The Cowboys are going to the play-offs and I think they have a good chance of playing in the SB.
As I said JG is the best coach we have had since Jimmy. I would give him a 12 year contract on the way home.
We have a team and it will just get better!!!!!
Dallas Cowboys Chat - Just talking Cowboys - join in - give us your thoughts.
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Can't Be Mad When They Tell the Truth
Deadspin has been doing their annual, Why Your Team Sucks. Today it was the Cowboys turn:
Why Your Team Sucks 2012: Dallas Cowboys
I just can't drink the kool-aide yet. The one thing that jumps out at me is the choking. Magary points at Romo, but he was only responsible for the first half chokes. The second half was the Defense. I have no idea what they really have. I also think this is the first real look at Red Jesus - he's had whole off season this year and no excuses.
Princess
Why Your Team Sucks 2012: Dallas Cowboys
I just can't drink the kool-aide yet. The one thing that jumps out at me is the choking. Magary points at Romo, but he was only responsible for the first half chokes. The second half was the Defense. I have no idea what they really have. I also think this is the first real look at Red Jesus - he's had whole off season this year and no excuses.
Princess
Giants Game
I really believe that Dallas has but together good coaches and have a good team this year. Personally I was glad to see McGee go and was equally as happy with the guys we got on the practice squad.
There is no way that Felix Jones will make it though the season in fact it wouldn't surprise me if he doesn't get through the Giants game without getting hurt. That being said I like the fact that we picked up Dunbar for the practice squad I think it he fast and will be playing before we get half way through the season.
There is no way that Felix Jones will make it though the season in fact it wouldn't surprise me if he doesn't get through the Giants game without getting hurt. That being said I like the fact that we picked up Dunbar for the practice squad I think it he fast and will be playing before we get half way through the season.
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Jerry wants a Glory Hole
Rich Dalrymple tried to save him, but he just doubled down.
http://thedallascowboyshow.com/archives/3005
I can hear it now......Wednesday, September 5, Giants Stadium, player introductions - the entire stadium cues up their ring tones all at once. To be repeated at every NFC East opponents home stadium.
Yeah, thanks, Jerry.
Princess
http://thedallascowboyshow.com/archives/3005
I can hear it now......Wednesday, September 5, Giants Stadium, player introductions - the entire stadium cues up their ring tones all at once. To be repeated at every NFC East opponents home stadium.
Yeah, thanks, Jerry.
Princess
Friday, June 15, 2012
Kool Aid
Gomez must have drank the Kool Aid. The Cowboys will win the Super Bowl this year.
Gomez is off to celebrate in Saigon.
Cheers,
Gomez
Gomez is off to celebrate in Saigon.
Cheers,
Gomez
Thursday, April 26, 2012
Draft is Now
The beginning of the draft is about 30 minutes away so this is the last time we will have to guesstimate who the Cowboys will take.
I copied and am pasting something from Kam and of course replying all in one post. :)
kameleon_o said...
I want a certain player in this draft but I'm not willing to move up for him. Even Claiborn. Moving up to #4 would probably take a 1st round pick next year. Even if it's just a 2nd I'm not doing it. This team needs way too many players and we're not going to fill enough of them as it is even if we hit on all of our picks. Just let the draft come to us and there will be a good player there. Even if I don't like the player as well as others.
I copied and am pasting something from Kam and of course replying all in one post. :)
kameleon_o said...
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Draft - Who Will It Be?
I think it is going to come down to about six guys depending on who is available. If I don't think all of these six will be there when we draft at 14.
The three I see Dallas having a chance of getting is DeCastro, Barron, Poe. However I think I would take Upshaw over Poe if he was there.
I am torn between DeCastro and Barron. We need a good safey and haven't had one since Darren Woodson, but DeCastro would be a good player for years to come.
The three I see Dallas having a chance of getting is DeCastro, Barron, Poe. However I think I would take Upshaw over Poe if he was there.
I am torn between DeCastro and Barron. We need a good safey and haven't had one since Darren Woodson, but DeCastro would be a good player for years to come.
Courtney Upshaw, OLB
David DeCastro, OG,
Dontari Poe, DT,
Dre Kirkpatrick, CB,
Fletcher Cox, DE,
Mark Barron, S,
T.O. be Quiet
I can't believe that T.O. had the balls to say that he lost respect for Tony Romo and Tony was a major influence in getting cut from the Cowboys. No kidding, did that happen before you bad mouth him when you were on team or did that just pop into your head?
Mr. Owens needs to move on. It seems to me that if he is serious about making another attempt at the pro level he would have learned to keep his mouth shut.
Some guys just don't learn and it is such a waste the guy was great but he had to be in the spotlight all of the time. He said that he was quiet when he was in Cincinnati...hummm what about the batman and robin bit?
Sorry T.O. Jerry did the right thing but getting rid of you. You tried to under cut Garrett, Whitten, Romo and tried to turn Austin against everyone. ( I think it was Austin) So if they wanted you gone is that really a big surprise?
Mr. Owens needs to move on. It seems to me that if he is serious about making another attempt at the pro level he would have learned to keep his mouth shut.
Some guys just don't learn and it is such a waste the guy was great but he had to be in the spotlight all of the time. He said that he was quiet when he was in Cincinnati...hummm what about the batman and robin bit?
Sorry T.O. Jerry did the right thing but getting rid of you. You tried to under cut Garrett, Whitten, Romo and tried to turn Austin against everyone. ( I think it was Austin) So if they wanted you gone is that really a big surprise?
Saturday, April 7, 2012
You Make the Cowboys First Round Pick!
I can't remember when everyone was so up in the air about the Cowboys pick in the draft. Usually, by now it has been narrowed down to one or two choices, not so this year. So let's see who we would pick.
The first and second picks have been made and Vikings are on the clock; you have been given the responsibility of making the pick for Dallas or trade up or down.
What would you do?
Below are a few names that I have seen tossed around in the news, pick one of those or
The first and second picks have been made and Vikings are on the clock; you have been given the responsibility of making the pick for Dallas or trade up or down.
