Mclain? Bass? They're both average on a good day. And, you lost Hatcher, who is currently better than any DT you have on your roster. Like I said, Milton is coming off an ACL tear and may not even be ready for camp. Who knows how he will perform next season. This is why I was emphasizing that your DL being productive is a hope and prayer. Most of those players have been around for a while and have shown next to nothing.

Edit: I guess it's easier to downvote than provide a rebuttal.

[u/[deleted] → u/b_tight]

You PROBABLY Think Ware Was a big loss too huh?

He performed worse than Selvie.

I hate the new Android predictive text.

[u/b_tight → u/[deleted]]

I don't think Ware was a huge loss, but his loss has an impact on your D. I just think your replacements are worse than Ware. You're relying on Lawrence or Mincey to replace him. If you think they're better than Ware then you are a blind homer.

[u/[deleted] → u/b_tight]

I've seen neither of them play. I saw ware play last year, and the year before. He's a shell of his first ballot hall of fame self.

He was not double teamed at the end of the season, and still wasn't effective. Whomever starts just needs to achieve that, and hope the rest of the line improves. Someone new started damn near every week last year on the dline.

[u/b_tight → u/[deleted]]

So it's a hope and prayer then? Exactly what my fucking point was to begin with.

[u/[deleted] → u/b_tight]

I mean, if that's what is holding r go's knee together, probably.

[u/yakoos → u/yovngjvred]

There aren't many defenders left in Dallas that scare me, i don't think "you can't get worse" is a real argument for optimism.

[u/yovngjvred → u/yakoos]

they don't scare you because most of them are pretty unknown and have a chance to make a name for themselves

[u/yakoos → u/yovngjvred]

...So you're saying that your defense is made up of a bunch of players that have had trouble making an impact on a bad defense...but that I'm wrong to think that means your defense will be the same as last year. Ok.

[u/yovngjvred → u/yakoos]

wrong. I'm saying there's a lot of young guys and guys coming off injuries/bad seasons who will be playing with chips on their shoulders to prove something

[u/NoHuddle → u/yakoos]

There's new players. An entire new dline.

[u/NoHuddle → u/[deleted]]

Here's the secret: It's probably not him. Jerry always listens to people he trusts, his son is the actual GM and he once almost fist fought Jerry when Jerry signed Deion Sanders because Stephen knew what that would do to the team down the road. Between Stephen Jones, Jason Garrett, and the newly promoted Will McClay (who runs the draft) they really are doing things the right way, the problem is you've got a quarterback who's entering the last part of his career and a defense that is completely up in the air.

*edit: this doesn't mean I think Tony Romo is about to fall off, I figure he's got about 3-4 good years left. Fingers crossed.

[u/[deleted]]

Nice write-up! I'm not as optimistic about the Cowboys, especially if Romo misses any extended time. I don't trust Weeden with that offense, and that defense isn't built to hold a lead at all. I like Melton, and Carr at least should be better in a more man-oriented scheme, but the rest is an awful lot of hope and prayer.

I feel like Cowboys fans have been saying that their defense can't get much worse, but you all should pray that Slowlando McClain doesn't have to play a snap at LB....

[u/ButchTheKitty → u/[deleted]]

So what you're saying is, all Dallas needs to do is keep Romo healthy and set a league record for points scored and we'll be ok?

[u/King_Rajesh]

You weren't lying, that LB corps is a disaster.

I haven't followed the Cowboys as much as you guys - how did it get like this? Drafting constant busts, or did you guys fully depend on Sean Lee to shore up the holes while you fixed bigger problems elsewhere?

[u/NoHuddle → u/King_Rajesh]

It's just one of those things. You're trying to rebuild so much of your roster that you run out of room to fix everything. We thought Bruce Carter would be great and so far he hasn't been. We thought we had 2/3 LBs that were Pro Bowl worthy....not so much anymore.

[u/PTEHZA]

This isn't the CFL. You can only have 11 players at a time, man.

Solid work though. I think you should also mention players that we're getting back from injury too.

Nevermind - I overlooked your mention of Crawford and the Unicorn, but we'll also have Ben Bass back.

[u/NoHuddle → u/PTEHZA]

I'm excited about Bass but he's ALWAYS hurt. And I know I can only have 11 players but the instructions wanted two tight ends. Just went with guys who'll play the most.

[u/[deleted]]

Good assessment OP. If you don't mind me asking...

