Rolando McClain

[Jarntt]

:banghead: The only thing I will say here is go back and look at the stats over the last 16 years and tell me your all satisfied. Never mind the funk we've been in since 1996 with only 2 playoff appearances. IMO we've never had any bad assed lineman or LB's since Haley and Lett left.

Even though your statement is wrong, what does the last 16 years have to do with it? We are talking about this year.

[bluejerseyjinx]

:banghead: The only thing I will say here is go back and look at the stats over the last 16 years and tell me your all satisfied. Never mind the funk we've been in since 1996 with only 2 playoff appearances. IMO we've never had any bad assed lineman or LB's since Haley and Lett left.

Even though your statement is wrong, what does the last 16 years have to do with it? We are talking about this year.

Now I'm being judged? Really. Oh well, so show me in the last 16 years where we have been close to winning anything. Aren't you guys tired of being losers?

[bluejerseyjinx]

Exactly! As Jarntt said earlier... the LB Corp is set now. Look to fill needs up front and in the secondary early in the draft... with an eye toward LB depth on Day 3.

Well I totally disagree with all of you. Just because McClain is coming back for another year and Sean Lee is healthy enough to also come back for another 8 games does not make the LB's set for the year. I still find the LB position pathetic. Wow.

Pathetic??? You are way off on this.

Look at our starters. How many 4-3 teams have better LBs than us? Sean Lee is one of the best non-pass rushing LBs in the NFL. Hitchens was incredible last year when you take into account that he was moved around constantly and as a rookie never even had a chance to really learn any one spot on the defense. McClain would have won comeback player of the year and made the Pro Bowl if he stayed healthy. All 3 are great in coverage which is so important for this defense and takes a lot of pressure off of our safeties. Lee and Hitchens can play all 3 spots and McClain has the perfect skil set to be in the middle.

Yes, we have health issues, but that is why you have 53 guys. Our backups include 3 FAs we just picked up. One of them is a run stopping MLB who can step into the middle on early downs If needed (wouldn't want him in the nickel) and the other two look like they can play multiple positions. Plus we still have Wilbur who wasn't great but did well on the strong side when he played it and a couple other guys like Smith that apparently the team liked a lot at draft time last year. The position flexibilty that Lee and Hitchens have protects you to some degree against injury because all you need is one backup LB per injury because those two can be shuffled around wherever they are needed.

Lastly...we didn't even have the draft yet and aren't done with the offseason!

New England, Seattle, Carolina, Cleveland, Baltimore, Denver, Buffalo, Miami, St. Louis, Arizona and Cincinnati all have better linebacker play than us. I will admit, things are looking up a bit the past couple years since we got rid of that over rated, you know who piece of crap, but we were the 4th or 5th worse team in the league last year in QB pressures. I've been very hard on the DL the past few years, but the line backer to me is still inconsistent and pathetic. As much as I love Sean Lee, I just don't have the faith you guys do he will stay healthy and help us out.
As far as the draft Jarnett. I'm starting to come around to a post you made a couple weeks ago. You know I want to go all out on the DT and linebacker position in the draft. I've made no bones about it and I still feel this is were we are the weakest. But what has transpired the past 3 weeks with Murray gone, and this crap with Carr, I can't argue with you guys about the CB position anymore. So we still need DT's, Lb's, Cb's and a running back. I'm almost in full agreement with you know that we should take best player available now.

[Schmoopy1000]

I still want a DT. A great pass rush automatically helps all the DBs. having great LBs is a luxury on a defense. usually the most interchangeable position on Defense is LB. Jimmy Johnson would let his starters go test FA & bring in another LB to take their place. He didn't pay high dollar amounts for LBs & all the cowboys did was have the #1 defense with zero probowlers. I would pay more for the intelligent Middle/inside LB that is the quarterback of the defense, but beyond the leader I look at the LB position as the easiest to replace. Give me bad ass DL & then DBs then LBs in that order, IMO.

