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??
6 comments:
I like the fact that we kept Spencer, I think he is overlooked by everyone because of Ware, but if you watch him he is a run stopper. They put him in situations where his job is to stop the run and they turn Ware loose on the end or up the middle. Someone has to be responsible for the run.
Just as someone needs to be responsible for the passing game....evidently no one was and now we have Carr who I consider to be a big upgrade. But, I wanted to get rid of Newman two years ago.
Overall I like the FA's that were picked up now I am looking toward the draft.
Who would you like to see Dallas pick up at 14? I have mixed feelings about it there are 4 or 5 guys that I would be good with.
Spencer is just an average player. That's not what you want with a 1st round pick. Especially not when in the same draft a Lamar Woodley went after him and is getting double digit sacks. Spencer is good against the run but he's not the Lawrence Taylor of run stoppers. He's just good. There isn't anything special about his game and certainly nothing "franchise" player worthy or $8.8 million worthy. You've got two Pro Bowl caliber players that get doubled on almost every down in Ware and Ratliff leaving Spencer to with one man to beat. I understand that he doesn't rush as much as Ware, and I've never expected 20 sacks from Spencer, but when he does rush he's got usually just the one man to beat and he can't do it. We know what we've got there now. It's not going to get better with just Spencer. I would continue trying to upgrade that position whenever possible and am ticked off that we didn't even try to sign Kamerion Wimbley.
I've got several guys on my short list for #14. I just don't like Kirpatrick. Something about him SCREAMS bust to me. Upshaw is to me a slightly better version of Spencer. Same skill set but maybe a little more meanness and intensity to his game. He'll never be a great pass rusher IMO.
I like Melvin Ingram from SC. He's about the same size as Upshaw but a better pass rusher IMO. Doesn't seem as stiff. More athletic and seems like he's got a better variety of moves to get to the QB. Bends better going around the OT. Problem is he's had such good workouts I think he goes top 10 now.
I love DeCastro. I think he's a guy who could start for you for 10 years and most of those years he'll go to the Pro Bowl. He's that good. He snapped for Andrew Luck at his pro day even though he's not a center. Shows his versatility that he can play OG/OC. I doubt an O-lineman is in the plans now in the 1st round after we signed two in FA that I think are starters. It's too bad since I think DeCastro is one of the best, if not the best, O-line prospects I've seen ever. He plays his position as well as anyone.
I don't like Brockers either although I know others are high on him. I don't see him ever being much better than Spears or Hatcher.
All that being said, I think I'm on the Fletcher Cox bandwagon. He could instantly step in and upgrade our 3-4 DE spot. He can play the 5 technique and slide inside to DT in our nickel D. He brings a speed to the position, and a pass rush ability, that we don't have on the D-line. If we draft him we'll have managed to upgrade all 3 levels of our D through FA and the draft. I'm not saying he's a double digit sack guy at all. You're not going to get that from a 3-4 DE but I think he's a guy who could give you 5-6 sacks and that's amazing from that position. A 3-4 DE who can rush the passer and command double teams. It might free up Ratliff more and even Ware. I'm not counting Spencer cuz he's already freed up all the time and can't beat one man anyway. We saw what a rush DE in a 3-4, who's motor doesn't quit, could do with JJ Watt last year. The biggest thing that made Watt special IMO is his motor. It never quits. This guy isn't the same player as Watt but his motor is the same IMO. That's what I want from a DE. I think with an upgraded secondary, better coverage from our ILB's, and more rush from our D-line, we could see a MAJOR improvement in our defense this season. Maybe a lot more TO's too.
I mostly agree with you and I would be surprised if Dallas signs Spencer to a long term contract. I believe thinking is to hold on to him one more year and give guys that have been special teams players and new guys, a chance to step-up. The problem as I see it they didn't have anyone that could replace Spencer or no one they could know for sure he would be a better player.
As far as the draft my #1 guy would be Morris Claiborne, CB, LSU I read that Dallas hae been talking with Cleveland to move up to #4 and give their first round this year Jenkins, and Felix Jones, plus our third round.
If he falls to the Rams I look for Dallas to make the move, but I seriously doubt he will drop to #6.
After that I have to agree with you and go with DeCastro for exactly the same reason you gave. If he is there at 14 I think Dallas will grab him.
If you talk Kirpatrick I sorta feel the same way you do about him, but given the choice between him and Janoris Jenkins I would go with Kirpatrick. I just have bad feeling about Jenkins.
You didn't mention Quinton Coples, I like the guy and he can play but the question about him is will he put out the effort?
Now I do like Michael Brocker from everything I have seen the guy is a beast and has natural ability. I don't think he is in the Spencer catagory.
One person you didn't mention was Mark Barron safety. Here I am realy mixed. We need a good safety but I don't know if I would take one at 14, maybe trade down or go with one in the second or third rounds.
I will go out on a limb here. I think this is going to be the best draft that Dallas has had in years and it will be because of Jason Garrett.
I think he listens, he knows how to evaluate talent and he understands the type of players you need on your to team to make the superbowl. Plus I think Jerry listens to him more than anyone in a while.
It will be interesting to see how many guys will still be on the team and playing from this draft in 2 or 3 years.
Snake,
Stop drinking the cool aid.
Gomez
Yeah Gomez, you may be right.
I think I have developed a taste for the stuff.
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