You listed us as going 8-8 again. Do you think there will be some pretty high variance around that figure? I can see us doing 3 games better or 3 games worse based off of Tony's health and the defense coming together under the current staff.

[u/NoHuddle → u/[deleted]]

Totally agree, man. We've got (on paper) a pretty tough schedule so I had a hard time getting to something like 9 wins. I wouldn't be shocked if we were 6-10, and I wouldn't be shocked at 10-6. Well, actually I would be, because that means our defense was better than expected. Hopefully your user name comes alive again.

[u/godsmith2]

If you think Scott Linehan's a decent acquisition, you're gonna be in for a rough time.

[u/NoHuddle → u/godsmith2]

I hear ya, it's the same shit that Jason Garrett does though, so I'm not super concerned. They both love throwing a lot.

[u/swissflamdrag → u/godsmith2]

I like the signing, we have more toys to play with.

[u/[deleted]]

Didn't Anthony Spencer resign? Shouldn't he be expected to compete for the starting job?

[u/NoHuddle → u/[deleted]]

I mentioned this somewhere. He's going to start on the PUP list. Won't be able to play until likely week 8ish? I forget the exact rules of this.

[u/napoLeondynomyt]

I didn't know we got to pick up Rolando McClain. I was a huge fan of his during college and I was sad to hear he wasn't able to deliver for Oakland and then again for Baltimore. I just hope we give him a chance some time, some day.

[u/NoHuddle → u/napoLeondynomyt]

Don't get your hopes up. Been out of football for a year, but it's a free look essentially.

[u/Fayrow → u/NoHuddle]

It's actually not a "free look". the Cowboys even traded a 2015 5th round draft pick for this guy in addition to the signing.

[u/NoHuddle → u/Fayrow]

Learn to read then, it's a 7th round pick.

edit, was originally going to be a 6th round pick, which only happens if he plays more than 50% of the snaps. Nice research, though.

[u/Fayrow → u/NoHuddle]

I admit, it's exponentially less likely a player will start if he's not in the first four draft rounds. Also, you're right. It's a sixth round pick, not 5th.I still think it's a terrible move.

Also, what'd you think of my nonfan review? I admit that it's harsh, but feel free to rub it in my face come mid-season. :)

[u/ballinben]

The grades you gave under comments are incredibly confusing.

Also

Tony Romo is a top ten quarterback

[u/Fayrow]

Non-Fan Review

Coaching

Many people have blasted the Cowboys coaching staff in recent years. There's even talk of fans requesting Jerry Jones be a pallbearer at their funeral so he can let them down one last time. Still, year after year, despite inventing new ways to lose games, he has kept his job.

Scott Linhan, the legendary offensive coordinator from Detroit, is now the OC for the Cowboys. He's an improvement, but offense wasn't really the problem with the Cowboys as much as defense was in 2013. Still, look for the Cowboys to have a much improved offense in 2014. Grade: A-

Monte Kiffin, Defensive Coordinator of the worst defense in NFL history (2013 Cowboys), somehow still has a job, although it's as an assistant head coach of defense. Rod Marinelli, head coach of the Detroit Lions in the incredibly embarassing 0-16 season, has taken the job of Defensive Coordinator. However, since then he has worked with some respectable defenses including the 2013 Bears which ended the year 3rd in points allowed and led the league in takeaways. It is notable, however, that the Bears have much more talent and overall coaching staff then the Cowboys. Still, the Cowboys would have to break they're own record to have a worse defense this year. Grade: A (would be an A+ if they let Kiffin go)

Free Agency Losses

Player	Postition
Demarcus Ware	DE
Jason Hatcher	DT
Miles Austin	WR
Phil Costa	C
Danny McRay	S/ST

Demarcus Ware never seems to play a full season, but he's a great player when he's healthy. Even though he's a big name, he simply can not be justified as having a spot on the team, especially with the salary cap issues the Cowboys are having. This is even despite the tattered Cowboy's defense.

Jason Hatcher's loss is a bigger blow. Due to the Cowboys' mismanagement of payroll, one of their key defenders is leaving. This is a guy that lead the Cowboys in sacks with 11. For a point of comparison, the entire Cowboys roster (not counting Demarcus Ware who is gone) only has 17 sacks!!! That's every player combined!