What would you do?
Below are a few names that I have seen tossed around in the news, pick one of those or
Or would you trade up for someone?
If so who?
In what round?
And what would you give?
Cordy Glenn, OG, Georgia: 6'5", 348 pounds
Courtney Upshaw, OLB, Alabama: 6'1", 272 pounds
David DeCastro, OG, Stanford: Interior offensive lineman
Dontari Poe, DT, Memphis: 6-4, 346 pounds, 44 reps of 225
pounds and ran 40 a 4.98 seconds at the scouting combine in February.
Dre Kirkpatrick, CB, Alabama
Fletcher Cox, DE, Mississippi State: 6-4, 298 pounds,
Janoris Jenkins, CB, North Alabama:
Mark Barron, S, Alabama: The 6-1, 213-pounds
Melvin Ingram, OLB, South Carolina
Michael Brockers, DT, LSU 6-5, 322 pounds
Morris
Claiborne, CB, LSU 6-1, 185 pounds - scored a 4 on the Wonderlic
test
Peter Konz, C, Wisconsin; 6'5", 305 lbs
Quinton Coples, DE, North Carolina: 6'6", 285 pounds
Stephon Gilmore, CB, South Carolina: 6-1, 195-pounds
Thursday, April 5, 2012
Article is Spot On!!
The Problem with the Dallas Cowboys is not a lack of ‘Leadership’, ‘Mental Toughness’, or ‘Swagger’.
First, the Cowboys are not as talented as advertised. Jerry Jones wants you to believe they are talented so you will pay exorbitant fees to attend games. The NFL wants you to believe that they are talented because that makes it easier to sell Prime Time Cowboys games that generate millions in revenue. The media outlets want you to believe that the Cowboys are talented because the Cowboys name brings in more readers and viewers than any other team. If the general public started to believe that the Cowboys weren’t talented, and they didn’t have a realistic chance of making a playoff run, the Cowboys would immediately become a lot less relevant, which means Jerry would sell fewer tickets, the NFL and its affiliates would earn less in advertising revenue, and the media would have far fewer readers and viewers.
The truth is that just about everyone involved with professional football has a vested interest in perpetuating the myth that the Cowboys are loaded with talent year in and year out.
The problem with the Cowboys is not a lack of leadership (sorry Warren Sapp), nor a lack of mental toughness (sorry Emmitt), nor a lack of ‘swagger’ (too many to name).
NEWSFLASH: Leadership, mental toughness, and swagger don’t win football games. Good players executing a good game plan wins football games. You can have as much leadership ,mental toughness, and swagger as you want, but if the other teams have better players and/or execute a superior gameplan, they are going to win most of the time.
Emmitt is my favorite athlete of all time in any sport, but I would love to ask him, “How much did your mental toughness help the Cowboys after Troy Aikman and Michael Irvin retired?” Better yet, “How did your mental toughness fare in Arizona?” Similarly, I would like to ask Warren Sapp, “How much did your obviously impeccable leadership help the Buccaneers in the fist couple years you were there?” As for swagger, well, it just doesn’t make much sense for a mediocre team to have swagger. Swagger is not something that makes you good or great, it is something that comes after being successful. Swagger without real success is not swagger at all, it is false confidence or cockiness.
The reason people want to blame these chimeras is twofold: first, it makes fans believe that a few simple adjustments could drastically change the team’s fortunes; second, the real problems with the Cowboys are more complex and pervasive than people want to believe.
There are three major problems with the Dallas Cowboys of the past couple years. Before I enumerate those problems, it should be noted that the OL and secondary were PART of the problem this season, but the fact that those two units played poorly at times is simply a symptom of larger and more systemic problems.
1. The roster is top-heavy. Season after season, the Cowboys begin the year with a roster that has a fair share of elite players at the top of the roster, but a paucity of talent in the middle and at the bottom of that roster. On defense they have DeMarcus Ware, Jay Ratliff, Sean Lee, and in years past Mike Jenkins and Terence Newman, but not much else behind them. The offense is the same: they have Romo, Jason Witten, and Austin, but not much else (especially before Dez Bryant and Laurent Robinson).
The secondary, OL, DL, linebacker corps, and FB position have been neglected for years. The lack of depth on the roster becomes even more obvious as the season wears on; as injuries pile up, and players get banged up, they have no one to step in and provide relief. It is thus no surprise that they have historically struggled in December after 10-12 weeks of wear and tear.
This lack of depth and quality players outside the ‘marquee’ players is a function of several factors. One, Jerry Jones has always been infatuated with high-profile players; he occasionally overpays this big name players and then lacks cap space to fill the rest of the roster. Two, having a few superstars sells ticket and merchandise, but it also fuels the misconception that the Cowboys are a “really talented team”.
2. Poor drafting. The drafts after 2005 have been pretty damn bad. There have been 48 picks in the last 6 years (assuming my math is correct). Using the roster for the last game in 2011 leads to the following conclusions: of those 48 picks, only SEVEN have become starters: Jason Hatcher, Doug Free, Anthony Spencer, Mike Jenkins, Tyron Smith, Dez Bryant, and Sean Lee.
To make matters worse, only SEVEN others make any sizable contribution to the team: Alan Ball, Martellus Bennett, Orlando Scandrick, Stephen McGee, Victor Butler, John Phillips. Sean Lissemore. Alan Ball and Marty B are no longer Cowboys, so that drops the number to FIVE. (Because of injuries, I wasn’t sure how to include Felix Jones and DeMarco Murray.)
In total then, they have made 48 choices in 6 years, and only 16 of those players helped the team in any recognizable fashion (some would argue that neither McGee nor Ball should be on the list, but I am trying to be as forgiving as possible).
It is possible to be hopeful that the last two years, starting with Bryant, Lee, and Lissemore in 2010, are a change in the right direction. It is hard to evaluate the 2011 draft at this time, but it has the potential to be a strong class with Smith, Carter, Murray, all likely to start next year, while Arkin and Nagy will presumably be back-ups at least. Dwayne Harris also looks like he my have a role on the team as WR and/or returner.
