Offseason news

[ArlingtonCowboys100]

If Gregory is reinstated and manages to not get suspended this team is going to be deep at DE.

Too me Gregory is an elite pass rusher. Just needs to quit weed and not get injured. He needs to decide if he wants millions or weed

 

[DALLAScornhusker]

There was a lot of available talent this FA period. Some we sought after some we didn't. I heard we missed on Sammy Watkins which after seeing what he got paid I'm happy we didn't get him. Hit on Flemming, hit on Hurns and have created good depth with Ealy. Just judging the new player additions, we have done well trying to cover needs. We needed a swing tackle and needed better WR play. We still need a new safety and make sure we replenish the LB position. I think there will be a good LB there at #19.

 

[jarntt]

Man, I gotta disagree with you Bud. Honey Badger would be a solid starter no doubt. But look at the 6 guys they added...they will all make the team, and at the least be solid depth. What that has done is allow the team to go into the draft and take the best player available regardless of position. If we had spent all the money on Honey Badger, OL and WR in the first two rounds would have been almost mandatory. Now, if the team takes a WR in round one, it means Dez will be getting cut, if they don't, it means he stays, but they have improved either way IMO. Now play it to next year...if Dez is here, it means he got back to being who he used to be, in other words, worth his salary, or gone. Romo's dead money will fall off. Outside of Witten, pretty much the whole team will be young or in their prime

IF those guys work out we did well and I think there is a good chance they will work out. There were a lot of OL that were pretty much guarantees to be starting quality that we passed on (and maybe for good reason). What is Fleming exactly? and Martin's contract says he is 50/50 at best to make the team and we need a starting OL (G or T) and a swing tackle badly. We aren't the only team with scouts and if guys only got what we offered then maybe there was a reason or maybe we got a steal. Point is we haven't made good choices overall in FA for some time, so I'm going to wait and see. Like I said, each pick on it's own I like and am happy with, but I'm just not sure the grade has already been determined. I think I read somewhere that every player other than Fleming that we signed was either cut or waived at some point in their career. That doesn't necessarily mean anything, but it could.

 

[UK Cowboy]

Cowboys doing better in FA than last off season for sure. Imagine Vea being doubled all the time?

Dream scenario for me would be Vea in round 1, TE Gesiki in the second, and a LB like Jewell or Griffin in the third. That's if they keep Dez. If they are cutting him, it would be Vea or LB Evans in round one, WR in round two and DT round three. I guess they could go WR in round one, but this draft is so loaded at WR, it just makes sense to wait a round IMO

 

[tomodach10]

Dez was a below average receiver last year and that's being generous. He was honestly bad. If your QB has to constantly throw you open, you are not playing at a high level. Dez consistently had 1 on 1 situations against average to below average corners and nobody respected him enough to get open, but when Dak throws the ball and it sails over Dez's head, Cowboy fans think that's on Dak when Dez couldn't beat a below average corner in a situation where he has to beat his man in order for Dak to throw the ball in a position where Dez can get it.

IT'S NOT ALL DEZ FAULT. He plays in a very unfriendly offense along with Dak. Jason Garrett's offense is way past its prime. Jason Garrett has an offense that is designed for his receivers to beat their man consistently one on one. It works when TO is playing well, when Miles Austin is playing well, when Dez is playing well, and when Witten is playing well. TO and Austin are gone. Witten and Dez can't get open anymore. That spells disaster for an offense like Garrett's. Garrett offense's doesn't do anything to get his receivers open by design like you are seeing more and more in the league today. Garrett is stuck in 2007. It's too bad he couldn't adapt to the league like Andy Reid has. He needs to come to 2018 where teams are designing plays to get their best players open. He also needs to get more speed on the field. This team has no speed on offense. It's honestly pathetic.

I agree somewhat with your post, except blaming Dez for passes that were clearly Dak's fault. You only blame the offiense that Garrett has and nothing on Dak. SOME OF THOSE PASSES WERE HORRIBLE AND ON DAK 100%. However, the drops were on Dez. He dropped way too many for anyone's tast.