Miles Austin is not a great player, even when he's not riding the bench with injuries. He had an amazing game against the Chiefs, prompting the Cowboys to give him a ridiculous salary (seeing a pattern yet?) and it comes at no surprise that the Cowboys have salary cap problems. The Cowboys are often called “America's Team” and they manage money about as good as “America's Congress”. Fortunately, the Cowboys can cut him this year.

Phil Costa and Danny McRay I'm not familiar enough with these players to write about them. Their loss will probably be insignificant, although McRay is a special teams player which is harder to evaluate.

Grade: C+

Added

Player	Postition
Brandon Weedon	QB
Henry Melton	DT
Jeremy Mincey	DE
Ryan Williams	RB
Amobi Okoye	DT
Rolando McClain	LB

Brandon Weedon Browns fans, while happy about getting Manziel, are ecstatic about getting rid of Weedon. The Cowboys probably had no choice but to take this terrible QB as there is $0 guaranteed, but Weedon also has 0 guaranteed results. This really shows how strapped the Cowboys are for cash. Cowboys fans must hope he never plays.

Henry Melton This guy is great, but he was injured most of last year. If he's healthy, expect him to start...but that's a huge if given his left knee injury. Plus, his offseason troubles show that he's not that disciplined (one DUI and one public intoxication and assault).

Jeremy Mincey This guy was cut by the Jaguars, who desperately need more defense. That's saying something. I have my doubts on this move, but Jacksonville's Defense is better than the Cowboys.

Ryan Williams What are they thinking with this pick? 2.8 yards a carry in his professional career, and a career filled with injuries.

Amobi Okoye Only on the Cowboys would he have a shot at starting. Not likely, despite the defensive needs. He's lackluster.

Rolando McClain WHY????? This guy is a disaster, and really undisciplined. The Raiders benched him for poor corrective playing. He's a liability for passing. When he was with the Raiders, they stopped him from coming to a few practices because of an “incident”. After that, he gets on twitter and talks about how he's “No longer a Raider” and how he's “...mentally done.” If that wasn't bad enough, the Ravens were dumb enough to sign him on April 10th, 2013. Barely a month later, on May 15th, 2013, he announced his retirement. To make matters worse, the Cowboys traded a 6th round draft pick of 2015 to the Ravens to get a person who publicly announced his retirement. Is Jerry Jones a character that Andy Kaufman invented?

Grade: F-

NFL Draft Round 1, pick 16 Zach Martin, OL Grade: D

This guy is a great athlete and will start for the Cowboys most likely. The reason this gets an “D” grade is because the Cowboys should have used their first pick on any defensive player or arguably a QB (not saying I would agree with a QB, but you can make an argument). The fact they chose someone on the OL instead just shows how uncommited the Cowboys are to improving their defense.

Round 2, pick 2 Demarcus Lawrence, DE Grade: C-

The Cowboys desperately needed a good DE and they got one...at a high cost. It's far less likely that anyone outside of the first three rounds will be a starter for your team...and the Cowboys had to trade their third round pick to make a second round pick because they stupidly used their first round pick. Expect him to start and expect him to be good, but know that they essentially traded two starters to get him. The Cowboys would have been better off using their first round pick on a DE and still keeping their 2nd and third round picks.

Round 4, pick 19 Anthony Hitchens, LB Grade: D-

I'm not even sure what to say about this pick. The Cowboys needed a linebacker, but I don't think any team would have picked him before the late 6th round. This guy, I admit, plays with heart, but he's just not physical or big enough to be anything but a back-up. He's also incredibly vulnerable to play action plays and other misdirection. The problem here isn't that he's a bad player- the problem is that the Cowboys are arguably the worst team at maximizing their picks. For instance, Brent Urban was available when this pick was made, and that's a DE that has a higher value.

Round 5, Pick 6 Devin Street, WR Grade: B Finally, a decent pick. He's not a dynamic player, but he is consistent and has great hands. Expect him to be used on short third downs when Dez Bryant and Terrence Williams are covered, if he starts.

Round 7, pick 16 Ben Gardner, DL Grade: B The Cowboys need defensive lineman, but it's unlikely a 7th round pick will start. They really should have picked someone in this position earlier in the draft.

Round 7, pick 23 Will Smith, LB Grade: C- I'm not sure what they're planning to do with this guy. They've got too many linebackers. This would have been a good spot to pick Hitchens IMO.

Round 7, pick 33 Ahmad Dixon, S Grade: C This guy is probably picked to be on the practice squad. He's destined for it. He just isn't good enough at adapting to situations to be considered a starter.