Regardless of the eventual success of the 2011 draftees, one of the biggest problems with this team is a severe lack of talented players once you get past the top 6-8 ‘stars’ (Romo, Witten, Austin, Lee, Ratliff, Ware, and to a lesser extent Bryant and Robinson). The lack of talented players is a direct result of poor drafting. (To make this whole situation a bigger mess, just add the salary cap problems caused by ill-advised free agent signings).
Who is to blame for the ineffective drafting? Well, if you want to include just the top decisions makers you would have to include Bill Parcells, Wade Phillips, Jerry Jones, and the various Scouting Directors since Larry Lacewell retired in January of 2005. It is tempting to blame Jerry Jones because many fans believe that he makes all the final decisions, but year after year we hear people on the inside say that Jones “defers to his advisors much more than people would think.” Again, it is foolish to blame six years of sub-standard drafting on just one or two people. It takes more than a person or two to mess up this convincingly on a regular basis.
3. The lack of continuity and stability on the coaching staff. Instability in the coaching staff creates a slew of wide-ranging problems for any football team, but one of the most pernicious effects is on the drafting philosophy of that team. When a coach fears that he might get fired after a season or two, then there is obvious pressure to produce positive results immediately. This mindset of needing to produce immediately is the antithesis of what leads to good drafting. It leads to taking risks on high-profile/impact players that you believe will make a dramatic change to your team. It is the opposite of a secure coach who realises that he is building a long-term future and therefore can afford to avoid the temptation of ‘sexy picks’ in favor of drafting the best player available.
Do you think Garrett would have drafted Tyron Smith and two other lineman if he thought he might get fired after this year, or would he have reached for a ‘play-maker’?
Do you ever wonder why New England and Pittsburgh are always able to field teams that compete for Championships? Part of it is the stability in their coaching staffs, and part of it is good drafting. And the key to their drafting is the knowledge that the HC will not get fired for one or two mediocre or unsuccessful seasons, and therefore they can take a long-term approach to building and sustaining a good team, rather than trying to find that one magical piece that will turn the club around. Both the Steelers and the Patriots have the luxury of drafting the best player available; rarely do they reach for a player just because of a perceived need.
There are of course other detrimental effects of changing coaches frequently. It is not unusual for a new offensive or defensive coordinator to take at least two seasons to fully implement his scheme and for the players to get comfortable with it. It takes at least 2-3 years, if not more, for a coach to fill the roster with players that fit his philosophy and schemes.
While there are a plethora of small and simple reasons that partially explain why the Cowboys had yet another disappointing season, remember that complex problems rarely have simple and therefore almost never have discrete causes. In the case of the Cowboys, the problems did not just appear this year, they have been problems for several of the last years. It is not as simple as blaming one or two units, or a single player, or the coaches, or the owner. The Cowboys finished the season 8-8 because they have mediocre talent after their top 6-10 players, and they are stuck with average talent because they have not drafted well in the last 6 years. The lack of stability and continuity in the coaching staff has had a myriad of negative effects on the franchise; one of the most notable side effects has been on the drafting.
Having “mental toughness”, “leadership”, and “swagger” may help a team win against an opponent that is fairly evenly matched, but none of those things are going to make up for the huge problems created by a lack of talent, poor drafting, and a lack of stability in the coaching staff.
Become part of the SportDFW nation. Check us out on Facebook, Twitter or contact us at therealsportdfw@gmail.com
The truth is that just about everyone involved with professional football has a vested interest in perpetuating the myth that the Cowboys are loaded with talent year in and year out.
The problem with the Cowboys is not a lack of leadership (sorry Warren Sapp), nor a lack of mental toughness (sorry Emmitt), nor a lack of ‘swagger’ (too many to name).
NEWSFLASH: Leadership, mental toughness, and swagger don’t win football games. Good players executing a good game plan wins football games. You can have as much leadership ,mental toughness, and swagger as you want, but if the other teams have better players and/or execute a superior gameplan, they are going to win most of the time.
Emmitt is my favorite athlete of all time in any sport, but I would love to ask him, “How much did your mental toughness help the Cowboys after Troy Aikman and Michael Irvin retired?” Better yet, “How did your mental toughness fare in Arizona?” Similarly, I would like to ask Warren Sapp, “How much did your obviously impeccable leadership help the Buccaneers in the fist couple years you were there?” As for swagger, well, it just doesn’t make much sense for a mediocre team to have swagger. Swagger is not something that makes you good or great, it is something that comes after being successful. Swagger without real success is not swagger at all, it is false confidence or cockiness.
The reason people want to blame these chimeras is twofold: first, it makes fans believe that a few simple adjustments could drastically change the team’s fortunes; second, the real problems with the Cowboys are more complex and pervasive than people want to believe.
There are three major problems with the Dallas Cowboys of the past couple years. Before I enumerate those problems, it should be noted that the OL and secondary were PART of the problem this season, but the fact that those two units played poorly at times is simply a symptom of larger and more systemic problems.
1. The roster is top-heavy. Season after season, the Cowboys begin the year with a roster that has a fair share of elite players at the top of the roster, but a paucity of talent in the middle and at the bottom of that roster. On defense they have DeMarcus Ware, Jay Ratliff, Sean Lee, and in years past Mike Jenkins and Terence Newman, but not much else behind them. The offense is the same: they have Romo, Jason Witten, and Austin, but not much else (especially before Dez Bryant and Laurent Robinson).
The secondary, OL, DL, linebacker corps, and FB position have been neglected for years. The lack of depth on the roster becomes even more obvious as the season wears on; as injuries pile up, and players get banged up, they have no one to step in and provide relief. It is thus no surprise that they have historically struggled in December after 10-12 weeks of wear and tear.