 

[tomodach10]

Man, I gotta disagree with you Bud. Honey Badger would be a solid starter no doubt. But look at the 6 guys they added...they will all make the team, and at the least be solid depth. What that has done is allow the team to go into the draft and take the best player available regardless of position. If we had spent all the money on Honey Badger, OL and WR in the first two rounds would have been almost mandatory. Now, if the team takes a WR in round one, it means Dez will be getting cut, if they don't, it means he stays, but they have improved either way IMO. Now play it to next year...if Dez is here, it means he got back to being who he used to be, in other words, worth his salary, or gone. Romo's dead money will fall off. Outside of Witten, pretty much the whole team will be young or in their prime

I think Honey Badger would have been great here, but I do like the moves they have made in the offseason. They added wr's, o-line and d-line help. Nice moves.

 

[Manster7588]

I still wish we would have cut Gregory. If he gets reinstated it will be interesting to see what happens. Has he kept in shape? Is he mentally stable? Can he produce at this level enough to be worth the constant concern over what he will do next? I don't think he plays for Dallas this year, but who knows. The good thing is that because of all of the players that we added on the DL (and likely continue through the draft) if he does play for us he can just focus on 3rd and long which is what he should be best at.

I'm mostly a glass half full person, and I am in the case of Gregory. Pulling for him to give it all for Dallas taking a chance on him, and hoping he give a team discount when his next deal is here.

 

[Sir Robin Of Camelot]

Totally agree with this. Taco could end up a superstar, but he was no help to this team last year. There is no guarantee a rookie will contribute year one, or ever. Ridley (or whomever) could be a week 1 All Pro or barely see the field all year. It's a crap shoot

Amen. 1,000 rookie receivers are an anomaly. Only 8 since 2011 and three of them were in 2014 (Beckham, Evans & Benjamin). Even the great Julio Jones only had 959 in 2011 (behind A. J. Green with 1,057).

 

[PDay8810]

There was a lot of available talent this FA period. Some we sought after some we didn't. I heard we missed on Sammy Watkins which after seeing what he got paid I'm happy we didn't get him. Hit on Flemming, hit on Hurns and have created good depth with Ealy. Just judging the new player additions, we have done well trying to cover needs. We needed a swing tackle and needed better WR play. We still need a new safety and make sure we replenish the LB position. I think there will be a good LB there at #19.

It' looking good.
Solid LB's and safeties can be had in the first three rounds.
flip a coin as to where we go at 19 and go get the other position in round 2 or 3

 

[PDay8810]

Too me Gregory is an elite pass rusher. Just needs to quit weed and not get injured. He needs to decide if he wants millions or weed

I think Gregory has the potential to be an elite pass rusher. He's still a little light in the shorts and thus to me, a situational pass rusher. It's always been his choice with regards to weed

 

[jarntt]

 

[Earl Stevens]

I agree somewhat with your post, except blaming Dez for passes that were clearly Dak's fault. You only blame the offiense that Garrett has and nothing on Dak. SOME OF THOSE PASSES WERE HORRIBLE AND ON DAK 100%. However, the drops were on Dez. He dropped way too many for anyone's tast.

Dak isn't perfect no doubt. Dak didn't play at the level he did in his rookie campaign, but Dez took a HUGE step back. He was one of the worst receivers in football. Witten is aging. Beasley got way more attention than in the previous year. The Cowboys receivers as a whole were among the worst in football and couple that with being in one of the most unfriendly offenses in the NFL, it's no wonder the offense was so stagnant in many games last year. It's not like Zeke played at a consistent high level either when he actually played. Add in injuries to the Oline and Dak really had it bad around him last year. All this talk about how Romo had it so bad around him, Dak really had it bad around him last year, yet I see so many Cowboy fans on twitter and other message boards saying we need another QB.