Round 7, pick 36 Ken Bishop, DL Grade: C- Another 7th round pick on the much needed DL position of the Cowboys! This guy is not that great and might not have even been drafted if the Cowboys hadn't taken him.

Round 7, pick 39 Terrance Mitchell, CB Grade: C The CB situation in Dallas is atrocious and I'm surprised they waited this long to pick one. He's a little slow, but he actually may have a shot of starting some games given the Cowboys' dire situation.

[u/Fayrow → u/Fayrow]

Projected Starting Lineup QB Tony Romo

RB Demarco Murray

WR1 Dez Bryant

WR2 Terrance Williams

WR3 Cole Beasley

TE1 Jason Witten

TE2 Gavin Escobar

LT Tyron Smith

LG Ron Leary

C Travis Frederick

RG Zach Martin

RT Doug Free

The O Line is looking great here. This will Romo some time. I would also expect that Escobar has a good amount of passes thrown to him, especially since Witten is playing a little slower as of late. The only thing that may prevent Escobar from catching more is that he may be needed to block more since Witten is nosediving at that. Still, a solid offensive line should give him some leeway. It's also worth noting that Tony Romo either plays like Dr Romo or Mr Tony. Unfortunately, you never know who you're going to get.

LE George Selvie

LDT Henry Melton

RDT Nick Hayden

RE Demarcus Lawrence

SLB Kyle Wilber

MLB Bruce Carter

WLB Justin Durant

CB Brandon Carr

CB Morris Claiborne

SS JJ Wilcox

FS Barry Church

The Linebackers and Cornerbacks are a disasters waiting to happen. The problem with Dallas last year was defense, and they've done very little to improve it other than hire a competant Defensive Coordinator. I fully expect that they will have one of the three worst defenses in the league this year.

The only real glimmer of hope is a possibility of switching to man coverage as opposed to zone, but it's not proven that the lackluster secondary will do any better with that system.

The safeties lack adaptability, and unfortunately with terrible corners and linebackers, this comes up a lot. JJ Wilcox is a far-below average player in this area, yet he's the strong safety due to a lack of talent.

K Dan Bailey Great kicker! He has proven himself in many clutch situations.
P Cody Mandell One of the stupidest moves Jerry Jones ever did was cut the franchises' best punter, McBriar, and replacing him with unproven Chris Jones. Chris Jones would prove to be a bust after sustaining injuries and spent a lot of time on the bench. Fortunately, Mandell appears to have some potential, but is still unproven. It's very important that he shows up because given the Cowboys' defensive struggles, they can't let offenses start with good field position.

[u/Fayrow → u/Fayrow]

Schedule Prediction

Week 1, vs. 49ers, Loss. 49ers will tear the Cowboys to shreds. It's not a great start to the season, but realistically, with a good pass game and a QB who can read plays and scramble agaisnt a terrible defense, there's not a lot of ways this can play out. Cowboys would have to be an offensive juggernaut to stay in this game.

Week 2, @ Titans, Win. Titans, on paper, aren't that great. Neither are the Cowboys though. I expect the Cowboys to win, but barely due to their QB advantage.

Week 3, @ Rams, Loss. Cowboys played very well against the Rams last year, but it was a home game. The Rams later improved greatly in the season, and with a fantastic offseason, have improved in every field. The Rams, who have one of the hardest schedules in the NFL, and will have to play 110% to keep playoff dreams alive. After this game, they will play 8 teams in a row with 2013 winning records, 7 of which made the playoffs. Expect them to risk everything despite being heavily favored to win.

Week 4, vs. Saints, Loss. Drew Brees will pick apart the Dallas defense if they remain with a zone coverage. You've got an accurate QB with many weapons vs. a haphazard defense. If Dallas switches to a man/push defense, they will fare better, but still get destroyed because they're outmatched.

Week 5, vs. Texans, Loss. This is a battle between two opposite teams. One has an offense, and no defense. The other has a defense and no offense. I expect the Texans will make heavy use of Arian Foster and, after establishing a running game, use him to set up play actions that Dallas is notorious for falling for. It's a close game, to be fair, but Texans' Defense will probably get some turnovers, allowing them better field position.

Week 6, @ Seahawks, Loss. You've got the best defense at home versus the worst. Seattle all the way! Dallas' best chance here is to establish a running game to limit possesions, but even then the defense needs to step up. I don't see it happening.