This lack of depth and quality players outside the ‘marquee’ players is a function of several factors. One, Jerry Jones has always been infatuated with high-profile players; he occasionally overpays this big name players and then lacks cap space to fill the rest of the roster. Two, having a few superstars sells ticket and merchandise, but it also fuels the misconception that the Cowboys are a “really talented team”.
2. Poor drafting. The drafts after 2005 have been pretty damn bad. There have been 48 picks in the last 6 years (assuming my math is correct). Using the roster for the last game in 2011 leads to the following conclusions: of those 48 picks, only SEVEN have become starters: Jason Hatcher, Doug Free, Anthony Spencer, Mike Jenkins, Tyron Smith, Dez Bryant, and Sean Lee.
To make matters worse, only SEVEN others make any sizable contribution to the team: Alan Ball, Martellus Bennett, Orlando Scandrick, Stephen McGee, Victor Butler, John Phillips. Sean Lissemore. Alan Ball and Marty B are no longer Cowboys, so that drops the number to FIVE. (Because of injuries, I wasn’t sure how to include Felix Jones and DeMarco Murray.)
In total then, they have made 48 choices in 6 years, and only 16 of those players helped the team in any recognizable fashion (some would argue that neither McGee nor Ball should be on the list, but I am trying to be as forgiving as possible).
It is possible to be hopeful that the last two years, starting with Bryant, Lee, and Lissemore in 2010, are a change in the right direction. It is hard to evaluate the 2011 draft at this time, but it has the potential to be a strong class with Smith, Carter, Murray, all likely to start next year, while Arkin and Nagy will presumably be back-ups at least. Dwayne Harris also looks like he my have a role on the team as WR and/or returner.
Regardless of the eventual success of the 2011 draftees, one of the biggest problems with this team is a severe lack of talented players once you get past the top 6-8 ‘stars’ (Romo, Witten, Austin, Lee, Ratliff, Ware, and to a lesser extent Bryant and Robinson). The lack of talented players is a direct result of poor drafting. (To make this whole situation a bigger mess, just add the salary cap problems caused by ill-advised free agent signings).
Who is to blame for the ineffective drafting? Well, if you want to include just the top decisions makers you would have to include Bill Parcells, Wade Phillips, Jerry Jones, and the various Scouting Directors since Larry Lacewell retired in January of 2005. It is tempting to blame Jerry Jones because many fans believe that he makes all the final decisions, but year after year we hear people on the inside say that Jones “defers to his advisors much more than people would think.” Again, it is foolish to blame six years of sub-standard drafting on just one or two people. It takes more than a person or two to mess up this convincingly on a regular basis.
3. The lack of continuity and stability on the coaching staff. Instability in the coaching staff creates a slew of wide-ranging problems for any football team, but one of the most pernicious effects is on the drafting philosophy of that team. When a coach fears that he might get fired after a season or two, then there is obvious pressure to produce positive results immediately. This mindset of needing to produce immediately is the antithesis of what leads to good drafting. It leads to taking risks on high-profile/impact players that you believe will make a dramatic change to your team. It is the opposite of a secure coach who realises that he is building a long-term future and therefore can afford to avoid the temptation of ‘sexy picks’ in favor of drafting the best player available.
Do you think Garrett would have drafted Tyron Smith and two other lineman if he thought he might get fired after this year, or would he have reached for a ‘play-maker’?
Do you ever wonder why New England and Pittsburgh are always able to field teams that compete for Championships? Part of it is the stability in their coaching staffs, and part of it is good drafting. And the key to their drafting is the knowledge that the HC will not get fired for one or two mediocre or unsuccessful seasons, and therefore they can take a long-term approach to building and sustaining a good team, rather than trying to find that one magical piece that will turn the club around. Both the Steelers and the Patriots have the luxury of drafting the best player available; rarely do they reach for a player just because of a perceived need.
There are of course other detrimental effects of changing coaches frequently. It is not unusual for a new offensive or defensive coordinator to take at least two seasons to fully implement his scheme and for the players to get comfortable with it. It takes at least 2-3 years, if not more, for a coach to fill the roster with players that fit his philosophy and schemes.
While there are a plethora of small and simple reasons that partially explain why the Cowboys had yet another disappointing season, remember that complex problems rarely have simple and therefore almost never have discrete causes. In the case of the Cowboys, the problems did not just appear this year, they have been problems for several of the last years. It is not as simple as blaming one or two units, or a single player, or the coaches, or the owner. The Cowboys finished the season 8-8 because they have mediocre talent after their top 6-10 players, and they are stuck with average talent because they have not drafted well in the last 6 years. The lack of stability and continuity in the coaching staff has had a myriad of negative effects on the franchise; one of the most notable side effects has been on the drafting.
Having “mental toughness”, “leadership”, and “swagger” may help a team win against an opponent that is fairly evenly matched, but none of those things are going to make up for the huge problems created by a lack of talent, poor drafting, and a lack of stability in the coaching staff.
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Sunday, April 1, 2012
2012 Draft
There are a lot of options that could be good for the Cowboys this coming draft.
Let’s discuss the first round at # 14 first and then move from there;
Choices that I would not mind. DeCastro, OG, Stanford:
with the addition of the FA this year and first rounder Tyron Smith last year could set the OL for many years to come. DeCastro was part of an offensive line that allowed only nine sacks and supported a running game averaging 207.5 yards per game.
Mark Barron – Safety: I don’t see this happening either take a safety in the lower rounds or go with or see what Church or Pool can bring to the table.
Michael Brockers, DT, LSU: Brockers brings high-energy, freakish athleticism and a winning background to Big D. While he has the size and power to immediately overtake Ratliff as the starter, he could also find himself at the defensive end position in obvious passing situations as a pass-rusher. Interest is rising here and I think he may be a very good choice.