Dak completed 63% of his passes despite being in one of the most unfriendly offenses in the NFL. He barely got any statpadded help from YAC. He constantly had to throw his receivers open as opposed to them getting open. You expect Dak to be accurate when his receivers can't get separation. 8 of Dak's 13 interceptions were 100% on the receiver. Dak was actually one of the best QBs in football throwing it into tight windows last year. Dak was overrated after his rookie campaign and ironically has now become underrated after his sophomore season because of perception.

 

[jarntt]

Dez Bryant - WR - Cowboys
According to MMQB's Albert Breer, some Cowboys coaches believe Dez Bryant isn't doing enough to adjust his game to counteract his declining physical skills.

Some coaches started seeing Bryant's game slipping back in 2015, and it has continued down that road ever since. No longer able to run by people or jump as high, some think Bryant needs to retool his game like Larry Fitzgerald. There's no questioning Bryant is still one of the toughest, most physical receivers, but there's growing chatter Bryant may not be long for Dallas on his $12.5 million salary. However, his biggest supporters are Jerry Jones and Jason Garrett.

Sean McVay on why star-studded Rams will work



FOUR DOWNS
1. Dez Bryant’s future in Dallas. There’s no delicate way to put it: It’s a good thing that Bryant has two very powerful sponsors in the Cowboys’ facility in owner Jerry Jones and coach Jason Garrett. Because based on where the staff sees him right now, justifying the $12.5 million he’s due this fall (and the $16.5 million cap number he carries) has gotten difficult for the team. Maybe they’ll be able to compromise.


The truth is: This is where things have been going for a while. Cowboys coaches started seeing Bryant’s overwhelming physical gifts start to slip all the way back in 2015, the injury-plagued first season of his five-year, $70 million second contract. And that hasn’t reversed itself. Three years later, at the point in his career when some players reinvent themselves by becoming craftier, Bryant’s struggle to adjust to playing at a different speed has disappointed the team. He can’t run by anyone anymore. He lacks explosion, evident in the loss of inches off his vertical. He’s still inconsistent as a route-runner. He’s hard to count on for Dak Prescott. And as some there see it, he’s not doing enough to counteract all of that.

“Based on last year,” one staffer says, “he does very few things really well.” So now, the challenge is on Bryant to do what Arizona’s Larry Fitzgerald and, at a different position, his own teammate, Jason Witten, have pulled off: combat Father Time with the kind of hard work that generates a second NFL life. The Cowboys’ failure to land Sammy Watkins probably saved Bryant’s place on the roster, and it’s not crazy to think it could still be in jeopardy. That much is up to Jones and, to some extent, Garrett. They’ve both believed in Bryant when others didn’t. It seems like it’s time for him to repay that faith.

 

[PDay8810]

Dak completed 63% of his passes despite being in one of the most unfriendly offenses in the NFL. He barely got any statpadded help from YAC. He constantly had to throw his receivers open as opposed to them getting open. You expect Dak to be accurate when his receivers can't get separation. 8 of Dak's 13 interceptions were 100% on the receiver. Dak was actually one of the best QBs in football throwing it into tight windows last year. Dak was overrated after his rookie campaign and ironically has now become underrated after his sophomore season because of perception.

only thing to add is the off the charts work ethic and leadership
I remain very good with Dak and all he will be

 

[DALLAScornhusker]

I once saw a stat after the season that declared Dak completed the highest % of "tight window" throws in 2017. Tight window being a subjective term, but all QBs were graded with the same metrics. Also - our group of pass catchers finished in the bottom third of the league in separation yards per target.

You can draw a few conclusions by this - and try to attach blame to explain it. I'd rather take it at face value and keep it simple.
#1. Dak is still very accuate.
#2. Our pass efficiency isn't anywhere near what it could be.
#3. Something has to change.

 

[scotsman1948]

I once saw a stat after the season that declared Dak completed the highest % of "tight window" throws in 2017. Tight window being a subjective term, but all QBs were graded with the same metrics. Also - our group of pass catchers finished in the bottom third of the league in separation yards per target.