[bluejerseyjinx]

I still want a DT. A great pass rush automatically helps all the DBs. having great LBs is a luxury on a defense. usually the most interchangeable position on Defense is LB. Jimmy Johnson would let his starters go test FA & bring in another LB to take their place. He didn't pay high dollar amounts for LBs & all the cowboys did was have the #1 defense with zero probowlers. I would pay more for the intelligent Middle/inside LB that is the quarterback of the defense, but beyond the leader I look at the LB position as the easiest to replace. Give me bad ass DL & then DBs then LBs in that order, IMO.

You don't have any concerns with running back. I sure do. I'm not totally all in with McFadden as of yet and I'm scared to death with Romo restructuring his contract, freeing up 13 million, that Jerry is going to go out and do something stupid, like sign A.P. for the immediate future and ruin any chance of doing something that we all want to do with our defense. And who is this Efe Obada that we just signed today? I don't know a thing about him.

[ncmalko1]

As am Eagle fan I'm terrified if Dallas lands AP. I think it might be fun as an NFL fan. Romo is getting older and Dallas has a Great run blocking line. I know yall don't want to mortgage your future but AP would have to be exciting.

[Schmoopy1000]

I still want a DT. A great pass rush automatically helps all the DBs. having great LBs is a luxury on a defense. usually the most interchangeable position on Defense is LB. Jimmy Johnson would let his starters go test FA & bring in another LB to take their place. He didn't pay high dollar amounts for LBs & all the cowboys did was have the #1 defense with zero probowlers. I would pay more for the intelligent Middle/inside LB that is the quarterback of the defense, but beyond the leader I look at the LB position as the easiest to replace. Give me bad ass DL & then DBs then LBs in that order, IMO.

You don't have any concerns with running back. I sure do. I'm not totally all in with McFadden as of yet and I'm scared to death with Romo restructuring his contract, freeing up 13 million, that Jerry is going to go out and do something stupid, like sign A.P. for the immediate future and ruin any chance of doing something that we all want to do with our defense. And who is this Efe Obada that we just signed today? I don't know a thing about him.

yeah I have concerns at RB, but the one thing I am certain, is the picture at RB will be completely different than it is now by the start of the season. So I am on a wait & see at RB right now. I already mentioned on another thread I hope we didn't make space for AP. I am curious (kinda excited) to see what new young RB will be coming in. If we nail down a good one in the draft would be badass.

[bluejerseyjinx]

What I am afraid of is A.P. taking less money and Coming to the Cowboys. Hell, with no state income tax in Texas, he could take less money and yield better than his current salary in Minnesota.

[Schmoopy1000]

What I am afraid of is A.P. taking less money and Coming to the Cowboys. Hell, with no state income tax in Texas, he could take less money and yield better than his current salary in Minnesota.

I am not afraid of AP being here. I am afraid of paying heavily for AP to be here or even worse trading for AP to be here.

[Manster7588]

What I am afraid of is A.P. taking less money and Coming to the Cowboys. Hell, with no state income tax in Texas, he could take less money and yield better than his current salary in Minnesota.

I am not afraid of AP being here. I am afraid of paying heavily for AP to be here or even worse trading for AP to be here.

Yep, It's not that I and I believe most others don't want AP, we don't want the price to have him.

[Jarntt]

:banghead: The only thing I will say here is go back and look at the stats over the last 16 years and tell me your all satisfied. Never mind the funk we've been in since 1996 with only 2 playoff appearances. IMO we've never had any bad assed lineman or LB's since Haley and Lett left.

Even though your statement is wrong, what does the last 16 years have to do with it? We are talking about this year.

Now I'm being judged? Really. Oh well, so show me in the last 16 years where we have been close to winning anything. Aren't you guys tired of being losers?

What are you talking about judging you? You don't seem to be in the same conversation. Last year and the last 16 years do not matter. They are in the rear view mirror. We are talking about the 2015 season.