Quinton Coples – DE/DT NC: I like this guy a lot - Quinton Coples can easily fall on Draft Day. He's very talented, but there are questions about his work ethic and motor. When asked to evaluate his own effort as a senior in an interview with Charley Casserly, Coples gave himself a C, admitting that he didn't give 100 percent in 2011. I find that very troubling. What's he going to do once he receives a signing bonus? Coples may not get out of the top 15 picks though. A team like the Cowboys could give him a chance. He's a natural fit as a 3-4 defensive end, and this is an area that Dallas needs to upgrade. If Coples puts in the effort, he and DeMarcus Ware will be a very dangerous pass-rushing duo. Think about the consistent dominance of DeMarcus Ware, despite him not having much help around him in terms of another pass rusher. Now, include Quinton Coples playing opposite and the Doomsday Defense is making a comeback.
Janoris Jenkins, CB, NA; I am not as high on this guy as most are I think he is too small at 5’10” and 193. If picking a CB I would go with one of the other two below. He has off-field issues and his play against the run has been an issue in college, he will get lost in the pros.
Dre Kirpatrick, CB, Alabama; He is a very lengthy corner. Kirkpatrick could also be moved and developed at safety, where some teams might see his length and ability to play in zone more transferable, and he wouldn't be a tackling liability despite his thin frame. . He is so talented athletically that he could likely be tested early on an island in man coverage and excel, and he possesses the confidence and field presence necessary to take on such a task. With Carr on one side I think the secondary could be strong for the first time in years.
However, there is one guy I would take over all of the others: Morris Claiborne, CB, LSU: Claiborne, the unquestioned top cornerback in 2012 draft and a more technically refined player than Patrick Peterson, his former LSU teammate taken fifth overall by Arizona last year. I understand Dallas has been talking with Cleveland to move up to #4. We would give their first round this year (14) Jenkins, and Felix Jones, their third round. It was almost a done deal then Cleveland got greedy and asked for DeMarco Murray as well – then the talks fell through. I would go after him provided my scouting team said he was as good as adverstied. However, there is a possibility if Claibrone drops to #6 the Rams maybe willing to deal – this would be my #1 choice if given the chance.
Dontari Poe, DT, Memphis: is a 346-pound behemoth who appears perfectly suited for the role of 3-4 nose tackle, and Poe's stock has soared since a superhuman performance at the combine, Claibrone would be my first choice then you or I could argue any of the others and not be wrong. After the that I would most likely go with DeCastro then Kirpatrick, but they would be enterchangeable for me. Comments?
Choices that I would not mind. DeCastro, OG, Stanford:
with the addition of the FA this year and first rounder Tyron Smith last year could set the OL for many years to come. DeCastro was part of an offensive line that allowed only nine sacks and supported a running game averaging 207.5 yards per game.
Mark Barron – Safety: I don’t see this happening either take a safety in the lower rounds or go with or see what Church or Pool can bring to the table.
Michael Brockers, DT, LSU: Brockers brings high-energy, freakish athleticism and a winning background to Big D. While he has the size and power to immediately overtake Ratliff as the starter, he could also find himself at the defensive end position in obvious passing situations as a pass-rusher. Interest is rising here and I think he may be a very good choice.
Quinton Coples – DE/DT NC: I like this guy a lot - Quinton Coples can easily fall on Draft Day. He's very talented, but there are questions about his work ethic and motor. When asked to evaluate his own effort as a senior in an interview with Charley Casserly, Coples gave himself a C, admitting that he didn't give 100 percent in 2011. I find that very troubling. What's he going to do once he receives a signing bonus? Coples may not get out of the top 15 picks though. A team like the Cowboys could give him a chance. He's a natural fit as a 3-4 defensive end, and this is an area that Dallas needs to upgrade. If Coples puts in the effort, he and DeMarcus Ware will be a very dangerous pass-rushing duo. Think about the consistent dominance of DeMarcus Ware, despite him not having much help around him in terms of another pass rusher. Now, include Quinton Coples playing opposite and the Doomsday Defense is making a comeback.
Janoris Jenkins, CB, NA; I am not as high on this guy as most are I think he is too small at 5’10” and 193. If picking a CB I would go with one of the other two below. He has off-field issues and his play against the run has been an issue in college, he will get lost in the pros.
Dre Kirpatrick, CB, Alabama; He is a very lengthy corner. Kirkpatrick could also be moved and developed at safety, where some teams might see his length and ability to play in zone more transferable, and he wouldn't be a tackling liability despite his thin frame. . He is so talented athletically that he could likely be tested early on an island in man coverage and excel, and he possesses the confidence and field presence necessary to take on such a task. With Carr on one side I think the secondary could be strong for the first time in years.
However, there is one guy I would take over all of the others: Morris Claiborne, CB, LSU: Claiborne, the unquestioned top cornerback in 2012 draft and a more technically refined player than Patrick Peterson, his former LSU teammate taken fifth overall by Arizona last year. I understand Dallas has been talking with Cleveland to move up to #4. We would give their first round this year (14) Jenkins, and Felix Jones, their third round. It was almost a done deal then Cleveland got greedy and asked for DeMarco Murray as well – then the talks fell through. I would go after him provided my scouting team said he was as good as adverstied. However, there is a possibility if Claibrone drops to #6 the Rams maybe willing to deal – this would be my #1 choice if given the chance.
Dontari Poe, DT, Memphis: is a 346-pound behemoth who appears perfectly suited for the role of 3-4 nose tackle, and Poe's stock has soared since a superhuman performance at the combine, Claibrone would be my first choice then you or I could argue any of the others and not be wrong. After the that I would most likely go with DeCastro then Kirpatrick, but they would be enterchangeable for me. Comments?
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Sign Jesse Holley
I can't believe they would sign Ogletree and not Jesse Holley. The guy blocks and he catches everything thrown his direction. Ogletree isn't much of a blocker and I always believe in miracles everytime he catches a pass.
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Why I like Jason Garrett - He is the future!!
March 28, 2012
In his own words: Jason Garrett said he has learned his rookie mistakes and he must be better
By Clarence E. Hill Jr.
Palm Beach, Fla. _ Jason Garrett never got a proper introduction as Cowboys coach.