You can draw a few conclusions by this - and try to attach blame to explain it. I'd rather take it at face value and keep it simple.
#1. Dak is still very accuate.
#2. Our pass efficiency isn't anywhere near what it could be.
#3. Something has to change.

our receiver corps could not accomplish separation which doesn't make for a good efficiency

 

[jarntt]

I once saw a stat after the season that declared Dak completed the highest % of "tight window" throws in 2017. Tight window being a subjective term, but all QBs were graded with the same metrics. Also - our group of pass catchers finished in the bottom third of the league in separation yards per target.

You can draw a few conclusions by this - and try to attach blame to explain it. I'd rather take it at face value and keep it simple.
#1. Dak is still very accuate.
#2. Our pass efficiency isn't anywhere near what it could be.
#3. Something has to change.

I also read a stat on the general board where Dak threw the 2nd lowest % of screen passes in the league which would boost up some other QBs comp % as well.

 

[tomodach10]

I once saw a stat after the season that declared Dak completed the highest % of "tight window" throws in 2017. Tight window being a subjective term, but all QBs were graded with the same metrics. Also - our group of pass catchers finished in the bottom third of the league in separation yards per target.

You can draw a few conclusions by this - and try to attach blame to explain it. I'd rather take it at face value and keep it simple.
#1. Dak is still very accuate.
#2. Our pass efficiency isn't anywhere near what it could be.
#3. Something has to change.

Dak was not that accurate last year. Saw every game. Anyone who says he is very accurate, missed last season. He has to improve.

 

[DALLAScornhusker]

Dak was not that accurate last year. Saw every game. Anyone who says he is very accurate, missed last season. He has to improve.

Yet he was very accuate according to that particular area. Dak took more chances and was less accurate across the board last year. I bet he wasn't as high on the tight window throws in 2016 because it didn't happen as often.
He had 5 absolute s hit performances last year where he didn't look like himself. There were several throws in other games also - most occured in the games missing Zeke and/or Tyron. Still, when the year was over, he winds up 13th in the league in accuracy. And if what Jarntt said above is true, makes me feel like 2017 is his floor. I just hope he plays more like 2016 Dak next year.

 

[jarntt]

Dak also throws the ball away a lot on purpose which keeps his % down (a little) and to some those throws can look like poor throws. I don't want to beat a dead horse, but IMO a huge part of the reason Dak was not as accurate as he needed to be last year (and if we are being honest, he just wasn't) was the fact that guys just did not get open enough or make any plays for him that were in their catch radius. Yes, a huge part of that was Dez, but how often was Witten open? T Will? Even Beasley was shut down and on top of that "our greatest line in the history of the league" (as some wanted to say) was too often just not so great at protecting Dak last year. I will make an excuse for the OL: T Smith and Collins had bad backs pretty much all season. That was a huge problem for this offense as we all saw.

I'm not making excuses for Dak because bottom line there were plenty of plays he too needed to be better on. But if those around him aren't better he just isn't the type of QB and isn't in the type of Offense to still put up huge numbers. We need to get better than last year around him if we are going to be a serious playoff contender. And another thing, I understand how important he is and I understand how he got hurt running the ball (which also bothered him for a game and a half) but he needs to run even more on 3rd down. Not all game long, but at crunch time and in big spots. First of all because it is almost unstoppable and will lead to more success because he will convert and second of all because it will help open up the field as the defenders are forced to be aware of him or put a spy on him. Bottom line the Offense needs to be better than last year and yes that includes Zeke and the play calling/schemes too. I think we have most of the parts in place. We absolutely needed another quality starting OL (maybe that's Fleming or a draft pick or maybe it will hurt us badly again) and we needed better receiver play (we have addressed that in FA and will likely draft there early too). So, I think the team saw the problems and has moved towards solving them and combined with the Zeke saga being over and hopefully better health on our OL, I really do expect a much better offense in 2018 than 2017 with or without Dez.