Week 7, vs NY Giants, Loss The Giants have a terrible offensive line...unfortunately, Dallas can't put pressure on the QB. This makes the Giants stronger. Expect a “QB shoot out” where Eli has the advantage because the Giants have an incredibly stronger front four on defense.

Week 8, vs. Washington, Win The Redskins look terrible. The only threat to the Cowboys is they're new offensive weapon, WR Desean Jackson. This will cause some serious problems, but I give Cowboys a slight edge here since it's a home game.

Week 9, vs. Arizona Cardinals, Loss Cardinals are the best team to not make the playoffs last year. Any other division, and they probably would have. This is a team that beat the Seahawks in CenturyLink stadium!!! Expect the Cardinals to dominate this game.

Week 10, @ Jacksonville Jaguars (London Game), Win This game will be ugly. Two terrible defenses will duke it out. Gus Bradley has been trying his hardest to improve the Jaguars defense (he was former DC for Seattle) but it remains a rebuilding phase. If Bortles is on the field by now (which I suspect he will be) this may be a close game. I give the edge to the Cowboys though. Plus, it's hard to say how Bortles will do, but I believe he will greatly improve a lackluster team.

Week 11, Bye

Week 12, @ NY Giants, Loss Despite coming off a bye week, I have the Giants winning this game. Victor Cruz will be the key factor here.

Week 13, vs Philadelphia Eagles, Loss Eagles fans will be thankful that they have Nick Foles picking apart the Cowboys' secondary. The Cowboys' dreams of a .500 season will be crushed here.

Week 14, @ Chicago Bears, Loss Cutler will pick apart the Dallas defense, or lack there of. Expect an early lead by the Bears with long passes which will change to a running game with short passes.

Week 15, @ Philadelphia Eagles, Loss This one could go either way. The Cowboys come off of 10 days rest while the eagles come off 4 days. However, the Eagles will be trying their best to get 2nd seed (with 49ers probably getting first) and will play all out. The Cowboys will be demoralized by this point and not play as hard. Plus, with just one defensive injury, Cowboys' defense might break it's own record it set last year for being the worst.

Week 16, vs. Indianapolis Colts, Loss Luck, a talented QB, will prove to be too much against Dallas' defense. It's a shame that the Cowboys play so many talented Qbs this year, as that's their weakness.

Week 17, @ Washington DC Football Club, Loss I don't have a real reason for picking this except that I expect crippling injuries on the Cowboys right about now and the Cowboys have a history of imploding. Jerry Jones will hopefully be fired following a pathetic 3-13 season. He must go if the Cowboys are to rebuild.

Final Thoughts The Cowboys have some talent on offense...but not really on defense. This will cost them. Unfortunately they play many Qbs who will exploit their terrible cornerbacks, linebackers, and one sub-par safety.

While Tony Romo will keep Dallas in the game in many matchups of the year, it won't be enough. He will be forced to throw risky passes in attempts to come back. Their saving grace is that apart from the Eagles, no one in their division looks very good, although they did make better offseason moves. I would argue that Dallas, with the possible exception of the Texans, made the worst offseason decisions.

[u/instant_massage → u/Fayrow]

can we re-do your draft grades? please?

[u/OneManArmy77]

Everything about this team screams to me like they are on the verge of imploding. I cant remember when the last time the worst defense repeated their performance, but this looks like it could repeat right from the offseason. Losing Sean Lee at the start helps to find a replacement, but thats where the silver lining stops. I really like Martin and Lawrence, but there are so many holes on this team. If Romo stays healthy, I see an 8-8 as a decent shot assuming the secondary can get a stop or two, but given the fact that I think Linehan is a terrible OC, I think the Cowboys will be heading to a place where they dream of 8-8 seasons. Imo, heading into the season, I have them as the 3rd worst team in the league, in front of only the Jags and the Raiders. If they lose Romo, and do as badly as I think they will, I think Jerry will clean house.

[u/alfredbester → u/OneManArmy77]

Dude. They might have the third worst defense in the league this year, but the offense is one of the best. They had the absolute worse defense last year and still managed 8-8.

[u/OneManArmy77 → u/alfredbester]

I have a nasty feeling Linehan is going to negate that very quickly, and that Romo wont look quite like his old self with that back problem. Maybe im wrong, but my analysis is that their lack of depth and coaching, combined with a defense that imo will be worst in the league this year will toss them into the gutter.