He took over for the fired Wade Phillips midway through the 2010 season on an interim basis.
When he was hired officially in January of 2010, he didn’t get the things normally afforded a first year coach, like an extra minicamp and extra time in the offseason to fully implement his new scheme, because of the lockout.
That all led to an up and down 2011 season that included first year coaching mistakes, year-long adjustments issues to the new scheme and ultimately an 8-8 record and third place finish in the NFC East.
Garrett won’t get a do over. What is done is done.
In a question and answer session with reporters on the final day of the NFL owners meetings on Wednesday, Garrett said he excited about the 2012 season but acknowledged before the Cowboys can get better and improve that he must learn from his mistakes and get better himself.
You got a lot of criticism last season for some of your in game decision making, how have you adjusted and what have you done to correct the mistakes?
“What we do as coaches and what I do as an individual coach, after every game you say, ‘What was good and what was bad?’ What we try to do is take a very critical eye of self-evaluation. It’s a really important thing for me as the head coach of this football team to look at myself first, look at what we’re doing as a staff before we walk in to talk to the players. I can give you 10 things out of every game this year that, ‘that wasn’t very good. That was better. I kind of liked that. I didn’t like that decision. I can’t believe we set it up that way. I can’t believe I made that decision.’ It starts with me and I have to be real critical of myself and our staff before we start talking to players and make their evaluations.”
Lot of problems seemed to stem from breakdowns in communication between the coaches and then to players on the field, any changes coming about communication?
“I would say that in the evaluations of things we liked over the course of a season and really within a game, you want to make the adjustments as you go as best you can. Now you also take another view of it after the season. We start looking at cut-ups, individual plays, game situations, how we handled those things and we evaluate it again. We’re still in the process of doing that with all of our different systems, both during the game and leading up to games and all of that. There will tangible changes on some things. We’ve got to make sure we do that because we’ve got to get better. I’ve got to get better.”
Are some of mistakes magnified because you’re a Princeton guy who is not supposed error?
“Well when you make a lot of decisions in the position I’m in, trust me, you’re going to make a lot of mistakes. The biggest thing I try to do is be critical in the self-evaluation of myself, of our staff, how we’re doing things and make the adjustments. Take the emotion out of it and just be really objective as best you can when you’re evaluating yourself and our staff. One of the things we try to do with our staff is we put guys together who are not yes men, guys who will hopefully tell me that wasn’t very good. So hopefully we can be better, and that’s our objective. Our objective is to be as good as coaches as we can be, put as good a team out there as we can. Critical self-evaluation is important around the fact that we have to have core beliefs in the things we’re doing. Big picture stuff, smaller picture stuff. We try to balance that and it’s an important part of our process to get better week to week and year to year.”
Jerry Jones said both you got goose bumps when told that the Cowboys would be part of the NFL’s season opening kickoff game against the Giants?
“Hey, we’re excited about the opener. The New York football Giants at their place, Super Bowl champions. Obviously, we know the challenges. They are a great organization. They’ve been an outstanding football team for a long, long time. We respect their coaches, we respect their players. We’re excited about the challenge.”
Is it any added motivation because you ended the season there and knocked you out the playoffs?
“I think all of our players and coaches are motivated to be the best we can be in 2012. That goes without saying, regardless of who the opponent is in week one. But I know as a coach, when you’re talking to your team, it’s easy to say on Wednesday night on that first week in September, we’re going up to New York to play the world champions. If that doesn’t get your attention as a coach, as a player and everybody in our organization to be the best they can be each and every day, I don’t know what does.”
You finally get a true off season for the first time as head coach, how will it help?
“We excited to have a traditional offseason going into a traditional training camp into a traditional season. I think everybody in this league is. We talked about adversity a little before. That is inevitable. Everybody deals with these kinds of things. The teams that handle it best are the ones that will be successful. So those are the situations we were put in over the last year in a half. You deal with the best you can. Now having a traditional offseason is best for everybody.”
Can you assess how you have done in free agency?
“We’re excited about it. We addressed needs with players that we liked. We targeted players, we evaluated players and we felt good about the guys we were pursuing. Now, all they do is come into the mix on our football team. We paid different guys different contracts, and there is a business part to the NFL, there is a recruiting part to free agency, once you acquire those guys they get into the mix of your football team. We wanted to create competition throughout our team. We feel like we did that with guys we really liked, the right kind of guys who have some talent and some upside. Guys that we think help our team now and going forward.”
How did free agency affect your approach to the draft?
“One of the things we did in free agency is we tried to address some of the perceived needs on this team. The goal on the draft is to draft the best player available. All teams have that goal. Some times you are able to achieve that and sometimes not. So hopefully by the time we get to end of April we will be in that position. We will pick the guys we think are the best guy for our football team.”
Jerry Jones said you are likely to draft a defender in the round because of the guards you signed in free agency. Does it look like you have a good grouping of defense players to choose from?
“We are not ready to make that comment. We are picking 14th. We are excited to pick 14th. We are excited about the players who are potentially available. There are good players in every draft. We are going to start our draft meetings next week and go through the process. We will talk about every player and get into the discussions as we get closer to draft about players and clusters of players. But as we have talked one of the objectives of free agency was to address needs on our team with players that we liked so we can on draft day pick who we feel is the best player regardless of the position. That is our goal now is to evaluate them as best we can. Stack them up against each other. Line up at the different positions. Line them up across the board and say this guy is best for the Dallas Cowboys.”
Talk about the two free agent guards Nate Livings and MacKenzy Bernadeau and what they bring to the team?
“You’re trying to bring guys in who can stir up the competition at the different positions you have to make everyone better individually and hopefully in a better to make us better collectively.
We signed Mackenzy Bernadeau from Carolina, he’s a guy we liked coming out. He’s a young guy from a small school who we feel has the physical traits to be a really good player in this league. He has not been a consistent starter for them, he has been a starter, but he’s had some injuries and some different things he’s dealt with. We’re just excited about the kind of kid he is and the upside he has.