[Jarntt]

I still want a DT. A great pass rush automatically helps all the DBs. having great LBs is a luxury on a defense. usually the most interchangeable position on Defense is LB. Jimmy Johnson would let his starters go test FA & bring in another LB to take their place. He didn't pay high dollar amounts for LBs & all the cowboys did was have the #1 defense with zero probowlers. I would pay more for the intelligent Middle/inside LB that is the quarterback of the defense, but beyond the leader I look at the LB position as the easiest to replace. Give me bad ass DL & then DBs then LBs in that order, IMO.

The only LB position I see even close to being "interchangeable" in this defense is SOLB. There is no way I would call the Will or the Mike that, nor would I say they are a luxury. If you want to rank them, I would say the least important position in this defense is the 1 tech.

[Jarntt]

What I am afraid of is A.P. taking less money and Coming to the Cowboys. Hell, with no state income tax in Texas, he could take less money and yield better than his current salary in Minnesota.

I am not afraid of AP being here. I am afraid of paying heavily for AP to be here or even worse trading for AP to be here.

Yep, It's not that I and I believe most others don't want AP, we don't want the price to have him.

Agree with both of you

[Schmoopy1000]

I still want a DT. A great pass rush automatically helps all the DBs. having great LBs is a luxury on a defense. usually the most interchangeable position on Defense is LB. Jimmy Johnson would let his starters go test FA & bring in another LB to take their place. He didn't pay high dollar amounts for LBs & all the cowboys did was have the #1 defense with zero probowlers. I would pay more for the intelligent Middle/inside LB that is the quarterback of the defense, but beyond the leader I look at the LB position as the easiest to replace. Give me bad ass DL & then DBs then LBs in that order, IMO.

The only LB position I see even close to being "interchangeable" in this defense is SOLB. There is no way I would call the Will or the Mike that, nor would I say they are a luxury. If you want to rank them, I would say the least important position in this defense is the 1 tech.

well I was talking about the groups of Positions. DB, LB, DL. Not the individual spot. Cowboys have been replacing LBs that leave forever. Sometimes a little better, sometimes a little worse, but it never devastates our season. HeII when we lost Lee last year I was pretty doom & gloomy. They could have been better, but pretty much held their own. Meanwhile the DL & DBs were pretty much disappointing. When we lose a good DB, takes forever it seems to recover. Same with top DL. Also many teams seem to recover if they have a replacement of a top LB year after year. I was not talking about taking a LB from one LB spot & moving him around. Tons of top or potentially top LBs out there. Not so with the DBs. Usually can find the DL but they seem to cost more in FA, & is a bigger risk in the draft. bad ass LBs come into the league every year.

[Mr B]

A solid signing. I like the fact that it's a 1 year deal. Now go into the draft and draft an eventual replacement for him in the later rounds.

Exactly! As Jarntt said earlier... the LB Corp is set now. Look to fill needs up front and in the secondary early in the draft... with an eye toward LB depth on Day 3.

Well I totally disagree with all of you. Just because McClain is coming back for another year and Sean Lee is healthy enough to also come back for another 8 games does not make the LB's set for the year. I still find the LB position pathetic. Wow.

Saying they're pathetic may be a bit much but I will say this. They do need to find eventual replacements for both Lee and McClain. If their pick comes up at #27 and the best player on the board is a LB I would not be upset if they picked him. They wanted and thought they had Shazier last year and "settled" for Zach Martin. Rumor is they even tried to trade out of the pick but didn't get a deal they liked so they took Martin.

After this year's draft and next year's draft the Cowboys will have one of the best LB corps in the NFL. They finally have a guy (Will McClay) that knows what the hell he's doing in the draft.

[bluejerseyjinx]

What I am afraid of is A.P. taking less money and Coming to the Cowboys. Hell, with no state income tax in Texas, he could take less money and yield better than his current salary in Minnesota.

I am not afraid of AP being here. I am afraid of paying heavily for AP to be here or even worse trading for AP to be here.

As we approach the draft and the start of the season, I can see Minnesota playing hardball. Hey Dallas, you want A.P., How about Martin and Frederick for A.P. ? I can see that happening. Minnesota will want to see how much they can get for A.p. He really wants out of there.