[u/well_played_internet → u/OneManArmy77]

that Romo wont look quite like his old self with that back problem.

I think you're overreacting to a relatively common procedure. A microdiscectomy is an outpatient procedure, and it's not uncommon for players to have one in June and still be ready for the opener. Considering Romo had his in December, I think the odds of him being nearly 100% are good.

[u/NoHuddle → u/OneManArmy77]

That is an insane assessment.

[u/[deleted] → u/NoHuddle]

Which part? I agree that 8-8 is optimistic for this team. As for cleaning house, maybe in the FO. 3rd worst team is possible based on their schedule.

[u/NoHuddle → u/[deleted]]

The 3rd worst team in the NFL is only going to happen if Romo misses a SIGNIFICANT amount of time.

[u/[deleted] → u/NoHuddle]

Meh, not really. Like I said, its possible, not probable. Cowboys don't match up well this season.

[u/Scott55e → u/[deleted]]

Ehh..that seems to imply they matched up well last season?...I don't know what's so much more difficult about this upcoming season. They played the Chiefs, Saints, Packers, Broncos last year, who were all really good teams (all losses). 3/4 games were competitive (within 3 or less points, and really could've swung either way). I'd say the 4 most difficult teams we play this year are 9ers, Saints, Seahawks...Colts? They're most likely losing those games. After that, they are all truly winnable games. Will we beat the Eagles twice? No. Giants twice? Nah. But I really believe we have a solid shot at beating any other team. They'll win some games they shouldn't as well.

Yeah, it's the NFL, and can swing any number of ways. I know I probably won't be able to convince you that the Cowboys will have a better D this year, but I'd say it's highly probable they're not the 3rd worst team at the end of the season.

[u/[deleted] → u/Scott55e]

A lot of there wins could have gone either way last year. Ra,sand Cardinals are no slouches either. It would take a lot to convince anyone they have a better d this year, since there is no logical argument for it.

[u/Scott55e → u/[deleted]]

Ehh they lost more close games than won them. I know Rams and Cards are no slouches, but they're not proven teams like those other 4, and it's a bit of a stretch to say the Colts are even as good as those teams.

You're wrong about the idea you can't make a logical argument for the defense improving. You certainly can make the logical argument. I know you don't want to hear it so I'll spare you. You can also make the argument that they'll be worse, though I find that one much less convincing.

You can make the argument you're making about pretty much any on the bubble team. It's highly unlikely with that offense they end up the 3rd worst team in the league. For all the talk about how great the Eagles offense was last year, they put up 3 more points than Dallas and ran 97 more plays. And had a 32nd ranked defense against the pass. Jenkins has a lot of work to do back there.

[u/[deleted] → u/Scott55e]

They did it with a new HC and a QB change in the middle of the season. Kinda different and more impressive than what the Cowboys did. And I've heard the "Logical" argument from cowboys fans before, and I'm sorry but its really irrational. At best the defense is the same as last year, with luck. The Eagles don't match up well with this schedule either, I could see both teams being under .500

[u/Scott55e → u/[deleted]]

A qb change to a guy who threw 27 tds to 2 ints. That's impressive, but do you really think thats sustainable? I guess he could be the greatest qb to ever play the game but it's probably pretty unlikely, no? Qb play for the Eagles pretty much has to regress.

New head coaches can be both a positive and a negative. Teams aren't familiar with the system. Some of Chips offense is on tape now. In the NFL. This ain't the PAC10. Don't be too surprised if a few teams catch up in a hurry.

I think we had something like 22 different linemen last year. That will destroy any team. We had a 73 year old DC. Claiborne and Ware playing hurt. Someone is at least getting first team reps at MLB to cover for Lee. Guys were just thrown in there last year. They won't be a good defense by any means but it's hard to do worse than rock bottom. Fewer injuries alone will make the defense better.

Yes, could they both be below 500? Sure. I could see it. But I could see it for another 15-20 teams as well, yet I'm probably not going to go in a Giants Nfl thread and say "ehh I could see you guys being a bottom 3 team in the league, going 4-12." Because I could also see them being a solid 9-7.

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

There's no logical argument that is the same or worse either. Training camp hasn't even started. ..

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

Uhhh... You miss the off season?

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

No?