Nate has been a starter the last couple of years in Cincinnati. He’s a big guy, he played at LSU. He was one of those guys who was a college free agent and really earned his way in the NFL. You put the tape on, we just like how he played. We feel like to bring a guy like that in he can get infused into our roster and hopefully create some competition up there.
None of these guys we brought in to say you are the anointed starter. They’re here to create competition in our team and we feel they are the right kind of guys individually as people but also with their talent.”
In his own words: Jason Garrett said he has learned his rookie mistakes and he must be better
By Clarence E. Hill Jr.
Palm Beach, Fla. _ Jason Garrett never got a proper introduction as Cowboys coach.
He took over for the fired Wade Phillips midway through the 2010 season on an interim basis.
When he was hired officially in January of 2010, he didn’t get the things normally afforded a first year coach, like an extra minicamp and extra time in the offseason to fully implement his new scheme, because of the lockout.
That all led to an up and down 2011 season that included first year coaching mistakes, year-long adjustments issues to the new scheme and ultimately an 8-8 record and third place finish in the NFC East.
Garrett won’t get a do over. What is done is done.
In a question and answer session with reporters on the final day of the NFL owners meetings on Wednesday, Garrett said he excited about the 2012 season but acknowledged before the Cowboys can get better and improve that he must learn from his mistakes and get better himself.
You got a lot of criticism last season for some of your in game decision making, how have you adjusted and what have you done to correct the mistakes?
“What we do as coaches and what I do as an individual coach, after every game you say, ‘What was good and what was bad?’ What we try to do is take a very critical eye of self-evaluation. It’s a really important thing for me as the head coach of this football team to look at myself first, look at what we’re doing as a staff before we walk in to talk to the players. I can give you 10 things out of every game this year that, ‘that wasn’t very good. That was better. I kind of liked that. I didn’t like that decision. I can’t believe we set it up that way. I can’t believe I made that decision.’ It starts with me and I have to be real critical of myself and our staff before we start talking to players and make their evaluations.”
Lot of problems seemed to stem from breakdowns in communication between the coaches and then to players on the field, any changes coming about communication?
“I would say that in the evaluations of things we liked over the course of a season and really within a game, you want to make the adjustments as you go as best you can. Now you also take another view of it after the season. We start looking at cut-ups, individual plays, game situations, how we handled those things and we evaluate it again. We’re still in the process of doing that with all of our different systems, both during the game and leading up to games and all of that. There will tangible changes on some things. We’ve got to make sure we do that because we’ve got to get better. I’ve got to get better.”
Are some of mistakes magnified because you’re a Princeton guy who is not supposed error?
“Well when you make a lot of decisions in the position I’m in, trust me, you’re going to make a lot of mistakes. The biggest thing I try to do is be critical in the self-evaluation of myself, of our staff, how we’re doing things and make the adjustments. Take the emotion out of it and just be really objective as best you can when you’re evaluating yourself and our staff. One of the things we try to do with our staff is we put guys together who are not yes men, guys who will hopefully tell me that wasn’t very good. So hopefully we can be better, and that’s our objective. Our objective is to be as good as coaches as we can be, put as good a team out there as we can. Critical self-evaluation is important around the fact that we have to have core beliefs in the things we’re doing. Big picture stuff, smaller picture stuff. We try to balance that and it’s an important part of our process to get better week to week and year to year.”
Jerry Jones said both you got goose bumps when told that the Cowboys would be part of the NFL’s season opening kickoff game against the Giants?
“Hey, we’re excited about the opener. The New York football Giants at their place, Super Bowl champions. Obviously, we know the challenges. They are a great organization. They’ve been an outstanding football team for a long, long time. We respect their coaches, we respect their players. We’re excited about the challenge.”
Is it any added motivation because you ended the season there and knocked you out the playoffs?
“I think all of our players and coaches are motivated to be the best we can be in 2012. That goes without saying, regardless of who the opponent is in week one. But I know as a coach, when you’re talking to your team, it’s easy to say on Wednesday night on that first week in September, we’re going up to New York to play the world champions. If that doesn’t get your attention as a coach, as a player and everybody in our organization to be the best they can be each and every day, I don’t know what does.”
You finally get a true off season for the first time as head coach, how will it help?
“We excited to have a traditional offseason going into a traditional training camp into a traditional season. I think everybody in this league is. We talked about adversity a little before. That is inevitable. Everybody deals with these kinds of things. The teams that handle it best are the ones that will be successful. So those are the situations we were put in over the last year in a half. You deal with the best you can. Now having a traditional offseason is best for everybody.”
Can you assess how you have done in free agency?
“We’re excited about it. We addressed needs with players that we liked. We targeted players, we evaluated players and we felt good about the guys we were pursuing. Now, all they do is come into the mix on our football team. We paid different guys different contracts, and there is a business part to the NFL, there is a recruiting part to free agency, once you acquire those guys they get into the mix of your football team. We wanted to create competition throughout our team. We feel like we did that with guys we really liked, the right kind of guys who have some talent and some upside. Guys that we think help our team now and going forward.”
How did free agency affect your approach to the draft?
“One of the things we did in free agency is we tried to address some of the perceived needs on this team. The goal on the draft is to draft the best player available. All teams have that goal. Some times you are able to achieve that and sometimes not. So hopefully by the time we get to end of April we will be in that position. We will pick the guys we think are the best guy for our football team.”
Jerry Jones said you are likely to draft a defender in the round because of the guards you signed in free agency. Does it look like you have a good grouping of defense players to choose from?
“We are not ready to make that comment. We are picking 14th. We are excited to pick 14th. We are excited about the players who are potentially available. There are good players in every draft. We are going to start our draft meetings next week and go through the process. We will talk about every player and get into the discussions as we get closer to draft about players and clusters of players. But as we have talked one of the objectives of free agency was to address needs on our team with players that we liked so we can on draft day pick who we feel is the best player regardless of the position. That is our goal now is to evaluate them as best we can. Stack them up against each other. Line up at the different positions. Line them up across the board and say this guy is best for the Dallas Cowboys.”
Talk about the two free agent guards Nate Livings and MacKenzy Bernadeau and what they bring to the team?
“You’re trying to bring guys in who can stir up the competition at the different positions you have to make everyone better individually and hopefully in a better to make us better collectively.
We signed Mackenzy Bernadeau from Carolina, he’s a guy we liked coming out. He’s a young guy from a small school who we feel has the physical traits to be a really good player in this league. He has not been a consistent starter for them, he has been a starter, but he’s had some injuries and some different things he’s dealt with. We’re just excited about the kind of kid he is and the upside he has.
Nate has been a starter the last couple of years in Cincinnati. He’s a big guy, he played at LSU. He was one of those guys who was a college free agent and really earned his way in the NFL. You put the tape on, we just like how he played. We feel like to bring a guy like that in he can get infused into our roster and hopefully create some competition up there.
None of these guys we brought in to say you are the anointed starter. They’re here to create competition in our team and we feel they are the right kind of guys individually as people but also with their talent.”
Sunday, March 18, 2012
Free Agency
I'm of two minds about our free agent pickups. I like how aggressive we've been. I even like some of the players we signed. Carr was vastly overpaid but that just happens to be the market for FA CB's this year and he was the best bet due to skill and age. He immediately upgrades the secondary over Newman.
Connor and Poole were good pickups as well. The Cowboys are hoping that Bruce Carter will contribute more than he has this year, and while I have my doubts, I think Connor can be a very good 2 down player for us leaving Carter at the least a Kevin Burnett type 3rd down player. The simple fact is that we needed more depth at the ILB spot and Connor is an upgrade over B. James and Brookings.
Poole is a more athletic FS type who's had better years than Elam ever had. That doesn't mean he's perfect by any means. He's just better than what we had and joins a long list of players trying out 1 year deals with the Cowboys to try to parlay that 1 year into a long term deal when the salary cap explodes next year.
Vickers is an upgrade over Fiametta. He's one of the best FB's in the league and will give us the best blocking from the FB position that we've had in a long, long time. We saw how well our running game worked with quality blocking from a quality FB. Now we get to see how our running game will look behind an even better blocking FB. It should only improve our running game.
Kyle Orton is IMO, a top 32 QB in this league. What that means is that I believe he's actually better than some of the guys who're starting in this league. He's obviously not as good as Romo but he's better than Kitna and worlds better than McGee. He's a QB who we can feel confident about winning with if Romo's hurt. I'm surprised that he was not only willing to take a backup job but that he signed for 3 years. Somebody posted somewhere else that it may be that he looks at it like if Romo gets hurt and misses a few games, Orton can come in, with players like Bryant, Austin, Witten, Murray, and Felix and really look good for those few games. These are the best skill players that he's ever played with IMO. He could light it up, get a lot of interest from other teams that all of the sudden need a QB, and generate a trade with the Cowboys. Win win for both of them.
It then gets a little sticky with the guards we signed. Let me be clear: I do think that Nate Livings and Mackenzy Bernadeau are upgrades over any combination of Kosier, Holland, Dockery, Nagy, or Arkin. Livings is bigger and stronger than any of those guys. He's supposedly fairly good in pass protection. I can only guess that Garrett is enamored with his size for short yardage situations which we've been woefully inadequate at. But he's not the kind of OG who can get out to the 2nd level and really help with the running game either. I read a scouting report that says he has problem with some smaller, quicker DT's. I can only hope this isn't another Fatt Davis situation where he gets turned around like a turnstyle.
Bernadeau is just another young guy to add to the mix. He's probably better and stronger than Nagy and Arkin. He's started. He's at the very least better IMO than they are. The Cowboys see some potential. My whole problem with these two OG's isn't that I don't think they're upgrades. It's that I think there were better players available for around the same money. Jake Scott is 30 years old but so is Livings. He's also a better player than Livings. OC Chris Myers is 30 but he was an all pro last year. One of the best in the league. Resigned for reasonable money with Houston after visiting the Titans. We didn't even kick his tires. I think it's easier to cover up a marginal OG than a marginal OC and we're stuck with Costa now. Not good.
I refuse to count Ogletree as a FA pickup. I refuse to acknowledge he's even on the team.
Now, we've got the franchise tag on Anthony Spencer. I think he's just an average player but we have nobody in the pipeline to replace him (Thank you 2009 draft and Jerry). So he's got an $8.8 million cap hit this year. It could be significantly lowered if we sign him to a long term contract but who wants to sign him to a long term contract?? There's some options in the draft to replace him but they'll probably be gone by #14. My idea now is to sign Kamerion Wimbley. He was released by the Raiders and is an upgrade over Spencer, especially as a pass rusher. He's about as good against the run as Spencer as well. If I'm going to give out a long term deal to someone I'd rather do it with him. It would lower our cap hit as well dramatically, probably by half, and we'd be able to go out after a center like Jason Brown who was just released by the Rams.
What do you all think??
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Oh Great
Now the NY media will come all over itself for the next year, telling us that Eli Manning is an elite QB and that he bested the Tom Brady, blah, blah, blah. I'm so excited.
Jerry Jones, you suck. You are an over the mountain bag of wind who couldn't draft a jewel if you had 100 chances. And stop believe the BS that you're a phenominal trader. You had one good trade and since then you have been taken to the cleaners.
If you had a head coach, your team wouldn't have blown the lead at home and NY would not be here. But you suck and your team doesn't measure up.
Jerry Jones, you suck. You are an over the mountain bag of wind who couldn't draft a jewel if you had 100 chances. And stop believe the BS that you're a phenominal trader. You had one good trade and since then you have been taken to the cleaners.
If you had a head coach, your team wouldn't have blown the lead at home and NY would not be here. But you suck and your team doesn't measure up.
Monday, January 2, 2012
My wet dream
From the Onion's lips to God's ear.....
I'm so glad this miserable season is over.
Princess
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