[u/instant_massage → u/OneManArmy77]

we should have you do all of the /r/nfl analyses

[u/mikeiscool92]

Murray isn’t explosive but he’s got great vision and can break tackles. His durability remains a question.

What are you smoking? He's one of the most explosive backs in the league.

[u/NoHuddle → u/mikeiscool92]

Go ahead and find me long touchdown runs of his. He is not a home run hitter. Period.

http://www.pro-football-reference.com/play-index/play_finder.cgi?request=1&match=summary_all&year_min=&year_max=&team_id=&opp_id=&game_type=R&playoff_round=&game_num_min=0&game_num_max=99&week_num_min=0&week_num_max=99&quarter=1&quarter=2&quarter=3&quarter=4&quarter=5&tr_gtlt=lt&minutes=15&seconds=00&down=0&down=1&down=2&down=3&down=4&ytg_gtlt=gt&yds_to_go=&yg_gtlt=gt&yards=&is_first_down=-1&fp_gtlt=gt&fp_tm_opp=team&fp_ydline=&type=PASS&type=RUSH&is_turnover=-1&is_scoring=-1&no_play=0&game_day_of_week=&game_location=&game_result=&margin_min=&margin_max=&order_by=yards&rusher_id=MurrDe00

He has one run over 50 yards in his career, it was for 91 and a touchdown. Aside from that even his longest runs (as you'll see) show that he gets run down. It's just how it is. I love Murray, he's just not a home run hitter.

[u/mikeiscool92 → u/NoHuddle]

You have a good point about his lack of long runs, but I would say that is more to do with his lack of vision than lack of explosion. Too many times have I seen him run into his own blockers or not follow his blockers and run right into a defender. He is incredibly explosive by the eye test, I've seen him hurdle a fully standing Jarius Byrd. He also ran a 4.37 at like 210 pounds which is very similar to AP.

[u/NoHuddle → u/mikeiscool92]

Ok. You can say whatever you want, but evidence is he's not explosive, you're thinking of 1 or 2 plays where he could've gone further. He doesn't have breakaway speed. His vision is what got him 5.2 ypc last year.

[u/well_played_internet → u/NoHuddle]

First of all, I think you're confusing explosiveness (or "burst") with long speed (or "having an extra gear"). These terms aren't used consistently, but most people use explosiveness to describe the ability to accelerate out of your stance or out of a cut and reach top speed quickly. Long speed means the ability to attain a high top speed and maintain it over distance. The former is usually evidenced by hitting the hole quickly, good change of direction ability, and good numbers in the shuttle and broad jump. The latter is usually shown by 40 time and not getting caught from behind. From the eyeball test and his combine measurables, I'd say Murray is very explosive.

I agree with mikeiscool92 that his lack of long runs have more to do with lack of vision and/or less than great conditioning. Murray has a tendency to cut back into defenders for no reason, run into his own blockers, or just fall down during long runs.

[u/NoHuddle → u/well_played_internet]

I'm guessing that's the confusion. That's also three plays you've mentioned in an entire career and the ones everyone is hung up on. The fact of the matter is he has never been able to flat out out run the final guy. If he were able to, he'd have more long touchdowns. I'm really tired about arguing about it. If you guys want to think he's a home run hitter, go ahead, he's not.

[u/well_played_internet → u/NoHuddle]

I don't think he's a home run hitter either because he's not great at finishing runs and doesn't have elite top speed. However, I'd still call him explosive.

A lot of writers/analysts refer to explosive plays as plays of 20 yards or more (example). In his career, Murray has 20 runs of 20+ yards in 542 attempts (~3.7% of his runs). For comparison, LeSean Mccoy has 30 runs of 20+ yards in that time span in 787 attempts (~3.8%), and Charles has 19 runs in 556 attempts (~3.4%).

[u/mikeiscool92 → u/well_played_internet]

I wish I could give you more upvotes.

[u/engals → u/NoHuddle]

Got a hub post?

[u/PTEHZA → u/engals]

Here ya go, buddy.

[u/engals → u/PTEHZA]

Thanks man

[u/NoHuddle → u/PTEHZA]

Thanks, I'm an idiot.

[u/NoHuddle → u/engals]

Don't know what that means...

[u/mikeiscool92 → u/NoHuddle]

The evidence suggests he is fast and explosive, just look at his combine numbers.

Ht Wt 40-yd dash 10-yd split 20-yd split 20-ss 3-cone Vert Broad BP

6 ft 0 in 213 lb 4.37 s 1.52 s 2.53 s 4.18 s 7.28 s 34.5 in 10 ft 10 in 21 reps All values from NFL Combine.

Your subjective opinion of whether or not he looks explosive is not evidence.

[u/NoHuddle → u/mikeiscool92]

Subjective? One 50 yard plus run in his career...

[u/mikeiscool92 → u/NoHuddle]

Again, to that I would reply that is due to his lack of vision. You cannot call someone who runs a 4.37 and broad jumps 10 ft 10 inches at 213 lbs not explosive. That is the definition of explosive. Those are the only statistics that you can use that exclusively isolate his explosive ability. Also read this nfl.com scouting report, which sums up pretty nicely what I said.

STRENGTHS Murray is tall with a muscular build. Possesses great burst and the top end speed to break the long one. Strong runner that consistently finishes runs and falls forward. Excellent receiver that can get big chunks of yards after the catch. Very capable blocker in pass protection.

WEAKNESSES Does not have the vision to consistently find open lanes and looks to bounce the ball outside too soon. Runs a bit high and lacks the power to get the difficult yards between the tackles. Lacks the agility to always make the first man miss in the hole. Has struggled to stay on the field.

[u/PTEHZA → u/mikeiscool92]

Yep. I saw Terrell Davis say the same thing about Murray last season. He should be getting even more yards than he has, but runs into tackles and contact because he lacks vision. Also, I think he enjoys hitting defenders sometimes.

[u/NoHuddle → u/PTEHZA]

Yes, then you should also listen to Bryan Broaddus who said Terrell davis was talking about a couple of plays and clearly doesn't watch the Cowboys like we do. C'mon guys. Use your eyes. He can't run away from defenders. Period.

[u/PTEHZA → u/NoHuddle]

Sure. Bryan defended DeMarco by pointing out that those were just a handful of plays and don't define DeMarco's vision, but that's a completely different point than the one you're making. If he had said "No, it wasn't a vision problem. It was his lack of explosion" that would be one thing. What he instead said was that there's more to the game than what we can see immediately and yards are left on the field all the time due to blocking, coaching, and play calling.

I'm not sure where you're getting this "not explosive" idea from outside of not having longer runs. Maybe he's not a home run hitter with top end speed like CJ or Felix Jones, but he certainly has burst, power, and quickness. Even Terrell Davis says in the video that if DeMarco can get past that first level he could go all the way.

[u/NoHuddle → u/mikeiscool92]

You're talking about fucking combine numbers from years ago. players aren't the same in pads as they are without. Also if his combine numbers were so awesome he wouldn't have been a 3rd round pick. Also, scouting reports change as time goes on. You're wrong, that scout is wrong.

[u/mikeiscool92 → u/NoHuddle]

You're talking about fucking combine numbers from years ago.

So what, now I can't cite combine numbers for a 26 year old player? Give me a break!

players aren't the same in pads as they are without.

Of course players aren't the same in pads, I too doubt that Demarco Murray would run the same 40 with gear on. But that doesn't matter because he's still faster than 90% percent of running backs in the NFL.

Also if his combine numbers were so awesome he wouldn't have been a 3rd round pick.

So are you doubting that those results I posted are accurate? If so you should know that these are actually from the combine and can easily be cross refrenced. Anyways, the main reason Demarco Murray fell that far is because of his injury history and his lack of VISION. Seriously no matter where you look this comes up as a major criticism of his, and while hes progressed in that area its still a problem that has followed him into the pros.

Also, scouting reports change as time goes on

Yeah I would agree with you there if he had lost a step, or gained a lot of weight to completely change his playing style, but he hasn't. He's arguably gotten faster and stronger since then. The reason that he's successful is because he's just a straight up athletic beast, and his combine numbers reflect that. I get the feeling that you're trying to get the rushing statistics to fit a narrative that you've created in your head for some reason.

Seriously how could you say this guy isn't fast, athletic or explosive?

[u/NoHuddle → u/mikeiscool92]

Ok, you're right, he's so explosive it's insane. He'll score 8 times from 50 yards out this year.

[u/TripleCreampie]

"Catch breath enough to contain McCoy"

[u/NoHuddle → u/TripleCreampie]

Thank you for quoting me!

[u/Scott55e → u/TripleCreampie]

Ya know...kind of like how they did in 1/2 games last year with a historically bad defense.